Henry Sets Expectations

[Squiggles]

[quote author=spider-neil link=topic=46304.msg1374459#msg1374459 date=1312463663]
[quote author=Squiggles link=topic=46304.msg1374454#msg1374454 date=1312463353]

They're never going to shine in the same way Suarez has, or Torres before him,[/quote]

you don't know that squiggs. who thought that 'that' defender signed from william II for less that 3m would go on to become one of the greatest defenders we've ever hand. sometimes players step up a level when they move to a new club. players like downing and carroll may explode this coming season, we just have to wait and see.
[/quote]

If any of that lot "explode" into world-class players I'll eat my hat.

 

[Oncy]

[quote author=spider-neil link=topic=46304.msg1374459#msg1374459 date=1312463663]
[quote author=Squiggles link=topic=46304.msg1374454#msg1374454 date=1312463353]

They're never going to shine in the same way Suarez has, or Torres before him,[/quote]

you don't know that squiggs. who thought that 'that' defender signed from william II for less that 3m would go on to become one of the greatest defenders we've ever hand. sometimes players step up a level when they move to a new club. players like downing and carroll may explode this coming season, we just have to wait and see.
[/quote]Thats different though Neil. We had NEVER seen Hyppia play. We had only seen bits of Torres, Suarez, Alonso, Mascherano etc. Its very rare that a player who you have seen week in week out SUDDENLY becomes a MUCH better player. I cant think of many examples.

 

[Rosco]

If Downing does explode , at least we might get our 20m back from the insurer. It's our best chance of it.

Was Sami a royal servant before we signed him?

 

[Squiggles]

Exactly so, Oncy.

Henchoz, Hamann were already putting in decent to great displays. Finnan definitely improved since we signed him.

 

[spider-Neil]

I'm not saying they WILL explode, I'm saying they MAY explode or at least cause the team to take off (it's not impossible). I wont be a hyprocrite and say I wanted any of the players we've bought before we were linked with them but I can certainly see the potential of the players to make us greater than the sum of our parts, the reason why I say this is because whilst the likes of gerrard, suarez and Torres (whilst he was here) had/have the potential to put the very best teams to the sword, I think (and have thought for a very long time) winning the league is about dispensing the dross with minimum fuss and bother, to become flat track bullies and I think the new players (including carroll) are going to come into their own in this regard. I await the season to see if I'm proven right (or wrong).

 

[Molbystwin]

[quote author=Squiggles link=topic=46304.msg1374462#msg1374462 date=1312464076]
[quote author=spider-neil link=topic=46304.msg1374459#msg1374459 date=1312463663]
[quote author=Squiggles link=topic=46304.msg1374454#msg1374454 date=1312463353]

They're never going to shine in the same way Suarez has, or Torres before him,[/quote]

you don't know that squiggs. who thought that 'that' defender signed from william II for less that 3m would go on to become one of the greatest defenders we've ever hand. sometimes players step up a level when they move to a new club. players like downing and carroll may explode this coming season, we just have to wait and see.
[/quote]

If any of that lot "explode" into world-class players I'll eat my hat.
[/quote]

Considering my earlier bewildered aghast concern about who we've bought, with the money we've waited 2 years to finally get, I'm not so sure that that is fair.

I'm not expecting Downing to explode into brilliance, becuase he clearly can not but even ignoring the ludicrous assertions and hollow justification that we need him more than Mata etc etc he will definitely do a job.

Henderson is young and could well be a bright spark, Carroll has definitely got potential to terrorise the odd defence and if he does so may well develop into something special in a scary sort of way, Adam does have undoubted quality on the ball....

I would have spent on more immediate obvious quality, it was a lot of money and i suspect we could have bought more match winning players as opposed to potential, but we have definitely strengthened and those we have bought could/should provide us with a good push up the table.

It isn't fair to say that the newbies can not have a big impact on our play, i think they will we just need Kenny to get everyone playing well week in week out and with the team and the fans enjoying it we should do really well. I couldn't give a fuck about our pre-season tbh, Carra will warm up and the team will settle and we will forget about Vallerenga when we stick 5 past Sunderland and romp on down to Highbury ready for business...

 

[Judge Jules]

It's a pity neil went OTT and used the word "explode", because his basic point seems sound to me. I don't see the players we've signed making such major overnight improvement, but I do think the squad as a whole will make enough to see us challenging strongly for a CL place at least.

