Arizona

Damon Hill

Trundling around on three wheels isn't unprecedented. Schumacher managed half a lap at Spa in 1998. Hakkinen lost a wheel at Silverstone in '99. Hill spun out at Silverston in '96 when a wheel came lose. In Oz this year Vettel did several laps with his front wheel and suspension missing. IMO the FIA is just over-reacting to Massa's injury, although that wheel could have killed someone in the wrong circumstances.

Well, last season we had 43 players who were allocated squad numbers and I can't remember any of our players wanting out because they weren't getting a game. So far we've lost 9 first team players from last season's squad and gained 1. ARe you suggesting having as much depth and quality as last season would be overdoing it? Bolton's current squad, according to wiki is 28 players. Anyone who wants to check and see how many are experienced players and how many have been promoted from the accademy is more patient than me. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bolton_Wanderers_F.C. I'd like a squad like the one that brought our best season in living memory. Up front: Beattie, Ormerod, Tin Man, Pahars and Davies. Yes the last 3 didn't deliver and we did rely on goals, but all 5 DAJFU at one time or another. Midfield: Mazza, Oakley, Anders, Delap, FF, Prutton, Tessem, Kanchelskis A good mix of creativity and determination. Yes AK didn't deliver but we need to have the depth to cover these things. In defence: Bridge, Killer, Claus, Dodd, Monk, Williams, Benali, Tahar, Telfer, Higgy, Hall. The first choice was brilliant. We had plenty of cover and experience in Williams and Franny. 'keepers: Niemi, Jones, Moss. Nothing wrong there. That was a ferkin good squad and didn't cost the Earth. On top of that we had 2 different players for each possition and yet nobody was complaining they couldn't get a game (except super Kev, who generally looked disinterested and a bit porky IMO)

I guess everyone has their own system. AP I'm sure has his and I'm 100% behind it. However, that's just how I'd do it. Also I really don't like having one player (like say James or Wotton) to cover multiple possitions. He may well be able to do that, but when they get injured we are then left badly lacking in cover in several possitions. The first half of the Prem relegation season showed that injury lists of 10-12 first team players aren't impossible. Such a pandemic would cripple our current squad and we could end up losing every game on the bounce for a couple of months. I'd just have a squad consisting of 2 players for each possition (that's 22) with 3 goalies (that's 23) and then half a dosen young players like Pato, Gobern and McLaggon who have shown promise and could be featuring on the bench in the not too distant future (That's about 30) P.S. The radish doesn't have any particular bearing on this discussion, I just thought this thread lacked a little garnish.

We should indeed be aiming high, but we need the capability to back our ambitions up. I'd hate another repeat of last season with some people predicting our youth team would get automatically promoted. We need at least 6 players to be thinking about being near the top of this league. Ideally I'd want 10, but I appreciate we are pressed for time.

So you're happy with Lancashire playing a large role this season, or are you planning on a 37 year old Perry never getting injured? Nope, I'm going for the 2 decent players in each possition, plus a hand full of youngsters on the fringes, which should give you a squad of about 30. As fate would have it, we have a squad of 30 at the moment, or at least 30 with squad numbers. That's a good number but... a) There are 5 'keepers in there, we only need 3. b) Pulis, Wotton, Lancashire and Molyneux are nowhere near good enough IMO. c) That includes Rasiak and Saga who are most likely off. d) There are too many inexperienced player. People are refering to unproven players like Paterson, Gobern, Lancashire, McLaggon etc. as if they are first team regulars, when infact they barely got on to the bench of a terrible squad last season. e) Holmes and Schneiderlin have poor injury records. I don't care how good or bad you think they are, whilst they can't play they are useless. As I posted earlier; If our first 11 is something like: Davis Murty Thomas Perry Harding Lallana James Gillett Mills Rasiak Paterson Then our second would be something like: Bart Thomson Lancashire Wotton Molyneux Gobern Schneiderlin Pulis Holmes John White That second line-up is terrible, even in L1 one. If you disagree with my '10 new players' theory and think I'm a negative budgie, then each to their own. However you will have to look me in the eye and say that second team is good. *You cannot look me in the eye on the internet, so please look at this radish instead.

