Allardyce brought us our highest league positions for a few decades so it was a successful era,but he won nowt.

Key players under the Allardyce era to me were Ricketts,Djorkaeff,Okocha,Nolan,Bergsson and even Anelka for his one season.Players who were the difference between us getting promoted/staying up/qualifying for Europe.

There would have be a long list of "key" players for Kevin Davies to make it imo.

 

I think Allardyce and the 4-5-1 system worked a treat when we had skillful players all over the pitch i.e. JJ & Youri, and Ricketts to inject some power & pace coming off the bench. this gave the opposition something to think about, however, now our midfield is so slow & poor they can let them have the ball and feel confident nothing will happen from it. They can then drop deep as we have no pace at all up front and concentrate on marking Davies out of the game and mopping up anything he may occasionally flick on.

 

I think this is partly why Davies has looked much worse this season, however it does not excuse his appalling passing and finishing ability in open play. I also believe this is why Nolan also looks rubbish as in previous seasons it was someone else's job to be creative in midfield, releasing him to make late runs into the box and score more goals. JJ has never been replaced.

Edited March 25, 200818 yr by JimmyRiddle

where is the i totally give up with the ragging numpties on here smiley ??

 

2-3 seasons ago kev d won ever award going players player of the season, fans player of the season, ball boys player of the season, reebokvoice player of the season, piesellers player of the season, goal posts player of the season.

 

he has been the most regular cocnsistent player during possibly the most succesful period in our recent history.

 

 

you lot deserve another george oghani.

 

 

Kev d = legend and this is official.....sorry i forget hierro and his half a dozen games or campo for having silly hair..................................

 

you could wile away the hours talking to the flowers if.....................

 

scarecrows the lot of you !!!

Davies has been bobbins the last couple months. He may have done well in previous seasons but as our lone striker he is simply pap. He cant run, pass, shoot, score, knit. He used to win flick on's but now i'd be surprised if he wins more than 40% of balls, and when he does about 1% of them find another player.

He does however get stuck in, and run back to defend when required. But to be honest, that aint really his job. his job is to score goals, and he's never really done that. In the predicament we are in we need our striker to score goals. simple as.

where is the i totally give up with the ragging numpties on here smiley ??

 

2-3 seasons ago kev d won ever award going players player of the season, fans player of the season, ball boys player of the season, reebokvoice player of the season, piesellers player of the season, goal posts player of the season.

 

he has been the most regular cocnsistent player during possibly the most succesful period in our recent history.

you lot deserve another george oghani.

Kev d = legend and this is official.....sorry i forget hierro and his half a dozen games or campo for having silly hair..................................

 

you could wile away the hours talking to the flowers if.....................

 

scarecrows the lot of you !!!

 

 

Consistently average you mean, and George Oghani had a better goal scoring record.

 

Kevin Davies won all the awards for his hard work, it definately wasn't for his goal scoring and pristine skills...hard work only gets you so far. He may be a legend in your book, but he is only a footnote in mine.

He cant run, pass, shoot, score, knit. He used to win flick on's but now i'd be surprised if he wins more than 40% of balls, and when he does about 1% of them find another player.

 

Davies has looked quicker this season than in previous years, so i don't know where you get the can't run bit from.

 

His miss-placed passing and flicking on headers to nobody in particular is mainly due to a lack of movement and support from other players - simply put our midfield is too deep.

 

You are right about his shooting, but that's always been the case though.

Davies has looked quicker this season than in previous years, so i don't know where you get the can't run bit from.

 

His miss-placed passing and flicking on headers to nobody in particular is mainly due to a lack of movement and support from other players - simply put our midfield is too deep.

 

You are right about his shooting, but that's always been the case though.

The problem is since Anelka left you have to look to the man up top to score you the goals. If davies cant score them, he should be dropped for someone that can (nobody??) or played along side someone else.

 

I think I shall simply bash my head hard into a wall if I have to sit through the arsenal game watch

a) the ball being aimlessly hoofed up to davies to try and win a header.

diouf not being satisfied with beating a fullback once, thus trying to beat him 4 times before either loosing the ball or playing a sh!t ball into first defender

c) Taylor blazing over/wide from 1 inch

The problem is since Anelka left you have to look to the man up top to score you the goals. If davies cant score them, he should be dropped for someone that can (nobody??) or played along side someone else.

 

I think I shall simply bash my head hard into a wall if I have to sit through the arsenal game watch

a) the ball being aimlessly hoofed up to davies to try and win a header.

diouf not being satisfied with beating a fullback once, thus trying to beat him 4 times before either loosing the ball or playing a sh!t ball into first defender

c) Taylor blazing over/wide from 1 inch

 

When we play with Davies up top without a partner, we've never relied on him for goals - more for bringing the midfielders in to play - the likes of Nolan, Stelios etc that have profited from it.

