For Those who Said last season we needed defenders

[Mick]

 

indeed. Their new owner obviously has ambitions for the club. He might be despicable, but I don't suppose the Citeh fans will care too much about that.

 

 

 

That ambitious Man City owner spent £40 million which is 40% of what ours has spent on transfers and debt in the same lenght of time.

[NE5]

So then NE5 we made a mistake by not buying forwards but the people to blame are the people who post on this forum rather than the manager you wanted?

 

 

 

I don't know. Maybe he's only bought what he could with the money he had. Most people on here will be pleased we didn't buy any more of these "trophy" players

 

 

 

I wonder what he could have done with the £75 million we've had to piss away to repay debt?

 

Gone for promotion from the 2nd division no doubt. Which didn't embarrass you in the slightest did it eh. Your good old days.

 

 

[NE5]

 

He spent about £25 million this summer, don't you think he could have managed that money better?

 

£6 million on Smith when we were crying out for a proper replacement for Dyer springs to mind.

 

You can add letting Solano go without replacing him to that.

 

Our most creative player transferred out on the last day of the transfer window and he wasn't replaced, it was obvious that we were going to struggle because of the lack of a player who could change a game with one pass, somebody who could take the ball into the opposition half and do something unexpected.

 

Who would you have blamed for that if Shepherd had still been here I wonder mackems.gif

[Guest Knightrider]

The fact is Allardyce has spent £25 million and not replaced either Solano or Dyer properly, this is fact.

 

Why you feel you need to stress that I don't know as no-one is arguing otherwise.

 

Because it's the truth.

 

He failed to replace these players and we're suffering as a team because of it.

 

Well gee, thanks for pointing that out to us all.

 

We lost the league in 95, this is fact.

[NE5]

Our best defender last season was from a choice of Carr, Babayaro, Edgar, Ramage, Bramble, Taylor and Onyewu. Even with a squad like that, you were attempting to justify the purchase of the has-been Duff, despite us having a relatively small budget and our best player the season before also being a left winger - set to be dropped for no reason at all. Of course, this was in reality just another aspect of your pro-Shepherd stance, in which you twisted and refused to accept every single criticism aimed at Shepherd in some sort of fanatical mission - which in this particular instance included Shepherd being accused of failing to acknowledge the needs of the squad/defence and just attempting to appease fans by signing a big name from yesteryear to cover his own inadequacies in the market.

 

Face it NE5. You were utterly wrong about a number of things, as has been proven by the course of events, and youre too stubborn to admit that you were wrong to boot. Not improving the defence was a daft thing to do, and it was why we were flirting with relegation in successive seasons despite spending huge amounts on attacking players. We wont be anywhere near relegation this season, and thats mostly down to us signing good defensive players (which includes Smith in my books as hes pretty much an away-day combatative midfielder), as well as having a healthy squad with good cover for nearly every position (bar competiton for Milner) - no massive, over-inflated transfer fees for a big name whilst also having a threadbare squad in sight.

 

Of course we do need some more creativity, but thats partly because two big name, big wage, and in one case, huge money, signings that you were so keen on us getting, signings which those of us with enough sense foresaw as being large, daft, needless risks (and guess how its turned out with them?), have been utterly crocked for us, whilst a few other attacking players have been sold due to personal reasons or have picked up short term injuries. In no way does that justify those who last season were mocking fellow supporters for claming we should have purchased defenders, again something with which a mere glance at the names of last season's defensive squad should have been nothing but common sense.

 

Tell me how long are you going to justify this nonsense?

 

At least you answered, because I can scarcely contain my laughter

 

 

[Baggio]

The fact is Allardyce has spent £25 million and not replaced either Solano or Dyer properly, this is fact.

 

Why you feel you need to stress that I don't know as no-one is arguing otherwise.

 

Because it's the truth.

 

He failed to replace these players and we're suffering as a team because of it.

 

Well gee, thanks for pointing that out to us all.

 

We lost the league in 95, this is fact.

