I'd say completely the opposite. There are players who can hide a lack of ability with excellent athleticism (Jenas, Reo-Coker, Pratley, Karl Henry) but if you're technically gifted and unfit you won't last two minutes. Anyone can get fitter, any time. It's not like these guys are on a par with people doing Iron Man competitions and stuff! There's probably only a handful of pro footballers in the Premiership who "couldn't get any fitter", but apart from that everyone can always improve.
With 60% of our league goals coming in the final 30% of the league games I think maybe Ivor may be on to something . Both Dyer & Britton did look spent coming off last game & subs are part & parcel of fitness really .
This is an interesting and important point - so regardless of fitness, we clearly need a better strategy, subs or otherwise, to kill a game in the last 15 minutes while looking to apply a sucker punch on a quick break as the opposition over extends. If we have a lead there must be a combination of players and formation whose job it is to execute that plan.
face facts half our squad of players are nowhere near premiership standard and never will be, until we rectify that and stop using the fitness level as an excuse because we lose, You can understand punters and the bookies who say we will be relegated, we are too weak and not enough good premiership standard players in the squad, that I'm sorry to say is the truth of the matter.
While I agree that most of our squad isn't what you'd look at and off the bat say "they're Premiership standard", have you not been watching the Swans?! The reason we are where we are is because of how we play. We don't rely on individuals, we have a team system that works so well we don't need amazing players. As long as we have players who are technically proficient (to a point where they can take a touch, look up and play a pass), and those players are fit enough to do their job for 90 minutes, then we'll be ok.
I know what you are saying scott but that is the problem ...It wont be enough to keep us up....sadly,,,,I have just gone through the whole list of swans players and ticked who is premiership or nearly premiership standard imho and i can only find 8 players i would keep and some of those are injured, If we are serious in staying up then we will need 4 or 5 players who are good enough, ..even then it will be a tall order.....
Did Mark Gower make your list? He probably wouldn't be on most peoples list of "Premiership standard players" but he played a cracking ball in for Graham against Wolves and has done well since he's been back in the team. He's a good example of why we should have faith in our team, regardless of what names we have on the teamsheet. We went 3-5-2/5-3-2 at the end against Wolves, and I think that was the main reason we shipped two goals. The players don't know that system. In our 4-3-3, they know exactly where they should be, and exactly where everyone else will be, to the point where I doubt they have to think about it at all! By changing the shape and formation, you're giving them something else to think about BEFORE they have to worry about marking, tackling, covering space etc, and I think that was the major contributing factor as to why we didn't win at Molineux. Brendan is an amazing manager, but he needs to have more faith in our system being able to close out games in the Premiership. If all the subs we'd made had been like for like replacements, I think we'd have been fine.
a schoolboy will make the odd good pass but you need a hell of a lot more skill and fitness than that to be a premiership player. I tell you what I don't think Ash is a good premiership player or Sinclair, they are one game wonders and then a few mediocre and a few awful diabolical games, and these are suppose to be our top players. Little joe is as about the best we have got who will be snapped up in January for a hefty fee if he carries on the way he is, I try to look at the whole picture and not just individual good games from players who are one game wonders, yes everyone will have a bad game now and then but my findings are that its not just the odd game......We are doing better than i thought with the players we have got but not good enough to stay up. I will assess the situation after January in the hope we will bring in 4 or 5 players...
Yes I spotted that. As for "I don't think Ash is a good premiership player or Sinclair" most people would disagree, Dai. I do think that Ash willl take longer to get adjusted to this level but he will get there, despite our own fans' tendency to overrate him. As for Sinclair I don't agree at all. Although he disappears at times we've already seen that he has the ability to take on players and beat them even in the Prem. Fact is he can turn a game even at this level and I'm sure he'll prove that as the season progresses.
i don't think both players have lived up to their billing this season Aussie, both have not set the premiership alight this season so far. i had been expecting a lot more from these two..if it was not for penalties Sinclair would not be on the score sheet and ash has cost us a few goals so yes i question whether all this hype about them has been over exaggerated..
Worth is not measured merely in goals , if not for the pace on the wings from Dyer & Sinclair , plus the tenacity of Graham up front , the defense would be working harder & guys like Allen , Britton & the other mid midfielders would be shining less within the structure . P.S. 20 million pound players are expected to shine in the Premier , our shine is from the entire team
Well said Breezy! Dai I think you are jumping the gun a bit here, it took Scotland half a season to become acclimatised to the championship, before he started belting them in, and I think that it will take at least that length of time for Sinclair, and some others to adapt! We will see a better picture second half of the season!................. please log in to view this image
