Football The 2011/2012 Season Thread

[Everz]

Wenger wasn't saCked when he lost 8-2,
Ferguson wasn't when utd got mangled in front of their own fans by City.

I do understand what your saying, but the lack of investment by a team in their 3rd year in the league, having only just stayed up was a disgrace. The board have to take some responsibility. Look at how stoke have invested year upon year, it can be done in a sensible manner.

It wasn't on that though, our form over the year has been an utter disgrace with the baggies game being the one that broke the camels back so to say, losing 5-1 to your bitter rivals in a game where that scoreline flattered us, there was no way back after that. I'd hate to have worked back home this morning, even the ripping I'm gettin from the few sandwell showerdodgers down here is embarassing. We have invested and the squad should be mid-table, in Fletcher we have a player who should/most likely be at a higher club. The board take some of the brunt as the signs where there that Morgan didn't want to back him fully (Craig Gardner being a prime example, as was Cisse/Onouha). It's a combination of things as to why he had to go, as I said, it's a shame as it was (in our terms) a glorious regime that wasn't working anymore.

 

[Calaen]

Erm - looking at the Net spend of Wolves and Stoke over the last 3 years its practically identical - even this season Wolves have spent nearly 11 million Net.

It may well be but you can actually look at the stoke squad and see the quality they have invested in and the people they were chasing. Crouch, Palacious, Penant, Tungay

Yes some of them may not have worked out but the investment was on proven premiership players, Stoke and Wolves have been miles apart since they both came up with regards to season achievements!

 

[Vladamir]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...a-players-slam-Andre-Villas-Boas-tactics.html

Seems to be a common theme of the reports today, AVB's future essentially rests on the next two games I reckon.

 

[Vasconcelos]

I dont think Chelsea's problem is AVB imo.
They have dynamite up the front, but something is wrong @ their midfield line. Havent seen many games of Chelsea this season, but seems to me they stilll lack a fixed playstyle.

I'd give AVB this whole season to work w/o pressure. Trust, being a RM fan I know whats to live with 1 manager per season

 

[eksdee]

Yeah I agree completely. Our midfield is just a joke. We could also do with just forgetting Torres and playing Sturridge through the middle.

Also, how goddamn depressingly predictable is this? http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/feb/13/alan-curbishley-wolves

 

[Calaen]

I agree with you Vasc.

The changes he wants to incorporate do not happen over night, the money Lamps, Terry, Drogba and a few other of the older guys are on means he effecively stuck playing the same shite.

There needs to be wholesale changes at Chelsea starting with the back 4 and moving forward. I think Torres and Sturridge should be sufficient up top, with lukaku as 3rd choice. Midfield this is the main problem for Chelsea they only have Mata with any creativity playing at the moment and he's having to cover so much ground to be constantly involved in the play.

 

[Vladamir]

I sort of wonder what else we need in midfield though, when fit Ramires has shown himself to be worthy of starting every game, Oriol looks solid in his role but is perhaps a little slower across the pitch than a player AVB would like.

So who plays alongside those two, Essien? Lampard? Maybe even Mata? Though that would leave us with a pretty lightweight midfield compared to the days of Ballack, Lampard and Essien

 

[eksdee]

Cech
Iva - Cahill Luiz/HUTCH?! - Bertrand
Essien Romeu
Sturridge - Mata - De Bruyne
Lukaku

In the future? I don't know. I think Mata needs to be play through the middle for a start at least.

 

[Vladamir]

Looks fairly similar to what Hiddink had us playing; you'd think it'd be interchangeable with the players we have now. Ray Mears could probably play anywhere in that midfield too.

Mata is absolutely wasted on the wings though I agree.

 

[eksdee]

Yep. Forgot about Ramires actually and completely agree he should be in there. He'd probably work well with Essien or Romeu, either interchanging with who goes forward with Essient or simply being more attacking within a box to box role alongside Romeu who is naturally more reserved.

I honestly think at this point the the problem with Chelsea isn't the manager, but the toxicity caused by Lampard, Terry, Drogba and Torres. They all need to go.

 

[Calaen]

Perhaps, but he's trying to play a far more fluid style of football, so you have to give up on having 3 engines in the middle.

If you assume Torres is the guy upfront, with mata and sturridge supporting from the outside, then you need two holding midfielders, one of which with the ability to burst forward.

I think the Key to Mata, is while he may be shown on Sky as a blue circle out on the left,the guy needs to have freedom of the pitch. Much like Silva has mfor City.

