Delph

[Steve R]

Delph didn't look a disaster waiting to happen yesterday. He put in some good strong tackles, carried the ball well an passed it well too.

I do wonder whether his spate of yellow cards and indifferent contribution earlier in the season were a product of lack of fitness rather than ability. Let's face it he has hardly had a chance to get up to PL speed since he got here and has spent a protracted period where he hasn't played football at any level.

[tomd2103]

Delph didn't look a disaster waiting to happen yesterday. He put in some good strong tackles, carried the ball well an passed it well too.

I do wonder whether his spate of yellow cards and indifferent contribution earlier in the season were a product of lack of fitness rather than ability. Let's face it he has hardly had a chance to get up to PL speed since he got here and has spent a protracted period where he hasn't played football at any level.

Would agree with that Steve.  He has showed glimpses in the past of what he can do, but has never had a good run in the side due to injury.  He seems to be playing with a bit confidence at the moment and is beginning to put in decent performances. 

[tomd2103]

I think a right back should be high on the list.

My shopping list would be:
Right back (can be experienced or potential, just need another option)
Centre back (experienced - Lescott or Douglas are the 2 obvious options)
Central midfielder/attacking midfielder (one who can add some goals to the side - I'd love us to go for someone a bit special here)
Striker (who can play wide or central - Bony would be excellent)

Once we've got those spots filled we can review the quality and add 1-2 others but we need squad options in those spots.

I'd definitely agree with that Paul.  In Westwood, Delph, Sylla, El Ahmadi, Gardner and even Clark we have enough enough defensive midfield options.  What we are really missing is a creative player who can sit just in front of them and link everything up.  I too would love to see a real quality player come in that position and if the rumours that we were interested are true, it is a shame that we missed on Coutinho as he looks exactly like the kind of player we need.

[eastie]

I think he would start more often than not, on current form in all of the sides from 6th to 10th. Westwood and he are good enough footballers and are growing in stature. They need support to do that, and IMO someone like Barry would be a great signing to sit in with them now.

Absolutely- the time is right for Gareth to come home.

[ozzjim]

Coutinho looks a class act, but would kill us if he played in one of the 3 midfield roles. He plays more forward for Liverpool and would have for us I am sure.


We need someone more like a 20 year old Lampard, that is big and physical enough to play in the centre of midfield but will join up and get 10-15 goals.

Erm.. Ian Taylor 2 if you like.

[eastie]

Coutinho looks a class act, but would kill us if he played in one of the 3 midfield roles. He plays more forward for Liverpool and would have for us I am sure.


We need someone more like a 20 year old Lampard, that is big and physical enough to play in the centre of midfield but will join up and get 10-15 goals.

Erm.. Ian Taylor 2 if you like.

Exactly what I'm hoping Gary Gardner will develop into.

[Matt Collins]

We do have defensive midfield options. But there's at least a question about whichever combination we use being defensively strong enough.

I don't think fans should get too excited about Gardner too soon. As with delph, he's missed so much football at key stages of his development. He could take a year or so to really get into the groove. I'm not sure he's ready based on what we saw before anyway if I'm honest.

Delph on the other hand has got some of the 'zip' into his game that had been missing. But I'd be happy to lose KEA ad Bannan and get one athletic central midfielder with a bit of physical presence in. I wondered about Nzonzi but he looked poor on Saturday. Leroy Fer from Holland?

[Mister E]

... But I'd be happy to lose KEA and Bannan and get one athletic central midfielder with a bit of physical presence in  ...

Yep; I'd probably lose Holman as well, although I do think that - if we can channel his energy - there's a player in there somewhere.

[fredm]

Coutinho looks a class act, but would kill us if he played in one of the 3 midfield roles. He plays more forward for Liverpool and would have for us I am sure.


We need someone more like a 20 year old Lampard, that is big and physical enough to play in the centre of midfield but will join up and get 10-15 goals.

Erm.. Ian Taylor 2 if you like.

I think that Delph is quite capable of getting a few goals himself if given the opportunity to drive forward and not be restricted to a defensive role.  Take away his injuries, he was shackled last season by seemingly being told not to go over the half way line.  Now he has had a bit of a run with some liberty to push forward, I think with the other players around him also growing in confidence, or another decent class addition in there, he could become an all rounder in the midfield area.

[not3bad]

'Restructuring' maybe was too strong a word. Many players from the current squad need culling though. Given, Hutton, Lichaj, Clark, Stevens, Bannan, KEA, Holman, Albrighton, Ireland (won't happen as nobody will have him), Bent all need to be shipped out. I'm not even convinced the likes of Baker, Bennett, Delph, Sylla should remain anything other then squad players.

With the slight tweak for Clark (who I think will be good enough) I agree 100%.  This squad will not improve enough over the summer to not be involved in another relegation battle. Yes the players have promise but the squad looks like one of a newly promoted side.

