Strikers we could get now

[Red Mullet]

Apologies for the late reply - but was on the train back home (you know when I post from the train - all my posts are in lower case).

I said he 'had' not that you have to have the experience to play at a big club. But you raise an interesting point - when I think back to those players we have bought from big clubs they do play in a way that is not hindered by the expectations of our club. Raul came from Porto which is probably the biggest club in Portugal (don't really know how it compares to Benfica) - and during his time here I think he played at the same level of performance and had good movement and was not fazed by the size of our club. I think he was 28 when we sold him - ok we got good money, but he still has quite a few good years left in him. To have replaced him with Henderson who is hardly noticed on the pitch when he does play was just another bad decision by Kenny. We don't even need football as an example of this type of thing - many of us on this site who work in a team environment have probably experienced a situation when a decent member of the workforce moves on and is replaced by someone who is seroiusly incompetent - it can sometimes bring down the whole team or create stress for members to fill in that gaping hole. I say all of this not being a big supporter of Raul.

Anyway to get back to the main topic - I read from this site that we are now potentially looking at Del boy, fuck me !!! 37 year old ? - this just gets worse.

I would have thought Meireles was replaced by your favourite, Stewart Downing. After all, they are of similar age, similar experience and operate on the wings. Throughout all of last season, it was commented on that Henderson was played out of position and had better games when he was in the centre.

So all your above quoted comments are correct except you should replace Henderson with Downing and therefore I now agree that your answer as to whether Meireles so should have been sold is a resounding 'no'.

 

[moron]

I would have thought Meireles was replaced by your favourite, Stewart Downing. After all, they are of similar age, similar experience and operate on the wings. Throughout all of last season, it was commented on that Henderson was played out of position and had better games when he was in the centre.

So all your above quoted comments are correct except you should replace Henderson with Downing and therefore I now agree that your answer as to whether Meireles so should have been sold is a resounding 'no'.

Don't diss my boy Downing - or I'm going to start on that sweaty shit Tevez !!! I thought he was bought in to replace Masha/Aquafanny ? I don't remember him playing on the wings ? - what are you talking about ? - Kuyt was played there more often along with Maxi.

 

[gkmacca]

Del Piero was one of my favourite players but most of the time he disappointed when it seemed most to matter in matches. It would still be fascinating to watch him but he's no solution to scoring goals.

 

[LeTallecWiz]

Del Piero was one of my favourite players but most of the time he disappointed when it seemed most to matter in matches. It would still be fascinating to watch him but he's no solution to scoring goals.

Was critical against Germany in 2006 though!

 

[gkmacca]

Was critical against Germany in 2006 though!

Wonderful, yes.

 

[Richey]

Del Piero, right. Well I am not opposed to this necessarily, though hardly excited about it either. He's really old and probably past it.

Not a huge fan of signing Owen either, for the same kind of reasons, but considering the two players on current ability (which is all that really matters), had Owen never never played for us, would anyone really go for Del Piero ahead of him?

As I say, I don't advocate the signing of either really, except it desperate circumstances (which arguably we are in, of course!)

 

[moron]

Del Piero, right. Well I am not opposed to this necessarily, though hardly excited about it either. He's really old and probably past it.

Not a huge fan of signing Owen either, for the same kind of reasons, but considering the two players on current ability (which is all that really matters), had Owen never never played for us, would anyone really go for Del Piero ahead of him?

As I say, I don't advocate the signing of either really, except it desperate circumstances (which arguably we are in, of course!)

Richey - not worth signing either. I think we can improve our own situation by perhaps putting Borini in the middle and giving it a test. The problem as I see it is that Sterling has come good so where do you play him when you cannot leave out Suarez ? Also it seems we have to many wingers who or forwards who like the left side best - even that guy Assaidi likes the left wing/left forward position. Don't think we need to waste money on those strikers.

