Injuries - do we have the numbers to cope?

[Kaizero]

In hindisght it's rather bad actually.

[David28]

[Nobody]

Krul, Enrique, Tiote and Carroll we'll struggle to replace with our current squad, the rest we've got at least some sort of half decent cover for.

 

How can our strikers be half decent cover for Ameobi but not for Carroll? I mean, we're fucked without him, no doubt. But that's because he's our most talented striker. [/pickingargumentoutofnothing]

Because Carroll is a hell of a lot better than Ameobi. He'll get more goals, he works harder, he'll win more headers and he's better at holding up the ball. Ameobi can be replaced by either bringing on another midfielder (Guthrie, Routledge) and moving Nolan up the pitch (which has worked earlier this season) or by bringing on Ranger to stay 4-4-2.

I'm not saying Ameobi, in his current form, wouldn't be missed, but it would be far from as devastating as losing Carroll.

[Skirge]

In hindisght it's rather bad actually.

 

See what happens when you think before you type

[wormy]

At least you saw the faults, Kaiz. I personally wouldn't cry myself to sleep at the thought of Carroll/Ranger. Ameobi/Ranger however...

[Geordie Ahmed]

Tiote is the most crucial player - we would be fucked without him, Alan Smith playing is just 

 

After Tiote it is Carroll that is most important

[Ginola]

As has already been mentioned, in a few places we do have adequate cover, but if the injuries were to the wrong players we'd struggle. Noone in our squad could come near to replicating the job Tiote does, if Smith had to go back there for a long period I think I'd cry.

[binnsy]

injuries and suspensios are always going to happen the key is to get lucky and have no serious ones or a clutch of them to various players at the same time,  one player in or out we can live with, lose 3 or 4 at the same time and we'd struggle.(then again so would most teams)

Barton and Tiote are both on 4 yellows would be a nightmare if say they got booked against Blackburn and we went into the Fulham game without both.

[madras]

As has already been mentioned, in a few places we do have adequate cover, but if the injuries were to the wrong players we'd struggle. Noone in our squad could come near to replicating the job Tiote does, if Smith had to go back there for a long period I think I'd cry.

i'd rather bring barton inside and routledge out wide.

[Segun Oluwaniyi]

Tiote is the most crucial player - we would be f***ed without him, Alan Smith playing is just 

 

After Tiote it is Carroll that is most important

If we play 4-4-2 long term, a holding player isn't essential. It will be interesting to see what Guthrie and gosling provide us. Part of why Tiote has been so crucial is because of Nolan's inadequacies.

[binnsy]

As has already been mentioned, in a few places we do have adequate cover, but if the injuries were to the wrong players we'd struggle. Noone in our squad could come near to replicating the job Tiote does, if Smith had to go back there for a long period I think I'd cry.

i'd rather bring barton inside and routledge out wide.

 

id rather bring barton inside, selll routledge and bring Chung-yong Lee in to play on the right.  Cracking player and the club can rake in the money in the far east off the back of him

[madras]

Tiote is the most crucial player - we would be f***ed without him, Alan Smith playing is just 

 

After Tiote it is Carroll that is most important

If we play 4-4-2 long term, a holding player isn't essential. It will be interesting to see what Guthrie and gosling provide us. Part of why Tiote has been so crucial is because of Nolan's inadequacies.

wrong, it's a bit like saying what nolan does so crucially (scores and gives the oppos midfield a right worry when we attack) is covering tiotes inadequacies. truth is they seem to compliment each other although theres been times when tiote has broken/rode tackles etc and laid it off when he had space to go into and that little 10yd carry before laying it off would have been much more attacking and dangerous than his actual pass. guthrie provides little and i don't know enough about gosling yet.

[madras]

As has already been mentioned, in a few places we do have adequate cover, but if the injuries were to the wrong players we'd struggle. Noone in our squad could come near to replicating the job Tiote does, if Smith had to go back there for a long period I think I'd cry.

i'd rather bring barton inside and routledge out wide.

 

id rather bring barton inside, selll routledge and bring Chung-yong Lee in to play on the right.  Cracking player and the club can rake in the money in the far east off the back of him

never heard of him but you're probably right. i was just going with what we have at our disposal.

[Segun Oluwaniyi]

I don't see how it is wrong. If Nolan was able to track back and defend competently we would be able to play a traditional 4-4-2 with two midfield players who are allowed to get forward. I am not even a proponent of that system, but it is something to consider once the prospect of Alan Smith playing regularly is brought up. At the moment, both Nolan and Tiote are both playing to instructions and to the roles most suited to them. It's great for now, but could be a problem if injuries arise. We don't really have other players who complement Tiote or Nolan well in a 4-4-2. Both are reallly better off in three or five man midfield, imo.

