wing play

[captainfog]

Nevermind the Mascheranos of this world, Rafa needs to make signing a quality winger a priority. Today's game really highlighted this fact.

Pennant was so very poor today and Garcia had one of those days that he sometimes has - between then I think they cost us the game. We had bags of possesion but never really created much and a great deal of that was due to a lack of spark out wide.

Please Rafa, sign us a quality winger

[kopdan]

bit unfair on Pennant

He's slowly settling in

[Red Chilli]

We do need a quality winger but we have since before Rafa arrived. They are few and far between.

I thought Pennant did OK today, certainly no worse than most of the others.

[Kopite_Colin]

bit unfair on Pennant

He's slowly settling in

I thought Pennant was Ok today.

[Colemere]

Is it necessary to buy a top quality winger of should someone like Paul Anderson be given an opportunity in the team, the same thing has happened to him as Potter last season, he played some preseason games and did not look bad and now he is never even mentioned in the sentence of a winger.

[lfcruleus]

Pennant was a lot better today put in some good balls and got stuck in abit more.

[marcgerard]

Pennant put 3 very, very good crosses in the second half alone. Garcia had one of those days.....

Although we look at the wingers I think the support the full backs give is vital too, Riise was too slow or unsure in supporting Garcia today. I think Finnan is great but at times in the second half he needed to support Pennant quicker and not turn back inside to cross with his left when he did support.

I think Aurelio offers more in this sense than Riise at present and I would like to see more of him.

[andyinswinton]

There are a few more positions that we should be looking to improve.

Both full backs, both wingers and another striker need to improved sooner rather than later in my opinion.

[captainfog]

Pennant was a lot better today put in some good balls and got stuck in abit more.

Yes, OK, I'll concede that he has been playing a bit better of late, however, he looks incapable of taking a game by the scruff of the neck and really imposing himself.

When the Chavs were at their best they had Robben, Duff and Joe Cole tearing down the flanks dominating games and causing chaos. Manure this season are showing their best form for years and they too have have an on-form winger in Ronaldo who is stamping his authority on nearly every game he plays devastating opposition defences.

Until we have that sort of quality out wide, wingers with magic in their feet, we will struggle to show the kind of consistency in our attacking play needed to win the league.

[einar]

How many times did we watch the winger or fullbacks get the ball out on the wing and the only options where taking the defender on or passing the ball back.
Pennant and Kuyt did this beautifully against Bolton, They ran into space around each other and opened them up again and again.

How many times did we see a Liverpool player on the ball and his teammates just stood and watched him.

Valencia did this almost to perfection under Rafa, why not us.

WHY!!!!!

[kopdan]

your reply was ok until you mentioned Cole. He never takes games by the scruff.

Liverpool should have signed Duff although he does seem to be injury prone.

[andyinswinton]

We tried to sign Duff from Chelsea but they weren't for selling to us. I admit we should have got him from Blackburn though. He would have been a great signing for us at the time.

There isn't enough quality on either wing for me but I guess its difficult to bring that quality in. We really got stung with Pennant. Thats not a dig at him but if he was the best value for money at £8million then there isn't much choice out there available.

[kopdan]

and to think we nearly signed Ronaldo