Is it just me or...

Chaps marra...You have been on our board so often, I now regard you as an old friend..

 

I think a lot of people just accept me now, although there's the occasional flare-up from a particular few people who simply can't accept that I'm a good pal.

They'll come round one day though.

 

1. The mood in Sunderland has changed, we're a happy camp with the recent string of results and the MON magic factor, add to this the prospect of a decent transfer kitty budget and things can only get better.

2. Both teams are playing well at the moment and there is a mutual respect. This also comes with a mutual pride, as North-East football is shining once again.

3. Even die-hard Newcastle fans don't want to see Sunderland relegated, bar a top 4-5 finish or an FA Cup final the derbies are the best fixtures of the season.

4. Basically, we are both getting our fair share of feelgood and March 3rd should be an absolute gem.

 

Good joke.

 

Oh great another cross board thread...

We'd all get along fine, if these were stopped...As most on each board don't give a flying **** about the other....

 

At no time did I mention match up's between individual players, I am talking about the defense as a unit. A unit can become greater than its parts, I am talking about relative squad strength. You can't just discount a poor player and say the goals scored when he plays do not count.

The fact is if by the end of the season we have let in less goals our defense has been better, if you have scored more goals you attack has been better, simples. I have also stated you have been a better team than us so far this season, I am prepaired to admit when Newcastle have been better but it seems you can't give us any credit at all.

As you are ahead of us in the league then if we are too debate I need to pick out and argue points that are in our favour or there is no debate is there, just a one sided argument that you are great and we are ****.

 

Yeah, and our defensive unit was ****ing awesome with the right players in it, but with Perch, it had a major weakness.

You're saying that our first-choice defensive unit can't be that good because of the goals we conceded, but most of them were conceded because it wasn't the first-choice unit. By my understanding, we got onto comparing players within the team as a whole, and we weren't excluding players who are currently unavailable.

I agree, but you're the one stating that you can't see why we would choose Krul, Coloccini, Steven Taylor and so on because of the goals we conceded, when in reality it had little to do with them. I'm explaining why we would still choose them over their Sunderland counterparts. That's all. This has nothing to do with credit.

Sunderland are FAR from ****, even I know that. I just think that many of our players are better than respective Sunderland players. And this isn't some uniform thing, either. Some of our players might be quite a bit better, whereas others may only be SLIGHTLY better and almost on-par, but obviously, you've got to choose one. And then there are Sunderland players who I think are better than respective Newcastle players. I'll admit all of that.

The whole selecting formations thing is a bit flawed, really. For example, if I choose 8 Newcastle players in a Tyne/Wear XI, then it would look like '8-3' but in reality my 8 Newcastle choices could be only 1% better than the Sunderland counterparts, and basically make the teams very even, but like I said, we have to choose one, so it looks a lot more damning than it really is.

 

I didn't say your first choice defensive unit can't be that good at all, never mentioned it, I said defensive unit, as in all players who have played in your defense. Your first choice back 4 have been excellent thanks to Taylor and Colo but I am talking as a whole. Your defense has let in more goals.

I also never mentioned individual players matching up or why you would say they were better than ours. I just said I found it a bit strange that you were slagging our defense and keepers while we had let in fewer goals.

Anyway this is going nowhere but can just agree that by the end of the season the team which has let in fewer goals will have had the best defense. That is the basic point I am arguing.

 

Just to defend my reasoning on this, look at our goals conceeded 23 and yours 25.

Brown has played almost ever game this season. He has also won a hell of a lot more trophies than Coloccini, its fair to say that was in a very good Man U side but he cannot be bad if he got into that side.

That's my reasoning. I am biased yes, but the stats do agree with me.

 

Here is my honest XI...

Krul - Looks likely to go on to be one of the best on the planet.

Santon - Based on what I seen of him at Inter, seems to be getting there now.
Colo - He´s a quality defender, simple.
Brown - He´s way better than you think when you watch him all week!
Ricco - We are both **** at left back, so in reality, we´d need a signing.

Sess - Brilliant
Tiote - Brilliant
Catts- Brilliant (since MON)
Cabaye - Brilliant
Ben Arfa - Brilliant.

Ba - Just a ****ing goalscorer, natural and pure.

**** 2 strikers with that midfield, anyone agree that would probably be the best midfield in the league? 2 100% grafting ball winners, and 3 that absolutely ooze class.

Left back and a CB that would be a ****ing awesome team.

 

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Team looks pretty snazzy like . Reckon it could get in Champions League? haha

 

It could, the midfield is unplayable mate!

chuck in samba for Brown and Izaguirre left back and it would take the piss!

 

Feel a bit queasy seeing our boys mixed into XIs with mackem players.

 

Or Taylor for Brown? lol. Him and Colo are class together when he's fit like. Would probably need more squad depth, but I suppose if it was our 2 squads put together we'd have enough players . Apart from left back, fancy neither team not having 1 left back haha

 

That seems fair, though I would say Saylor ahead of Brown. Tightest defence in the league 'til our back line got injured. Can't argue with that.

Could Brown shuffle to LB?

I think Jonas would have to go in ahead of Cattermole as well.

-----------Krul------------
Santon-Colo--Taylor-Brown
Sess--Tiote--Caby---Jonas
----------HBA------------
-----------BA------------

If you still have Gyan then possibly 442 with him and Ba up front, depending on form/fitness of him and HBA at the time.

 

Think this would work:

GK - Tim Krul - already class, could be world class

RB - Wes Brown - sure he played there in Man Utd's title winning team a few years back
CB - Steven Taylor - He is Stevie Taylor
CB - Fabricio Coloccini - He is the love of my life
LB - Davide Santon - Class player, already has 7 caps for Italy and is only 20 years old

CM - Cheik Tiote - God knows what the consequences would be if we left him out of the team
CM - Yohan Cabaye - Dreamboat

RM - Hatem Ben Arfa - Could be world class if he stays fit and consistent
AM - Stephane Sessegnon - Plays well in the hole and would link well with Benny
LM - Jonas Gutierrez - Him and Santon down the left are/will be a hand full

ST - Demba Ba - Feed him syrup and he will score!

 

I fairness though, if you stuck Brown with Perch... Colo is amazing, truly, but you can't expect one man to hold off a whole team, despite the fact he is quite effective at that.

I would go so far as to argue that having someone like Perch can be more than just having a player missing. It's like playing 10 men against 12.

I never normally slag off our own players and I do feel sorry for him, but he really isn't any good at football.

 

Sunderland are a decent Premier League side who finally have a manager befitting them. Truth be told we are both top 10 material and player comparisons are pointless. On the whole though, if I were to compare, our first 11 overall might be stronger but their overall squad beats ours hands down. They do not have crap like Lovenkrands and Perch as far as I am aware

 

Fair point well made. I guess Turner is our Perch although Turner is good in the air, he just turns like a pregnant cow.....