Well according to you earlier on this season we should have got Pulis in last season when he was available, what sort of football would he have played?
A damn sight better football than the ****e we're seeing at the moment. He kept Stoke up for years and now he's doing the same for WBA.
Every transfer window people on here bang on about strikers. The strikers aren't the problem; in fact, I'd say buying a striker in January would be a waste of money. Hernandez is our best player with Dawson injured. Diomande has yet to play a decent run of games. It's the midfield that's the fundamental problem and has been for years. Livermore, Huddlestone and Diame are all great players but sometimes they don't play to a standard we expect of them. Meyler has a few good games but he's an average Championship player overall. We don't really have an experienced defensive midfielder or box-to-box midfielder. Wingers are fine, I think. It's been said more times than enough but we're crying out for a player like Ashbee, perhaps with a bit more technical ability, to be our midfield general. We haven't had a player like that since he left. If we had a player like that, the other midfielders would have a bit more freedom to be creative in the middle and play more through balls. I was hoping we got Butterfield because he's a great box-to-box player. A defensive midfielder the media linked us to was Emmanuel Badu from Udinese but he was probably too expensive and we could only sign a player like that if we sold Huddlestone for £5M plus.
We've now only got two, it's patently obvious that Hernandez isn't going to be playing every game, neither is Diomande. We saw Akpom lead the line today against a sub standard Preston side and we ended up with nothing. The weakness in the centre of midfield stemmed from tiredness rather than a lack of quality, although the sheer swing in ability from Livermore since Boxing Day is literally gobsmacking. Don't think I've ever seen a player put in such a complete performance and then follow it up with his worst ever display.
Well, we've got Hernandez, Diomande, Akpom and Luer. Spending obscene amounts of money on a striker would be ridiculous considering Hernandez is already doing a sterling job up front. If anything, we should get a striker on loan. Getting a defensive midfielder is harder than it looks. We could go relatively cheap and try and sign Clucas' old team mate Sam Morsy from Chesterfield or sell Huddlestone and raise funds for someone like Badu.
I don't think Luer is going to be a first team player this season. We seem to only play with one striker anyway, which should be Hernandez, but if for whatever reason he can't play, then he needs a suitable replacement. We don't know when Dio is going to step back in either, it could be next game, could be ages. Morsy would be a great shout, I also think Norwood from Reading would be decent.
Morsy's got a bit of a temper (scuffled with Meyler during the friendly) and issues with discipline i.e. gets a lot of bookings. He's the sort of player we need though. We don't have a player like that to break up play and let the opposition know they're in for an tough game. Huddlestone, Livermore, Meyler and Diame pull out of challenges more often than they should. It's gotten so bad that when they actually do put a foot in for a hard but clean challenge, the crowd are pleasantly surprised and it riles them up. Our midfielders have great technical ability and passing range but none of them have much grit or aggression. Hernandez makes more tackles than Huddlestone. I mean, sticking Alex Bruce behind the midfield as a defensive mid would be an improvement.
For Gawds sake start drinking again OLM - you are getting far too bland. I don't expect anyone to take a 'retired old ditch-digger' seriously but recommending "5 in 55" so-called strikers and 17 year old's with a handful of games beneath their belts is puerile.
Don't tell me you've just found out Chazz. The scary part is that I am far from being alone on these boards when it comes to silliness. Have a read of some of your comments throughout the years.
He's left palace citing lack of football his main decision for returning to Chelsea. This guy was prolific last season and could give us a welcome push for automatic promotion
We need a fit, uninjured striker to work with Abel. We need a defensive midfielder. We need a new manager. We need new owners who understand they need a new manager. I think we might now lose a few and not ones we would want to; I hope I'm wrong.
Not according to me. Never wanted Pulis. But as Sterling says the football would still be better than the turgid **** we've seen for 90% of the season. At least the team on the pitch would look organised.
Bamford in asap on loan send akpom back to arsenal he hasnt done it imo Every time hernandez doesnt play we look toothless and struggle for goals, diomande i jured yesterday? When we going to see the lad
I assume Diamonde will get his first start against Brighton in the cup game. He might as well have started yesterday, we've seen about a dozen times that Akpom is utterly hopeless as a lone striker. Our chances of getting Bamford are somewhere between slim and zero.
One good thing about Diomande, he's easily taken the mantle away from Fraizer Campbell as having the most misspelt name, and that's before he's even started a game for us.
Has Diomande been playing in the reserves/under 21 because if not why not? He's been on the bench for weeks now, has I said on the match day thread yesterday are Clucas and Akpom a striker pairing for a top of the championship forward line? and lastly how badly do we need a leader because when Dawson is out we don't have one someone who is going to give a right rollicking to anybody pulling out of a tackle or not pulling is weight, someone who is going to roll is sleeves up and get stuck in and show is mates and the opposition we are here for a fight. Do we really have anybody if you was playing against us who you would be frightened of? Leader when Dawson is out we haven't got one
