Those we think can do a job for us..

[david in sweden]

are many...judging by many of the threads on here.

Everyone has their own idea of who might be " the missing link," we need but there are more factors than just someone with a good history.

Looking at recent headlines, Spurs may finally get shot of Bent ( only £16 miilion, or was it £18 million at the time) now that HR has "re-signed " Peter Crouch. A good season gave Bent a huge reputation as " the next England CF " , but he was a disaster from Day 1. Likewise ..aren't you glad we DIDN'T sign Mido all those seasons ago ; first Spurs , now Middlesboro are only too keen to see the back of him.

 

Many players do wellbecause they are " the right player in the right team at the right time ". Our own past history in the last 10 years shows that the majority of our sold players didn't do at all well after they moved.

Exception maybe Wayne Bridge, who still managed to be England's second best left back even after his injury. Dean Richards (a superior CH with us 10 years ago) made a fatal move to Spurs and became a laughing stock at WHL.

James Beattie likewise at Everton. Very few players come into a side, and totally revolutionise it. Factors like; how the manager uses them and who they play alongside are key factors. I fear for the idea that " someone " will come along and be seen as some sort of a saviour, when in fact even David Beckham wouldn't make a huge difference in our present side.

 

It's upto AP to get the right type of players to get us back up to CCC ..ASAP and then " re-think it " in order to improve that team. Some of the 2009-10 team won't be good enough / or too old, for a new campaign for the Prem. in 2-3 years time.

 

Let's hope that AP knows his stuff because the decisions made now will decide the end result for this season before we've played a single game.

Edited 29 July, 2009 by david in sweden

[Saint Fan CaM]

But of course there are players who do well after leaving us - e.g. Kevin Davies for one. However, that does not alter the point you make which is indeed valid to a certain degree. It is true that balance and harmony in a squad is important - as you say, the right players at the right time.

 

I do also believe however that if you do not get the quality of player right in line with your tactics, there is only one way and that's down. Take last season for example - the Dutch duo wanted to play an outdated system with kids coached from an early age in a different style. On average the team was small and weak against man-mountain opposition. It didn't work unsurprisingly.

 

So there's no need to spend big on a Beckham, but equally not obtaining a level of player a cut above the opposition will probably see us stay in this league longer than we anticipate.

[Wildgoose]

I agree with most of what you say. Good sensible and reasoned post!

 

However, I have to disagree with one thing, I reckon Beckham WOULD improve our team somewhat, even if just for his crossing and set pieces! Not that we would get him, of course........:-)

[david in sweden]

But of course there are players who do well after leaving us - e.g. Kevin Davies for one. However, that does not alter the point you make which is indeed valid to a certain degree. It is true that balance and harmony in a squad is important - as you say, the right players at the right time.

 

I do also believe however that if you do not get the quality of player right in line with your tactics, there is only one way and that's down. Take last season for example - the Dutch duo wanted to play an outdated system with kids coached from an early age in a different style. On average the team was small and weak against man-mountain opposition. It didn't work unsurprisingly.

 

So there's no need to spend big on a Beckham, but equally not obtaining a level of player a cut above the opposition will probably see us stay in this league longer than we anticipate.

 

I think we agree on those points. Kevin Davies of course didn't get along with Strachan (I think), and in the end they were both glad to see the back of each other. KD responded well to the Bolton manager (at the time)... was it Sam. A. ? ..but as you said he seems to have " grown up " in the meantime and has developed into a good player.

 

The " Dutch Football " looked great ..on the Dutch ..who like Cruyff and Van Basten had started to play that style when they were pre-teens with Ajax.

Sadly, I saw the writing on the wall with the Blackpool game at SMS (on cable TV here) which was a clear case of men v. boys and they struggled against a poor Blackpool side who were little better than us by the end of the season.

[SNSUN]

None of us know what a player will bring to the club. Nobody thought Strachan would be a good manager when we got him for instance. Chris Marsden- massive shock.

 

That said if a player is on a free, surely for the loss of wages he's worth a punt? Lita, Bennett, Sodje and more are all still on free's, and if you can judge from their careers so far, all are proven in their positions.

 

98 per cent of the users of this forum would be crap managers, me more than most, and thus i'm happy to accept AP's judgement!

[RonManager]

98 per cent of the users of this forum would be crap managers

 

 

I'd be,

 

You know,

 

Marvellous.

