Alan Hutton yesterday

[KRS]

...so you're justifying we play Heskey against Everton because we have a dreadful record of defending set pieces against them? 'Nuff said!

[Louzie0]

Am I the only one that thinks Heskey's played well this season? Ok against Fulham, very good against Blackburn and pretty good against Wolves before tiring... he should've been taken off then.

He's not really playing attacking midfielder he is putting himself about all over the place which is why he was tired, understandable considering his age. He should certainly be in well ahead of Ireland. If Ireland plays well against Bolton in the League Cup and in the reserves give him a chance... but let him earn it.

If Heskey is dropped, and I don't think he will be just yet, Bannan should be the replacement.

No you're not the only one.  I can't see a lot wrong with what Heskey is doing and a lot right, for the team as a whole.  If anybody is going to keep him out of the team, at least in the first 60 minutes, they'd better have the same work ethic and at least the same impact, if not better, all over the pitch.

[villadelph]

Am I the only one that thinks Heskey's played well this season? Ok against Fulham, very good against Blackburn and pretty good against Wolves before tiring... he should've been taken off then.

He's not really playing attacking midfielder he is putting himself about all over the place which is why he was tired, understandable considering his age. He should certainly be in well ahead of Ireland. If Ireland plays well against Bolton in the League Cup and in the reserves give him a chance... but let him earn it.

If Heskey is dropped, and I don't think he will be just yet, Bannan should be the replacement.

No you're not the only one.  I can't see a lot wrong with what Heskey is doing and a lot right, for the team as a whole.  If anybody is going to keep him out of the team, at least in the first 60 minutes, they'd better have the same work ethic and at least the same impact, if not better, all over the pitch.

I have to agree with you. There's no question Heskey is out there busting his ass, even though he may not be the most effective player on the pitch. His seniority and ability to bully opposing teams is a unique trait that not many established players have in the Prem. I can't complain about his work rate or appearances thus far.

[ozzjim]

The problem with dismissing the notion that picking a player for the value he adds to your defensive set up in an attacking area is flawed IMO. Simple truth is we moaned, and moaned, and moaned last season about the amount we conceded from set plays. Now we have conceded 1 in 3 games, against sides who are the type of side you might come under some pressure from a set piece or 2. Heskey has been an important defensive figure in that, he attacks the ball better in our box than he does theirs and positions himself well.
Going forward he is not going to be a master creator though. Gabby and NZogbia are automatics on form for the wider areas so Heskey only fits behind Bent, which limits our creativity. It then either needs to come from Delph or Petrov, or wide, and the wide players we have now are more direct than creative. I would love to see Bannan in that role, and he would be creative there I am sure, but at the moment until confident in the back 4 not letting in a goals every time we concede a corner, I would stick with Emile there, and tell NZogbia, Delph, Petrov and Gabby they have to look for Bents runs, and Emile that he has to get forward and shoot. Especially against a side like Everton.

[Fergal]

Heskey shouldn't be in the starting XI ahead of Ireland or Bannan anyway.

Signing Hutton doesn't impact on that at all.

He should certainly be in ahead of Ireland, why do people keep holding this torch for him when he's done nothing to justify it?

Habib Beye has done nothing to justify any adulation, I would still prefer him at right-back over Heskey.

The reason Ireland should play attacking midfield over Heskey is that he is an attacking midfielder.

And a footballer.

[PaulTheVillan]

Heskey hasn't let us down this season.

[TheBarneyArmy]

Hutton will be no worse than Young, AM will not stand for a lack of tracking back and this may well improve as he gains match fitness. A good signing imo.

[drisaac]

Heskey hasn't let us down this season.

A couple of times in the last game he received the ball on the turn in good attacking positions and chose to play the ball back, wasting the opportunity. 

He hasn't let us down because he hasn't played below his ability.  The problem is his ability in the first place.

[SoccerHQ]

I think he'll be fine for us once he gets up to speed. Remember he was Spurs's RB in the San Siro when they kept a clean sheet against Meeelan so he's not going to gift the opposition a goal a game.

Not worried about the defence at all this season, just the attacking side! In fairness Hutton should be better at getting forward than Young.

[SoccerHQ]

Am I the only one that thinks Heskey's played well this season? Ok against Fulham, very good against Blackburn and pretty good against Wolves before tiring... he should've been taken off then.

He's not really playing attacking midfielder he is putting himself about all over the place which is why he was tired, understandable considering his age. He should certainly be in well ahead of Ireland. If Ireland plays well against Bolton in the League Cup and in the reserves give him a chance... but let him earn it. Don't just pick him on the basis he was good for a different team five years ago. Beye should be in and Pires should be re-signed on that basis.

If Heskey is dropped, and I don't think he will be just yet, Bannan should be the replacement.

Pretty sure we generally score less goals when Heskey starts...Bent probably does aswell.....

Ireland shouldn't be starting but he should be coming on when we're drawing 0-0 at home to the likes of Wolves with 20 minutes left.

[Chris Smith]

Adam, not going to quote all that but that's 09/10 and we're now in11/12 so those figures are the season before last not the one just gone as you asserted.

[Ad@m]

Adam, not going to quote all that but that's 09/10 and we're now in11/12 so those figures are the season before last not the one just gone as you asserted.

Chris - given the 2010/11 season finished just over 3 months ago how many clubs do you think have released their financial results for that period?  The most recent stats available show our wage bill to be 20% higher than Spurs in the season they qualified for the Champions League.  I'd guess our wages didn't drop too much last year and I doubt Spurs' wages went up that much more.

So back to my point, it's not surprise we're buying from Spurs because they handle their wages much better than we do.

What point were you making exactly?  Or were you trying to pick an argument for the sake of it?

[Chris Smith]

My point is that you said that they had a lower wage bill " last season", I don't believe they did and the figures you posted are out of date.

[Ad@m]

My point is that you said that they had a lower wage bill " last season", I don't believe they did and the figures you posted are out of date.

If you don't believe they did you're a bigger idiot than you come across generally.  And how 'out of date' can the most recent of anything be?!

Picking an argument for the sake of it...

[Chris Smith]

My point is that you said that they had a lower wage bill " last season", I don't believe they did and the figures you posted are out of date.

If you don't believe they did you're a bigger idiot than you come across generally.  And how 'out of date' can the most recent of anything be?!

Picking an argument for the sake of it...

I hope a moderator takes note of your gratuitous insult. There really was no need for it, you don't react very well to being disagreed with, do you?

You made a claim that their wage bill was lower "last season" and then used figures from the season before as evidence.

I believe that due to the players we sold or let go and the players they signed and gave improved contracts to that their wage bill last season was higher than ours. I think the fact that they've been forced to sell so many players this summer shows that their wage bill was also causing them difficulties dispute the increased revenue that a CL run and higher prices  gave them.