Same old, same old?

[Guest prophet]

Lotsa of chances, no scorer and up comes Stevie with his rescue.

 

Is it the same old problem still evident in the team?

 

i wont have Pool strikers in me fantsay team soon!

[crisps]

Yep, we've brought in a quality striker, yet no 'world class winger or two' to provide them with more/better opportunities. Kewell and Pennant are no way near good enough. They barely have any skill or trickery to beat players.

 

Really hoping benayoun plays much more than either of them even though he's not an out and out winger, i just feel he will create alot more than them

Edited August 5, 2007 by crisps

[Guest prophet]

Yep, we've brought in a quality striker, yet no 'world class winger or two' to provide them with more/better opportunities. Kewell and Pennant are no way near good enough. They barely have any skill or trickery to beat players.

 

Really hoping benayoun plays much more than either of them even though he's not an out and out winger, i just feel he will create alot more than them

 

i hope that an excuse no more. No wingers. Rafas had his time during the summer to secure and hes not. So presumable hes happy with Harry and Pennant. Hes accountable for the transfers. Hes shown that hes ruthless when he needs to be. So hes lack of action on that area tells me that hes comfy with what hes got.

 

OR maybe he doesnt like out and out wingers? B ut thats his problem. He can play the style he wishes, BUT when the tyre hits the road, hes gotta SHOW ME THE RESULTS!

[Cooger]

My opinion has not changed after tonights game, nor would it if we had won 5-0.

 

We have a squad full of very good players.

We have a top manager.

We have improved our striking options in Torres and Voronin.

We have improved our options on the wings in Babel and Yossi.

 

Due to all the above we should be looking very positive into the new season. Last pre season we lost nearly every game, one by 5-0 unlike this season. We won the Commuinity Shield and people thought we were going to win the league. It's hard to assess anything from pre season, results-wise or performance-wise.

Edited August 5, 2007 by Hydie

[San Diego Red]

Keep in mind that we still have 25 odd days to still sign players.

[JimmyF]

Its pre season

[Guest prophet]

Keep in mind that we still have 25 odd days to still sign players.

Do we? When does the window close?

[Guest prophet]

Its pre season

Still the game showed the same old, same olde.

[San Diego Red]

Do we? When does the window close?

31st of this month does it not?

[Guz]

Yup. If we're going to buy one more attacking player I wonder if we'll wait till CL qualification is confirmed.

[Diarmuid]

Yup. If we're going to buy one more attacking player I wonder if we'll wait till CL qualification is confirmed.

The second leg of the qualifiers is on the 29th, not a lot of time to make any moves.

[Bootle Buck]

No creativity or goalscoring threat again. Once again we have to rely on players coming in to settl into the English game in a hurry. I personally think our possession play and slow build up is still miles behind how Utd play and win.

[John am Rhein]

Wingers are like marketing departments: always take the credit, never get the blame

[Guest bigfooty]

We have improved our options on the wings in Babel and Yossi.

 

I'm not sure I agree with this. Babel appears to have been brought up playing in a 4-3-3 as the left-sided front man. He said himself "I'm a striker". Yossi is a versatile player a la Garcia but he doesn't give genuine width and so far appears to always favour coming into the middle of the pitch rather than going wide and trying to get a cross in. Not that this hindered Garcia too much during his time here.

 

Both are capable of playing wide but they do so to "do a job" rather than because it is a position they naturally excel in. Leto is the only genuine wide player we've bought this Summer and though he looked okay against the Shanghai lot it's a big jump from that to starting on a regular basis in the Premiership.

[Beardsley]

The way I see it:

 

We dominate teams up until around their goal where they pack the defence.

Our slow build-up disrupts any flow the strikers might try to build.

And except Voronin our strikers, at the moment, are far to stationary or playing too deep (coming back for the ball).

If teams press our defence, we tend to go for the long outlet pass - won't work in the premier league.

Too often our midfield plays too deep and we have to go for the long pass.

 

All these points makes us stale at the last third of the pitch and we loose any flow we are trying to build, hence we sometimes looks clueless in the last third.

[pjwy]

The way I see it:

 

We dominate teams up until around their goal where they pack the defence.

Our slow build-up disrupts any flow the strikers might try to build.

And except Voronin our strikers, at the moment, are far to stationary or playing too deep (coming back for the ball).

If teams press our defence, we tend to go for the long outlet pass - won't work in the premier league.

Too often our midfield plays too deep and we have to go for the long pass.

 

All these points makes us stale at the last third of the pitch and we loose any flow we are trying to build, hence we sometimes looks clueless in the last third.

 

 

 

I've no doubt you are right with that assessment..watching us play especially away from home can be a frustrating experience.

 

But surely Rafa must see this problem? we have brought in one or two top players this season but I'm by no means convinced that our 'style' of play will allow them to flourish.

 

It's a big test for Rafa's ingenuity this season.The money has been available for new players so it's very much up to him now.

[Beardsley]

I've no doubt you are right with that assessment..watching us play especially away from home can be a frustrating experience.

 

But surely Rafa must see this problem? we have brought in one or two top players this season but I'm by no means convinced that our 'style' of play will allow them to flourish.

 

It's a big test for Rafa's ingenuity this season.The money has been available for new players so it's very much up to him now.

 

 

I've no doubt Rafa sees this, but it's been the same for years - hopefully our new boys will settle and solve this.

Essentially, I'm looking for a playing pattern which can open up defences - something we haven't had for years.

[Mike]

don't forget kuyt scored a perfectly good goal yesterday. and voronin missed a sitter.

 

it wasn't until babel came on though that our wide play or midfield had any real speed about it. i think he will come good.

[Falconhoof]

Lots of promising signals there yesterday, and throughout the pre season. Its bubbling under but there's a better feel to the squad than we've had before under Rafa.

 

We'll score more goals this season, you can see that already.

[Guest ziggystardust]

I know we shouldnt judge on pre season but babels cameo seemed to indicate why we signed him. He looks a very classy player - maybe not a winger but worth having a part of our team. Ive just got a feeling he could be a bit special this lad - maybe not consistent for a couple of years ala cronaldo but i think he will be a star.

[Mike]

he's quick and strong, with and without the ball which is something we badly lack.

[Barnesy_10]

I am not as confident as I thought I would be 5 days before the start of the season...

 

I watched the Community Shield yesterday and then watched our game... I hate it when people say 'its pre season'... thet players didn't hold back at all yesterday.. how many yellows did we get exactly? The punch up at the end and Xabi's frustration at Drenthe showed how much they were arsed about the game...

 

my worry is the lack of attempts on goal we actually have inside the 18 yd box.. Now we have Torres hopefully all that will change.

 

The Mancs looked very good yesterday it has to be said... attacking wise they are extremely strong, already were and have strengthened more. Its a scary thought them getting Tevez as well as the quality they already have...

[Will]

Why do I bother to read threads like this?

[5InIstanbul]

If, as reported, all the players were wearing weight belts, its hardly surprising we lacked a little "pace"

 

I thought some of our football was very good quality with a lot of variety.

 

Less it lacked the speed at some of the key moments but as I say, not really surprising.

 

Jaysus, It's pre-season and we will be fine.

[IgPig]

The (pre season) Rafalution should not be televised.