Mort - "Squad much stronger than it was last season"

[brummie]

 

I really feel we've got the fundamental aspects of the squad down. We've got a decent defence, one which I rate more than the ones which finished 4th, 3rd and 5th (excluding Woodgate's rare contribution), and our strikers are all capable, on their day, to score goals.

 

Do you really think you've got a decent defence? Seems to me there's plenty of room for improvement there.

[Taylor Swift]

Compared to the defence which qualified for the Champions League,

 

Hughes Dabizas O'Brien Bernard

 

Switch O'Brien out for Woodgate and Dabizas for Bramble if you want and it wouldn't change much because Woodgate hardly played. I rate Beye more than Hughes, and Faye and Taylor/Cacapa are imo, equal, to the pairings we used back then. And as good as Bernard was offensively, he was shite positionally and was always caught out (the Wolves FA Cup game instantly springs to mind).

 

But, in that team, we weren't under constant pressure. We kept hold of the ball well, weren't pressured into passes and had an abundance of pace which pushed the other team back = takes longer for the opposition to attack = more time for defence to get set, and time for our mids to come back and help.

 

Compared to the team we have now, we give the ball away too easily, have no pace which means the field is shortened and thus, when we lose the ball, we're very liable to losing easy goals (as Man Utd demonstrated), or being counter-attacked.

 

The midfield's the problem, not the defence.

[TRon]

Compared to the defence which qualified for the Champions League,

 

Hughes Dabizas O'Brien Bernard

 

Switch O'Brien out for Woodgate and Dabizas for Bramble if you want and it wouldn't change much because Woodgate hardly played. I rate Beye more than Hughes, and Faye and Taylor/Cacapa are imo, equal, to the pairings we used back then. And as good as Bernard was offensively, he was shite positionally and was always caught out (the Wolves FA Cup game instantly springs to mind).

 

But, in that team, we weren't under constant pressure. We kept hold of the ball well, weren't pressured into passes and had an abundance of pace which pushed the other team back = takes longer for the opposition to attack = more time for defence to get set, and time for our mids to come back and help.

 

Compared to the team we have now, we give the ball away too easily, have no pace which means the field is shortened and thus, when we lose the ball, we're very liable to losing easy goals (as Man Utd demonstrated).

 

The midfield's the problem, not the defence.

 

I concur. Not saying the defence can't be improved but it's not the real problem.

[Taylor Swift]

With the exception of Zoggy, none of our players can push the other team back. None of them run with ball with any conviction and I don't think any of our midfielders truly knows what it means to pass and move.

[Bad Mongo]

The facts tell us we have an awful defence, but the players really should be better than those that held ManU to a draw (2-2) a year ago. Personally, I thought our main problems were in attack even then, and that has further deteriorated.

[johnnypd]

 

I really feel we've got the fundamental aspects of the squad down. We've got a decent defence, one which I rate more than the ones which finished 4th, 3rd and 5th (excluding Woodgate's rare contribution), and our strikers are all capable, on their day, to score goals.

 

Do you really think you've got a decent defence? Seems to me there's plenty of room for improvement there.

 

We only have one centre-half of a good enough calibre. all the sides we should be competing with have very strong central defences, Pompey, Everton, Man City, Your lot etc etc. Only West Ham seem a bit shaky there. Get in one good defender to partner Faye and we should have a half-decent backline, tho Given's decline has given us a further problem we didn't think we had this time last year and Enrique hasn't proven himself yet (Bernard in his pomp on a different planet tbf). Tho to get more protection we need to replace Butt with a younger defensive midfielder. he's past it, frankly. Further up the pitch, a creative midfielder, a right-winger and a forward are needed. and that's only first team positions!

[Jackie Broon]

We would probably get told to piss of but I'd try for Mascherano, Carrick, Bentley and a forward, I doubt we'd get any of them though.

 

Spurs & Everton and the like have built good teams from a few established players but mostly from lower ranked clubs. Roughly half of both sides starting XI have come-up from the Championship.

 

There are players out there in the lower divisions that can do a good job (Chimbonda, Cahill).

 

 

Why can't we sign the next Aaron Lennon or Lescott?

 

To a large extent I think it's because we as fans haven't given young players the time to develop. We're far too quick to get on their backs and/or write them off. If they're not an instant success they're s*** or lazy or greedy and are told so in no uncertain terms by all corners of St James' Park.

