Ruh Buh Juh
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Next Assignment: Man Utd @ Home!
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Not as big a disaster as it first looks. I have every faith in Alex to step in for Carvalho and a fortnight for Deco isn't too bad as he only misses the league cup, Stoke, Cluj and Villa at home
ozboy
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Been away in Kiev for a couple of weeks, so nice to get back and watch the Manure game on the box.
First thirty minutes we looked terrible after that only one team in the game most of the time. In fact that's been the pattern for the past few manu games, eventually our midfield wears them down, but then we struggle to score.
Cannot understand why Anelka's goal scoring has gone off so much. Clearly its now affecting his confidence. Just as clearly Mikel has grown into the Maka role incredibly well this season, seems to have curbed the worst of his aggression and on the ball play is outstanding.
Provided Drogs comes back to form and Deco not out for too long and Alex keeps playing well we can manage without Essien and Riccy for a while.
Defence continues to look much better this season particularly against the high ball.
I would like to see Kalou getting onto the pitch earlier.
We are in a nice position on the table at this point in the season, we are scoring goals despite our crap strikers and we are dominating possession for long periods of time and being entertaining in the process. So all of that is good.
However our squad is carrying injuries, whether its Ballack, Deco, Terry or Drogba and needs to be nursed through a long season.
First thirty minutes we looked terrible after that only one team in the game most of the time. In fact that's been the pattern for the past few manu games, eventually our midfield wears them down, but then we struggle to score.
Cannot understand why Anelka's goal scoring has gone off so much. Clearly its now affecting his confidence. Just as clearly Mikel has grown into the Maka role incredibly well this season, seems to have curbed the worst of his aggression and on the ball play is outstanding.
Provided Drogs comes back to form and Deco not out for too long and Alex keeps playing well we can manage without Essien and Riccy for a while.
Defence continues to look much better this season particularly against the high ball.
I would like to see Kalou getting onto the pitch earlier.
We are in a nice position on the table at this point in the season, we are scoring goals despite our crap strikers and we are dominating possession for long periods of time and being entertaining in the process. So all of that is good.
However our squad is carrying injuries, whether its Ballack, Deco, Terry or Drogba and needs to be nursed through a long season.
just
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I was at the game on Sunday and given what happened pre-match, and in the first 15 minutes of the game, was reasonably content with a 1-1. Losing Deco in the warm-up and Carvalho after 10 or so minutes would have de-stabilised any team in the world playing against United. Fair play to the Mancs though. We were at sixes and sevens trying to find some shape and self-belief and they took full advantage of the situation. But, I always felt we would get back into it when we settled down and finally got 11 players on the pitch, and that happened at half-time with the substitution of Malouda and the introduction of Drogba and by God, what a difference he made.
I have to say I am yet to be fully convinced by Big Phil. But I only have one doubt. Unfortunately, that lingering doubt will persist as long as he continues to put Malouda in the starting line-up. Why Felipe? He simply isn't up to it. He's a squad player at best. A Jokanovich. A Sidwell. A Dale Jasper. And that's being kind. For me Scolari preferring Malouda over Kalou, (or even, IMO, Scott Sinclair), induces the same amount of head scratching as that nice Mr Ranieri's one-eyed preference for JFH over Crespo.
What I'd really like to ask Scolari, (or indeed Malouda himself), is, what exactly is his/your role? What is your position? He's patently not a winger because he drifts inside so much. He's patently not an old fashioned style inside forward either because he doesn't get forward quick enough. The number of times our central midfielders were looking for an out ball to the wing on Sunday, only to find him standing ten yards behind them was laughable. I'm actually starting to think he's kind of a second full-back because that's the position he mostly adopts. You watch him. There's Cashley, (who, by the way, had a fine, fine game on Sunday), and injubitably either three yards in front, two yards behind, or one yard sideways is his shadow Malouda. His primary function within the team seems to be to get in the way of everyone else at every given opportunity. If that is his role, then hats off to him, for he he is performing it with a wonderful consistency. In fact we could be witnessing the birth of a new playing position. Just as a quality defensive midfielder positioned in front of the back four became termed the "Makelele role". So one midfielder constantly positioned within five yards of his own full-back could eventually be dubbed the "Malouda role".
Alan Hansen once famously, (and yes, I know, wrongly), said "you don't win anything with kids." Well I kind of echo that sentiment because IMO "we won't win anything with Maloudas"
I have to say I am yet to be fully convinced by Big Phil. But I only have one doubt. Unfortunately, that lingering doubt will persist as long as he continues to put Malouda in the starting line-up. Why Felipe? He simply isn't up to it. He's a squad player at best. A Jokanovich. A Sidwell. A Dale Jasper. And that's being kind. For me Scolari preferring Malouda over Kalou, (or even, IMO, Scott Sinclair), induces the same amount of head scratching as that nice Mr Ranieri's one-eyed preference for JFH over Crespo.
What I'd really like to ask Scolari, (or indeed Malouda himself), is, what exactly is his/your role? What is your position? He's patently not a winger because he drifts inside so much. He's patently not an old fashioned style inside forward either because he doesn't get forward quick enough. The number of times our central midfielders were looking for an out ball to the wing on Sunday, only to find him standing ten yards behind them was laughable. I'm actually starting to think he's kind of a second full-back because that's the position he mostly adopts. You watch him. There's Cashley, (who, by the way, had a fine, fine game on Sunday), and injubitably either three yards in front, two yards behind, or one yard sideways is his shadow Malouda. His primary function within the team seems to be to get in the way of everyone else at every given opportunity. If that is his role, then hats off to him, for he he is performing it with a wonderful consistency. In fact we could be witnessing the birth of a new playing position. Just as a quality defensive midfielder positioned in front of the back four became termed the "Makelele role". So one midfielder constantly positioned within five yards of his own full-back could eventually be dubbed the "Malouda role".
Alan Hansen once famously, (and yes, I know, wrongly), said "you don't win anything with kids." Well I kind of echo that sentiment because IMO "we won't win anything with Maloudas"
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