Rival watch

[notsosmartspur]

I don't think that we're short on the wings. We've got better back-up there than up top.
Townsend, Sigurdsson and Dempsey are all capable out wide and we've got Pritchard sitting in the reserves, scoring every bloody game.

Well thats not difficult...we haven't got any!

I take it you watched Sig yesterday when he was out there?? , and Demps is also rubbish out wide, no pace, I just don't see how you can sit there and say that.

I'd have to take better advice on whether Pritchard or Townsend are up to this level yet.

 

[PleaseNotPoll]

I take it you watched Sig yesterday when he was out there??

Out where? He appeared to be playing behind Dempsey to me, though he may as well have not been on the pitch, for all the contribution that he made.

Dempsey's good in a wide position when he's played with an overlapping full-back and two strikers and allowed to pressure defenders in possession and drift inside on attacks.
That's the role he played for Fulham last season and he was extremely effective at it.
Using him on the left with Naughton behind him and a packed central area is not going to get the best out of him.

 

[notsosmartspur]

Out where? He appeared to be playing behind Dempsey to me, though he may as well have not been on the pitch, for all the contribution that he made.

I watched the itv highlights earlier and the couple of times Sig had it he was out left...and lost it! You some up his general contribution very well, so you're forgiven for missing it!

Comparing Fulhams play with ours now doesn't work for me. Demps has had to cover there the odd time and I've seen nothing to inspire me, but there you go!

 

[PleaseNotPoll]

QPR's chairman has been crying about people attacking him on Twitter, claiming that he'd leave the club if he couldn't sort things out.
Redknapp's rather more pragmatic approach to the problem? "Get off Twitter"! Can't fault his argument there!

 

[Spurlock]

What position does he play Roo?

Plus I think the buck stops with Levy and his short arms.

No doubt AVB will have presented his wish list....I believe this due to his apparent and well publicised interest in his compatriot Moutinhio. With that in mind I reckon this wish list probably contains a striker of the same calibre therefore probably a 15+ mill striker.

This is where the short arms are costing us not AVB.

Then again maybe that striker just isn't available. AVB is probably of the thinking that short term fixes are exactly that, short term...whilst he is here for the long term so may as well wait for the Summer..in the meantime his job is safe and rightly so.

I think we can get 4th...but even 5/6th for AVB is ok in his first season of many..in the grand scheme of things.

In the meantime he has instilled enough belief in me by some of our performances that he can have us right up there fighting for CL footy every season. Squad depth can bring us cup success too...but nothing to do with his tactics.

 

[NSIS]

There are bargains out there in January as the likes of Michu and Cisse have shown ( I actually think Cisse is a good striker who is having his confidence destroyed by Pardew's incompetence)
Unfortunately, the longer it's left in the window, the more chance there is of being held to ransom, or rushing into a panic buy.

 

[No Kane No Gain]

I watched the itv highlights earlier and the couple of times Sig had it he was out left...and lost it! You some up his general contribution very well, so you're forgiven for missing it!

Comparing Fulhams play with ours now doesn't work for me. Demps has had to cover there the odd time and I've seen nothing to inspire me, but there you go!

Sigurdsson and Dempsey have both done well on the "left", in a similar way that Modric and Kranjcar did as they use it as a starting point and then ignore any attempt at proper wing play in favour of always drifting inside to cause probems. I think we should have moved on from that since we played Modric and Niko out there, leaving the left wing all to Benny. On the right I think Sigurdsson's actually done a good job there before but yesterday is his supposed best position he had a stinker. I don't think he's good enough to establish himself in our squad at the moment but he is good enough to establish himself as a Premier League quality player which is why I'd quite like to see him go out on loan for the rest of the season.

 

[Roo]

What position does he play Roo?

Plus I think the buck stops with Levy and his short arms.

No doubt AVB will have presented his wish list....I believe this due to his apparent and well publicised interest in his compatriot Moutinhio. With that in mind I reckon this wish list probably contains a striker of the same calibre therefore probably a 15+ mill striker.

