Robbie I've highlighted since last season that we need a deep lying playmaker, still do so to this day. I'm not going to play the blame game but quite a lot of our midfielders look genuinely terrified to receive the ball against a team that presses high up the pitch. I'd just like to see us have a player who roams around deep in midfield, running into space giving players options, picking out players and distributing the ball nearly, as well as dictating the tempo of the game.
i'm intrigued to know why one or two think hooper and rvw can't play together. what are their concerns based on? gut feeling i assume...
I see that QPR are linked with Andreas Granqvist - briefly played in the Prem for Wigan and I think is now a very tidy player. Famous for a couple of 60m runs before scoring! At this risk of upsetting 'Arry even more (heaven forbid...), I think he would be a fantastic addition to our team. Wouldn't be cheap, mind
the braga game i assume?* *i haven't watched a single second of us in pre season so far, so forgive me if i'm being a bit stupid
I confess, for me it is pretty much gut-feeling and the small period of time in the friendly! Like I said, I'm hoping I'm completely wrong. I'd just like us to get an AM so we have more options and flexibility in terms of tactics.
Not stupid, besides I post daft stuff all the time I think they played together in the 2nd half but my memory is so bad I might be wrong. Too soon to tell if they work well together, I think the next friendly will give us an idea and even if they don't work as a pair we can have RVW up front or Hooper. Gives us options!
I honestly cannot believe people are hitting the panic button and making such ridiculous judgments such as "Hooper and RVW can't play together" based on one half of a pre-season bloody friendly for Christ's sake! Honestly, have these people never experienced a pre-season before?
All we need now is carrabuh to start agreeing as well and we'll be fully fit and ready for the season.
I hope you're not referring to me Munky, I certainly wouldn't put my posts under the heading of 'hitting the panic button'.
people like to worry, as we know! you'll probably find the people who were worried about signing hooper because of the league he came from will now be the ones who think he's ahead of rvw in the pecking order! there's no inbetween with some people - things are either great or abysmal. it might not settle peoples nerves but i see no issue with the two playing together at all. i don't think they will play together all the time but isn't it nice that we now have options?
nobodies discussed my suggestion of mcceachran either granqvist is not one i rate that highly if i'm honest.
We live in hope on that one! Players of the type we're talking about seem like a bit of a rarity. I've always wondered if young players are are encouraged to play this role? It never seems popular in this country, yet in tournaments we see the likes of Pirlo absolutely run games but the kids always look at the Neymars etc.
Whilst I think your right and Toby won't come here that article screams of an agent trying to drum up offers, it even says it was his agent who is the source. Quite obviously this window hasn't gone how Toby wanted, I think he was certain a bit premier league club would come in for him and whist there were rumblings about spurs and Liverpool neither have materialized, the only club to bid was us proving he was available. I think he might stay at Ajax and maybe we'll have a cheeky bid in jan to see if he's changed his mind.
Beardist. Why don't you like him though? He was linked with AC Milan and Tottenham earlier this year and was the standout performer in a rubbish Genoa side. He is a monster, but can also play the ball. I must admit I don't really fancy McEachran. Don't get me wrong, I think he's a decent prospect, but right now we have plenty of other decent prospects in the squad - I'd like a centre-back who's already pretty experienced.