 

No worries, perhaps you should have listened when I was saying it in the summer too instead of making out it was our best summer ever in terms of transfers.

[Guest Knightrider]

Seriously, Allardyce has had to work within a budget, especially at first, where he also had to sell before he could buy while the review was being carried out, on top of some money that had been available. Just because the chairman says now that there is no budget and we can go for whatever player who takes our fancy doesn't distract from this. If that were the case back then Big Sam would have kept Parker and probably have done more to keep Dyer, two players he said he didn't want to lose but in Barton and Smith he believed he got better players so risked it. Not that I'm using this against the board or anything, all I said was Big Sam did well (as did the board) working on a sell/buy policy which Baggio went apeshit over, to get in the players he did.

 

 

[NE5]

We were not that creative last season, St James Park was a goal free zone for a very long time.

 

 

the last goal scored in February tells its own story

 

 

[tmonkey]

Our best defender last season was from a choice of Carr, Babayaro, Edgar, Ramage, Bramble, Taylor and Onyewu. Even with a squad like that, you were attempting to justify the purchase of the has-been Duff, despite us having a relatively small budget and our best player the season before also being a left winger - set to be dropped for no reason at all. Of course, this was in reality just another aspect of your pro-Shepherd stance, in which you twisted and refused to accept every single criticism aimed at Shepherd in some sort of fanatical mission - which in this particular instance included Shepherd being accused of failing to acknowledge the needs of the squad/defence and just attempting to appease fans by signing a big name from yesteryear to cover his own inadequacies in the market.

 

Face it NE5. You were utterly wrong about a number of things, as has been proven by the course of events, and youre too stubborn to admit that you were wrong to boot. Not improving the defence was a daft thing to do, and it was why we were flirting with relegation in successive seasons despite spending huge amounts on attacking players. We wont be anywhere near relegation this season, and thats mostly down to us signing good defensive players (which includes Smith in my books as hes pretty much an away-day combatative midfielder), as well as having a healthy squad with good cover for nearly every position (bar competiton for Milner) - no massive, over-inflated transfer fees for a big name whilst also having a threadbare squad in sight.

 

Of course we do need some more creativity, but thats partly because two big name, big wage, and in one case, huge money, signings that you were so keen on us getting, signings which those of us with enough sense foresaw as being large, daft, needless risks (and guess how its turned out with them?), have been utterly crocked for us, whilst a few other attacking players have been sold due to personal reasons or have picked up short term injuries. In no way does that justify those who last season were mocking fellow supporters for claming we should have purchased defenders, again something with which a mere glance at the names of last season's defensive squad should have been nothing but common sense.

 

Tell me how long are you going to justify this nonsense?

 

Exactly what is nonsense about it? Point out the specifics and debate for once.

[Guest Knightrider]

The fact is Allardyce has spent £25 million and not replaced either Solano or Dyer properly, this is fact.

 

Why you feel you need to stress that I don't know as no-one is arguing otherwise.

 

Because it's the truth.

 

He failed to replace these players and we're suffering as a team because of it.

 

Well gee, thanks for pointing that out to us all.

 

We lost the league in 95, this is fact.

 

No worries, perhaps you should have listened when I was saying it in the summer too instead of making out it was our best summer ever in terms of transfers.

 

One of, and it was, only an idiot would fail to realise that...

 

IMO of course.

 

 

[Baggio]

Seriously, Allardyce has had to work within a budget, especially at first, where he also had to sell before he could buy while the review was being carried out, on top of some money that had been available. Just because the chairman says now that there is no budget and we can go for whatever player who takes our fancy doesn't distract from this. If that were the case back then Big Sam would have kept Parker and probably have done more to keep Dyer, two players he said he didn't want to lose but in Barton and Smith he believed he got better players so risked it. Not that I'm using this against the board or anything, all I said was Big Sam did well (as did the board) working on a sell/buy policy which Baggio went apeshit over, to get in the players he did.

 

 

 

So Mort was lying then. tut tut.

