Shak

Not particularly innovative idea for a thread, I suppose, but interested to see people's thoughts on it. What do people think will end up being our first choice 11 if/when everyone gets fit? I'll allow people to include Belletti, only because I want to force people to choose between Butt and Geremi in midfield. Anyway, my guess is ------------------ Given Belletti -- Taylor -- Rozenhal -- Enrique ---- Barton -- Geremi -- Emre Martins ----------------------- N'Zogbia ---------------- Viduka Controversial to leave out Owen, obviously, but I just don't see how he'll fit into our system at all. He'll be a quality impact sub and will start games against the weaker teams but I wouldn't be at all surprised to see him start a lot of games on the bench, even when fully fit. As I said in another thread, while Milner's individual performances are probably the best in our team soi far, his lack of pace is really, really detrimental to our team play. I'd personally like to see Milner used more in the middle and have us buy a pacier option (Anelka) to replace him as competition for the wide spots. In all honesty, though, I haven't the slightest clue what Allardyce has in mind. I'm sure there'll be slight changes depending on the differing opposition, but you have to feel that there's gonna be a core team we'll look to.

Always sad to hear. RIP

To be fair, if they can't take some light WUM'ing on an internet forum then I worry about their ability to handle themselves in general as their movement becomes bigger.

I reckon Hieldsy is probably content enough with it.

Sorry :-[

Never saw pace in center midfield as being at all important tbh, unless the team desperately lacks it in other areas. More a case of timing your runs well from that part of the field.

Whoosh!! (Or at least I bloody hope so )

I'm not sure if Allardyce will rate Emre. I don't rate him too much personally. I agree with what you say about needing to run past Viduka ie ahead of the ball and past Viduka, especially when he drops deep to accept a pass into him. I think this need is urgent enough for the owners to find the money and go for getting back into europe quickly. They will get their money back later, or with the later sale of Emre to recoup part of the fee, if the manager selects the right player. I would consider playing zoggy in this position. It might not give him the space to run at players like he does when he plays wide, but he does have the pace and has said somewhere that he would like to play inside. I think that Geremi will go to right back when Barton returns. Always thought Barton had been earmarked for this role myself. He doesn't have pace, but I don't think that's needed in such a role. Lampard and Gerrard do this for their clubs, and neither are about pace. You need to be a powerful runner moreso, and I think Barton has to be aiming to get to that Gerrard/Lampard level of play.

Milner could flourish through the middle where his lack of pace is irrelevant, I've said that for a while now. N'Zogbia would be better suited to the wing as he can stretch the play with his pace. Smith would be suited to Boro, the signing of Faye would make his even more ridiculous. As have I. Kind of a tricky situation we find ourselves in regarding Milner. As an individual, his performances the first two games have been very good. But it does somewhat upset the balance of the team as his lack of pace is a problem. You need pace out wide, especially in a 4-3-3 where you'll typically have a target man type in the center. I'd be very excited to see N'Zogbia and Martins either side of Viduka tbh.

Where has it been suggested this is the case? In NE5's post, the part you've highlighted. also in Allardyces comments, again, quoted by Baggio. Smith for Dyer. [not forgetting Barton for Parker]. Unless someone knows more than Sam does I've highlighted a different part, which is the policy we have adopted for the last 15 years. We've also signed Geremi without getting rid of anyone, not to mention an almost entirely new defense without raising any cash from sales there. As I said in my previous post, if Allardyce rates Emre then I'm not sure another CM is essential, though I'd be pleased if we got one nonetheless. I'd rather we buy a striker/winger personally.

A lot will depend on Allardyce's views on Emre tbh. It's obvious he thinks highly of Barton, and if he has high hopes for Emre then it's arguable that we're stocked well in midfield already. What we really lacked on Saturday was someone like Barton to get forward and make the most of Viduka's play with his back to goal and a playmaker ala Emre to provide quality balls in to Viduka's feet. Time will tell, but there's certainly a case for getting in a top playmaker as there are obvious concerns over how much Emre will contribute. Personally, I'd give thought to playing Milner through the middle until Barton is back. Now that Owen is back and N'Zogbia should be able to move out of the LB spot we have another two options for the wide roles. Milner would get beyond the front man and would be a goal threat from the middle, which we sorely lacked on Saturday.

