Time to put sentiment aside, back-line needs an overhaul.

[NipHolmes]

I've said it many times, we should have signed a world class CH after we won the league, it is obvious to anyone with football knowledge that Lescott/ Richards are not good enough technically and Kolarov is poor defensively, we have spent big money on all other areas of the team apart from the defence and it is now beginning to show. A CH in Jan is a must.

Definately pal. Richards was a very good player but last seasons injuries and rustiness are costing him. I personally believe he needs a change of scenary and needs to lose easily a stone of muscle to regain pace and balance. Kolarov is the better of our two LB's which is worrying because imo the lads a flop of a signing.

We wanted Pepe but when Real Madrid lost Varane to injury we instead chose for a tried and tested Demichellis. I think budget had a role to play and whispers state we have money in Jan due to qualifying in CL ko stages.

Nip, you're normally a very good poster but are you seriously suggesting we completely overhaul our defence midway through the season? When we'll still be in the title chase and with the Champs League k/o's on the horizon?

I'd personally like us to go in for Luke Shaw but is it realistic to think we can grab him from Soton in Jan PLUS loan out/sell Clichy?
Even then he'd be a young lad adapting to our style of play being thrown in to pressurised games without a pre-season bedding in period.

Lescott...a good solid fourth choice to see us through the season. Just need Vinnie and Nasty back and we've got three very decent CBs ahead of him (Demechelis has impressed in past couple of weeks)

Let's give Richards half a season to overcome his injury jetlag and adapt himself to Pellegrini's methods eh? The lad deserves that to say the least.
Yesterday saw him regularly make his trademark five yard sliding run across their back-line that produced so many chances in the past but this time without being used by team-mates. He needs a bit of time to click with Navas in particular and then we can get a fair impression on whether he's a fading force or not.

If that's indeed the case then yes we'll need a new right-back because additionally we cannot expect Zaba to play to his intensity season after season.

But in Jan? No signings for me.

What we need right now aren't new players but games. 7-0 spankings and frustrating 1-0 reverses. As long as each player learns from both we'll be stronger post-Xmas then we bring in a couple of additions next summer.

Firstly thank you.

Secondly, I know it's bold but imo our back-line is that much of a shambles it can hardly be much worse. Richards wants a move for money or a good contract here and his form and injury record does not justify it. Everton have a lad who grafts game in game out called Colback, on a fraction of Micahs wage, that's the kind of second player we want, not a player on sentiment and past glories.

Lescott will have 6 months left in Jan, we will sell purely for his fee. Our LB's are the most average but over-rated of any top level team. We need to sell one and replace with Coentrao imo

I understand your scepticism but imo we are a shambles at the back, too many are hot and cold and too many are injury prone. We have needed a world-class CB to partner Kompany for years now but after pursuing Silva we gave up. Basically it has been coming for a while and now is time to sort it because the way we are going they will be the death of our sides chances in CL and a title-race. It can't be called bad-luck now, it must be addressed, we have too many problems.

-- Mon Nov 11, 2013 10:42 am --

Two weeks ago you were praising Richards and saying we miss him
You have always rated him

Now why the change?

I am right, we do miss him, we miss the him of 11/12. Now I think he's lost it, yesterday was league 2 level from him.

 

[moomba]

Our problem is that we've been forced to play 7 different CB in our first 11 games. Need to get VK fit and a partnership developed between him and Demichelis. None of our fullbacks have been great this season, but any combination should be good enough.

Next summer, another CB, a LB and 2e should be OK.

 

[kippaxblue76]

Again got to pull you up on this mate. 'Criminal'? Really? He's back from a sustained injury lay-off and into a side with a different manager with different approaches to when he played last. Give him time.

The lad can be an immense and unique asset.

If that doesnt prove to be the case - and he needs game-time to prove either way - then you're right about sentimentality (aside from wishing him all the very best and always signing his name when he returns home)

I have always liked Richards but he is technically poor, he just relies on speed and strength most of the time. Yesterday he was awful, way to static and lazy at getting back into position. Look at Sunderlands goal, he had more than enough time to get back and do his job but just wandered around near the halfway line, that's not good enough regardless of being out through injury/lack of games etc hence why he was subbed.

 

[NipHolmes]

Again got to pull you up on this mate. 'Criminal'? Really? He's back from a sustained injury lay-off and into a side with a different manager with different approaches to when he played last. Give him time.

The lad can be an immense and unique asset.

