January Transfers -- Speculation & Shit?

[BlindFaith_8]

He hasn't missed out on him because he didn't want him (Butland). And really, how often can you say you've seen him? He's not even at Stoke for the remainder of the season.

I havent see much of him, but then again I never saw much of Joe Hart when he was loaned out, but he was soon being groomed as England's finest. Ok, so not Butland, I would rather have spent the money on a really good keeper and the one I have seen who I think is the best in the premiership is Begovic. he has to be our main target for the next transfer window, Since Lehman's departure we have struggled badly with keepers, and went bargain basement signing with two polish keepers who came on the cheap, ffs even the spuds has the insight to acquire a top keeper and they paid the money, in fact they had 3 top keepers until the Italian one went to play in the MLS and we have 3 shit keepers, your defence can be shit alle QPR but if you have a world class keeper you still have good chance of keeping clean sheets.

[LDG]

As mentioned above these guys aren't young players, they're players well past their mid 20's and now don't really have long to improve. I'm not convinced by any of them, the errors are schoolboy errors and whilst I agree the coaching is poor it doesn't excuse the errors we see week in week out.

We're crying out for leaders IMO, players than organise, lead and stand up to be counted.

I agree with you, and Letters really. These aren't bad players, but they lack leadership and stability, and in lacking the natural leadership someone like Adams or Keown, you rely on training ground dicipline. We have niether.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

I havent see much of him, but then again I never saw much of Joe Hart when he was loaned out, but he was soon being groomed as England's finest. Ok, so not Butland, I would rather have spent the money on a really good keeper and the one I have seen who I think is the best in the premiership is Begovic. he has to be our main target for the next transfer window, Since Lehman's departure we have struggled badly with keepers, and went bargain basement signing with two polish keepers who came on the cheap, ffs even the spuds has the insight to acquire a top keeper and they paid the money, in fact they had 3 top keepers until the Italian one went to play in the MLS and we have 3 shit keepers, your defence can be shit alle QPR but if you have a world class keeper you still have good chance of keeping clean sheets.

I can't trust any keeper that is as heavily protected as someone like Begovic will be, in an extremely defensive team.

What insight have Tottenham shown? They can't decide whether they want to play Lloris or Friedel on a regular basis and neither of them are stopping the goals coming in anyway. Aside from perhaps two, there are no great keepers currently playing and even those are quite often producing howlers.

There are better keeper out there than what we have, there isn't a question about this but this idea that whatever other teams in the league do must be the solution is crazy.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Indeed. And I'm not sure 'England's No. 2' is such high praise when you look at his competition.

How long was Robinson England's No. 1 ffs?

And Green was there too.

[BlindFaith_8]

I wish we had that problem of having two keepers as good as each other and not knowing who to upset on the teamsheet. Wenger never invested in a decent keeper because he assumed with Verms and Merts in the back, they could protect the goalie even if he was a Rami Shabaan type. Just a thought.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

I wish we had that problem of having two keepers as good as each other and not knowing who to upset on the teamsheet. Wenger never invested in a decent keeper because he assumed with Verms and Merts in the back, they could protect the goalie even if he was a Rami Shabaan. Just a thought.

Well how come they keep conceding goals then? It's not that they have two as good as each other, it's more that they don't want to upset the other I think. Plus that kind of constant changing in defence is hardly going to help with attaining consistency if it's a different back five nearly every game.

[Letters]

As mentioned above these guys aren't young players, they're players well past their mid 20's and now don't really have long to improve. I'm not convinced by any of them, the errors are schoolboy errors and whilst I agree the coaching is poor it doesn't excuse the errors we see week in week out.

We're crying out for leaders IMO, players than organise, lead and stand up to be counted.

I've felt for years that player for player our defenders are good enough but they've never been a good unit. We're not drilled as a defensive unit like Graham teams were and while I do wish we were less shaky at the back I wouldn't want us to be so focussed on defence. But there is a middle ground. The individual mistakes are maddening, I don't know if it's the midfield not helping them out enough or coaching them to pass rather than get rid or a lack of concentration.

Agree about a leader, that's been missing for years. I thought Vermaelan would be a good captain but he hasn't been. Wilshere ftw.

[Letters]

I wish we had that problem of having two keepers as good as each other and not knowing who to upset on the teamsheet. Wenger never invested in a decent keeper because he assumed with Verms and Merts in the back, they could protect the goalie even if he was a Rami Shabaan type. Just a thought.

Chez is fine. He needs to stop being cocky and dicking around with it but most of our goals come from defensive not 'keeping mistakes.

[Japan Shaking All Over]

The problem is, that was supposed to be resolved by having Bould or a more pro-active assistant. For whatever reason that clearly hasn't happened, so the only other option to stop the rot that has gone on for years is to bring in top of the range defenders who can do it themselves.

The problem is, that is highly unlikely to happen too, given the price range we buy in. Hummels would be fantastic but let's face it, why would he leave Dortmund for us? It's not going to happen. So that leaves us in a catch 22, where we have to keep outscoring the opposition and so we need top of the range up there to counterbalance the fact we are shocking at the back. But of course, that isn't going to happen either, so we are stuck in the mid-price range, which means mid-price range performances resulting in near or mid-table finishes.

The bottom line is, relegation.

sorry.

I agree with the argument that it may be more down to quality than training. On their day every one of our defenders is able but as a unit there still is a lack of cohesion which I suppose is something we can point the finger of accusation at the management but when it comes down to the sumple art of defending it is the individuals that need to take a look at themselves.

I have seen each Liverpool goal a couple of times now. . .and the first was just pure comedy. . .who was the first guy who fluffed their clearance? The cross was whipped in with pace but it should have never caused the kind of calamity it did. Then there was the second, hats off to Henderson for his bloody mindedness, but he should have been dropped by Santos before he got into the area. It was obvious from the start of his run that he had a start on Santos and Santos should have realised that himself and taken a card for the team, it never would have been red. The bottom line is Santos is too slow, out of shape and lets be honezt not good enough for the PL.

How long are we going to have to suffer the brain farts that seem to haunt and hurt us everytime. Verms against UTD to let RvP in, Kos and his fair share this campaign (even though he isnt starting) - like I have said they all arent bad players and no one is perfect, bad days at the office do happen but I would say more quality is needed. Nacho may have been a step in the right direction, we will have to wait and see but he is only in because of Gibbs getting injured which is a joke but now Gibbs should know his place isnt guaranteed. . .and that he needs to work. . .Santos? . . .history will say he once played for us