Who cares how he plays for Mexico, who are their opponents mostly??? International football bears no resemblance to the PL at all...none, apart from the fact they play on a pitch with a goal at each end. Just how much of this useless player do you have to see to decide...he's useless. "Oh he could be this, he could be that", bollox, he's had many many chances and shown next to nothing of whats required, his EL performances were nothing short of dire, and his billing the new 'whoever' was dreamt up by Barca to sell him....lucky Barca! This thread should be an advert for Specsavers.
I don't want to see GDS starting against Stevenage. This is a massive game for us, a real chance to progress to silverware, not suffer humiliation on national TV. It's a game for strong men like Livermore and Sandro, a game for players who understand the English game and lower league football like Defoe. A game for a quality players like VDV and Modric. I don't expect all the afore-mentioned to play, but I don't want some rag tag and bobtail team trotted out for a humiliating defeat. Re GDS in general, I hope he can contribute something of use in the rest of the season. He may get a chance form the bench, let's see if he uses it. But unless we're 4-0 up with 5 minutes to go, not in the FA Cup please, I want us to win that, defeat is irreversible in that competition.
He played well in the Europa, I would welcome him if that's what Harry goes with. Resting the VDVs and Modrics of the team is absolutely vital with the run in we have.
If we can't beat Stevenage, even resting half our first eleven, then we don't deserve to go any further.
Our first team has suffered national humiliation in the FA Cup at the hands of Southampton and (especially) Leicester in the last ten years... GDS has contributed at times this season, against Shamrock in the Europa and Cheltenham in the FA Cup, when given the opportunity. Bringing him on for five minutes with the game won is a waste - we may as well bring on a youngster (like Cameron Lancaster coming against Wigan the other day) if that's the case. We have a squad, we should utilise it - not doing so cost us a Top 4 place last season, so that's an extra reason against running the first team ragged this season.
My concern is beating Stevenage, not losing and becoming a national joke. I don't want players like GDS playing and risking that, I want a strong team out against Stevenage, so we beat them and progress further. I don't care too much about 'deservedly', I just want us to win the thing.
I want us to win too. But, as HBIC says, we have to utilize our squad to make sure key players are fit, and given proper rest. Not get them kicked into hospital by some plumber who plays football semi-pro. I repeat, even our 2nd eleven should be too strong for Stevenage.
My Team for Stevenage -----------------Friedel------------------- Walker----Kaboul----Gallas-----BAE---- GDS-----Livermore--Sandro-------Bale -----------------Niko-------------------- ------------------ADE------------------- With Rose, Modric (if losing), Saha, Carrol able to come on as subs to change/further the game. I think GDS is amply able enough to cause stevenage problems. There needs to be a mix of strength in terms of 1st teamers, and rotation so that Modric, Bale, VDV etc dont fall apart for the run in.... I want a good FA cup run AND Champs league.
It depends on how we're going in the league and who's fit, but I can see it being quite a different XI against Stevenage. The likes of Nelsen, Gallas, Huddlestone and Saha may all feature, for example.
What I don't get is the idea we should change our game to adapt to a team two divisions below us. Yes, they may be more direct and physical than us, but changing our style of play because of it is counter-productive. After all, none of the other top teams adapt their style of play when facing Stoke or Wolves, and the only team that regularly gets undone by clubs like that is Arsenal - the club with defensive frailties everyone not named Arsene Wenger has been aware of for several years now. We shouldn't turn up with a central midfield of Sandro and Livermore, because a lot of our forward momentum is dictated from the centre of the park, so Sandro and Kranjcar is a better system because they operate in a style very similar to Parker and Modric and because it offers more attacking threat. As for rotating the team, we do need to rotate some players out partly to stop them burning out (which, I will point out once again, hurt us last season), but also because their replacements need match practice. Sandro and Kranjcar aren't much good to us if their roles are reduced to mere cameos, because there will be a point enforced by injury or suspension where they need a run in the team at some point. The squad we have now all seem happy to wait their turn (unlike Pav and Bassong, which is why we sold one and loaned out the other) so if the opportunity to give them a chance arises, we should do so.
I have watched this guy as closely as you have I assure you hbic. In the last WC he was pants imo. PNP - what season do United for more than half of it, play once a week? I would not disagree if we were in Europe and had the games to go round everyone. I'm gonna leave this one here now guys, nuff said from me.
The entire French squad was pants at the last World Cup, that doesn't mean their wentire squad are undeserving a run of a few games in our team. Apart from Govou, whose bloody woeful these days... Besides, if we're going to maximise his value, he needs games. We wouldn't have got £5m for Hutton if he didn't have a run of games last season, after all.
Please don't quote HBIC at me, he hasn't got a clue, and come the game I will expose his joke of a team selection for what it was - a joke. I repeat this is a vital game, and if you think we should play our second eleven, then fair enough, but as with HBIC I'll stick you on ignore, as this is a must win tie, and a mustn't lose game. If you want to risk us being humiliated on national TV, good luck to you, but I want no part of such an approach.
It's a decent team SG, so I won't castigate you, but what is all this about falling apart in the run in? We have four games in February, how the hell do players need rest playing one game a week? No way would I start GDS incidentally, Lennon, Modric or VDV for me, depending on fitness/formation. Also Defoe instead of Niko.
