merlin Posted April 7, 2010 Share Posted April 7, 2010 Colo will struggle this coming season, being left flat footed will be his downfall. The strikers in the prem are one hundred times what we have been up against in the Championship. Look at our strikeforce, by premiership standards it's very poor and we have a huge goals for in this division... Agree - the standard of CCC striker has been the worst feature of the league and our defence will face a culture shock when they come up against many of the PL strikers - they are much better, with both pace and movement a world apart. Coloccini struggled against that last season and will do so again - his best hope would be to be the sweeper in a five man back line because his skill on the ball is good and he would be less physically exposed...problem is that our midfield or forwards would then be swamped because we would be a man short in the middle. The Italians used to play that way in the 70s, but the days of catenaccio are long gone. You have to be able to snatch a goal and defend it for 80 mins if necessary and apart from the fact that our defence wouldn't be able to do that, getting goals is going to be a real problem unless we sign a top striker.The rules of the game have also changed, making it difficult for defenders to play cynically as the Italians used to do. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Village Idiot Posted April 7, 2010 Share Posted April 7, 2010 Colo will struggle this coming season, being left flat footed will be his downfall. The strikers in the prem are one hundred times what we have been up against in the Championship. Look at our strikeforce, by premiership standards it's very poor and we have a huge goals for in this division... Agree - the standard of CCC striker has been the worst feature of the league and our defence will face a culture shock when they come up against many of the PL strikers - they are much better, with both pace and movement a world apart. Coloccini struggled against that last season and will do so again - his best hope would be to be the sweeper in a five man back line because his skill on the ball is good and he would be less physically exposed...problem is that our midfield or forwards would then be swamped because we would be a man short in the middle. The Italians used to play that way in the 70s, but the days of catenaccio are long gone. You have to be able to snatch a goal and defend it for 80 mins if necessary and apart from the fact that our defence wouldn't be able to do that, getting goals is going to be a real problem unless we sign a top striker.The rules of the game have also changed, making it difficult for defenders to play cynically as the Italians used to do. Again this is a myth. People think of the PL and in their minds it's like playing Drogba and Torres every week. Elmander? Fagan? Sidibe? Jason Roberts? There aren't *that* many premiership-quality strikers in the premiership. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronaldo Posted April 7, 2010 Share Posted April 7, 2010 The thing is, folk have raved about Jamie Carragher for 6 years and he gets raped every time he comes up against the likes of Drogba. Someone like Defoe or a prime Robbie Keane rarely made an impression against the top defenders, doesn't make them poor or even average players. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
timeEd32 Posted April 7, 2010 Share Posted April 7, 2010 Rooney/Berba, Drogba/Anelka, Van Persie/Bendtner/Arshavin, Torres, Defoe/Crouch, Adebayor/Bellamy, Agbonlahor/Carew, Bent, Rodallega...obviously forgetting some, but all better than anyone we have seen this year. Some aren't as good when you look further down the table, but I'd say the worst in the Premier League are at worst at the same level as those at the top of the CCC. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ameritoon Posted April 7, 2010 Share Posted April 7, 2010 Certainly happy with that budget. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnypd Posted April 7, 2010 Share Posted April 7, 2010 Colo will struggle this coming season, being left flat footed will be his downfall. The strikers in the prem are one hundred times what we have been up against in the Championship. Look at our strikeforce, by premiership standards it's very poor and we have a huge goals for in this division... Agree - the standard of CCC striker has been the worst feature of the league and our defence will face a culture shock when they come up against many of the PL strikers - they are much better, with both pace and movement a world apart. Coloccini struggled against that last season and will do so again - his best hope would be to be the sweeper in a five man back line because his skill on the ball is good and he would be less physically exposed...problem is that our midfield or forwards would then be swamped because we would be a man short in the middle. The Italians used to play that way in the 70s, but the days of catenaccio are long gone. You have to be able to snatch a goal and defend it for 80 mins if necessary and apart from the fact that our defence wouldn't be able to do that, getting goals is going to be a real problem unless we sign a