I watched Celtic -v- Porto (average match) and got to thinking how different managers see things in terms of team selection, buying new players etc. Harking back to O`Neil at Leicester one can remember big powerful defenders and high work rate , moving on to the Celtic team , his goalie Douglas fills his jersey , new signing a no- nonsense Frenchman built like the Arc de Triomphe , Balde , a robocop looklike in the Swede Mjably , and tho wee compared to other two Joos Vaalgaren completes a formidable back three, there mothers would have been proud of them, big fine lads. You know my feelings abouth Agathe the rwb , the Johan Lumu of the round ball game , all he does and can do is put it past his opponent and chase, or run onto a through ball, he reaches by-line, he crosses ,not measured by any means, he just crosses, this is all usually done after the defence has been under a lot of pressure and he is the out. The problem being he will have to be put down by the time he is 28, O`Neil and his team are killing him with there requirements. The other wing back surprise surprise is not of the O`Neil mould , stocky yes, ball player, Bobby Petta, MacBeth has extolled the values of Lennon/Lambert , both hard to knock off the ball , terrier like virtues in midfield and young Petrov recovering from a horrendous injury last year does not shirk a challenge, up front Sutton can put himself about and his stand-in Hartson we all know about, Larson is hard to knock off the ball and a picture of him training with socks down today revealed the full extent of lower legs damaged throughout the years. OK what`s my point , a good big one will always beat a good little un, individually not always but as a team yes , I think that is the case, I compare all in football with my team, O`Neil when fashioning his team knew his goal, what the end deal would be and put the pieces together to ensure his aim. They are not great by any means, but as Mac states they have shape, they have a pattern , know their limitations and strengths. For years now, not just YBR IMHO that Newcastle`s buying policy is a sham , hole in the dyke, fill it , and so on , who in the present team can you say, that`s the main key stone , I shall build my team around him. Clarky and many others have spoken for the need of a for want of a better description `an auld fashioned center half` all of the guys playing in the back 3 for O`Neil were availible. Big Marvin Andrews from Livvy could have been sounded , now he makes McNamee look like a lead chorister, these people were out there, so does Bobby go for a different type of player , it appears so.

-- Anonymous, September 26, 2001

Answers

Aimless Policy

-- Anonymous, September 26, 2001

I agree Buff, we could do with a couple more real bruisers to boss things at the back. To be fair to Uncle Bobby's transfer policy I think there has been a certain amount of long term planning going on, it just hasn't produced the results yet. Cort, O'Brien, Gavilan, Lua-Lua Bellamy, Distin, Robert, Dyer & Griffin (the last pair admittedly not Robson signings) are all young players who have the potential to be at the club for a long time to come. Where we've bought experienced players it's largely been because they're available for a bargain like Acuna, Elliot & Gallacher. You're right, not many of these players are ones who you might want to build a squad around in the short term, but I think that's precisely because we are trying to avoid the hole-in-the-dyke type of transfer policy. Throw in some of the other young players coming through like Hughes, Lua-Lua, the Caldwells & Bernard and the long term future of the club looks reasonably secure. They won't all turn out to be world beaters but some of them should. Ferguson did something similar at Man United and won the European Cup. I'm not suggesting we're going to do that, but I'm happy for us to take a long term view. After all, we haven't won a pot in my lifetime, I can wait a couple more years!

-- Anonymous, September 26, 2001

I only watched the first half of the Celtic game, it was poor. But in that poverty Celtic were unbelievably solid. They show you can play well with three centre halves and wing backs but you need a Thuram or an Agathe or even a Petrescu to make it work. We really don't have that option on either wing so we're stuck with our four defenders.

The Celtic midfield was again so strong. Lennon plays just like David Batty did. Small steps, never hurried, always there. His role is to take and play the three yard pass, and to stop the opposition if they get the ball. A couple of times he just filled the space in front of a breaking Porto midfield player and just wouldn't let him by. I remembered what jockeying an opponent meant, maybe Warren should watch the video :0)

Later on when they brought Alan Thompson on as sub, it was just more of the same, strong and dependable.

Only a couple of the Celtic players seem indivdually brilliant but collectively they know their roles and play to it, and there is depth in the squad. I feel angry that we have a central midfield 3 of Lee, Speed, Acuna and then Warren Barton.

-- Anonymous, September 26, 2001

The pre-match discussion included a bit about Porto liking to play a 4-2-3-1 formation.

This allows the defenders to play the 'normal' way and not have to adapt to something new and too clever for them.

There is then a defensive pair of midfielders who just sit there and don't have any particular attacking duties.

They have one big forward who has to hold and to pull defenders around. The single forward idea is often a negative in that it means teams hoof the ball at an outlet. In this case the forward is supposed to be mobile and be pulling one or both of the centre halves out of position. The opposition have a problem as they have two centre halves with only one person to watch.

The three attacking midfield players play behind this lone forward with the idea of getting passed him as often as possible. If we had Dyer fit then we'd be looking to have Dyer, Bellamy and Robert as these three. Three players with undoubted pace and ball skills who would be flying at defences.

These three are to be encouraged to go wide if that is the best option, but they are to be interchangeable.

Shearer may be able to do the lone forward role, I'm not sure whether he has the desire to be a back to goal player though, or whther he has the mobility to be the perfect foil for the other three.

I liked the idea though. When there have been discussions on here about where Dyer should play I've always wanted him to be as close to the opposition defenders as possible as his pace upsets them so much. Bellamy and Robert have the same weapon and I want defenders to be scared. When Lua2 shows anything it is always as a player who wants to take opponents on, so he would fit as cover for the midfield three.

Solano has no pace, and never hurts defenders, but would allow a change of formation if things are going badly. Similarly Shola would allow a change if things aren't working, and I'd even suggest he may be a better lone forward as he seems more mobile than Shearer, though not as physically stron.

Discuss ...

-- Anonymous, September 26, 2001

The problem with that Mac is that you don't name the "2" central midfielders. That has been identified as our major problem )OK, one of them) with any formation.

-- Anonymous, September 26, 2001

Totally agree. Comes back to what's been said before: Which is the weakest link in our 'spine' of Given, Dabizas, Lee and Shearer?

Man Utd: Barthez, Blanc/Brown, Veron/Keane, Van/Cole/Yorke/Solksjaer

L'pool: Durdek, Hyppia, Gerrard, Owen

Arsenal: Seaman, Adams/Campbell, Viera, Bergkamp/Wiltord

Leeds: Martyn, Ferdinand, Bowyer/Dacourt, Viduka/Smith/Keane

anywhere near as good as that lot?

-- Anonymous, September 26, 2001

I pointedly didn't name the two as I don't belive we have either of them. But that's th esame what ever formation we play. What we do have is three fast and dangerous midfield/forward players and we should be playing to their strengths rather to a pattern.

Any one of Lee/Speed/Acuna may be okay but the key player is still missing, or playing for West Ham.

-- Anonymous, September 26, 2001