Shola Ameobi

[maggiespaws 0]

I can only assume that Shearer had a plan for Stroller, which got screwed up when Martins pulled a sicky. That being said, would it have been better to change two strikers as a result of Martins being out (2 players being Martins & stroller) or keep most of the team the same as originally planned and just change 1 (Martins for Guthrie was it?).

 

Just a thought.

 

FWIW thought, I agree with the sentiments aimed at Stroller. Hasn't been good enough for years now and Carroll should start above him. That being said, our midfield desperately needs to create more. They are the primary reason we're in the shit we're in IMO. This season we might go down, with ironically the best defence we've had in years.

[LeazesMag 0]

I can only assume that Shearer had a plan for Stroller, which got screwed up when Martins pulled a sicky. That being said, would it have been better to change two strikers as a result of Martins being out (2 players being Martins & stroller) or keep most of the team the same as originally planned and just change 1 (Martins for Guthrie was it?).

 

Just a thought.

 

FWIW thought, I agree with the sentiments aimed at Stroller. Hasn't been good enough for years now and Carroll should start above him. That being said, our midfield desperately needs to create more. They are the primary reason we're in the shit we're in IMO. This season we might go down, with ironically the best defence we've had in years.

 

 

the notion that we first and foremost needed good defenders a few years ago - was bollocks - as is the notion that having good defenders is the most important part of a team. Fact is, the best teams have the best attacking players, who control the game, keep possession and dictate the pace of the game. This has been our problem ever since Bellamy and Robert went, and since Shearer called it a day, which made it worse. Solano, Bellamy, Shearer and Robert shot us into the Champions League, with a couple of average defenders behind them. Trouble is though, the attacking players, the talented attacking players, cost the big money.

 

If Owen had stayed fit [unfortunate and nobody could have known how long he would be out] and we had replaced Bellamy and Robert properly [or kept Bellamy at least] and/or replaced Shearer with a good striker along with Solano and Dyer with a player who actually played, accepting that breaking the world transfer record was a one off for us, then we would have done a lot better and still would be.

 

Basically, I think any premiership team with Ameobi leading their attack is in shit street, because he's nothing other than a hopeless knacker who does nothing other than lose the ball, if he gets it in the first place, and you can't build anything around him at all.

[trophyshy 7084]

It all begs the question WHY does he keep getting games?

 

I truly hope Carroll gets his chance now, I'd hate to start mistrusting Al as well over this feckless miscreant.

Edited April 14, 2009 by trophyshy

[Guest alex]

I can only assume that Shearer had a plan for Stroller, which got screwed up when Martins pulled a sicky. That being said, would it have been better to change two strikers as a result of Martins being out (2 players being Martins & stroller) or keep most of the team the same as originally planned and just change 1 (Martins for Guthrie was it?).

 

Just a thought.

 

FWIW thought, I agree with the sentiments aimed at Stroller. Hasn't been good enough for years now and Carroll should start above him. That being said, our midfield desperately needs to create more. They are the primary reason we're in the shit we're in IMO. This season we might go down, with ironically the best defence we've had in years.

 

 

the notion that we first and foremost needed good defenders a few years ago - was bollocks - as is the notion that having good defenders is the most important part of a team. Fact is, the best teams have the best attacking players, who control the game, keep possession and dictate the pace of the game. This has been our problem ever since Bellamy and Robert went, and since Shearer called it a day, which made it worse. Solano, Bellamy, Shearer and Robert shot us into the Champions League, with a couple of average defenders behind them. Trouble is though, the attacking players, the talented attacking players, cost the big money.

 

If Owen had stayed fit [unfortunate and nobody could have known how long he would be out] and we had replaced Bellamy and Robert properly [or kept Bellamy at least] and/or replaced Shearer with a good striker along with Solano and Dyer with a player who actually played, accepting that breaking the world transfer record was a one off for us, then we would have done a lot better and still would be.

