The redknapp glitch.

maybe thudd yes or is he at his full potential now ? yes burger i was miffed about Bellamy he can be a bit of a willy wonker but the guy is good too good for Cardiff . I think i must be the only one who wants A Young too think he will do well for us

[quote="ionman34"]

totalytot wrote:

I admire your optimism Ion but we play to many games like the Wigan and Young Boys matches than the Citeh one and its that soft centre that makes me realise that we need reinforcements.If we don't get them and it seems at the moment that we wont' unless it's last minuit panic buys then I think we will struggle to do aswell as last season.

Well in that you're wrong Mikey. We didn't finish 4th by getting turned over more often than not. We put a number of teams to the sword last season, Home and Away and we did it playing some truly excellent Football. The Wigan and Wolves games stand out so glaringly because they are so rare and totally unexpected.
We don't get compared to the likes of Villa, Bolton, Everton et all because we're not a team that grinds out results in general, we play expansive Football and did it quite often.

Now I'm not disagreeing with you on the reinforcements front mate. I said, a number of weeks back, that I felt we need that top drawer Striker but that, if one wasn't available who could improve the team, then Keane should stay. I'm also in agreement with you that Corluka is not good enough to take us the next step forward. Apart from that, all I see is quality. Young quality that is learning but, perhaps, needs to learn faster. Maybe the advent of Gallas will help the defence in that respect.

I'd stack our midfield against any other in the Prem and think we'd have the edge on anyone.

It's up front where I think we're weakest and is the area I feel we need the most immediate attention. I haven't really focussed on it here but Lought, in his Defoe/Crouch/Pav/Bent comparisons has really shown us that there is a deficiency there. I don't think it's a huge one but it is certainly there.

Most of all though, we have to cut out the waste. We had more than enough opportunities to bury Wigan and we wasted them all. Cut out the waste and we win more games, we don't get these shock turn overs.

This is where my optimism comes from Mikey. We're not being beaten by these teams, we're losing to them and there's a World of difference there.

As good as it was I still feel we over echieved last season and had not Villa, Citeh and L'pool not folded in the last few weeks could easily have been a couple of places down.
You list our midfield and and in the numbers department looks good but are you sure they are all quality. I believe that Bale and Modric are the only two that would get into United or Chelsea and even then only as possibly bench players. I still don't see Huddlstone play enough good games, certainly he never seems to really get hold of a game and dominate. Yes he is still young but I'm not sure that what we see now is what we are going to get. Lennon also has to show more consistency, is he just speed and nothing else.

Palacious to me has nothing to offer but bookings and suspensions. Jenas is a big dissapointment most weeks and Krancjar I like but you generally only get 20-25mins out of him a game and then he seems to fade away.

What I'm saying is, it is a good midfield with certain exceptions but they rarely all play well together. Now is that because the mix is wrong or the players are not as good as we think they are.

We need a Dave Mackay style player to get the best out of them and then we would see if they are going to go on and become great players.We don't seem to have a real leader on the field.

Mikey M

Not many people do have a voacal leader Mikey, most lead by example. Fabregas for Arsenal barely gets above a whisper, yet his captain. Daws cajols and is vocal, what we need is to get away from the
billy big boots syndrome and play every team as if they were Manu, we did it in the first leg at Young Boys and against Wigan, thinking we have won before we stepped onto the pitch. How do you coach that into players?

[quote="djfitzo"]Not many people do have a voacal leader Mikey, most lead by example. Fabregas for Arsenal barely gets above a whisper, yet his captain. Daws cajols and is vocal, what we need is to get away from the
billy big boots syndrome and play every team as if they were Manu, we did it in the first leg at Young Boys and against Wigan, thinking we have won before we stepped onto the pitch. How do you coach that into players?


God forbid we ever treat every team as though they're Utd Dave, the team is still to get over its inferiority complex with regards to them.

Treat them all like they're Chelsea, we raise our game against Chelsea because we know we can beat them when we raise it.

[quote="ionman34"]

djfitzo wrote:Not many people do have a voacal leader Mikey, most lead by example. Fabregas for Arsenal barely gets above a whisper, yet his captain. Daws cajols and is vocal, what we need is to get away from the
billy big boots syndrome and play every team as if they were Manu, we did it in the first leg at Young Boys and against Wigan, thinking we have won before we stepped onto the pitch. How do you coach that into players?


God forbid we ever treat every team as though they're Utd Dave, the team is still to get over its inferiority complex with regards to them.

Treat them all like they're Chelsea, we raise our game against Chelsea because we know we can beat them when we raise it.

I hear ya mate, just using Manure as a yardstick, even when we have a chance, 2-0 up at theirs and Coward Webb gives them a undeserved pen, we capitulate, its no wonder we are beaten before we step on the pitch. You never see the likes of manure, Chelski or the goons take any team lightly.

[quote="totalytot"]

ionman34 wrote:

totalytot wrote:

I admire your optimism Ion but we play to many games like the Wigan and Young Boys matches than the Citeh one and its that soft centre that makes me realise that we need reinforcements.If we don't get them and it seems at the moment that we wont' unless it's last minuit panic buys then I think we will struggle to do aswell as last season.

Well in that you're wrong Mikey. We didn't finish 4th by getting turned over more often than not. We put a number of teams to the sword last season, Home and Away and we did it playing some truly excellent Football. The Wigan and Wolves games stand out so glaringly because they are so rare and totally unexpected.
We don't get compared to the likes of Villa, Bolton, Everton et all because we're not a team that grinds out results in general, we play expansive Football and did it quite often.

