Are We Really as Strong as We Think?

[mattyspurs]

Yes, I think we are as strong as we think we are, well, as I think we are anyway.

We have all known what our failings would be this season, and we didn't address them. Upgrade on our strikers. Simple as that. With 1 Striker scoring 15+ goals this season we would be challenging for the Title, let alone 4th place.

It really is as simple as that. We can go on about how Harry is tactically inept, how Luka might be better on the left rather than the centre. Why Sandro should start every game to shore up the midfield rather than Tommy Hudd. Why are we trying to accomdate Rafa, when we should stick to 442 like last season. Why dawson is just an average defender at best?

Well all of that pales into insignificance when our strikers haven't scored the goals. In alot of games this season we have created plenty of chances only for them to go begging. Gareth Bale, rightly or wrongly has been voted player of the Season, by his fellow pros. We have been told that he has been found out this season by teams, maybe he has, maybe he has to mix his game up a bit, but even on his bad days, he still can create at least 3 very good chances, if 1 a game had been put away, he would have the highest assit total out of any player this season.

So we can say whatever we like, but I would say the majority of posters here at the start of the season, beleived the hype about our team, and rightly so. The strikers have let the fans down. Myabe we can blame Harry of Levy, or both for this, for not addressing the situation, maybe it was harder to get a striker than we thought. But where ever the blame lies, that is the problem.

So a complete overhaul of the squad no thankyou. Yes, lose the fringe players, but get me a couple of strikers, another option on the wing, we have Walker coming through next season, promote Caulker if he's good enough and get a stettled back four. Maybe a Goalkeeper, i'm still undecided on this one, and that will be enough.

 

[worcestersauce]

I think the answer to the original question is "how strong do we think we are"? seriously do we think we are good enough to win the league? I doubt it, do we think we are good enough to be a shoe in for the CL places? I doubt it, do we think we are good enough to win the Champions League? I doubt that to so do we think we should be all of those things?
Well what some of us need to accept is that getting that good is not straightfoward and it is not done by being good enough to beat anyone on our day it is done by having the tools the plans and the variation to beat teams on their day and I believe we just haven't reached that stage yet.
During the season teams got to know us, found us out if you like, which is fine that's what happens during a season and so you need to have variations to counter their tactics, I think last season we were a little more unknown and with Bentley and Eidur Gudjonson we had something different to our fast winger play, you may not think it was better but it was differentd especially Eidur who brought us intelligent forward play in the run in.
This season I think we've improved enormously but missed the variety we need, Pienaar was obviously brought in for that but losing Huddlestone restricted our options for too long and Bale's injury reduced the threat with our usual way of playing, address that variety in the Summer and next year could be a cracker.

That and the strikers!

 

[double0]

Yes, I think we are as strong as we think we are, well, as I think we are anyway.

We have all known what our failings would be this season, and we didn't address them. Upgrade on our strikers. Simple as that. With 1 Striker scoring 15+ goals this season we would be challenging for the Title, let alone 4th place.

It really is as simple as that. We can go on about how Harry is tactically inept, how Luka might be better on the left rather than the centre. Why Sandro should start every game to shore up the midfield rather than Tommy Hudd. Why are we trying to accomdate Rafa, when we should stick to 442 like last season. Why dawson is just an average defender at best?

Well all of that pales into insignificance when our strikers haven't scored the goals. In alot of games this season we have created plenty of chances only for them to go begging. Gareth Bale, rightly or wrongly has been voted player of the Season, by his fellow pros. We have been told that he has been found out this season by teams, maybe he has, maybe he has to mix his game up a bit, but even on his bad days, he still can create at least 3 very good chances, if 1 a game had been put away, he would have the highest assit total out of any player this season.

So we can say whatever we like, but I would say the majority of posters here at the start of the season, beleived the hype about our team, and rightly so. The strikers have let the fans down. Myabe we can blame Harry of Levy, or both for this, for not addressing the situation, maybe it was harder to get a striker than we thought. But where ever the blame lies, that is the problem.

So a complete overhaul of the squad no thankyou. Yes, lose the fringe players, but get me a couple of strikers, another option on the wing, we have Walker coming through next season, promote Caulker if he's good enough and get a stettled back four. Maybe a Goalkeeper, i'm still undecided on this one, and that will be enough.

excellent

 

[nightgoat]

I think the answer to the original question is "how strong do we think we are"? seriously do we think we are good enough to win the league? I doubt it, do we think we are good enough to be a shoe in for the CL places? I doubt it, do we think we are good enough to win the Champions League? I doubt that to so do we think we should be all of those things?

To be a shoe in for a CL place we'd have to be significantly better than City and Liverpool, I think the three of us are about even... City might have a fairly big lead on us, but I think we've thrown away more silly points than they have, and Liverpool were hindered by their awful start to the season...

We are definitely good enough for a CL place, though, and I think a reasonably comparison between us and City will be how well they get on in the competition, presuming they qualify and reach the group stage...

 

[JUSTINSIGNAL]

Pointless debate. You have to look at who is managing the team and gauge what type of players HE likes before you can start constructing a shopping list.

Redknapp will more likely be looking at Rio Ferdinand, Beckham, Phil Neville and Charlie Adam as he would any of the names you have all mentioned in this thread.

But, to comment on the theme.....I dont see the point of Marin - we have Luka and they are too similar to carry more than one of that type of player especially with VDV in the team. Contrao at LB would be a good add. We also need a RB and CB. Despite the good games they have had, Gallas and Dawson have both been found wanting at times and it is no wonder we have conceded as many as we have. Kaboul may be part of the answer here but certainly not at full back.

With Sandro and Modric locking the midfield places in most people's eyes, we need to keep Hudd involved too. Prior to his injury the guy was unplayable at times.

Ashley Young would be an upgrade to Lennon perhaps but seems destined to Man U. Neuer will also be a Man U player i reckon so we can forget that too.

I am not for wholesale changes to a squad. I have argued against it in the past especially in the Jol era when we seemed to have a revolving door transfer policy. It is disruptive. see how long it has taken man City to gel. But it is clear that fringe players have to go and upgrades in certain areas are needed. Particularly in attack. Suarez was a massive own goal by Levy and redknapp imo.

This is very true.

During every transfer window people draw up their lists of who we should go and buy. These normally include players with exotic names from foreign leagues but if you look at the pattern of Redknapps transfer targets they don't even appear on his radar.

At various points throughout the last few windows people have pined for Huntelaar, Forlan, Suarez, Turan, Diarra

and what have we ended up with or targeted?

Crouch, J. Cole, P. Neville, Scott Parker.

When will people learn? Redknapp is much more likely to go for players he knows can 'come in and do a job' than to take a chance on a someone who could be excellent or might totally fail.

 

[chadders]

Just reading through this and it seems that Gallas has total confidence in him by the fans, I am far from convinced, his experience is vital but he has fecked up a few times at crucial moments, the most recent against Arsenal when he tried to chest the ball out of play only to allow Arsenal possession and score.