This is where the short arms are costing us not AVB.

Then again maybe that striker just isn't available. AVB is probably of the thinking that short term fixes are exactly that, short term...whilst he is here for the long term so may as well wait for the Summer..in the meantime his job is safe and rightly so.

I think we can get 4th...but even 5/6th for AVB is ok in his first season of many..in the grand scheme of things.

In the meantime he has instilled enough belief in me by some of our performances that he can have us right up there fighting for CL footy every season. Squad depth can bring us cup success too...but nothing to do with his tactics.

who mate?

completely agree with all of that Dona

 

[notsosmartspur]

Sigurdsson and Dempsey have both done well on the "left", in a similar way that Modric and Kranjcar did as they use it as a starting point and then ignore any attempt at proper wing play in favour of always drifting inside to cause probems. I think we should have moved on from that since we played Modric and Niko out there, leaving the left wing all to Benny. On the right I think Sigurdsson's actually done a good job there before but yesterday is his supposed best position he had a stinker. I don't think he's good enough to establish himself in our squad at the moment but he is good enough to establish himself as a Premier League quality player which is why I'd quite like to see him go out on loan for the rest of the season.

Sorry YV, not getting into it, said my bit! the only thing I agree with there is that having watched Sig when he's played, I've still no idea what his best position is either??...apart from the bench of course! The last time I saw him "do well" he was in a Swansea shirt!

 

[Roo]

Sigurdsson and Dempsey have both done well on the "left", in a similar way that Modric and Kranjcar did as they use it as a starting point and then ignore any attempt at proper wing play in favour of always drifting inside to cause probems. I think we should have moved on from that since we played Modric and Niko out there, leaving the left wing all to Benny. On the right I think Sigurdsson's actually done a good job there before but yesterday is his supposed best position he had a stinker. I don't think he's good enough to establish himself in our squad at the moment but he is good enough to establish himself as a Premier League quality player which is why I'd quite like to see him go out on loan for the rest of the season.

for me neither of them can play as wingers. The problem, is that our game and style heavily depends on it. the minute we lose the pace threat on either side, we're a different team. the drifting inward is just as bad as when Lennon and Bale swap sides, IMO. we're not a team who's good at breaking down tight situations, and we're struggling more so with out that person to make the killer pass. For me, the wide players need to stay wide. it's where we're most dangerous as it creates space elsewhere. Townsend is the only player with those attributes, and he's far from polished. - but he needs chances.

 

[PleaseNotPoll]

I think that Lennon and Bale swapping sides is particularly damaging because we lose all width, especially when Naughton's playing at left-back.
If we only have one out-and-out winger and full-backs that are on their correct sides, then it's not nearly as bad.

 

[notsosmartspur]

for me neither of them can play as wingers. The problem, is that our game and style heavily depends on it. the minute we lose the pace threat on either side, we're a different team. the drifting inward is just as bad as when Lennon and Bale swap sides, IMO. we're not a team who's good at breaking down tight situations, and we're struggling more so with out that person to make the killer pass. For me, the wide players need to stay wide. it's where we're most dangerous as it creates space elsewhere. Townsend is the only player with those attributes, and he's far from polished. - but he needs chances.

There you go YV...I just couldn't be bothered to write all that... Roo!

 

[No Kane No Gain]

for me neither of them can play as wingers. The problem, is that our game and style heavily depends on it. the minute we lose the pace threat on either side, we're a different team. the drifting inward is just as bad as when Lennon and Bale swap sides, IMO. we're not a team who's good at breaking down tight situations, and we're struggling more so with out that person to make the killer pass. For me, the wide players need to stay wide. it's where we're most dangerous as it creates space elsewhere. Townsend is the only player with those attributes, and he's far from polished. - but he needs chances.

Do you really not think our wingers showing more ability to bring the ball inside is a good thing? I think it's what's helped Lennon, in particular, have such a great season so far. When defenders are prepared to double up on them and invite them to cut inside then we have to start taking advantage of those situations or they'll nullify our wingers. Gradually as we cause more problems, teams will become less willing to show our wingers a way inside onto their wrong foot and the space on the wings will open up again. The first thing Evra did everytime Lennon got the ball was cover the wing which meant he was under little pressure on the ball unless he tried to take Evra on down the flank, which is a difficult battle to win.

