Yorkie Posted July 26, 2008 Share Posted July 26, 2008 I disagree with him totally that RB and LB are priorities, I have to say. Mental if he means it tbh. I don't think i've ever been more satisfied with our wing-backs since i started following the club. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sicko2ndbest Posted July 26, 2008 Share Posted July 26, 2008 That said we were missing .......................Given........................ Beye.........Faye.........Taylor (as he played RB today)....... ...........Butt............Barton............................................. Martins........Viduka................Owen Puts it into context really As things stand too many of those today will be in and around the first team next season. Everyone knows I'm very much in the 'stay patient' camp, but seeing that team/squad today has really shown how f***ed we are with three or four players missing. It says a lot when we only had Edgar on the bench with anything approaching 'experience'. Of your list, only Owen, Martins, Faye and Beye are good/fit enough to play every week IMO, with the keeper pretty much meh. We need four new players; cover/competition for Enrique, a replacement for Viduka, another good centre-half (Bassong looked promising) and a midfielder who can hopefully do everything - Butt is past it and we have no creativity in there. And that's assuming the other players like N'Zogbia etc can turn around their fortunes and start playing... I know it's only a friendly and we had a few of our better players missing, but three weeks from the start of the season and our best player is a f***ing 22-year-old centre-half who isn't even ours. Not good. I think a fit Barton would also come into that category but i take your point. I think Guthrie will push Butt this season for that role. Missing our best 3 players Owen Martins and Viduka? is going to have a massive effect on us. Its like taking Carragher, Gerrard and Torres out of Liverpool or Drogba, Lampard and Essien or Rooney Ronaldo and Scholes!! you get my point. I think we will be OK this season pushing for an improvement on last season 8th - 10th. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted July 26, 2008 Share Posted July 26, 2008 Keegan's tried Edgar and now Taylor at right-back in pre-season; he's obviously not impressed with what he's seen. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yorkie Posted July 26, 2008 Share Posted July 26, 2008 I disagree with him totally that RB and LB are priorities, I have to say. Mental if he means it tbh. I don't think i've ever been more satisfied with our wing-backs since i started following the club. That's completely irrelevent. If they both get injured, there are NO proven players to come into their positions. Zog plays OK at left back, but you'd prefer a dedicated LB, and Geremi is too slow to cover for Beye in my opinion. Anyway, as I said earlier, I'm 99% that he'll sign players in other positions anyway. If Beye and Enrique get injured, we've got the likes of Taylor and Edgar who can come in who, undeniably - aren't ideal, but can fill in adequately. If Owen and Martins get injured, we've got the most immobile strikeforce in the league. If this argument is all about cover for positions, then full-backs are not the priority. Aye, we'd have the potential to leak one or two more goals, but we've got a lot of good defenders in the squad in my opinion to hold it together. Injure our strikers though, and we're royally fucked. Another full-back would be more than useful, but it's not as essential as bringing in another striker or an attacking midfielder imo. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted July 26, 2008 Share Posted July 26, 2008 If Keegan can't see from today - and the past - what we're seeing about Smith and Ameobi then I worry for his sanity. All depends on what he's planning for Owen (position-wise) and how fit he thinks Viduka can stay. In theory those three competing for the two spots in a 4-4-2 wouldn't be bad at all, but that means Owen moving back to where he has looked shite and relies on Viduka being available for most of the season. We don't know how Martins will recover from his bereavement either. I'd have been happy for us to go for that Derdiyok myself. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wullie Posted July 26, 2008 Share Posted July 26, 2008 I disagree with him totally that RB and LB are priorities, I have to say. Mental if he means it tbh. I don't think i've ever been more satisfied with our wing-backs since i started following the club. That's completely irrelevent. If they both get injured, there are NO proven players to come into their positions. Zog plays OK at left back, but you'd prefer a dedicated LB, and Geremi is too slow to cover for Beye in my opinion. Anyway, as I said earlier, I'm 99% that he'll sign players in other positions anyway. If Beye and Enrique get injured, we've got the likes of Taylor and Edgar who can come in who, undeniably - aren't ideal, but can fill in adequately. If Owen and Martins get injured, we've got the most immobile strikeforce in the league. If this argument is all about cover for positions, then full-backs are not the priority. Aye, we'd have the potential to leak one or two more goals, but we've got a lot of good defenders in the squad in my opinion to hold it together. Injure our strikers though, and we're royally f***ed. Another full-back would be more than useful, but it's not as essential as bringing in another striker or an attacking midfielder imo. Then we'll have to agree to disagree. I think it's more important to have adequate cover for every position. Yes, but we don't have adequate cover for the forwards, especially if we go 4-3-3 again, and centre forward is undoubtedly a more important position than full back. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted July 26, 2008 Share Posted July 26, 2008 If Keegan can't see from today - and the past - what we're seeing about Smith and Ameobi then I worry for his sanity. All depends on what he's planning for Owen (position-wise) and how fit he thinks Viduka can stay. In theory those three competing for the two spots in a 4-4-2 wouldn't be bad at all, but that means Owen moving back to where he has looked s**** and relies on Viduka being available for most of the season. We don't know how Martins will recover from his bereavement either. I'd have been happy for us to go for that Derdiyok myself. I'm sure Keegan knows that it's not ideal, judging by the fact that we've been touting Ameobi around all summer. If you asked Keegan tommorrow would you like to sign a new striker to replace Shola/Smith, I'm sure he would say yes. Hope you're right, but I worry that we're stuck with those two comedians and the wage bill (quite understandably) just won't accomodate anyone else. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wullie Posted July 26, 2008 Share Posted July 26, 2008 Poor Jonas will have to be Pele if he's going to have to play alongside Alan Smith. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted July 26, 2008 Share Posted July 26, 2008 See my post a few up about Jonas. Aye, saw that - but has he ever played up front before for Mallorca? His goal return suggests not... