We Will Be Fine

[George G]

For some reason over the years we seem to have been decidedly average/poor when gracing the field at Upton Park. That was no different on saturday. I don't even think we would have won with Dembele on the pitch. Everyone was that poor.

I think over the course of the season we will be fine. We really missed Ruiz and Frei on saturday. We know that the former is injured but I am not sure where Frei was. Maybe you guys can clear that up for me. We seriously lacked pace on the flanks and players who can take people on. Frei and Ruiz are players that get past players and enable us to penetrate the last line of defence. This is what we were lacking on saturday. When we get them back I think the service to Berbatov will be sufficient for him to score a fair number of goals. Ruiz is the king of the final pass and Berbatov is one of the best finishers around. Could be very exciting.

Richardson was decidedly poor on the weekend but it was because of nerves. That, in my opinion, shows that he cares and really wants to do well. You could see the nerves in his facial expressions, I thought. Once he is settled in he will do well. He has a great left foot and could be quite productive if Jol instils some confidence in him.

I think we will do well if we can keep Ruiz fit. If him and Berbatov and develop and almost telepathic understanding then we could be in for an exciting season.

Thought I would lighten the mood a bit.  :59:

[cookie123]

I believe that we may be over reacting to this whole thing. Ive been on this forum since a couple of games before the beggining of the summer transfer window. i noticed that when we played Norwich we had already resigned to the fact we would lose both demps and mousa and we were all very pessimistic. We then walked out and won 5-0, and people who had been posting that we were going for relegation this season were saying dempsey who? now, i know that we have lost mousa who played in that game, but i think that when we get ruiz and frei back with the introduction of dejagah we will be fine. richardson will find his feet and berbatov oozes class. Once we find the right style of play for everyone we will start winning games again. it wont be an easy season, but compared to the like of villa ect we have far better class and skill. Look at liverpool, they are in relegation places atm and if i was them i wouldnt be worrying as they have a team to good to struggle in the PL, i believe this is the same for us and it is a rough patch. I will be at the WBA game on the 15th and i am anticipating a convincing win. SO EVERYONE...  S001.gif Things can only get better lads and lasses

[Aaron]

If you mean we will avoid relegation, then I think you're probably right.  I'd like to think we will avoid the scrap altogether to be honest as at this stage we should be well clear of that sort of business.

The unfortunate thing is it looks like we might have gone backwards.  In the haze of the Berbatov signing and with some of the other names we were being linked to at the death of the transfer window I thought we'd probably taken a couple of steps forward if anything but when the window closed and Palacios, Huddlestone, Odjidja-Ofoe (spelling?) and the like weren't signed I came back to earth a little..  When West Ham scored 3 against us I came back to earth a lot.

If we were to continue playing the team we put out against West Ham we'd need to become a long ball team again.. This wouldn't be ideal as we'd gone some way to establishing a really nice passing game.  Of course, we've now gotten rid of virtually all the players who were involved in that pretty passing game and replaced them with, well.. nothing.  So effectively that passing game we were becoming famous for is gone.  Everything apart from the back 4 is now essentially new and will take time to gel and work together effectively, this sort of reminds me of where we were this time last season when a lot of folk (including me) were calling for Jol's head.  I didn't see where he was going to take us then and I don't see where he is going to take us now.  He proved me wrong once, so maybe he can do it again?  

This time is a little different too though as the midfield players we have to work with are inferior.  So even on top form the midfield isn't going to be a patch on what we already had.  This could be offset by the fact that are forwards are INFINITELY better than they have ever been since perhaps the Saha days, but if they don't get the service they won't get the goals.

Another concern is our defence.  Riether is an upgrade, no question.  Riise has improved in leaps and bounds since this time last year, but Hangeland appears to be in decline (he's a borderline liability so far this season) and both he and Hughes are getting old.  It would be a bit of a bitter pill to swallow I am sure for the captains armband to be handed elsewhere, but I think this might need to happen.. The pressure of that role seems to be negatively effecting Hangeland.  I don't think we have any natural replacements though.  Aaron Hughes has a lot of experience as a captain I suppose with Newcastle and Northern Ireland, maybe Diarra too?

If it continues with the system we have now, we'll be closer to going down than knocking on the door of European football.  Yes, we'll be fine, but it pisses me off that we have taken a step back when we REALLY didn't have to.  Dempsey and Dembele leaving is largely irrelevant as this has been something that has been on the cards for some time, but we really should have moved for a quality midfielder or two and maybe even a new CB with a stronger sense of purpose.

I think I'd be inclined to say that 4-3-3 could be the way to go with Diarra being in control of the centre of the park but I don't think this is the environment in which he thrives, you need more of a Dembele or Xavi Alonso type for that and we have nothing approaching this sort of calibre.  Maybe Jol thinks he can mould Richardson into a CM role?  He's been shown to take to new positions quite well..  But I don't know.

Ruiz and Berbatov is a source for some excitement for sure.. I really hope Ruiz shows us what he can do this season, it has been a long time coming, but while we have the CM and defensive problems we do we're going to leak goals and not create as many chances as we should.. That's gonna cost us a lot of points.  

[Me-ate-Live, innit??]

All you are doing is building yourself up for another disappointment 
West Brom have a settled team and Steve '' I was smelted in the furness of HELLLL'' Clark,   has got them  fully awake, engaged  and very lively.  Did you not see them against Everton  ???
If we get a draw it would be ok ...............................our time will come 

[ScalleysDad]

"settled team" is the key phrase is'nt it. Four games, one win, three losses and never the same eleven. Patience can be a cow at times! 

[fulhampa23]

Frei got injured on international duty with Turkey, 4-6 weeks out at that time, so about 2-4 out now.

[George G]

Frei got injured on international duty with Turkey, 4-6 weeks out at that time, so about 2-4 out now.

Cheers mate, didn't know that.