 

[Vasconcelos]

I dont wanna sound dramatic, but honestly, a team with Torres as their main striker..... well... imagine the picture.... dont wanna alarm you chelsea fans but atm Torres is even out of the Euro2012 in favour of Llorente or Soldado.

I were Chelsea's manger I'd get rid of him despite any money loss, and go for a proper striker. Right now, Torres is a big ?

And as for midfield, I'd go hunt in the Bundesleague (Schweinsteiger, Goetze, Muller, Kroos,...). I'd even tempt Wilshere if the alsacian pedobear quits Arsenal

 

[Vladamir]

He'll be benched when Didier's back, probably for the first Napoli game IMO.

 

[Calaen]

I still think Torres is a victim of the service behind him. Drogba can make things happen due to his bulk and getting long balls thrown up to him, but Torres neesd to supply along the ground and passes hit into space for it to be of benefit to him. Giev him those things and I have no doubt he will score goals.

 

[rynnor]

I still think Torres is a victim of the service behind him. Drogba can make things happen due to his bulk and getting long balls thrown up to him, but Torres neesd to supply along the ground and passes hit into space for it to be of benefit to him. Giev him those things and I have no doubt he will score goals.

If they have to retool the team around him he was a bad buy tbh - especially at that price. They should have got shot of him last summer.

 

[Calaen]

Well he was Abramovichs buy, so I'm not going to argue with that. Every man and his dog knew he wouldn't fit into the system they had there. The second Torres lost Gerrard he became average. Chelsea dont have one either so that's not helped him, neither did half the team refusing to pass to him for the first 6 months. AVB needs the chance to get rid of the children left over from the Jose era! Get rid of Drogba, Lampard, Terry, malouda, kalou and start pushing the youngsters through while supplimenting them with good sensible purchases.

 

[Keitanz]

Torres is no doubt about it one of the best strikers in the world when he has good supply.. when we had Gerrard playing behind him for about 3 years he was lethal.....

I feel sorry for him as he is 28 in a few weeks and he's in his prime, should be banging them in.. even though he hurt me and every Liverpool fan around the world when he left us, he should move to somewhere like Spuds or back to Spain this summer.

I really think Spuds would be perfect for Torres, not as much pressure as Chelsea/Man Utd/City etc and he will be starting a lot of games...

 

[soze]

Sorry from my point of view Torres was awesome for 1 season, missed a lot of the next with injury and has seemed average since. I would not swap RVP for him that's for sure.

 

[Keitanz]

I wouldn't either, but Arsenal have built their entire team around RVP... we didn't so much.

Torres scored 33 in 46 in his first season... 17 in 38 the next ... 22 in 32 the next and then finally when he came back from that bad injury which changed him totally he scored 9 in 26... most his goals came in the Prem though.

Amazing bit of business from Benitez .

 

[Keitanz]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17025344

 

[Wazzerphuk]

Trying to claim Torrres is a world class goalscorer when he has done nothing for Chelsea, Liverpool or Spain in two years is clearly wrong. You trying to say the Spanish midfield attack creation is shit as well?

 

[Keitanz]

Trying to claim Torrres is a world class goalscorer when he has done nothing for Chelsea, Liverpool or Spain in two years is clearly wrong. You trying to say the Spanish midfield attack creation is shit as well?

The injury he got just before WC10 totally fucked him up.. but before that he was a world class goalscorer yes... now he isn't... he just needs less pressure and to be part of a stable team which doesn't get changed every 5minutes.

 

[Everz]

I dont get it, this is the Torres that Atletico Madrid fans I've met were on about?

 

[Raven]

He was shit before his injury.

Yet another striker broken by Lollerpool.

 

[Everz]

Also, how goddamn depressingly predictable is this? http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/feb/13/alan-curbishley-wolves

Extremely. I wish we'd take a punt on Solskjaer tbh, he has all the working of being a great manager.

 

[rynnor]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17025344

Kewl!!

 

[Calaen]

Extremely. I wish we'd take a punt on Solskjaer tbh, he has all the working of being a great manager.

He wouldn't come to you!

 

[CorNokZ]

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/socce...plans-victory-parade-barcelona-215228188.html

Super troll or master troll like never seen before?

 

[eksdee]

You know that's not true right?

 

[Cerb]

no eks you have it wrong Berba really is the continental! He is!!!