Jay Spearing

[PTP]

That is what I don't understand.

On what basis did he earn that extension? Had one good game and now he'll be warming the bench and collecting wages for next 3+ years. Strange decision to say at least.

thats the bizarre thing - it's like they are rewarding him for his run of games this last month or so.....but it's not like he's done what martin kelly has done - forced his way into the side, stepped up to the level, produced, and made himself a first team candidate....

he's playing because gerrard is injured, shelvey is injured but before he got injured he was getting on before spearing, and finally because some dickhead decided that poulsen would be a good signing - and there is no-one else.

I thought about it a bit more - if we are signing him because we think he's happy to just be part of the squad and come in for 10 games here and there but we also sign charlie adam and say m'vila - then fair enough, but then you have to think that he'd hardly ever play - it just doesn't add up - if we sell poulsen and don't sign a proper centre mid meaning spearing is getting more game time...i'd be very worried.....

[red g]

thats the bizarre thing - it's like they are rewarding him for his run of games this last month or so.....but it's not like he's done what martin kelly has done - forced his way into the side, stepped up to the level, produced, and made himself a first team candidate....

he's playing because gerrard is injured, shelvey is injured but before he got injured he was getting on before spearing, and finally because some dickhead decided that poulsen would be a good signing - and there is no-one else.

I thought about it a bit more - if we are signing him because we think he's happy to just be part of the squad and come in for 10 games here and there but we also sign charlie adam and say m'vila - then fair enough, but then you have to think that he'd hardly ever play - it just doesn't add up - if we sell poulsen and don't sign a proper centre mid meaning spearing is getting more game time...i'd be very worried.....

I think our centre mid next season will be 2 out of 3 from

Adams
Lucas
Gerrard

back up
Shelvey
Spearing

thats spending approx 8million \lthough we may get a million back for Poulsen from someone really stupid. When you take into account how much we need to spend on wingers, a centre back and a left back.....cant see us spending 20m+ in centre mid.

[PTP]

no meireles??

i think it'd be - or hope it to be in no particular order

gerrard
lucas
New centre mid - mvila ?
Adam
meireles

and consider shelvey - either he stays as cover - but his game time may be limited, so a loan spell to a prem side would be good for his development....

that for me would give us a top midfield - competition for first team places and different options.....I just don't see spearing fitting in.

[PTP]

what ever way i look at it - i just can't see how spearing is getting a 3 year deal.

[dww]

I think our centre mid next season will be 2 out of 3 from

Adams
Lucas
Gerrard

back up
Shelvey
Spearing

thats spending approx 8million \lthough we may get a million back for Poulsen from someone really stupid. When you take into account how much we need to spend on wingers, a centre back and a left back.....cant see us spending 20m+ in centre mid.

no meireles??

i think it'd be - or hope it to be in no particular order

gerrard
lucas
New centre mid - mvila ?
Adam
meireles

and consider shelvey - either he stays as cover - but his game time may be limited, so a loan spell to a prem side would be good for his development....

that for me would give us a top midfield - competition for first team places and different options.....I just don't see spearing fitting in.

I'm concerned that even with Meireles those midfield options look physically weak and don't have the depth or quality to cope if Gerrard has another injury plagued season. To my mind Adam looks a bad fit with our other options but we probably need to bring in two CMs.

[red g]

no meireles??

i think it'd be - or hope it to be in no particular order

gerrard
lucas
New centre mid - mvila ?
Adam
meireles

and consider shelvey - either he stays as cover - but his game time may be limited, so a loan spell to a prem side would be good for his development....

that for me would give us a top midfield - competition for first team places and different options.....I just don't see spearing fitting in.

haha oh yeh. stella hangover, forget merieles. Yes quality midfield with options to......I just cant see us bringing in 2 centre mids when we are so woefully short elsewhere in the squad. 20m on centre mids? cant see it, although I agree we need it maybe an extra mid will be brought in next jan for the title push

Also we are unlikely to be in Europe next year, which means less games, less strain on the squad and hopefully less injuries !!

[red g]

I'm concerned that even with Meireles those midfield options look physically weak and don't have the depth or quality to cope if Gerrard has another injury plagued season. To my mind Adam looks a bad fit with our other options but we probably need to bring in two CMs.

I completely agree but then the sad fact is in certain positions we havent actually got anyone......never mind depth or quality surely that will be a priority?

[dww]

I completely agree but then the sad fact is in certain positions we havent actually got anyone......never mind depth or quality surely that will be a priority?

I think we have to prioritise the spine - which for me means we need to swap a CB and then concentrate on the centre of midfield. The only position I feel we have no one is at left back and I would be inclined to look for a cheap option who fits into our tactical plan rather than splashing big money. I'd like to see a wide player also come in but for me that would come after we settle the central areas. I guess the options outlines above look better if we are thinking of a more central pairing based system but under Kenny we have most often looked closed to a midfield three to my eyes.

[PTP]

I'm concerned that even with Meireles those midfield options look physically weak and don't have the depth or quality to cope if Gerrard has another injury plagued season. To my mind Adam looks a bad fit with our other options but we probably need to bring in two CMs.

i'm not that keen on Adam myself - i have said all along that we need that physical presence....someone with some snap and bite in midfield - all due respect to lucas and meireles, but they're a pair of fannies and if i was a premiership centre mid i'd be licking my lips going up against them too - neither are dominate in the air, strong in the tackle, and once you get a bit of space away from them, they don't have that mascher or momo like ability to cover 10-20 yards quickly to get a tackle in.