 

Basically, I think any premiership team with Ameobi leading their attack is in shit street, because he's nothing other than a hopeless knacker who does nothing other than lose the ball, if he gets it in the first place, and you can't build anything around him at all.

Central midfield's been shite for ages as well. You'll never dominate matches - even against poor sides - if this is the case.

[Flair 0]

A few years ago, we complained when we had strikers like Luque. Oh I wish Luque got a full chance. Now we have the likes of Shola at the forefront. Luque was always a magic player, class cannot suddenly die. Bring back Luque.

[Park Life 71]

I can only assume that Shearer had a plan for Stroller, which got screwed up when Martins pulled a sicky. That being said, would it have been better to change two strikers as a result of Martins being out (2 players being Martins & stroller) or keep most of the team the same as originally planned and just change 1 (Martins for Guthrie was it?).

 

Just a thought.

 

FWIW thought, I agree with the sentiments aimed at Stroller. Hasn't been good enough for years now and Carroll should start above him. That being said, our midfield desperately needs to create more. They are the primary reason we're in the shit we're in IMO. This season we might go down, with ironically the best defence we've had in years.

 

 

the notion that we first and foremost needed good defenders a few years ago - was bollocks - as is the notion that having good defenders is the most important part of a team. Fact is, the best teams have the best attacking players, who control the game, keep possession and dictate the pace of the game. This has been our problem ever since Bellamy and Robert went, and since Shearer called it a day, which made it worse. Solano, Bellamy, Shearer and Robert shot us into the Champions League, with a couple of average defenders behind them. Trouble is though, the attacking players, the talented attacking players, cost the big money.

 

If Owen had stayed fit [unfortunate and nobody could have known how long he would be out] and we had replaced Bellamy and Robert properly [or kept Bellamy at least] and/or replaced Shearer with a good striker along with Solano and Dyer with a player who actually played, accepting that breaking the world transfer record was a one off for us, then we would have done a lot better and still would be.

 

Basically, I think any premiership team with Ameobi leading their attack is in shit street, because he's nothing other than a hopeless knacker who does nothing other than lose the ball, if he gets it in the first place, and you can't build anything around him at all.

 

 

Agree with the general sentiments, dictate the play and worry about the defence later.

[LeazesMag 0]

I can only assume that Shearer had a plan for Stroller, which got screwed up when Martins pulled a sicky. That being said, would it have been better to change two strikers as a result of Martins being out (2 players being Martins & stroller) or keep most of the team the same as originally planned and just change 1 (Martins for Guthrie was it?).

 

Just a thought.

 

FWIW thought, I agree with the sentiments aimed at Stroller. Hasn't been good enough for years now and Carroll should start above him. That being said, our midfield desperately needs to create more. They are the primary reason we're in the shit we're in IMO. This season we might go down, with ironically the best defence we've had in years.

 

 

the notion that we first and foremost needed good defenders a few years ago - was bollocks - as is the notion that having good defenders is the most important part of a team. Fact is, the best teams have the best attacking players, who control the game, keep possession and dictate the pace of the game. This has been our problem ever since Bellamy and Robert went, and since Shearer called it a day, which made it worse. Solano, Bellamy, Shearer and Robert shot us into the Champions League, with a couple of average defenders behind them. Trouble is though, the attacking players, the talented attacking players, cost the big money.

 

If Owen had stayed fit [unfortunate and nobody could have known how long he would be out] and we had replaced Bellamy and Robert properly [or kept Bellamy at least] and/or replaced Shearer with a good striker along with Solano and Dyer with a player who actually played, accepting that breaking the world transfer record was a one off for us, then we would have done a lot better and still would be.

 

Basically, I think any premiership team with Ameobi leading their attack is in shit street, because he's nothing other than a hopeless knacker who does nothing other than lose the ball, if he gets it in the first place, and you can't build anything around him at all.

Central midfield's been shite for ages as well. You'll never dominate matches - even against poor sides - if this is the case.