Other than that... the usual borefest at the Hungaroring.

Yep. Think Taylor bought him for £5m from Pompey to feed his beanpole striker fettish. Then O'Leary came in and didn't rate him. Pompey got a good price at £10m IMO, but only if they bring in a decent replacement. Their squad could give ours a run for it's money in the "bit patchy" stakes.

Ponty, do you work as the front right wheel man on race days?

I'd have him as a supporting striker playing off John. I think they'd complement each other pretty well, assuming Lallana can blow the spider's webs of his shooting boots. Not a winger IMO. Flattered to deceive a lot last season. A Bit Hammill-esq at times.

Yep if our first 11 is something like: Davis Murty Thomas Perry Harding Lallana James Gillett Mills Rasiak Paterson Then our second would be something like: Bart Thomson Lancashire Wotton Molyneux Gobern Schneiderlin Pulis Holmes John White That second line-up makes my skin crawl if I'm honnest.

Are you sure? I can't think of anything worse to be honnest. Holmes is a decent enough player (when all the Kings horses and all the king men put him back together) but a left footed player with no pace on the right? It never works. Burley tried Surman and Skacel on the right. Both better wingers than Holmes, but neither had any impact. Then who could forget Hammill, Euell and Wright playing on the left... *shudder*

Not difficult. Most AA planes were test flown by the Wright Bros. Avoid Alitalia like the plague too.

I can't see why Rasiak would be too keen to leave if I'm honnest. Unlike Saga he is unlikely to get into the NT. He is not going to get more money elsewhere and if he stayed it's not beyond the realms of possibility he'd be back in the CCC anyway. Added to that he would be playing first team football regularly and at his age doesn't need to be proving himself at a higher level.

All the more reason to build a decent squad, d*ck the lot of them and go straight back up IMO. At the moment I see a slightly worrying resemblance with 05/06. Selling a couple of decent striker (DMG and Saga / Phillips and Crouch) hanging on to a top 'keeper (Davis / Niemi) and a few old favourites (Rasiak, John, Gillett / Prutton, Oakley, Pahars). Then add a few bargains (Harding, Murty / Hajto, Belmadi) and hope to go up on the basis that this league is crap and we will walk it. We're still 4 wide midfielders, 2 central midfielders, 2 centre halves a right back and a striker short of a complete squad IMO.

Sorry, but good as this result was, we still need 10 decent players IMO. I think the midfield is dangerously short of quality and cover. James and Gillett are the only two we have on the books who I'd bet on doing the job next season, assuming Lallana is used as a striker.

Think Vignal was perhaps the best player in the second half of the season, along with John. Positionally he was pretty poor, but he was a commited no-nonsense defender and he took a mean penalty. If I had to list my top 10 highlights of that season, Vignal would feature on more than one occasion, including the number 1 spot. His late penalty right in front of me at my first ever away game in Glanford Park. Not Prem class IMO, but good luck to him. I think his initial poor form owed more to Burley's tactics and playing behind Euell.

F**kin' freaky with what happened with Felipe Massa.

Jack Dee sounds a bit different in that song. :-? Anyway, I'd say this is proof (not that it's needed) that Rasiak is fookin' class. I can't believe some of the "Get rid! Now!!!!" knee jerk reactions after he failed to win the game playing up front alone against Ajax.

Yeah, I think passing's overrated too.

In case anyone missed this thread earlier, the offer is still open. PM me for details.

Well, he was pretty forgettable in 2002/3.

Don't forget Kevin Davies the season before McCann joined. Looks like Pulis and Molyneux just shat all over 21 and 22 after some great efforts from Tessem, Baird and Vignal and Bale and Gillett respectively.

We should sign: http://www.soccerbase.com/players_details.sd?playerid=41618 http://www.soccerbase.com/players_details.sd?playerid=48346 http://www.soccerbase.com/players_details.sd?playerid=41568 http://www.soccerbase.com/players_details.sd?playerid=38649

On a slight tangent, how famous do you have to be to get assasinated instead of murdered?