I mentioned several times during last season how very strict our fitness guys are regarding when injured players return to first team action. In the case of Kaboul and Sandro, both players remain on restricted training schedules and so could not be expected to be playing so far. Benny and Holtby both have niggling injury worries and Paulinho didn't start training with us until about a week or so ago. Adebayor is on compassionate leave after the death of his younger brother.
Maybe Levy/ AVB should give Billy Gallas a call and see how he's doing. Harry Maguire of Sheff Utd is someone I've mentioned before, 19 years old so wouldn't command a regular spot yet but he has the potential to definitely become a top CB. A shame QPR snapped up Richard Dunne, was injured all last season but he's always been a solid CB in my eyes. At 4th choice would be a great player to call upon. To be honest I don't care who we get because after seeing that makeshift pairing vs Monaco, I'd consider taking Titus Bramble to slot in at 4th.
Richard Dunne with our high line would be an absolute bloody nightmare. Very good defender when your back's to the wall and you're pushed back, great at dealing with set-pieces and a good leader. Turns slower than the Titanic currently does at the bottom of the sea and goes to pot when he's going towards his own keeper. Gets sent off and scores OGs.
Thanks OS - as I said all very good reasons why we were unable to select them. Not sure what Spurm thinks is going on - some sort of conspiracy?
If someone offers you a lot more than you think a player is worth (I don't agree by the way) then it is insane to turn it down, even if you have some temporary injury worries.
In a cynical way, the Academy producing players who can be sold at a decent profit if they don't become the next Ledley, is probably up there with producing the next 10 Bales.
Thanks again OS, i had not heard Benny/Holtby injuries nor Adebayor's reasons. That does explain the line up somewhat. I see Defoe went off early. Is he injured now?
Oh don't get me wrong definitely passed his peak and has flaws but I'd still rather him than having to call upon Hudd/ Livermore/ Fryers. Kyle Walker has played CB before in previous pre-seasons for us, THINK he also played a game or two there for Sheff Utd. So if we're desperate that could be an option with Naughton starting on the right.
Based on Walker's defensive performances in his preferred position last year i would rather not see him play at centre back to be honest. I'd rather have Hudd at CB than Walker, and having never seen Fryers play at all i would rather he played there instead of Walker too
Didn't mean to offend you.....but I do expect our staff to be competent and use the pre-season matches as well as they can. Luck seems to be against them this year so far.
I don't believe anyone has been attacking the management as such, in terms of AVB as essentially he can only experiment with the players that are fit and even as someone who doesn't rate AVB that highly, i certainly won't be blaming him if we start the season poorly, the blame only goes his way once we have a full squad to use. My issue is with the way we sell players such as caulker because its "great business sense", yet we have no current replacement after then Zeki Fryers who has never played at premier league level at centre back and Dawson is liable to getting injured. For the past two years we have missed out on the champions league by extremely tight margins, and each season our pre season plans are generally a mess and while a perfect pre season doesn't guarantee success, teams such as city and chelsea (who i expect will be the best two teams this year) have planned for the season ahead practically perfectly and I expect them to benefit from such plans.
Yep, what Boss said. Regarding the line-up i didn't know of 2 injuries or Ade's issues which made the selection seem a bit under-strength considering the depth we are into preseason now. If Kaboul isn't fit enough to partake in preseason then we really shouldn't have got rid of Caulker. I wasn't offended Power, fear thee not.
Chelsea and City have got the resources to ignore £8m here and there. We have not. We do need a replacement for caulker but keeping him for two more weeks so he can play in the friendlies makes no sense. If we don't have a replacement by the Palace match, then it will have been a mistake to sell him.
No offence power but even when I posted that I knew you would mention the resources, yet to say we can't turn down 8 million isn't strictly true, as what chance is there of us turning down 100 million for Bale, zero chance if thats the case, so all madrid have to do is bid and hes off. Also AVB has said he wanted Caulker to be part of his plans (on a number of occasions) and remember last year when Dawson was nearly sold, what sense would it have been to keep him with the squad if he wasn't part of our plans?.....in the end ALOT of sense as he became a crucial part of the team.
I think it is the relativities between the bids and value that matters. If for whatever reason we've decided that Caulker isn't good enough for us then his value to us is very small and 8m can't be ignored. Bale's value to us is massive for all sorts of reasons but I still think there is a price where I would sell and be able to improve the team with the proceeds. No idea what it is though
I'm not convinced the management staff never rated caulker, it was more a case when all centre backs where fit caulker knew he wasn't first choice but AVB would have been happy for caulker to stay so its likely the decision was taken from a financial sense and yes 8 million is clearly a good deal, as long as we have someone to replace caulker, unless its been decided fryers is able to fill his role and the plan was to bring in new centre back (not leaving much time). Either way our planning could be better, regardless of our resources and if this new DOF works out then I would expect us to be planning for next season early, like all the leading teams, not just here but also abroad.
Guys, its all in the other Caulker thread. It was the players wish to leave, he's not first choice and wants every week football, he feels he has a chance of Rio next summer if he does. He also has a non football reason to be in Wales, nothing anyone can do about that one, not that it hindered his time at Spurs, but its easier if he's there. Bale's agent Barnett is his agent aswell, so double whammy!
