Kojo

Had a lot of stuff to do yesterday so I couldn't reply back, just got back from college now so I can reply. I think Cahill has been a good buy, he can make the odd mistake, but has still been very consistent regardless. We paid 7 million for him and he's still going to be useful for at least another 4 years or so, whether that's back up or rotation, 7 million is a good buy. Demba Ba will depend. We need a striker like Ba, in fact he could be brilliant for us had we of had the right players. If we had a natural main striker, deep lying forward type, we could then rotate Ba when we need him. Sometimes when we take the game to the other team and attack with possession football it doesn't work, so we have to bring on the likes of Moses to add more width, then who else do you want to bring on? Ba, eitehr for the striker or a defender, depends which way the game is going, you take that risk. Demba Ba anticipates everything, he will put his life on the line to get a goal, he is one of the biggest Ariel threats in the league. Only thing is he will never score goals in possession football, he doesn't have a good enough first touch, it's not his style. Ba was a target man at Newcastle, but here we brought him in to be a poacher, because he doesn't have to work as hard. However the main problem is, we don't have a natural striker for Ba to rotate with.

Well take my word for it but I didn't necessarily mean Eto'o is a poacher, i was just making a point. I'm just really that lazy and I've made such large posts today I couldn't be bothered making another huge one to explain. Lewandowski is someone I've always wanted, Cavani is someone who would do well because of his anticipation and link up play, he's also a work horse, Lewandowski can be similar except he's not such a hard worker, he's a better footballer but just like Cavani he would put his life on the line to score a goal. I don't think we necessarily need a 40 millions worth striker though, that's my point. I would just bring in someone who can play the suitable deep lying forward role.

Don't worry about it, I'm sure we will sign Isco, Ozil and another 10 CAM's in January, that should fix the problem.

WAT?

Jesus christ when I seen you post I expected it to be some hateful message towards Eto'o. However you are spot on, it's far too much of a coincidence, I didn't want the Eto'o transfer in the first place because I don't think he can fit into the team. We need a deep lying forward, I don't think we can play with a poacher because we don't give a poacher enough space, we seem to just all bombared up front so a poacher would be really pointless. If you seen Eto'os movement you would've noticed he had to stand on the edge of the box, that's what people have been moaning at Torres for, and that's been going on for over a season, wow what a coincidence. We aren't as direct as we used to be, we like to take the game to them and no poacher is going to come here and play well. We don't need a world class striker, we just need a good striker who can work hard and can link up with the play, also a preferable physical striker. Just like Bayern (who are known as the best team in the world currently) have Mandazukic as there first team forward.

We didn't win, but I don't really care because if we had won the game everyone would have been praising the performance to death, and if we had lost like we just did everyone wants to burn the club down to the ground. I accept the defeat, I think we will still qualify and come back stronger, this isn't the end, this can be a positive, so win or lose we are still going to succeed. EDIT: By the way whoever is posting the football feed needs to give there head a wobble.

We where great at keeping the ball this time, it really does make a big difference when Ramires isn't playing. I wish he never took Willian off, he was making the difference and he was the biggest threat out there, they had seemed to gain confidence since he went off.

He's playing well but at the same time having a disaster. Once again it's just not working for our strikers is it? Plays well all game and then doesn't mark his man. What I would give to have Didier back in his prime.

Ah for fuck sake, what's the point.

We shouldn't of took Willian off in my opinion, he was the only one who looked like creating something, now we have little width.

I haven't been that happy with this performance, we aren't creating enough chances. Can see them getting the draw now.

I at least thought Carragher would be a good pundit, but he's not even that, how the hell did he get the job?

I at least thought Carragher would be a good pundit, but he's not even that, how the hell did he get the job?

Oscar LOVES champions league

De Rossi is an excellent player, but you can't think so technical, you have to except facts that moving to a different league with no players who are from your country and don't speak your language isn't going to have an affect. It all comes down to mentality, technical skills come down to mentality, you have that instinct to cross a ball, truth be told technical skills don't exist it's your mentality such as creativity, decision making and flair what spark such technical skills. I don't think going out and buying more players is a good idea, it's time to settle down now and establish a team. We should put more faith into the youth, It has definitely improved over the years there is no doubt about it. We didn't have youth players 5 seasons ago like we do now, you can bring up the Stoch or Kakuta argument all you want but they were always overrated individuals who had one good game. Ake looks brilliant, he did really well in the 3 games he played, Chalobah shown what he was capable of at Watford and McEachran was excellent for us when he was playing a lot more 2 seasons ago, but didn't manage to pull it off in his loan moves. But it all comes down to the concept of all this, and the conclusion is should we be a Madrid or a Barcelona? That's not necessarily meaning we should go and train a Spanish team and look for new Messi's, or even spend 80 million on players instead. It's just a broad statement and nothing you need to over think, I genuinely think we should show more trust into our players and youth, because that's what makes a good TEAM. And I also think we are in a position where we can do it, the only debatable things are striker position and double pivot, we MIGHT be in trouble.