[Optimistic Nut]

Given - Given

Harper - Harper

Carr - Beye

Ramage - Carr

Babayaro - N'Zogbia

Bernard - Enrique

Taylor - Faye

Bramble - Taylor

Moore - Cacapa

Onyewu - Edgar

Milner - Milner

Duff - Duff

N'Zogbia - LuaLua

Dyer - Smith

Butt - Butt

Parker - Barton

Emre - Emre

Owen - Owen

Martins - Martins

Sibierski - Viduka

Ameobi - Ameobi

 

I'd say personnel-wise, we're stronger all over apart from the most important area which is midfield.

 

[AyeDubbleYoo]

 

Duff - Duff

N'Zogbia - LuaLua

Dyer - Smith

Butt - Butt

Parker - Barton

Emre - Emre

 

 

I agree we don't need wholesale changes, but these comparisons show how the midfield has been criminally neglected over the last few years.

 

I put this down to a large extent the 'oh it's Newcastle, the defence must need to be focused on' myth that has been a problem for many of our recent managers.

[robbo_11]

I don't think the defence is our problem area, but midfield is definately the weakest link of our side. It doesn't offer enough protection against opposition attacks and fails to create any chances for our forwards. This leading to us not scoring goals and shipping goals against the great sides.

[Jackie Broon]

More precisely, central midfield. We need a proper holding midfielder and a proper creative midfielder who can spot a pass. Break the bank to get 2-3 top class players in that area and it'll transform our team beyond recognition.

[Guest alex]

I've said earlier that it's central midfield where we are getting hammered off teams. We don't offer enough stability or protection for the back four and at the same time lack creativity. The worst of both worlds.

[The College Dropout]

Owen is no player to build a team around. At his peak all got 30+league  goals. Michael has only ever managed 19.

 

I want Zog to have a full season at left midfield but tbh his end product is lacklustre, he gives the ball away often and runs blindly Baros stylee. Can he be as good as Petrov or Young? I don't know.

 

We need practically a whole new midfield. A RM and a CM at the very least. We need another striker and another central defender and perhaps a right back. We don't have a nucleus of a good squad. The PL is more competitive than the one we finished 3rd/4th/5th in.

 

[The College Dropout]

I've said earlier that it's central midfield where we are getting hammered off teams. We don't offer enough stability or protection for the back four and at the same time lack creativity. The worst of both worlds.

 

We must have the least athletic CM's in the Premiership. they are technically shit as well.

[Mick]

What relevance has Shearer to the topic?

Backbone ?

Guts ?

Determination ?

What is actually missing in this team of jerks ?

 

That was the season before last.

[Mick]

More precisely, central midfield. We need a proper holding midfielder and a proper creative midfielder who can spot a pass. Break the bank to get 2-3 top class players in that area and it'll transform our team beyond recognition.

 

I agree but would say we need possibly 4 top class players, even in they aren't regarded as top class when we get them.  I wouldn't mind an unknown or two if they turn out to be as good for the club as nobby turned out to be.

[ChrisJbarnes]

he can hardly say "everyones shite, were desperate to get rid" can he? ohterwise wed be making no money

[hakka]

I think our defence is better than last season, however I think we've been much worse off goal keeping wise (Harper and Given suffering the odd cock up, injury and no sustained form) and our midfield is losing the ball far more than ever.  Plus the old long ball tactics ment that waves of attacks were much more frequent so the pressure on the defence is higher, despite them being of more quality.  They've also had no time to gel, I'm sure even if we kept the same defenders, they would play better next year simply down to the fact that they have had more time to learn each others game and work as a unit.

[oldtype]

The defence is certainly better considering that the likes of Ramage, Huntington, Babayaro aren't starting regularly anymore.

 

Forwards marginally better, the problem being we've been forced into Smith/Owen due to Oba being unavailable for a while and Viduka being permacrocked. Still, we were playing with Sibierski/Martins for most of last year so it's hardly a step back. I suppose we miss Dyer a bit.

 

On the wings we're about the same, it's central midfield where we've completely collapsed mostly due to losing Parker, Emre permacrocked, Butt turning into s***, and all of Geremi/Smith/Barton being complete failures.

 

My God, it sometimes amazes me how we didn't get relegated last year. We were regularly starting a defender who barely gets a game in League 1 this year, rarely had actual fullbacks, and Peter f****** Ramage was the heart of our defence.

 

Stunning.