Is there anyone on here who does NOT think we need both a left back and a right back and would not get one of each in if it was up to you? If that's the case then why are we not linked to any and why have we not gotten one in yet? I just don't understand. Is it not really unprofessional to have two important positions played by players who are out of position? Hill and Isla are defenders but these positions are not their ideal ones. I know we have Yun but we should have two players for each of those positions on the books. Isla is great at RB so we should be getting on back up for him and one back up for Yun.
We've got two good, young left-backs. One is out on loan criminally. Absolutely ****ed at right-back if Isla gets injured but a striker and a winger capable of maybe beating a player and getting a cross in are greater priorities for me.
For me our priority would be RB, CM, LB (depending when Yun is back). That way we can play people in their best positions & may just be able to get the most out of them. I don't really buy into the fact that we just need striker(s) if we don't have the rest of a team to create the chances. At the end of the day we have Austin, BZ, Vargas & Zarate who should all be able to put in a shift & we've actually been getting a reasonable amount of goals it's just that we guaranteed to let in 1-2 a game, if we were tighter at the back then wouldn't be so desperate to score more (although nice if we did).
Barton can play right back, we could then push Isla forward where he can do some damage and Vargas can play more centrally.
not in the 'we desperately need a striker' club. We have Austin, Vargas, Zarate and Zamora. if they were used properly thats a pretty good four, I have no idea why Austin/Vargas as a pair wasnt given the time to develop. LB and RB are desperate, I would say another DC as well who isnt 900 years old
We actually have a RB Harriman and a LB Robinson both out on loan, just about sums up our approach to younger players, add to that Ehmer, Sutherland, Petrasso....have i missed anyone?
True, but he left before he got anywhere near being ready for first team action, those I mentioned above all have substantial experience of playing 1st team football albeit in lower divisions.....
We could stay up with the players we have............................any other Premier League coach would keep us up imo.
Did our management not see his potential at the time , did he not go for a mil off the top of my head ? Another example of crap here and now management mercenarys or no one
I don't think you can blame the club. They were well aware of Sterling's potential but how often does a small club avoid selling when a club like Liverpool shows an interest?
Hmm... you are probably right in saying we could stay up in better circumstances. But my point is that only a bunch of idiots would go in to a league like the premier league not covered in two key positions. You're asking for trouble. Furthermore, how many seasons have gone by with us having adequate cover in those positions and us playing players out of position there? It's inexcusable. It goes back to playing Ramage at right back. And how long did Harry play Hill ahead of Yun?
That is old history...cannot blame the club for Sterling.... Much more worried about Robinson and Donaldson not being blooded this year...
I don't understand it either. We are all right at Right Back with Isla, plus Ned as back up, and as SB says Barton or others (Hoilett, SWP) could all play there. At LB we have Yun, plus Traore and Clint, weaker, but not top priority I don't think. What we need most for me is a new CB with positional awareness and speed to play along side of Dunne, Caulker, Ned or Clint. We got the worst defensive record in the league, and it needs fixing where it matters most, at it's heart. 2nd priorities for me would be a creative midfield, a No 10, unless Harry is going to get Adel and Krancjar fit and playing, and a decent left wide man who can get past defenders and get a cross in. A new decent striker would be great, but we do have 4 already!
We have 5 CB yet apparently need more, yet we don't have a dedicated RB (Isla is more WB/RM) & LB we only have Yun who's injured with Traore at best a WB/LM & Hill who's no got the legs for LB. So its no wonder we have the worse defensive record when at least 2 of our current back 4 are not playing in their best position/formation.
For me it has to be centre midfield. Someone who has talent and vision AND CAN PASS the bloody ball properly having used that vision. However, it is no good have great, talented midfielders who can do all the above but after ten or twenty minutes without any luck start taking it on themselves to do everything and just get crowded out by the opposition and piss off the rest of their own team.
I think the biggest problem is at CB, yes we have 5 CB's now if we include Rio!, but only Dunne really looks good enough for the PL, and he has clear limitations. He, or Caulker or Clint, need someone beside them who are quicker, aware and can pass well out of defense. Ned has the speed, and tackles well usually, but not the rest. Rio just looked well past it. I think Isla has began to do well enough at RB, and I see Ned as being at least as good a RB as CB. Yun was OK at LB, and Traore (when he concentrates) is better at LB for me, he hasn't good enough ball skill to play in crowded midfield even wide left.