 

aye, I hesitated to mention Dyer, because for his last few years he hardly played and never fulfilled his potential. But aye, its all the attacking players, in midfield and up front. It's no coincidence that our best team of the last 15 years had a player in it who was the complete midfield player and the best in the premiership for 3 or 4 years bar Roy Keane ie Rob Lee.

[maggiespaws 0]

I can only assume that Shearer had a plan for Stroller, which got screwed up when Martins pulled a sicky. That being said, would it have been better to change two strikers as a result of Martins being out (2 players being Martins & stroller) or keep most of the team the same as originally planned and just change 1 (Martins for Guthrie was it?).

 

Just a thought.

 

FWIW thought, I agree with the sentiments aimed at Stroller. Hasn't been good enough for years now and Carroll should start above him. That being said, our midfield desperately needs to create more. They are the primary reason we're in the shit we're in IMO. This season we might go down, with ironically the best defence we've had in years.

 

 

the notion that we first and foremost needed good defenders a few years ago - was bollocks - as is the notion that having good defenders is the most important part of a team. Fact is, the best teams have the best attacking players, who control the game, keep possession and dictate the pace of the game. This has been our problem ever since Bellamy and Robert went, and since Shearer called it a day, which made it worse. Solano, Bellamy, Shearer and Robert shot us into the Champions League, with a couple of average defenders behind them. Trouble is though, the attacking players, the talented attacking players, cost the big money.

 

If Owen had stayed fit [unfortunate and nobody could have known how long he would be out] and we had replaced Bellamy and Robert properly [or kept Bellamy at least] and/or replaced Shearer with a good striker along with Solano and Dyer with a player who actually played, accepting that breaking the world transfer record was a one off for us, then we would have done a lot better and still would be.

 

Basically, I think any premiership team with Ameobi leading their attack is in shit street, because he's nothing other than a hopeless knacker who does nothing other than lose the ball, if he gets it in the first place, and you can't build anything around him at all.

Central midfield's been shite for ages as well. You'll never dominate matches - even against poor sides - if this is the case.

 

aye, I hesitated to mention Dyer, because for his last few years he hardly played and never fulfilled his potential. But aye, its all the attacking players, in midfield and up front. It's no coincidence that our best team of the last 15 years had a player in it who was the complete midfield player and the best in the premiership for 3 or 4 years bar Roy Keane ie Rob Lee.

 

LM: Agree (mostly) with what you initially said. I wasn't meaning those earlier defences were really, shit - I just think who we have now is the best we've had for a long time. Looking back, I don't even think our defence was that bad when we had the likes of Bez, Albert and Peacock - it's just that our attacking style of play left us open.

 

Totally agree about Rob Lee too. Funny, I was saying exactly the same to my Dad at the weekend when we were discussing this very subject

 

We could have the best strikers in the world playing for us (and IMO; in Owen we still have one) but they are about as much use as a busted hip (or Shola) if we can't get the ball to them. The defence wouldn't be under half the pressure its gets if our midfield could keep/take possession of/create chances with the fucking ball.

 

We create so little, that we desperately need our strikes to convert the scraps we give them. If a good striker has an average strike rate of 1 in 2/1in 3 and an average one is 1 in 4+ (i'm using these figures to illustrate a point - they might not be true); a midfield creating 2 or 3 half chances all game doesn't give us much chance of winning a game. It's made worse when 1/2 the strike force has a first touch worse than my Grandma.

 

Another unfortunate problem we have is that we actually have lots of midfield players, it's just most of them are dross. We will have to sell before we buy and I can't see who we could offload them too.

[sandman02uk 0]

The thing is, we had 1 shot on goal before Carrolls header, everytime we had the ball the defence where firing up field to strola, I can only assume the idea was for him to nod it back down towards Owen/Martins who would take the ball on the run

 

We are skipping out our midfield because whenver they get it, they make an arse of it

[LeazesMag 0]

I can only assume that Shearer had a plan for Stroller, which got screwed up when Martins pulled a sicky. That being said, would it have been better to change two strikers as a result of Martins being out (2 players being Martins & stroller) or keep most of the team the same as originally planned and just change 1 (Martins for Guthrie was it?).