If that doesnt prove to be the case - and he needs game-time to prove either way - then you're right about sentimentality (aside from wishing him all the very best and always signing his name when he returns home)

Richards of 11/12 is a truly great asset, surging runs, powerful on the ball and strong tackler. Instead he looks like a player with a touch of a rapist, too heavy on his feet and terrible work ethic. He may be rusty but the lack of cover he put on our right-side exposed us. He is looking for a new deal be it here or elsewhere and imo the kid is too arrogant and should be showing on the pitch why he should play and get a new deal. Instead he talks off screen saying he was RB of our title-win campaign and how he loves the club then puts is a showing that resembles league two. I think the kids head is too focused on the surroundings rather than the game itself.

 

[prestonibbo_mcfc]

It isn't his fault!

Looking back I believe Mancini may have set us up so defensively because of how vulnerable we are. He dropped bollocks buying Garcia, Kolarov and Savic and we are stuck with two of them. What is worrying that Kolarov actually looks in better form than Clichy right now.

Pellegrini will guide us into the title race, the season is young yet but we must make movements with our back-line. Quite frankly we have some big-time-Charlies who are pilfering from the club when the draw their wages. Richards and Lescott are on their way out and they know it, both are playing for new deals but fail to stake a claim, instead they make clear why they should be sold.

I like your optimism but if you watched Pelle on the bench yesterday he looked like a manager devoid of ideas and already beat. His whole demeener looked terrible

I think he looked at the team and wondered what the fuck he was seeing. He watched a full-back who has been in the press bemoaning playing time, and expressing an enthusiasm to stay as a no.1 player who helepd us win the title. Instead he saw a deluded player who's lost it since last season look to be a hollywood hero by playing up the field and neglecting to actually do his job. He left Milner out to dry v Bardsley, he was too far up the pitch over a dozen other times, he puts the ball out too often and he actually was trying to order Navas to do his own job when Navas was marking the correct man. The lad wants £100k pw apparently and yet he plays like this, fuck it, fuck him off. I have always liked Richards but his bulky muscle-mass, his heavy touch and his poor work ethic have been the main reason why we struggled on the right hand-side yesterday, we saw a nightmare of a performance from him and that was against the mighty Sunderland, nothing short of criminal what he showed on the pitch yesterday.

This was the original problem for Bayern's first goal. He left Ribery to Navas. He is the defender first and foremost, so fucking defend.

 

[Marvin]

I agree with Moomba. The back 5 have been very poor and it's the clear weakness in the team

The Keeper - Problems well documented!

Central Defence bedevilled by injury

Fullbacks - Richards has been poor. Why? he's played how many games in the last year. Clichy. He's had a back injury but played on

I'd buy a central defender when we can, and maybe a full back too. These areas are weak. They are nothing to do with the manager

Ufortunately the rest of the team has not been able to cover up their weakness away from home when the defence comes under more pressure. We're making one or two errors in away games and getting punished for them every single time. For example SAFC scored from their first foray forward

 

[NipHolmes]

Our problem is that we've been forced to play 7 different CB in our first 11 games. Need to get VK fit and a partnership developed between him and Demichelis. None of our fullbacks have been great this season, but any combination should be good enough.

Next summer, another CB, a LB and 2e should be OK.

They should be, but they aren't.

Kolarov
Clichy
Zabaleta
Richards


On previous seasons showing that is actually a very good set of wing-backs we have but imo they have hyped by our great defensive record (which itself was part of our undoing going forward) but they lack assists and protection for our CB's. Only Zabaleta has played well so far, Kolarov has been hot and cold, Clichy struggling with niggles and Richards looks like a player who's lost what he had and is looking to cash in on old stock to be honest.

Their isn't actually much to change, we need a cover RB that won't cost much. We need a top LB and a top CB. Three players and one of them is being forced out of Madrid to help balance books.

-- Mon Nov 11, 2013 10:56 am --

I like your optimism but if you watched Pelle on the bench yesterday he looked like a manager devoid of ideas and already beat. His whole demeener looked terrible

I think he looked at the team and wondered what the fuck he was seeing. He watched a full-back who has been in the press bemoaning playing time, and expressing an enthusiasm to stay as a no.1 player who helepd us win the title. Instead he saw a deluded player who's lost it since last season look to be a hollywood hero by playing up the field and neglecting to actually do his job. He left Milner out to dry v Bardsley, he was too far up the pitch over a dozen other times, he puts the ball out too often and he actually was trying to order Navas to do his own job when Navas was marking the correct man. The lad wants £100k pw apparently and yet he plays like this, fuck it, fuck him off. I have always liked Richards but his bulky muscle-mass, his heavy touch and his poor work ethic have been the main reason why we struggled on the right hand-side yesterday, we saw a nightmare of a performance from him and that was against the mighty Sunderland, nothing short of criminal what he showed on the pitch yesterday.

