TyldesleyLatic

TBH I think we’ll get relegated this season although I said exactly the same last season
The main reason is that I have absolutely no faith that Roberto Martinez has what it takes to be a success for us in this league – for me, the bad points he showed last season far outweighed the positives

Just picking up on a couple of points made by VAT69 – I don’t see how our midfield can look so much stronger than last season when the only addition to it has been James McArthur, or have the rest of them improved that much since last season

I’d disagree that we have our strongest squad yet – who’ve we got up front if Boselli is out? Rodallega by our manager’s ambition can’t play there, Scotland is on his way out so it all depends on who he brings in

Likewise assuming N’Zogbia stays who is his replacement if he’s out injured or suspended. Same applies if he’s sold & someone else brought in.

Out left it appears for some bizarre reason that Bobby is persisting with Rodallega. Aside from the fact he provides no defensive cover down that side & leaves Figueroa exposed time & time again, who is his back up?? Moses? A guy Bobby only thought good enough to start 2 games after he signed & he didn’t impress in either – is he going to have improved that much over the last 3 months?

The back up holding midfielder is Thomas & he didn’t look good enough last season

We’ve no back up left back

IMO there’s weak spots all throughout the squad

However I’ve seen nowt of the pre-season & am looking forward to being proved well & truly wrong when the season kicks off

To hand in a transfer request 2 days before the start of the season is a) a really $h!tty thing to do & b) show’s to me that someone from another club has been talking to him or his agent behind Latics back

To be fair though it doesn’t change anything. Latics have told him all summer that he can go if a club meets their valuation of him. If N’Zogbia has handed in a request & if Latics accept it the situation is in reality no different – he’s still under contract & Latics will still only sell him if they receive a bid that meets their valuation. Just coz he’s handed in a transfer request & its been accepted doesn’t mean that he suddenly gets to decide where he goes & for how much!!!

So i can’t see what N’Zogbia is hoping to achieve by this (if its true)

You mean you like your teams to play with a total lack of creativity in the middle of the park & a lack of killer instinct in front of goal????? :shock: [/quote]

Don’t be obtuse. You know exactly what I meant.[/quote]

I’d like the way we play too if the players were any good at playing that way or the manager knew how to get em to play that way but so far neither seem to be happening

Still its only pre-season & I stopped caring about results in pre-season when Jones was still playing for us but if we still have players out of position (Rodallega) & the other problems you mention are still there it does make you wonder if Bobby has a) learnt anything from last season and/or b) sculpted the squad capable of playing “his way”

You mean you like your teams to play with a total lack of creativity in the middle of the park & a lack of killer instinct in front of goal????? :shock:

Here we go, another one who wouldn’t spot a footballer if it jumped up an nutmegged him. If it’s not sliding in mud and hoofing the ball in to the stands then it can’t be a proper footballer. Much easier to jump on the “Scotland and Gomez are the reason we lose 9-1, 8-0, 2x 4-0 and 2x 5-0” bandwagon. :roll:

I think the lack of transfer activity in the centre of midfield (other than McArthur) means that the midfield will probably be made up of those that were used last year. I agree that Thomas – ye old bewildered one – will see little action and there is a good chance that Gomes will be given a go again. if he is, I hope it is in that spot behind the front man because he is wasted there and would rightly get crucfied.

I think Watson will figure this season too, it may be that Diame is given licence to get forward with Watson and McArthur/y sitting a bit deeper.

Overall come 14th, I think the squad will look a bit stronger than it did this time last year. Whether it perfoms any better or not is another question altogether.

A far bigger question for me is will the weather brighten up for tonight or will I have to wear my scarf and obligatory brown shoes.[/quote]

Whilst I do like my blood & thunder type players I do believe i can spot & appreciate those who can master the finer points of the game. However, I saw nothing whatsoever last season that convinces me Jordi Gomez is any way capable of playing top flight English football – too slow in thought & movement and too lightweight. He may have it “up there” but so do I & I’m still $h!t

In midfield I hope McArthur plays the anchor role if he’s good enough with Diame alongside him coz I think Diame & McCarthy alongside each other leaves the central midfielders too exposed. The “in the hole” player should IMO be either McCarthy or Moses.

i think its down the flanks where we struggle – I think as someone else has pointed out if you have full backs you want to push forward the wingers or somebody needs to cover them & they need to track back to cope when the other teams full back pushes forward. Neither Rodallega or N’Zogbia seemed capable or willing to do that last season & IMO that’s why Figueroa & Melchiot looked overwhelmed at times last season

Griff – having seen the weather forecast on GMTV before I left for work I’d take your waterproofs. I wouldn’t wear tan shoes either as they tend to stain in wet weather

StandishWalker – I think its naive to say teams succeeded because they played 4-5-1 & that other teams failed (i.e. England) because they played 4-4-2. IMO the teams that played 4-5-1 were successful as they had the players good enough to play in that system. teams that didn’t (although I’m only really speaking about England here coz) they didn’t have the personnel to play 4-4-2.
Last season I said all along that Bobby should be playing 4-4-2 as that system suited the playing personnel he had far better than 4-5-1 did but he persisted with it & played nuemrous square pegs in round holes & for me it went horribly wrong more often than not last season. If he is going to persist with 4-5-1 I have no problem with that coz it can be an extremely successful system & produce great football but he had this close season to get the right personnel in to play that way – time will tell if he has & I really hope he has

Its not that strange if you think about it. If you wind up a professional footballer in your 20’s then chances are you’ve been playing for at least one, if not a couple, of youth teams ever since you could kick a ball. If you get picked up at a young age by a pro club then they’ll have you playing all manner of games as well – it doesn’t leave much time to spend watching a specific team & doesn’t make buying a season ticket worthwhile

Not that I was lucky enough to be that good at football but I do ref youth games & some at a pro Academy side & they’re always playing. A woman at works son plays for a coupld of sides & has been for trials at quite a few north west clubs and as she said a few months back he doesn’t have the time to follow his team (Everton in this case)

I think the bottom 2 places will be taken by Blackpool & West Brom. For the remaining relegation spot I think its between Latics, Newcastle & Wolves