danceoftheshamen

Have to say i'm dreading it... Can see nothing but another 0 goals for us.. Evertons strength is they don't concede many ..our weakness is obvious.. we can't create. With our defence still gelling i think this will allow Everton at least a few chances to score. My belief in this season is sadly waning fast already... Probably down to the evidence of the last couple of years & now we have not only lost our best players but our experienced ones too. 0-3 for me sadly... Hope i am wrong of course.

My goodness... We couldnt make a single chance of note against Spammers last week... Swansea are now 2 up against them in 25 mins .. more you look the more you see how badly we need players back from injury & signed up.

Not a Sturridge fan at all.. We already have 1 player who doesn't understand the words "Team mate" in Nzog i dread to think what would happen if we signed another

I see Robbie Savage is at it again.. on Footy Focus just saying he thinks we'll go down.. Says we only created 1 shot last week & ok we have Bent but other than that where are the goals & creativity?

No i think it's fair to say we are all happy with Paul Lambert, If it goes wrong now in my opinion the buck stops with no one else but Mr. Lerner.. Hopefully it won't come to that however. Surely we do need the squad beefing up a touch in a few area's but then against West ham there were plenty of good signs for me. Better football, new players looked strong by en large, controlled the game very well for long periods etc etc.. But we of course lacked penetration... This for me is the big test now... Is our current squad capable of rectifying that? I'm not so sure... Wasn't this the exact same issue last season? We all blamed AMC's tactics but is there an inability in the squad to do anything about it in actual fact?.. As it stands, after 1 game with a new football ideology & new manager/ players it appears to be the case! We have bought new players... in defence, & in the midfield but notably, with the exception of Holman who did not rise to the occasion last week, we have done nothing to rectify the creative side of the team.. It's as it was last season but minus Heskey & Petrov!... The same players who were failing to create openings for Bent last season are basically failing again this time........ Surely this highlights the need for signings as clear as the light of day? Unless PL can work some magic & teach old dogs new tricks? ... Easier to replace them in my eyes.

Hmmn ......iiiiiinteresting! Gazton... Could also mean we should be more careful what we wish for :?

It's right on the edge in my view... The squad for me is lighter on wages, lighter on experience & lighter on numbers though perhaps higher on potential, higher on quality & higher up the scale with regards to the brand of football played. We are clearly a work in progress & i will therefore personally be leaving the judgments until the window is closed & we have seen how we fare by January. I do have concerns but who am i to question Paul Lambert et al? I have faith in him & his ability to judge the squad available so ...Over to you Paul!

Well looks like Sunderland have just agreed a fee for Fletcher & West Ham have put in an improved bid for Jarvis according to SSN tonight.. Can't say i'm at all concerned about either :|

I see it slightly differently again To me we have a few major issues 1. An inability to create chances 2. Not enough variation/striking options 3. Left Back..We have the cover but we lack the main man. So for me it's another option up front, Carroll? Well yeah he'd do but i just can't see him coming here. Huntelaar or someone with a threat in the air for me. A replacement for Nzog as he simply isn't doing it & never has here .. we just cannot afford to carry players like him. Again in the striking department we have the back up options with Weimann & to a point Delfounso but we lack the second "Main man" to partner Bent. In Midfield we are lightweight in my opinion & we need a tough strong captain type player to orchestrate things.... For me Charlie Adam would be a good shout for this role & he can pick a pass + shoot from distance too which is exactly what we are lacking in there... Kea looks great ..He is the breaker up of play but we need the forward thinking playmaker now & again we have good back up/ options in Bannan & Ireland but lets be honest... As it stands they just are not delivering. Everything else i think we ore ok So Second MAIN striker replacement for Nzog his time is up. New LB Strong "captain" running the show from midfield...

