if we had signed bullard, a team of:

 

_________jussi

 

steinsson cahill obrien gardner

 

____nolan muamba bullard___

 

___davies elmander taylor___

 

would have been the strongest team for many a year (on paper), providing elmander lives up to his price tag.

 

problem is many more teams have improved also, so were back to square one.

 

it also depends IF megson can make them play. which i accept is questionable, but totally out of our hands anyway.

 

so for the time being i keep my rose tinted glass and back my fookin team!

 

So, I'm safe to assume you'd be happy with:

 

Jussi or Al Habsi

Steinsson, Cahill, O'Brien, Gardner

Nolan, Muamba, Taylor

Davies, Elmander, Smolarek

never seen Smolarek play, but taylor in midfeild would be an improvement on JOB or mccann..

So, I'm safe to assume you'd be happy with:

 

Jussi or Al Habsi

Steinsson, Cahill, O'Brien, Gardner

Nolan, Muamba, Taylor

Davies, Elmander, Smolarek

 

What about Davies, are we really gonna persist with him on the right wing at the expense of Riga (assuming he fulfils his promise). Or are we always gonns play Davies come hell or high water because if so, then we are always going to be one di mensional and dull.

What about Davies, are we really gonna persist with him on the right wing at the expense of Riga (assuming he fulfils his promise). Or are we always gonns play Davies come hell or high water because if so, then we are always going to be one di mensional and dull.

 

 

Just signed a long term deal hasn't he so i'm guessing yes!

So, I'm safe to assume you'd be happy with:

 

Jussi or Al Habsi

Steinsson, Cahill, O'Brien, Gardner

Nolan, Muamba, Taylor

Davies, Elmander, Smolarek

 

What about 4-2-3-1

 

(same defence)

 

Muamba, Taylor (defensive mids)

 

Riga, Davies, Smolarek (attacking mids)

 

Elmander

What about 4-2-3-1

 

(same defence)

 

Muamba, Taylor (defensive mids)

 

Riga, Davies, Smolarek (attacking mids)

 

Elmander

 

Aye go on, we can try anything once.

What about 4-2-3-1

 

(same defence)

 

Muamba, Taylor (defensive mids)

 

Riga, Davies, Smolarek (attacking mids)

 

Elmander

 

You've picked 3 of 6 in the wrong position !

 

Quite simply Megson plays too many defensive midfielders. Just one guy on the pitch with a hint of pace or flair would change the whole balance.

 

But he is one of these sh?t English managers who talks of players doing 'shifts', instead of producing a bit of inspiration.

 

These types are the successors to Graham Taylor.

will put is at the foot of the table.....

 

with a start almost as poor as Lee's...

 

we have played teams that have just been promoted, a team that survived by the skin of their teeth and a club in turmoil just beaten by another newly promoted team....

 

Our team that two years ago was well talked about and had the opportunity to make that last final push didn't...has now stumbled and tripped and fallen flat on it's face... the board emabarrased by it's lack of investment and support for arguably it's most succesful manager...made a knee jerk reaction to a man who was trying to change the way we played...and appointed a proven failure at all levels as his succesor a man who was only months earlier working for free, just trying to grab with his finger tips his last chance saloon...and comments from the chairman of those that understand football will understand this appointment only added to the disbelief of many fans...

 

A style of football that lacks creativity and pace in a league that is improving massively in those two areas, will surely see our beloved club relegated from the top flight of English football, that i am sure of....

 

Megson as widely predicted by many that had experienced his management style isn't cut out to manage at this level, a demotivator and a style of play that is to slow for the modern game will see us embarrased...

 

Survival last year was down to the grit, spirit and determination of the team not the manager....this year i don't think we will be so lucky

 

What the answer is I don't know, but we had a massive opportunity and have blown it...

 

a blunt but honest view which in my opinion isnt far off,

 

at the moment we are going backwards,

 

surely megson can see this but always comes out with 'good shift bollocks' and insisting on defence first all the time,

 

but fat phil is as much to blame in my eyes,

Basically we have no pace in the team - have we really ever replaced JJ with an attacking midfielder? - No

 

I think Mccann had an OK end to last season and so GM thinks he is great - i remember falling off my chair at Boro when he ran (not walked) down the line with the ball. However, IMO he is poor and Stelios would have done a better job.

