milo
Jack L. Jones
If we'd held onto Bale, as they held onto Suarez, I doubt that we would be having as much trouble bedding in new signings or at least it would be less of an issue.
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How long will it take for this team to gel?
- Thread starter milo
- Start date
If we'd held onto Bale, as they held onto Suarez, I doubt that we would be having as much trouble bedding in new signings or at least it would be less of an issue.
Yeah but we didn't look fluid or creative going forward even with Bale. He just got us out of jail with wonder-strikes. Suarez has been used as the icing on the cake of a well-drilled, effective and entertaining team unit!
milo
Jack L. Jones
Maybe we should take this discussion to another thread rather than take this one off target talking about last season, Bale and Suarez
spurs1canada
Garry Brady
How the hell can the team gel when we and AVB don't know what the team is?
Gutter Boy
Tim Sherwood
I think he knows what his preferred team is, with perhaps the exception of LF (Siggy, Chadli or Lennon).
It's Lloris / Walker, Dawson, Verts, Rose / Sandro, Paulinho / Lamela, Eriksen, ? / Soldado
Sandro and Rose's injuries have been the only things that have affected the back 7.
Then Townsend and Holtby's form, in comparison with Lamela and Eriksen, has caused rethinks in the trio. And there it's a good thing to have manager who backs players on form over those who carry reputation.
braineclipse
Willie Hall
Agreed.
Considering the amount of new players it's no surprise that there's been some shifting and changing particularly considering that there haven't been stand out consistent performers amongst those new players and the lacking performances from the team. That's not the same as saying AVB doesn't know what his best team is.
I saw AVB getting flak for being stubborn and continuously playing players that are out of form in another thread, here he's getting criticism for not knowing his best team (changing the team too much). Those seem more or less like opposites on the same scale to me.
Kingdawson
Banned
but he doesn't do that though? that's exactly what he does NOT do.
milo
Jack L. Jones
Can you give an example of that from this season?
Kingdawson
Banned
Paulinho's hideous form and he still persists, Holtby's hideous form and he still persists. Last season he persisted with Kyle Walker for the whole season despite some shocking performances and refused to give Naughton a try at RB (yes we had injuries at LB but even when BAE was fine he would still play Naughton there rather then give him a go at rb).
BrainOfLevy
Michael Carrick
If we are saying Holtby and Paulinho's form is hideous then the whole team's form is hideous. I know you don't like Paulinho but it's not as if Dembele was pulling up any trees when he was starting and Capoue hasn't been fit. Eriksen was preferred at the start of the season and Holtby was left out. Holtby got a chance, but Eriksen was preferred to Saudi Sportswashing Machine. Eriksen now isn't fit. You simply cannot say he has his favourites using those examples. He clearly loves Sandro but has been as careful as anything with him. Walker I think was struggling to adjust to playing under more instruction, as well as having the difficult second season that a lot of young players go through. He's been one of our better players this year though.
Everyone else, he has rotated. He clearly doesn't have favourites. The only one that could be argued really is Paulinho, but he's also the only one that could be providing a goal threat from midfield. The fact that he isn't doesn't really say much considering the whole team is struggling. Same reason I think people are way off base in jumping on Soldado's back now, the whole team hasn't gelled yet, it isn't down to one player.
milo
Jack L. Jones
The manager has to balance playing a team that he thinks can win a game with developing, integrating and bringing through players.
I don't agree that Pauline''s form has been horrendous but he has been poor in the last few games. Unfortunately, his likely replacements in Dembele and Capoue are either also in a poor run of form or coming back from injury.
Holtby got his chance in the first team after impressing in Europe and his main competitor for a place having a poor game against West Ham. Once a player is brought into the first team it makes sense that they should be given a run before being dropped. I suspect that Eriksen's injury means that Holtby will have a longer run in the first team than the manager was planning.
Gutter Boy
Tim Sherwood
- Paulinho's still been a lot better than Dembele (whose been off form for at least 12 months now) and Capoue's been injured
- Holtby has been better than Eriksen this season
- Naughton I don't ever remember having a good game for us
I think these are examples of best of a bad bunch, rather than picking favourites. Everyone thought Dempsey was his favourite last season, but he was out the door the second the window opened, he was just the best option we had at LF (due to Siggy bedding-in etc).
Kingdawson
Banned
I would love too see your response if he was English and put in the same performances :lol:
It seems you've pretty much changed your opinion on a lot of things since AVB has been manager and you're willing to look past a lot of things that you previously wouldn't have been able too. A center midfielder that can't pick a pass, has zero creativity and simply doesn't get involved in anything....Can you imagine the old GB's reaction to this?
Modric THFC
Jimmy McCormick
He really not.
But Paulinho might get used to the pace of the Premier League and improve. Dembele is unlikely to get better.
I thought you were a fan of Dembele?
Rorschach
Sonny Walters
I think Dembele has been playing with the shackles on. His form has been up and down but I still think he has been better than Paulinho.
I agree that is the team AVB would want to put out. Maybe in a few months we will be hailing that team. Right now he needs to rethink.
SteveAWOL
Colin Calderwood
I wonder how much quicker the team would've gelled if Levy / Baldini had managed to secure the signatures of AVB' first choices in Moutinho, Villa and Willian instead of Dembele, Soldado and Eriksen... oh well, hopefully now there's no more pesky international breaks for a while and the EL group stage is almost complete AVB will be able to utilise the additional time on the training ground and we'll see a marked improvement in our attacking play in the next couple of months... [-o<
King of Norway
Gudni Bergsson
Paulinho has been **** poor so far. I've tried to be patient with him, but he's a midfielder who is not good at anything at all. Okay, maybe one thing. He makes runs into penalty area, but when that is your only good quality as a midfielder, you have to score goals. So far he's got one in the league. The fact that the team is not creating a lot of chances doesn't help, but he has also missed a few good opportunities.
Apart from that, he can't pass the ball, he is technically limited, he is not very good defensively positionally, he doesn't win possession, he really does nothing. Jenas got a lot of stick on this forum, deservedly to a degree, but he was usually better than Paulinho has been for us so far.
I was worried after seeing him in the Confederation Cup too. I could see that he was a very limited player. Along with Hulk he stood out as Brazil's worst player in that team.
Dembele certianly has his faults too. He lacks vision and passing ability/passing creativity. But at least he can go past his man and create openings that way. He also retains possession better, is physically stronger, and does a better job defensively. I wish Dembele would play with more ambition. For example, on one occassion against City, he advanced with the ball through the middle, went past a couple of players, and managed to release the ball to create a chance for Adebayor. He should do those things more often, as he has the ability to do so.