SiDanger

If he is good going forward then he fits in perfectly with the formation we are currently playing with N'Zogbia wide right cutting in leaving space for an overlapping full back.

Well, with one of the related videos being Cisse getting racist abuse, I'm sure there'd be a reason Makoun wouldn't want to play in front of those fans. Lol fair point!

I don't blame him for leaving, have you see the support they get? Check it out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYLRzncHzzc. Who wouldn't want to play for support like that?

If that was one of Petrov's through balls he is as shit as everyone thinks!

Sorry this thread is about Stephen Ireland right not how much money Bent is on? I apologise if my post was off topic.

For me, he's the only player we have in our squad that could consistently find quick creative forward passes that unlock defences. He needs match time and confidence (hopefullly the two will go hand in hand if he starts to perform) but given the lack of creativity in the rest of the central midfielders we have it's worth the risk in my opinion. That said I think he needs to play with two central midfielders behind him, I'd like to see him in the current formation in place of Heskey.

I just wanna see what the guy can do given a run of games, then if he isn't good enough people can be justified in writing him off. I don't believe he should be written off just yet from what I have seen of him. He needs games, confidence and the fans behind him in my opinion.

That's just a damn good save in my opinion, it wasn't the easiest chance as he had to wait for it to come down, he hit it hard and true and on target but the keeper flung himself out and narrowed the angle well. I don't think that was a bad miss, he did most things right, just a good save. I think it was more luck than judgement on the keepers behalf. Either way you would expect someone of his quality to do better, and i would guess if he had the same chance another 10 times, 9 attempts would end in a goal. Im still confidant he will come good and end up playing an important role in our season. Matbe AM is just teasing him to get him 'chomping at the bit'? Yeah he got a bit of luck and I think if Ireland hit the same shot as he did he would score 9 out of 10. It was a bit like he hit it too well, if he'd scuffed it slightly it would have gone in. Think he needs a bit of luck himself to lift his confidence then hopefully he will become a big player for us.

That's just a damn good save in my opinion, it wasn't the easiest chance as he had to wait for it to come down, he hit it hard and true and on target but the keeper flung himself out and narrowed the angle well. I don't think that was a bad miss, he did most things right, just a good save.

Is this his fault though? Has he been given a run of games? Even GH said he was fantastic in training so I'm guessing his attitude has been good if he is putting in good effort in training. He had injury problems which didn't help too. It hasn't clicked for him yet on the pitch but he's in and out and had a few mins here and there, still too early to judge him for me. I'd like to see him given a run in 3 man midfield instead of Heskey.

Was always obvious that Delph had a lot of talent, really good to see him getting a regular starting place now. This guy could be a top premiership player if his attitude remains good and has luck with injuries. After a run of games and the obvious lift in confidence this will give I think we will see even more of him in an attacking sense.

2 games! Yes, just 2 games played and why would he have had reason to change yet with a creditable draw at Fulham and a good 3-1 win at home to Blackburn. Lets face it all managers have some idea of what their preferred starting line up is, it's only when we don't agree with it we start saying stuff about favourites. In terms of who starts as the 2 central midfielders is there a huge case to argue that Delph and Petrov shouldn't be the 2? If Makoun is in fact pissed off having missed 2 games and wants to leave than I would blame the player for that, not the manager. What is more likely is that losing his place at the end of last season and then not being first choice again this season has pissed him off which is understandable at this stage in his career and also not the current manager's fault as he needs to be able to pick what he feels is his strongest XI. One thing for sure is he will be needed at some stage this season, Delph has a tendency to miss games and Petrov isn't the fittest throughout a game. If he does go a replacement is a must.

WTF? That is bizarre and Makoun is now officially the coolest player we have if he wasn't already. Can see him becoming an absolute hero with the fans if he can produce on the pitch. From what I've seen so far he picks the right pass out quicker than any of our midfield and is more comfortable in possession but can't tackle and will get sent off quite a bit as he tends to go in with two feet slightly off the ground. Gotta say I want him to be a success here a bit more than I would usually (obviously I usually want any new signing to be a great success anyway).

I think Clark could be a very good centre back or defensive midfielder. For me he needs to improve in the air for the centre back position which may mean he changes to a defensive midfielder. Either way I think he will be at least a decent Premiership player.

Well considering the only regular chant I heard for him in the Holte last year was '**** Off Petrov' surely he can't be that great. Truth is he isn't as bad as his biggest critics think and he isn't as good as his biggest fans think. He's quite an average player, does a decent job but nothing special which I think is what Mortimer is alluding to.

I think it would be best to give him a full season under a manager who actually wants him here and then judge him rather than a preseason game against a very strong Chelsea side in which there were plenty of other below par performances.

