NyarkosLeftToe

It's so hard for teams to find strikers now, not only because of how much they cost, but because the 'big' clubs like to have 3 or 4 of them each. If you want to get a goalscorer on the cheap you have to take a punt on a player you hope will make it, whether they be from the lower leagues in England or a lower league abroad. Even Jordan Rhodes would be in excess of 7/8 million and he isn't proven in the prem, although he is a very good finisher.

If we were going to end up with anyone who is in the prem now I would like us to get Benteke, he's been off the boil this season but Villa are poor, I think he'd get 15+ in our team, but again we'd be looking at a massive price tag.

Agree with the De Guzman shout, he's a very good player.

See the problem I have with the bold is this....

 

How can we expect to have consistent champions league finishes if we don't have a pot to piss in?

 

It's all well and good saying he needs time to build his own squad but unfortunately I don't see him having enough money to build a squad capable of consistent top 4 finishes. I just see that as fact.

 

The ability to finish in those top 4 positions "this" season will give us a much better platform to build on.

 

It's been the same for a long time. We just haven't been quite good enough to break in (apart from a one of in 04/05, Without the financial muscle. I can't see us becoming a "consistant" top 4 team and it's hard to see us breaking the top 4 to be honest. This season is probably the best opportunity we have. However it's looking grimmer than ever in league standings. We've got a lot of catching up to do.

 

I'm looking at reality rather than the "bigger picture"

I do understand fans frustration at us not going out and buying a 20-30 million pound striker or winger each season like some clubs around us do, but, considering we don't have a pot to piss in we are still there or there abouts, I do think if we had the squad fully fit for the majority of the season so far we would have won a few more of the games which we ended up drawing.

Martinez said during his first press conference that he sees us in the Champions League in the near future, I thought he was chatting shit and maybe Bill had spiked his pint of Chang before it! But, I don't think he would have taken the job had the board not had a plan to match his ambitions when he first spoke to them.

I think as with any new manager you have to give them patience and time to get the squad they want, I think it will take him a couple of seasons personally. In the mean time if we continue to develop the way we are we might even sneak a trophy or with a bit of luck get into the top 4 sooner than expected.

The 5000 odd blues who go down there will still make more noise than the Arsenal fans anyway, its a terrible atmosphere in the Emirates at the best of times. I am looking forward to the game and I think we'll beat them!

If we finish 11th we'll have had a good season. Lmao. Ok.

 

RE McCarthy. He's a decent enough midfielder, but he lacks any real creativity, goal threat etc. his passes are always simple. So sometimes I just see him as a spare man.

 

Playing with two sitters doesn't help going forward IMO unless you have at least one who can operate in both areas of the pitch. No doubt if he was a lone sitter I wouldn't expect any attacking threat from him.

You're missing my point, this season has been about progression, the fact the players have taken so well and quickly to a new manager who has radically changed our playing style is a success, as I said the timings of injuries to key players has been unlucky, but I do think with time and a more in depth squad (Which takes time, you can't expect a manager to bring in ALL the players he wants in 2 windows) we will be in a stronger position to sustain a champions league push.

Back to McCarthy, you don't have to score goals, beat people or get assists to be a good player, his work rate is unreal and without him Coleman/Baines/Barkley would not be able to break forward as much as they do, he is constantly providing cover and protection to the back 4.

Because he is so good technically and in previous seasons he has been unreal (The season before he left and went to Spurs) he gets more criticism than others, the better players always do cos more is expected of them.

He can still offer something and his link up with Baines is sometimes magical, but I do think we need a replacement for him to come in soon and maybe keep him as a squad player so the new lad can learn from him.

 

Naismith doesn't seem to have that problem.

Agreed Naismith is decent in the air, but he wins headers from the flanks, marked by a smaller full back, not many full backs are strong in the air, where as its a centre halfs bread and butter.

I've slated Naismith as much maybe even more so than most blues, couldn't fault him yesterday or against Villa when he came on, he's a good impact sub.

Coleman is the most improved player I've seen in a blue shirt, the way he plays now compared to when we first got him is amazing, the last 12 months he has arguably been our best player.

Thought Barry was MOTM, Naismith done well but was only on for about 20 minutes, Barry looked solid most of the 90 even if he did look tired towards the end. Coleman was also one of our better players.

If you get a player on loan from another club you are hoping they make an immediate impact, this lad scored a goal within 5 minutes of his debut and we won the game. Not bad for being out for 5 months.

I disagree with people saying he's poor in the air because we didn't get enough balls in the air into the box for him to win, balls from the keeper or long balls from defence ,the opposition centre halfs will win most of them as they have the run on the player. Its balls into the box where the fwd becomes favourite for the same reason, I think he will do as an option for now till Lukaku is fit again, Naismith is better coming off the bench IMO as the way he plays (working hard) works better against tired legs.

We should have beat Arsenal away this season, would have been happy playing either them or the kopites, no reason why we should fear them, our players starting to come back and should have a bit more game time under their belts come the game.

Thought he looked alirght in the first 5 minutes when he scored, great play from Distin for the goal btw.

He would have had a better game IMO if we got the ball into the box, the amount of times the full backs got to the bye line and pulled it back would have been frustrating for him as I think he would have easily had the beating of any of their defence if the ball was in the air around the 6 yard box.

1 goal 1 game and we won, all in all not a bad day for your debut.