The College Dropout

Holds the ball for too long. Might take him a season or so but he'll learn.

Hoilett's contract is up in January. We should be in for him.

Just because Cappello has forgotten about Sturridge doesn't mean he doesn't exist. Reckon Welbeck might stay at home to stop Fergie crying non-stop. Can see there being a limit of 3 players from any side being taken.

Rio's injury prone but he's still by far the best English defender of his generation. Shocked to see so many people having the likes of Cahill and Jones (untested at the highest level) ahead of him. A fully fit Ferdinand is the first centreback on the team sheet for me. Has always been a better player than Terry.

We should shoe-horn as many Man U players in as possible. Something like... Hart Richards Terry Smalling Cole Downing Lampard Parker Young Welbeck Rooney Ideally Sturridge would be in ahead of Welbeck but the Italian has his own ideas.

Drop Best? What? The same starting XI must start the next game.

Since Jenas has a much longer stride length, Cabaye would have to work quite a lot harder to cover that ground. Athleticism ranked as probably Jenas greatest attribute and it made him a decent player for us. Cabaye actually likes to pass forward and find the strikers so imagine how good he's going to turn out.

Great turn and finish.

I wish there were more "number 10s." I grew up in an era that had Roberto Baggio & Dennis Bergkamp. So it's an element that I really miss from the modern game. Same here. I still think it can be an invaluable position when you have the right player in there, although the traditional version is undoubtedly less effective now that so many teams field a specialist defensive midfielder to plug the gap in between the lines. If he's allowed just to drift into space wherever it may be and pull people all over he could completely change the way we play, he also has to be willing to get into the box and beyond the striker too though. Think they call it a "false 10" these days, don't they? Where Ozil played for Germany in the World Cup and VDV played for Spurs last season? Ozil plays in a 3 man midfield in the Lampard role. HBA will be playing off 1 striker like a traditional #10. IMO the modern #10 has to be capable of playing deeper in midfield with some steel (Modric) or out wide (Arshavin) or upfront (Totti). No way did Ozil play "the Lampard role" in the World Cup, he played off Klose, as Sneijder played off RVP and quite a bit off Milito for Inter if I remember rightly. They played as second-strikers as much as they did central midfielders, if not more. This approach led to Spurs using van der Vaart off Crouch for much of last season and it was very effective, although I do think your worry about becoming over-reliant on the number 10 is a very valid one. That I definitely agree with. There were even times last season where our players would just pass it to HBA and then stand still and watch him, but I'm hoping with the new lads it won't be like that this time around. To get the best out of him we need to be getting the ball to him and then ensuring he has options when he does have it. When defending Ozil plays much deeper than a traditional 10, so I wouldn't describe him as a real #10. You would never catch Baggio doing the job he done at the WC. Looking at the Germany formation he DEFINITELY played the Lampard role. Muller and Podolski (who are both pretty much strikers/ advanced wingers) primarily supported Klose as they where the furthest up the pitch. Bastian (Essien), Khedira (Makelele) and Ozil in the Lampard role. http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Sport/Pix/pictures/2010/6/25/1277493978561/Germany-v-England-001.jpg That's the classic Mourinho formation. The secondary goal/support threat came from the wingers as evidence with Muller being joint top scorer. Holland where similar with Robben very advanced and excellent. I don't think VDV introduction to the Spurs side has been a good thing overall. None of their strikers did well and they received less points than in the previous season. I'd think they would do better with VDV utilised for away games or rotated with Lennon on the right. In their current system, if VDV has a bad game Spurs won't win.

I think we where the last club Patrick was remotely motivated to play for.

Kluivert actually started 25 games in all competitions. How many did he start up front with Bellamy? The only reason I ask is because I remember one game in particular where they both started together and Kluivert brilliantly converted a superb cross from wide delivered by Bellamy, and Bellamy actually went on to publicly suggest that their partnership was the best at the club. I think that rattled a few cages at a higher level and after that we didn't see much more of either Bellamy or Kluivert. The Palace game? Bellamy beats someone then whips in a low ball, Kluivert backheels it into the corner. Superb.

Whilst this is true his overall game was better than a lot of those names you would mention.

Kluivert? tremendous player. When he played he was pretty good for us. The touch, the strength, the vision. Total package as a player him minus blistering pace. His goal in the league away to Palace? Faptastic mate.

