Here I believe is where our dilemma lies. I am not saying anything that nobody knows but after todays game just wanted to get it off my chest. Because our front four is so poor the ball just keeps coming back. Thus creating additional pressure on now what will be certainly a defense under extreme pressure. If you look at maybe two other teams that you would consider going into this season that would be around us West Ham and Southampton have reached the higher echelons this season so far due to there front men. West Ham's defense particulary doesn't look that strong but when you have their two front guys causing you all sorts of problems it takes the pressure of them. Pace and power of Sakho and Valencia is exciting to watchand obviously very effective. Now compare them to Fletcher, Wickham, Altidore and Graham. Our strategy at the moment as our season seems to move from a solid one to a weak one that we have to get by to January as much intact as possible. The one up front like today throws the initative to other team. Wickham looks as though if he runs out of hair gel he will be off any second. In January Congerton has to come through....if not dispense with him and give his role to Gus. If I was Gus and my nuts were on the plate for performances and it isn't rectified then I would have to give the position he is serious consideration. I know there is a long way to go yet but we are just carrying deadwood up front. Gus is paying for the sins of previous managers but he has got to step in or he is going to be under a lot of pressure. I believe we can't wait till next Summer to wait for addtional funds from the Premier League to finance future purchases. We need strikers to score goals. Wickham if he hasn't committed to a new contract soon which I don't believe he will in anycase should be easy to move on as will Altidore moving him to the MLS. So at least two slots should be open. Let's get this sorted now!
I don't think Altidore will be going to MLS, mate. Klinsmann said during the last international break that he didn't want any more U.S.A. players coming back there. He wants them to stay in Europe and gain wider experience. But still, Altidore's reputation in Europe isn't at all bad and I agree that he won't be difficult to move on.
He's flopped in Turkey, Spain and England twice. His reputation is shot to **** aside from as an international player. We'll get pennies for him.
Bulls**t. He played in Spain as an 18 year-old fresh out of New York Red Bulls. He played very few games there. He played at Hull as a 19 year-old with little European experience and found himself outclassed in the EPL - big surprise, eh?, and was only at Bursaspor for 12 games. His real European career began at Alkmaar, and he was a considerable success there. At Sunderland, he's been played out of position for almost his entire stay here. He'll be fine when he gets away from Poyet who seems obsessed with the idea of turning him into a Nat Lofthouse type centre-forward.
He's been playing up front for us because he's a centre forward. What position should he be played in There may be reasons to him flopping in Spain, Turkey and England the first time round but he flopped all the same. Villareal took a look at him and shipped him out, while he was shipped out to Hull, he did **** all, while he was shipped out to Turkey he did **** all. He did well in Holland for two seasons but aside from that his career has been disappointing by any centre forwards standards.
Jozy Altidore has never been a centre-forward in his entire career until Poyet tried to force him into it. If you'd care to watch any U.S.A. game, he plays a freer role generally to the left of a main striker (or centre-forward) i.e. Donovan and then Dempsey. It's more akin to an inside-forward than to a centre-forward role. Whether he "flopped" in Spain and Turkey or at Hull as a raw 18 or 19 year-old or didn't has little relevance to a 24 year-old now with 70 caps to his name. The fact is, Poyet has played Borini to the left (who desperately wanted to prove himself as a striker to Rodgers) he's played Wickham to the left (who is only a centre-forward and has never wanted to be anything else) in fact, he'll play anyone to the left except Jozy Altidore who naturally plays to the left! I really want this player to leave here in January. If he doesn't, I think Gus Poyet will ruin his career for him. I'm not apportioning blame. Sometimes in life two perfectly decent people meet, and for some reason are totally incompatible. And I never, ever want to see Altidore and Poyet at the same club again. It just isn't going to work.
Altidore has no pace or ball control, he is not alone in this squad, but he is one who contributes the least to the team, its not where he plays its how he plays .
Well it's a good job Klinsmann isn't Short or Jozy. I think we'll except an offer from whoever matches our valuation, chances are it will be a MLS team, Jozy isn't happy, if that's the only offer on the table I think He'll take it. **** all to do with Klinsmann ultimately.
Totally right here. Wasn't Klinsmann saying prior to that Altidore should be playing for one of Europes big clubs and not Sunderland? I think he will end up at somewhere like New York Red Bulls or maybe DC United through our new partnership agreement with them. If he goes that route hopefully get some of our investment back. We need goal scorers desperately so lets sign good ones. It will kill us if we have one and he only scores one or two a season. What about bringing Darren Bent back in January for a loan till end of season? I don't care who it is....just want the goals!!!