 

[Squiggles]

[quote author=Judge Jules link=topic=46304.msg1374485#msg1374485 date=1312465735]
It's a pity neil went OTT and used the word "explode", because his basic point seems sound to me. I don't see the players we've signed making such major overnight improvement, but I do think the squad as a whole will make enough to see us challenging strongly for a CL place at least.
[/quote]

Yep, that's fair enough.

 

[Oncy]

We've just still got a lot of shit that arent going to benefit us in any way this season.
Poulsen
Cole
Jovanovic
Degen
Jones
Wilson
N'gog
Aurelio
Insua
The Greek and Aquilani too i suppose.

It speaks volumes that we just cant GIVE these cunts away. Not even for FREE.
Its such a shame because in
Reina, Doni
Kelly, Robinson
Flanagan, Johnson
Skrtel, Agger, Carragher
Lucas, Spearing, Adam, Henderson, Meireles, Gerrard
Kuyt, Downing, Maxi, Suarez, Carroll
We really dont look too far off a real challenging side. You get the feeling that one or (harry redknapp alert) two more players would absolutely finish us off as a top TOP squad but if that muck that Rafa and Hodgson have saddled us with prevents those last couple of players (be it a quality LB, CB or this marquee motherfucker we started summer dreaming of) it will be a real shame.
At least Rafa left us with Suso, Raheem, Sterling, Shelvey, Coady, Wisdom etc and at least the potential to suplement that already good squad, what did Hodgson bring to the table the fat wasting cunt.

Anyway.
I think we will sell Jova, Cole and maybe get shot of one more (Ngog or Poulsen) but i think because we have so many of them we will have to spread our cash out and end up with decent players but not top top teir, and if anything derails us this season it will be that we have just ONE world class star in our team (Suarez) and then a squad full of good pro's. I hope we arent sitting thinking back how we could have done it with a Neymar, Mata, Aguero in our line up. Especially as with a 50 odd million outlay we wont really have any excuse for not going out and signing that world class talent. And before anyone starts, PSG have signed Pastore and they arent in Europe either next year.

 

[Fabio]

who knows, perhaps we'll get that other lucas as another attackign threat

 

[Molbystwin]

[quote author=Judge Jules link=topic=46304.msg1374485#msg1374485 date=1312465735]
It's a pity neil went OTT and used the word "explode", because his basic point seems sound to me. I don't see the players we've signed making such major overnight improvement, but I do think the squad as a whole will make enough to see us challenging strongly for a CL place at least.
[/quote]

I reckon nearly all of us wanted a better transfer window lets be honest, and i've never seen so much money spent for so little excitement HOWEVER....

1 year ago we were all watching two yank carpet baggers toasting marshmallows they had bought on the tick over the funeral pyre of our recently very very good team.

We had unhappy superstars left right and centre either injured and wanting to leave or just wanting to leave. We had fucking negative cash to spend and were 7th with a speech impaired werthers sucking stroke victim trying to resuscitate our corpse before they threw it on the fire.

Im gutted we didn't buy a Mata or Cazorla or another Suarez, we had enough cash and we could probably have done it....

BUT we go into the new season having played pretty damn well since January with a new set of owners who are backing us financially, all the players pulling in the right direction under a enthusiastic happy manager who knows his onions and is a legend who genuinely loves the place and the job, we've got a new strikeforce we badly lacked, we've got fresh blood of good quality in midfield, we've got good quality experienced players with fight and spirit, we've got youngsters eager to come into the team and a bunch of fans gagging for success....

OK the signings dont excite very much but they do help constitute a much much better and happier and positive team from the top all the way down.... it's a complete positive turnaround in the space of a year... excitement about Stewart Downing or not the way i'm looking at it it is fucking game on.

Lets do them beachball Mackem cunts first...

 

[kingjulian]

Reads thread...


Self explodes!

 

[Ryan]

[quote author=LeTallecWiz link=topic=46304.msg1374354#msg1374354 date=1312443410]
I think Ryan is aware of his miserable postings lately, but my hunch is he's doing it to protect himself from what he feels will be the 'let down.'

My only hope is that when we win the league, he'll happily admit he was wrong.
[/quote]

Heh, pretty much.