I know he can anyway but did Wisdom play at CB last night too? With Sama at RB? (until being sent off) I think Coates' days are numbered TBH
Fair enough, I had it on in the background and wasn't really paying too much attention. I was busy trying to figure out bridging bloody routers
I think we need to look at a starter more than a backup, Skertel and Coates are more likely to be sold, though i'd like the latter given a chance, but it's seems more likely that he'd leave. I have no clue about the Dutch duo and it's best we don't go for them, not least as our 1st choice. Lovren is another player we are often linked with. But he's already been Sent off twice and booked almost every other game, i'd want a more reliable player than that. Howedes(Schalke) would be more ideal, he's 23 and captained the side for 3 seasons now. Has enough CL experience and plays for a top club, but also can be a hot-head at times and inconsistent, but he'd still be a great buy. His contract runs out in 2014, so he wouldn't cost much either, surprised we were never linked to him. Ogbonna is another top defender, he has pace to burn and also the best pass accuracy for a defender in Europe, guess BR would dig that. But there'd be alot of competition for him though.
The thing is though MITO that mentality only comes through actually playing consistent games. Look at Hendo, last season he was a shrinking violet, this season although he has a way to go yet has improved a hell of a lot. The same could be said of Lucas a couple of seasons ago, Carroll last season, who only got going in the last 10 games, Sterling is a good example of how difficult that side of the game is to develop. I don't disagree that he does not look to have used his time at the club wisely, he probably should have bulked up, however where is the management on this aspect? Surely at this level its not down to the players to come to those decisions by themselves? On looking at the Oldham highights again I think Coates is receiving an unfair amount of stick. Admittedly he does not compete well in the challenge with Smith; however, there were 2 possibly 3 errors by others that led to the first goal. Robinson made a complete mess of the clearance, Wisdom didn't do anywhere near enough to stop the cross coming in, and you could argue possibly that Jones could have come for the cross as it was headed in by Smith from 4 or 5 yards out. Whilst Coates did not cover himself in glory with the challenge, the cross was much easier for an attacker to score than it was to defend against. The other 2 goals were shockers from other players, Jones with a complete gift, and the third Sterling loses his man way too easily leading to another great cross coming in, then the Oldham player beats 2 Liverpool players who never even jump! I said it right after the Oldham game(not in defence of Coates I add) but that line-up from Rodgers was shocking; no leadership at all in defence. No Carra (who was not playing then), no Reina, no Agger (although less of a leader), no Lucas to protect an inexperienced defence. To top it off a CB pairing that I doubt had played together before, a unit that had never played together before, and a poor goalkeeper in all honesty to add to it. The message surely that line-up gave was not, man-up, its going to be brutal out there, quite the opposite, I feel a little sympathy for Coates. Tough, tough position to just come into, especially when the unit is so unfamiliar and inexperienced.
I've always thought that Coates strikes me as a young Lucas... he looks really promising but makes some silly errors. Think he will be good one day... but probably won't last long with us... so someone else will see him blossom. "Stuff in the Fridge" sounds good from everyones descriptions.... don't know out about him myself, but if the descriptions of him are accurate sounds good. Ash Williams has been in too many demon movies yielding chainsaws for me to take him seriously as a footballer.