How do you rate Falcao? I assume you think he is one of the best strikers in the world right now, and with good reason to think so. What would you say if we signed him for 80 million? When we could have bought Ronaldo or Bale instead? In a fair realistic viewpoint that would be an average signing. It doesn't mean the player is average, it just means the signing is average, as I said from a logical perspective. Ramires worth 21 million? I don't think he is. I would say the price tag is an average signing for the club overall, we didn't get him for a bargain and he isn't a world class player, so I would put it in the middle and call it average. Ramires has been a great addition to the side, he has proven to be vital the past two seasons, but lets look at the long term project here. Ramires will probably finish his prime when he hits 30, losing his pace will affect him big time. He's a defensive minded attacker just like David Luiz is, Ramires relies on his pace and it's his confidence. He's also very average as a footballer at times and has proven to be very sloppy. In the big picture he can let us down big time when he loses the ball, it isn't just one ball lost on the stat board, it's affecting the team morale and the way of the game for us. We are attackers, we aren't upwards and downwards like Spurs, we like to keep the ball and that's our game, or what we are trying to implement anyway. Ramires has large affect on that sometimes, his first touch can be very bad and it costs us in games because teams put pressure on him. I think overall Ramires is an average signing, but I'm not being disrespectful, he has been a legend for what he has done the past two seasons. But I'm looking at the bigger picture here.

Ramires is a strange one, he seems like an average signing, I mean we actually paid up to 21 million for him in pounds. But at the same time he has been vital the past two seasons. Ramires's problem for me is that he doesn't have competition, that's why he is so sloppy at times, he's not the greatest footballer but he would do better if someone could actually replace him. Unfortunately we don't have many good midfielders to replace him with. So he's going to start every game and he knows it. If we could rotate Ramires with another player that would work very well, but that doesn't mean we have to sign someone else it really doesn't. Van Ginkel and McEachran are still in the team. Yes they aren't exactly the same type of player but that doesn't matter, Van Ginkel looks like a hard worker and a good player overall, McEachran needs more time, Middlesbrough was a bad move. I hate excuses, but this is my opinion on McEachran, anyone who doesn't rate him that's fair enough I can't shoot you down for it. John Obi Mikel, I think everyone knows I don't rate him, but show faith in him? Maybe it's the right thing to do. What pissed me off about Mikel is that he proved he was a passenger, he has very little determination and heart. Most players jump at the chance to get in the team when they can, Mikel was half arsed. But one thing I respect is that he has been here for a long time, he has played many games, he can still be of use to us as he has that experience. Maybe giving him some time can help him in the future. I don't think any player in the double pivot can be a passenger, because the pivot MUST be of key players, their are no additional players in a 2 man midfield. Perhaps giving him a chance will not be just beneficial for him but for the team in general, we have to think more about it here, we can't just keep replacing players with others from another league and country, it has many effects, someone like Mikel has already been in the team for years he knows the club and he knows the players, he's also obviously going to be respected amongst his team mates, I say we give him a chance this season.

What the F? I take it you didn't bother reading my post. I'm not saying over spending is morally wrong. I'm asking if we are spending i the right areas and is spending exacly the right idea? Especially when we could maintain the pressure and gain stability not just in manager but also faith in younger players. An example of this would be like Dortmund, Arsenal and Barca, Dortmund have players like Shmelzer and there right back, yet they still play very well because it's there team, I bet if they went to another team they couldn't do it. Our ball game is buy quality, we see a player performing well at a DIFFERENT club and we buy him, is that wrong? We are already in a strong position with players are we not? So should we go ahead and buy a new midfielder and striker next season? Or do we show faith in other players and give them a chance to flourish into the team. Patience can really pay off, I personally think Arsenal will do well in the future because they have been patient and now they have a good team. Not title challenging but top 4 isn't a bad place to be in this league.

Should we buy a new midfielder next season? Or should we develope others? A team can work hard and play well, maybe we could adapt the likes of Oscar there and keep him deeper. For example play 4 CAMS in the team at once, it's something we could do but would it work that's the question. I think going out and spending on a new midfielder will only set us back for another season, maybe I'm over exaggerating but I think if we want to be superior rather than being a Real Madrid we should stick to our players now and adapt them into a new system, a system we can all play.

It's me driving them away, sorry mate.

WTF, it's my first post in the thread today. Can you put your hatred for me to one side for once.

CHOULO you where the one who started the whole Stats debate, and now you're trying to prove it wrong just because people have now started to use stats against you? Hypocrites at there best.

Jesus christ where have you been? welcome back mate, it's been a long time.

I still think Van Ginkel will have a role here, he played many times during pre season, that wont be for nothing.