I don't think the switching wings has ever worked for us although I understand the logic behind it. If we're not troubling a side that's sitting back and defending narrow then it's because our crosses aren't effective so we need to provide another type of threat to that and passing the ball along the 16 yard line, waiting for their defence to part for us, that tends to come from having a player able to hit a shot/through ball with their stronger foot. As we agree though, it's never really worked with our winger, the only thing close is when Lennon and Bale have found themselves on the same wing.

 

[Roo]

Do you really not think our wingers showing more ability to bring the ball inside is a good thing?

Absolutely. But Lennon and Bale are able to play as wingers and get down the wing, as well as cut inside. Dempsey and Sig can't do the "wing" part, and are therefore 1 dimensional. it's read by defenders within minutes and they get a very easy afternoon as our play gets too narrow and we can't break down small spaces.

 

[notsosmartspur]

Do you really not think our wingers showing more ability to bring the ball inside is a good thing? I think it's what's helped Lennon, in particular, have such a great season so far. When defenders are prepared to double up on them and invite them to cut inside then we have to start taking advantage of those situations or they'll nullify our wingers. Gradually as we cause more problems, teams will become less willing to show our wingers a way inside onto their wrong foot and the space on the wings will open up again. The first thing Evra did everytime Lennon got the ball was cover the wing which meant he was under little pressure on the ball unless he tried to take Evra on down the flank, which is difficult.

I don't think the switching wings has ever worked for us although I understand the logic behind it. If we're not troubling a side that's sitting back and defending narrow then it's because our crosses aren't effective so we need to provide another type of threat to that and passing the ball along the 16 yard line, waiting for their defence to part for us, that tends to come from having a player able to hit a shot/through ball with their stronger foot. As we agree though, it's never really worked with our winger, the only thing close is when Lennon and Bale have found themselves on the same wing.

I've seen many times Bale has come inside...straight down a cul-de-sac! unless he's got a shot on for himself, I can't recall he does much else with it...oh, he does try for a free kick if all else fails! Lennon, you do have a point, he is more effective with that, apart from his own shooting!

 

[notsosmartspur]

Absolutely. But Lennon and Bale are able to play as wingers and get down the wing, as well as cut inside. Dempsey and Sig can't do the "wing" part, and are therefore 1 dimensional. it's read by defenders within minutes and they get a very easy afternoon as our play gets too narrow and we can't break down small spaces.

Spot on, it enables the oppo back4 to stay tight across the 18yd line, it narrows the spaces between CB's....the very spaces we're trying to exploit! and if the defence is deep, you can't go over the top and get them turned either!

 

[No Kane No Gain]

Absolutely. But Lennon and Bale are able to play as wingers and get down the wing, as well as cut inside. Dempsey and Sig can't do the "wing" part, and are therefore 1 dimensional. it's read by defenders within minutes and they get a very easy afternoon as our play gets too narrow and we can't break down small spaces.

Ah sorry, we do agree then as that's what I was saying about them playing on the left but on the right I think Sig does okay and he has enough pace to cause a few problems too.

 

[District Line]

Can't understand Levys rationale. Signing a striker would pretty much secure 4th for you lot. He'd earn that back in CL revenue alone. Something will get done. Defoe is the only competent striker you have.

 

[Boss]

Can't understand Levys rationale. Signing a striker would pretty much secure 4th for you lot. He'd earn that back in CL revenue alone. Something will get done. Defoe is the only competent striker you have.

More money in the bank for ENIC and we sign a player for 1.5 million that could be worth 10 million plus.

 

[Spur of the Moment]

Apologies if reported elsewhere but it seems that the Goons have opened formal talks with David Villa £13.8m and £110,000 per week..... 30 years old and just back from serious injury.
Was a top player, but even in our desperate situation that doesn't sound like good business.