[madras]

I don't see how it is wrong. If Nolan was able to track back and defend competently we would be able to play a traditional 4-4-2 with two midfield players who are allowed to get forward. I am not even a proponent of that system, but it is something to consider once the prospect of Alan Smith playing regularly is brought up. At the moment, both Nolan and Tiote are both playing to instructions and to the roles most suited to them. It's great for now, but could be a problem if injuries arise. We don't really have other players who complement Tiote or Nolan well in a 4-4-2. Both are reallly better off in three or five man midfield, imo.

they compliment each other well, nolan does work back and tiote does reach the edge of the box, nolan gets forward more and tiote defends more. i agree i'd rather have 2 box to boxers but in todays football they are thin on the ground.

[Dave]

Why would Bolton sell Chung-Yong Lee to us?

[Segun Oluwaniyi]

Why would Bolton sell Chung-Yong Lee to us?

If you offer people massively large sums of money they tend to give you the entities that you desire. If the money is there they will oblige, but it is questionable if the Korean would be willing to make a lateral move, though I suspect that may change if we offer him a large sum of money per week. However, it seems unlikely to me that Ashley would be wiling to finance such a large expenditure. He is probably out of reach. Still it is good to hope and look at players we desire. You never know when a Jonas or Gosling type situation will arise.

[oldtype]

Why would Bolton sell Chung-Yong Lee to us?

 

http://www.dlcache.indiatimes.com/imageserve/01sG1uj9RA0qf/350x.jpg

 

 

http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/match-centre/article395707.ece/ALTERNATES/gallery-large/Owen+Coyle.jpeg

[binnsy]

Why would Bolton sell Chung-Yong Lee to us?

 

They probably wouldn't but just think he'd do a good job in our side.

[madras]

looking at the squads of what i'm starting to call the other 11 + us i don't think we are that weak.

[Cronky]

Tiote and Barton are the players who we can't replace. Tiote for that energy he gives to the midfield, in attack and defence. Barton for those moments of class which can turn a game.

 

We've got cover everywhere else (assuming Harper recovers).

[Geordie Ahmed]

Tiote is the most crucial player - we would be f***ed without him, Alan Smith playing is just 

 

After Tiote it is Carroll that is most important

If we play 4-4-2 long term, a holding player isn't essential. It will be interesting to see what Guthrie and gosling provide us. Part of why Tiote has been so crucial is because of Nolan's inadequacies.

 

A holding player is essential if Nolan is playing in central midfield as well, which seems like he will be doing unless injury arises

 

 

[ohmelads]

I think we have lots of mediocre cover.

 

It's good in the sense that we don't have to bring on untried kids like in recent years with Huntington, Ramage and so on. Nor should we be looking at moving players into positions totally alien to them (I seem to remember Carr playing as a DM once). All of which cost us points in the past.

 

But then, in recent years not only did we lack cover but we were decimated with the worst injury lists the Premier League has ever seen, sometimes 10 or more first team players at a time. Were we just f*cking unlucky under a series of managers, were we just signing crocks or have our training methods improved? That's one for another thread.

 

Enrique, Tiote, Gutierrez and Carroll would appear to be the key players for us. If they get injured it'll hurt us. In particular Enrique, who is very solid on that side and probably the first name on the teamsheet (you could argue Tiote too, but really who in our current squad is ever going to dislodge Enrique?).

 

Where are we weakest? I'd say right wing. Up front we have plenty bodies who can fill in, even if they are mediocre. Lovenkrands and Routledge will do as cover on the two wings. But we can't keep putting Barton or Guthrie out wide because Routledge isn't good enough.

[Cronky]

Where are we weakest? I'd say right wing. Up front we have plenty bodies who can fill in, even if they are mediocre. Lovenkrands and Routledge will do as cover on the two wings. But we can't keep putting Barton or Guthrie out wide because Routledge isn't good enough.

 

I felt that, unlike previous games, Barton struggled in that position against Arsenal. His lack of pace was shown up against athletic opponents. Not that he was our worst player, but he had dominated the opposition in his previous games.

 

There was a rumour that we were after Jonathan Legear, from Anderlecht. From snippets, he looked the right player in the right position. Anyone know much about him?

[Guest guinness_fiend]

Where are we weakest? I'd say right wing. Up front we have plenty bodies who can fill in, even if they are mediocre. Lovenkrands and Routledge will do as cover on the two wings. But we can't keep putting Barton or Guthrie out wide because Routledge isn't good enough.

 

I felt that, unlike previous games, Barton struggled in that position against Arsenal. His lack of pace was shown up against athletic opponents. Not that he was our worst player, but he had dominated the opposition in his previous games.

 

There was a rumour that we were after Jonathan Legear, from Anderlecht. From snippets, he looked the right player in the right position. Anyone know much about him?

 

Eh? Barton was one of our best players on Sunday by far and, withTiote, almost completely neutralised Arsenal's Barcelona-esque midfield.  I agree with the other posters in that Barton and Tiote would be missed.  More importantly, I hope that we resist the temptation to sell some of our stand-out players at Christmas when the inevitable offers for Jonas and co. land on Ashley's desk.