Let's not forget, Taylor was a teenage CB getting games for us at one point, we showed faith in him and it paid off. Having Remi Streete as our 5th choice CB is fine by me, he's been winning praise left, right and centre and so long as he's over his ankle injury I think he'd be comfortable playing the 'Ramage role' should we be unlucky with injuries.
Do you really expect the situation to arise where we are playing Simpson and a low on confidence Perch centre half again. that's when we faltered. We had Saylor, Colo and Willo out. Ideally I'd like another centre back because I have my doubts on Willo and would like a more athletic option. But suggesting our business is pathetic, well its pathetic really!
It is, because I thought the ****ed up situation we got ourselves in last season, would have shown that we need another quality CB! But we're just giving up because we can't find a cheap deal. Even if it's just Saylor that gets injured, we'll be stuck with Williamson 1st choice big CB, and we all know that he's alright to play a little run of games, but his past shows that he eventually starts to lose confidence and get sloppy, and he's too old now for us to think that that trait of his can disappear. Not only do we have Premier League games, we have a Europa League campaign. If Saylor gets injured, which is very possible, Williamson will be our only choice for a tall/powerful CB, and not only is he an average CB, we cannot play him every game, so we might end up having to play Perch and Colo, which is a CB pairing that is good on the ball and quick, but put it up against a big set of strikers, or CB's from a set play, then we're severely ****ed! If we signed a good CB, on top of Anita and a couple of youguns, then I'd be fine, even though I think we could have done with more. However, signing a CB was supposed to be our main aim. We're now hoping and praying that we don't get an injury, and not just one injury in any random place, we're hoping that an injury prone player doesn't get injured! This in a season where we're in Europe, not just worrying about a premier league season!
Perch looks to be ahead of Willo now to be honest. I'd be comfortable with a combination of any of those three (Willo, Perch, Colo). People seem to forget we did alright last year and Saylor missed the whole season bar 10 games or so. Europe adds a bit more on. We can't write Saylor off as definitely going to get injured. You either consider him a viable option or you sell him. What you can not do is say "well you have to think he'll get injured, but we'll keep paying his wages just in case because he's a good player". I'm happy to have faith in him. As I say I'd like a centre back but we're not desperate. Its not about finding a cheap deal. its about paying the correct price for players and making sure you get the right one. Sometimes patience is required and this approach is serving us well so it would be more than foolish to panic and regress. our business has been very good and not pathetic in any way. To be honest that is just plain stupid if truth be told. We're all good, just enjoy the season. We're stronger than last year and that worked out alright.
We did well last season, no, incredible, but it's a big risk. Last season, we weren't under any pressure, we just started with top 10 hopes. Then It grew from there. This season, we're in Europe, and hoping for a top 5-7 finish, and hopefully we'll do well and get past the group stages. If we're not going to get to the late stages, we at least need to show our best players, that we have ambition, and are not just gonna let it slide away from us because It might be an inconvenience for us at times. Colo is a better CB than Willo, but if we needed an aerial presence, I'd choose Williamson. You can't really say Perch Is ahead of Willo, because they're different types of CB's. If Saylor got injured, who do you think Pards would choose to play along side Colo? It would be Williamson, not Perch. I'm gonna go in and support whoevers playing, and I'll save my moaning for this board, and not bring any worried thoughts to to SJP, but not buying another CB is a risk. And Pardew said in an interview on the radio once, that he needed a dominant header of the ball at the back, and we were after Douglas, so it shows Pardew thinks the same. I hope that we only ride our luck til January, and then bring players in. However, this is Newcastle United, it is impossible for us to go into a season 100% with no worries. HTL.
I’d like a step up on Willo. Particularly in terms of athleticism where he is lacking and gets caught out. I’m not even convinced he is all that dominant aerially to be honest. He has games where he heads away everything in sight, but then loses out to strikers who he should be out muscling. However he is decent enough. The point I’m making is it is way too dramatic to describe it as pathetic. We are well positioned squad wise. Our centre back options are better this year regardless by the fact Perch is now a viable option. As for aerial dominance, its as much about reading the game as anything else. Some of the most dominant defenders aerially in the history of the game have been short guys who read the game well. Ayala, Baresi, Cannavaro all midgets in centre half terms, but all phenomenal in the air. Perch and Colo are capable of dealing with what most in this league can offer. Any further signings are just a bonus.
Well Lille do not want to sell Debuchy, Douglas wants to stay, Mbiwa prefers a move to Milan so who shall we sign then? I think it is a good transfer window if we hang on to our main players. I think we should try getting Guidetti on loan from Man City.
My prayer mat is out until Friday, I'll be happy if we don't lose anyone else, if we're lucky enough to acquire any new signings it's a bonus. We have the additional European games to contend with, but let's not forget, we averaged a game every three to four games when we got relegated. We've enough young and untried players, the league is our priority, let's just brazen it out!
Fair enough, not pathetic, but It's still not good enough. Is that ok? We really could use another CB. And Willo isn't great in terms of accuracy of heading and challenging bigger opponents, but his pure height and experience in that role can lead him to make aerial interceptions and also to win a good amount of headers. Willo aint dominant, but he's useful in the right games.
I'd like that but I'm not sure Man City would be overly helpful with ourselves. I think we have to accept they'll view us differently this year.
I'm gonna go out on a limb and say we sign Erik Pieters! It's a guess but we seem to be linked with players, then it all goes quiet and then we end up signing them. He would prove ideal cover for CB whilst starting most games at LB allowing Santon to push over. Can't believe we are not in for him. I know he is injured at the moment but still, I just think it makes sense!
That is what I don't get out of the statements... Isn't it obvious that getting a true LB and shifting Santon to RB would improve the team? He just served up a reminder of his left foot against Chelsea when he tried a cross .. Also, I think we need a 5th emergency option on CB which we really don't have at the moment. Unless they have decided Curtis Good would be that emergency 5th guy.
I agree. Santon is better cutting in from the left to his right. He makes some great runs into the box. The best thing would be to have a LM in front of him with a left foot, so we can either cross or cut in. I think we should go for a right back. We can play a few players LB, but we don't have any left footers, but I don't see that as a problem tbh
I do, none of the midfielders we play on the left hand side are left footed either. Defenders are aware of this and will always show them onto there left. At least one left footed player on the left hand side of the pitch is a must for me!
Er I think you need to re read that Tash. He, quite rightly, is stating we'd be better getting a left back to allow us to get full benefit of Santon in his natural role. As he quite rigthly points out, the problem of him playing on his 'wrong' side was all too glaring against Chelsea. Make no mistake at all, Santon is a far better right back than he is left back. I can however understand the desire to get Debuchy in as he is very talented and Santon can do a job at left back.
Pieters would be a great addition to the defensive side of the team, would be a cheaper option than Debuchy (you would think anyway). Also agree we need a left footed LB not so worried about midfield as Jonas plays on the left and is right footed and HBA is played mainly out right and is left footed. But we need a left footed LB so someone can go past Jonas on the overlap and swing in a half decent cross.
We have Marveaux who is left footed and can cross. We can switch Ben Arfa over to the left and he can cross quite well also. It's all about rotation and tactics. In our 4-3-3, we switched Ba, Cisse and Ben Arfa around through the course of the match, so It was difficult for defenders.
