steve_69

f*** me. 150k a week? £150k per overhead kick

Dreaming of you big guy, always.

Having said that, I watched the Fulham v Villa game on Sunday and the Villa fans opened up with 'your support is f***ing s***' after literally 30 seconds of the game. Give the fuckers a chance to get sat down eh. Don't know where you've dreamt that up from. My most sincere apologies you pedantic arsehole - It was Blackburn versus Villa and therefore the Villa fans were singing at the Blackburn fans. Someone's got to keep you right, man. Next you'll be telling us that CMs need to be left-footed. Next you'll be telling us that Gerrard's best position is on the left of a midfield 3

Having said that, I watched the Fulham v Villa game on Sunday and the Villa fans opened up with 'your support is f***ing s***' after literally 30 seconds of the game. Give the fuckers a chance to get sat down eh. Don't know where you've dreamt that up from. My most sincere apologies you pedantic arsehole - It was Blackburn versus Villa and therefore the Villa fans were singing at the Blackburn fans.

So he's good enough to deputise for Arsenal but not for us. Eh? By all accounts he did very well at Arsenal so i've no doubt he'll be good enough for a newly promoted team By which accounts? Winning games - not according to reality. How about goals per game? Ooops wrong again - they leaked over 2 goals per game with him in the side as opposed to a shade over 1 per game before him. Good enough for a promoted team. Good call - with the talent around him at Arsenal they had there worst patch of the season when he was in the side. So with the talent on display at Newcastle right now he will really thrive. Are you serious? Yes. I'm pretty sure it also coincided with a massive speight of injuries to key players didn't it - Fabregas, Walcott, V Persie, Bendtner, Song, Almunia, Djourou? Wenger's quotes regarding Sol Campbell: "I tried to keep Sol," reflected Wenger. "It was more a question of proposals but I wanted to keep him, personally. But he was free and he has chosen to go for a different challenge - I respect that. "I respect Sol highly because last year when we had a difficult patch he was completely committed and he was our best player in some games. I will always respect him for the help he brought to us last year

So he's good enough to deputise for Arsenal but not for us. Eh? By all accounts he did very well at Arsenal so i've no doubt he'll be good enough for a newly promoted team

I know what your saying, given the options i might have tried summik other then smith but we dont know the whole deal. So Ch probs went with what he thought was his best team and to chuck HV in their because "smith i just s***" would be madness. The problem is that experience counts for fuck all when you're as crap as Smith is. He offers nothing positive to the team and often puts us under unnecessary pressure by giving away daft freekicks or losing possession. The guy is a total liability!

Routledge. He hasn't looked too good this season but like one of the other posters has pointed out, he played most of his games in front of Perch. He's a ride-sided player with pace and I think he should be given a chance in front of Simpson. Routledge.....Tiote.....Nolan.....Jonas

I think we need to do everything we can to keep Smith and Perch out of the starting line-up. They don't just offer nothing, they actually hinder the team because they give away possession and freekicks and other players have to try and mop up their mistakes. I'd far rather see us promote some of the reserves to the team - let's be honest, they couldn't fair any worse than Smith, Perch or Guthrie. Alternatively let's just stick out an attacking line-up and have a go - basically anything just to keep that pair of cloggers out of the team.

''Shudder''

Having said that, I watched the Fulham v Villa game on Sunday and the Villa fans opened up with 'your support is fucking shit' after literally 30 seconds of the game. Give the fuckers a chance to get sat down eh.

Fuck it, it is what it is. Did any of us realistically expect the piss weak FA to do anything other than dish out a ban? Thankfully we've got the strength in depth defensively to cover the loss of Colo and Williamson and who knows, it could be a blessing in disguise.

I struggle to believe Routledge will perform any worse than Guthrie on the right. Routledge.....Tiote.....Nolan.....Jonas ....................Carroll....Ameobi Keep Smith and Guthrie out of the first team and replace them in January if possible.

I've been impressed with Williamson at times this season and I think it's far too early to write him off. His recent performances have been a bit dodgy though which could be due to fatigue, poor confidence or just off days. Regardless, I think it's time to promote Sol to the starting lineup. His experience, composure and physical presence could be a massive boost to us right now. I think Hughton has been spot on in not wanting to drop players for no reason, but he now has legitimate cause to rest Williamson for a while and utilise the strength in depth we have at CB.

