Eriksson handed £10m to land Heskey and Given

[drummindefender]

I know he scored a few last season, but no-one really went into this season expecting him to be our top scorer. A few more will now in regards to to 2011/2012 campaign

 

[Biffa Bacon]

Forums are all about opinions, I don't think we can go into next season with 3 in midfield even if one of them spends most of his time making runs into the box. We lost too many from midfield last season.

 

[Han]

Forums are all about opinions, I don't think we can go into next season with 3 in midfield even if one of them spends most of his time making runs into the box. We lost too many from midfield last season.

I personally think we will sell Wellens. Selling King simply will not be tolerated and Abe is a player that the owners will be keen to keep hold of. Wellens will also attract a decent fee for a player of his age so if a Premier League team comes knocking I think he will be off.

 

[Matt_B]

I personally think we will sell Wellens. Selling King simply will not be tolerated and Abe is a player that the owners will be keen to keep hold of. Wellens will also attract a decent fee for a player of his age so if a Premier League team comes knocking I think he will be off.

If we sell any of them then they will have to be replaced, which would be a pointless exercise when we have 3 excellent midfielders already. We can't go into next season with only 3 midfielders (Oakley can only be a bit part player now), and to play 2 central midfielders with only 2 on the books would be ridiculously unprepared.

 

[FryattFox]

Abe is a player that the owners will be keen to keep hold of

Especially now that Verma has been released...

 

[Han]

If we sell any of them then they will have to be replaced, which would be a pointless exercise when we have 3 excellent midfielders already. We can't go into next season with only 3 midfielders (Oakley can only be a bit part player now), and to play 2 central midfielders with only 2 on the books would be ridiculously unprepared.

I was following on from the suggestion that we may sign a "strong" midfielder and switch to 4-4-2. If that happens, then having 4 players (Wellens, King, Oakley, Abe) for 1 position (next to Mr Strong) would be a a little over-prepared.

For what it's worth I'd rather we kept the same system from this season.

 

[Matt_B]

I was following on from the suggestion that we may sign a "strong" midfielder and switch to 4-4-2. If that happens, then having 4 players (Wellens, King, Oakley, Abe) for 1 position (next to Mr Strong) would be a a little over-prepared.

For what it's worth I'd rather we kept the same system from this season.

Me too, goals haven't been a problem in the right end, it's the wrong end that's been problematic. And I don't think that is really due to the midfield.

 

[Mike - True Blue Tinter]

I think Sven is looking for a physically stronger midfield. King and Oakley are currently the weakest there. Sven has also hinted that scoring goals is not a problem, but that leaking goals is happening because everyone is not defending well enough, not just the defenders.

That is why I think he is probably going to look for a stronger spine. That will be why Heskey is on the radar for extra up front plus a couple of beefy midfield/backs.

 

[Mawsley]

If we don't have a Plan B and Plan A doesn't work well - why don't we go for one of the other 24 plans?

 

[slyfox]

We had more or less the same defence in March and April playing badly that in January and February were playing well.

Or was it that Plan A worked earlier, but then only the defenders were later doing any defending?

I think teams approached us in a different manner for two reasons,rather than trying to play us at our own game...they waited for a counter attack against our suspect defence,also the phsyical sides tended to out bully us notably Bristol City,though we were lucky that night.

Stats don't lie the majority of games we dominated possession,so as mentioned the defence and a keeper is priority.

 

[Hazzman]

I think teams approached us in a different manner for two reasons,rather than trying to play us at our own game...they waited for a counter attack against our suspect defence,also the phsyical sides tended to out bully us notably Bristol City,though we were lucky that night.
.

Depends. Not every team approached us in this manner. Norwich outplayed us and Boro attacked us. Both times the defence were shown up regardless of what went on in front of them.

 

[Profondo Rosso]

I disagree with the defence playing well in January/February time, we were still conceding virtually every game, even against teams near the bottom.

Surely if it were a case of teams "working us out" and approached the game differently that would mean us scoring less since then? Which we haven't done.

 

[Mike - True Blue Tinter]

But the defenders we have had this year are much better than we have had for several years. Nearly everybody would like to see Naughton, Mee, Bruma and Van Aanholt back again, plus we already have Bamba.

 

[Profondo Rosso]

I disagree! Personally, I don't think either PVA or Bruma can defend to save their lives! Both are good going forward, but both made so many goal-costing mistakes for us last season. Bruma in particular just seems to dwell and dwell on the ball until the opposition nick the ball off him.

Far too raw to be first-choice defenders in a promotion chasing Championship side. Might make decent midfielders though.

Personally, I think a backline of Naughton - Davies - Vitor - Cunningham could've been great, but we never got a chance to see it with injuries and suchlike.

 

[Hazzman]

But the defenders we have had this year are much better than we have had for several years. Nearly everybody would like to see Naughton, Mee, Bruma and Van Aanholt back again, plus we already have Bamba.

Bamba's hot and cold. Only Naughton would I take out of the loanees and his defending has improved as the season wore on.

I disagree with the defence playing well in January/February time, we were still conceding virtually every game, even against teams near the bottom.

Exactly, there was a marked improvement in the type of attacker we facing from Jan/Feb onwards. Look at the sides and you'll find none of them have/had a standout striker, then came the Cardiff game and things started to change.

 

[DesertFox]

If we sell any of them then they will have to be replaced, which would be a pointless exercise when we have 3 excellent midfielders already. We can't go into next season with only 3 midfielders (Oakley can only be a bit part player now), and to play 2 central midfielders with only 2 on the books would be ridiculously unprepared.

It's not a terribly reassuring thought, but we also have Franck Moussa in central midfield.

 

[Wombat]

I personally think we will sell Wellens. Selling King simply will not be tolerated and Abe is a player that the owners will be keen to keep hold of. Wellens will also attract a decent fee for a player of his age so if a Premier League team comes knocking I think he will be off.

I really hope we DONT sell Wellens.....

he's just been voted 'player of the season' and we will need his ball winning strengths and ability to spray passes around like a CCC version of Beckham, if we're going to get out of this division next year

 

[Blue Maniac]

I really hope we DONT sell Wellens.....

he's just been voted 'player of the season' and we will need his ball winning strengths and ability to spray passes around like a CCC version of Beckham, if we're going to get out of this division next year

What's CCC?

 

[TornadoShaunUK]

What's CCC?

Coca Cola Championship... except it isn't now.

 

[LES Fox]

It's not a terribly reassuring thought, but we also have Franck Moussa in central midfield.

Some of the defensive errors last season (bar Weale) had much to do with our midfield. We looked laboured at times in the middle, central mid needs beefing up. If either Wellens or King had been out for any length of time we'd have been shafted. If the Huddlestone rumour is accurate he'd be good signing.

Hope we see Mee, Vitor and "our" player of the season Naughton back, tho can't see Spurs letting him go. Seems Sven already has the stricke force in mind, all depends on wages.