Sturridge played 30 league matches for Chelsea last season and got 11 goals playing wide right. I don't know how or why that's considered average or unable to play in a top team
I really think our strongest 11 only needs 1 or 2 additions to be top 4 standard. I am not counting Coutinho yet though as we are yet to see what he can do. He may fill the gap in attack and add the extra goals we need. After that it is all about depth. The difference between the first 11 and the players who replace them when they are injured or rested. Reina - Jones - Jones has done better than expected. Johnson - Kelly (if it was like this in every position we would be set) - we also have Wisdom Skrtel - Carragher - Carragher retiring Agger - Also Carragher, or Coates after that. Enrique - No one - Johnson moves - If Kelly then plays right back we are safe but unbalanced. Lucas - ............ This says a lot Gerrard - ........ played every minute so who knows... Henderson - Allen - This makes no sense, I'd rather right Allen next to Gerrard and a player like Erikkson or Belhanda in one of these spots. Downing - Sterling - Could be Coutinho (ahead of Downing) Suarez - Shelvey - not his position... I guess Borini when he is fitter. Sturridge - ............ We didnt even have Sturridge until recently. Before then it was ........... - ............. Change our attackers and no one scores...
Suarez, possibly Johnson, and Reina, who is stil a quality keeper and better than the Arsenal keeper and at least on a par with Cech, and Lucas for sure. Sturridge is close but the jury is still out on him. Agger usually but not this season, and thats it! For me only 3 for sure, and a couple of possibles.
If you compare our starting line up with utds last night who would you pick in that position. Reina v de gea...........possibly still reina because of de geas falability under the high ball Johnson v rafael......Johnson Carragher v Ferdinand .....Ferdinand for me Agger v Evans ......maybe Agger but a close call. Enrique v evra.....pains me to say it but evra. Shelvey v Kagawa ....well Definately not shelvey and Kagawa was no great shakes last night but still better than shelvey. Gerrard v Carrick...Gerrard because of his goal threat Lucas v jones ....Lucas because jones is **** Henderson v Rooney....has to be Rooney Wellbeck v downing....no contest Wellbeck Suarez v RVP ......RVP What Utd have done over the years is to have a team of ok players in defence and midfield (ok Ferdinand and vidic are better than ok ) but put all their quality up top and so will always look like scoring and a reason why they score so many late goals. But above all it is their never say die attitude that as non-united supporters we all hate because we remember in the 60's and 70's Liverpool did exactly the same. If today's squad had the same attitude we would be top 4 team but its been a long time since that has happened.
They have a fantastic mentality because it's been embedded into the club for the past 20 years by a single manager. One man who can impose himself and earn respect from all of the players. And that's what we need - one man who is given time to slowly progress each year and with the time, comes the respect. I believe Rodgers is this man - we can already see the type of player he wants at this club - technical, hard working etc etc. P.S Ferguson is also extremely good tactically.
I think that comment should be revised to read "Ferguson has learnt to become better tactically" . A lot of that is due to the length of his time with one club. Now before the Mancs start complaining that is not a dig at him. It is a fact that he has had a longer time to prove his abilities than any of his competitiors.
Pre almost every quality player fking off to China Spain Germany Italy, pretty much anywhere but England. Yesterday we saw the top side in the PL by 12 points v far 2nd in La Liga and although they managed a draw, the gulf in player quality last night was massive though not team quality, and it was all over the pitch, Only RvP would have a place in the real squad. The PL in terms of player quality is surely behind Spain Germany and italy now also P.S. The beeb are creaming their pants over De Gea, a known shot stopper stopped some shots?! No mention of him flapping at crosses or running into his own defenders and falling over
I agree Dave, for all his achievements he had a lot of luck early on. I remember him bringing UTD to play my hometown team Halifax in 89' ish and they were crap. Had Leighton the clown in goal, even then he was the same, I remember the goal they conceded and Leighton should have stopped it, when the press asked what Fergie thought of it he said something along the lines of "I didn't see it, I was opening some chewing gum". He had a lot of time that nobody would ever get in such a big job nowadays. You could also argue he got lucky with the golden generation (although how much he was responsible for the youth set up I honestly don't know), and he was really lucky that Cantona shagged Chapmans mrs!!!!!!! He was lucky...... but he sure made it count and never rested on his laurels. I have to admit to a little admiration for his longevity, enthusiasm, passion and the drive and will to win he instills in his teams!