I was just about to post the exact same thing. If your midfielders are good, than their footedness doesn't matter at all. Especially if there are three. Sadly, ours aren't good enough. They are nowhere near as good as the Spanish, French, Germans, Argentinians, Dutch, Brazilians etc etc.

Same argument as above. South American players are technically better than English players so they more versatile. English players are mostly very one footed, Gerrard included. This is down to the English way of coaching which is universally accepted to be not as good as it could be. If you're able to use both feet competently, it stands to reason that you can play in a number of positions. Arsenal's midfield 3 is made up of one Spanish and two French players - again, more technically adept than our lot due to better coaching. Until our grassroots coaching improves we will not have players versatile enough to play in a variety of positions and formations competently. In reference to your other point, I don't have a needless wish for a left-footer in that position because I don't think we should play 4-3-3. I think we should play 4-4-2 because I believe the players we have are better suited to it

So just because Spain can do it, England can as well? If they didn't have one, fair enough but Spain play a formation that their players are used to and suited to, and a style of football that the players have grown up playing. They are more adaptable, more skillful and most of them are much better with their weaker feet than English players.

You seem to know a lot more about it than a world class international football manager. Wow, you're more knowledgeable than I thought. They gave us a 90 minute dry bumming because they knew how to exploit our weaknesses.

Simple question SEMTEX: Does Steven Gerrard play on the left of a midfield 3 for Liverpool?

Simple question Ronaldo: Does Steven Gerrard play on the left of a midfield 3 for Liverpool?

It has everything to do with what i'm saying about playing Gerrard in a position he's not acustomed to you fucking cretin

So now you're shoe-horning players into positions they're not suited to. Regardless of it being a midfield 3 you still want a left-footer on the left, which leaves you with Gareth Barry. It's the same problem again - we might have the front men to fit into a 4-3-3 but we don't have the midfielders. That's a load of crap like, who cares about footedness in centre midfield? A load of crap eh? Do you understand anything about football? Gerrard is right footed so where will he gravitate to when he has the ball? You can tell a player to stay left but in the heat of a game you instinctively do what feels natural. Gerrard would move infield, leaving a massive gap on the left for the opposition to attack. World class managers try to identify possible areas of weakness in the opposition and exploit them - Joachim Loew's comments after the World Cup defeat: "Today we were dominant," Loew said. "We were successful in luring Terry out of defence with (Thomas) Mueller and (Lukas) Podolski penetrating the wide defence. "We knew that the midfielders (Steven) Gerrard and (Frank) Lampard always support the forwards, and that their midfield would be open," Loew continued. "So our objective was to set Terry up with Klose to force him to come out of the defence. We knew that the full-backs would be very much to the sides and create spaces between the England defenders that would help us penetrate their defence. "We wanted to do this and we were successful there."

So now you're shoe-horning players into positions they're not suited to. Regardless of it being a midfield 3 you still want a left-footer on the left, which leaves you with Gareth Barry. It's the same problem again - we might have the front men to fit into a 4-3-3 but we don't have the midfielders. What are you talking about? There's no reason Gerrard can't play on the left of a midfield 3. It's a compromise, that's why. You're having to play a right footer there because we don't have anyone decent and experienced with a left foot. As far as i'm concerned you play the formation that best suits the players at your disposal. You don't start with the formation and fill the gaps, compromising along the way when you can't find a suitable player.

So now you're shoe-horning players into positions they're not suited to. Regardless of it being a midfield 3 you still want a left-footer on the left, which leaves you with Gareth Barry. It's the same problem again - we might have the front men to fit into a 4-3-3 but we don't have the midfielders.

You already said Rooney is Englands best player and had his best season playing as a lone striker in a 4-5-1/4-3-3, so wouldn't it be a waste for him to be put out wide in a front 3? Can't argue with Walcott & Johnson/Young out wide though. It needs to be tried. What we do know, is that he can be very ineffective in a 4-4-2. When he played in a 2 with Van Nistelrooj he was effective, but only because he primarily worked the channels. He could do that in a 4-3-3. Fair enough but who would you play as the middle 3?