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Is it a coincidence that the only 2 players from the academy that you think aren't good enough are not English?

The backline needs a facelift. No more Collins, this is getting ridiculous. Kills half of our attacks before they even start.

Cuellar-Dunne-Clark-Warnock

More solidity at RB, and no hoofing. Would improve us considerably imo.

That article tells me that the coaching staff can see the hole in our midfield. Hopefully if it doesn't work out with Herd they'll try to fix it in January.

I'm not quite sure where all this criticism is coming from - Bent signed for us knowing that we had Young and Downing as a supply line. Now Bent has never been anything but a poacher, but the fact we have removed a quality supply line means he simply has no service to thrive on. Bent is a proven, excellent goal scorer - he just needs feeding.

He missed 2 sitters today, both created by Gabby

Neither was a "sitter" to be fair. But I feel that his misses do get magnified due to the shortage of service he receives.

1 on 1 with the keeper a yard out is not a sitter?

Chester Bennington, Freddie Mercury and Morrissey pour moi

Not bad apart from Chester who sounds like a 13 year old mad at the world most of the time.

We cant string together more than 3 passes as a team

We had ~60% of possession. One wonders how that's possible without stringing more than 3 passes. This sounds closer to our gutless performances last season. Heck, at least we didn't lose to Sunderland this time out.

Does anyone else think cech was at fault for the third and fifth goals?

Third undoubtedly. The fifth was just brilliance though.

Here's hoping Heskey has to be taken off for whatever reason. Poor decision. If it was Ireland instead we would've looked quite good. Let's hope he's playing 442.

---Gabby---Bent---Albrighton/N'Zogbia

------------Ireland------------------

--------Delph---Petrov--------------

Warnock-Dunne-Collins-Cuellar-----

Study for midterms.

*Try.

Wait patiently for kickoff on Saturday

Try to study some more.

Sigh.

Mikael Akerfeldt, Devin Townsend, Darroh Sudderth.

I think he's been poor so far. I think one of the reasons he looks so poor is because gabby is playing so well. Gabby is getting the same service but through ridiculous hard work and individual skill he is causing defenders big problems and creating chances for himself.

Bent has missed a couple of sitters but for me i'm more disappointed in his all round play. I don't blame the service for that.

I don't really see how Gabby playing well has got anything to do with Bent allegedly playing poorly.

Fact is, Bent's not getting anywhere near the service he was getting last season. People keep on banging on about those two missed sitters, but most of the other chances he's converted. Take Saturday for example. Two chances - one goal. Same with the Wigan game. I don't recall him getting any big chances there besides his goal.

He missed a sitter in that game too. After surprisingly making room for himself to be one on one with the keeper. People say that Al Habsi made a great save, but I think it was poor finishing imo. Hit it weakly straight at the keeper.

Why throw Baker in at CB and not Clarke at the very least?

Whoa, guys, cut the man some slack. Have you not read the Mcleish quote? He loves to start..he's that kinda guy...

Embarrassing comments from an embarrassing manager.

Yeah, he's the kind of guy who wants to start despite having a cut on his eye. Embarassing.

Realizing it's Saturday, and almost time for kickoff. Surely that's been done before, but what the heck.

He played most of pre season.

Really surprised we let him go, he showed some potential and I just thought it was a case of someone from a foreign league taking 6 months or so to get used to the pace.

He looked good in every game this season bar Hereford by all accounts (this is the only one I didn't see).

Indeed, Scholes has arguably been the best midfielder the PL has seen in terms of consistently delivering quality in many forms

Absolute model pro aswell

IMO, Scholes was up there with the very best. Zidane, Davids, Nedved...Scholes sits equally with all of those. Phenomenal player.

As good as Zidane? I would say Zidane was one of the top tier of great players - and Scholes wasn't in that bracket.

From the great man himself....

"My toughest opponent? Scholes of Manchester. He is the complete midfielder"

"Scholes is undoubtedly the best midfielder of his generation"

“He’s almost untouchable in what he does. I never tire of watching him play. You rarely come across the complete footballer, but Scholes is as close to it as you can get.

“One of my regrets is that the opportunity to play alongside him never presented itself during my career.”

“He was an extremely tough opponent to play against. You didn’t get any time on the ball when he was around. He would close you down and make your life ­terribly uncomfortable.

“He is the type of player you want on your side, not in ­opposition because he could do so much damage.

“He is very gifted. He makes the game look easy because he’s so much natural ­ability.”

“It has enabled him to solely concentrate on club football which has ­undoubtedly extended his domestic playing career.

“You have to adapt as you get older. You don’t have strength and energy in abundance. You have to compensate for you age and listen to your body.”

I have a great arguement against this Wiggy.......

What do most great pros say about Emile Heskey?

That he's a hard worker and great to play with? I doubt I've ever seen anyone say "Heskey is the greatest striker of his generation".

...is undoubtedly the best midfielder of his generation

S_G_C, I think you could sue Zidane for copyright infringement.

Never saw it with Scholes tbh.

Good player obviously but imo Giggs and Beckham were both far better and Iniesta is on a completely different planet - as is Xavi

Yes for me Giggs is the nr. 1 player out of United without a doubt. Scholes was a brilliant player who kept on going for too long after becoming crap, and he is one ugly bastard as well, maybe that's why he didn't get all those commercial deals

I don't know about that. Scholes is one of the few players that amazes me with their brilliance pretty much every match. I don't think there's ever been a game where I haven't thought to myself "Just wow @ that pass" (Similar to David Silva's assist for Dzeko last week).

Giggs, although flashier never had that wow factor. I think that's what makes Scholes the more special player; nothing flashy but just oozes class. I remember last season away against Marseille. He completely dominated the midfield and showed everyone how it was done, at the age of 35 mind you!

Ah Scholesy, my favorite player of all time. Should've retired his number imo. Least it's Ash who has it now .

Screw N'Zogbia, give Albrighton a go. Surely he can't be any worse than him. Hell, at least we're guaranteed 2 or 3 decent crosses in the game. I'd go:

Gabby---Bent----Albrighton

---------Ireland-------------

----Herd/Delph--Petrov----

Exactly how i'd set up

I mean, you look at that on paper and it looks like we should be scoring goals left, right & centre! :|

I know eh? I think it would help the team immensely if Delph started playing well. Spreading the ball to the wings and/or Ireland at every chance he gets, or bursting forward himself as he used to do; and we'd be creating many chances.

Sadly he hasn't been up to par (and by not up to par I mean not even being able to control a pass, or even give one) and we've been lacking this link player. What we've had is Petrov slowing things down and giving the ball back to the defence, or Bannan not doing the simple things and going for the more elaborate passes.

Screw N'Zogbia, give Albrighton a go. Surely he can't be any worse than him. Hell, at least we're guaranteed 2 or 3 decent crosses in the game. I'd go:

Gabby---Bent----Albrighton

---------Ireland-------------

----Herd/Delph--Petrov----

You say Clark to me and I have a mental image of a bloke with a funny running style chasing down midfielders who have just strolled past him towards our penalty area!

Petrov? Minus the chasing part of course.

Ireland must start for me, the only bit of creativity we have in the squad. Also i would replace Herd with Delph.

Why on earth would you have Fabian Delph anywhere near the 1st team???

Because he's better than Herd.

really??? I dont agree with that. Delph is very very poor IMO

herd is a league 1 player at best

How can you say that based on the few appearances he's had this season?

I saw Herd during a reserve game warm up and he looks like a world class player in the making..