 

Just a thought.

 

FWIW thought, I agree with the sentiments aimed at Stroller. Hasn't been good enough for years now and Carroll should start above him. That being said, our midfield desperately needs to create more. They are the primary reason we're in the shit we're in IMO. This season we might go down, with ironically the best defence we've had in years.

 

 

the notion that we first and foremost needed good defenders a few years ago - was bollocks - as is the notion that having good defenders is the most important part of a team. Fact is, the best teams have the best attacking players, who control the game, keep possession and dictate the pace of the game. This has been our problem ever since Bellamy and Robert went, and since Shearer called it a day, which made it worse. Solano, Bellamy, Shearer and Robert shot us into the Champions League, with a couple of average defenders behind them. Trouble is though, the attacking players, the talented attacking players, cost the big money.

 

If Owen had stayed fit [unfortunate and nobody could have known how long he would be out] and we had replaced Bellamy and Robert properly [or kept Bellamy at least] and/or replaced Shearer with a good striker along with Solano and Dyer with a player who actually played, accepting that breaking the world transfer record was a one off for us, then we would have done a lot better and still would be.

 

Basically, I think any premiership team with Ameobi leading their attack is in shit street, because he's nothing other than a hopeless knacker who does nothing other than lose the ball, if he gets it in the first place, and you can't build anything around him at all.

Central midfield's been shite for ages as well. You'll never dominate matches - even against poor sides - if this is the case.

 

aye, I hesitated to mention Dyer, because for his last few years he hardly played and never fulfilled his potential. But aye, its all the attacking players, in midfield and up front. It's no coincidence that our best team of the last 15 years had a player in it who was the complete midfield player and the best in the premiership for 3 or 4 years bar Roy Keane ie Rob Lee.

 

LM: Agree (mostly) with what you initially said. I wasn't meaning those earlier defences were really, shit - I just think who we have now is the best we've had for a long time. Looking back, I don't even think our defence was that bad when we had the likes of Bez, Albert and Peacock - it's just that our attacking style of play left us open.

 

Totally agree about Rob Lee too. Funny, I was saying exactly the same to my Dad at the weekend when we were discussing this very subject

 

We could have the best strikers in the world playing for us (and IMO; in Owen we still have one) but they are about as much use as a busted hip (or Shola) if we can't get the ball to them. The defence wouldn't be under half the pressure its gets if our midfield could keep/take possession of/create chances with the fucking ball.

 

We create so little, that we desperately need our strikes to convert the scraps we give them. If a good striker has an average strike rate of 1 in 2/1in 3 and an average one is 1 in 4+ (i'm using these figures to illustrate a point - they might not be true); a midfield creating 2 or 3 half chances all game doesn't give us much chance of winning a game. It's made worse when 1/2 the strike force has a first touch worse than my Grandma.

 

Another unfortunate problem we have is that we actually have lots of midfield players, it's just most of them are dross. We will have to sell before we buy and I can't see who we could offload them too.

 

 

I know mate. The defenders in 1996 were good, but we were an attacking team. Play to your strengths. I always find it difficult to agree with people who say Albert was such a good defender mind, but I suppose it depends what you want. There is nothing wrong with having a good footballing defender ie like Roy McFarland who was top drawer IMO, but I like them first and foremost to be solid defenders, so I always preferred Howey.

 

The creativity in this current team is currently at a real low, the lowest for a long long time. Barton was good for Man City, Nolan was good for Bolton - and both these players have leadership qualities, but those 2 are too similar and as a unit the midfield lack good pace and for all Guittierez is a good wide man it is becoming more apparent now that he doesn't get the ball into the middle quicker. That can be changed though, and probably would if he had somethign to aim at and was told to !!!!