The players

[Blanchflower]

Our players are much better than Liverpools, apart from Suarez, and yet they seem to want to play for their manager.. Ours don't .

Not sure the players we had out there yesterday are, fully fit we might be better but with only 1 of the back 4 we had is first choice imo.

 

[SouthStand Billy]

Not sure the players we had out there yesterday are, fully fit we might be better but with only 1 of the back 4 we had is first choice imo.

The players are not fit because they were made to play in pointless mid week games. We should have used fringe players and youth in recent EL games. We are paying the price for over working certain players.

 

[Blanchflower]

The players are not fit because they were made to play in pointless mid week games. We should have used fringe players and youth in recent EL games. We are paying the price for over working certain players.

That's not really true, if you take Kaboul as an example - there is no way he would ever get back to full fitness without us being able to give him 45 minutes here and there in Europa League games.

You just can't afford to bring players like him in for Premier League games cold, as witnessed at Man City.

There seems to be an unbelievably thin line between players being tired and lacking match fitness........they both can be applied at any point in time to the same player to suit an argument.....

 

[gaz]

Naughton reminded me of Terry Fenwick (one for the younger listeners)


and he was fucking shit.

 

[ArtyB]

The players are not fit because they were made to play in pointless mid week games. We should have used fringe players and youth in recent EL games. We are paying the price for over working certain players.

I'm sorry, but are you saying that playing football makes you unfit?

 

[SouthStand Billy]

I'm sorry, but are you saying that playing football makes you unfit?

Unfit might be the wrong word. It makes you tired and your muscles don't have enough time to rest.. Any knocks you have don't have time to heal.
The team we put out last Thursday was mental.

 

[Burko]

Naughton reminded me of Terry Fenwick (one for the younger listeners)


and he was fucking shit.

Reminded me more of Perry Fenwick......

 

[Attirh]

Dawson[3mil]:avbpray:... Naughton[1mil]... and Kaboul[1mil] OUT in JAN Please. Thats 5mil to spend on a LB.
Defoe[7mil]:avbpray:... Get Berba or Pato in.

 

[Bigjon]

We can talk manager (soon to be managers, I expect) all we may, but when players like Naughton, Dembele, Lennon and Paulinho turn up (or not) like this today, no wonder we struggle to beat even relegation zone teams.

Aberdeen is spot on. Players should at very least play for us, at home. Tactics, injuries, opposition aside, they should have a proper go, at very least.

We have so many bottlers in this team it is unreal. One doesn't even know where to begin.

Also I see Dawson getting bailed out for his lack of pace, as if it's a saving grace being a slow professional footballer. Which would be good and dandy, I suppose, if it wasn't for the fact that all of his many gaffes today were due to awful positioning and absurd decision making, not pace or lack of it. He was the most capped, most app'ed, longest serving and oldest player in that defence, let alone a club captain. And it was still he who needed helping out. Not with the pace, just being in the proper fucking place at the proper fucking time. But he is so good clearing high balls you say. Oh really? Is that why Liverpool spent all game sending high balls over the defence with ease, no defenders trying to clear and nobody trying to play the runners offside? Brilliant. Just took the biscuit for Sterlings goal, when the ball bounced in from the left, Lennon desperately trying to mark 2 players at the 6 yard box, Dawson not marking, not blocking, not pressing. Just standing around at the near post ball watching. Sorry, but when you defend like that, I don't give a shit if you look angry flapping your arms when we concede our 3rd, 4th, 5th goals and THEN clap the fans afterwards. I thought we got rid of sentimental losers attitudes like that when we flogged Keane.

Paulinho? Good thing he got a ban. Will force the managers hand. Was diabolical until the red card no matter where he played.

Lennon? Poor old Lennon is back. A winger, whose prime asset is pace, failed to make one single good run in behind the fullback to find space for the good deep pass. He'd rather wait outside on the touchline, standing around to wait for the ball to feet, then get pressed back or inside by some random teenage scouse fullback played out of position.

Dembele? Do not get me started.

Naughton? Neither.

