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Author Topic: The Squad - Upgrades/Additions Needed?  (Read 5649 times)

Offline Axl Rose

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Re: The Squad - Upgrades/Additions Needed?
« Reply #30 on: December 01, 2020, 11:16:43 PM »
Trez, hologram and taylor need immediate replacements. The rest can wait until the summer.
Stop calling him hologram.  It's just not funny and we'd be a Championship side if it wasn't for his contribution.

I find it a little bit funny.

You never know, another player might have come up with the goods and allowed us to escape the Championship. You have form for liking mediocre midfield players, as I remember a similar defence of Westwood.
Whether Hourihane is good enough right now for a top half PL side is not what is in question here.  It's whether fans should have some respect for a player who has always given 100% in the shirt and made a massive contribution to our promotion as well as some decent performances to help us survive.

If you really think it's funny then you must be a child.

As for Westwood, fucking hell fancy dragging up posts from over 3 years ago.  I never thought he was a world beater but yes, I didn't think he was as bad as some on here did.  Neither did Sean Dyce as it happens and Westwood has since played over 120 games for Burnley, a big chunk of those whilst the team he wasn't good enough for laguished in the Championship.

I see you now think McGinn and Mings aren't very good either so I think I'll carry on ignoring your views on players. 

Ignore away.

I try my best to ignore your views, but your love of mediocre midfield players and precious style, grates.

Online dave.woodhall

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Re: The Squad - Upgrades/Additions Needed?
« Reply #31 on: December 01, 2020, 11:33:41 PM »
Trez, hologram and taylor need immediate replacements. The rest can wait until the summer.
Stop calling him hologram.  It's just not funny and we'd be a Championship side if it wasn't for his contribution.

I find it a little bit funny.

You never know, another player might have come up with the goods and allowed us to escape the Championship. You have form for liking mediocre midfield players, as I remember a similar defence of Westwood.
Whether Hourihane is good enough right now for a top half PL side is not what is in question here.  It's whether fans should have some respect for a player who has always given 100% in the shirt and made a massive contribution to our promotion as well as some decent performances to help us survive.

If you really think it's funny then you must be a child.

As for Westwood, fucking hell fancy dragging up posts from over 3 years ago.  I never thought he was a world beater but yes, I didn't think he was as bad as some on here did.  Neither did Sean Dyce as it happens and Westwood has since played over 120 games for Burnley, a big chunk of those whilst the team he wasn't good enough for laguished in the Championship.

I see you now think McGinn and Mings aren't very good either so I think I'll carry on ignoring your views on players. 

Ignore away.

I try my best to ignore your views, but your love of mediocre midfield players and precious style, grates.

If you'd like to be banned again, just say the word.

Offline Axl Rose

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Re: The Squad - Upgrades/Additions Needed?
« Reply #32 on: December 01, 2020, 11:52:05 PM »
Yes, ok. That would be great.

Better than one of those vague PM warnings about conduct that can't be replied to (or at least I think can't be replied to).

Offline SoccerHQ

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Re: The Squad - Upgrades/Additions Needed?
« Reply #33 on: December 02, 2020, 12:31:32 AM »
I actually find it amusing that a player who has so much pride playing for the Villa, went back on the train to Bournemouth in his Villa shirt after gaining promotion and has now gained England recognition from his performances and lauded by the majority of Villa fans is now deemed to be replaceable.

Who is this upgrade that posters want to replace Mings with? Some even think this is the number 1 priority!

Mings has never played consistently well in the top division, that's the bottom line. Most are suggesting competition for his place might be a good thing.

Not sure what his choice of clothing on public transport have to do with anything. International recognition sure but it's the worst group of centre halves in over 25 years that I can recall. Mings isn't even the best centre back at the club Id argue.

I still think he's o.k for mid table premier league but think his crime is simply making us believe in the promotion run in we were seeing the second coming of God when reality is he's been Vlaar standard at premier league and level below what the likes of Ugo, Mellberg, Laursen and Southgate all produced for us at this level.

