Kranjcar to Sunderland

Mr-SAFC - I think we respect the depth of your midfield but just feel we have the edge in quality. Tiote or Cattermole? Tiote though I do rate Cattermole highly. Its just Tiote is one of the best in the league. Cabaye or Gardner? Cabaye. Not a big Gardner fan I must admit and Cabaye looks a very good player on what we've seen and what he achieved last year. Barton or Larrsson? Barton. Larrsson is decent and defo a good dead ball specialist. But Barton gives more to the team in quality and graft over 90 minutes. Jonas or Richardson? Probably the closest position but I'd go for Jonas. I do rate Richardson though but think he's been pissed about a bit at your place. He will never be a left back in a million years. Jonas is a great ball carrier and team worker, and its finally dropped that he needs to get more crosses in!

We both seem in favour of this 2nd striker/attacking midfielder role so I'll include them. You have Sessegnon and Ben Arfa. Ben Arfa was certainly higher rated in France but I am concerned about his injury troubles. Sessegnon has really impressed me. I've read stories that PSG fans thought he had no end product but to me he looks a very good player. Long term I think I'd prefer Ben Arfa but at present maybe Sessegnon.

 

Tash, we have Meyler and Campbell coming back from injury, we also have Vaughan.

 

Bang on!

 

Great signing, hopefully doesn't go through before the game on saturday

 

I think he means a progressively higher position for Sunderland. Seemed to me he wasn't making a comparison with Necastle

 

So Sunderland are weaker in every midfield department then?

 

Yep.

 

So would Ben Arfa...not so sure about walking though.

 

The way you put '4' makes you a ****.

O, and when you were at SJP last season against us, we all thought (I went) your best player was Guiterrez (sp) so if you give him the time and space he should run down the wing like he did last season and easily up the goals with your big men in the box (that's if he can cross).

 

I knew this would happen back in January, when they sold Bent I knew their board would put it back and into the squad to improve them.
Sadly back then i could not say the same with the Ashley sitution.
We are thread bare and have bought a load of un proven [in the premiership anyway] players and we still have not replaced Carroll.
Big issue coming our way.
Fair play to sunderland tho

 

hope not been wanting him all summer, if he goes to the Mackems that would just feel like a kick in the balls!

 

Bigging your team up for a fall bias from your point of view too. Tiote is a very good player and I'd have him in our team but you can't say Cabaye is already better than Gardner. He got 10 goals from CM in a relegated side. not bad at all.

 

Disaster?! Really?! We haven't lost Barton yet, we've brought in Abeid (one for the future), Obertan (rapid and can jump high, possibly needs game time to gain confidence), Cabaye (won Ligue 1 last season as one of Lille's most important players), Marveaux (was apparently involved in pretty much everything good in the reserves game recently) and Ba (has admittedly looked a tad ****e, possibly fitness issues, was playing with Shola upfront)

Keep the faith!
In my opinion it'll only be disastrous if we don't bring in a left back AND sell off Colo, Jonas, Barton, HBA and Best.

 

I agree with your first point.

But as for Jonas, his problem is that at times his crossing is abysmal, not his dribbling (which is quality).

 

Living in hope there. I think the majority of Toon fans know we are more likely to lose than win, and a draw at your place will feel like victory to me.

 

Not gonna pretend I'm jealous about this transfer! Excellent signing for Sunderland. We don't particularly need him now as we've got a busy midfield anyway and he's not priority, but that's not to say I wouldn't have wanted him in the first place!

Bugger.

 

So that's what some of the unwashed meant when they were naming "Krajar" in their squads for next weekend.

Agree it'll be a good signing, but we'll have Tevez and Cissokho by then.

 

No not at all. As I say I'm not knocking some of the Sunderland players, I think you have a decent squad and will do well this year. Indeed I expect that you'll finish above us if we don't get a left back and a striker. If we do, who knows I don't think there'll be much in it again. Cabaye and Gardner is the one I knew would be a bone of contention with Sunderland fans. Its a personal thing with Gardner, I've never really rated him. Its his passing, its just so average. He was poor in general play when I watched Birmingham last year, but as you say he chipped in well. He grafts there is no doubt about that. I just think you need class and guile alongside the aggression of Cattermole. 5m or 6m seemed a lot of money for what you got. As say that is personal. I just think we have a very strong midfield. Indeed there and centre half is our strongest area, certainly in terms of first choice xi. As I say I don't think it would be bias to say Tiote is better than Catts, Jonas better than Richardson, or Barton better than Larrsson. I think most neutrals would pick the Newcastle 3. And as I say I rate Cabaye on what I've seen so far and last year in France.

I freely admit you are much stronger up top and at right back. And you probably have better options at left back despite neither team having one. At centre half you could go either way but you have more depth. I think both teams have excellent goalkeeping options. In terms of depth in midfield, we'll not really know until there are a few injuries. But I do think the likes of Marveaux, Adedi, Obertan, have added some depth to our midfield.