OK, so I'm posting a contentious article here for a change... I think we've not seen the best of this team this season, for the following reasons:- 1) Carroll has been starved of service and pitch time. I know there are his detractors out there who think him lazy and useless (I can see MITO shifting in his seat, just itching to respond to this article already), but we've seen a quite different side to Andy since Stevie has been back. When he's had service he's looked much more interested in the game and more importantly, he's been getting involved in the central areas, which as an 'old fashioned' centre forward, you absolutely need to be. Much is made of his languid appearance on the pitch, and questions raised over his fitness, as well as his errant control when not using his head, but the fact remains that when Gerrard has been on the pitch and providing balls to attack, Andy has got up, won headers and made centrebacks' lives difficult. 2) Steven Gerrard is back. This is probably a no-brainer, as he is STILL the biggest influencer of games when he's playing. His delivery of balls into the box is excellent - he gives the forwards something to latch onto. When not on the ball himself, he can make those oh-so-difficult to follow late runs into the box and arrive at the right place to strike - no-one else in the team is currently doing this, and whoever is up on their own (Kuyt against Stoke for example) is left isolated. Before you point out that Gerrard was there, review the game and see that he was playing deeper than he normally would. 3) Downing hasn't performed yet. Some have questioned his performances and the price tag for an 'Ordinary British Player', or muck, as MITO would put it. But it was only last season when Stewart was chosen as the Villa Fans' Player of the season, ahead of Ashley Young. He has the ability to do it, but so far this season he's not reproduced it. It is inconceivable that he won't produce at some point, but its not happened yet. 4) Adam has been inconsistent. We all thought that when he arrived, we were getting a leader on the pitch who also had all the deadball attributes we'd ever want. His Freekicks and corners for Blackpool were often undefendable, and his record from the spot was also good. With a range of passing close to that of Alonso, we though we'd fixed a glaring omission from the side. His transfer for £8mil looked like the best bit of summer business (with the notable exception of snaring Bellamy on a free, natch ). Since arriving, however, he's been inconsistent, and his set pieces have been almost, without exception, a huge disappointment. Once again, I have to say I can't see this continuing for the whole season. He is going to pick it up at some point. We expected him to provide the bullets for the front men, except we've not really had the front men we've wanted from day one of the season. If we can settle on a strikeforce and (when Agger is fit) with the defence is in place already, its the midfield places up for grabs... The only fly in the ointment is the injury to Lucas, coming as it does midseason. Spearing has been developing and growing into the role, but of course his injury comes at a bad time for us, with no additional 'defensive midfield' cover. I feel that there is more to come from the team, particularly with Gerrard and Carroll. I can see the team gelling with Carroll up and Gerrard and Suarez playing off him. We have options across midfield and up front, to support the setup, but we need Carroll to get better service and more pitch time, and be more determined to impose our play on opponents, and not worry about how the opponent can affect us (like playing 3 at the back against Stoke).
Too little too late for me, without Lucas we are weak. Having Stevie back is great but at the start of the season we were saying we didn't need him as often anymore, yet here we are...still very much a one man team. It's depressing knowing that no one else on the pitch can take responsibility and drive us forward except Bellamy who misses every other game because of his knees. Carroll shouldn't have to rely on the service of one man who at any moment could collapse with a knee 'infection' for another 3 months. Other than that, yes we are yet to see the best of this team.
I think the problem we had v Stoke was no defensive midfielder that Kenny was prepared to trust. Gerrard got the job alongside Adam, but that denied the front man essential support and top quality through-balls. Choosing Carra AND Coates indicated a lack of trust that Gerrard would be disciplined enough to protect the back line. IN the end all it did was deprive Kuyt of service and support, as Downing wasn't doing it and Carra was practically unemployed at the back... If delivery from Downing isn't there, then Gerrard has to provide it for Carroll. Then we're not relying on 1 man , we're relying on 2 men to provide service. We just need one of them to deliver. Happens that Gerrard is more reliable at it than Downing at the moment. And Enrique (who gets a pass for the Stoke performance by virtue of having been ill just before the game) should also be an important supply line. As for Andy, well Carroll is not getting much pitch time, and consequently his wondering away from the centrebacks to look for the ball and trying to get involved. His job should solely be to occupy the centrebacks, not look at the fullbacks - leave that to whomever is playing wing. Of course, its all my opinion. I know some will disagree. I think, however, that when Carroll gets bettter service and more pitch time, he'll look to stay closer to the centrebacks...
Just a very bitter man for parting with the best of £200 to see that drivel last weekend. Next time I will spend the money on a ferry to Amsterdam with the Mrs.
Better still, leave the Mrs at home and take the £200 to the nice cafes and the nice ladies in De Wallen... That should cheer you right up
Or leave her over there and live my life in harmony . In all fairness I'm usually quite positive, but can't see us making top 4. I think Chelsea, Utd and City will now be the top 4 regulars and Liverpool as top 4 outsiders in the next few years. Trying to lower my expectations after they were heightened at the start of the season.
The way I see it, we're having our bad spell and drawing, whereas Arsenal had their bad spell at the start of the season and lost heavily. If Van Glass breaks down, they'll fall away as usual. Newcastle have just waived bye-bye to their best players to ACN, so I expect them to fall away too. If we can just convert our chances, we should have enough in the tank to close the 5 point gap to 4th. Its not like we've only got 4 games to do it in...
Actually I completely empathise on that score. The Mrs gets very upset when I watch or listen to the footie, and Saturday night and Sunday nights are almost wars to watch MOTD... If only I could get a peaceful agreement to watch it...
1 agree with you st. I'll still say carrol is being defended a lot by kenny as he has to do that but the boy needs to do a lot more and if maybe next week goes our way he might just perk up... it is quite right to say they can all go and do more cos they are all capable and as i said a cup final if things go right and maybe enven beating utd i nthe cup would certainly give them all a lift and the incentive to do better... buying anothe rplayer would do no harm either.
Haha, yes. I work on a merit system...if I do a few 'chores' or do the easy option and give her the bank card for a day out to the shops I get to watch the footy in peace. If not then I "walk the dog", my local shows footy on the outside screen...the bar girl knows it is always a pint of Guinness and a bowl of water. It's not a case of not being allowed to watch the footy, but to be able to watch it without the complaining.
For some reason, I was expecting more of a response from you on this topic, MITO. Not quite a "N'gog is a floppy cock' response, but something longer than this...
That's a good point...I could say "let me watch the footy..or I'll give you one!" Would work every time! Edit: I meant it would work in the favour of the footy every time.
Even when Carroll does get a good chance to get his head on the ball, he still doesn't score. I wasn't expecting too much from him with the ball on the deck but heading is his forte and even that has been poor. And if it means that one man (Gerrard) is able to put in the perfect balls, directly on Carroll's head in order to get the best out of him, then it really highlights the limitations to his game. We need a striker who has more to his game which gives the midfielders more confidence to play the ball to his feet as opposed to instinctively lump it up to AC. With AC - he can't control a ball at all so we're forced to just play the long ball. He is ruining the teams style of play and this is influencing our players because we're playing the same when he's not in the starting line up - look at the Stoke game and how many long balls we played to Kuyt. We only have to look at the back end of last season and the free flowing football we were playing. It was uncomplicated and simple because we didn't have a player in the team who was capable of playing a target man role so we relied on quick passing, good movement and intelligence.
what more could you need than me agreeing with you saint? the axiom of n'gog being rubbish aside I was being a bit positive and hopeful that this next week could define our season for us and give us the boost we need.