England could go one of two ways I suspect. If he starts he'll probably be in a back 3 that will protect his shortcomings at highest level and he might have a good tournament like Vlaar did in 2014 or he'll be exposed by some of best forwards in world football and come back lacking confidence.

We need a new CB regardless given Hause has been injured for ages and isn't very good and Engels last played a game in March. Wesley will probably play for us again in premier league before Engels does which is pretty bizarre.

Offline eamonn

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Re: The Squad - Upgrades/Additions Needed?
« Reply #34 on: December 02, 2020, 01:05:38 AM »
A real shame Engels is not in the frame anymore. I really think there is a good player in there.

Offline brontebilly

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Re: The Squad - Upgrades/Additions Needed?
« Reply #35 on: December 02, 2020, 10:20:36 AM »
A real shame Engels is not in the frame anymore. I really think there is a good player in there.

Agreed, it's a real pity. Had no pace on the turn but seemed a classy defender particularly early on last season. Shane Long tore him a new one that day and the reported row Engels had with Smith afterwards regarding tactics seem to have done for him (Engels had a valid point if true). Konsa is the present and future in that position though.

Online Drummond

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Re: The Squad - Upgrades/Additions Needed?
« Reply #36 on: December 03, 2020, 03:29:41 PM »
Fuck me, let's not get ahead of ourselves here. Let's not be greedy. Let's not be one of those clubs' sets of fans.

Mings has been great for us, sure he's dropped a clanger or two, but he adds far more than he takes away. He's been called up as a regular international since playing for us, has done some remarkable things and is an absolute role model for younger players and fans.

It's good to have a back up Centre-Back in the squad who is better than Hause, and sturdier than Engels but Mings and Konsa have done well for us.

The goals we're conceding from set-pieces can't be blamed on him, but on the system (or how we coach the system).

And yes, in time we need to upgrade every player in the squad if we can, that's improvement and evolution, but don't kid yourselves that we will get anyone  much better than him right now without spending absolutely silly money. The alternative is improving players in-house, and that takes time.

In my view we need another first choice Striker and midfielder as the priority and a back-up centre half would be nice.

Offline Pat Mustard

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Re: The Squad - Upgrades/Additions Needed?
« Reply #37 on: December 03, 2020, 04:02:14 PM »
I find it impossible to understand anyone talking about replacing 5 or 6 players again, including the likes of McGinn and Mings, when we are finally getting some stability.  We are 9 games in, already have as many points on the board as we did after nearly half a season last time around, and have by and large been the better team in almost all of our games this season.  We've also got a largely young team who are still relative novices at this level. 

By all means look at a couple of additions if they can add something to the squad, but we are deluding ourselves if we think there is half a first team out there that we can attract in our current position, are substantially better than what we currently have, and that wouldn't cost the thick end of another £250 million.

Offline Damo70

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Re: The Squad - Upgrades/Additions Needed?
« Reply #38 on: December 03, 2020, 04:29:37 PM »
In an ideal world I would like a full back, centre half and striker. The striker being the number one priority.

Offline pelty

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Re: The Squad - Upgrades/Additions Needed?
« Reply #39 on: December 03, 2020, 05:23:59 PM »
In an ideal world I would like a full back, centre half and striker. The striker being the number one priority.

This baffles me. For me, Watkins has had one bad game and that was the last game against West Ham. Other than that, he has shown his touch to be sublime in his hold up play (please compare him in this category to Wesley who was abysmal) and likes to run at players. He also makes nice runs but, unfortunately, he is not looked for as frequently as he ought to be. I love Jack as much as anyone, but he sometimes holds on to the ball too long and does not slide a ball through to Ollie. Not all the time and Jack has earned a bit of forbearance, but I just think that Ollie does not get the kind of quality balls and crosses that he thrived upon at Brentford (the irony being that he had several of them this past game and did not make the most of them save the "offside" goal). Part of that is because our other winger does not put many quality balls into the box. I appreciate Trez's work rate, but I do not rate him very much, which is why a pacy wing player is critical in my estimation. Second tier would include a central midfielder to challenge for a place among the likes of Barkley, Luiz, and McGinn.