 

[Vlads Quiff]

Does anyone really think that John Henry is now going to sanction signing an expensive (probably) short term 'fix' after writing an open letter to the fans saying ruling out exactly that kind of thing?

"Our ambitions do not lie in cementing a mid-table place with expensive, short-term quick fixes that will only contribute for a couple of years"

What he said and what he thinks are two different things, if he had not now realised we had dropped the almighty bollock of giant testicles he would not have bothered with the letter.

 

[gkmacca]

I'm a huge fan of Sterling but no matter how dire it gets for the club his future mustn't be risked by over-playing. He's ALREADY been over-played.

 

[Gary25]

I'm a huge fan of Sterling but no matter how dire it gets for the club his future mustn't be risked by over-playing. He's ALREADY been over-played.

That is true. As someone said in another thread a few days ago, it says it all about our current situation that we're so reliant on a 17 year old kid.

 

[moron]

What he said and what he thinks are two different things, if he had not now realised we had dropped the almighty bollock of giant testicles he would not have bothered with the letter.

I really hope Henry sticks to his guns and does not sign anyone for the sake of short term solutions. Its easy to blame them but is not the truth that we already knew we had problems finishing and the most important thing was to sign a player with PL quality proven goal scoring record (e.g. Dempsey) but BR was crazy on signing one of his past players in Borini. I don't think we actually have a right to argue with FSG on this point. Chelsea are managing with two strikers, and so are Spurs at the moment. Anyway I don't think it will matter what striker we get - our biggest problem is creating clear cut chances.

 

[gkmacca]

Sort of, but we need someone to finish them. Suarez can't be relied on to finish clear cut chances.

 

[Halmeister]

Moron is fucking everywhere.

 

[Vlads Quiff]

I really hope Henry sticks to his guns and does not sign anyone for the sake of short term solutions. Its easy to blame them but is not the truth that we already knew we had problems finishing and the most important thing was to sign a player with PL quality proven goal scoring record (e.g. Dempsey) but BR was crazy on signing one of his past players in Borini. I don't think we actually have a right to argue with FSG on this point. Chelsea are managing with two strikers, and so are Spurs at the moment. Anyway I don't think it will matter what striker we get - our biggest problem is creating clear cut chances.

I think we create plenty of clear cut chances.

 

[moron]

I think we create plenty of clear cut chances.

No we don't - we hardly ever get clear of the last defender these days, or have a clear sight of goal in open play.

 

[Vlads Quiff]

How many chances did we create last year? I am fairly sure that we created more chances and had more shots at goal than nearly any other team, oh and scored less than everyone too.
It's to early to say so far this season, but I think that pattern will continue .

regards

 

[moron]

How many chances did we create last year? I am fairly sure that we created more chances and had more shots at goal than nearly any other team, oh and scored less than everyone too.
It's to early to say so far this season, but I think that pattern will continue .

regards

Last season was more clear cut and the strikers thought the goal was the post in general - but they are not even doing that this season becasue last season even though we passed it around quite nicely we had more of a direct approach too with long passes etc.. This season as Ryan has pointed out we are passing it a bit but with such a slow build up that we are nearly always facing 10 men in the opposition final third so any chances that we may say are clear cut are actually half chances at best.

 

[Red Mullet]

Don't diss my boy Downing - or I'm going to start on that sweaty shit Tevez !!! I thought he was bought in to replace Masha/Aquafanny ? I don't remember him playing on the wings ? - what are you talking about ? - Kuyt was played there more often along with Maxi.

Kuyt hardly played, nor did Maxi. Merieles played on the right and Downing was bought to replace him. We overpaid since he WAS meant to be the experience, PL proven, player. Not a potential but deliver there and then. Although not 100% his fault, his failings were there to see and is evident this season. Name another player where Rodgers had say we're gonna convert him to another position?

As for Aqua, his position already belonged to Gerrard and Lucas owned Maschers role.

Must admit though, not sure where Henderson fits in all this.

