Krul Debuchy Taylor Colocini Santon Tiote Cabaye Sissoko Remy Cisse Ben Arfa vs Giaccherini Altidore Johnson Sess Cabral Larsson Colback Brown O'Shea Gardner Mannone Hate to say it but it's still leaps and bounds better. They have proper full backs who are both internationals and very good ones. We have Colback and Gardner. They also have a decent back up left back in Haidaira. Their midfield of Tiote and Sissoko is just too strong. The only midfielder we had who could handle them (which he did in the demo derby), N'Diaye, was foolishly shipped off to Turkey. Sissoko and Cabaye have both proven they are full of assists and goals while we're still searching for the allusive 'man with the keys'. They have two we have none! PDC made a massive mistake letting N'Diaye go. With him i thought we had a chance of finishing above them this season as we were keeping a strong squad. He was looking solid and nullified the powerful midfields of Everton and Newcastle. Instead we've got to rely on awful centre mids like Larsson, Colback, Gardner and Vaughan as back up...all of whom have proven they are useless there. We need this attacking creative centre but even if we do get him we're still behind them! Up front the signing of Remy and possibly Gomis just makes things worse. Ben Arfa and Remy have proven they can handle this league and look very very good. Cisse is a goal scorer and with these two around him will surely find his form. We have Altidore who is massively unproven and Giaccherini who looks similar to Malbranque when he came here and that's not a good thing! I think he's a little washed up and his best years are behind him. He doesn't have any pace and that will cost him dear in this league. Unlike Malbranque he's not really blessed with goals or assists. Worrying indeed! Johnson's lack of pace also costs him and he doesn't have an amazing amount of trickery. Remy and Ben Arfa have pace in abundance. We should have signed Mavrias as back up but again we messed him and his club around and that fell through. Embarassing! DMK and Mavrias would have provided plenty of pace later in a game to cause problems. We should be pushing on finding proper fullbacks and getting in some decent centre mid plus keeping the only half decent one we had! Instead we're trying to give utter crap like Colback a new contract and loaning out N'Diaye and pissing around with full backs. We're still a long way off them horse punchers and we need to sort it! Call me a mag all you want but i'm just pointing out facts!
They weren't that ****ing clever the last time we played them and that's virtually the same team they played whilst we have definitely improved? Always suspected your allegiances were wayward and this confirms it?
Cest, just because someone has a balanced view it doesn't make him a mag. NMG however is clearly an unbalanced mag though.
N'Diaye nullified their midfield as i pointed out and we got a lucky decision at 1 nil. Take off your rose tinted spectacles. We need two full backs and at least two centre mids to compete properly in this league. Another winger would be nice also.
Cabral already looks twice the player Alfie was in that role and an eye for goal; Giacherinni looks 50 times the player McClean will ever be and Altidore/Fletcher/Sessegnon a decent trio of attacking options. We still haven't seen Roberge and Diakite but Karlsson looks handy and Ba looks like he is ready to burst given a chance. We've improved from a winning position and they have added one player? Your rationale is like your opinions on SAFC? A waste of space. I'm not saying we are suddenly world beaters but from the team that finished 2 points and 1 place above us last season, I don't see where 'your' are suddenly top drawer either. We do need 2 full backs but then we've needed a left back for about 6 years now. His views are about as balanced as bus on a knitting needle? He also talks a lot of bollocks most of the time and always negative about SAFC.
I guess we will know the answer next year, opinions are like arseholes, everyone has one! Mine is that there isint much between the teams.
Pretty close. Taylor Solid enough but wouldn't get in our team, can barely get in his own, the Irony of his sentiments considing he's nothing special still amuses me. Tiote and Cabaye, although the Mags like to value them around 15-20, apiece both actually suffered premiership second season syndrome last year and were dreadful. Although I think they'll come through it, there's no guarantee that they won't flop this season. Cisse is ****e, not even gonna debate it And ben arfa isn't guaranteed to be injury free. We are week in the fullback positions and still weak in center midfield. We also have signings to settle and all aren't a sure thing to 'make it'. I think it's level. I also think both squad lacks depth. But our newly installed hunger, fitness and a manager who isn't pardew I give us the slight edge.
I probably think it's about level as well... But last season they underperformed just as badly as we did. If we strengthen the 3 positions - CM and full backs - then I reckon we'd probably edge it. Otherwise I think they will. Still only just, mind. I'm very very jealous of them for getting Sissoko, that man is going to be incredible this season I reckon.
When I seen the bit where this plum said newcastle have proper full backs then I stop reading because both of them can't defend for ****.
Well if you go through the starting 11's: Krul is better than Westwood and Mannonne Debuchy is better than Gardner at rb, but we will be bringing in a rb who I suspect will be better than Debuchy (who didn't really impress me last year) I'd say Brown is better than Taylor Colo is better than O'Shea Santon isn't really a good defender and even our current lb, colback, is much more solid. In terms of all round game I'd probably give it to Santon, but as is the case with rb I'd like to think we can bring in a better lb than Santon Tiote is piss, Cabral is better Cabaye and Sissokho are better than our other midfielders, but we will hopefully be bringing in a class cm such as those two to partner cabral I don't really like Remy on the wing and think he's much better as a striker, so not much there between him and Giacc imo HBA is better than Johnson I'd take Fletcher over Cisse any day of the week And ofc I didn't include Sess as he didn't really match up with anyone on their side, normally he's compared with HBA but Sess plays more centrally. Overall I'd say they have the better team at the moment, but not a "much better" team as you claim. (wtf btw?!) Once we get a rb, a lb and a creative cm I'd say it would be too hard to say who's team is better until we're well into the season. Also something to take into consideration is Pardew. I wouldn't be surprised to see Jonas is the lineup at all. Or Sissokho on the wing.
Hahahaha My mate is a dyed in the wool skunk. He doesn't rate their fullbacks highly. I can't even take the piss out of him about Tiote as he thinks worse of him than I do. And I don't think he is even championship class. He is now waiting for Joekingear to take over from Partridge to totally ruin his new season. He hates Partridge with a passion as well. Hahahaha
pretty sure he's a wum hanging out of ACS's backpocket/arsehole...who was awfully quick on the draw with this one
Would agree with this statement but your OP is way off the mark mate, as Cest has pointed out already, if they were that good how come they were fighting against relegation? Tiote even by most mags admission is rubbish and a like Catts, is a liability with the amount of balls he gives away, not to mention suspensions etc. Don't get me started on that cheating cnut Taylor. Like me, you've probably seen our new look team twice so far, so a bit too early to start making comparisons with anyone.
We sign a full Italian international and you are "Worried" and you think he is "Washed up". Just weird !
The only definite advantage in their favour is that they have at least half a season playing together. Give it until Christmas.
