Strength and Weakness.
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[quote author=keniget link=topic=41708.msg1168021#msg1168021 date=1283281689]
I don't think there is much improvement, if any, to crow about with this summers transfers.
Our midfield has a big question mark hanging over it with the Poulsen and Meireles, relatively unknown quantities in the Premiership, coming in for last years player of the season in Masher.
Out wide things are pretty much the same. The right flank hasn't changed and on the left we're still utilizing guys that look like they're unsuited to playing there.
Konchesky has to really justify his signing by being defensively competent, so I would hope to see an improvement over Insua at LB. Then we have Kelly and Pacheco who will hopefully contribute.
We're largely left hoping that a) we get lucky with injuries, b) Meireles turns out to be fantastic and c) the team fucking buck up their ideas after last season, although so far that hasn't looked like happening.
[/quote]*Bottom falls out*
I don't think there is much improvement, if any, to crow about with this summers transfers.
Our midfield has a big question mark hanging over it with the Poulsen and Meireles, relatively unknown quantities in the Premiership, coming in for last years player of the season in Masher.
Out wide things are pretty much the same. The right flank hasn't changed and on the left we're still utilizing guys that look like they're unsuited to playing there.
Konchesky has to really justify his signing by being defensively competent, so I would hope to see an improvement over Insua at LB. Then we have Kelly and Pacheco who will hopefully contribute.
We're largely left hoping that a) we get lucky with injuries, b) Meireles turns out to be fantastic and c) the team fucking buck up their ideas after last season, although so far that hasn't looked like happening.
[/quote]*Bottom falls out*
[quote author=keniget link=topic=41708.msg1168021#msg1168021 date=1283281689]
I don't think there is much improvement, if any, to crow about with this summers transfers.
Our midfield has a big question mark hanging over it with the Poulsen and Meireles, relatively unknown quantities in the Premiership, coming in for last years player of the season in Masher.
Out wide things are pretty much the same. The right flank hasn't changed and on the left we're still utilizing guys that look like they're unsuited to playing there.
Konchesky has to really justify his signing by being defensively competent, so I would hope to see an improvement over Insua at LB. Then we have Kelly and Pacheco who will hopefully contribute.
We're largely left hoping that a) we get lucky with injuries, b) Meireles turns out to be fantastic and c) the team fucking buck up their ideas after last season, although so far that hasn't looked like happening.
[/quote]
Does not Cole get a mention Keni?
regards
I don't think there is much improvement, if any, to crow about with this summers transfers.
Our midfield has a big question mark hanging over it with the Poulsen and Meireles, relatively unknown quantities in the Premiership, coming in for last years player of the season in Masher.
Out wide things are pretty much the same. The right flank hasn't changed and on the left we're still utilizing guys that look like they're unsuited to playing there.
Konchesky has to really justify his signing by being defensively competent, so I would hope to see an improvement over Insua at LB. Then we have Kelly and Pacheco who will hopefully contribute.
We're largely left hoping that a) we get lucky with injuries, b) Meireles turns out to be fantastic and c) the team fucking buck up their ideas after last season, although so far that hasn't looked like happening.
[/quote]
Does not Cole get a mention Keni?
regards
[quote author=mark1975 link=topic=41708.msg1168027#msg1168027 date=1283281901]
As said elsewhere, you'd have to hope in the absence of Torres that we don't just rely on one from the usual suspects and instead try to compensate by playing two of them (ie Kuyt and Babel/N'Gog).
[/quote]
Whilst I agree about playing two of them. If you were the opposition you would be fucking made up to see those up front against you.
The inconsistent brothers
regards
As said elsewhere, you'd have to hope in the absence of Torres that we don't just rely on one from the usual suspects and instead try to compensate by playing two of them (ie Kuyt and Babel/N'Gog).
[/quote]
Whilst I agree about playing two of them. If you were the opposition you would be fucking made up to see those up front against you.
The inconsistent brothers
regards
Well, he kinda falls between the cracks as I'm a little unsure as to where he'll end up playing. If he ends up on the left, I've got that covered in my post. If he carries on playing off the striker in the no.10 role, it kinda falls under the "question mark over midfield" as I think we still need to wait and see how he grows into that role and how well the midfield unit behind him functions.