 

[moron]

Kuyt hardly played, nor did Maxi. Merieles played on the right and Downing was bought to replace him. We overpaid since he WAS meant to be the experience, PL proven, player. Not a potential but deliver there and then. Although not 100% his fault, his failings were there to see and is evident this season. Name another player where Rodgers had say we're gonna convert him to another position?

As for Aqua, his position already belonged to Gerrard and Lucas owned Maschers role.

Must admit though, not sure where Henderson fits in all this.

I thought he was sold because he was benched as Kenny had to play some of his new signings in Adam, and Henderson therefore he handed in a transfer request. I don't remember him playing on the right/left of midfield at all. Can someone else help me out here please as I think Red Mullet could be wrong on this ?

 

[SummerOnions]

I thought he was sold because he was benched as Kenny had to play some of his new signings in Adam, and Henderson therefore he handed in a transfer request. I don't remember him playing on the right/left of midfield at all. Can someone else help me out here please as I think Red Mullet could be wrong on this ?

No. You're wrong.

 

[moron]

No. You're wrong.

OK - Red your right, but still don't think he would have been sold if we did not go out and buy Henderson. Downing is a definite winger regardless of what you may think of him, and at no point did I hear Raul been bought in as a winger (I remember Alan Hansen praising the purchase and describing him as a box to box midfielder on MOTD) - even if he was played on the right/left of midfield. My memory is not great but looking at his Wiki page - see there he was given Aquafanny's number 4 shirt when he joined us, and it says what I thought, which was to replace Masha (strange that, but I think its just a way of saying replacing a midfielder for a midfielder.

 

[FoxForceFive]

No. You're wrong.

*hijacks spam bot & programs it to reply to every moron post with this*

 

[Mamma Mia]

OK - Red your right, but still don't think he would have been sold if we did not go out and buy Henderson. Downing is a definite winger regardless of what you may think of him, and at no point did I hear Raul been bought in as a winger (I remember Alan Hansen praising the purchase and describing him as a box to box midfielder on MOTD) - even if he was played on the right/left of midfield. My memory is not great but looking at his Wiki page - see there he was given Aquafanny's number 4 shirt when he joined us, and it says what I thought, which was to replace Masha (strange that, but I think its just a way of saying replacing a midfielder for a midfielder.

Did you watch us play at all that season?

 

[keniget]

I don't think we create enough.

I don't trust the chances stats as it would seem that it includes half-chances and percentage balls into the box. For me, those types of opportunities are not a measure of a teams creativity.

There is no doubt we missed a lot of chances last season and we lack a top class finisher... but I also think it's fair to say that the team puts a lot of pressure on itself to take those chances. The amount of time we spend hopelessly passing it around in midfield seemingly bereft of ideas means you can actually see the anxiety on players faces when they miss a chance - they don't know if it's coming again. It's a bad place to be in.

That anxiety is spread throughout the team, every time they find themselves under the cosh or concede a goal. We need to get a solid base from which to build on again, get our confidence back and improvements in all areas will naturally be driven out of that.

 

[Jack D Rips]

I remember him being played on the left wing and wondering why are we playing him on the left wing

 

[OLD_Lewy]

I remember him being played on the left wing and wondering why are we playing him on the left wing

didnt he play on the left wing when we battered city? think he set up big andy with a brilliant cross too, not that im saying he's a winger mind

 

[Jack D Rips]

You could be right Lewy. Im just telling Moron that he did play on the wing.

And I dont really think he was comfortable there.

 

[Buddha]

Owen to Stoke "imminent" according to BBC

 

[themn]

Owen to Stoke "imminent" according to BBC

GOOD !

We better lock that fucking Owen thread when/if this shit is confirmed.



Grrrrrrrrrr....etc......!

 

[Hansern]

Agreed, I'd rather give Ngoo/Morgan/ Pacheco a chance than sign that Judas cunt!

Del Piero, Pongolle or Lazovic I'd take though.