For me we need a clever pacey striker who can do a bit in the air too (not that i'm asking too much of course ) Someone like Huntelaar for me but of course they don't grow on trees. What scared me the other day was when AVB was on TV saying in todays game you need 4 good strikers to compete :shock: We have what Bent Weimann Delfounso? You can kinda see why we struggle to score goals although hopefully Weimann will come good.. But where is the ariel threat? Comparing the current squad to the 80-81 side (purely on the basis it was our most successful ever team) We had Gary Shaw the nippy fox in the box player feeding off Peter Withe's ariel presence, the pace of Tony Morley on the wing & the quality creativity & vision in midfield of Sid Cowans. Well for me Darren Bent is our modern day Gary Shaw, Gabby is our Tony Morley though without the deadly shooting ability from distance but the other two we simply lack altogether We need a Peter Withe, or a modern day equivalent.. Someone for Bent to feed off who is also a threat themselves has an ariel threat & compliments Bent.. An in form Carew would have been ideal We also need a Midfield destroyer.. someone creative with vision who can split a defence with a pass.. A modern day Sid Cowans. Find these & a decent LB we would be well on our way to a strong side in my opinion.

I think we are badly missing Gabby & Dunne for sure... I actually look forward to a Vlaar, Dunne partnership, thats a couple of right tough cookies to deal with but up front we are woeful... Ok Bent is there but he reminds me of a kind of Gary Shaw type... A finisher who comes alive in the box.. But we have no creativity.. Gary Shaw had Peter Withe to create the havoc & Sid Cowans to pick a through ball. We have nobody so far as i can see unless Ireland starts to find his game. We are still too lightweight upfront though & our main threat is Gabby's pace but he's injured leaving us sterile in attack.

Hear you Mantis i really do & i would agree apart from one thing..We haven't replaced some of those as it stands at all.... Something is better than nothing. Vlaar looks great & i like to look of KEA... so lets say Petrov & Cuellar have been replaced as has Hutton with Lowton & Heskey with Holman? Still leaves us down on experience & numbers for me. Love what Lambo is doing though please don't get me wrong.. & clearly the window has not closed yet... simply stating as it stands we are short in my opinion.... We need Gabby & Dunne back, a new LB & some creativity from somewhere plus a back up/alternative option to Bent

Nothing Knee Jerk in what i said at all.... I was saying way before this game even kicked off that i was worried about it... No creativity is something i have been saying for months & the squad is in my opinion weaker now than last season... We have lost Petrov (Illness) Collins (Sold) Cuellar (free) Heskey (free) Hutton (Omitted) Makoun (work permit etc) Warnock (Omitted) add to that we have injuries to Gabby Dunne Albrighton I make that 9 players down as it stands 10 if you include Warnock. In we have brought Vlaar Lowton Kea Holman Thats 4 in... of the ones we are down 7 were mainstays of the team last season + Heskey who was in & out but still a regular How is that squad not weaker? Ok we have Gabby, Dunne & Albrighton to come back but even so that is still 6 out (7 if you include Warnock) with just 4 in! The biggest worry is that the ones we have lost were our most experienced players leaving us with a very inexperienced squad now. I can see what PL is doing & really like the look of his signings to date but fact is we need bodies quickly.

Well whatever the budget it looks like we need to start spending it pronto on some creativity in the side... Said this before as it was as clear as day & somewhat suprised nothing was done about it by now. Watched us against Burton when we struggled to create chances so not at all suprised we lost against a very average West Ham side through failure to score a goal. Poor start very poor.

Anyhow back on topic i do like the look of Cresswell at Ipswich..but we need another striker... Just been listening to AVB on SSN saying in the Prem you simply have to have 4 top strikers to compete :shock: How many do we have exactly?

