Our biggest weakness....

[Deleted member 14625]

Look throughout our squad, apart from Richards, Kolo, Yaya, SWP and Balotelli - who are all Rapid Wien - they are all slow boy Roy's!

Kompany, Kolorov, Lescott, de Jong, Silva, Tevez - average to just above average pace.
Boateng, Boyata, Zabaleta, A Johnson - average to just below average pace.
Barry, Milner, Jo, Santa Cruz, Dzeko - all slower than an old woman counting her coppers out at the Post Office!

When we have a number of our slower players in the same line-up it is noticabke that we struggle to, one, close the opposition down and put them under pressure to make a mistake or for us to tackle them, and two, for us to move into space to be passed the ball in. Therefore the opposition have too much of the ball, we don't have enough of it!

When we start to got to places like The Emirates, Old Trafford, Stamford Bridge, White Hart Lane and top clubs in the Champions Lg, where we will be expected to win or need to win, we will find it extremely difficult with no pace.

The only reason we beat Chelsea away last season is because we took AJohnson off at half time and had SWP and Bellamy on the pitch in the second half to make damaging counter attacks. We scored off a few of them, but other than that we didn't even really play that well at all. It was the same at Old Trafford when we last won there SWP, Petrov and Vassell were dangerous on the counter attack and we puniched United and kelt the ball away from our goal as much as we could so that they couldn't create chances!

 

[JoeMercer'sWay]

maybe, but I think if we'd had Silva and Balotelli then we'd have had more craft and pace anyway, and Arsenal wouldn't have pressed forwards as much as they did knowing that they only had Jo(waste of space) and Tevez(great player but 4 on 1 is too much even for him) to keep an eye on.

The problem with pacy lads is they generally don't have good delivery, I don't think Shauny could have kept the ball well enough to make him any better, and AJ isn't exactly quick.

I think we're missing a ball retaining midfielder, a world class passer and creater in the heart of midfield. I think somebody like a Sneijder instead of Barry(I know he's been playing well, but he's very slow and his passing can get wonky especially when he's tired), I think having De Jong-Toure-Sneijder(or somebody similar, because Wesley would be hard to get, maybe a Schweinsteiger)-with Balotelli, Silva, Tevez and Dzeko rotating to make a front 3 with 1 on the bench, would be a big step up to becoming a Champions League team.

I do think we need an improvement in the heart of the midfield to what we've already got to really unlock teams and keep the ball.

It may sound harsh on Barry etc. who's done a good job, but I think we're at the point now where we should be offloading the guys on the bench and turning the decent first teamers into squad players, and upgrading with a couple of truly top class players to make us an even bigger force, I think a strong 2nd half of the season and a good Premier League finish can achieve that.

We won't get anybody worth keeping beyond 6 months who's of that quality in this window because of the Champions League imo.

It's funny a few people I know have said similar things to what you've posted. My opinion on that is that Silva should by rights be playing in the position Yaya plays in, in the centre of midfield. Something akin to this would be what I'm talking about:

..............Back Four...............
..............DeJong Yaya..........
Aj................Silva.........Balo...
..................Tevez

That team has everything IMO. However it requires Mancini to pick 4 out and out attacking players....

I think having a degree of flexibility is important however I don't think we can do that with such a dearth of quality as back-up(ie. Jo, SWP). I think 1 more central midfielder will open that up, and you have to remember our midfield back-up is Vieira, and MJ can't be relied on, so I really think we do need another midfielder regardless, but I'd rather see Barry and Milner become squad players where they may become more effective, than having to be relied on week in, week out.

Silva drifts like mad anyway, so where you stick him on a teamsheet doesn't really seem to mean much to him. However I think if you stuck Silva as the 3rd middle man with 2 behind you will a) lose Yaya's offensive ability, which I think no other team in the league can cope with and b) Silva won't be as strong defensively, and I think we'd lose shape and balance to the team.

It's interesting, I still believe we're one summer away from having a properly balanced squad.

I also believe AJ needs to do something to please Mancini and win his trust back, because something's not right there.

 

[Mr Rich]

Biggest weakness is Barry

Look at the top of the screen mate, player of the month.

Didn't see too much of 'the Premier League's best player' Nasri, kept extremely quiet by Richards, but few picked up on that. Walcott was Arsenal's best player when he got taken off they offered very little, although clearly the better team in the first half, and some of the second, they were grinded down and City deserved their point.

Going back to the question, we need a Berkovic to our Benarbia, somebody who can hold up the ball and distribute it creatively in the final 3rd but will track back and tackle. Steven Gerrard anyone...?

 

[Deleted member 14625]

My opinion, our biggest weakness is a distinct lack of pace in our 'attacking' players. To play Mancini's way effectively at the Emirates, OT, etc. you need to pose some sort of a threat on the break, but without pace, it's difficult to do, and you end up defending for large parts of the match. Of course that in itself, with our squad's ability to defend, isn't that big a deal, however when I look through the top squads in Europe it's something they all have, possibly with the exception of Chelsea...

With the transfer window open, it's worth pondering and possibly addressing...

maybe, but I think if we'd had Silva and Balotelli then we'd have had more craft and pace anyway, and Arsenal wouldn't have pressed forwards as much as they did knowing that they only had Jo(waste of space) and Tevez(great player but 4 on 1 is too much even for him) to keep an eye on.

The problem with pacy lads is they generally don't have good delivery, I don't think Shauny could have kept the ball well enough to make him any better, and AJ isn't exactly quick.

I think we're missing a ball retaining midfielder, a world class passer and creater in the heart of midfield. I think somebody like a Sneijder instead of Barry(I know he's been playing well, but he's very slow and his passing can get wonky especially when he's tired), I think having De Jong-Toure-Sneijder(or somebody similar, because Wesley would be hard to get, maybe a Schweinsteiger)-with Balotelli, Silva, Tevez and Dzeko rotating to make a front 3 with 1 on the bench, would be a big step up to becoming a Champions League team.