 

Therein lies the main problem IMO.

 

Agree with your frustrations though

The point is that kevd does his job which is to work the line and be a handful to defenders.

 

he then needs supprt from midfield especially if we are playing 4 - 5 -1 , i am sure everyone can see that asking him to win headers, then chase the ball is not right ?

 

his knock downs should be creating things for other players, the lack of any pace in the midfield means players are simply not getting there.

 

when we were succesful noland or youri or dare i even mention the goal machine would be in and arround the box as well

 

if we keep lumping the ball and no one supports the lone striker of course he look isolated.

 

when we have played 2 up front we have looked more like scoring goals (reading away for example)

 

 

you can not blame kevin d for the tactical incompetence of the manager.

you can not blame kevin d for the tactical incompetence of the manager.

 

No I can't. But I can blame him for being a crap striker. But I suppose its not his fault he keeps getting picked.

 

you are right about the midfield though. It has been the same problem all season, not just since megson took over. The midfield has the mobility of steven hawkings trying to get across morcombe bay.

Can't be arsed getting into this one properly, but Jules and Ani are pretty much bob on.

 

The rest of you are gays.

Can't be arsed getting into this one properly, but Jules and Ani are pretty much bob on.

 

The rest of you are gays.

big gays or just normal gays??

But I can blame him for being a crap striker.

 

Definitely with Ani and Jules on this one. So, BeeDee, when do we start slagging off AOB, Cahill, Hunt, Steinsson etc. for being crap strikers? Makes as much sense.

 

Davies works his b0llocks off and deserves his place. You just can't win. Anelka the goal machine regularly got criticised for being a lazy fecker.

Consistently average you mean, and George Oghani had a better goal scoring record.

 

Kevin Davies won all the awards for his hard work, it definately wasn't for his goal scoring and pristine skills...hard work only gets you so far. He may be a legend in your book, but he is only a footnote in mine.

 

your thoughts on redfearn, jensen and johansen?

your thoughts on redfearn, jensen and johansen?

old, bald, and ginger...

 

 

kev can run, the guy earned his name as a winger!! admittedly the acceleration has gone, but not since we signed him... he is effective, there is no-one to feed off him. maybe its the carlsberg speaking, but should we miraculously beat a team by three, we will regain confidence and move out of our predicament. its frustrating- appearing we have no plan b... looking at we have though, fooked if i know the answer

Definitely with Ani and Jules on this one. So, BeeDee, when do we start slagging off AOB, Cahill, Hunt, Steinsson etc. for being crap strikers? Makes as much sense.

That actually makes no sense. AOB, Cahill, Hunt, Steinsson, etc are not strikers they are in the team to defend. In fact against City Steinsson looked much more like a striker than KevD has.

I'm not discounting want davies does for the team, he works his rocks off. But there comes a time when that is just not enough. He is ultimately paid to score goals, and he cant do that. If/when we go down it will be due to the lack of goals/quality.

He is ultimately paid to score goals, and he cant do that.

I'd probably beg to differ on that. When playing out on the right wing/midfiield, he is there for his ability to drag defenders out of position, cause problems, hold the ball up and many other attributes for the cause of the 'team' He is not employed to 'just' score goals. Anelka was employed to score goals, which he did. Kevin Davies is good at what he does and it suits our style of play, it is not his fault alone that we don't score goals.

I'd probably beg to differ on that. When playing out on the right wing/midfiield, he is there for his ability to drag defenders out of position, cause problems, hold the ball up and many other attributes for the cause of the 'team' He is not employed to 'just' score goals. Anelka was employed to score goals, which he did. Kevin Davies is good at what he does and it suits our style of play, it is not his fault alone that we don't score goals.

 

 

Happy beat me to the punch almost word for word. Not Happy

That actually makes no sense. AOB, Cahill, Hunt, Steinsson, etc are not strikers they are in the team to defend. In fact against City Steinsson looked much more like a striker than KevD has.

I'm not discounting want davies does for the team, he works his rocks off. But there comes a time when that is just not enough. He is ultimately paid to score goals, and he cant do that. If/when we go down it will be due to the lack of goals/quality.

 

And therein lies your problem

 

You don't understand what Davies is paid for

where is the i totally give up with the ragging numpties on here smiley ??

 

2-3 seasons ago kev d won ever award going players player of the season, fans player of the season, ball boys player of the season, reebokvoice player of the season, piesellers player of the season, goal posts player of the season.