This was the original problem for Bayern's first goal. He left Ribery to Navas. He is the defender first and foremost, so fucking defend.

Exactly fella, it his bread and butter and yet he's expecting Navas to do it. It is passing the book if ever I have seen it.

 

[supercity88]

Spot on. Lescott was our biggest investment and I would say that we need to make a much more significant investment in January or the summer. We need a new left back and a new centre half. Clichy had one good season but prior to his arrival he wasn't that good at Arsenal. Shaun Wright Philips used to tear him apart and this season he is struggling. Kolorov whilst an attacking threat really does not defend well. I did not look at our team sheet from yesterday and feel enthused about our chances in the game. When you see Lescott, Kolorov, Garcia and Richards around the squad you know we will concede. Mentality was strong under Mancini but not to the point where we could make 3-5 changes for a game and still maintain that level of performance. It seems no matter who plays away from home they do not perform. The rags were able to play the likes of Cleverly, Welbeck, Jones, Smalling, Evans etc and still win home and away. Richards, Milner, Lescott, Kolorov, Garcia are better but when they are relied upon they do not perform. If you are missing out on the big games, when you come in you perform. But our players don't. I am not saying it is all doom and gloom but we are still a fair way from the finished article. We have lost that spine. Hart-Kompany-Yaya-Silva-Aguero. Take Kompany out and we can't defend. Take Silva out and we don't create. Jovetic injured too unfortunately but we need to push on. We can still win the league and we definitely will be top 4 but it would be a real shame if we failed to win the league this season because of our inability to win games we should win.

 

[kippaxblue76]

Our problem is that we've been forced to play 7 different CB in our first 11 games. Need to get VK fit and a partnership developed between him and Demichelis. None of our fullbacks have been great this season, but any combination should be good enough.

Next summer, another CB, a LB and 2e should be OK.

They should be, buit they aren't.

Kolarov
Clichy
Zabaleta
Richards


On previous seasons showing that is actually a very good set of wing-backs we have but imo they have hyped by our great defensive record (which itself was part of our undoing going forward) but they lack assists and protection for our CB's. Only Zabaleta has played well so far, Kolarov has been hot and cold, Clichy struggling with niggles and Richards looks like a player who's lost what he had and is looking to cash in on old stock to be honest.

Their isn't actually much to change, we need a cover RB that won't cost much. We need a top LB and a top CB. Three players and one of them is being forced out of Madrid to help balance books.

Coentrao ?

 

[dennishasdoneit]

It isn't his fault!

Looking back I believe Mancini may have set us up so defensively because of how vulnerable we are. He dropped bollocks buying Garcia, Kolarov and Savic and we are stuck with two of them. What is worrying that Kolarov actually looks in better form than Clichy right now.

Pellegrini will guide us into the title race, the season is young yet but we must make movements with our back-line. Quite frankly we have some big-time-Charlies who are pilfering from the club when the draw their wages. Richards and Lescott are on their way out and they know it, both are playing for new deals but fail to stake a claim, instead they make clear why they should be sold.

I like your optimism but if you watched Pelle on the bench yesterday he looked like a manager devoid of ideas and already beat. His whole demeener looked terrible

I think he looked at the team and wondered what the fuck he was seeing. He watched a full-back who has been in the press bemoaning playing time, and expressing an enthusiasm to stay as a no.1 player who helepd us win the title. Instead he saw a deluded player who's lost it since last season look to be a hollywood hero by playing up the field and neglecting to actually do his job. He left Milner out to dry v Bardsley, he was too far up the pitch over a dozen other times, he puts the ball out too often and he actually was trying to order Navas to do his own job when Navas was marking the correct man. The lad wants £100k pw apparently and yet he plays like this, fuck it, fuck him off. I have always liked Richards but his bulky muscle-mass, his heavy touch and his poor work ethic have been the main reason why we struggled on the right hand-side yesterday, we saw a nightmare of a performance from him and that was against the mighty Sunderland, nothing short of criminal what he showed on the pitch yesterday.

And this is the same player who was telling the manager last season how he should be setting up the defence. same player who told the england manager this season that he wouldn,t be begging for his international place back...

your having a laugh micah,at our expense. your game has gone backward since the manager you hated left..who are you going to blame now you arrogant over over paid dickhead? when will lazy muscle-bound low-on-technical-skill players like you fucking learn....work at your game..... and remember, your a player not the manager.;

wanker.