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The Riera.

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Oncy

Oncy

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I really like old Albert, i think he had a decent season last season especially considering he had no pre season to speak of.
He ended the season in and out of the side, and rightly so given his in and out form, but looked really good in the confederations cup.
With Alonso now maybe 60/40 to stay you'd have to think that the Silva, Young, whoever else money isnt there, and that THIS team is THE team for the season.
So who gets the left hand berth?
Ryan Babel - skillfull but lazy and doesnt do much work for the team.
Yossi Benayoun - bags of skill, works hard, gets goals, doesnt like that position.
Albert Riera - tonnes of endeavor and graft, occassional flashes of brilliance, great control.
Id like to see Riera given a run, as i think (like deadly) he does so much for the team and would run through walls for Rafa. I also think with a good preseason behind him he can kick on this year and try to get close to Dirks goal tally.
So yeah. He isnt amazing or owt, but i well like him and am hoping for a more consistent second year.
 
As I've said before,I'd rather we kept Riera than spent £20M+ on Silva
 
Yossi doesn't tend to perform that well out on the left, so I'd rather not see him there. Babel is still a bit of an unknown quantity and unless he starts producing magic game turning moments on a regular basis, I can't see Rafa selecting him ahead of the more reliable and predictable Riera. The position is Rieras as things stand.
 
[quote author=keniget link=topic=34929.msg912581#msg912581 date=1248647090]
Yossi doesn't tend to perform that well out on the left, so I'd rather not see him there. Babel is still a bit of an unknown quantity and unless he starts producing magic game turning moments on a regular basis, I can't see Rafa selecting him ahead of the more reliable and predictable Riera. The position is Rieras as things stand.
[/quote]

Which is part of the problem.

He looked good for the Spaniels during the summer, cos he knew that one bad game would see him lose his place. The problem with us is that he knows he provides good balance, he knows he's better defensively than our other options, and he knows Raf likes him. Were he under more pressure, he might provide more.

That's not to say he doesn't offer anything. He can be excellent at times, and is more than good enough to play for us regularly, but to win the league we need the likes of him, and our other 'not-quite-superstars' to add another 10-20% to their game.

He's got ability, but he doesn't do enough. Yet.
 
He did look very good in the Confederations Cup, but I think that was in no small part due to playing in a great team riding a huge wave of confidence against dreadful opposition. He showed glimpses of that sort of form in spurts over the course of last season, but it'll take some doing to get him and some of the others playing to the max all season.
 
He is good enough to be here and play a major part. He'll help Insua build some confidence too whereas Babel and even Yossi may leave him exposed.

If we're talking left wing specifically, then I'd rather have him than David Silva.
 
I like him, holds on to the ball well and doesn't try anything beyond his means when it comes to passing.

That said his crossing could improve as he gets into good positions.

Great goal today too.
 
[quote author=rage link=topic=34929.msg912598#msg912598 date=1248649052]
good squad player or indeed first 11 if we didn't have dirk on the right.
[/quote]

Yep.
 
[quote author=Herr Onceared link=topic=34929.msg912577#msg912577 date=1248646745]
I really like old Albert, i think he had a decent season last season especially considering he had no pre season to speak of.
He ended the season in and out of the side, and rightly so given his in and out form, but looked really good in the confederations cup.
With Alonso now maybe 60/40 to stay you'd have to think that the Silva, Young, whoever else money isnt there, and that THIS team is THE team for the season.
So who gets the left hand berth?
Ryan Babel - skillfull but lazy and doesnt do much work for the team.
Yossi Benayoun - bags of skill, works hard, gets goals, doesnt like that position.
Albert Riera - tonnes of endeavor and graft, occassional flashes of brilliance, great control.
Id like to see Riera given a run, as i think (like deadly) he does so much for the team and would run through walls for Rafa. I also think with a good preseason behind him he can kick on this year and try to get close to Dirks goal tally.
So yeah. He isnt amazing or owt, but i well like him and am hoping for a more consistent second year.
[/quote]

I have to be honest and say that I like Riera....and as much as I would like to see a big name signing come in I feel that if we had Glen Johnson with a fit Torres last season, we would have won the league. I think a consistently good season from Riera (at least 7 goals) and a full season from Fernando and we wont be too far away from the league and europe next season.
 
I've been a fan of Riera since he joined. He really did have a very decent first season.

We'd have to sign someone pretty special to dislodge him on a permanent basis. If we do sign Silva (I still think we might) he'd likely be blooded slowly across the front 3. Riera has the left wing slot for keeps at the moment.
 
I also like Riera, always have. The thing is though that we still need that one match winner in the side. Assuming Alonso stays and we still have money to make a big signing who else is going to get replaced in our starting XI? Maybe Masher in some games against poor opposition but against better teams we eventually need better than Riera on the left.

If we signed Silva we could still play home games agaist shit opposition like this:

-------------Torres------------
Riera--Silva--Gerrard--Kuyt
-------------Alonso------------
 
I like him, but I still think we need to step it up a notch on that left wing slot.

My main issue is this: in Dirk Kuyt we have a hard-working, helps out his fullback, chips in with a few goals, grafting muthafucka who has really come into his own in the last season or so and looked the absolute business.

For me, Albert is a bit too similar in style - hasn't got bags of pace and therefore can't really be that direct, gets the odd goal now and then but isn't really what you'd term a 'goal-threat' and finally his end-product is probably less effective than Dirk's.

I guess what I'd like to see is the LW spot being contested by Riera and what we thought Babel was going to be - pacey, tricky, direct goal-threat. If we had those two as decent options then I suppose I'd be happy, but as yet Ryan doesn't seem to be producing the goods and so we've only really got the one option, which like I say is a bit too much like Dirk on the other side, but with less end-product.

