A seperate point arising from the other thread, but which I reckon needs to be discussed on it's own rather than getting two discussions going on a single article, is this: Can our current squad develop (2-3 seasons time) into upper-mid-table-premier-league quality players? Ruddy - Yes, game needs improving but as a shot stopper he is very good. Naughts - Unsure, he looked very, very out of his depth versus Villa, not just inexperience I'd dare say. R. Mart - Unable to pass comment as he's been played out of position mostly, as a CB he's not good enough, as a RB, possibly. Barnett - Yes, other than his back pass yesterday, I think he is one of our strongest assets and possibly the cloest to the standard we're after already. Tierney - Yes, already demonstrated versus Liverpool, Man Utd, Chelsea and others that he already has what it takes, in 2-3 seasons he'll be worth quite a bit. Pilks - Yes, like Tierney he has shone so far, taken the step up from Lg1 to Prem with ease and looks very comfotable on the ball. Johnson - No, he's a tough tackler and a hard worker, but I think he's a lower-premiership-quality midfielder, would love to be proven wrong though. Hoolahan - Yes, I don't really feel the need to justify this one, he's an excellent all around player, although can be inconsistent. Fox - Possibly, he's an excellent passer of the ball, BUT I am concerned that he's just too lightweight. Bennett - No, on current showing he's not good enough, that having been said he's taken a big step up (as with Pilks) and has looked a little too inexperienced so far. Still young but I don't see enough to make me believe he could do a job for an upper-mid-table Canaries side. Morison - Yes, already shown ability in the air and an eye for goal, still young and I think he will develop into one of our best players. Holt - I don't want to say it, but No. I think he'll still have a job to do, but he deserves to be playing every week, particularly as he reaches the end of his career, and I don't think either he or PL will want him on the bench making the odd cameo. (Really hurts me to say that, you know). Jackson - Yes, I think he can do a good job, again he's still young, and given two seasons of Premier League experience I think he could be an excellent striker in the mold of Bent. The others: Rudd - Yes, very very young and has a lot to learn, but in 2-3 seasons he'll be almost ready. Surman - No, he hasn't played much this season because he's not really good enough, top bloke though. Lapps - See above. Vaghaun - Can't make judgement as haven't seen enough of him Whitbread - Haven't seen enough, but I think if he stays injury free he may be able to do it. Ward - Haven't seen enough. Crofts - No, again I haven't seen enough of him though. Chris Martin - Who knows? We have seen his ability and is among the best finishers in the squad, but is his attitude right? Ayala - Haven't seen enough.
I agree in the most part, with CS but there are a few issues I'd like to raise that CS hasn't already brought up. Ruddy: My only gripe with him is his inconsistency coming to collect balls in the box. One minute he'll charge out and claim the ball, the next he'll stay on his line. Makes it very hard for defenders to know if they can leave a ball or not. Barnett: He's probably one of the best players we have, BUT he needs to cut out the silly mistakes and he does tend to be a bit clumsy around attackers in the box see Walters and Ngog this season and Nugent last season Hoolahan: Yes he's a fantastic player ad has improved dramatically over the last couple of years BUT he needs to keep the tricks and flicks in the oppositions half. He's been caught a couple of times trying to do fancy turns and reverse passes on the edge of his own area. Morison: Playing on instinct he's fine, when he has time to think, he still wants that extra touch that he would've got away with last season. C.Martin: Aside from his attitude, he hasn't got the pace needed for this league and despite supposedly being one of the best finishers in the squad his goal scoring record isn't brilliant. 17 in 42 in league one and only four in 30 last season. I know he was injured for a chunk of last season and made a lot of appearances from the bench, but he doesn't take as many chances as people think.
Haha I'm off out for a walk on the marshes with the Mrs, should be interesting coming home to see the comments!
Let's fast forward 2 seasons and make the bold assumption we stay in the PL all that time................ I would be surprised to see more than maybe 3 or 4 players that are currently with the team in 2 seasons and that is assuming we can hold on to them. Pilkington - Most impressive start to the season Ruddy - A good young keeper who will improve + Goal keepers tend to change clubs less R Martin - Will feature somewhere in the back 4, looks versatile enough and that would be a big + Tierney - A hugely talented player Beyond that I do not see us keeping many others - perhaps Hoolihan & Fox
I think it's difficult to judge these crop of players "long term" as most will prob be replaced if we stay in the prem this season. So far as each window has come to pass PL has brought in several lads to "help the current bunch", in plain to replace them! Look how many have survived from the L1 team, & this season how many from the Championship team, so i think it's fair to say that unless we go down, then a new 6 or 7 players will come in & the team will look nothing like the one playing at presant. Only the few who have excelled this season will remain, Pilks, Teirney, Morison R.Martin & pos Ruddy other than these few the rest will either move on or become squad players.
HAHA I actually laughed out loud at that! We're not going for a walk now because it looks like it's going to rain (read into that what you will!). I am bored now, what to do!