I want to look at CM partnerships as opposed to individual players. I will reserve judgement on this till i see RM/CP, RM/SG and SG/CP combinations a couple of times.
We have already seen Lucas and Poulsen play together and that is a dire combination with zero mobility (Masher covered a helluva lot of ground at pace). I hope we are never required to play that pair again.
We have already seen Lucas and Poulsen play together and that is a dire combination with zero mobility (Masher covered a helluva lot of ground at pace). I hope we are never required to play that pair again.
The other player we have who could be influential and did not figure much last year was Maxi, a player of intelligence and touch but perhaps not of pace
regards
regards
[quote author=keniget link=topic=41708.msg1168021#msg1168021 date=1283281689]
I don't think there is much improvement, if any, to crow about with this summers transfers.
Our midfield has a big question mark hanging over it with the Poulsen and Meireles, relatively unknown quantities in the Premiership, coming in for last years player of the season in Masher.
Out wide things are pretty much the same. The right flank hasn't changed and on the left we're still utilizing guys that look like they're unsuited to playing there.
Konchesky has to really justify his signing by being defensively competent, so I would hope to see an improvement over Insua at LB. Then we have Kelly and Pacheco who will hopefully contribute.
We're largely left hoping that a) we get lucky with injuries, b) Meireles turns out to be fantastic and c) the team fucking buck up their ideas after last season, although so far that hasn't looked like happening.
[/quote]
Anyone who disagrees with any of that is a tool...
I don't think there is much improvement, if any, to crow about with this summers transfers.
Our midfield has a big question mark hanging over it with the Poulsen and Meireles, relatively unknown quantities in the Premiership, coming in for last years player of the season in Masher.
Out wide things are pretty much the same. The right flank hasn't changed and on the left we're still utilizing guys that look like they're unsuited to playing there.
Konchesky has to really justify his signing by being defensively competent, so I would hope to see an improvement over Insua at LB. Then we have Kelly and Pacheco who will hopefully contribute.
We're largely left hoping that a) we get lucky with injuries, b) Meireles turns out to be fantastic and c) the team fucking buck up their ideas after last season, although so far that hasn't looked like happening.
[/quote]
Anyone who disagrees with any of that is a tool...
I think we've done a shitload better than I expected, cos I expected fuck all & a step ot two backwards.
I knew Stevie & Torres were going nowhere, expected Mascher to be off but thought we'd get lumbered with Lucas as a direct replacement in DM & some of the youngsters trying to step up.
We've spent fuck all, but *ever so* slightly improved in some areas & have at least got in some kind of replacements to help out in midfield now Mascher has gone that mean that I dont have to sit through Lucas torturing me every week.
I knew Stevie & Torres were going nowhere, expected Mascher to be off but thought we'd get lumbered with Lucas as a direct replacement in DM & some of the youngsters trying to step up.
We've spent fuck all, but *ever so* slightly improved in some areas & have at least got in some kind of replacements to help out in midfield now Mascher has gone that mean that I dont have to sit through Lucas torturing me every week.
[quote author=kingjulian link=topic=41708.msg1168035#msg1168035 date=1283282234]
I want to look at CM partnerships as opposed to individual players. I will reserve judgement on this till i see RM/CP, RM/SG and SG/CP combinations a couple of times.
We have already seen Lucas and Poulsen play together and that is a dire combination with zero mobility (Masher covered a helluva lot of ground at pace). I hope we are never required to play that pair again.
[/quote]
I agree, but it did not look that different from the Mascher Lucas partnership we saw too much of last season, none of them have a great creative streak and it becomes completely stodgy
regards
I want to look at CM partnerships as opposed to individual players. I will reserve judgement on this till i see RM/CP, RM/SG and SG/CP combinations a couple of times.
We have already seen Lucas and Poulsen play together and that is a dire combination with zero mobility (Masher covered a helluva lot of ground at pace). I hope we are never required to play that pair again.