top striker.The rules of the game have also changed, making it difficult for defenders to play cynically as the Italians used to do. Again this is a myth. People think of the PL and in their minds it's like playing Drogba and Torres every week. Elmander? Fagan? Sidibe? Jason Roberts? There aren't *that* many premiership-quality strikers in the premiership. it's really not. the championship strikers are a joke and our opponents lack of finesse in the final third has been a major reason why we've done so well. there's also a real lack of strong and/or pacy strikers in this division - the sort who tend to frighten the life out of Colo, and Taylor too at times (while williamson is completely untested). to put it into context, Ameobi, Earnshaw, Chopra are just about the best you get in this division yet they'd be considered amongst the worst a division above. the standard prem striker - cole, fuller, zamora, kevin davis, piquionne - is a cut above, the decent prem striker - rodallega, bellamy, defoe, agbonlahor, saha - is on a different planet. those are players you face every single week before you even get to the likes of Tevez, Drogba, Torres, Rooney, RVP etc. fyi Jason Roberts scored a brace when he came up against Colo last season... Anyway it's not just about strikers - championship sides dont really have the ability to create from nothing, they have to labour to craft openings, whereas most prem sides have a couple of players who can spring a surprise. i think only west brom (along with us), and arguably forest have that. it can change the way you have to defend - quite easy for someone like Simpson to just back off a left-winger in this division - its unlikely he'll get dribbled around, beat for pace or have a superb cross whipped over his head in without warning, yet these would all be big worries in the majority of games next season. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Village Idiot Posted April 7, 2010 Share Posted April 7, 2010 Fair enough. I stand corrected. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronaldo Posted April 7, 2010 Share Posted April 7, 2010 Have i just seen Rodallega mentioned in the same bracket as Defoe, Agbonlahor and for crying out loud, Bellamy? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Village Idiot Posted April 7, 2010 Share Posted April 7, 2010 Was reading our papers and you're linked to Pablo from Atlético. He wouldn't fill "the template", though. Good tall centreback, his best form was 4 years ago (he's 28) and has been dropped this season by Quique Flores, but he's still very decent. He can also fill in at RB. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronaldo Posted April 7, 2010 Share Posted April 7, 2010 Does he still get into the national squad? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Village Idiot Posted April 7, 2010 Share Posted April 7, 2010 No. He was a starter in the 2006 WC, though. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest saintscoobz Posted April 7, 2010 Share Posted April 7, 2010 messi fabregas shearer rooney asprillia carlsberg dont do transfer windows but if they did ... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronaldo Posted April 7, 2010 Share Posted April 7, 2010 I remember myself and a pal looking at the central defence and wondering who the f*** was partnering Puyol. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Village Idiot Posted April 7, 2010 Share Posted April 7, 2010 Pablo had an amazing season that year. He's never got to those heights again, but he deserved that callup on that year's form. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Stephen927 Posted April 7, 2010 Share Posted April 7, 2010 Got a feeling one (or all?) of Enrique, Coloccini, Gutierrez or Taylor will be moved on if the money's right. I have the same feeling. Hope to God they're all still here come September 1st. Didn't we all say this in December, that we hope they'll still be here when the January window closes? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Roger Kint Posted April 7, 2010 Share Posted April 7, 2010 if we did get 20 - 25 mil warchest, i think we should be looking to spend about 8 mil on 1 quality CF. think Pavlyuchenko would be class, his goals to games is unreal considering he never played til recently. scored 26 goals in 38 games. he is 28 but i think tottenham might be tempted to recoup 8 mil from the 12 they spent. They werent tempted by Birminghams £12m in January before he went on a hot scoring spree Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MrSundlofer Posted April 7, 2010 Share Posted April 7, 2010 Carlos Vela (Arsenal) and Giovani dos Santos (Tottenham) on loan for next season? I would be excited! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