[Guest Pie]

James Milner = mediocritry. Nice lad.  No pace. Can't cross a ball. Couldn't lick the arse of the lazy Alano or Petrov. You choose who you would have.

[Mick]

 

Allardyce has been allowed to buy the players he wants and has been backed, he might have been backed with even more if the last clown hadn't run up the debts which have cost something like £75 million to be dished out with nothing to show for it.

 

complete rubbish.

 

In the meantime I am pleased you appear to think that buying Martins last season, who's goals kept us up, was the actions of a clown. Unlike the board who sold our best players for 30 years and couldn't even sell the club for 2m quid in 1991 and were completely bankrupt, that didn't embarrass you in the slightest for spending years in the lower divisions suffering ritual humiliation at dozens of clubs who compete at the level of Hartlepool.

 

Lets hope the new regime gets a few Champions League appearances to match the old one, in return for backing their manager to the extent you claim.

 

 

 

I think you need a reality check.

 

The new owner has spent £75 million of his own money to get rid of the debt your idol ran up, your idol took over a club which had money to spend without going into debt yet he left the club in such a state that it has has been reported as being close to going to the wall.

[Guest Knightrider]

Seriously, Allardyce has had to work within a budget, especially at first, where he also had to sell before he could buy while the review was being carried out, on top of some money that had been available. Just because the chairman says now that there is no budget and we can go for whatever player who takes our fancy doesn't distract from this. If that were the case back then Big Sam would have kept Parker and probably have done more to keep Dyer, two players he said he didn't want to lose but in Barton and Smith he believed he got better players so risked it. Not that I'm using this against the board or anything, all I said was Big Sam did well (as did the board) working on a sell/buy policy which Baggio went apeshit over, to get in the players he did.

 

 

 

So Mort was lying then. tut tut.

 

I'm not really bothered if he was or wasn't, means fuck all. All I know is he will back the manager as best as he can and that the manager will work as best as he can with whatever budget he does get. Which exactly happened in the summer window on both sides.

 

 

[Baggio]

The fact is Allardyce has spent £25 million and not replaced either Solano or Dyer properly, this is fact.

 

Why you feel you need to stress that I don't know as no-one is arguing otherwise.

 

Because it's the truth.

 

He failed to replace these players and we're suffering as a team because of it.

 

Well gee, thanks for pointing that out to us all.

 

We lost the league in 95, this is fact.

 

No worries, perhaps you should have listened when I was saying it in the summer too instead of making out it was our best summer ever in terms of transfers.

 

One of, and it was, only an idiot would fail to realise that...

 

IMO of course.

 

 

 

It certainly wasn't the best and only an idiot would think that, strengthening the defence while sacrificing not only the signing of a creative player but losing our best ball player at the same time without replacing him. Fantastic.

[NE5]

 

indeed. Their new owner obviously has ambitions for the club. He might be despicable, but I don't suppose the Citeh fans will care too much about that.

 

 

 

That ambitious Man City owner spent £40 million which is 40% of what ours has spent on transfers and debt in the same lenght of time.

 

with a few relegations thrown in for good measure. Like I said, you must have loved the Mckeag years more than you let on, as he didn't embarrass you for having ambitions like Watford.

 

 

 

 

[Baggio]

James Milner = mediocritry. Nice lad.  No pace. Can't cross a ball. Couldn't lick the arse of the lazy Alano or Petrov. You choose who you would have.

 

Average is doing average players a disservice tbh.

 

Mediocritry sounds much better.

[NE5]

 

Allardyce has been allowed to buy the players he wants and has been backed, he might have been backed with even more if the last clown hadn't run up the debts which have cost something like £75 million to be dished out with nothing to show for it.

 

complete rubbish.

 

In the meantime I am pleased you appear to think that buying Martins last season, who's goals kept us up, was the actions of a clown. Unlike the board who sold our best players for 30 years and couldn't even sell the club for 2m quid in 1991 and were completely bankrupt, that didn't embarrass you in the slightest for spending years in the lower divisions suffering ritual humiliation at dozens of clubs who compete at the level of Hartlepool.

