Liverpool game

I agree. Someone else taking the pressure off him may help him score a few too.

 

Should have got Darren Bent, half the cost of Carroll.

 

Yeah i would of prefered him. The snobery from top clubs towards him does bemuse me.

 

True. I'm really hoping and reasonably positive we'll get a big signing in Jan. The new owners have come out and said if we need players we can buy - so it should be solved soon.

 

I'll agree with both of you. He definitely has a track record of scoring, and I think you're bang on in suggesting he needs more of a set-up role rather than being relied on as the central goal scorer. I honestly believed he and he-who-shall-not-be-named would make for a great partnership, but they've never found chemistry and the rest of the squad plays a worse brand of football when 9 comes on. I honestly think you'd do better with him in if there weren't so many high balls played forward.

 

I think we will get something out of the game, to me Liverpool are not convincing at all, and if im honest i think suarez has been rather ****e and is overrated. 5 goals in the league this season is terrible for someone who is meant to be so good. we are 1/2 way into the season and hes not done anything really to justify the praise he gets

 

Krul
Simpson Williamson Colo Santon
HBA Cabaye Tiote Guttierez
Vuckic
Ba

Would be my ideal team. But I doubt he'll even start Ben Arfa, let alone play him on the right wing.

 

We've had Shola on the right wing in the last two games, a very clear message HBA is not going to play out wide.

 

This! I've never seen anything to show that he's unbelievably good. Not for Liverpool anyway!

 

If VDV can play at RM for Spurs today, I think that demonstrates Pardew should maaaybe be more openminded about HBA playing there too (since we really don't have a lot of options at the moment). Not that because Rednapp does something tactically means it's right, I only mean that they are similar players with similar strengths and weaknesses.

EDIT: What Shola at RW better demonstrates is that we need another RW option brought this coming month.

 

I think he should be used there but only if we're short of natural wide players. van der Vaart happens to hate playing on the right and if you watch he cuts inside all game and offers no width. Definitely need another RW option though.

 

For me, basically, Ben Arfa at RW and Vuckic behind Ba is better overall than playing Obertan at RW with Ben Arfa in the hole.

 

Completely agree with everything said. That's also part of what makes them such similar players, but I think the wheeler dealer is just more openminded about positioning to try and get his best 11 players on the pitch, for better of worse sometimes.

 

I like Vuckic but couldnt possibly agree given how little we've seen of him. Would his debut have been so impressive if he hadnt had those two long shots?

 

Agree, he hasn't played or shown enough to have proven he deserves a spot yet. And he did disappear for too much of the West Brom match; but, I think it's unfair to not count those long shots, because they were good efforts that deserve credit.

 

They were impressive and took some brilliant technique, but I think they make his performance look better than it was.

 

We've seen what Ben Arfa can do on the RW, holding the ball and inviting the defence to come and get it and then just dancing his way through them. I'd be more than happy to see him playing there.

 

I see what you mean, but (and a significant part of this is the two shots, yeah) he looked more of a threat on goal than Obertan has this season, in my opinion.

 

Definitely, yesterday was Obertan's first shot on target all season. But then I suppose as a right footed right winger he should be mainly concerned with assists.


Also, I had absolutely no idea Vuckic was left footed, having seen his fantastic pre season curler with his right.

 

He's definitely going to be a decent player, hopefully we'll get a cup run for him to feature in.