[skintsaint]

so about 173 of us would be good managers...not bad

[david in sweden]

None of us know what a player will bring to the club. Nobody thought Strachan would be a good manager when we got him for instance. Chris Marsden- massive shock.

 

That said if a player is on a free, surely for the loss of wages he's worth a punt? Lita, Bennett, Sodje and more are all still on free's, and if you can judge from their careers so far, all are proven in their positions.

 

98 per cent of the users of this forum would be crap managers, me more than most, and thus i'm happy to accept AP's judgement!

 

Just my point SNSUN, and your example is good.

Marsden was a fairly ordinary jouneyman player who turned a a couple of exceptional seasons, because the manager (Strachan) found the right place for him. Some managers have star players who HAVE to play a certain role and others are often played out of position to make up the numbers-without ever finding their correct position ( Delap, Tessem and Anders Svensson come to mind). Hopefully AP will be able to pull a few rabbits out of hats and find our " missing links ".

[Chez]

this idea that Marsden was a fairly ordinary player before he joined Saints is utter rubbish. I watched him a number of times for Brum in the league below and he was head and shoulders above anyone else on the pitch. He was a class act at that level, playing in central midfield and runnnig games with that cultured left foot of his. He was a gamble because he was comign from a lower league but if you buy the best palyers from the league below more often than not they more than hold their own.

 

People use him as an example because Premiership fans have those blinkers on where they don't recognise talent in the lower leagues.

 

Sorry for the rant but it gets on my nerves when people talk about Chris' career as though it only ever included the seasons with us.

[sidthesquid]

this idea that Marsden was a fairly ordinary player before he joined Saints is utter rubbish. I watched him a number of times for Brum in the league below and he was head and shoulders above anyone else on the pitch. He was a class act at that level, playing in central midfield and runnnig games with that cultured left foot of his. He was a gamble because he was comign from a lower league but if you buy the best palyers from the league below more often than not they more than hold their own.

 

People use him as an example because Premiership fans have those blinkers on where they don't recognise talent in the lower leagues.

 

Sorry for the rant but it gets on my nerves when people talk about Chris' career as though it only ever included the seasons with us.

 

I think the point was he was about thirty and never played at the top level - that was a punt. He rose to the challenge and proved his doubters wrong. Remember when Dave Jones came first & signed his two stars from Stockport (then one division below us) - Paul Jones made the grade & had a long career at the top, poor old Lee Todd, who'd been a star for Stockport sank without trace. It is always a gamble. Strachan proved to have an eye for it. Looks like Pulis does, too, turn the sow's ears of Higgy, Delap & Fuller into Prem stars. Graeme Souness had the opposite of it, paying up time & again for donkeys

[sentry]

1) Darren Bent despite his time at tottenham hasa fanststic record. In fact even for tottenham he has a great recored!

 

2) I always tend to think players leave us and go on to do better? Delap, Fuller, Howard, Davis, Berkovic. I could name more i think but im tired!

 

3) Personally I would love a good surprise signing, someone like chris colman a few years bk.

[saint_bert]

1) Darren Bent despite his time at tottenham hasa fanststic record. In fact even for tottenham he has a great recored!

 

2) I always tend to think players leave us and go on to do better? Delap, Fuller, Howard, Davis, Berkovic. I could name more i think but im tired!

 

3) Personally I would love a good surprise signing, someone like chris colman a few years bk.

 

The point about Bent is spot on. 23 goals on 45 starts for spuds is some record. He has got every attribute to be a top, top player. A move to a team wheee he will play week in, week out could get him into Capello's World Cup plans IMO

[IamLeGod]

Shearer? McDonald?

[Pat from Poole]

this idea that Marsden was a fairly ordinary player before he joined Saints is utter rubbish. I watched him a number of times for Brum in the league below and he was head and shoulders above anyone else on the pitch. He was a class act at that level, playing in central midfield and runnnig games with that cultured left foot of his. He was a gamble because he was comign from a lower league but if you buy the best palyers from the league below more often than not they more than hold their own.

 

People use him as an example because Premiership fans have those blinkers on where they don't recognise talent in the lower leagues.

 

Sorry for the rant but it gets on my nerves when people talk about Chris' career as though it only ever included the seasons with us.

 

 

Yup, a very good player for Stockport as well. He is exactly the type of player we need now to put some backbone into the team.