[/quote]
I agree, but it did not look that different from the Mascher Lucas partnership we saw too much of last season, none of them have a great creative streak and it becomes completely stodgy
regards
[quote author=Herr Onceared link=topic=41708.msg1167944#msg1167944 date=1283276210]
----------------------------Reina--------------------------
Johnson--------Agger-----------Carragher----Insua
-------------------------------------------------------------
----------Mascherano-----------Lucas-----------------
Kuyt-------------------------------------------Benayoun
---------------------Gerrard------------------------------
-------------------------Torres----------------------------
VS
------------------------------Reina--------------------------------
Johnson---------Agger----------Carragher------Konchesky
---------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------Gerrard----------Meireles----------------------
Kuyt---------------------------------------------------Jovanovic
--------------------------Cole-------------------------------------
-----------------------------Torres--------------------------------
Given that team A is managed by Rafa and team B managed by Roy, im confident team B will be the better side.
[/quote]
I would say this i bang on the money for me
----------------------------Reina--------------------------
Johnson--------Agger-----------Carragher----Insua
-------------------------------------------------------------
----------Mascherano-----------Lucas-----------------
Kuyt-------------------------------------------Benayoun
---------------------Gerrard------------------------------
-------------------------Torres----------------------------
VS
------------------------------Reina--------------------------------
Johnson---------Agger----------Carragher------Konchesky
---------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------Gerrard----------Meireles----------------------
Kuyt---------------------------------------------------Jovanovic
--------------------------Cole-------------------------------------
-----------------------------Torres--------------------------------
Given that team A is managed by Rafa and team B managed by Roy, im confident team B will be the better side.
[/quote]
I would say this i bang on the money for me
Team B is better. Rafa is the better manager.
[quote author=FoxForceFive link=topic=41708.msg1168039#msg1168039 date=1283282386]
I think we've done a shitload better than I expected, cos I expected fuck all & a step ot two backwards.
I knew Stevie & Torres were going nowhere, expected Mascher to be off but thought we'd get lumbered with Lucas as a direct replacement in DM & some of the youngsters trying to step up.
We've spent fuck all, but *ever so* slightly improved in some areas & have at least got in some kind of replacements to help out in midfield now Mascher has gone that mean that I dont have to sit through Lucas torturing me every week.
[/quote]
If CP and RM turn out to be poor signings (which is not unimaginable), we would have taken a huge step backward.
Thats the only (but huge) unknown going into the season. Otherwise we have done alright. At least we are not pinning our hopes on a Injury prone replacement.
I hope at least a couple out of Kelly, Pacheco, Jonjo, Ngog, Ayala and Wilson make the step up successfully. That should give us room to add a player in January.
I think we've done a shitload better than I expected, cos I expected fuck all & a step ot two backwards.
I knew Stevie & Torres were going nowhere, expected Mascher to be off but thought we'd get lumbered with Lucas as a direct replacement in DM & some of the youngsters trying to step up.
We've spent fuck all, but *ever so* slightly improved in some areas & have at least got in some kind of replacements to help out in midfield now Mascher has gone that mean that I dont have to sit through Lucas torturing me every week.
[/quote]
If CP and RM turn out to be poor signings (which is not unimaginable), we would have taken a huge step backward.
Thats the only (but huge) unknown going into the season. Otherwise we have done alright. At least we are not pinning our hopes on a Injury prone replacement.
I hope at least a couple out of Kelly, Pacheco, Jonjo, Ngog, Ayala and Wilson make the step up successfully. That should give us room to add a player in January.
[quote author=Vlads Quiff link=topic=41708.msg1168040#msg1168040 date=1283282447]
[quote author=kingjulian link=topic=41708.msg1168035#msg1168035 date=1283282234]
I want to look at CM partnerships as opposed to individual players. I will reserve judgement on this till i see RM/CP, RM/SG and SG/CP combinations a couple of times.
We have already seen Lucas and Poulsen play together and that is a dire combination with zero mobility (Masher covered a helluva lot of ground at pace). I hope we are never required to play that pair again.
