What I don't understand is why don't Southampton just subsidise part of Sharp's wages. I'm sure one of the interested parties would be willing to pay £10-12,000, if not more, so it's not like they have a huge amount to pay him. Certainly less than they do by keeping him there to rot in the reserves. Just seems like a silly tactic to play on their part I suppose!
Id say the rot in reserves is probably an idle threat. Weve heard it before with players but they eventually get moved on one way or the other
That would be a maximum of 62 goals not enough 9/10 to get you promoted. Ross has a mx 20 goals in him, hunt varney and smith haven't 20 goals in them as a collective
That is not a common trend though Josh Hull would have been promoted at least a season earlier had they managed another 10 goals from a striker
Which is why we desperately need some wingers. Not only would they chip in with a few goals themselves, but they'd provide the right kind of ammunition for Hunt/Varney/Smith, who are all good in the air. (I know Hunt is tiny but he's got a hell of a leap on him!)
McD prefers a loan to buy deal ... player has chance to show his mettle and is playing for his future. Interesting to read Tony Pulis' thoughts, he absolutely maxed out the loan system at Stoke and used it to get promotion. He of course continued to use loans in the Prem as well. There will be some pretty useful Prem players available who aren't in their squads, its now about having good scouting reports available to ensure the right choices are made. MK Dons, for example, signed a talented young Chelsea striker who has already banged in 6 in 8 for them ... and half the Championship defences are no better than those in Lge One. In the Prem it is criminal that a players of Moses and Lukaku's ability, for example, are allowed out on loan. It shows how bloated Prem clubs are, and there's talent available for sure ... definitely another Ross Barkley out there.
I get very confused by the "we need a winger" argument. What do you mean by "winger"? Someone who dances up the wing every now and then when they get the ball, but just stands around doing nowt the rest of the time? This concerns me greatly. A player like that adds nothing. I don't know what you mean by "winger". When I think of a winger, I think of someone who has speed, skill on the ball to dribble, and a great ability to pass or cross the ball directly to someone who is already destined to arrive at the precise place at the precise time the ball will arrive there. But that's not a winger to me. That's a footballer. Every player should have those attributes, except the the added element is the trickery to dribble with the ball at one's feet and ghost past a player that confronts you. In today's game, I have not seen a player like that. Everyone is so fit, and tactics are so good, that time and space is denied. So what do you mean by winger? Or, I will put it differently, what do I want in a winger? I want them to be 1. amazingly fit so they can run back to tackle and cover the midfield / defence when they need to be a team player 2. strong in the tackle 3. fearless in getting the ball 4. fast on the ball 5. great in the air 6. brilliant close ball control 7. superb passing and crossing ability to pinpoint a spot and deliver the ball exactly there 8. unrivalled peripheral vision so they know how and when to get in space precisely so that their players can pass the ball easily to them at all times, so they can understand where the opposition are in order that they know if they have the time to control the ball or must lay it off perfectly first time, so they can play the ball to a runner exactly where that runner will be when the ball arrives or they play it to the perfect foot of a player who is stationary or moving slowly This is not a difficult ask, this is what I expect in a natural footballer. There have been many of these. I am not sure there are many now. Numbers 4, 7 and 8 were my forte as a kid, and 7 and 8 I enjoy at my 5-a-side nowadays - if you have those attributes, you never lose them. My problems were 3 (wimp), 5 (closed eyes) and 6 (lack of knowledge on how to hold off players while controlling the ball), and cigarettes at age 13 put paid to 1. My issue is that so many players nowadays have 1, 2 and 3 - the rest is irrelevant. Look at technical countries like Spain - they focus on 4, 6, 7, 8 because they know they can work on the rest, or by using different tactics and coaching styles, can nullify the need for some of them. Why do we continue to put up with cart-horse players, paying them enormous amounts, when all they have is brute force and strength, in this country? It's beyond me
Sheldon, not being funny mate but it seems like your asking for Cristiano Ronaldo but only if he was willing to get back and tackle. When I say winger, there is that certain part of my brain that tells me you don't expect much going back and they generally play with only 1 man up top. What I really want is a wide midfielder, Beckham wasn't a winger and more of a wide midfielder whereas someone like Theo Walcott is a winger. Very different attributes both of those players have yet they can still both be used in different systems very effectively. I also think brute force and strength is starting to leave the game when you go to the top divisions nowadays anyway, all the top teams have very few players with those attributes.
Don't agree with that at all. In an ideal world, all footballers would possess those attributes, but they don't. That's why they play in the positions that suit the attributes they were given. Xavi is a phenomenal player, but he has little pace, so he plays in the middle of midfield and dictates play, because it suits him. Lucio at Inter Milan was one hell of a centre half - great in the air, strong in the tackle, amazingly fit - often erratic distribution, and definitely not what I'd describe as 'unrivalled peripheral vision'. As Josh said, Ronaldo doesn't run back to cover the midfield/defence, Iniesta is dire in the air, Messi is pretty useless in the tackle - there are very, very few players who possess all those attributes, even in the top echelons of world football. You're asking for a fantasy player. I agree, we have spent far too long as a country depending on physical players as opposed to technical ones, and that needs to change, but the salient point is that if you're not fit enough, you will never make it, despite how much technical ability you have. As for what we mean by 'winger' - someone who can add the width, pace and creativity we're desperately lacking in. Someone who is comfortable getting down the byeline and whipping in crosses, because as a team we're pretty terrible at that. Preferably capable of grabbing a goal or two themselves. Burke would've been nice, but I'm sure McDermott knows what he's doing
Our current set up with no wingers and having Centre Mids playing wide they just don't get far enough wide thus leaving space for opponents to go past them and clouding the midfield meaning Murphy doesn't get enough time with the ball. Couple of wingers would open space up for him to create some magic
There are still precious few footballers who possess 4, 6, 7 and 8 in abundance. It just sounds like you're expecting Xavi and Iniesta.
