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Weaknesses

Strettsville

Member
May 15, 2005
126
0
It's half time in the Uefa game and I feel the real urge to comment on the start of this season and the summer's dealings.

Without wanting to harp on about the loss of Berbatov and Keane - this has had a colossal impact on our play. With the loss of Berbatov, we were always going to be a weaker team up front, even if we have signed Eto or Villa - they would not offer what Berbatov brought - a striker who creates and provides inspiration like no other in the world.

Keane's departure is another story all together, a good striker who scores goals - is intelligent and hard working, but crucially, replaceable.

Keane left with over one month of the transfer window remaining, the board knew that there was a strong possibility that Berbatov would leave. We lost all of our creativity up front - for emphasis - all of our creativity.

The board and management failed to address this, this needs to be addressed with additional personnel. Arshavin would be a good signing, but lets not be narrow and assume he is the only man for the job, even Viduka provides creativity, Santa Cruz, Del Piero, Kanoute, Laarson off the top of my head alone.

We sold players who were the mainstay of our last season. Forget for a moment that Chimbonda is an arrogant fool - would you honestly believe Gunter is a better player ? Forget for a moment the hype surrounding Dos Santos, isn't a better option Steed?

We still haven't signed a left winger, we still play with a right winger on the left. We still haven't got a brilliant centre back pairing. King is great but without the ability to play consistently in the first team - he will never be the answer. He can never form a brilliant partnership with Woodgate because he can't play consistently.

Is Bentley really the improvement we need ? Cast your minds back to the end of last season, did anybody think that we needed a right winger ?

In central midfield we need a defensive midfielder who can protect the back four - and consistently take the ball from the centre backs to keep play moving. Alonso would have been an inspired signing, he or someone in the mould of Barry would compliment Modric superbly.

The good points in the close season are: Modric and Gomez.

I'm sure Levy will be analysing the signings - and drawing the same conclusions. Whoever made these decisions is the problem at our club. So many fans and commentators come to the same conclusion, we know the game and we know this club inside out, we have watched as manager after manager failed to sign the right players. Just when we were getting close; the management signed Boateng, Bent, Kaboul and Taarabt.

Honestly guys the more you analyse the basic errors at this club the more you realise the abhorrent errors the board have made with the signings. The fact that everybody knows what we needed - including I'm sure Ramos - but we were let down,

It is the board's fault for backing the wrong people. If we have Ramos in charge then he needs to make the sole and entire decision on the players we sign. Levy provides a budget and the manager listens to his scout reports and chooses whether to sign a player. We do not need to make transfer profits, the rant could continue for days.
 

gloryglory

Well-Known Member
Oct 19, 2004
1,537
302
You can't rotate at centre back. Zokora isn't a holding midfielder. We haven't had a natural left midfielder of any quality since Ginola. All of this was known before the summer began. The priorities were keeper, centre back, holding midfielder and left midfield, in that order.

We solved none of those except the keeper before the summer's bombshell - Keane's departure. We have failed to respond to that, but more damagingly still we have clearly concentrated on that at the expense of the other pre-existing priorities.

I have no problems with the signings we made. I'm sure Bentley will come good, though he was poor again today, and what's more he can play more than just right midfield. He must be more effective than Lennon at the moment. I think Giovani is an exciting gamble, and Pavluychenko is worth a shot, and though I'm yet to see what makes Modric special, it's useful to have a playmaker.

But the gaps are disastrous. Zokora plays well at right back, OK at centre back, and would be effective surging forward with a holding midfielder protecting him (a la Tainio), but he's a waste of a player sat in front of the back four. We're just going to keep conceding all the time.
 

glenda

Well-Known Member
May 26, 2005
1,254
78
yeah but he was a cold fish prick!! & hes gone so fuck him!! the main thing is we dont penny pinch & get hunterlar what ever it costs!!! & a tested gatusso level defensive midfielder!! veloso would be great & yes i have seen him play over 10 times & he is the truth!!!

no more wasting money we have a french DOR & he brings us karboul tarabatt & zokora!! its not been great has it!! why the fuck didnt we go for someone like edmilison who still looks like he can do a job!! ok modric good footballer but can u really see this guy putting the team on his back & mashing the andersons & essiens!! we could have got stephen appaiah on a free!! im not convinced,im sorry!! coys!!!!
 

birdm

New Member
Sep 1, 2005
312
0
I agree with it all other than Bentley and if you alaysed all our comings and goings it would not look good for LEVY as HE signs the cheques and HE continues to back Commoli.

I didn't even cheer when we scored the winner last night as we look soooo average and i am so frustrated at the way we have taken 5 steps back this season.

As you stated the only position we look stronger this season is in goal.

Left back is an ongoing position we have not filled for decades. WE ALL knew gilberto and ekotto were not good enough. BALE is wasted at left back and should be played left mid.
I echo your points about centre back and ledley, same with right back and Chimbo.
Bale should play left mid to sort that issue out.
Modric needs time but he's a great player so we should keep the faith.
Echo points about zakora. Hudd... is he good enough or not, i still can't work it out after 3 years!
Ohara is a championship player.
Corluka, reserve judgement until he plays 5 games.
Lennon, not progressed, absolutely agree with Levy buying Bentley as we needed coveer.
Jenas, our best player, makes the team tick.
Bent is a championship player
Pav, looks clumbsy but he needs time before we judge him.
Santos, again need time.
Frazer-campbell, i cannot get excited about fergies players learning their trade with us.
 

Strettsville

Member
May 15, 2005
126
0
Hey I didn't intend for this to be an article, it was more of a rant in the game thread, I think I posted in the wrong section.

I know it's a bore to read but these are simple problems and we won't improve until they are addressed.

I agree with the poster above entireley 'YAWN' - we hear the same thing over and over - will the board take any notice?
 

Pallyali

I have a monthly subscription set up for a small a
Dec 14, 2006
603
136
i agree with the majority of your post strettsville.

we are at least three players short and i believe we will have trouble competing as a result.

how we have ended up with 2.5 strikers i'll never know. without another very good CB and strong defensive mid i can't understand.

its like going to the shops and forgetting bog roll.
 
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