I didn't really check to see if this has been posted, so apologies if it is old news! http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11704_6998320,00.html Right side of 30, but relatively unknown to myself. Anybody had the luxury of watching him play (and being able to take notice)? I know some of you think a defender is the last thing we need to be looking at right now, but after seeing Roger Johnson leave, and watching our defence fall apart ever since, any addition that is of a positive note is more than welcome to me!
Hi Blue. Had mentioned it in my Freebies post but you weren't to know. Was just making the point that Taylor could fit into the MM style - possession player with good work ethic. http://www.not606.com/showthread.php/56815-Freebies.../page2
i would have thought the squad needs midfielders and attackers before we start to think about defence, which is just about serviceable for the time being. i've come to accept that the squad needs an overhaul and therefore it would be unrealistic to get on MM's back if he fails to get off to a perfect start. he's free i suppose, but free transfers mean higher wages, which mean it can be difficult to move players on if they dont perform (like capaldi or rae), but onwards and upwards
I don't think bringing in a defender early on means MM has not been looking at other players and positions. We do need a defender so why not grab Taylor if he can do the job before someone else does.
I dont agree it was all the defenses problem, if so how do you explain our failure to score in a playoff game, at home!!! against Reading. And thats just one occassion towards the end, failure to even score against 'Boro also comes to mind. Lots of teams manage with an average back 4, but usually have a decent midfield to compensate, we didn't and suffered the consequences. That is not to say there weren't some dire players used at the back, Bywater and Naylor undoubtedly cost us dearly, but that was down to Jones, hopefully Malky wont continue to usae useless sods like them.
Yes you are right we didn't score against Boro or more importantly Reading, but at the end of the day if our defense had been on it and we drew 0-0 again with Reading then we would have had a penalty shoot out on our hands! Lets be honest we need to strengthen all areas of our squad at the moment, I have faith in Malky and reckon he will bring in some gems!
Well in the last 4 games we played we scored just 1 goal, not a good ending. I believe our dissappointments were, and have been for a long time, the midfield. Not good enough, formation wrong, players out of position and DJ to blame and not just the defense.
Several threads have covered this. The defence is not the best, but needs some air cover from the midfield. With all our attacking options last year, no-one had to beat our midfield, it was straight at the defence. Statistically, the more often they are got at the more mistakes they will make. Was Swanseas defence that good or did the 5 in midfield stop most of the attacks getting to them?
Lets be honest our defence was not blameless, but to be fair how many times were they left horribly exposed by the midfield, our "super duper" premiership attack did ok, and when they got the support they deserved they delivered, unfortunately the support was not consistent, I don't particularly want to point the finger, but the midfield didn't perform, they rarely showed, and put the defence under pressure, and failed to grt the ball up quickly enough or often enough to our attackers. OK we have lost a strike force at the moment, but even if we get a decent strike force together, we still need someone to load the bullets for them to fire, and I'm sorry the midfield didn't do that consistently or well enough for me last season.
So we need to find some defensively minded attacking midfielders who can pick a pass and get on the end of knock downs and flick ons. Shouldn't be a problem.
I am more than a little concerned that the strongest part of our side last season was widely seen as our attack which at this point in time has been decimated. I am sure that MM will be more aware of this than me! As to who is most at fault for our defensive frailties, I dont wish to sit on the fence but it is a team game, therefore I blame......... DJ! There were obvious weak links in the defensive unit & DJ did nothing to rectify them. Also with the midfield wasnt it glaringly obvious what the class of Rambo brought to the team, seemingly to me at both ends of the pitch. I know he is now proven at the top level but somebody could do a similar job in the championship surely? I seem to remember that at some point before Norwich got hold of them we were being linked with Hoolahan and Surman? Wouldnt they have made a difference?