He did and it didn't happen and by the looks won't happen. I said it in the summer and I was blasted saying he wouldn't come but he's not getting games, I think he'd come on loan in Jan and that's Lukas Podolski. He's in his prime, he can score and atm he's either sat on the bench or shoved on the left.
Podolski would be a great signing for us in January. It would give the whole place a lift. Wonder what the finances are like at Blackburn? May be put an offer in for Jordan Rhodes......
If there was any value in signing Rhodes he'd be in the Premier League by now, it's a similar step up that Jozy and Connor had to do so there's nothing Guaranteed. He'd be a big risk at the sort of money they're asking which will be why nobody will take the risk on him. After Connor and Jozy I'd like a safer option is at all possible. I'd love Gyan back more than anything, he'd be perfect for us, but it just ain't going to happen.
I was under the impression that Landon Donovan has spent his entire career, internationally, in Germany, in the US and in England as a second striker/trequartista or out wide. I could be wrong there, I must have caught him out of position every time I've seen him play. Dempsey spent his career in England at Fulham and Tottenham as a left sided forward as well as a second striker, that I know from watching, he's recently moved forward for the US. You're right to an extent, who cares if he flopped six years ago if he's since gone on to be successful, which he unfortunately hasn't. At the highest level he's utterly flopped for us and shown that he hasn't developed a great deal at all. I don't think you can really say someone's career hasn't started until they begin playing well, I don't think fans of Villareal or Hull would consider that the case either. To play out wide first and foremost you either need to be able to make space for yourself to put in a ball, be able to take men on and then put in a ball or to be able to take men on to come inside and strike it. Jozy is immobile, he's incredibly weak for his size, when he tries to dribble he trips over the ball and he's shown no ability to put in a cross or strike the ball. Putting him out wide would be a complete waste of time and actually detrimental to his game as all he actually offers are the flicks and lay offs to those around him and you'd lose that out wide. Connor Wickham was considered a wonderkid due to his form for ipswich, tearing up the championship... From the left wing. Borini has the pace, movement, energy and running that makes him a very decent wide forward, his goal scoring ability just isn't there as a centre forward. I think we see very different things from football. Jozy will hopefully go back to Holland or the MLS, basically a B league as he will never have what is required of him at the top level.
I was under the impression that Landon Donovan has spent his entire career, internationally, in Germany, in the US and in England as a second striker/trequartista or out wide. I could be wrong there, I must have caught him out of position every time I've seen him play. Dempsey spent his career in England at Fulham and Tottenham as a left sided forward as well as a second striker, that I know from watching, he's recently moved forward for the US. You're right to an extent, who cares if he flopped six years ago if he's since gone on to be successful, which he unfortunately hasn't. At the highest level he's utterly flopped for us and shown that he hasn't developed a great deal at all. I don't think you can really say someone's career hasn't started until they begin playing well, I don't think fans of Villareal or Hull would consider that the case either. To play out wide first and foremost you either need to be able to make space for yourself to put in a ball, be able to take men on and then put in a ball or to be able to take men on to come inside and strike it. Jozy is immobile, he's incredibly weak for his size, when he tries to dribble he trips over the ball and he's shown no ability to put in a cross or strike the ball. Putting him out wide would be a complete waste of time and actually detrimental to his game as all he actually offers are the flicks and lay offs to those around him and you'd lose that out wide. Connor Wickham was considered a wonderkid due to his form for ipswich, tearing up the championship... From the left wing. Borini has the pace, movement, energy and running that makes him a very decent wide forward, his goal scoring ability just isn't there as a centre forward. I think we see very different things from football. Jozy will hopefully go back to Holland or the MLS, basically a B league as he will never have what is required of him at the top level.
Swop Wickham for Rhodes and a bit cash needed in January. Got to try something. How about bring both Gyan and Bent back? If nothing else....should be fun to watch....lol!
Well I don't think Wickham would drop down, he thinks he's a 40k player. Bent is finished and we couldn't afford Gyan, besides, I don't think the fans would want either back.
Just sums up with what's wrong with Whickham. His attitude and at the moment ability.........leaves a lot to be desired....
We lost because we gave every Arsenal player 20 feet of room, kept getting hassled off the ball, had no idea how to move forward, and passing the ball backwards I don't know how many times as well as this 4-1-4-1 formation, so most of the players are backward now officially. I watched WHU yesterday and thought Christ why can't we not play like that ?