Problem is, I dunno who we'd get in to resolve the issue
 
He's alright as a squad option but I'd like to see a lot better on out left wing, and someone who can chip in with as many as Kuyt.

We need someone out there who can break though tricky defence and/or score a decent share of goals.
 
I'm of the opinion that whoever starts in a wide position should deliver double figures in the league. fuck all this 'balance' shit. kuyt will definately do it, will anyone on the left hand side deliver that.
 
[quote author=spider-neil link=topic=34929.msg912663#msg912663 date=1248686550]
I'm of the opinion that whoever starts in a wide position should deliver double figures in the league. fuck all this 'balance' shit. kuyt will definately do it, will anyone on the left hand side deliver that.
[/quote]

Agreed, for the formation we're playing, both of those wide players need double figures. I don't think good ol' Albert is capable of doing that.
 
[quote author=spider-neil link=topic=34929.msg912663#msg912663 date=1248686550]
I'm of the opinion that whoever starts in a wide position should deliver double figures in the league. fuck all this 'balance' shit. kuyt will definately do it, will anyone on the left hand side deliver that.
[/quote]With the exception of Kirk Duyt and Ronaldo did any other wide players in the league get double figures last year?
 
[quote author=Herr Onceared link=topic=34929.msg912677#msg912677 date=1248687520]
[quote author=spider-neil link=topic=34929.msg912663#msg912663 date=1248686550]
I'm of the opinion that whoever starts in a wide position should deliver double figures in the league. fuck all this 'balance' shit. kuyt will definately do it, will anyone on the left hand side deliver that.
[/quote]With the exception of Kirk Duyt and Ronaldo did any other wide players in the league get double figures last year?
[/quote]

I wouldn't say in the league, but overall they should be getting 12+. When our wide men were Murphy and Riise we (near enough) managed it every season.
 
[quote author=Herr Onceared link=topic=34929.msg912677#msg912677 date=1248687520]
[quote author=spider-neil link=topic=34929.msg912663#msg912663 date=1248686550]
I'm of the opinion that whoever starts in a wide position should deliver double figures in the league. fuck all this 'balance' shit. kuyt will definately do it, will anyone on the left hand side deliver that.
[/quote]With the exception of Kirk Duyt and Ronaldo did any other wide players in the league get double figures last year?
[/quote]

Probably not and that's why that argument is a load of bollocks. The players just aren't there.
 
[quote author=LarryHagman link=topic=34929.msg912679#msg912679 date=1248687814]
[quote author=Herr Onceared link=topic=34929.msg912677#msg912677 date=1248687520]
[quote author=spider-neil link=topic=34929.msg912663#msg912663 date=1248686550]
I'm of the opinion that whoever starts in a wide position should deliver double figures in the league. fuck all this 'balance' shit. kuyt will definately do it, will anyone on the left hand side deliver that.
[/quote]With the exception of Kirk Duyt and Ronaldo did any other wide players in the league get double figures last year?
[/quote]

Probably not and that's why that argument is a load of bollocks. The players just aren't there.


[/quote]If you consider that Ronaldo and Deadly also played a hefty chunk up front as Well, id be suprised if ANY genuine wide players got 10 league goals in any of the 4 big leagues. Henry and Messi as the obvious exceptions, but they arent expected to do much the other way.
 
so because not many teams have wide players capable of delivering double figures from a wide position we're okay to not have those players either. marvelous.
 
[quote author=Herr Onceared link=topic=34929.msg912681#msg912681 date=1248688017]
[quote author=LarryHagman link=topic=34929.msg912679#msg912679 date=1248687814]
[quote author=Herr Onceared link=topic=34929.msg912677#msg912677 date=1248687520]
[quote author=spider-neil link=topic=34929.msg912663#msg912663 date=1248686550]
I'm of the opinion that whoever starts in a wide position should deliver double figures in the league. fuck all this 'balance' shit. kuyt will definately do it, will anyone on the left hand side deliver that.
[/quote]With the exception of Kirk Duyt and Ronaldo did any other wide players in the league get double figures last year?
[/quote]

Probably not and that's why that argument is a load of bollocks. The players just aren't there.


[/quote]If you consider that Ronaldo and Deadly also played a hefty chunk up front as Well, id be suprised if ANY genuine wide players got 10 league goals in any of the 4 big leagues. Henry and Messi as the obvious exceptions, but they arent expected to do much the other way.
[/quote]

Ribery too. Who is definitely in the bag.
 
[quote author=spider-neil link=topic=34929.msg912688#msg912688 date=1248688761]
so because not many teams have wide players capable of delivering double figures from a wide position we're okay to not have those players either. marvelous.
[/quote]

It's a fair point that there aren't many out there, maybe it's a sign of squad rotation becoming more widely used? As said though, if the likes of Murphy and Riise were capable when they were here, there's no reason why someone with the technique of Riera can't. He should be hitting double figures really.

I'd still like to see us buy a direct wide player, or a versatile forward who can play wide too.
 
for the record I think 10+ league goals from a wide position if you are a regular starter isn't a big ask I couldn't care if other teams don't have such players, we aren't just anyone team we have (make that should have) aspirations of being the best.
 
[quote author=spider-neil link=topic=34929.msg912691#msg912691 date=1248688951]
for the record I think 10+ league goals from a wide position if you are a regular starter isn't a big ask I couldn't care if other teams don't have such players, we aren't just anyone team we have (make that should have) aspirations of being the best.
[/quote]

I'm not debating it's an issue with Riera, for the amount of starts he gets he should contribute more goals (so should Alonso). But look at our rivals. How many goals from wide did United (Ronaldo aside), Chelsea and Arsenal get?
 
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