Jager, with all due respect, at least try and get the sense of what posters are saying, and to answer your point, what difference would it make if Lita, or Moor came on or started? None what's so ever, they are not even as good as Graham, so I ask you who challenges Grahams position? we need Quality at this level, not quantity, and we will never have a cutting edge up front with just Graham, who is doing his best, but is no Borini, so let's just take on board Jager what a lot of observers are saying, the fact is we have an issue up front, that will be magnified as we get to the business end of the season, unless we resolve the striker situation, one way or the other. Ivor feels it's service to Graham, but I feel he's getting enough service, but is not yet developed enough to handle that service, or the better equipped talent of CB's at this level! That is my view, and I'm entitled to it, if you can offer an answer to our lack of cutting edge, then fine, but suggesting that Lita, or Moor not coming on is the answer, is just a none starter!...... .............. please log in to view this image
Phil, but the way we play is through the wingers and midfield, we will always score more goals from these positions than up front, that is why 5 goals have come through the striker, yet 7 goals have come through other areas. You mention service, I am sorry but the pundits agree that Graham is not getting the service he needs up front, so they disagree with you! Graham is on course for 12-13 goals this season which is good enough for a top ten finish on goals scored. And how can you say it won't make any difference if Moore and Lita don't come on ? how many goals can you score without playing? And Phil, I am also entitled to an opinion, what I don't do is insult people because they don't agree with it, now step forward Dai to to say that I am an idiot, and his dog knows what is needed !
Jager how many season's has Dyer been with us? Was he with us when Scotland received his golden boot award? was Dyer with us when Scotland put in 23 goals the first season of the championship? the point is we have always had pace on the wings, and the problem is that we are over relying on our wide men, because of the deficiency of our striker, and you can skirt around the issue as much as you like, but we have only had one quality striker since Scotland, and that is Borini, and the Jury is still out on Graham as far as I'm concerned, but I hope your right on your guesstimate of what Graham will get us in 12 goals, but that is still not enough, we have two other strikers, who are not good enough in my view, not if we seriously want to stay up!.................. please log in to view this image
Phil , Scotland was in the championship when he hit 23 goals , now how many did graham get in a poor team last season ? You can play with stats all you like , but we have got graham the service to him is not the best , and that is where the improvements must be made up front, again you mention lita not being good enough, but he has scored and assisted when on the pitch, that is in just 2 starts. As I have said I am not a lita fan and didn't want him to come here, but we got him and we must play him to see the benefits of his playing here, maybe in a 3-5-2 at times when we need goals. As for 12-13 goals a season, Rooney or Drogba and host of others didn't score that many last season, guess that wouldn't be good enough either if those were in our team!
Do you think you can digest some of that Jager?................... please log in to view this image PS: By the way Jager, it's irrelevant whether we are in the Premiership, or Championship, your goals predominately come from Strikers, not wide men, that's why they are called 'Strikers', and unless your Ronaldo or Messi that is the accepted rule, and one which was my point in my previous post, which conveniently went over your head. I do think that Dobbie could well be the answer that Pleat refers too, but we shall see what Rodgers comes up with, after all that's what we pay him for!.............. please log in to view this image
Phil, What did I just say ? Perhaps we need to play 2 up front at times! Also is that the Rooney who scored 11 goals last season that is needed ? Does pleat realise what we are up against here, we can't afford to spend about £30m on a player like Rooney or pay his £150k a week wages ! We are Swansea City not Man City , we must do things the Swansea way, and if you read the statement from Huw Jenkins on the official website , you will see that we must achieve without going into debt, which means there will not be £15m spent on players in the transfer window, as that would take us massively in the red! Morgan and Co will not finance stupidity , they have said that the club must stand on its own feet countless times, they will not throw money at the club. So digest that
And phil while you digesting the above , consider this, we must comply with the fair play rules coming into force, or we could face expulsion from the league and face huge fines. http://www.uefa.com/uefa/footballfirst/protectingthegame/financialfairplay/index.html
Jager you don't need to preach to me about fiscal policy or spending limits, I'm already a believer, keep that for Dai, at the end of the day I see issues up front that need addressing, and so do others, and it's time to sort them out, losing Borini early season, for whatever reason was a blow, and I suspect that one of those 4/6 players that Rodgers wants is a striker, and you don't necessarily need Millions, you just need to unearth the right player, that's why we pay Scouts!.........
Phil they are only an issue if we are to play two up front, until then we won't know if we even have one , I can understand that Brendan knows what we need , but can he truly know what lita can offer without proper matches ? And I know Borini was a big loss but we are not going to see him back this season, or maybe ever IMO
Hell Jager I can't believe you on times, 'If there is an issue', Pleat thinks there is, I think there is, Ivor thinks there is, Musty thinks there is, Dai thinks there is, so Graham isn't struggling then?............
Yeah and pleat wants us to get someone like Rooney Dai wants us to spend £15m on players you think it's irrelevant that lita and moore ain't playing musty keeps on saying ffs and Ivor offers reasonable points for debate And no I don't think Graham is suffering as in the play he does, what is suffering is the service to him , which means that maybe its Scottie and Dyer are the problem, if so we should be looking at what can be done there. Maybe Routledge should be brought on and Scottie dropped to the bench ? Maybe we need a new face there ? These are decisions that Brendan needs to make , because you don't know what is happening on the training pitch with lita and Moore , really we need options yes, but we need to keep to financial constraints as well, which is much more important.