Really? Care to explain further? If anything, I think the bog standard 4-4-2 is going out of fashion, and 4-3-3/4-2-3-1/4-4-1-1 is more popular and arguably more effective. At the top level the #10 left with Zidane. Only Kaka has had any real top level success and he played in a team with 4 central midfielders (The AC side), he's been replaced in the Real side with someone who is able to play a deeper more central midfielder type position in Ozil THIS. This is why I have my doubts. The Spurs midfield is more talented than ours. Modric is amongst the best in the league, Lennon & Bale would start for 18/20 sides in the PL yet they are STILL over-reliant on VDV. I wish there were more "number 10s." I grew up in an era that had Roberto Baggio & Dennis Bergkamp. So it's an element that I really miss from the modern game. Same here. I still think it can be an invaluable position when you have the right player in there, although the traditional version is undoubtedly less effective now that so many teams field a specialist defensive midfielder to plug the gap in between the lines. If he's allowed just to drift into space wherever it may be and pull people all over he could completely change the way we play, he also has to be willing to get into the box and beyond the striker too though. Think they call it a "false 10" these days, don't they? Where Ozil played for Germany in the World Cup and VDV played for Spurs last season? Ozil plays in a 3 man midfield in the Lampard role. HBA will be playing off 1 striker like a traditional #10. IMO the modern #10 has to be capable of playing deeper in midfield with some steel (Modric) or out wide (Arshavin) or upfront (Totti).

I'm not sure I like the idea of a #10 in modern football. For a variety of reasons. Will wait and see though.

he does, he's just evolved. They normally now have excellent mobility or great skill.

Much better today.

He was superb today, won me over. Pardew let him off the shackles and he was a joy. Really wish we had a Solano type wide player to pick up some of those balls no homo.

The French Paul Scholes sounds about right, too. Pops up with some awful tackles at times. True.

Nothing so far, you must have missed his shot against Fulham and his his other attacking moves (forward runs) before this? Meireles (whose not an attacking midfielder) makes more of those in 1 match than Cabaye has in 4. I didn't mean it literally and he still has time to settle in. I just don't understand the love-in with him thus far.

Must he always be compared to Nile just because he's a black attacking player? They're nothing alike. I get it.

That's what I meant, from what I have seen of both of them in our games, they both play deep and don't seem to suit each others game. Might be a bit premature to say that but not been encouraged by their partnership so far. In isolation I think Cabaye is a good player and a better footballer than Nolan, but Nolan would gamble often and take an opposition midfielder back with him, leaving more space for Tiote and the full backs, so would be more valuable for the team. That was highlighted last night when we literally didn't pick up a second ball after hitting it forward. As I said we're only four games in but it's a bit worrying for me. Really think we need another player in there. Course we miss Barton who would tuck in and act as a third CM too. Totally agree with this.

Thought he was one of the worst performers last night. He runs around but he doesn't gobble up ground effectively, he basically just chases. I don't know whether he's been told to sit or that's his natural style of play but he is too deep, he doesn't make an impression on the opposition midfielders to go backwards. Worst of all he has the tendency to go anonymous, seemed like 5-10 minutes went by in the second half that he barely did anything except lose possession in one of the 3 times we managed to string 3 forward passes together. He doesn't make himself open for a pass enough for my liking. He's contributed to our defensive strength but we need him as an attacking force as he's offered nothing thus far. Needs to show some dynamism, forward runs or passes. Not sure he and Tiote compliment each other as they both sit so deep. I remember we had Speed & Jenas playing very deep the season we finished 5th and we where a lot more solid that year although we conceded plenty of late goals. Problem here is that we don't have Robert, Solano, Shearer & Bellamy to shoulder the attacking burden. And in any case that seemed a thought-out decision by SBR and we played a particular way. Pardew on the other hand.....

Palacios is a good player anyway.

Too many "bottlers" in the side afraid to use the ball for any purpose. Simpson and Raylor want shot of the damn thing asap. Obertan & Cabaye go missing. Best's a poacher and Shola is shit. Tiote's not the greatest on the ball and he keeps getting caught in possession but atleast he was visible unlike Cabaye. I'd start Sammy ahead of Obertan as he actually looks like he wants the ball and will attempt to beat a man.