Come off it, pal. You paid at least £20mm too much for Carroll. Ashley took your knickers down. Just because the Chavs were daft enough to pay £50mm for the spanish statue, doesn't excuse you from trying to outdo them in the cock-up stakes by paying way over the odds for Carroll - Oh, and that donkey Downing - how I laughed when Kenny boy paid £20 odd mill for him.
They are proven Premier League players...if by that you mean there's proof they've played in the Premier League before signing for Liverpool.
A couple of things, after reading all these comments. 1) Spurs have a fantastic side at the moment, which cannot be questioned. They have bought very well over the past 4 seasons, with the stability of a single manager and healthy financial backing. 2) In contrast to this, Liverpool sacked two managers, went through financial crisis and encountered their worst two seasons in recent memory. 3) Spurs can look forward to either improving further or sustaining their current success - they can cope with injuries and can spend to replace Modric etc. Bale is perhaps irreplaceable, at least with a like-for-like choice. 4) You cannot say the Liverpool regeneration has failed - it is still ongoing. We had a very poor side at this point last year, and Hodgson was simply unable to galvanise such mediocrity. 5) Dalglish, when you look at each transfer individually, had a mixed success rate. Suarez, Enrique and Adam have been good signings, Bellamy was inspired on a free. Arguably Downing has not played well yet - we shouldn't have paid so much for him, but he has been both poor and unlucky. 6) However disappointing Downing has been so far, he is an improvement on the likes of Babel, N'Gog and El Zhar. 7) We undoubtedly paid far too much for Carroll - due to his nationality, the timing of the transfer and its proximity to the widely reported Torres deal - Ashley knew we could and would spend big. 8) However, Carroll has been desperately unlucky (hitting the bar, post, incredible saves numerous times) and I believe he will come good, or at least be a very useful player. The stats do not tell the full picture - he should have around 6-8 goals this season. BUT - he doesn't, and has been, therefore, disappointing. His lack of success is, remember, reflected by the whole squad - it's not like he's coming on for a team that's scoring bags of goals. 9) We have the basis for a good team - Reina, Agger, Enrique and Lucas are very good players, in addition to Gerrard and Suarez. Adam and co will be useful squad options. We do lack pace and natural finishing up front - but this can be solved. 10) Both our sides look healthier than Chelsea, and arguably Arsenal are benefiting from one superhuman player, their captain. At the start of the season I'd have taken were we are now, and at the moment I'm content - although with better finishing we'd be much, much higher! But, such are the margins of success and failure.
LDL's a United fan. Liverpool remind me of us last year, they're playing good football and creating chances but not scoring enough. I don't think they'll get top 4 but they're not out of it, infact they're very much in the race but there's no getting around losing Suarez for 8/19 games atleast, is a huge blow. I'm sure there's money available to improve in the window but surely you need to get a holding player in as Lucas is out for the season?
Ah right, isn't there a dinosaur related username on the spurs board also? But also to his point...Arsenal also wanted Downing and Utd enquired about Henderson so that argument is out the window. When Lucas was injured it was a huge blow, I said I would rather have any other player bar Reina to be out for the season...and that included Saurez. Without Saurez I think we will be alright, we haven't been scoring much with him IN the team anyway, however Lucas' absence will be felt against the top sides. Would like to see cover for him brought in, then when he returns I would like to see a Rafa style formation with 2 holding players. Don't think we could get the likes of Benega but someone similar to him who can go forward would be great.
Yeah, it's him! Doesn't post on the Utd board, for some reason. I don't get why Downing and Carroll aren't combining well, to be honest. I think it has to be down to how they're being coached, as neither seems to be playing their natural game.
It is baffling, we all knew Downing was expensive at £20m. But if you seen his performances last season anyone would be glad to have him in the team. He doesn't play badly, but with the final ball and finishing he has been poor and for a winger this is the most important thing. Carroll needs service like what Gerrard provided, similar to what Barton did for him at Newcastle. He was unlucky to hit the bar on one shot and the first ball Gerrard played to him Carroll had the touch of a rapist.
Downing doesn't seem to be whipping crosses in as much as he was at Villa, though. It's like he's been told to cut in more often, plus he's been played on the right sometimes, which is just baffling. Carroll would thrive on a regular, dangerous delivery of balls played in for him to attack. Downing should be the perfect man for that job. There seems to have been instructions given to play in a way that doesn't suit either of them, presumably to play to Suarez's strengths. Perhaps now he's facing a long ban, those two might be allowed to revert to playing their own game?
Yeah, that's LDL. We can't get rid of him I thought you did very well against City without Lucas. That's true regarding Suarez but there's little doubt that he's a your best attacking player. Bellamy has been great though so if he stays injury free he will lessen the loss of Suarez, especially if Gerrard can stay fit and playing well.
As a neutral, KK should have done better with his £100m spend. Spurs have a weaker squad though but should finish ahead of Pool if they avoid injuries behind Arsenal and Chelsea
How is our squad weaker? And "finish...behind Arsenal and Chelsea"? Have you looked that the league table recently?
Spurs have the better first team than Liverpool and maybe Arsenal. But weaker squads than Pool, Chelsea and maybe Arsenal
I'm sorry, but I simply cannot agree with that. Our squad has great depth, with the likes of Dawson, THudd & Corluka to come back from injury, and players like Pinaar, Kranjcar, Rose, hg and a raft of talented youngsters not able to get a game. They are more than a match for any of the squad players that 'Pool, Arsenal or Chelsea have at their disposal.