 

Lets hope the new regime gets a few Champions League appearances to match the old one, in return for backing their manager to the extent you claim.

 

 

 

I think you need a reality check.

 

The new owner has spent £75 million of his own money to get rid of the debt your idol ran up, your idol took over a club which had money to spend without going into debt yet he left the club in such a state that it has has been reported as being close to going to the wall.

 

Shepherd and the Halls took over a club going down to the 3rd division, they left it so it attracted the attention of one of the countries richest men, several years, international players, european qualifications, FA Cup Finals, and capacity crowds later.

 

FACT.

 

A manageable debt on a football stadium is no different to having a mortgage, even your chum macbeth has admitted - through gritted teeth probably - that this was well structure. All Ashley has done is re-structure ie pay off the clubs manageable debt to increase profits and make his investment worth more money, the same as you would do with your house if you won on the lottery.

 

 

[Guest Knightrider]

The fact is Allardyce has spent £25 million and not replaced either Solano or Dyer properly, this is fact.

 

Why you feel you need to stress that I don't know as no-one is arguing otherwise.

 

Because it's the truth.

 

He failed to replace these players and we're suffering as a team because of it.

 

Well gee, thanks for pointing that out to us all.

 

We lost the league in 95, this is fact.

 

No worries, perhaps you should have listened when I was saying it in the summer too instead of making out it was our best summer ever in terms of transfers.

 

One of, and it was, only an idiot would fail to realise that...

 

IMO of course.

 

 

 

It certainly wasn't the best and only an idiot would think that, strengthening the defence while sacrificing not only the signing of a creative player but losing our best ball player at the same time without replacing him. Fantastic.

 

Our best ball player? Who?

 

Dyer?

 

Nobby?

 

Aye because when they played, we created loads of chances.

 

It was one of the best windows we've had, we spent something like 10m net and brought in just about every player we needed and also got rid of a lot of dead wood.

 

What were you expecting btw, to fix everything in one window?

[Baggio]

The fact is Allardyce has spent £25 million and not replaced either Solano or Dyer properly, this is fact.

 

Why you feel you need to stress that I don't know as no-one is arguing otherwise.

 

Because it's the truth.

 

He failed to replace these players and we're suffering as a team because of it.

 

Well gee, thanks for pointing that out to us all.

 

We lost the league in 95, this is fact.

 

No worries, perhaps you should have listened when I was saying it in the summer too instead of making out it was our best summer ever in terms of transfers.

 

One of, and it was, only an idiot would fail to realise that...

 

IMO of course.

 

 

 

It certainly wasn't the best and only an idiot would think that, strengthening the defence while sacrificing not only the signing of a creative player but losing our best ball player at the same time without replacing him. Fantastic.

 

Our best ball player? Who?

 

Dyer?

 

Nobby?

 

Aye because when they played, we created loads of chances.

 

It was one of the best windows we've had, we spent something like 10m net and brought in just about every player we needed and also got rid of a lot of dead wood.

 

What were you expecting btw, to fix everything in one window?

 

Name a better ball player at the club than Solano.

[NE5]

James Milner = mediocritry. Nice lad.  No pace. Can't cross a ball. Couldn't lick the arse of the lazy Alano or Petrov. You choose who you would have.

 

Average is doing average players a disservice tbh.

 

Mediocritry sounds much better.

 

Unfortunately I have to agree with this. He's a nice lad and a good pro, but he's not a top player or a player you want if you want to be a top team.

 

 

[Mick]

 

Shepherd and the Halls took over a club going down to the 3rd division, they left it so it attracted the attention of one of the countries richest men, several years, international players, european qualifications, FA Cup Finals, and capacity crowds later.

 

FACT.

 

A manageable debt on a football stadium is no different to having a mortgage, even your chum macbeth has admitted - through gritted teeth probably - that this was well structure. All Ashley has done is re-structure ie pay off the clubs manageable debt to increase profits and make his investment worth more money, the same as you would do with your house if you won on the lottery.