Ruddy - agreed Naughts - Id say he has enough. Lets not forget who he has had to deal with so far this season. Would Russel Martin have done any better against the kind of players with out an out pace that he has been up against!!! I think not. Naughton is still young himself but two player of the league awards back to back tell me he has the credentials to make it. Experience in this league is massive an the more playing time he gets the better he will be at sussing out certain attackers he faces nexxt time around. R. Martin - Agree that it is so hard to tell. At right back I feel he just doesnt have the pace to live with these top flight wingers. At centre back he seems to have something that the others dont - an thats the ability to organise an command the line so the back 5 are working as a unit (see The Sunday League talking article for good examples of his pearls of wisdom!) Barnett - The man is a colossas - he hardly loses a header all game. Just needs to work on certain aspects of his game but he seems to love it here and we love him - (dodgy back passes aside!) Tierney - Class act (although I felt he had a really poor game against Blackburn - just throwing that in the mix for you Tierney lovers to digest) Bennet - disagree with you there CS. I think he has put his own game to one side for the greater good of the team. Without his tracking back an leaving Naughton isolated against some imposing wingers we would have been out of contention in many more games imo. Bennets all round good work has enabled Pilks to steal the limelight as he has pushed on forwards more enabling him to have more shots on goal. Bennet is clearly capable imo. Pilkington - No issues there. Guys a class act Fox - agreed. Too lightweight. Yes he can ding it around but he can have poor end product sometimes too as i stated yesterday his final ball wa very poor on numerous occassions when we had men in the box Johnson - Just needs to do what it says on the tin - break up the opposition attacks and give it simple. Cannot see why he cannot cut it as he has one hell of an engine. Fabio obviously thinks he can do a job at a higher level. Hoolahan - He is your luxury player really. I think PL knows that we just cannot seem to get into any kind of rhythm unless Wes is out there doing what he does. Yes he will infuriate you at times but he can also win you the game. Morison - The big guy has shown us all what Holty lacks. A fantastic buy and will keep progressing and will get better an better. Holt - So much is said about C Martin being the best finisher in the squad well 1 in 2 from Holty tells me differently. He nearly always makes the goalie work an usually at him having to pick the ball ou of the back of the net. However, is he goo enough to warrant a starting place in an upper end division team - I hate to say it bit no probably not Rudd - Has done nothing wrong in the few games i have seen of him. Needs a run of games out on loan then we will have a better idea of his capabilities Surman - He wasnt good enough for Wolves - kinda puts that into perspective for me. Just doesnt have the pace at this level imo Jackson - Needs to have a chance. It might be a better idea playing him alongside Morison instead of Holty as he gives that added pace. My only fear with him is that he is a form player. When he is on it you have a class striker - if hes cold then he will be anonomous Vaughn - depends on his knees Lappin - No PL is out of his depth Drury - looks like time has caught up with him at long last Crofts - Needs to shave his head as somebody pointed out recently - hasnt been the same player with hair.. His all round play is reminiscent of Holt-Morison tussle. Johnson has come in and made him look not quite as good as we all want him to be. Whitbread/Ward - Personally i always felt that Whitbread had more about his game than Ward. Ward always had me thinking he was capable of making some poor decisions - then again you could label that at nearly all of our back line so far this season! Ayala - Too early to tell - LIV fans liked him but that horror show against MK Dons hardly filled me with promise C Martin - Agree with you there CS - Its all about attitude. Why is Wilbraham getting on the bench at his expense at the moment?
Agree for the most part but - R Martin - has been very good at centre back, quiet against Blackburn and didn't see enough against Villa to comment. Barnett - best centre back this season so far, don't let his mistake against Villa cloud your vision of him. Hoolahan - tackler he is not, and he hasn't stood out too much at all this season, unfortuantly. Holt - puts a lot of effort in and deserved to start yesterday based onb his performance against Blackburn. Surman - not playing as Pilkington has been too good and doesn't quite suit being an out and out winger.
Am i missing something but i believe naughton and bennett on the right have been superb considering they have no prem experiance apart from 1 sub appearance between them!!?? For me i think come 2-3 seasons based on what ive seen so far i think we shall have ruddy, naughton, martin, tierney, johnson, bennett and pilkington.
Ruddy - Yes, no question really. Naughts - Not our player. R. Mart - I think he is good enough to be honest, Barnett - Error prone and clumsy but undeniably our most talented CB, only time will tell! Tierney - Probably our best player so far this season if not Pilks. Pilks - Scores goals, brilliant crosses, he's definatley good enough. Johnson - Hard to tell, the way he plays is very industrious, but not very flamboyant and because of this it's not really clear when he's playing really well. Hoolahan - Not so sure, getting older now and has disappeared in a few of a matches. Fox - I don't see Fox improving much tbh, up to you to decide if he is good enough. Bennett - I'm sure he will be good enough. He will improve and he will be a very good player. Morrison - You've said he's young, but I'm pretty sure he's in his late 20s! Good enough player, but not necessarily the best goalscorer we have. Holt - In 2 to 3 years time Holt will be in the winter of his career, so probably be either a Yakubu like player or do a Ryan Giggs and somehow keep going. Jackson - Not really sure he needs game time! The others: Rudd - We have a knack of producing good keepers. Say no more. Surman - Yes, not his fault Pilks is in the team, but Surman is a good player. Lapps - No tbh, third in the LM pecking order, good crosser but probably not talented enough. Agree he's a great bloke though. Vaghaun - If he stays injury free (!) then hell yeah. Really fast and great finisher. Whitbread - I think he could be, he's a good all-round centre back, and really good in the air. Ward - Probably not, good in the air, but I can't see him being a big asset to a top PL team. Crofts - I think he could do it, if he gets some more chances. Chris Martin - Can't tell. Ayala - Impossible to tell.
Morison - Don't rate his finishing, **** positioning drifts out wide too much leaving nobody in the box and yesterday he ran for the easy balls if anything involved running a little bit quicker he gave up on it. Not impressed glad his scoring but would rather see someone else up there with Holt.