Whilst I don't think major reconstruction is needed what we do need is some genuine quality in centre midfield and central defence.

over the course of the season we've not been good enough to not be in a relegation battle.  Since the start of the year we're comfortably mid-table.  So with minor tweaks we'd likely carry that on and be mid-table.  get those tweaks right and we can push for the top half.

You seem to be missing the fact that we've got a team full of kids who had their confidence trampled all over for a month and yet we're only 6 points away from 10th, bit more steel against a few sides where we gave away 2 goal leads and we'd be well up there.

That 'steel' is wishful thinking with the defence we currently have. Its exactly why we are where we are.

That's exactly what he's saying isn't it?

[Concrete John]

I think a right back should be high on the list.

My shopping list would be:
Right back (can be experienced or potential, just need another option)
Centre back (experienced - Lescott or Douglas are the 2 obvious options)
Central midfielder/attacking midfielder (one who can add some goals to the side - I'd love us to go for someone a bit special here)
Striker (who can play wide or central - Bony would be excellent)

Once we've got those spots filled we can review the quality and add 1-2 others but we need squad options in those spots.

I'd definitely agree with that Paul.  In Westwood, Delph, Sylla, El Ahmadi, Gardner and even Clark we have enough enough defensive midfield options.  What we are really missing is a creative player who can sit just in front of them and link everything up.  I too would love to see a real quality player come in that position and if the rumours that we were interested are true, it is a shame that we missed on Coutinho as he looks exactly like the kind of player we need.

The problem is that of the players you mentioned, only Sylla is possibly a natural DCM.  Not that we'd get him, but someone like Parker is needed.  KEA is a bit of an enigma and may not make it here now, but if we get that player and have him, Sylla, Westwood and Delph fighting for two places I'd be quite happy with that.

[Concrete John]

Coutinho looks a class act, but would kill us if he played in one of the 3 midfield roles. He plays more forward for Liverpool and would have for us I am sure.


We need someone more like a 20 year old Lampard, that is big and physical enough to play in the centre of midfield but will join up and get 10-15 goals.

Erm.. Ian Taylor 2 if you like.

Given his try for Dempsey in the summer, I think Lambert may well agree with you!

If we persist with the present formation, then that furthest forward of the midfield three is a ket position.  Despite the strikers scoring well, we're down the bottom of the goal scoring charts because the midfield haven't contributed. 

I'd take Lampard on a short term deal if the wages weren't daft!   

[paul_e]

I think a right back should be high on the list.

My shopping list would be:
Right back (can be experienced or potential, just need another option)
Centre back (experienced - Lescott or Douglas are the 2 obvious options)
Central midfielder/attacking midfielder (one who can add some goals to the side - I'd love us to go for someone a bit special here)
Striker (who can play wide or central - Bony would be excellent)

Once we've got those spots filled we can review the quality and add 1-2 others but we need squad options in those spots.

I'd definitely agree with that Paul.  In Westwood, Delph, Sylla, El Ahmadi, Gardner and even Clark we have enough enough defensive midfield options.  What we are really missing is a creative player who can sit just in front of them and link everything up.  I too would love to see a real quality player come in that position and if the rumours that we were interested are true, it is a shame that we missed on Coutinho as he looks exactly like the kind of player we need.

The problem is that of the players you mentioned, only Sylla is possibly a natural DCM.  Not that we'd get him, but someone like Parker is needed.  KEA is a bit of an enigma and may not make it here now, but if we get that player and have him, Sylla, Westwood and Delph fighting for two places I'd be quite happy with that.

I think I'd let KEA go, along with Ireland and probably 1 of Bannan, Holman and Nzog.

I've said before my 2 to replace them would be Kevin Strootman (at PSV) and Adam Maher (at AZ).  Both  fit the young and hungry criteria, but they are also both full internationals for Holland and have bags of ability.  I think both are probably out of our reach  but it doesn't hurt to ask the question.  Maher would cover the 3 roles behind Benteke and Strootman would be one of the more defensive midfielders.  The pair would be £25m ish which again is a big outlay but that's the reason why I don't want us trying to sell and replace 10-11 players.

With those 2 in (or similar players at least) we'd need a centre back and backup right back and the squad would be 'right' in terms of numbers.

After that if Bent goes we replace him, same with Given (although that backup role might fall to Seigrist anyway).

[Matt Collins]

I wonder if we will go for Dempsey? He's not done much at Spurs.
 
But is he better than we have? I'm not sure I see him in the nuymber 10 role really and I like Weimann and Gabby wide.

[Brend'Watkins]

I would definitely keep N'Zog.  We're starting to see the best of him in the last few months.   Now that he knows the club and that Lambert knows how best to employ him we will see far better from him from now on.