if true, that's bd planning but levy has been screwing up our previous season plans for years but fear not, bale will be sold at the minute for the best price to the penny and we will have some Madrid youth player on loan.
We need someone. Even if its a Naybet like signing, someone with a bit of experience who can do a job until we get our other players back. I'm not going to get too down over this match but one thing I did realise this evening watching that match despite some great players we now have we still have some average ones and it worries me if we get our usual luck with injuries we could start to struggle. Especially without Bale to get us out of jail.
You're preaching to the choir. I went ballistic about failing to sign Moutinho last year. I'm still ballistic about it. I'm just not convinced there's any substitute for a first rate playmaker. But how's about we play 3/4 of Paulinho, Sandro, Dembele and Carroll every game? Everyone gets the right amount of rest, and we get to see if we have a first rate playmaker 3/4 games? You never want to lose 5-2, even in a friendly. But Livermore & Fryers vs. Falcao with Moutinho feeding him, it's almost more surprising they didn't get double figures. I also don't get the 0 playing time for our opening day lineup with two weeks left. Preseason should be used for two things: figure out who we want on the squad, and pick a starting lineup and give them some time to gel. Why is it many coaches, not just AVB, seem to forget all about task 2? I'm guessing they almost want the team to start badly so it can improve...
One other thing it didn't help that Lloris had a shocker. At least 2 of those goals he should definitely of saved. Hopefully he has got the mistakes out of his system before the Palace match!
Yeah Lloris was woeful today. I hope that's just pre-season jitters and he's getting rid of any mistakes before the season starts!
wouldn't worry about form as pre season form means nothing, but more concerned about the fact we have dodgy full backs, no central defenders, bale wants to leave, no settled team, yet we have ambitions to finish top four.
I totally agree with you REAEB. We are desperate for that creative midfielder. Roo has been saying it for ages as well. If as Cove says on another thread Eriksen is available for about £10 million then surely that's a no brainer. If Bale goes its going to be another year with a lot of possession without creating many chances and I could see teams coming to WHL sticking 11 men behind the ball and getting a result.
Chin up Roo, it's only a friendly. Most of their goals were easily avoidable. If nothing else it highlights how badly we need some centre halves. Selling Caulker looks like a terrible decision at the moment unless there is other players lined up. How about we take Sergio Ramos as part of the Bale deal?!
Roo, I think people are starting to take note of us now mate, Eriksen is starting to get on a few more peoples lips... Or fingertips should I say?
I guess everybody but Fryers and Livingstone was unavailable for one reason or another, but...anybody else asking themselves if AVB put out a crap team as a way of saying we need Bale desperately...
I don't know if it's already been said but Lennon is going to be playing catch up with Townsend this season
I think it's inevitable now. Between them Jose Mourinho, Harry Redknapp and Les Ferdinand must have some inside knowledge on the situation.
Townsend really deserves a chance. I've been critical of him, but he looks really keen. The only player with any "spark" and who wanted to be on the ball.
A lot of undue pessimism here today (not just on this thread). It's pre-season. It's about getting players fit and back into the routine. Results and performances are meaningless - good or bad.
The problem for us though Luke is that a number of our first teamers have had no or very little pre-season game time. Sandro and Kaboul have yet to kick a ball despite the fact they've trained at the start of pre-season. Vertonghen picked up an injury in the first match in Hong Kong, Bale hasn't played in the last 3, I think Ekotto has had one half of football (though looks as though Rose is no.1 LB), Paulinho and Soldado will only have the Espanyol game and today we found out Dawson requires a scan...
Spurcat do you know why Kaboul and Sandro haven't featured in a match despite the fact they're training? Pictures on the OS previously released looks as though they're training with all the lads like normal so it's weird to me they haven't featured.
