30 Nov 2015 12:46:54
Hi fellas, seems we are keeping watch on burnleys rb Darikwa. And Davie selfie cf Leipzig, the names of D'ambrosio, dragovic, keep popping up along with mandragora, and a host of others, we should have had that game out of sight by half time on Sunday, apart from the obvious absentees, and poor finishing, something is definetly missing from the team performance, can't quite put my finger on it somehow, IRONMIKE.

1.) 30 Nov 2015
30 Nov 2015 13:23:29
Hi Mike, I would say we got a lot of players in the summer and they started amazingly well, now they are a bit tired or opponents have figured out how to play against us, the defensive lapses are too many to debate and a general lack of confidence in the Team, which started in the Europa League, timid against easy opponents.

Moses is not getting crosses in, not like Devonshire could. Lanzini is fab, but a bit young still. Jelavic I don't see scoring. Antonio, not sure, hardly played. Of course, Payet injury is too much for us to bear. Ogbonna + Obiang good. Jenks woeful, but gets further up pitch than Tomkins would. Zarate has intermittent good/bad form. I'm most disappointed our midfield/defence couldn't well handle 2 strikers. That will probably be nicely noted by all our opponents now.

On plus side, we have Song and Noble to beef up Team, especially Song, I really like him. I like the way Bilic brings them back slowly, hopefully they stay fresher longer.

I think we can probably safely stay Top 10, but the early aspirations of higher, well I think it was a step too far, sadly. Wondering also if the rumours regards Qatari investors is affecting the players?

2.) 30 Nov 2015
30 Nov 2015 14:54:29
Totally agreed. Seems to be a lack of confidence in the team and a ruthless edge we had at the start of the season. No blistering counter attacking pace which we had. Not impressed with Jenks or Moses. I am sick of seeing AC running around the pitch chasing shadows and not doing very much. That which he does is poor (and its becoming very tiresome talking about a £16m striker who is so sloppy and contributes so little)!

We have to start let Antonio have decent run to see what the lad can do. 10 minutes here and there is no good and now that we've lost SAKHO and PAYET its an ideal time to let him off the leash

Forget Carroll (he had his time) and start playing regularly Antonio, Lanzini and ZARATE with MOSES. The build up play is to pedestrian. If necessary have Lanzini behind Zarate with Moses and Antonio either side.

3.) 30 Nov 2015
30 Nov 2015 19:27:52
I have to agree, Lanzini down the centre, Antonio and Moses either side with Zarate up top. Carroll for the last 10 mins or so if we are losing.

4.) 30 Nov 2015
30 Nov 2015 20:20:34
Carroll on his own simply does not work he ain't no loic remy or lukaka he needs support play zarate of him a natural no 10 Carroll played on his own is far to easily isolated by 2 CB so attacking 4411 or 451 defending when we have the ball we break real quick .
Jelavic doesn't look like scoring to me.
If You had to sell players in Jan to raise capital and free up wages who would u out?
Carroll obrien Jarvis providing Norwich want him at the end of the season and noble would bring somewhere in the region of 18 to 22 mill.
Rumours are we are looking at slimani Cyrus's and doumbia to help lead the line also Gorkan tore and or either Sam byram or the inter rb sorry think his name ambrosini or something.

5.) 30 Nov 2015
30 Nov 2015 22:01:24
I'd sell Carroll, Jelavic, Jarvis, Randolph and O'Brien. You're going to lose Collins at the end of the season on a free as he's out of contract.

I'd definitely try to sign.

Daniel Bentley from Southend, decent young goalkeeper
Sam Byram from Leeds, he is out of contract next Summer, would be a decent free signing and possibly a cheap signing at right back in January
Gokhan Tore from Besiktas, was an ever present under Bilic at Besiktas, likes to run at players and create a chance
Andrija Zivkovic from Partizan Belgrade, only 19 years old but is apparently the Serbian Messi. A lot of interest from big European clubs in him but the opportunity of potential first team football could sway him our way


And I'd look to sign a couple of these on free transfers.

Davide Santon from Inter Milan, he can play left back and right back and has premier league experience with Newcastle
Marcos Alonso from Fiorentina, he is predominantly a left back but can also play left midfield, has premier league experience with Sunderland but would be a good understudy to Cresswell
Joel Matip from Schalke, he is a solid centre back that is composed on the ball
Nicholas N'Koulou from Marseille, he again is a solid centre back that is composed ok the ball
Eder Balanta from River Plate, he is an outstanding young centre back
Ever Banega from Sevilla, central midfielder, coming up to the twilight of his career at 29 years old but would give us a bit more creativity in the centre of the park
Tony Vilhena from Feyenoord, central midfield player very similar style to Jordie Clasie. One for the future
Joel Campbell from Arsenal, he is a decent up and coming youngster that just needs game time to achieve his potential
Charlie Austin from QPR, decent replacement if we sell Carroll. Scores a lot more goals than Carroll does for sure

There are obviously loads of other players I'd look at signing but these are a few worth a mention.

6.) 01 Dec 2015
01 Dec 2015 04:39:03
Real problem is we've run out of cash. Who can we reasonably get rid of but save the current system which I love. Clearly Jarvis is one, Collins and O'Brien are others, but to get meaningful cash I think we must sacrifice AC.

7.) 01 Dec 2015
01 Dec 2015 09:51:36
No great loss in losing AC. let's be honest. Who would we rather have up front, Andy Carroll, Charlie Austin, Islam Slimani or Doumbia. Personally, any of them BUT NOT AC.

I'd like to see SB stick with the same 11 as he did at the start of the season and not change just to fit a player in as he did when AC came back and ever since we've been struggling.

It seems to me that we want to play the ball on the floor with Zarate, Lanzini and Moses. With AC in the team however, the creativity of our midfield is missed out because we just lump balls 50 yards to try and find him. Defenders love this and that's when the ball keeps coming back as per West Brom. First half Zarate and Lanzini did well but when AC came on it all changed. That's the problem and an intelligent guy like SB must see this.

On Saturday at United we may aswell not play Lanzini or Zarate. We could start with 9 players and just play AC up front.

8.) 01 Dec 2015
01 Dec 2015 11:28:14
We need a LOIC REMY esq type player.