We had much better players available back then. Mellberg, Solano, Angel, Barry. We have nobody anywhere near that class in the squad these days. Lambert needed to add some real quality to the squad, but he risked his dosh on foreign unknowns and lower division gambles. It doesn't look like working.
Quote from: Rissbert on October 21, 2012, 09:44:52 AMWe had much better players available back then. Mellberg, Solano, Angel, Barry. We have nobody anywhere near that class in the squad these days. Lambert needed to add some real quality to the squad, but he risked his dosh on foreign unknowns and lower division gambles. It doesn't look like working.This is the first time ever that I had never heard of any of our summer signings. Literally not one had I heard of previously.
I think the turning point in O'Leary's first season was the League cup QF against Chelsea. Gave the players real confidence. If we can somehow win one of the Utd/City/Arse games next month hopefully it'll have the same effect.
Quote from: Rissbert on October 21, 2012, 09:44:52 AMWe had much better players available back then. Mellberg, Solano, Angel, Barry. We have nobody anywhere near that class in the squad these days. Lambert needed to add some real quality to the squad, but he risked his dosh on foreign unknowns and lower division gambles. It doesn't look like working.It's easy to say, with hindsight, the players were better back then. At the time, though, after we had just escaped relegation, those self same "better players" were getting stick and fans were getting depressed. We have just as much potential and skill in this current squad.
Quote from: Billy Walker on October 21, 2012, 12:25:22 PMQuote from: Rissbert on October 21, 2012, 09:44:52 AMWe had much better players available back then. Mellberg, Solano, Angel, Barry. We have nobody anywhere near that class in the squad these days. Lambert needed to add some real quality to the squad, but he risked his dosh on foreign unknowns and lower division gambles. It doesn't look like working.It's easy to say, with hindsight, the players were better back then. At the time, though, after we had just escaped relegation, those self same "better players" were getting stick and fans were getting depressed. We have just as much potential and skill in this current squad.That's a fair point. If you went back in time to the lowest point in O'Leary's first season and said, "what do you think of the quality in the squad?" what would the answer have been?