Balague speaks...

[rudedog]

what if they are different people? huh? how about that? well? WELL???

impossible, everyone on here is Shaggy.

[dww]

I'd bet the player refered to is Benayoun and that the innuendo in the article is supposed to make people read more into it than there is. Ballague is an interesting guy at times but as a journalist his style is very tabloid.

[el matador]

The reality may be that the likes of Birmingham have more money to spend this transfer season or next, but the reality is also that we have a great headstart. We may not be able to go out and spend £50m but we already have a £60m player in Torres, a £30m/£40m player in Gerrard, £25m player in Mascherano, £15m keeper in Reina and a £20m(lets hope it increases) player in Aquilani.

There are not man clubs out there who have 4 or 5 £20m+ players. If we were able to get some new investment and spend £40m or £50m without selling, we'd be a real force.

that's what bugs me. Neither spurs nor villa have anybody in that sort of quality. They have good teams that are defensively good and have good but not outstanding attacking quality.

You ask yourself how can a team that has reina, johnson, masherano, aquilani, torres and gerrard be so lacking in quality ?

[Taxi]

that's what bugs me. Neither spurs nor villa have anybody in that sort of quality. They have good teams that are defensively good and have good but not outstanding attacking quality.

You ask yourself how can a team that has reina, johnson, masherano, aquilani, torres and gerrard be so lacking in quality ?

Thats what makes this season so difficult to accept. All teams have injuries and whilst the likes of Man Utd and Chelsea may have huge squads that can absorb a few star injuries better than us, we should still not be in a position where we're going to struggle to make 4th.

[The Birdman]

that's what bugs me. Neither spurs nor villa have anybody in that sort of quality. They have good teams that are defensively good and have good but not outstanding attacking quality.

You ask yourself how can a team that has reina, johnson, masherano, aquilani, torres and gerrard be so lacking in quality ?

One word, confidence.

We are seriously lacking it at the moment.

[el matador]

QUOTE=The Birdman;1503973]One word, confidence.

We are seriously lacking it at the moment.[/QUOTE]

i think its more than that mate but there's no doubt that confidence is pretty low at the moment.

[Icon]

I'm confident we will not win against Stoke!

[calvoboy]

that's what bugs me. Neither spurs nor villa have anybody in that sort of quality. They have good teams that are defensively good and have good but not outstanding attacking quality.

You ask yourself how can a team that has reina, johnson, masherano, aquilani, torres and gerrard be so lacking in quality ?

Johnson - out for half the season so far
Mascher - out for half the season so far
Aquilani - out for three quarters of the season so far
Torres - in and out
Gerrard - in and out

I think that's the answer. Not one of our key players has been fit and/or available for most of the season. When they've been asked to step up and replace these players, the fringe players have shown that they are not up to it.

Also - with these key players in and out of the side, they haven't been able to build up a run of form and gain confidence playing with each other.

[Icon]

Johnson - out for half the season so far
Mascher - out for half the season so far
Aquilani - out for three quarters of the season so far
Torres - in and out
Gerrard - in and out

I think that's the answer. Not one of our key players has been fit and/or available for most of the season. When they've been asked to step up and replace these players, the fringe players have shown that they are not up to it.

Also - with these key players in and out of the side, they haven't been able to build up a run of form and gain confidence playing with each other.

Which means we don't have a squad.

[saveferris]

Riera and Aurelio as well i would say on the injury list

[saj]

thats shocking is true - not only would that dent somebodys confidence but it has a poor effect on team morale.

I doubt it would go down well if a player told rafa he needed to go down the gym and lose a few pounds

Well Rafa said the opposite - the player should "beef up" (i.e. put on weight). Sounds like it probably is Aquilani who was told this.

[Paul12]

Johnson - out for half the season so far
Mascher - out for half the season so far
Aquilani - out for three quarters of the season so far
Torres - in and out
Gerrard - in and out

Also, Torres and Gerrard when in have not been fit since September
Aurelio - in and out, not been training much
Agger - struggling for much of season, and having to play with injections
Riera - rarely been available this season
Benayoun - struggling with injuries since November

Plus
Kuyt - Loss of form
Carragher - Loss of form
Skrtel - Loss of form

That is 12 players before we even start on the reserves that are injured or have lost form or learning their trade or are not good enough.

BUT I WOULD STILL EXPECT MORE FIGHT.

[fatistuta]

that's what bugs me. Neither spurs nor villa have anybody in that sort of quality. They have good teams that are defensively good and have good but not outstanding attacking quality.

You ask yourself how can a team that has reina, johnson, masherano, aquilani, torres and gerrard be so lacking in quality ?

Because that is a list of players, a squad of footballers, but the one thing I've seen from them this season that you can't call them is A ****ING TEAM! I'm so ****ing frustrated, how these same players fought till the final whistle last season turning defeats into victories, then this season we are turning victories into defeats! People are questioning if they are still playing for the manager when it's obvious to me that they are not even playing for each other, and I hate to say it but I include Gerrard in that comment and I'll even go as far as saying he's one of the worst culprits this season.

[S-RED]

Because that is a list of players, a squad of footballers, but the one thing I've seen from them this season that you can't call them is A ****ING TEAM! I'm so ****ing frustrated, how these same players fought till the final whistle last season turning defeats into victories, then this season we are turning victories into defeats! People are questioning if they are still playing for the manager when it's obvious to me that they are not even playing for each other, and I hate to say it but I include Gerrard in that comment and I'll even go as far as saying he's one of the worst culprits this season.

I have to say that is spot on

[TheElephantMan]

I have to say that is spot on

Agreed.