[/quote]
I agree, but it did not look that different from the Mascher Lucas partnership we saw too much of last season, none of them have a great creative streak and it becomes completely stodgy
regards
[/quote]
In term of creativity, i agree. Lucas/Poulsen is no better or worse than Masher/Lucas. Considering we played against a hapless team, that we should have rightly destroyed, i'm a bit worried by our inability to win the ball in the midfield. A better team would have punished us severely. Masher was man of the match against Arsenal for exactly that reason. If we continue to regress in terms of keeping the ball, we are going to need more and more of that ball-winning ability.
[quote author=kingjulian link=topic=41708.msg1168035#msg1168035 date=1283282234]
I want to look at CM partnerships as opposed to individual players. I will reserve judgement on this till i see RM/CP, RM/SG and SG/CP combinations a couple of times.
We have already seen Lucas and Poulsen play together and that is a dire combination with zero mobility (Masher covered a helluva lot of ground at pace). I hope we are never required to play that pair again.
[/quote]
I agree, but it did not look that different from the Mascher Lucas partnership we saw too much of last season, none of them have a great creative streak and it becomes completely stodgy
regards
[/quote]
In term of creativity, i agree. Lucas/Poulsen is no better or worse than Masher/Lucas. Considering we played against a hapless team, that we should have rightly destroyed, i'm a bit worried by our inability to win the ball in the midfield. A better team would have punished us severely. Masher was man of the match against Arsenal for exactly that reason. If we continue to regress in terms of keeping the ball, we are going to need more and more of that ball-winning ability.
I pray that we can keep Gerrard and Torres fit until Jan when hopefully we have new owners.
Will be interesting to see how Meireles/Gerrard/Cole/Torres all combine as that will surely be the mainstay of our attacking threat. Then youre looking for one of Kuyt/Jovanovic/Babel to be in form.
Will be interesting to see how Meireles/Gerrard/Cole/Torres all combine as that will surely be the mainstay of our attacking threat. Then youre looking for one of Kuyt/Jovanovic/Babel to be in form.
With Masher gone I suspect Meireles will have as much to do defensively as he will in attack.
[quote author=Judge Jules link=topic=41708.msg1168073#msg1168073 date=1283284012]
With Masher gone I suspect Meireles will have as much to do defensively as he will in attack.
[/quote]
Lets hope he can do one or the other very well.
With Masher gone I suspect Meireles will have as much to do defensively as he will in attack.
[/quote]
Lets hope he can do one or the other very well.
[quote author=Judge Jules link=topic=41708.msg1168073#msg1168073 date=1283284012]
With Masher gone I suspect Meireles will have as much to do defensively as he will in attack.
[/quote]
I don't think we need an out and out pure defensive mid anyway. I remember Alonso and Gerrard playing in our midfield perfectly well. Just someone with some capacity to defend does the job but even better if they can actually pass and attack as well. I also think Poulsen isnt as bad as some make out. Players need time to bed in and used to get it in the past - these days fans want instant brilliance.
With Masher gone I suspect Meireles will have as much to do defensively as he will in attack.
[/quote]
I don't think we need an out and out pure defensive mid anyway. I remember Alonso and Gerrard playing in our midfield perfectly well. Just someone with some capacity to defend does the job but even better if they can actually pass and attack as well. I also think Poulsen isnt as bad as some make out. Players need time to bed in and used to get it in the past - these days fans want instant brilliance.
[quote author=Sunny link=topic=41708.msg1168080#msg1168080 date=1283284275]
[quote author=Judge Jules link=topic=41708.msg1168073#msg1168073 date=1283284012]
With Masher gone I suspect Meireles will have as much to do defensively as he will in attack.
[/quote]
I don't think we need an out and out pure defensive mid anyway. I remember Alonso and Gerrard playing in our midfield perfectly well. Just someone with some capacity to defend does the job but even better if they can actually pass and attack as well. I also think Poulsen isnt as bad as some make out. Players need time to bed in and used to get it in the past - these days fans want instant brilliance.
[/quote]
Agree and as I said a few times, he's had about an hour of playing, he is maybe 2-3 weeks behind the rest of the squad on fitness levels, lets see him in a few weeks before we write him off?
