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neonleon
Player Valuation: £35m
the lady loves flowers, cards and chocolates.
anything that the conscientious romantic can easily acquire ale-d up from the all night gary, on his way home from the boozer.
I made mine cry today.
Of this Im not proud, Im about to go home and make it up to her.
Night choc lovers.
Of this Im not proud, Im about to go home and make it up to her.
Night choc lovers.
TX Bill
Player Valuation: £80m
Ah yes. Wasn't that our old friend Halewood Blue who said he had seen him in the local Pizza Hut?
Oh my god Robert! You make me laugh, we are doing really [Poor language removed] so far arent we?!! Tactics are crap, Moyes is useless, sell AJ and give Neville to a hungry homeless family
Robert Jarvis
Player Valuation: £35m
I did not say that Mick, it was in response to the previous post to the effect what to do with his moaning. It was reverse sarcasm, so you are out of order on that one. I have not been negative in fact I have been doing my utmost to be downright positive for this season.
It would help if you read all the posts not just single out odd ones or the odd poster.
It would help if you read all the posts not just single out odd ones or the odd poster.
neonleon
Player Valuation: £35m
Was going to start a new thread, but couldn't see the point as what I said earlier in this thread is true today.
Play the ball on the deck. Distribute from the back. Find space for each other, pass to feet or into space. Not this endless head tennis. If we are gonna play the ball in the air constantly, hoofing balls up front - lets cancel yakubu and get Jan Koller in. He's 6'7 and built like a brick [Poor language removed] house. Maybe he'd win more than all 5'7 of Andy Johnson?
Not like I'm an expert or nothing.(but [Poor language removed]' hell)
Todays draw was a steal. Virtually every neutral will report it as such. They [Poor language removed]' had us over a barrel at home.
Neville can cross, but can't do a through ball to save his life. Faddy still gives the ball away to easily and has suspect decision making (although he gave us a point today).
Why can't we keep the ball and distribute from the back? It's elementary.
European success is extremely doubtful if we cannot field players with the technique, guile, touch and culture to retain the ball and pass from the back - as opposed to medieval panic balls to our tiny forwards up front.
Jesus, we missed someone like Fernandes to combine with Arteta today and actually play the ball on the ground successfully.
gentlemen, we will be found wanting in europe, should we continue in this style.
Play the ball on the deck. Distribute from the back. Find space for each other, pass to feet or into space. Not this endless head tennis. If we are gonna play the ball in the air constantly, hoofing balls up front - lets cancel yakubu and get Jan Koller in. He's 6'7 and built like a brick [Poor language removed] house. Maybe he'd win more than all 5'7 of Andy Johnson?
Not like I'm an expert or nothing.(but [Poor language removed]' hell)
Todays draw was a steal. Virtually every neutral will report it as such. They [Poor language removed]' had us over a barrel at home.
Neville can cross, but can't do a through ball to save his life. Faddy still gives the ball away to easily and has suspect decision making (although he gave us a point today).
Why can't we keep the ball and distribute from the back? It's elementary.
European success is extremely doubtful if we cannot field players with the technique, guile, touch and culture to retain the ball and pass from the back - as opposed to medieval panic balls to our tiny forwards up front.
Jesus, we missed someone like Fernandes to combine with Arteta today and actually play the ball on the ground successfully.
gentlemen, we will be found wanting in europe, should we continue in this style.
Blue Wiz
Player Valuation: £25m
Agree with you leon.
The only times we managed to get something dangerous going it was when we played the ball along the ground.. and then crossed in.. not this hoofing the ball up and hope for the best. It did get a little bit better with Anichebe on that actually won a header or two. We are dangerous on FK and corners yes.. but that's when we have our defenders up there as well.. AJ don't score with his head.. unless Reyna throws the ball at it.
The problem as I see it is our continuing to play with Carsley and Neville in the middle.. both are defensiveminded and that makes our midfield collapse in the middle. It doesn't matter then if Arteta is working his magic on his side.. there is noone for him to pass a simple ball to in the middle.
The only times we managed to get something dangerous going it was when we played the ball along the ground.. and then crossed in.. not this hoofing the ball up and hope for the best. It did get a little bit better with Anichebe on that actually won a header or two. We are dangerous on FK and corners yes.. but that's when we have our defenders up there as well.. AJ don't score with his head.. unless Reyna throws the ball at it.
The problem as I see it is our continuing to play with Carsley and Neville in the middle.. both are defensiveminded and that makes our midfield collapse in the middle. It doesn't matter then if Arteta is working his magic on his side.. there is noone for him to pass a simple ball to in the middle.
Ah well, the team play better when theyre up against it.
Werent me meant to be winning the league two games ago?
Werent me meant to be winning the league two games ago?
neonleon
Player Valuation: £35m
I understand what you are saying Chico, but when we win, we win in spite of the subject of this thread.
When we lose or fail to win a game we should (like anyone outside the top four at home), 98% of the time, it's because of (in my opinion) the problems highlighted in this thread.
If we had drawn, hit the woodwork a few times, and controlled the pitch for 70 minutes, getting the lions share of the possession - I wouldn't have a problem with the occassional draw.
As that is precisely what it would be.
we spend 90 minutes fighting for the ball at the moment.
top teams rarely have to fight for the ball; they never give it away to begin with.
Do you consider the signings of Fernandes & Yakubu to be enough?
neonleon
Player Valuation: £35m
that depends on the tactics we employ.
i think fernandes is the crucial ingredient. Arteta is trying to bring culture to the midfield on his own, fernandes will ease the burden. more football will be played on the ground, which is important not just for our smallish forwards - through balls for AJ, Vaughan, Yakubu etc, but for our entire team. The more slick passing, the less defending we have to do.
We have good defenders (as far as defending goes), but no defenders can keep the ball out of the net facing an 80 minute onslaught from the opponents.
If we can pass from the back, control the tempo of a match and put intelligent balls through to our forwards, we will improve significantly.
We already have the work rate, the spirit and the steel.
We just need a little technique, touch and guile.
If we are to maintain the long hoof up front - then yakubu and fernandes aren't enough. We'd need a Jan Koller, Big Dunc type.
(and I'd despair)
Me too mate.
Where does Cahill fit into that then?
Where does Cahill fit into that then?
neonleon
Player Valuation: £35m
Cahill would hopefully push one of neville or cars out of midfield.
And provide better distribution and a potent attacking threat - as well as the steel and closing down that the above two offer.
Cahill is quality, because he's a box to box midfielder, whereas neville and cars's limitations are evident in the final third (and often in distribution).
Fernandes could end up playing on the other wing out of necessity. Or, if we can get a brilliant winger in (as in almost as good as our spanish wizard), we could put manny in the holding role. (its his ambition seemingly to play there anyway).
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