If we finish in the top 4.....

[manc-mag 1]

I wholeheartedly agree with that in bold.

 

Ironically you have picked out 6 players who loved the club, loved the area and who (to lesser extent nobby) were very good mates and played for each other.

 

They were also bought at the right age, at the right price and with no sense of panic. Exactly the model that I, and hundreds of others on here, feel is the right model and is serving us well at the moment.

 

But make no mistake there were dozens of others who were here for l£ss nobl£ r£asons.

 

More great craic. Spot on.

[Dr Gloom 22165]

We have no right to be where we are with our defense. Simpson and Williamson are barely good enough for the bench. We did have quite a bit of luck first 10 games though, there is no way around it. Came away with probably 8-9 points more than what we really deserved.

 

they're not the most skillful players on the ball but they've both excelled in their first job this season - defending. just look at the goals against column. it's our meanest back 4 in years.

Edited April 24, 2012 by Dr Gloom

[Lake Bells tits 1]

They have excelled within the framework of what they are capable of. Williamson is so slow it looks like the camera is running at 0.85 speed, and neither of them are COMFORTABLE with the ball.

I can forgive many things, but what I first and foremost would like to have is a side where all the players dont mind getting the ball and running a bit with it.

It looks like they cant get rid of it quickly enough every time you pass it to them.

[Dr Gloom 22165]

They have excelled within the framework of what they are capable of. Williamson is so slow it looks like the camera is running at 0.85 speed, and neither of them are COMFORTABLE with the ball.

I can forgive many things, but what I first and foremost would like to have is a side where all the players dont mind getting the ball and running a bit with it.

It looks like they cant get rid of it quickly enough every time you pass it to them.

 

ideally defenders should be comfortable on the ball. but their first job is to stop the opposition from scoring. look at that luis at chelsea. loads of skill and a great touch, but he can't defend and that's what he's in the side to do primarily.

 

williamson ideally wouldn't be first choice at the back, he's slow and a bit clumsy. but his height and strength have complimented colo's sweeping up quite well to be fair to him to this season. the proof is in the pudding - look how many goals we've conceded on this latest run with him at the heart of the defence. next to fuck all innit.

 

simpson too, i'd prefer coming off the bench but again credit where it's due. he's had a class season. an ever present in a back four that's been close to water tight in every game bar the two horror away days in the capital.

[JawD 99]

Somehow I don't think players playing for a club that reaches the second phase of the Champions League, qualifies regularly for europe, reaches a couple of Cup Finals, and challenges for the title twice, lacking "respect" for the club.

 

I dont think the players necessarily lacked respect for the club, but I do think we had a bunch of players who lacked self discipline. I dont know the answer, but Im thinking of Bellamy, Dyer & Bramble in particular. You'll know yourself the bother they would get in to when pissed on the quayside. Nobby used to go out a lot but never had any bother. Whether that effected us on the pitch? I dont think so. There must have been issues behind closed doors though as when SBR was replaced with Souness, FS commented about the discipline side of things.

[Lake Bells tits 1]

ideally defenders should be comfortable on the ball. but their first job is to stop the opposition from scoring. look at that luis at chelsea. loads of skill and a great touch, but he can't defend and that's what he's in the side to do primarily.

 

williamson ideally wouldn't be first choice at the back, he's slow and a bit clumsy. but his height and strength have complimented colo's sweeping up quite well to be fair to him to this season. the proof is in the pudding - look how many goals we've conceded on this latest run with him at the heart of the defence. next to fuck all innit.

 

simpson too, i'd prefer coming off the bench but again credit where it's due. he's had a class season. an ever present in a back four that's been close to water tight in every game bar the two horror away days in the capital.

 

I agree for the most part, but I wouldnt trust williamson or simpson 1 v 1 vs any competent winger. If I did, Id have no problem with either of them.

If they were fantastic defensively Id forgive everything, but they are merely competent. Yes Williamson is good in the air but on the ground he is hardly anything to write home about.

Colo back there is papering over the cracks and doing 80% of the work. Add tiote to that and Im going to say it - they are both passengers.

I just hope I dont have to be proven right by giving them another season as first choice defenders.

[The Fish 10971]

Ashley Cole is English football's supreme example of a truly 'great' full back.

 

Evra has never been in the same ball park as him.

 

Walker and Assou Ekotto will never make it to the same ball park as him.

 

That Gary Neville is the best Right Back this country has seen in decades is a sad indictment of how poor England really are. You compare the really great players to their English counterparts and it's enough to bring a shotgun to your mouth. Ashley Cole is definitely World Class (or at least he was at his peak which seems sadly behind him), but other than him, who else can we really say is/was world class in their position?

 

England have not had a top class striker since Shearer in my opinion.

Scholes was great, but England head coaches never used his ability, preferring to try and shoehorn Gerrard and Lampard into the team. Two player who've been called World Class, but are no where near their international opponents.

John Terry has been one England's first choice defenders for over a decade.For Fucks Sake.

Only now do I have faith in the 'keeper for England

 

shocking for "the home of Football"

[Toonpack 9967]

If Ashley had sold us to some new owner, when we were relegated, and the club had done exactly what it has done since then up to today, what would we think of that "new" owner ???

