[cite]Posted By: suzisausage[/cite]I agree that our team are young and quite small (the keeper at brighton was tiny and it wasn't the fact he was miles away from the crowd!) and I guess I'm personally pinning hopes that the young ones enthusiasm will shine through more than skills! they may come unstuck, but i hope they don't.
Don't think they will fall down on enthusiasm or endevour or even skill BUT the physical aspect of the season could do for them. However, I'd still rather sree them in, giving it a go, than wasters like Faye,Bent etcetc
Agree. A couple of years ago we were screaming for the young kids to be given a go, and I do agree that perhaps basing the whole side around them might not be the best idea, but you never know, it might be good for us.
I remember last season getting really annoyed with people for asking for Chris Dickson to be brought back from his loan spell. People love players that score goals, irrespective of the league they are in - and who they can score goals against. I remember the same with bobby zamora, freddy eastwood, erm, can't think of the other one. i can't remember them sticking at those clubs or setting the world alight, i think people love a hyped player too much. i'd love us to sit quietly between 8th position all season before a last minute surge to the top as people won't expect a lot from us, and we'll give it to them, rather than last year, they expected a fight from us, and we gave up too easily and werne't prepared and thought oursleves to good for a battle. fans and players alike.
No one doubts that he's not a good player or that he tries for the cause, or that occasionally he gets the blame for defensive frailties that aren't necessarily his fault but he doesn't strike me as being a defensive leader/they shall not pass/over my dead body type. It's worth noting that his best performances generally come when he does play alongside a defensive leader type. Plus he's another who gets into the team has two or three good/solid games then has a poor game and makes a few mistakes, while all players make mistakes the mentally stronger players forget them and move on.
If he was capable of playing at Prem level he should be capable of doing it in the CCC too, that he can't hold down a regular place is a sign that he should do a Lisbie and move on out of the comfort zone.
[cite]Posted By: BlackForestReds[/cite]No one doubts that he's not a good player or that he tries for the cause, or that occasionally he gets the blame for defensive frailties that aren't necessarily his fault but he doesn't strike me as being a defensive leader/they shall not pass/over my dead body type. It's worth noting that his best performances generally come when he does play alongside a defensive leader type. Plus he's another who gets into the team has two or three good/solid games then has a poor game and makes a few mistakes, while all players make mistakes the mentally stronger players forget them and move on.
If he was capable of playing at Prem level he should be capable of doing it in the CCC too, that he can't hold down a regular place is a sign that he should do a Lisbie and move on out of the comfort zone.
I'm hopeful that Hudson will be the leader type as you put it and that they will compliment each other.
Fortune isn't Rufus but he is a decent Championship player and can stand in adequately in the Prem. Given our current financial position i think we will struggle to find anybody better.
If Fortune is earning telephone numbers compared to everybody else then yes that throws a different complexion on it because we have to "cut our cloth."
I can see why people might have concerns about the youngsters getting knocked about a bit. So to court controversy, I might suggest that it could be worth playing Faye as he at least has a physical presence (if not an outstanding array of football skills). If Pards can get him performing, then we will really know that he is a quality manager.
Plus, I'm sorry, but I do not have faith in Fortune as part of a centre back pairing. Hudson, I think will be great for us. I just wish he had another partner.
But as for names.....we had plenty last year and it got us nowhere. Bristol City, Hull etc. had few and they did very well.
The great thing about this season and this division is its unpredictability. We could win the league or get relegated, but so many other teams are in the same position. That's what makes it so exciting.
I think the point is that the squad looks very thin no one is doubting the ability of certain individuals but the fact is it is a very physical league with games comeing fast and furious I don't believe we have enough cover in all areas for example if Hudson gets an injury who partners Fortune with Todrov as injury prone as he is we may be forced to revert to one up front, can the kids play 40 plus games in the season?