We signed poulsen as our 'beast' in midfield - and he turned out to be ****e

I'd much prefer to sort this out before signing a charlie adam - to be honest i'm not his biggest fan, but if we felt we needed someone in there as an extra creative mid - i'd rather we signed the defensive/physical mid and brought aquilani back if money is tight....

ideal world - we sign the centre mid we need and charlie adam - selling poulsen and spearing

worst case scenario - we sell poulsen and sign adam....

meaning a midfield of

adam
gerrard
lucas
meireles
shelvey
spearing

- i really don't like the look of that

[red g]

I think we have to prioritise the spine - which for me means we need to swap a CB and then concentrate on the centre of midfield. The only position I feel we have no one is at left back and I would be inclined to look for a cheap option who fits into our tactical plan rather than splashing big money. I'd like to see a wide player also come in but for me that would come after we settle the central areas. I guess the options outlines above look better if we are thinking of a more central pairing based system but under Kenny we have most often looked closed to a midfield three to my eyes.

IMO we have to prioritise places where we have no alternatives and the reality is we have no decent wingers for Andy Carroll which means we play hoofball. We have only one centre back capable of passing the ball on the ground and think these options would transform our play. Our options with just 1 mid coming in arent brilliant but I would much prefer to sort other areas out, rather than making sure we are 'well stocked' in midfield.

and if we are going for more of a midfied three, which while yes we have done that under Kenny lets be honest we don't know how he would like to line up with his transfers in, only making do with what we have at the moment. But if he does go for a more of midfield centre three does that not make a top quality LB a priority?

[PTP]

i think priorities in order would be

left back as we have no one
left mid with pace as we have no one
centre mid


all 3 vital - and all three have to be resolved before anything else - when you look at it - last summer we signed Konchesky, Jovanovic and Poulsen - to cover those three positions :doh: a real **** up that was.

Get those three positions sorted

then
sort out centre back
left back cover
another attacking mid
centre foward cover

we have a lot to do

[dww]

i'm not that keen on Adam myself - i have said all along that we need that physical presence....someone with some snap and bite in midfield - all due respect to lucas and meireles, but they're a pair of fannies and if i was a premiership centre mid i'd be licking my lips going up against them too - neither are dominate in the air, strong in the tackle, and once you get a bit of space away from them, they don't have that mascher or momo like ability to cover 10-20 yards quickly to get a tackle in.

We signed poulsen as our 'beast' in midfield - and he turned out to be ****e

I'd much prefer to sort this out before signing a charlie adam - to be honest i'm not his biggest fan, but if we felt we needed someone in there as an extra creative mid - i'd rather we signed the defensive/physical mid and brought aquilani back if money is tight....

ideal world - we sign the centre mid we need and charlie adam - selling poulsen and spearing

worst case scenario - we sell poulsen and sign adam....

meaning a midfield of

adam
gerrard
lucas
meireles
shelvey
spearing

- i really don't like the look of that

Aye. Although I would like to modify my earlier comment from 'physically weak' to 'physically imposing'. For example Lucas is good at winning tackles and decent enough at holding people off. However you never get the impression that the opposition back out of a confrontation with him, same with Meireles.

I guess the alternative is to go all Barcelona about the issue and look to hog the ball. The problem is that, as Arsenal have proved, you tend to need to physically earn the right to play in the PL. Also if we go down this route we need wide play makers rather than wingers.

[red g]

i think priorities in order would be

left back as we have no one
left mid with pace as we have no one
centre mid


all 3 vital - and all three have to be resolved before anything else - when you look at it - last summer we signed Konchesky, Jovanovic and Poulsen - to cover those three positions :doh: a real **** up that was.

Get those three positions sorted

then
sort out centre back
left back cover
another attacking mid
centre foward cover

we have a lot to do

I think that about sums up my feelings and same order to although not sure if I would put centreback higher up priorities the idea of Soto/Carra/skrtel combo's just fill me with dread.

Have to agree, we really have a lot to do.......2 seasons of destroying a top quality squad.

[red g]

Aye. Although I would like to modify my earlier comment from 'physically weak' to 'physically imposing'. For example Lucas is good at winning tackles and decent enough at holding people off. However you never get the impression that the opposition back out of a confrontation with him, same with Meireles.

I guess the alternative is to go all Barcelona about the issue and look to hog the ball. The problem is that, as Arsenal have proved, you tend to need to physically earn the right to play in the PL. Also if we go down this route we need wide play makers rather than wingers.

what about if Juve are arguing the toss over aqua and he doesnt want to come back to Liverpool we take Momo back?

[PTP]

Aye. Although I would like to modify my earlier comment from 'physically weak' to 'physically imposing'. For example Lucas is good at winning tackles and decent enough at holding people off. However you never get the impression that the opposition back out of a confrontation with him, same with Meireles.

I guess the alternative is to go all Barcelona about the issue and look to hog the ball. The problem is that, as Arsenal have proved, you tend to need to physically earn the right to play in the PL. Also if we go down this route we need wide play makers rather than wingers.

exactly - playing against lucas and meireles - the oppostion, i just can't imagine being 'scared' or really worried about the pair - i'm not talking in a dirty/hacking type of way - ie playing against say Joey Barton, you might be thinking, i need to watch this cunt cause he'll happily snap my leg if he gets a chance....but i reckon most centre mids will be thinking....hmm i'm stronger, quicker etc than them.