[Lake Bells tits 1]

One that didnt get us there in the first place.

You tend to regard anyone carrying your family out of a burning house with kinder eyes if it werent for the fact that he set fire to it.

Edited April 24, 2012 by Lake Bells tits

[Renton 22003]

 

 

3 players in how many years . Have a word with yourself. Bellamy has done OK since leaving us by the way.

 

That is the same sort of shite that quotes Boumsong as the typical centre half the club signed. Although plenty of people were happy with him at the time he signed.

 

My post pointed out that you don't qualify for europe, champions league, challenge for the title etc with players that don't respect the club. I was thinking more of players like Shearer, Lee, Speed, Solano, Given, Warren Barton and dozens more. it's far too early to say what sort of players the club signs in future. What is certain, is the higher you go, the higher the expectation and that in itself brings certain problems not least of which is the temperament of the more gifted players sometimes. Its up to the manager to manage these players, and higher ambitions and heights bring higher pressures.

 

Get a grip.

 

Talking of managers, didn't Shepherd and Hall recruit a manager who respected the club so much he chose to commute from Amsterdam rather than live here?

[Christmas Tree 4835]

One that didnt get us there in the first place.

You tend to regard anyone carrying your family out of a burning house with kinder eyes if it werent for the fact that he set fire to it.

 

[manc-mag 1]

One that didnt get us there in the first place.

You tend to regard anyone carrying your family out of a burning house with kinder eyes if it werent for the fact that he set fire to it.

 

Check out the relegation thread. The more sagacious members were pointing to the cleansing effects of relegation before it happened. (safety wink)

[Toonpack 9967]

One that didnt get us there in the first place.

You tend to regard anyone carrying your family out of a burning house with kinder eyes if it werent for the fact that he set fire to it.

 

He didn't set fire to NUFC, he just didn't put the flames out quick enough.

 

Best owner we've ever had tbh, only one who's chanced his own cash.

[NJS 4411]

I would morph "respect for the club" as discussed to "genuine desire to play for the club". I think most players we've signed since 92 have showed it but there have been a fair few wankers as well. I don't mind pointing out that the wankers stand out as those where Shepherd had too much say in them signing.

 

If recognising that has meant a very deliberate policy to prevent it from happening again then its one fantastic lesson to have learned.

[Park Life 71]

Good result for us that. Keeps Chelsea distracted. Won't win in the final with half the side out.

[Monroe Transfer 0]

Nonsense. Just like the nonsense spouted before the semis had started along the lines of "it's Barca, they're invincible, Chelsea will never beat them".

 

Chelsea still have a very strong squad, as they would with all that money. They also seem to attract a lot of.... fortunate things (could call it being jammy I guess).

[Monroe Transfer 0]

So as things stand it's terrible for us. If we finish fourth we'll have to endure a horrible week after the season ends, and then 90+ minutes to decide what European competition we'll be playing in next season.

 

Even if we finish third, them winning it will mean we'll have to get into the CL via the play-offs. I want to avoid the play-offs at all cost if we finish in the top 4, firstly because I don't want a repeat of Partizan and secondly because the play-offs take place at the end of august (making transfers very awkward, as we saw with Arsenal this pre-season).

[Lake Bells tits 1]

Yeah Im sure Real madrid are deeply worried, no ramires no terry and Pereira Bertrand and Essien at the back

[Lake Bells tits 1]

So as things stand it's terrible for us. If we finish fourth we'll have to endure a horrible week after the season ends, and then 90+ minutes to decide what European competition we'll be playing in next season.

 

Even if we finish third, them winning it will mean we'll have to get into the CL via the play-offs. I want to avoid the play-offs at all cost if we finish in the top 4, firstly because I don't want a repeat of Partizan and secondly because the play-offs take place at the end of august (making transfers very awkward, as we saw with Arsenal this pre-season).

 

Agreed, miss the days of securing us from relegation where we did not have to worry about these troublesome european spots.

[Monroe Transfer 0]

Yeah Im sure Real madrid are deeply worried, no ramires no terry and Pereira Bertrand and Essien at the back

 

You realise Bayern Munich are currently the ones with one foot in the final, right?

[Monroe Transfer 0]

Agreed, miss the days of securing us from relegation where we did not have to worry about these troublesome european spots.

 

What a wonderfully pointless post.

[Lake Bells tits 1]

Terrible is not a word I`ll take in my mouth regarding the season run-in. Very peculiar word to use about recent events.

This could be unfortunate for us, or really good. I refuse to give in to the notion that this was - as you put it - "terrible" for us.

 

Chelsea could blow 4th in the league due to this, it can just as easily give us CL as losing it. We will just have to wait and see.

Edited April 24, 2012 by Lake Bells tits

[Monroe Transfer 0]

So now someones told me that the PL site says that third place doesn't have to endure the play-offs....

 

... this is all so, so confusing

[Lake Bells tits 1]

Ah well, we will see. I dont think we will get 4th anyway, we have chelsea away and city left as well as on-form wigan and everton.

[ChezGiven 0]

Good result for us that. Keeps Chelsea distracted. Won't win in the final with half the side out.

I think you're right, wasnt happy at first but on reflection I think the odds are just about still in our favour. That said, with all the players missing out on the final, they will be revved up for the league game.