[cite]Posted By: WhenIwasLittleBoy[/cite]I think the point is that the squad looks very thin no one is doubting the ability of certain individuals but the fact is it is a very physical league with games comeing fast and furious I don't believe we have enough cover in all areas for example if Hudson gets an injury who partners Fortune with Todrov as injury prone as he is we may be forced to revert to one up front, can the kids play 40 plus games in the season?
I do worry that some will be expecting Jonjo in particular to play all the games.
Pardew did say Youga can play centre half so I assume that is his contingency plan. Having seen Aswad Thomas on the training day he doesn't look big enough to me to play centre half. He might be able to do a job at left back.
yeah, i do remember everyone saying that kids are one for the future, and wouldn't play every game, I dont think even they realised that the future, meant "in a few months" type future!
i thought last year we were a little lightweight in the middle. holland lost his edge, and zheng wasn't a hard tackler - we need a parker type and I do think jonjo is the one to do that, although parker learnt his skills going to norwich on loan and toughening up.
its not a surprise that the northern hard tackling teams got out of this league by not playing attractive football but fighting their way through - Hull, Stoke etc. we struggled against these teams - blackpool?
we also struggled against bolton who have the same tactics (isn't their old asst manager now that idiot in charge at hull?)
[cite]Posted By: suzisausage[/cite]yeah, i do remember everyone saying that kids are one for the future, and wouldn't play every game, I dont think even they realised that the future, meant "in a few months" type future!
i thought last year we were a little lightweight in the middle. holland lost his edge, and zheng wasn't a hard tackler - we need a parker type and I do think jonjo is the one to do that, although parker learnt his skills going to norwich on loan and toughening up.
its not a surprise that the northern hard tackling teams got out of this league by not playing attractive football but fighting their way through - Hull, Stoke etc. we struggled against these teams - blackpool?
we also struggled against bolton who have the same tactics (isn't their old asst manager now that idiot in charge at hull?)
Yes he's the one Andy Todd smacked before he smacked Deano.
I believe a certain someone once said "You don't win anything with kids!"...
I'm sure we'd all like to see a few more faces in the squad before the weekend but if it don't happen then we just need to get behind the kids that DO get the nod and give them a fair chance.
West Brom went up by out footballing other sides, our season came off the rails when Pardew tried to ad muscle to the team and changed the style of play to the rubbish hoof football that we had to witness. You will always lose games in this division but unlike the premiership you can win theis league by losing over 10 games. The team that scores the most goals will go up, so i agree the midfield doesn't have enough goals (and hasn't for 5 years)
you cant exspect youngsters to win the league they havnt got enough about them ok enthuthiasm but that will never be good enough you only have to look at man u ala beckham giggs neville and know the kids cant do it
[cite]Posted By: T[/cite] The team that scores the most goals will go up, so i agree the midfield doesn't have enough goals (and hasn't for 5 years)
Our midfield chipped in with more than 20 league and cup goals last season.
Ambrose 9
ZZ 9
Holland 2
I won't count Reidy's 6
It's the wide midfield players that let us down as far as goals scored.
Sam 3
JT 0, not a sausage, bugger all
Cook, Sinclair ......? lol
Didn't Chrissy Powell score when playing centre mid v Coventry? )
Credit to Basey though, for scoring from wide midfield also v Coventry
Both Basey & Shelvey look like they've got goals in them from open play plus good free kicks
The stats show how good we were away from home last season we just wernt doing it at home.In games where we made loads of noise we done well palace,stoke,cardiff, and sheff wed in the 2nd half.so my view is we need 2 make more noise and get behind the team.in all the games it was dead at the valley like colchester,barnsley,the early game against qpr,burnley we done rubbish.so we need 2 be the 12th man and make that all important difference.
[cite]Posted By: WhenIwasLittleBoy[/cite]just looked at the squad numbers and size of the squad for the forthcoming and it has to be said looking at It we are bang in trouble. if ZZ goes we will hardly have a recognizable starting eleven I am all for bringing the kids through but all at once could be dangerous. I did notice the no 4 shirt still available so a signing may be oj the horizon. In terms of the squad though it is woeful
Does our squad look any worse or thinner than Bristol, Hull, Watford or Palarse's did last season...they all made the playoffs. I don't think we look any weaker than they did. For me it's all about getting them playing as a unit consistently. I though Bristol City were an excellent side last year and I didn't see too many people that I knew.