Chadli, Walker, Hugo and possible Soldado(how much work did he do today!) are the only one to take any credit at all from today. The rest should be donating their match bonuses to local charities. Absolutely shameful.

Nice to see a rational and sensible opinion on daws,dont get me wrong i love him for his passion and commitment but hes just not good enough and is too slow.We have injuries and need him but all im seeing on here is naughton getting slaughtered and rightly so but daws seems to get a pass from most fans

 

[Smoked Salmon]

The players are not fit because they were made to play in pointless mid week games. We should have used fringe players and youth in recent EL games. We are paying the price for over working certain players.

Has this notion that two games a week turns players into bed ridden invalids ever been proven?

 

[ArtyB]

Unfit might be the wrong word. It makes you tired and your muscles don't have enough time to rest.. Any knocks you have don't have time to heal.
The team we put out last Thursday was mental.

You and me might have trouble but if a professional player can't play a couple of games a week there's something wrong and that Anzhi game was nothing more than a training session.

 

[gaz]

dawson is fucking shit as well.


once ledley was gone from his side, its all too clear how average he is.

 

[ArtyB]

The main question I have is that why did AVB persist with the high line defence with a midfielder who obviously hadn't a clue what to do, Dawson was left horribly exposed, as he was with an unfit Kaboul against City as well.

 

[SouthStand Billy]

You and me might have trouble but if a professional player can't play a couple of games a week there's something wrong and that Anzhi game was nothing more than a training session.

Maybe so but if you look at our results after a Thursday game they are not good reading.
We lost to spam after a Thursday night game, we lost to Woolwich after a Thursday night game, we lost to Newcastle after a Thursday night game, we lost to Liverpool after a Thursday game.
So our players do have a problem with playing twice in a week.
I agree it shouldn't, but it does.

 

[ArtyB]

Maybe so but if you look at our results after a Thursday game they are not good reading.
We lost to spam after a Thursday night game, we lost to Woolwich after a Thursday night game, we lost to Newcastle after a Thursday night game, we lost to Liverpool after a Thursday game.
So our players do have a problem with playing twice in a week.
I agree it shouldn't, but it does.

That Fulham game that ultimately lost us 4th spot last season was in that bracket too.

 

[SouthStand Billy]

That Fulham game that ultimately lost us 4th spot last season was in that bracket too.

Correct, yes it was.
And that's why it worries me. I've always been, if you're in a competition you should go out to win it, but that has changed the last couple,of years.
I want a seperate team for the EL, let the fringe players and youngsters see what they can do in it.

It, shouldn't, but the EL has really affected us.

 

[BushHillSpurs]

So players who should go...
Friedel, Naughton, Kaboul, Defoe, Gomes, Adebayor, Rose (Sick of him constantly being injured), Dawson...

I would include some of the newer players in that too, but I feel it is too soon to judge. For what it is worth, I would of included Lamela and Capoue in the list.

Build the team around 3 players. Lloris, Sandro and Vertonghen. The rest of the places are up for grabs.

 

[ArtyB]

So players who should go...
Friedel, Naughton, Kaboul, Defoe, Gomes, Adebayor, Rose (Sick of him constantly being injured), Dawson...

I would include some of the newer players in that too, but I feel it is too soon to judge. For what it is worth, I would of included Lamela and Capoue in the list.

Build the team around 3 players. Lloris, Sandro and Vertonghen. The rest of the places are up for grabs.

If you were brutally honest you could also say that Lloris is dodgy, Sandro injury prone and Vertonghen is too slow.

 

[Smoked Salmon]

If you were brutally honest you could also say that Lloris is dodgy, Sandro injury prone and Vertonghen is too slow.

Sack the whole fucking lot!

We need a team full of nothing but Bales.

It is the only way.

 

[truetomyself]

The players are not fit because they were made to play in pointless mid week games.

How are we going to compete in the CL then (when we get there)? CL games are also played midweek.
How is saturday-tuesday/sunday-wednesday different from thursday-sunday?
Will we have to rest half our squad for the CL games as well? Or the PL games? Play U21s against Zenit, Porto & Shakhtar?