our scouts

[Mike]

easiest thing in the world to shell out for established players like torres and keane if you can afford it.

but looking at the dross which made up our squad tonight, i'm wondering what the f*** is going on. there doesn't appear to be any general improvement in our 2nd string at all in recent memory.

the joke is this, our most expensive defender and the replacement for steve finnan are so bad they make you miss riise and traore. that isn't a joke.

[Lark]

our two fullbacks tonight were truely s****.

 

is it the scouts or rafa?

 

rafa chose to buy josemi who was also s****.

 

the scouts have pointed the club towards enough talent to help win us the youth cup and stiff league, pachecho and nemeth stand out..but the gulf in ability of our squadies and first teamers is frightening.

[Cam]

It's what we said a couple of weeks back - the squad is worryingly paper-thin; the squad then was missing only Torres, Skrtel & Hyypia and had to be fleshed out with dross on the bench.

 

Is it our fault as fans? Do we hype up players into being "The New Whoever" simply on the basis of a few minutes on Youtube and a desperate need to believe that they are actualy any good?

 

Either play a full kids eleven (for the experience; I know they won't 'do an Arsenal' and perform wonders but they are 10 years ahead of us) or a first-choice team with only 1 kid in there (they'd benefit so much more from playing alongside the superstars).

 

But either way that defence tonight ought to have been strong enough. Okay, a debate over Degen can rage about whether he was bought as first choice or just picked up 'cos he was free but the other three... fecking hell. Agger's been so poor since he came back.

[Mike]

It's what we said a couple of weeks back - the squad is worryingly paper-thin; the squad then was missing only Torres, Skrtel & Hyypia and had to be fleshed out with dross on the bench.

 

Is it our fault as fans? Do we hype up players into being "The New Whoever" simply on the basis of a few minutes on Youtube and a desperate need to believe that they are actualy any good?

 

Either play a full kids eleven (for the experience; I know they won't 'do an Arsenal' and perform wonders but they are 10 years ahead of us) or a first-choice team with only 1 kid in there (they'd benefit so much more from playing alongside the superstars).

 

But either way that defence tonight ought to have been strong enough. Okay, a debate over Degen can rage about whether he was bought as first choice or just picked up 'cos he was free but the other three... fecking hell. Agger's been so poor since he came back.

 

just plain wrong that is.

[Gunga Din]

we've had a fair few fullbacks in since Rafa came

 

Kromkamp, Josemi, Dossena, Degen, Aurelio, Insua, Arbeloa, and lets be honest, with the possible exception of Arbeloa, (and he is no wold beater) they are all average at best, and probably closer to being totally s****

[Mike]

i repeat, why did we let the proven but possibly aging finnan go on a free to bring in the s*** deggen on a free?

[Barnesy_10]

Irritates the f*** out of me when we have these opportunities to pick up young talent. Aguerro and Ramsey spring to mind... Both for cheaper than Dossena cost us..

 

f*** knows what future Nemeth has. Pacheco looked really promising in pre-season.. Wheres he gone?

[Chili Palmer]

we've had a fair few fullbacks in since Rafa came

 

Kromkamp, Josemi, Dossena, Degen, Aurelio, Insua, Arbeloa, and lets be honest, with the possible exception of Arbeloa, (and he is no wold beater) they are all average at best, and probably closer to being totally s****

 

 

Aurelio is a very good left back. thank god.

[MFletcher]

Irritates the f*** out of me when we have these opportunities to pick up young talent. Aguerro and Ramsey spring to mind... Both for cheaper than Dossena cost us..

 

f*** knows what future Nemeth has. Pacheco looked really promising in pre-season.. Wheres he gone?

 

He's playing poorly in the reserves.

[Mike]

very good is pushing it for me.

[johngibo YPC]

Irritates the f*** out of me when we have these opportunities to pick up young talent. Aguerro and Ramsey spring to mind... Both for cheaper than Dossena cost us..

 

It irritates the f*** out of me when people exaggerate to f*** to try and prove a point

When was Aguerro cheaper than Dossena? When he was 12??

[Keita]

Aurelio is a very good left back. thank god.

 

when he is on the pitch

[yellow jumper]

very good is pushing it for me.

 

that's an improvement.

 

just got back. defended dossena on here in the past, but that was one of the most inept, half-arsed performances i've seen from an international footballer. degen was poor too.

 

though el zahr and babel were the only two to come out with any credit.

[Cam]

just plain wrong that is.

Don't think it is. Putting aside the huge, obvious feck-up he just seems... different; slower, less confidence, weaker, dozier. He's had some okay games but then you examine them closer and think "the defence wasn't tested at all". Not having a go at him for tonight - he wasn't helped by the fullbacks - but I've felt it for a couple of games now. And I accept it's early days for him after the injury.

 

However, the situation at fullback has hit crisis point and necessitates a January buy (Carra there for Arbeloa's suspension?). Dossena and Babel simply aren't good enough and whichever scout recommened Lucas, Plessis and Ngog wants firing.

[Mike]

dossena must die

[Barnesy_10]

It irritates the f*** out of me when people exaggerate to f*** to try and prove a point

When was Aguerro cheaper than Dossena? When he was 12??

apologies..... confused with Ronaldo..

[smithdown]

Degen must live

[Lark]

He's playing poorly in the reserves.

 

thought he picked up an injury a few weeks ago? not seen anything of the ressies this season. heard they lost four on the bounce though. sack ablett.

[johngibo YPC]

apologies..... confused with Ronaldo..

 

Ah well you can't blame Rafa for that one!

It was Ged who dodged that bullet

[Cam]

dossena must die

You missed the "t" off the end.

[MFletcher]

Don't think it is. Putting aside the huge, obvious feck-up he just seems... different; slower, less confidence, weaker, dozier. He's had some okay games but then you examine them closer and think "the defence wasn't tested at all". Not having a go at him for tonight - he wasn't helped by the fullbacks - but I've felt it for a couple of games now. And I accept it's early days for him after the injury.

 

However, the situation at fullback has hit crisis point and necessitates a January buy (Carra there for Arbeloa's suspension?). Dossena and Babel simply aren't good enough and whichever scout recommened Lucas, Plessis and Ngog wants firing.

 

Both did fine tonight.

[Maldini]

Lucas was our best player before Alonso came on, but Babel was awful. He kept overdoing it, trying to dribble past 3 or 4 players rather than lay it off. It's getting to the stage where I don't think he's going to make it.

Edited November 12, 2008 by Maldini

[MFletcher]

Lucas was our best player before Alonso came on, but Babel was awful. He kept overdoing it, trying to dribble past 3 or 4 players rather than lay it off. It's getting to the stage where I don't think he's going to make it.

 

He was continually surrounded by two players and was offered f*** all support.

[Zoob]

Babel's decision making has to improve, and there needs to be more end product. But today, when 2, and sometimes 3 players are on him, this obviously means there's space for other players,but tonight it didn't look like any of his team-mates were offering themselves for a pass.

[Stevie H]

Babel's decision making has to improve, and there needs to be more end product. But today, when 2, and sometimes 3 players are on him, this obviously means there's space for other players,but tonight it didn't look like any of his team-mates were offering themselves for a pass.

agree, babel shows little sign of having developed a football brain since he's been with us and his decision making is still really ropey. the ability's still obviously all there but he should be showing signs of a defined role in a side now and he isn't.