Comments
Agree. A couple of years ago we were screaming for the young kids to be given a go, and I do agree that perhaps basing the whole side around them might not be the best idea, but you never know, it might be good for us.
I remember last season getting really annoyed with people for asking for Chris Dickson to be brought back from his loan spell. People love players that score goals, irrespective of the league they are in - and who they can score goals against. I remember the same with bobby zamora, freddy eastwood, erm, can't think of the other one. i can't remember them sticking at those clubs or setting the world alight, i think people love a hyped player too much. i'd love us to sit quietly between 8th position all season before a last minute surge to the top as people won't expect a lot from us, and we'll give it to them, rather than last year, they expected a fight from us, and we gave up too easily and werne't prepared and thought oursleves to good for a battle. fans and players alike.
;o)
If he was capable of playing at Prem level he should be capable of doing it in the CCC too, that he can't hold down a regular place is a sign that he should do a Lisbie and move on out of the comfort zone.
I'm hopeful that Hudson will be the leader type as you put it and that they will compliment each other.
Fortune isn't Rufus but he is a decent Championship player and can stand in adequately in the Prem. Given our current financial position i think we will struggle to find anybody better.
If Fortune is earning telephone numbers compared to everybody else then yes that throws a different complexion on it because we have to "cut our cloth."
Plus, I'm sorry, but I do not have faith in Fortune as part of a centre back pairing. Hudson, I think will be great for us. I just wish he had another partner.
But as for names.....we had plenty last year and it got us nowhere. Bristol City, Hull etc. had few and they did very well.
The great thing about this season and this division is its unpredictability. We could win the league or get relegated, but so many other teams are in the same position. That's what makes it so exciting.
I can't wait! Bring on Swansea!
I do worry that some will be expecting Jonjo in particular to play all the games.
Pardew did say Youga can play centre half so I assume that is his contingency plan. Having seen Aswad Thomas on the training day he doesn't look big enough to me to play centre half. He might be able to do a job at left back.
i thought last year we were a little lightweight in the middle. holland lost his edge, and zheng wasn't a hard tackler - we need a parker type and I do think jonjo is the one to do that, although parker learnt his skills going to norwich on loan and toughening up.
its not a surprise that the northern hard tackling teams got out of this league by not playing attractive football but fighting their way through - Hull, Stoke etc. we struggled against these teams - blackpool?
we also struggled against bolton who have the same tactics (isn't their old asst manager now that idiot in charge at hull?)
Yes he's the one Andy Todd smacked before he smacked Deano.
I'm sure we'd all like to see a few more faces in the squad before the weekend but if it don't happen then we just need to get behind the kids that DO get the nod and give them a fair chance.
Our midfield chipped in with more than 20 league and cup goals last season.
Ambrose 9
ZZ 9
Holland 2
I won't count Reidy's 6
It's the wide midfield players that let us down as far as goals scored.
Sam 3
JT 0, not a sausage, bugger all
Cook, Sinclair ......? lol
Didn't Chrissy Powell score when playing centre mid v Coventry?
Credit to Basey though, for scoring from wide midfield also v Coventry
Both Basey & Shelvey look like they've got goals in them from open play plus good free kicks
So the games the crowd were up for it, we won.
And the games when the crowd attacked their own team, we invariably lost.
Does our squad look any worse or thinner than Bristol, Hull, Watford or Palarse's did last season...they all made the playoffs. I don't think we look any weaker than they did. For me it's all about getting them playing as a unit consistently. I though Bristol City were an excellent side last year and I didn't see too many people that I knew.
So let's screw buying new players and just buy 20,000 oggys and we'll win the champs league by 2011 ;0)