Jager, Jager, Jager! Pleat is not saying we need to spend like Manu, he's just referencing the type of player required, pretty much the way we played Dobbie at Wembley, in the final. Only Dai wants to spend, spend, spend, he always has done, that's Dai's answer to the problem, and I do think it's irrelevant that Moor and Lita are not playing, Lita's first touch is shocking, and he's out of his depth in a passing side, as when he receives the ball the movement breaks down, as for Moore, when will he ever get moving, he's not done so at his previous clubs, so yes I don't see these two as the answer, just mistakes again in the transfer market, we will hopefully learn from!............... please log in to view this image
Phil the referencing amounts to the same thing, where the hell does he expect us to get a player with abilities of a Rooney or similar on the constraints we have ? I mean every bloody team is looking for such a player to be on the books! We must do it the Swansea way, not on a pundit who just watches us in one bloody game! How the hell does he expect us to match the current champions when they have quality players in every aspect of their club? Christ we had people on here thinking about some of their youth players on loan, the reason is that their youth are better than much of our first team ! As much as I liked pleat when he played, his opinions on the swans after watching just one game on tv is like every other lazy pundit, they watch the game and then say we should have done this, we should have signed that player, we need a player like that and so on, all of course with the benefit of hindsight! For me and I know many others, I prefer the Swansea way!
On what basis is your assessment of Lita made, Phil? He has done more than enough in his time on the pitch since arriving to justify a start, however BR recognises what you, Dai and others seem to be missing; Danny Graham has been OUTSTANDING for us in every game since Arsenal. He has 4 goals in 6 games, he holds the ball up successfully, wins more headers than any other player on our team (CBs excluded) and is a handful for any defender. Yes, Vidic and Ferdinand kept him fairly quiet, but, hang on, did you just read what I just wrote? FERDINAND and VIDIC, one of the best center back partnerships in the world! "your goals predominately come from Strikers, not wide men, that's why they are called 'Strikers'" - ahem, actually, they're not called strikers, they're called center forwards, and Danny fills the center forward role better than any other center forward that I have seen at our club in the past twenty years, and I include Scotland in that comparison. The brilliance of our system, when it works, is that our wingers can be just as threatening in front of goal as our CF. That is why it is astoundingly ignorant of the commentators to say that we play with a 4-5-1, when in actuality our system is massively flexible, and brings any number of positions into play during attack.
My assessment of Lita has come from the same games that you and I have both watched, and his first touch is chronic, and I have my doubts as to his suitability with our passing game, I've said before apple, that I'm not knocking Graham, he's the best we have, but will it be enough, by the way your splitting hairs over the 'Striker' 'CF' term, it's purely a choice of label for the same position, either one you choose, our Strikers, or Center Forwards (Same Thing) need the required intelligence and speed, at this level, and I don't see Moor or Lita, fitting that!.................. please log in to view this image I appreciate that our 4-5-1, is flexible apple, but clearly it's not flexible enough on times, Martinez switched between 4-5-1, and 4-3-3 particularly towards the end of games but I don't think it has anything to do with our system, but more like the Personnel, Sinclair has been below par, and Graham is no Borini, and that is why I think that Graham needs competition for the Striker Position, as he doesn't have competition in my view from Lita, or Moor!..............
I have been following this thread with trepidation. Some sensible points raised & some nonsensical ones. What`s the answer, fortunately I am not the manager. Are we predictable in attack ..... yes. Do we vary our play to suit the game in hand ..... no. On the old 606 I was often saying we need more goals, eventually we managed to get the requisite goal difference that led us to win the play-offs. Now we seem to be getting back to the same old problem ........... lack of goals, when needed. When Dyer & Sinclair go tearing down the wings & then cross the ball, either there`s no one there (a waste) or Graham`s there alone surrounded by 3 or more defenders (also a waste). We need more players available in or around the penalty area to support Graham or to be available when the ball is crossed. The tippy tappy pass pass ethic is all well and good, but there are times when a more direct approach is needed. Rangel`s slip for the goal is an example where a hefty boot away would have been the more responsible reply, albeit with hindsight. We had more space to work the work last season, in this division space is more at a premium, if at all. I`m still out on Graham, yes he works his socks off, yes he`s scored a few goals lately, but sometimes he does feel out of his depth. This is not a criticism of him, I think he needs more support at the sharp end. This is where Dobbie was so good last season, little Joe could play the part of the support "striker" a bit more, if Brendan allowed for it in his plans, this would create more scoring opportunities. But at the end of the day, we need to make more use of our chances and we need more goals. What do goals make ............ winning (possibly).
well said swainseye, jager have you ever played the game????????????? by your comments i would say no, no offence but your views are nothing short of pathetic. if the 4-5-1 is always to be played then get Dobbie starting, he isnt afraid to shoot from 25 yards
Well said swainseye, I'm glad it's just not me seeing Graham struggle, there's no doubt in my mind that dannyboy puts in 110%, but yet it seems to me it still falls short of what's needed, and I'm of the opinion that what DAVID Pleat has said is quite frankly, all too obvious, well to some of us maybe. I also agree with more bodies in and around the box, but by the time we do, do that, the opposition have flooded the box, and all is lost!...................... please log in to view this image
Musty actually I have played the game! I have also been to games and regularly do watch the swans train as its about 2 miles from my house ! And I notice by your response you don't offer anything in debate, just saying my opinion is pathetic , what you don't say is why is it so ? And why the hell are you telling me about dobbie and the 4-5-1 or more a variation of that ? I am not the manager ffs Brendan is, he makes the team choices not me !
what absolute rubbish, Vidic and Ferdinand - Ferd is old and any striker worth his money can get Vidic sent off in 15 minutes, u obviously like poor quality if u think DG is the bees knees, The brilliance of our system, when it works, is that our wingers can be just as threatening in front of goal as our CF. yeh it aint working