Offline Risso

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Re: The Squad - Upgrades/Additions Needed?
« Reply #40 on: December 03, 2020, 05:36:05 PM »
In an ideal world I would like a full back, centre half and striker. The striker being the number one priority.

This baffles me. For me, Watkins has had one bad game and that was the last game against West Ham. Other than that, he has shown his touch to be sublime in his hold up play (please compare him in this category to Wesley who was abysmal) and likes to run at players. He also makes nice runs but, unfortunately, he is not looked for as frequently as he ought to be. I love Jack as much as anyone, but he sometimes holds on to the ball too long and does not slide a ball through to Ollie. Not all the time and Jack has earned a bit of forbearance, but I just think that Ollie does not get the kind of quality balls and crosses that he thrived upon at Brentford (the irony being that he had several of them this past game and did not make the most of them save the "offside" goal). Part of that is because our other winger does not put many quality balls into the box. I appreciate Trez's work rate, but I do not rate him very much, which is why a pacy wing player is critical in my estimation. Second tier would include a central midfielder to challenge for a place among the likes of Barkley, Luiz, and McGinn.

The point with the striker being that after Ollie, we have nothing at all.  That means that he can't afford to have a bad game, let alone get injured.

Offline pelty

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Re: The Squad - Upgrades/Additions Needed?
« Reply #41 on: December 03, 2020, 07:23:03 PM »
In an ideal world I would like a full back, centre half and striker. The striker being the number one priority.

This baffles me. For me, Watkins has had one bad game and that was the last game against West Ham. Other than that, he has shown his touch to be sublime in his hold up play (please compare him in this category to Wesley who was abysmal) and likes to run at players. He also makes nice runs but, unfortunately, he is not looked for as frequently as he ought to be. I love Jack as much as anyone, but he sometimes holds on to the ball too long and does not slide a ball through to Ollie. Not all the time and Jack has earned a bit of forbearance, but I just think that Ollie does not get the kind of quality balls and crosses that he thrived upon at Brentford (the irony being that he had several of them this past game and did not make the most of them save the "offside" goal). Part of that is because our other winger does not put many quality balls into the box. I appreciate Trez's work rate, but I do not rate him very much, which is why a pacy wing player is critical in my estimation. Second tier would include a central midfielder to challenge for a place among the likes of Barkley, Luiz, and McGinn.

The point with the striker being that after Ollie, we have nothing at all.  That means that he can't afford to have a bad game, let alone get injured.

Right, well I guess I have been working off the assumption that Wesley will make it back at some point. If that is not in the offing, then I would agree.

Offline Risso

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Re: The Squad - Upgrades/Additions Needed?
« Reply #42 on: December 03, 2020, 07:29:29 PM »
He'll be back at some point, but we don't know when that will be.  In the mean time, we have no other striking options whatsoever, other than a vague notion that Traore might do a job.  Not a thought that inspires me with any confidence, I have to say.

Offline CT

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Re: The Squad - Upgrades/Additions Needed?
« Reply #43 on: December 03, 2020, 07:29:59 PM »
Yes, ok. That would be great.

Better than one of those vague PM warnings about conduct that can't be replied to (or at least I think can't be replied to).

Deep breathing pal. If you get canned, I can’t take the piss out of you for listening to Christmas carols!

I said before we played Brighton that Danny Welbeck would have been a good backup for Ollie. Clearly not the age of player we sign now, but a one year contact might have tempted him and would’ve given us a chance to take Ollie off after 70 if it’s not working.

I still worry about Watkins getting injured and us being totally knackered.

Offline dcdavecollett

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Re: The Squad - Upgrades/Additions Needed?
« Reply #44 on: December 04, 2020, 12:06:59 AM »
There's always Keinan, of course.

 


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