[quote author=Judge Jules link=topic=41708.msg1168073#msg1168073 date=1283284012]
With Masher gone I suspect Meireles will have as much to do defensively as he will in attack.
[/quote]
I don't think we need an out and out pure defensive mid anyway. I remember Alonso and Gerrard playing in our midfield perfectly well. Just someone with some capacity to defend does the job but even better if they can actually pass and attack as well. I also think Poulsen isnt as bad as some make out. Players need time to bed in and used to get it in the past - these days fans want instant brilliance.
[/quote]
Agree and as I said a few times, he's had about an hour of playing, he is maybe 2-3 weeks behind the rest of the squad on fitness levels, lets see him in a few weeks before we write him off?
I think we are weaker at LM, (Riera is better than Jovanovic) stronger at LB, and unchanged everywhere else.
Very interested to see what happens at CM, because I'm not going to pretend I know enough about Meireles to understand whether we'll do well with him in the side. That said, another year, another of our best CMs gone.
Very interested to see what happens at CM, because I'm not going to pretend I know enough about Meireles to understand whether we'll do well with him in the side. That said, another year, another of our best CMs gone.
3 games is a bit quick make a judgement, is it not Fark?
Give him 20/30 games and see how he settles in.
Give him 20/30 games and see how he settles in.
Sunny, teams which are flying can live without a dedicated DM, though there actually aren't many that do. Otherwise they're pretty darn important IMO - for example, I doubt we'd have finished above halfway last season without Masher. I'm afraid I expect us to miss him big style, unless and until we can really start motoring in the league.
Agree about Poulsen though.
Agree about Poulsen though.
[quote author=Farkmaster link=topic=41708.msg1168083#msg1168083 date=1283284465]
I think we are weaker at LM, (Riera is better than Jovanovic) stronger at LB, and unchanged everywhere else.
Very interested to see what happens at CM, because I'm not going to pretend I know enough about Meireles to understand whether we'll do well with him in the side. That said, another year, another of our best CMs gone.
[/quote]
Riera may be is better than Jovanovic. But he was outcast last season. So we effectively didn't have him. Jova is an improvement on that. Cole has played there for club and country with reasonable success. So this has to go down as a win.
We are weaker on the right. Yossi provided something different to Kuyt and Maxi.
I think we are weaker at LM, (Riera is better than Jovanovic) stronger at LB, and unchanged everywhere else.
Very interested to see what happens at CM, because I'm not going to pretend I know enough about Meireles to understand whether we'll do well with him in the side. That said, another year, another of our best CMs gone.
[/quote]
Riera may be is better than Jovanovic. But he was outcast last season. So we effectively didn't have him. Jova is an improvement on that. Cole has played there for club and country with reasonable success. So this has to go down as a win.
We are weaker on the right. Yossi provided something different to Kuyt and Maxi.
Except that Yossi hardly ever played right side. For some reason known only to Rafa he insisted on sticking Yossi over on the left, where he was never as effective.
[quote author=Judge Jules link=topic=41708.msg1168090#msg1168090 date=1283284888]
Sunny, teams which are flying can live without a dedicated DM, though there actually aren't many that do. Otherwise they're pretty darn important IMO - for example, I doubt we'd have finished above halfway last season without Masher. I'm afraid I expect us to miss him big style, unless and until we can really start motoring in the league.
Agree about Poulsen though.
[/quote]
True. You would struggle to find a midfield pair that keeps and distributes possession better than Alonso/Gerrard.
Sunny, teams which are flying can live without a dedicated DM, though there actually aren't many that do. Otherwise they're pretty darn important IMO - for example, I doubt we'd have finished above halfway last season without Masher. I'm afraid I expect us to miss him big style, unless and until we can really start motoring in the league.
Agree about Poulsen though.
[/quote]
True. You would struggle to find a midfield pair that keeps and distributes possession better than Alonso/Gerrard.
Maxi hasn't been 100% fit, so that's one reason why he hasn't featured much
Not convinced about him anyway; clever, slow wingers who don't score many goals rarely thrive in the Premiership
Not convinced about him anyway; clever, slow wingers who don't score many goals rarely thrive in the Premiership
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