bluemoonmatt
Well-Known Member
We have never looked like hitting the heights we reached last year but the writing was on the wall long before most of these games mentioned had even been played. We won the title last year on goal difference. We were deserved winners but they stuck to us like shit all the way, in fact in the end we were the ones who looked like losing it. The season finished, we partied they got on the the phone to Arsenal. Van Rapist is a major factor, they lost out last year by what? 5 or 6 goals, he scored three of em last night, that said while they strengthened, with the notable exception of the excellent piece of business we did with Fiorentina, we weakened.
We lost big Nige, we couldn't really do much unless we caved in to his silly demands. We replaced with a sheet of glass who through no fault of his own has shown glimpses of why the big teams were queuing up to covet him, but the telling fact is he spent most of the year in the physio room illustrating why they all lost interest. And a lad whom most of us would have been delighted with two to three years ago, who may yet come good, but lets be honest has not looked an inch of the player NDJ was for us. He has scored a couple of goals which NDJ didn't contribute but Nigel was so sound defensively it freed up others to venture further forward. We sold Adam Johnson and replaced with Scott Sinclair, Adam was all too often the Whipping boy on here more probably for his attitude than his performances though yet he contributed 6? goals last year, has Scott even made 6 appearances? This is not necessarily Scott's fault but if we lose a player who scores six goals, those goals need replacing which leads me onto our strikers.
RM infamously described our strike force as powder puff, surely even Didsbury Dave would have to agree with him here. Tevez has been our best striker this season, and I never thought I'd see myself typing that again after what happened. Balo lost interest pure and simple we should have sold him in the summer (securing a suitable replacement in the process) it just shows by the instant impact he had on his return to italy. Dzeko for all the right noises he makes and his undeniable likeability is just not there. His performance on sunday typified his season, I sat thinking to myself this player is of the standard of a West Brom or West Ham player, then I thought briefly about Andy Carroll and thought you know what I'd sooner we had him than Edin, and then I had to go home and have a shower, anyway, there's Kun. Kun is great Kun is the man but Kuns been injured which leads me onto...
Injuries, every team gets em, last year the raggys could point to the long periods their defence was stretched to breaking point by the injuries to lizard lips and Vidic etc. This year it was our turn. We have been without Rodwell for long periods. We have been without not one but TWO right backs (thank god for the Zabba not just for not joining them but managing to not see red this year) but the most telling was the aforementioned injuries to Ageuro and our captain. In losing Kun we have lost upto 20 goals this season, you cant legislate for that, in losing VK we lost our direction and our leader. Many could point towards our defence still being the best in the league but we lost the organiser and as a result Joe hasnt looked anywhere near as comfortable. Vin came back, looked unsteady was out again and came back still looks unsteady. Don't think I'm slagging him, he is still the best CB in the league, he just needs match time like any other CB my word we have missed him, form is temporary, class is permanent which leads me onto...
Form of KEY players.
Joe - still wouldnt have anyone else between the sticks but last year he probably single handedly earned us 10 points. this year he's probably just around par?
Yaya - Looked tired at times in fact too many times. He either puts in a full 90 of pure footballing brilliance or he runs out of steam somewhere between 40 and 60 minutes. Thank fuck there's no ACN next year
All the strikers - two have blown hot and cold all year, the other two just cold, maybe Guidetti shoulda been given a chance but then again he's been out for long periods too. We have to question why Balo got sold without a replacement which may or may not be a good thing but surely the manager had a say in this, this leads to
RM - I hope RM has learned too, he cannot be absolved of criticism, he tinkered with a winning formula and everytime he changed something or tried something new, it didnt work. I kinda admire him for trying but aaarrrgghh it makes me mad when it fails.
Finally the board, Hazard RVP Martinez and I get bored there, I really hope Im not typing Falcao, Cavani, Reus (I would have typed Gotze but we already lost that one) this time next year....
We lost big Nige, we couldn't really do much unless we caved in to his silly demands. We replaced with a sheet of glass who through no fault of his own has shown glimpses of why the big teams were queuing up to covet him, but the telling fact is he spent most of the year in the physio room illustrating why they all lost interest. And a lad whom most of us would have been delighted with two to three years ago, who may yet come good, but lets be honest has not looked an inch of the player NDJ was for us. He has scored a couple of goals which NDJ didn't contribute but Nigel was so sound defensively it freed up others to venture further forward. We sold Adam Johnson and replaced with Scott Sinclair, Adam was all too often the Whipping boy on here more probably for his attitude than his performances though yet he contributed 6? goals last year, has Scott even made 6 appearances? This is not necessarily Scott's fault but if we lose a player who scores six goals, those goals need replacing which leads me onto our strikers.
RM infamously described our strike force as powder puff, surely even Didsbury Dave would have to agree with him here. Tevez has been our best striker this season, and I never thought I'd see myself typing that again after what happened. Balo lost interest pure and simple we should have sold him in the summer (securing a suitable replacement in the process) it just shows by the instant impact he had on his return to italy. Dzeko for all the right noises he makes and his undeniable likeability is just not there. His performance on sunday typified his season, I sat thinking to myself this player is of the standard of a West Brom or West Ham player, then I thought briefly about Andy Carroll and thought you know what I'd sooner we had him than Edin, and then I had to go home and have a shower, anyway, there's Kun. Kun is great Kun is the man but Kuns been injured which leads me onto...
Injuries, every team gets em, last year the raggys could point to the long periods their defence was stretched to breaking point by the injuries to lizard lips and Vidic etc. This year it was our turn. We have been without Rodwell for long periods. We have been without not one but TWO right backs (thank god for the Zabba not just for not joining them but managing to not see red this year) but the most telling was the aforementioned injuries to Ageuro and our captain. In losing Kun we have lost upto 20 goals this season, you cant legislate for that, in losing VK we lost our direction and our leader. Many could point towards our defence still being the best in the league but we lost the organiser and as a result Joe hasnt looked anywhere near as comfortable. Vin came back, looked unsteady was out again and came back still looks unsteady. Don't think I'm slagging him, he is still the best CB in the league, he just needs match time like any other CB my word we have missed him, form is temporary, class is permanent which leads me onto...
Form of KEY players.
Joe - still wouldnt have anyone else between the sticks but last year he probably single handedly earned us 10 points. this year he's probably just around par?
Yaya - Looked tired at times in fact too many times. He either puts in a full 90 of pure footballing brilliance or he runs out of steam somewhere between 40 and 60 minutes. Thank fuck there's no ACN next year
All the strikers - two have blown hot and cold all year, the other two just cold, maybe Guidetti shoulda been given a chance but then again he's been out for long periods too. We have to question why Balo got sold without a replacement which may or may not be a good thing but surely the manager had a say in this, this leads to
RM - I hope RM has learned too, he cannot be absolved of criticism, he tinkered with a winning formula and everytime he changed something or tried something new, it didnt work. I kinda admire him for trying but aaarrrgghh it makes me mad when it fails.
Finally the board, Hazard RVP Martinez and I get bored there, I really hope Im not typing Falcao, Cavani, Reus (I would have typed Gotze but we already lost that one) this time next year....