""He had plenty time but if you think the fans gave him a chance you've lost the plot. Up to the fans if they want to accept him or not but the media are right to say he never had a chance. Protests on your first day and constant banners and boycotts isn't getting a chance. Media are doing nothing wrong reporting that. I'll get flamed no doubt but it's the truth

I'm worried about Saturday's game.. We will be going up against a newly promoted side with their tails up at home in their 1st game back in the Prem & facing a full onslaught Big Sam style with a brand new back four including a couple of players who have never played in the Prem before who have just conceded 6 goals in the last 2 games :? Seriously though if we can avoid defeat i'll be delighted as these first 6 games with already injuries to Dunne, Gabby, Holman & Albrighton & all the new players gelling etc will be season defining for me. If we can somehow do well in these first 6 we could have a decent season... Do badly & it could be very ugly again.

What about "Doing the Lambert Walk"?

Well we just about scraped survival last season by 2 points :shock: & since then we have lost or are about to sell by all accounts Hutton.....Cuellar....Collins.....Warnock ..........Makoun......Heskey......Petrov Then if we add in the injuries we currently have: Hutton....Cuellar....Collins....Dunne....Warnock Albrighton.....Holman....Petrov....Gabby ........................Heskey Then look at the replacements thus far: Lowton ......Vlaar ............KEA..........Holman So for me we badly need more because as it stands We are looking at a line up along the lines of: Lowton......Vlaar.....Clark......?????? ....................KEA Nzog.....Delph.....Ireland.....Bannan ....................Bent Just looks a bit light on experience for me so Bottom 6 as it stands but with improvement as new signings come in & injuries ease up etc... I see a slow start but with things picking up as the season progresses & if & when new signings arrive/players adjust to the pace/injuries ease etc.

Just been weighing up this transfer window thus far IN KEA Holman Lowton Vlaar Guzan (Return) OUT Cuellar Heskey Collins Guzan Makoun (by the looks) Effectively lost Petrov That's effectively 5 in & 5 out if you include the loss of Petrov. Then by all accounts Makoun is finally off too which would make 6 outs. I am very happy with the new players & they do look decent, however the concern has to be that when compared to the players who have departed they are effectively rookies in the Premiership. So really we have lost some of our most seasoned campaigners, especially with Heskey, Collins, Petrov & Cuellar only to have replaced them with unknown quantities who will surely need time to adjust etc? Does anyone else think this is rather risky? Add to that the loss of Gabby & Dunne & it's pretty scary stuff. The only really experienced players we have left are Bent, Warnock, Given, Nzogbia & Ireland.. All bar Bent & SI players who have hardly set the World on fire lately. Then we have the young players who are still learning their craft in Clark, Bannan, Delph, Guzan, Herd, Lichaj, Baker, etc etc & the new signings who are basically untried. The first 6 games are crucial so far as i'm concerned as we are severely lacking experience. I see an interesting season ahead but with a few hidings along the way.. Another couple of signings are crucial in my opinion & our season hinges on how well & how quickly the new signings adapt as well as how well the youngsters progress..

Really cannot see Dempsey coming here at all... Good player though. As for being ready for the season? Well it appears midfield is better but we still lack striking options & creativity for me. An injury to Bent & we are really struggling.....again. Having said this i am sure PL will be doing everything possible to rectify the situation... He must see it so will be interesting to see who he brings in.... New LB is surely essential as is another option in attack.

The only problem is if that 20 goal a season striker gets injured...As we found out for the second half of last season which very nearly resulted in us getting relegated.....So the quicker we get back up the better

SOLD :shock:

It is not as if we have pushed the financial boat out with any of the signings this season? I am not putting stock in one newspaper article, but neither would I bet my house that this would not happen. Neither would i put my house on it Macandally... The players purchased have merely replaced other players who were on higher wages. Lowton - Cuellar Vlaar - Collins Guzan - simply resigned Then we have strengthened Midfield with the Aussie & KEA but have released Heskey & most likely Makoun. I think we have done well with all that i have to say but looking at it from Randy's viewpoint it's all necessary work but with the overall effect of lowering wages. Could be read in different ways i guess but when you look at the last 3 seasons combined it could easily appear that the club was being prepared for a sale. Look at it this way.. we have hardly been building for a challenge for trophies now have we!