 

 

 

We've been told that the debt was not manageable, nobody from the fomer regime have bothered to come out and say otherwise, how come you know better than those closer to the debt?

[Guest Knightrider]

The fact is Allardyce has spent £25 million and not replaced either Solano or Dyer properly, this is fact.

 

Why you feel you need to stress that I don't know as no-one is arguing otherwise.

 

Because it's the truth.

 

He failed to replace these players and we're suffering as a team because of it.

 

Well gee, thanks for pointing that out to us all.

 

We lost the league in 95, this is fact.

 

No worries, perhaps you should have listened when I was saying it in the summer too instead of making out it was our best summer ever in terms of transfers.

 

One of, and it was, only an idiot would fail to realise that...

 

IMO of course.

 

 

 

It certainly wasn't the best and only an idiot would think that, strengthening the defence while sacrificing not only the signing of a creative player but losing our best ball player at the same time without replacing him. Fantastic.

 

Our best ball player? Who?

 

Dyer?

 

Nobby?

 

Aye because when they played, we created loads of chances.

 

It was one of the best windows we've had, we spent something like 10m net and brought in just about every player we needed and also got rid of a lot of dead wood.

 

What were you expecting btw, to fix everything in one window?

 

Name a better ball player at the club than Solano.

 

Had he stayed and been picked, you'd be saying he needs dropped because he has no pace or legs anymore, by now

 

I don't care. OMG we didn't replace him. The window will open again and I'll see what we do in that myself. You carry on moping about trivial matters though that can't be helped or can't be fixed just like that.

[tmonkey]

Seriously, Allardyce has had to work within a budget, especially at first, where he also had to sell before he could buy while the review was being carried out, on top of some money that had been available. Just because the chairman says now that there is no budget and we can go for whatever player who takes our fancy doesn't distract from this. If that were the case back then Big Sam would have kept Parker and probably have done more to keep Dyer, two players he said he didn't want to lose but in Barton and Smith he believed he got better players so risked it. Not that I'm using this against the board or anything, all I said was Big Sam did well (as did the board) working on a sell/buy policy which Baggio went apeshit over, to get in the players he did.

 

Certainly remember Allardyce being frustrated at one point with the new board because they were moving too slow, and as a result we missed out on two players or more according to him. We'll probably never know who those players were, maybe they were good attacking/creative ones, and theres also the trip to Barcelona that seems to have been fruitless, where Gudjohnsen and Guily - good creative players - were heavily linked alongside Edmilson. He must have tried to address some of the problems we're currently seeing, but failed to do so due to a lack of time, money, and willingness on the part of others due to our dilapidated state.

 

Ultimately, regardless of performances on the pitch at this point in time, Allardyce has done well to build a squad that has plenty of depth and a good spine of solid, proven professionals. We have a solid platform on which to build imo, and the improvements will come when Allardyce gets to sign the attacking players he prefers according to the system he wants us playing.

[Bad Mongo]

I think it's too early to say whether there's something wrong with our team. The midfield is clearly not working well, but then we lack Emre, Barton and Duff, N'Zogbia has had to play LB (the alternative is probably to use a CB who can't contribute to the attack, or to play an unfit Enrique), and Milner has had to play on the left (and he's been poor so far this season compare to last). We still don't know what kind of midfield or attack Sam would field if we had those players available for their preferred positions. I hope and believe we'll use one attacking midfielder (Zog?) in addition to one holding (Butt/Geremi) and one box-to-box (Barton, and perhaps the idea was that Smith could hold that role as well, which he seemed to do today).

 

I know it's unpopular to blame injuries these days, but our injuries are very unevenly balanced. Last year, it was the defence, in addition to the rest of the team. Now it's the attack, and the link-up to the attack. We still haven't seen what Barton, Duff and Emre will be used for, or whether Zog and Milner will be preferred in their preferred positions. In other words, we still have some things to look forward to, even though we seem distinctly mediocre right now.