Cracking post mate,loads of great points,we're desperate for a Kante type player in MF,marksb wrote:I, like most of you, have been a little concerned about the start to the season.
I hear people state that we don't have a plan B or we should play this or that formation and we should buy this player or that player.
We have as a team bought, Hart (30), Zabaleta (32), Chicharito (29), Arnautovic (28), Sead (18). I had my doubts over Zabaleta due to his age (pace) and Arnautovic due to his attitude. These are players coming to the end of their careers and lets be honest, it's their last big pay day.
What concerns me as an Armchair Manager is the fitness of team, Formation (do we know our right one) and the age of some of our players who are getting first team starts.
Ginger Pele is too old for the PL, he was excellent against Cheltenham and maybe that's his level. He doesn't have the reaction time or pace to deal with forwards in the PL.
The game against Newcastle we started with 4 players over 30, 2 at 29 and 28, 1 at 27, 21 and 18. take the two younger players away, the average age of the team was almost 30, which isn't acceptable.
We should be buying players in their prime, not those about to retire. The Carvalho type of signing is what we should be aiming for! If we are going to sign players of this quality, we must stop pissing about, show some ambition and pay the fee that the selling club wants! Yes negotiate, but ultimately if they aren't moving on the price, you either pay the price or end all interest.
The number of players we have of 30 or over in the squad, 2 of them are 34 FFS, we have 9 players who are 28 or 29, 2 who are in the range of 25 to 27, 3 from 22 to 24 and 3 under 22. Personally, I would like more players n the 25 to 27 range.
Not sure if it's just me, but I don't believe we are as a team fit enough, we seem to tire and concede too many goals later in the matches.
We have been leaking goals for some time, not just last season, but in the later games of Bilic's first season and as a club we haven't really done much to prevent this happening this season. We need players that can not only block and tackle, but can read the game, pass the ball and doesn't fuckabout when the pressure is on.
Are we too pedestrian when passing the ball around the back and to midfield. In my humble opinion, we are doing this far too slowly, movement to accept the ball or create space in non-existent or not done a pace. We need to start a game with more pace and try and be positive.
This is far too late, but I believe we need to retire, Collins, Fonte and possibly Zabaleta or at the very least have them on the bench or play in certain cup games.
We need to recruit at least 1 central defender, 1 defensive or creative midfielder (I would prefer both) and a Striker.
What would I do with Bilic, personally I think he is a good man, but not too sure of his tactics or training methods, as players seem unfit. Would I sack him, not until I had someone on the sidelines to take over. Question is who would I get, the obvious one is Benitez, however, I would look at someone like Eddie Howe, he is tactically aware and has done wonders with Bournemouth with his limited budget.
My favoured formation is 4 1 3 1 1. We need to press the ball further up the pitch on not sit back and invite the opposition onto us.
What would you do?
also when we can't pair up Reid and Ogbonna in central,we need to go to a 3 at the back,we
definitely seem better defensively the 5 across the middle squeezes things up,and stops sides
playing thru us,I feel.
We miss Reidy hugely when not available.
Agree way to slow moving ball thru midfield,its OK sometimes but not all the time, as we do,
absolutely no pace when breaking.
Said somewhere else bout Slav,personally would give him to Christmas,see where we are then..
PS...Fitness levels...something not right there mate agree...