Now I'm not disagreeing with you on the reinforcements front mate. I said, a number of weeks back, that I felt we need that top drawer Striker but that, if one wasn't available who could improve the team, then Keane should stay. I'm also in agreement with you that Corluka is not good enough to take us the next step forward. Apart from that, all I see is quality. Young quality that is learning but, perhaps, needs to learn faster. Maybe the advent of Gallas will help the defence in that respect.

I'd stack our midfield against any other in the Prem and think we'd have the edge on anyone.

It's up front where I think we're weakest and is the area I feel we need the most immediate attention. I haven't really focussed on it here but Lought, in his Defoe/Crouch/Pav/Bent comparisons has really shown us that there is a deficiency there. I don't think it's a huge one but it is certainly there.

Most of all though, we have to cut out the waste. We had more than enough opportunities to bury Wigan and we wasted them all. Cut out the waste and we win more games, we don't get these shock turn overs.

This is where my optimism comes from Mikey. We're not being beaten by these teams, we're losing to them and there's a World of difference there.

As good as it was I still feel we over echieved last season and had not Villa, Citeh and L'pool not folded in the last few weeks could easily have been a couple of places down.

Coulda, woulda, shouldas mate. They wouldn't have got close to us if we hadn't had our own blips in the season. When the chips were down we stepped up. Citeh had the chance to take it from us on their own patch but they didn't because we were better than them.

You list our midfield and and in the numbers department looks good but are you sure they are all quality.

Yes mate.

I believe that Bale and Modric are the only two that would get into United or Chelsea and even then only as possibly bench players.

You also forget Lennon. Bale and Lennon are currently the two best wingers in the Country. Name me better. Modric I'd probably agree with you on, although only so far as Chelsea are concerned. He'd walk into the Utd midfield as, I believe, would The Hudd.

I still don't see Huddlstone play enough good games, certainly he never seems to really get hold of a game and dominate. Yes he is still young but I'm not sure that what we see now is what we are going to get.

Well all I can say is look at the difference to the team when he ISN'T in it. For me, taking the game 'by the scruff of the neck' is done by very few players on a consistent basis. Lampard doesn't do it as he's dependent on Essien or Mikkel to give him the time to get forward. Gerrard is about the only one I'd say who really stands out in that respect.

Lennon also has to show more consistency, is he just speed and nothing else.

Far from it mate and he was proving that before his injury. We've seen all this before with other players like Dawson and Bale, they have a dip in form but their class is glaringly apparent.

Palacious to me has nothing to offer but bookings and suspensions. Jenas is a big dissapointment most weeks and Krancjar I like but you generally only get 20-25mins out of him a game and then he seems to fade away.

Palacios, I think, offers more than you believe when on form. However, I think we paid over the odds for him and feel that we still have another step or two beyond him. I feel you are doing Kranky a bit of a disservice too. OK he can fade at times but when asked to step up he delivered and then some. Jenas I agree with you on 100%.



What I'm saying is, it is a good midfield with certain exceptions but they rarely all play well together. Now is that because the mix is wrong or the players are not as good as we think they are.

Well I'll refer you back to last season. Barring a few games last season, where it was more a case of the finishing letting us down than the midfield, that midfield played very well together. That's the engine room and if they're playing more games badly than well, then we'd have been farther down the table.

We need a Dave Mackay style player to get the best out of them and then we would see if they are going to go on and become great players.We don't seem to have a real leader on the field.

I agree, just as I agreed with Lought on a 'driving' influence in midfield.

Mate, I'm not saying we're the finished article, but we sure as Hell aren't far from it and I'll maintain my faith in this team because I've seen them play better, and more consistently, than at any time since the early 80's.

Mikey M

Ion are you "maintaining that faith" because like the rest of us are desperate to win something of importance.Or do you think like I do that this team will gives us some great highs but is not quite good enough to go that step further. I do agree that this is the best side for at least 30 years but I'm not convinced as you are that it can do any better this year than last in fact I don't think it will do aswell.

But I would like very very much to be proved wrong and only time will tell.

Mikey M

[quote="totalytot"]
Ion are you "maintaining that faith" because like the rest of us are desperate to win something of importance.

Mikey, I'm not 'desperate' at all. I merely have faith in the talent I see before me. For years I have cautioned patience with the building of this team, that time was, and is, absolutely essential in getting us where we belong, at the top of the pile. I haven't changed in the slightest and you won't find me screaming for heads if we don't win anything this season, or next for that matter.

This is because I have faith that this team, with continued development WILL put us on the top of the pile.

Or do you think like I do that this team will gives us some great highs but is not quite good enough to go that step further.

Well mate, I also take into consideration all those teams around us and can see no one else who has taken the strides that we have. Compared to most teams around us, our players are 'nippers', not yet near their full potential. But the stage they're at is good enough to see us challenging either this term or next. Our signings have been quality but we are still missing that World Class Striker IMO.

It's only a matter of time for that to occur though.

There's that time thingy again.

I do agree that this is the best side for at least 30 years but I'm not convinced as you are that it can do any better this year than last in fact I don't think it will do aswell.

You may well have a point there mate and I can see exactly where you are coming from. It all depends on just how well they learn their lessons. Learn them quickly and we have a major force in both domestic and European Football.

Learn them too slowly and .................. Well.

But I would like very very much to be proved wrong and only time will tell.

I'll make a point of rubbing your nose in the Glory should it happen Mikey.


Somehow I don't think you'll mind that at all.

I certainly wont' Ion. I look forward to the rubbing of noses.

Mikey M

the team looks good. i look at man c players they brought and none of them or worth the money they have been offerd

we have the best sqaud we have ever had. my only worry is wil harry use the sqaud more. he seem to be doing that towards the end of last season but now he seems to gone back to hes old ways and pickin the same team

surley harry knows that wp has not had a good game since about last march. he should be dropped