I do think we need an improvement in the heart of the midfield to what we've already got to really unlock teams and keep the ball.

It may sound harsh on Barry etc. who's done a good job, but I think we're at the point now where we should be offloading the guys on the bench and turning the decent first teamers into squad players, and upgrading with a couple of truly top class players to make us an even bigger force, I think a strong 2nd half of the season and a good Premier League finish can achieve that.

We won't get anybody worth keeping beyond 6 months who's of that quality in this window because of the Champions League imo.

You're spot on. I've been saying this for moths!

 

[howfen blue]

Was crying out for somebody like Bellamy last night. The main reason we ended up under the cosh all the game is that Arsenal had nothing at all to worry about at the back so could push as far up the pitch as they wanted. I'd be willing to say if we'd have had some real pace upfront last night we may have come away with more than a point.

 

[Anonymous]

It's funny a few people I know have said similar things to what you've posted. My opinion on that is that Silva should by rights be playing in the position Yaya plays in, in the centre of midfield. Something akin to this would be what I'm talking about:

..............Back Four...............
..............DeJong Yaya..........
Aj................Silva.........Balo...
..................Tevez

That team has everything IMO. However it requires Mancini to pick 4 out and out attacking players....

I think having a degree of flexibility is important however I don't think we can do that with such a dearth of quality as back-up(ie. Jo, SWP). I think 1 more central midfielder will open that up, and you have to remember our midfield back-up is Vieira, and MJ can't be relied on, so I really think we do need another midfielder regardless, but I'd rather see Barry and Milner become squad players where they may become more effective, than having to be relied on week in, week out.

Silva drifts like mad anyway, so where you stick him on a teamsheet doesn't really seem to mean much to him. However I think if you stuck Silva as the 3rd middle man with 2 behind you will a) lose Yaya's offensive ability, which I think no other team in the league can cope with and b) Silva won't be as strong defensively, and I think we'd lose shape and balance to the team.

It's interesting, I still believe we're one summer away from having a properly balanced squad.

I also believe AJ needs to do something to please Mancini and win his trust back, because something's not right there.

I see totally where you're coming from. The one place where I do disagree is on how best to use Silva. I'm absolutely convinced that if we want to get the best out of him, then he should be playing the role which Yaya places. I understand that Yaya's brute force has been a great asset in recent weeks, but Silva would create the same space in a totally different way. By allowing him to play that position, it means that when we do look to break, he will be the furthest forward central midfield player, and will have three attacking players to service - rather than the two he currently ends up trying to supply. It would also prevent the dire lack of width which we currently end up with because Silva is constantly drifting inside from his wide starting position.

I suppose it's why Mancini feels fullbacks are so important in his formation - because by playing SIlva one wing will inevitably have a massive hole in it when we attack...

I think we're going a bit off the point of the thread though. In terms of pace in the wide areas, we are severely lacking. When you look at top top clubs around Europe they have, all of them, at least two attacking players with blistering pace they can call upon...

 

[Anonymous]

Was crying out for somebody like Bellamy last night. The main reason we ended up under the cosh all the game is that Arsenal had nothing at all to worry about at the back so could push as far up the pitch as they wanted. I'd be willing to say if we'd have had some real pace upfront last night we may have come away with more than a point.

Balo was a bigger miss than Silva for that exact reason. Had he been fit and available, then it would've completely changed the face of the contest...

It's kind of why I started this thread. I do think a 'squad' player with blistering pace is required...

 

[blue dallas]

Biggest weakness is Barry

more shite.

 

[blue dallas]

Was crying out for somebody like Bellamy last night. The main reason we ended up under the cosh all the game is that Arsenal had nothing at all to worry about at the back so could push as far up the pitch as they wanted. I'd be willing to say if we'd have had some real pace upfront last night we may have come away with more than a point.

Balo was a bigger miss than Silva for that exact reason. Had he been fit and available, then it would've completely changed the face of the contest...

It's kind of why I started this thread. I do think a 'squad' player with blistering pace is required...

Gerrard ?

 

[JoeMercer'sWay]

maybe, but I think if we'd had Silva and Balotelli then we'd have had more craft and pace anyway, and Arsenal wouldn't have pressed forwards as much as they did knowing that they only had Jo(waste of space) and Tevez(great player but 4 on 1 is too much even for him) to keep an eye on.

The problem with pacy lads is they generally don't have good delivery, I don't think Shauny could have kept the ball well enough to make him any better, and AJ isn't exactly quick.

I think we're missing a ball retaining midfielder, a world class passer and creater in the heart of midfield. I think somebody like a Sneijder instead of Barry(I know he's been playing well, but he's very slow and his passing can get wonky especially when he's tired), I think having De Jong-Toure-Sneijder(or somebody similar, because Wesley would be hard to get, maybe a Schweinsteiger)-with Balotelli, Silva, Tevez and Dzeko rotating to make a front 3 with 1 on the bench, would be a big step up to becoming a Champions League team.

I do think we need an improvement in the heart of the midfield to what we've already got to really unlock teams and keep the ball.

It may sound harsh on Barry etc. who's done a good job, but I think we're at the point now where we should be offloading the guys on the bench and turning the decent first teamers into squad players, and upgrading with a couple of truly top class players to make us an even bigger force, I think a strong 2nd half of the season and a good Premier League finish can achieve that.

We won't get anybody worth keeping beyond 6 months who's of that quality in this window because of the Champions League imo.

You're spot on. I've been saying this for moths!

funny, I thought you were a spokesman for butterflies, nvm...