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baggio Posted July 27, 2008 Share Posted July 27, 2008 We desperately need another striker. Owen, Martins and one other good option and I'm happy. Smith/Shola as 4th choice isn't ideal, but I suppose it'd do until Viduka is back. If one of them is 3rd choice then we're fucked basically. Another midfielder of some sort would be handy as well like. We have enough in terms of numbers in there, but there's a distinct lack of quality. Could do with a good center half as well, while we're on the subject. I really hope Keegan is bluffing. The problem Keegan has is that he's already got 6 strikers at the club who played some part on the pitch last season, so I can see him having to make some space in the squad if he's going to accommodate a new striker, after all having a player like Smith on £50k+ per week as 5th choice striker isn't practical, the same goes for the wings where I would have liked to see the club go for Arda but that isn't going to happen with Duff and N'Zogbia still at the club. In an ideal World he'd shift both Smith and Ameobi and replace them with one quality striker that will take Viduka's place but finding someone to take them off our hands is going to be a problem. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
nufc4eva Posted July 27, 2008 Share Posted July 27, 2008 for those that have been at both friendlies. What is the impression overall of guthrie ? Is he looking like could do a job for us or run the midfield. I have never seen him much in the past tbh and have read comments saying was not good enough. So just interested really Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Posted July 27, 2008 Share Posted July 27, 2008 More importantly, no-one has commented on the performance of Tomi Ameobi yet Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
nufc4eva Posted July 27, 2008 Share Posted July 27, 2008 I don't want to know about any player with that last name. Im hoping the one we have will fuck off and end a 6,7 or 8 year nightmare Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fatwax Posted July 27, 2008 Share Posted July 27, 2008 for those that have been at both friendlies. What is the impression overall of guthrie ? Is he looking like could do a job for us or run the midfield. I have never seen him much in the past tbh and have read comments saying was not good enough. So just interested really Pleasantly surprised. Passing has been really good and its nice to see him having the odd pop at goal. One shot yesterday knocked a Donny player down for the count, heh. Saying this though, Geremi was a beast in pre-season last year so we'll see I guess. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
nufc4eva Posted July 27, 2008 Share Posted July 27, 2008 yeah thats what i worry about. geremi looked ok last year. I just think it would be good if we had a young player who nobody thought would be good turns out to be the player we need in the middle. Passing sound good. We need a player who can keep play going and won't give the ball away much. Does he seem to have a good passing range ?? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wullie Posted July 27, 2008 Share Posted July 27, 2008 Just seen the goal on World during the KK interview. Enrique should have gotten rid but it's a certain free kick every week in the Premiership. Great finish like. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Phil K Posted July 27, 2008 Share Posted July 27, 2008 I'm not too bothered - as someone else said, it's a friendly ffs. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
colinmk Posted July 27, 2008 Share Posted July 27, 2008 Best to try and get the mistakes out their system pre-season. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kev Posted July 27, 2008 Share Posted July 27, 2008 yeah thats what i worry about. geremi looked ok last year. I just think it would be good if we had a young player who nobody thought would be good turns out to be the player we need in the middle. Passing sound good. We need a player who can keep play going and won't give the ball away much. Does he seem to have a good passing range ?? From the two friendlies, his passing seems top class. Hopefully he carrys on going and will only improve... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted July 27, 2008 Share Posted July 27, 2008 Aye, pretty impressed with Guthrie's long passing in the two games so far. Not afraid to switch play and more often than not has picked his target out. Much better than Butt in that regard... I've also been pleasantly surprised by his close control and willingness to take players on. Looks a confident lad. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest shearer_united Posted July 27, 2008 Share Posted July 27, 2008 I'm not too bothered - as someone else said, it's a friendly ffs. exactly, im not bothered aswell. Take last year's friendly: Newcastle 4 - 1 Celtic , the match wouldn't have ended like that if it weren't a preseason friendly. Managers only take granted of these matches to test certain tactics and formations and test other things such as player position. All in all - we should not be worried about match results in preseason friendlies. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coxaux Posted July 27, 2008 Share Posted July 27, 2008 It's the beginning of the end, if we can't beat teams like Doncaster then we're screwed against the might of Hull and Stoke, oh dear. If I'm honest Keegan should go now before it's too late... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest shearer_united Posted July 27, 2008 Share Posted July 27, 2008 It's the beginning of the end, if we can't beat teams like Doncaster then we're screwed against the might of Hull and Stoke, oh dear. If I'm honest Keegan should go now before it's too late... Its wrong to think: preseason results = premiership results preseason scores means nothing, therefore you don't really need to be winning all the time. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coxaux Posted July 27, 2008 Share Posted July 27, 2008 It's the beginning of the end, if we can't beat teams like Doncaster then we're screwed against the might of Hull and Stoke, oh dear. If I'm honest Keegan should go now before it's too late... Its wrong to think: preseason results = premiership results preseason scores means nothing, therefore you don't really need to be winning all the time. Your wrong Owen doesn't care, Martins will move to Arsenal along with Given and our whole world will come crashing down. Ashley isn't ambitious enough to replace them Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baggio Posted July 27, 2008 Share Posted July 27, 2008 It's the beginning of the end, if we can't beat teams like Doncaster then we're screwed against the might of Hull and Stoke, oh dear. If I'm honest Keegan should go now before it's too late... Its wrong to think: preseason results = premiership results preseason scores means nothing, therefore you don't really need to be winning all the time. He's taking the piss ffs. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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