West Brom vs Liverpool: Match Thread

[JohnDoe]

I've never been sure about Gary Cahill but at the moment he looks an absolute must.

Gary Cahill is not a must. What is a must are two dependable CB who compliment each other well and give us aerial dominance, pace, strength and good technique with the ball. We don't have one solid defender, not one. It's amazing when you think about it.

Skrtel is a disaster waiting to happen, one of the worst aerial defenders in the history of the Premier League and his looks are misleading as he's as soft as butter.

Agger is a technically gifted footballer, but there isn't one area in defending that he dominates, and he's an unreliable permacrock.

Carragher reminds me of Martin Keown in his last couple of years at Arsenal, when he was **** and needed to get carried but due to his reputation got more credit than he deserved.

And Kyrgiakos is a nice cult player, Igor Biscan type. That's it.

[Glenn Hysen]

It will take a few years to make up the ground we lost because of Gillett, Rafa, Hicks and Purslow. You don't make up that ground in a few months. It will take years.

[Rudo]

Maybe or maybe we need players who can be on the same wavelength as him.

He's not Zidane ffs.

[Rowan]

We can't afford to play with central defenders that don't add something to our attacking play and can't carry the ball.

We need eleven players on the pitch that can play free flowing pass and move football. Ten isn't enough. All eleven should be able to do it.

The games not exactly awash with ball playing centre halves who can equally mix it up though, Arn. And they aren't cheap either.

[DannyMan2006]

Gary Cahill is not a must. What is a must are two dependable CB who compliment each other well and give us aerial dominance, pace, strength and good technique with the ball. We don't have one solid defender, not one. It's amazing when you think about it.

Skrtel is a disaster waiting to happen, one of the worst aerial defenders in the history of the Premier League and his looks are misleading as he's as soft as butter.

Agger is a technically gifted footballer, but there isn't one area in defending that he dominates, and he's an unreliable permacrock.

Carragher reminds me of Martin Keown in his last couple of years at Arsenal, when he was **** and needed to get carried but due to his reputation got more credit than he deserved.

And Kyrgiakos is a nice cult player, Igor Biscan type. That's it.

Sadly, I agree with most of that.

[Rudo]

Kuyt is either class or absolutely dreadful, no in between it's weird

That is true

Keep him as a back up striker, but Kuyt wide right in a 4-4-2 = horrible!

[chadrtc]

He's not Zidane ffs.

He's closer to Houlier's 'new Zidane'.

[Shaggy]

I only said Cahill as we've been heavily linked with him. Point is we desperately need two CBs.

[JohnDoe]

Of a late I'd have to agree with the first point but to be honest the second point, imo, comes down to the fact that a lot of our players just do not seem to understand that they need to move into space or create space. It was the same with Aquilani for me. Good player with good vision but no one else up to speed with him.

No. In this case, he's just a **** passer. He cannot consistently pass the ball well and he has no understanding of when and where to pass it.

[Mostar]

Kuyt is either class or absolutely dreadful, no in between it's weird

Interesting I was thinking the same.

[Rudo]

He's closer to Houlier's 'new Zidane'.

The good old days.

[DannyMan2006]

Meireles makes great runs and IMO has a lovely strike of a ball but he also can't tackle or pass. Seems to me that if he is not played in a particular position which is close to goal, he is pretty much a non event. Has gone from an average start, to a fantastic month and then to very poor.

IMO play to his strengths or use him as a squad player.

Meireles came with a reputation for being a tenacious tackler and ball winner and the type of player who keeps a team ticking a long. He has not been that player.

He has been exceptional in the final third at times this season, but by his own admission that is an unusual event for him. We can't expect that every week and sadly, if that is all he is offering then we need to think again.

In fairness to Raul this is his first year in England. He's come from a team who wins pretty much every week to a team who has been in absoloute chaos. Can't be easy for him. I wouldn't write him off.

But one thing is for certain, if we don't make Europe it will be hard to see so many squad players being carried. So if we don't see a first team spot then he is at risk.

But on the whole, there are many more players I'd let go before selling him.

[JohnDoe]

Kuyt is either class or absolutely dreadful, no in between it's weird

He's class when we don't need a goal, and dreadful when we do need a goal.

I think there's something wrong when you describe a supposedly attacking player as I did.

[Rudo]

Meireles came with a reputation for being a tenacious tackler and ball winner and the type of player who keeps a team ticking a long. He has not been that player.

He has been exceptional in the final third at times this season, but by his own admission that is an unusual event for him. We can't expect that every week and sadly, if that is all he is offering then we need to think again.

In fairness to Raul this is his first year in England. He's come from a team who wins pretty much every week to a team who has been in absoloute chaos. Can't be easy for him. I wouldn't write him off.

But one thing is for certain, if we don't make Europe it will be hard to see so many squad players being carried. So if we don't see a first team spot then he is at risk.

But on the whole, there are many more players I'd let go before selling him.

That's a fair post.

One thing's for sure, there's no way you can fit Gerrard, Meireles and Adam(if we sign him) in the same team.

[vonk]

FSG have a big summer ahead of them. Left back and Centre half a must. A couple of wingers and maybe a creative midfielder. Add to that the fact that I'm convinced Reina will leave this summer, and we need a world class keeper. How do we offload the likes of NGog, Jovanovic, Poulsen, Degen, Aurelio, Soto, Cole, Maxi, Aquilani, Konchesky?

Lets hope Comolli has already started, eh?