I like Dorrans and I think he does have something to offer but admittedly he hasn't shown it so I can see why so many are skeptical. That said I don't rate Gaz. If we're going to play 4231 I want to see Mulumbu line up next to Tettey because Howson is wasted playing DM. I don't feel we've really tried the two out-and-out DMs together and it would surely sure us up a bit? The '3' should be Howson, Naismith but I don't know who else out of Vadis, Wes, Jarvis and Redmond.
Like anyone I'm sure Mulumbu needs game time to get match fit and performing to his abilities. Tettey showing generally good form has prevented that, that and Mulumbu not really pulling up trees in the few chances he has got. But I still think he is a good player and given time to get full match fitness back he can play an important part in our drive for safety. Bah!
Excellent post Bedford and I think you're just stating facts and hope we can at least add Naismith to our squad.
I'm sure that would remain pretty flexible, based on the {perceived} strengths of each week's opponents? You know AN by now, he loves a good 'tinker'
But if as you say 17 are medium to low PL players I would contend that that is a good squad, especially by our recent standards and that we are a low level PL team. It's good from where we have come from and as this window is hopefully demonstrating we are trying to improve it too. Like it or not we are with our budget a yoyo club like west Brom were, and each time we return to the PL we need to be stronger and looking at those two teams we are well positioned to do that assuming the worst. If you mean, look at Stoke and their squad and how poor ours looks then it doesn't look good, but we need time to reach that level. Bah!
Bit premature as no announcement has yet been made {still!!} but nice send-off for Naismith from Toffees fans... plus a Liverpool fan, for extra good measure! http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/everton-fans-lots-love-steven-10756292?
Ahhhh the wake up call and cold shower of reality. I think Mulumbu IS PL quality when he is fit and firing although I see him as more of a squad player. I don't think he is a game changer and this is what we need now. I think we have quite a solid midfield but no one except Wes who can really create anything or do something different. I also think if the opposition can get to grips with Wes in a game an nullify him then we run out of ideas. I do like the look of Vadis though even though I've only seen him play live once against the Saint. This is where Naismith hopefully will come in. He will give us something different to Wes and Vadis. He has a direct attacking style which we lack so fingers crossed we can sow this deal up and get him fired up and playing.
What does "Premier League quality" actually mean though? Is it as easily quantifiable as you appear to make out? At the start of the season how many of the Leicester City squad would you have said were "Premier League quality"? Would you have said Wes Morgan, Richie de Laet, Danny Drinkwater, Danny Simpson, Marc Albrighton, Jeff Schlupp or even Jamie Vardy were all "Premier League quality"? I would argue that you wouldn't have claimed that for any of those, but those players have all been regulars for the team that sits atop the Premier League, so they must be doing something right. I also think it's a bit simplistic to say established internationals such as the likes of Mulumbu, Martin, Olsson and even perhaps Whittaker and Dorrans are not of "Premier League quality" as I'm certain if we released them all on free transfers tomorrow there would be Premier League clubs looking to snap them up
I would say that the only team in the PL that would try to snap up those players would be Villa.. eg desperate. We have seen these players over 20 odd games in the PL this season and with the odd game's exception, they have not been good enough in this league. Before you had seen the Leicester players, you might have said they are not Prem quality. However, since the beginning of the league they have proved otherwise... ours havent.
Have to agree with this. Leicester players have managed to make the 'step-up' in required performance levels to sustain their amazing rise to the top. Whereas ours have largely stuttered, with each good performance tarnished by 4 or 5 distinctly 'average' or even occasionally 'bloody awful' ones.
Rather than debate Premier League quality, how many players of ours would you see go straight on the team sheet, to be filled in around? Very few have got to that status. Bassong, Brady, Howson, Tettey? Of late perhaps Rudd and Bennett? I can't think of anyone else who I'd think Neil would be mad to leave out.
But the fact that one set of players has been able to step-up and play to their full potential (even above and beyond it you could argue) and the other has under-achieved and not played to the level they are capable of is not necessarily an indication of a difference in quality. Perhaps it's the choice of formation, tactics, training methods or management style that is the difference between the performance and achievements so far this season of Leicester and Norwich players, it's not as simple as saying one set are "Premier league quality" and the other ones aren't. And Swansea and West Ham at least have tried to buy Olsson off us in the past couple of seasons for £5m plus so it's incorrect to say only a "desperate Villa" would be the only side interested in those players I listed.
I think part of the key to Leicester's success is their consistency. Despite Ranieri being known as "The Tinkerman" he's not changed the line-up that often and thus they are used to playing together as a team - something you can't say about us with our "horses for courses" line-up strategy. Although individually you can't say that Leicester are brimmed-full with PL superstars, their team unit is a bloody good one and deserve to be where they are currently.
So instead of scouting Bordeaux and Rennes, maybe we should focus our resources on Leicester City training sessions instead!
Of late (MINUS the Bournemouth debacle): Rudd Brady Bennett Tettey Dave Howson (forced because his quality, if not his consistency, is higher than other players in his position)
Rudd? Maybe, yeah. The more I think about it, the more I think Ruddy is not currently in a position to take his place. Bennett? Maybe as well. I like him, and he's been our best CB so far, but I wouldn't say he's 'undroppable' at this stage, I don't think Mbokani is guaranteed a place at all. Jerome could easily be selected for the Liverpool game.
