... but how much better will we be when YKD returns?

-- Anonymous, September 09, 2001

Answers

Will we be better would be a better question....i'm not convinced we will....he's no Laurent Robert is he! ;))

We'll either have to weaken midfield to accomodate him or we'll have to drop Nobby who is a much better provider in my opinion....

Swap him for Lee Bowyer I say.....only joking of course, i'd like a player "like" Bowyer but not that racist gimp.....

-- Anonymous, September 09, 2001

I think you're right, if we keep Nobby and with Robert on the left, we need a tough guy in the centre, so how about swapping Dyer for Roy Keane? (he says he's looking for a new challenge, and there're no prawn sandwiches here) They must be worth about the same on fee and wages. And Keane never seems to get injured no matter how hard he kicks or head butts anybody.

-- Anonymous, September 09, 2001

If our attacking players were Robert, Bellamy, Dyer, Shearer then the mixture of pace and power should scare most sides. Any money from Nobby should be on the enforcer in midfield.

-- Anonymous, September 09, 2001

We'd be able to buy Veron with the money we get for Nobby ;))

-- Anonymous, September 09, 2001

Interesting to see where YKD will play.

BTW - Carrick would be a good bet for the cultured yet tenacious midfielder don't you think?

-- Anonymous, September 09, 2001

Gav, that would be Veron the Ridiculous ;-)

-- Anonymous, September 09, 2001

yeah yeah yeah but he's now publicly said on about 3 occasions that he doesn't WANT to join us....

-- Anonymous, September 09, 2001

Look Gav I KNOW that but don't spoil it for me!!!

Still, stranger things have happened.

(For a lad whose parents are ST holders at SJP I find it very strange he has no inclination to join us. If he were my son I'd MAKE him sign for NUFC or else threaten to disown him)

-- Anonymous, September 09, 2001

......so it must be thrue then Gav? Especially with such a wonderul rapport between YBR and Glen Roeder. Of course, with Hucthinson now retruned to their midfield, is there room for Cole, Carrick and Dirty Don? WHam are reknowned as a selling club. Not unusual for them to cash in on an asset before he gets injured.

-- Anonymous, September 09, 2001

do we sell Speed then????

-- Anonymous, September 09, 2001

Gary Speed was 32 yesterday. We'd be lucky to get £1mm for him.

-- Anonymous, September 09, 2001

As Clarky points out (in his subtle way) Speed's shelf-life is quickly running out. I can't remember how long his contract has to run, but likely it will be worth holding on to him for the duration. Nobby is a different matter who could command a high re-sale value.

There's a lot more chance of strengthing the M/F (with the emphasis on strength) by sacrificing Nobby instead of Speed. But of course, it depends on having somebody to play wide right, and none of the pretenders have (recently) shown they are capable of that.

-- Anonymous, September 09, 2001

The centre of Midfield is still a problem, but a centre forward would mean Bellemy in a deeper role, YKD in the centre, Nobby right, Robert Left. Who cares about a defensive midfielder, we don't need one. Last time we bought one (the overrated Batty) he upset teh balance of the side. Attack Attack, Attack Attack Attack

-- Anonymous, September 09, 2001

Clarky, didn't Fulham put a £3m bid in for Speed at the end of last season? Surely his value hasn't depreciated that much already?

-- Anonymous, September 09, 2001

There is a piece on the Beeb web site today saying that Our Swedish Leader thinks Dyer is the player to solve Endlands 'left' side 'problem'. So, given that OSL tends to emphasize playing people in their club positions does that mean anything about where Dyer is expected to play when he returns?

-- Anonymous, September 09, 2001

Well Sounder, on the little evidence we have seen so far this season, I'd say that our Gallic hero is a lot better on the left than LKD. The only way I could see LKD fitting in on the left would be to move Robert inside or up front with Shearer. Then what do you do with Bellamy, who is increasing his effectiveness game after game.

-- Anonymous, September 09, 2001

Lads YBR is doing the right thing - we're going to end up in a while once we get a few people fit with 2 players for most positions.

LKD and Bellamy are duplicates - play in that hole that everybody keeps talking about behind 2 forwards - or off one if we're laying one up front.

-- Anonymous, September 09, 2001

There obviously are too many pieces to the puzzle. Speed, Bassedas, Acuna, Lee all seem to be fighting for spots that aren't there. If Nobby does go, and let's say for the moment he's not...what's our midfield look like...

Robert -Dyer-???-Nobby... where ??? = one of the four named above or yet another to come in....

Puzzles...

-- Anonymous, September 09, 2001

Could be wrong but this is what this forum is about , second guessing, I do not think Bobby is looking for a central midfielder with the same fervour as we are , everyone fit that role will be earmarked for one season to Robert Lee with Acuna as back up and holiday/injury relief. It may be of Aaron Hughes possible self interest to add `holding role, center midfield` to his portfolio , just a gut feeling. The trick is ,`where to play Dyer on return`, and if the results are going well , do you play him? yes, always as a manager pick your best in your mind availible team.

-- Anonymous, September 10, 2001

Yes, I agree that Robert seems a better left winger than Dyer ever could be. I am interested though in where Sven is coming from with his comment. Perhaps it would have helped to have seen the exact form of the question.

On the subject of the "Batty" type mid-fielder and Hughes. What I think Hughes has shown himeslf good at is a tight man marking job and there are certainly some teams that can be stiffled if their "best" player is taken out of the game. The excellent thing about our present position is that we do, increasingly, have options and perhaps that is the best way to look at it. We need a settled squad, but perhaps shouldn't look for a completely settled team. Now why did I say that? 3 injuries and we're in trouble again.

However - congratulations Mr Robson for sticking to the task (finally landing Robert) seeing potential where others thought there wasn't any (Bellamy) and, I hope, adopting the right approach (Nobby - he said enough that the nobster will not go and play for Peru just for the sake of it).

-- Anonymous, September 10, 2001

What Hughes does well is a man-marking job and there are some teams where, if that can be done, the side is comprehensively disrupted.

What we are getting, I think, is a settled squad of effective players. Not a completely settled team but one in which changes can be rung to suite tactics and/or events (injuries particularly). Congratulations to Mr Robson for getting us to that point! Particulay for persistence (landing Robert) and seeing potential where others were sceptical (Bellamy).

-- Anonymous, September 10, 2001

Sorry - I thought the first of those two postings got lost didn't see it when I refreshed.

-- Anonymous, September 10, 2001

Just an echo Sounder

-- Anonymous, September 10, 2001

What Hughes does well is a man-marking job

Yes the marking of Kevin Phillips was well done...

-- Anonymous, September 10, 2001

Of course if he was a good, we wouldn't concede a goal all season: very probable. Jaap Stam, Marcel Desailly and Laurent Blanc regularly go entire seasons without conceding goals.

-- Anonymous, September 10, 2001

Actually, regarding the Hughes, holding midfielder thing, I read Rob Lee saying that over the summer he gave as complete a holding midfield performance as you'll see.

-- Anonymous, September 10, 2001