If we sold Cattermole and Colback I think it'd just be one big step back, both are good young midfielders, both from the north east and both of them have the potential to be very very good premier league central midfielders. If catts can focus himself and control his aggression I think he could become one of the top defensive midfielders in europe, I think because he's been playing in the prem so long people forget how young he is. Colbacks got it all for me. If he was at a top 4 side (in Tom Cleverley's position for instance) he'd also be adding goals to his game. I think the comparison with scholes goes further than hair colour I also rate Meyler very highly and its a damn shame that he's had these injuries. Similar to the other two but what he has is height which is something we sorely lack and which cost us dear a few times last season.
So do we play 4 defenders, 4 attacking midfielders and 2 forwards - effectively in a 4 0 4 2 formation Prods - selling Cattermole would be a mssive mistake (and utterly stupid) in order to bring in a more attacking player - to sell all of our defensive midfielders would simply be crazy (Cattermole is one of our most under-rated players - makes more tackles than any of us would care to admit - if you rate him then why sell him??) Also - re Catts aggression - I don't think his aggression is as bad as people think - just his reputation with the refs is bad so he gets booked for nothing tackles. I saw Gerrard against us last season elbow Welbeck - intentionally, no intent on the ball just an elbow in the head - and he got a yellow card. 3 minutes later Cattermole mas a little tug at a shirt and gets the same treatment - Gerrard then goes in very high on a player and gets nothing. Look at the game against Newcastle - Cattermoles first foul got him booked - and the first time he spoke to the referee he got lambasted by the official for it - yet Barton was in the Referee's ear for the entire match and never got spoken to for it? 2 minutes later
I don't need to be told about Cattermole's ability. I've been telling you lot since BBC 606 days when everyone was ripping him apart. The problem is the manager has once again ****ed up big time. We MUST bring in some talented attacking players, unfortunately we'll have to make sacrifices to achieve this. If we'd done the right thing in the summer, we wouldn't need to have this conversation.
I know mate but the thing is if we sell Catts and Colback, who is playing in the defensive role? We can't play 4 attack minded midfielders - it doesn't work and you leave the back four open to a lot of attacks and we need that player to break this up - without Cattermole (even with Colback) i think this is missing so I would say it's a big loss to sell these 2 so definitely no steps forward and 2 steps back IMO Oh and also Larsson, Gardner and Sessegnon are all good attacking players and have created a lot of chances this season - it is forwards we need to put the ball in the net rather than attacking midfielders - we don't really need to buy an attacking midfielder - agree to disagree prods!
A much better idea would be to get rid of fat head who has no idea how to get out of mid table. He'll only slowly edge further back down the league again. His summer signings were poor. To not sign a left back is stupid. As is not buying a guaranteed source of goals (join the club). Cattermole for me is one of your best players. Yes he is **** everytime the derby comes around but I always feel he's left holding the baby. If the rest would put his effort in, maybe he wouldn't make so many reckless tackles and run round like a headless chicken. You can see him trying to stoke up his teammates. Richardson for me needs to put on the left wing and left there. He is a talented kid but he has been pissed around by Sunderland similar to what we did with N'Zogbia. Left back? Not in a million years. Fair enough the odd game in the middle but the lad made his name as a left sided midfielder. I think Bruce wasted money on areas and types of players he didn't need to. I think Larrsson is ok and better than I gave him credit for. But Gardner I'll stick to my guns. He's very average and more than anything lacks class. The perfect foil for Cattermole was to get a playmaker who can pick a pass. Instead he went and got Gardner and Vaughan??? It pains me to say it but Sunderland have nearly everything in place to push on. Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on your point of view!) I think their manager is very very average and is handicapping the team with his own limitations. PUt it this way, I don't think Short will wait too long!
The missed trick was a left midfielder/winger, simple as that. Larsson Catts/Colback/Meyler (HONDA, N'ZOG, ANY ****ER!!) --------------Sessegnon---------------------------- ----------Gyan-----------Bendtner------------------ The difference that one signing could have made in this position is plainly obvious. Having Catts, Meyler, Vaughan and Colback fighting for one spot would have been a great benefit potentially, having Sess advanced of the midfield but off the strikers would have forced opposition back. Baffling, that despite a 2 year chase for N'Zogbia which just shows Bruce knows we were desperado in this department, we didn't have an alternative. Vicente on a free, never even looked. I think we're ok with moving Sess left and playing Gardner, but we could be so much better than ok with a proper lefty.
And i do completely disagree! Lets not forget, Bruce said he was unable to raise enough funds to purchase a top class striker. Everyone knows we're in desperate need of one, taking into account Bendtner is only a loan. Would you prefer for us to just stock up on all of our central midfielders, or would you prefer us to get in a left winger and striker? We need cash, mate, simple as that. Losing a couple of central midfielders will not be half as bad as failing to bring in a left winger and striker, surely nobody can disagree with that? Gardner is a defensive midfielder for me, and he's a good player. We have Meyler, too.
