Leandro Bacuna - Sold

[supertom]

If 6/7 different fullbacks have all looked largely woeful you have to question the system they're playing in as much as their own ability.  Given how poor Lambert was at some parts of the game I think making the assumption that anyone who played badly under him is automatically a bad player is totally unfair.

As I've said before if you genuinely think the squad is crap and is where it should be you have to accept that Lambert was doing an ok job.  I outright refuse to accept that to be the case which means the players are capable of more.  If that's the case for the guys in the squad no then it may well be the case for a few of the guys who are out on loan as well.

The full backs have been woeful because they aren't good players - it's as simple as that.  Bacuna occasionally produces something which suggests he might have something going for him, but most of the time he struggles to kick a moving ball.  I maintain that Hutton isn't up to much either. 

The squad isn't crap but it isn't as good as many are claiming either.  It's a fair few players short of achieving mid table.

If you want any further proof of that then you only have to look at today's game.  The full backs were useless, Sanchez made Cleverly seem like a major loss.  Okore made so many mistakes I lost count.  Benteke is a shadow of his former self. 

Too many players are simply not good enough.  Major rebuilding is needed - anything else is delusional.

If you look at the mid-table sides we've played, we've honestly looked short of what they've got. Thinking of Stoke, and more so Swansea.
Swansea in particular look 2-3 players from possibly pushing for Top 6. In particular they need a suitable replacement for Bony. Gomis is a brute but if it's gonna take him 5-6 chances to score, they need more.

We are gonna need 4-5 good players in and players who have the quality to make a difference now, not in 2-3 years (if we're lucky).

Bacuna can look okay in certain circumstances or woefully out of his depth in others. At this stage I think that probably makes him a write off. Okore will get better, but I do think one more good senior CH is essential. I'm not sure Okore should be a first choice at the moment.

Delph's the only player who looks top half quality in the middle. Cleverley of late has too, and I wouldn't be adverse to getting him on a free. As for Westwood and Sanchez? I don't think they cut it for one reason or another. So we need a couple more good players in CM.

A new left back and another attacking option to replace Weimann are also essential.

[SoccerHQ]

I'd love someone like Neil Taylor who regularly gets linked with 3m moves to the likes of Palace and West Brom. Good player though for Swansea, defensively solid and gets forward alright, a 7/10 man most weeks. I suppose Cissokho was looking like that in the first part of the season but has regressed since then.

Swansea just have a better midfield than us. They all know and are effective at their jobs, Ki holding effectively infront of the back 4 like Petrov used to do for us, Shelvey chipping in with goals from midfield and Sigurdsson playing the number 10 role.

I

[villan from luton]

I'd love someone like Neil Taylor who regularly gets linked with 3m moves to the likes of Palace and West Brom. Good player though for Swansea, defensively solid and gets forward alright, a 7/10 man most weeks. I suppose Cissokho was looking like that in the first part of the season but has regressed since then.

Swansea just have a better midfield than us. They all know and are effective at their jobs, Ki holding effectively infront of the back 4 like Petrov used to do for us, Shelvey chipping in with goals from midfield and Sigurdsson playing the number 10 role.

I

You don't mention Cork, who along with Ki bossed the match and Villa let them do it. They played good football but we let them and that is the most annoying thing.

[SoccerHQ]

Cork's a decent enough player who fits into their system well but I wouldn't say signing him on his own and expecting him to instantly transform our midfield would happen as it hasn't with Cleverley.

[Risso]

A bump for Bacuna.  I thought he was superb yesterday, and somebody will have to remind me of a better pass than the one for Cleverley's goal yesterday.  The vision and the precision was top drawer.

[Chris Smith]

A bump for Bacuna.  I thought he was superb yesterday, and somebody will have to remind me of a better pass than the one for Cleverley's goal yesterday.  The vision and the precision was top drawer.

It was a great ball as was the run from Cleverley that prompted it.

[dekko]

I still don't think he can defend but when you keep the ball most of the game and put the opposition under a lot of pressure then you don't really need to!

I like the lad

[Clampy]

I like him as well. For the money we paid, he's been a decent buy.

[passitsideways]

I like him, but he's one of those players who's very frustrating to watch because he tends to mix moments of utter brilliance with some really poor decision-making.

Still, we could be doing a lot worse at our fullback positions than him.

[Malandro]

And another player who bizarrely got frozen out after a decent first season

[brian green]

He seems to me a player who wants to please. When he does something good like his pass to Cleverley it boosts his confidence. When he makes errors he tends to string several together. Much better playing for Sherwood on the front foot than Lambert's last ditch mentality.

[Brend'Watkins]

I think we just have to live with the frustrations he brings to us in every game as he produces some great work going forward. His pass for the third yesterday was lovely.

[PeterWithe]

Be interesting to see if Bacuna continues to get the right back nod for the next game with arguably our most consistant player this year back to fitness, do we sacrifice creativity going forward for some much needed defensive steel?

[Damo70]

I still don't think he can defend but when you keep the ball most of the game and put the opposition under a lot of pressure then you don't really need to!

I like the lad

I agree he can't defend. But I am happier when he is in the side from an attacking point of view.

[SoccerHQ]

A bump for Bacuna.  I thought he was superb yesterday, and somebody will have to remind me of a better pass than the one for Cleverley's goal yesterday.  The vision and the precision was top drawer.

My favourite goal of this season.

Crucial we scored another as I wouldn't have fancied us hanging on 2-1 for the last 20 minutes.