Where has it been suggested this is the case? In NE5's post, the part you've highlighted.

His best contribution came in his interview in the match programme. All standard enough Q&A's, until the last one. ------------------- Jeff: What do you plan to do when your football-playing career is over? Geremi: I haven't thought too much about that yet. I've been doing football all my life so it might be easier for me to stay in the game. But there is one thing I would really like to become - and that is a detective! Honestly, I mean that. I like making investigations, and getting to the bottom of a mystery. For example, if something was stolen at the training ground, I would like to be the one who solved the case by questioning people and working out exactly how and where it could have been taken.

Luque will see out his contract here IMO, he's apparently unwilling to take a wage drop and no other club that would have any interest in him is going to be able to match them. So we're stuck with him, and he'll almost certainly never be of any use to us on the field. Got to be the greatest flop in our history.

Would much prefer to pay the extra and get Anelka, but I'd have Diouf here in a flash personally. Despicable fucker by all accounts, but when he's winning points for your team on the pitch then it's amazing how easy it is to turn the blind eye. A good manager will be able to control him, as Sam has proved with Diouf before. Not a whole lot different to Bellamy, in all honesty.

While the poor performance is mostly my fault, I'm not overly upset by a draw at all. It's a point picked up and maintains our momentum from the Bolton game. If we can pick up another 4 points from the next 2 games (Boro and Wigan) then it'll be a fine first month of the season. We could use some more pace in the team though, that's for certain. Even though Milner looked our most threatening attacking player on Saturday, I'd be very interested to see how we'd get on with Martins and N'Zogbia either side of Viduka. Hopefully Emre is ready to go by the Wigan game, as these type of home games we desperately need a playmaker. Emre's got the talent to do it, in my opinion, but whether he'll apply himself better this season than he has in the past is another matter.

Agree with Baggio and Janitor, I'd have Emre in for games where we feel we need a playmaker and Butt in for the tough away games. I'm not overly convinced Geremi will be able to handle the DM duties by himself either tbh, but I hope he does because him and Butt both playing in CM together will not work at times, as we saw on Saturday. Barton - Geremi - Emre is a trio I'm very much looking forward to seeing in action though.

I'd rather efffective long balls than a string of short completed passes that get us nowhere and are ultimately followed by a panicked hoof forward.

Van Persie will step up into the upper echelon of Premiership players this season IMO. Ashley Young I expect to have a good season too. Of our players, Barton is one I'm very interested to see. Could become the driving force behind our team.

I'm hoping we won't be playing the same long ball s**** that Bolton did tbh, they also had better midfielders than Smith in Campo and Speed. Seriously then mate where does Smith fit in as far as a 4-3-3 formation goes? Would he be in you starting 11? One of the 3 CM spots, could play any of the roles to a good standard. Wouldn't be in my first 11 if everyone was fit, but then neither would Dyer. I reckon you're looking at this too simplistically, Smith isn't a like-for-like replacement for Dyer , don't think anyone said he was. But, like Dyer, he'll be able to play a few places when called upon. He'll be a damn sight more consistent than Dyer as well. I do think we'll add another wide player, someone with pace (which is why I'd be happy with Diouf) but even then it's not a pressing concern. We have Milner, Martins, Duff, N'Zogbia who I believe will be effective there, possibly Owen as well.

Cheerleaders and music after a goal gets a no from me, but stuff like this is great IMO.

Really looking forward to tomorrow, I'm gonna sing my heart out tbh. BIG SAM'S GEORDIE ARMY!!!

Dyer will generally have 2 or 3 blinding games a year, but other than that games just pass him by. We've essentially swapped Smith for Dyer, and with Smith we'll get a lot more consistent effectiveness. Delighted, almost all the dead wood is gone now.

It's the pace of the game more so than anything. Teams play a less patient game over here so there's more charging around that's required and the game can pass them by until they're used to it. So players have to get used to that more so than being kicked around and harrassed, which happens in every league.

Or else what?