 

Nolan should have scored at Newcastle - its gone downhill from then on so lets blame him!!

This lack of pace isn't a new issue though, is it?

 

Who was our last quick midfielder?

This lack of pace isn't a new issue though, is it?

 

Who was our last quick midfielder?

Speed..............

Speed..............

Bum-tish!

 

For that, you can take your pick from our midfield and do what you want with the player of your choice.

Bum-tish!

 

For that, you can take your pick from our midfield and do what you want with the player of your choice.

I'd rather have something off the bottom shelf as usual

I'd be willing to bet money that Muamba is the fastest central midfielder we've had in this spell in the Premiership.

 

Not that i'd have him over a younger Campo or Okocha mind, but thats not really being fair on the lad.

I'd rather have something off the bottom shelf as usual

I'm not surprised. You really love those pound shop novelty items.

Better value for money.

What about 4-2-3-1

 

(same defence)

 

Muamba, Taylor (defensive mids)

 

Riga, Davies, Smolarek (attacking mids)

 

Elmander

 

Anything would be better than the 9-1 we are currently starting with....

I was told that Bolton offered ?3m for Bullard but Fulham wanted ?5m. However I think Zico is more likely to be right than the person I was talking to.

 

dunno

 

bit about them not wanting to sell was in an interview on SSN with Woy Hodgson where he said he had no idea where the stories had come from and presumed it was an agent trying to get bullard a new deal

 

bit about bullard was a presumption based on bullard only moving back down south last season and just coming back from an injury

 

all megson did was express an interest as far as I was aware before letting us know we'll go with what we've got

what about a 4-4-2

 

Al habsi

steinson cahill obrien gardner

riga muamba nolan taylor or smolarek

davies elmander

 

or if we went 4-3-3

steinson cahill obrien gardner

muamba nolan taylor

riga elmander smolarek/davies

 

both systems give plenty of pace/legs all over the team, surely better than persevering with this 4-5-1- including mcann and o'feckin brien.

Megson is never gonna play anything other than 4-5-1

 

Polish the shit as much as you want, its still a 4-5-1

Polish the shit

 

Leave Rasiak out of this.

Just drop JOB and Mccann, doesnt matter who he puts in their places because they cant be any slower or worse. That will make us better without a shadow of a doubt imo

Just drop JOB and Mccann, doesnt matter who he puts in their places because they cant be any slower or worse. That will make us better without a shadow of a doubt imo

 

even one or the other wouldn't be so bad

 

but both is p?ss poor especially alongside nolan and to me shows us that despite making some signings, we're not making progress in an area that has been crying out for attention - ok, we've signed taylor and muamba but lose one of them and we're already going backwards, just hope muamba stays fit or you can chuck cohen in there as well

 

all that talk from megson about j'ob being good enough to go onto bigger and better things with us was just talk to try and hide from us a situation he saw coming a mile off, and to compliment the "we'll go with what we've got" statement

Megson is never gonna play anything other than 4-5-1

 

Polish the shit as much as you want, its still a 4-5-1

 

which is pretty much the same as 75% of all teams in most european leagues.

 

442 is old hat.

which is pretty much the same as 75% of all teams in most european leagues.

 

442 is old hat.

 

I'll take you on again, I have no idea what formations are played across Europe as I don't watch them.

 

However, if these 75% that you claim are playing this mystical 4-5-1, how many play with 5 defensive and unmobile midfielders? You are comparing apples and oranges.

I'll take you on again, I have no idea what formations are played across Europe as I don't watch them.

 

However, if these 75% that you claim are playing this mystical 4-5-1, how many play with 5 defensive and unmobile midfielders? You are comparing apples and oranges.

 

I think he was just comparing formations nothing to do with personnel, its doesnt matter if you play 5 cart horses in midfeild (like we do) or you have 5 world beaters its still the same formation.