 

he has been the most regular cocnsistent player during possibly the most succesful period in our recent history.

you lot deserve another george oghani.

Kev d = legend and this is official.....sorry i forget hierro and his half a dozen games or campo for having silly hair..................................

 

you could wile away the hours talking to the flowers if.....................

 

scarecrows the lot of you !!!

 

That's the point you're missing.

Whether or not he is a legend for what he's done at the club, time marches on. The "scarecrows" are looking at where we are now and where we go from here.

And therein lies your problem

 

You don't understand what Davies is paid for

 

His hold up play is vital in a 4-5-1. He hasn't scored many because there are virtually no 6 yard box chances created by the team.

 

Early doors at United, Guthrie beat his man and got in a good cross going away from the keeper, KD did a great volley on his "other" left foot that was foiled by a good save. Great goal at Bayern too. I'll give you that for a big lad his heading for goal is a bit disappointing.

 

The problem is that he has spent the last year playing with his back to the opposition goal. The only decent cross that I have seen in the last few games other than Guthrie's was by Stelois at Lisbon. There is no support from midfield and not enough space made for the striker by runners from midfield.

are virtually no 6 yard box chances created by the team - that I disagree with.

 

I'll give you that for a big lad his heading for goal is a bit disappointing. - that I agree with and explains why I disagree with your first statement

 

 

For all the work and effort for the team that Davies puts in, the one disappointment I have with his game is his poor ability to score with a header. Brown should never have had the chance to hand-ball on the line at Wigan and nor should Petrov with the clearance off the line last time out.

 

For a big lad who wins so many headers in a game, he is poor in front of goal.

your thoughts on redfearn, jensen and johansen?

 

Redfearn, never altogether consistent, could be fantastic one match and average the next, not a legend.

 

Jensen, young, busy, good shot, good passer, but not consistent enough to become a legend, perhaps if he had stayed longer.

 

Johansen, part of a team that begun the climb of us as a premiership football team, busy, looking for the ball, team player, but not quite a legend.

 

My definition of a legend is a player that is a match winner regardless of his position, can pull the team together when going through a bad patch, can influence the outcome of a match......can davies do any of these. If you are going off hard work with little outcome, than you can add Owen Coyle and David Reeves and Jimmy Phiilips to players who worked their arse off, but were not legends. But a legend is defined by the person who is asked the question, you may not like my opinion of Davies, however at least I quantify how I make a determination of a player.

His hold up play is vital in a 4-5-1. He hasn't scored many because there are virtually no 6 yard box chances created by the team.

 

Early doors at United, Guthrie beat his man and got in a good cross going away from the keeper, KD did a great volley on his "other" left foot that was foiled by a good save. Great goal at Bayern too. I'll give you that for a big lad his heading for goal is a bit disappointing.

 

The problem is that he has spent the last year playing with his back to the opposition goal. The only decent cross that I have seen in the last few games other than Guthrie's was by Stelois at Lisbon. There is no support from midfield and not enough space made for the striker by runners from midfield.

 

But, in a 4-5-1 formation, the front player is also there to run at defences and has to on occaisions create his own chances, something which Davies cannot do, and even if he did, on evidence he wouldn't hit the target anyway.....his role is as a striker, regardless of how many times people say he has been played on the wings etc etc, the reason he was switched there, is he is no bloody good when a cross goes into the box.

Right we have a few years as the most succesful team in the clubs recent history...kev d does what kev d does, works hard, upsets defences, the likes of youri, jay jay, nolan and others benefit from this......kev d is acknowlegded by many as such a vital cog in this he wins all the awards.

 

 

things move on, we sign a world class striker, kev d still does what he does this creates time and space, anelka is joing top scorer in the division for a while we sell him..

 

we do not replace him, youri has gone, jay jay has gone....

 

 

kev d still does what kev d does but we have no one near him, this does show up the limitations in his game, he aint a world class player he is a good premiership player.

 

people now get on his back and want to changes things, what is interesting that given what we have what is our next best option ???

 

ehd ?? vaz te ?? rasiak ??

 

kev d is head and shoulders our best option up front, the fact we do not players to either play off him or even play instead of him aint his fault.

 

it is a bit like buying a tin of beans and being happy that you get beans in the tin, then because your cooker, tin opener and microwave break you blame the tin of beans for not being a ham sandwich.

 

 

interesting we play united that fergie chooses to go public about kev d, wenger will be having a moan about him at some point, strnage that they choose to highlight such a bad player........unless they actually know what they are talking about.