merlin Posted April 7, 2010 Share Posted April 7, 2010 Colo will struggle this coming season, being left flat footed will be his downfall. The strikers in the prem are one hundred times what we have been up against in the Championship. Look at our strikeforce, by premiership standards it's very poor and we have a huge goals for in this division... Agree - the standard of CCC striker has been the worst feature of the league and our defence will face a culture shock when they come up against many of the PL strikers - they are much better, with both pace and movement a world apart. Coloccini struggled against that last season and will do so again - his best hope would be to be the sweeper in a five man back line because his skill on the ball is good and he would be less physically exposed...problem is that our midfield or forwards would then be swamped because we would be a man short in the middle. The Italians used to play that way in the 70s, but the days of catenaccio are long gone. You have to be able to snatch a goal and defend it for 80 mins if necessary and apart from the fact that our defence wouldn't be able to do that, getting goals is going to be a real problem unless we sign a top striker.The rules of the game have also changed, making it difficult for defenders to play cynically as the Italians used to do. Again this is a myth. People think of the PL and in their minds it's like playing Drogba and Torres every week. Elmander? Fagan? Sidibe? Jason Roberts? There aren't *that* many premiership-quality strikers in the premiership. You'll see just how much of 'a myth' this is when the season starts ! Would you class, say Yakubu as a top Prem striker because I wouldn't, yet I bet he will bully Colo to death if they play against each other. timeEd32 has it spot on - I think you have a short memory if you think Colo only struggled against the likes of Drogba lasr season. He MAY be better in an improved back 4 but we are NOT going to get that and I stick by what I said. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
garth Posted April 7, 2010 Share Posted April 7, 2010 The trouble last season with Colo is he had a shit midfield in front of him, I personally think that if we get two decent mid fielders next season we will see Colo in a much brighter light. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve_69 Posted April 7, 2010 Share Posted April 7, 2010 We all seem to be forgetting that we were an absolute fucking shables on the pitch last season. No direction, no organisation, no heart and a lot of players who simply didn't give a fuck. Wolves, Birmingham, Burnley (at the start of the season), Stoke etc have all shown that you can get results in the Premier League, without ruining yourself financially, if you are well organised and resolute. And those happen to be the two biggest attributes we've shown all season. 10 goals conceded at home all season doesn't happen by accident. My doubts about Colo still exist because of the regularity with which he was shown up last season but if we continue to defend as a team he won't be exposed so often. IMO we need the following players: Proven premier league CB Creative midfielder First choice right back Backup left back Proven top level striker (not necessarily proven in the Premier League) At least one proven winger I reckon we can pick up half of these on free transfers so whatever budget we have can be used on 2-3 quality additions. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Optimistic Nut Posted April 7, 2010 Share Posted April 7, 2010 Yakubu's goal record in the Premier League is up there with the best, Merlin. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bodson Posted April 7, 2010 Share Posted April 7, 2010 I'd sell Coloccini to raise the funds and lower the wages. Look away from the overpriced british players. Lets get the most out of this budget by looking in nordic leagues, bundesliga and France. There are some awesome talent in bundesliga that we should be looking at. Schalke is playing good football and the young Höwedes has been really good at centre back. Rakitic has impressed in midfield and has also toughend up. Gojko Kacar has had a terrible season in Hertha but he is still young and very promising and exactly what we need for our midfield. Could be a steal. Zidan would be interesting to see aswell. From Sweden I'd go for IFK Gothenburgs icelandic centre back Ragnar Sigurdsson. A quality player that we would possibly get on the cheap 1-2 mil. Norway - Huseklepp and Annan would be very interesting signings. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Optimistic Nut Posted April 7, 2010 Share Posted April 7, 2010 As for worrying about Colo, he's dealt with equally good strikers at international level (by all accounts he was very good at right-back against Spain this season) and in La Liga. I'm happy to put season one down to bedding in and simply poor form and give him a clean slate as far as the Premier League's concerned. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bodson Posted April 7, 2010 Share Posted April 7, 2010 Maybe use Colo as right back would be better for the team? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amir_9 Posted April 7, 2010 Share Posted April 7, 2010 Lee Camp Robbie Keane / Yakubu / Macheda (Loan) / Fletcher / Piquionne / Sturridge (loan) Michael Johnson / Cleverly (Loan) / Wilshere (Loan) / Bullard / Eagles / O'harra / Keven-Prince Boateng / SWP Luke Young / Hutton / Fox (backup) / Gunter / Bouma (backup) / Shorey / Beye Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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