----------------Bent------------------- Ireland--------Gabby--------Bannan -----------Makoun---Petrov---------- Warnock---Dunne---Collins---Young ----------------Given------------------

If Beye was that great he wouldn't still be at the club. He's an average player on a good player's wages, that's the problem.

He hardly played last season and even GH admitted he was fantastic in training. I don't think he has suddenly lost all his talent and I'm expecting a lot from him this season. I think he will be used either behind the striker or as a back up winger that drifts into the centre of the park.

Glad I'm not the only one who thinks like this, Young has been a good/very good player for 4 seasons now. Unfortunately he had been a victim of his own success with fans expecting him to maintain the standard he had set in his second season. Despite being marked by 2 players on numerous occassions he has still been our best player for the past 2 seasons. His crossing and set pieces have not been as good as they used to be but we will miss him more than anyone that has left us since Dwight Yorke went.

One good season, and that's good, not very good, not brilliant and way way from exceptional. His goals this season have taken away from the fact that he is a pretty average player, good at best. He can't take a man on and always shys from any tackle and his passing isn't anything amazing. Decent crosser of the ball and gets a few goals but surely a better foreign replacement can be found for less than £20m. We will miss Ashley Young far more than any of the players who have left us and 1 million times more than we would Downing. We payed an over the odds £12m for him when he had pins in his leg and had to sit and watch him play below average for most of his first season then he has one good season and wants out. Champions league quality? You're having a laugh! Wow how very bitter. Yes he is hardly a world-beater but he was far-and-away our best player last season, surely then to call him "pretty average" is a sad indictment of how low we have sung as a football club. If you think better foreign players are going to suddenly start to join us when our best players are leaving left, right and centre, then you are delusional. English players are over-priced and over-rated, but they are still the most suited to this league. Not down to bitterness at all, if you notice I have praised Ashley Young in the same post, if it was just bitterness I would be calling him crap too like a lot of people have once they realised he was leaving. Downing is not as good as any of the players that have left us, Barry, Milner or Young in my opinion. Of course I'm bitter that he has one good season after we forked out £12m for him when he was on crutches and then he wants to leave but my assessment of him as a player is just an honest one. If it was just down to bitterness I would be saying the same about Barry, Milner and Young but I think they are all a class above Downing. Why do you hate him so much? Makes me sick when people say '**** him off and get a foreigner in'. What the hell, a foreigner that might not cut it in the PL... yeah and you talk about wasting £12M on Downing... I don't hate him, I just don't rate him (well not as high as others do), I don't like the way he has treated the club but I guess that is syptomatic of the modern day footballer.

One good season, and that's good, not very good, not brilliant and way way from exceptional. His goals this season have taken away from the fact that he is a pretty average player, good at best. He can't take a man on and always shys from any tackle and his passing isn't anything amazing. Decent crosser of the ball and gets a few goals but surely a better foreign replacement can be found for less than £20m. We will miss Ashley Young far more than any of the players who have left us and 1 million times more than we would Downing. We payed an over the odds £12m for him when he had pins in his leg and had to sit and watch him play below average for most of his first season then he has one good season and wants out. Champions league quality? You're having a laugh! Wow how very bitter. Yes he is hardly a world-beater but he was far-and-away our best player last season, surely then to call him "pretty average" is a sad indictment of how low we have sung as a football club. If you think better foreign players are going to suddenly start to join us when our best players are leaving left, right and centre, then you are delusional. English players are over-priced and over-rated, but they are still the most suited to this league. Not down to bitterness at all, if you notice I have praised Ashley Young in the same post, if it was just bitterness I would be calling him crap too like a lot of people have once they realised he was leaving. Downing is not as good as any of the players that have left us, Barry, Milner or Young in my opinion. Of course I'm bitter that he has one good season after we forked out £12m for him when he was on crutches and then he wants to leave but my assessment of him as a player is just an honest one. If it was just down to bitterness I would be saying the same about Barry, Milner and Young but I think they are all a class above Downing.

One good season, and that's good, not very good, not brilliant and way way from exceptional. His goals this season have taken away from the fact that he is a pretty average player, good at best. He can't take a man on and always shys from any tackle and his passing isn't anything amazing. Decent crosser of the ball and gets a few goals but surely a better foreign replacement can be found for less than £20m. We will miss Ashley Young far more than any of the players who have left us and 1 million times more than we would Downing. We payed an over the odds £12m for him when he had pins in his leg and had to sit and watch him play below average for most of his first season then he has one good season and wants out. Champions league quality? You're having a laugh!

Would it have taken this long if currently employed managers were not being considered? Could be Moyes?

If it's a choice between McLaren and Rafa then despite the fact that I despise the guy it's Rafa who wins by a mile.