Acuna to have an extended run - long enough for him to reallyget to know the rest of the squad - and even at Speed's expense.

Maybe a bit too soon to tell, but ditto McClen, or at least get him to change his mind about going.

-- Anonymous, March 11, 2002

Answers

Appearing periodically.

-- Anonymous, March 11, 2002

How can we keep our players happy if all the midfield are fit and playing well? If McClen or Acuna are dropped next Saturday to make way for JJ or Speed they will both be pissed off. Arsenal and Man Utd can get away with it because of their European commitments and greater number of games. Is there any way that all these players can be kept happy?

-- Anonymous, March 11, 2002

Simple, just get us into the Champions League...all the world's a stage.

-- Anonymous, March 11, 2002

Jenas has to play, probably ahead of McClen, but no harm in Jamie being a sub, with the option of replacing either Acuna or Jenas. Speed really should rest a bit longer.

Does Cort start again on Saturday ?

-- Anonymous, March 11, 2002

Cort should be getting better each game. Despite his ring-rusty performance on Saturday I still think that he's a better option than Ameobi, who only seems to be able to flatter to decieve. At least Cort is getting inot the position to miss things. He'll also only get better by playing.

-- Anonymous, March 11, 2002

Although both played great games on Saturday, one game doesn't make them automatic choices. Remember the midfield that has got us through the majority of the season needs to be rewarded too. Dyer, Jenas and speed should be the first choices. Hard decisions for bobby to make, but they should be professional enough to understand that. If it wasn't for Cort we would be in the semi's as opposed to going back down sarf. I thought he was awful on saturday, I'd like to see Robert up front with shearer and Bernard to play in Roberts role.

-- Anonymous, March 11, 2002

Fact is if we are serious about competing at the highest levels, we've got to have a squad that can scare the oppo even whilst sitting on the bench. Arse and MoanU have plenty of those players, and they do get quite a bit of playing time over the course of a season. We won't get there overnight, but have the potential to move that direction if we can develop players like Acuna and McClen, and convince them to be patient. They may or may not be the 'top' players we need but have shown they can be relied on in the mean time. Getting into the CL will certainly help. We'll always struggle as long as we rely on 11 top players with the rest there to basically make up the numbers.

-- Anonymous, March 11, 2002

Acuna is in a much more priveledged role here than at "Universidad de Chile"

-- Anonymous, March 11, 2002

Ever asked yourselves what we do if Solano gets crocked?

-- Anonymous, March 11, 2002

Good question Softie. It might even be that the reason these fringe players don't seem up to it is simply because they never play long enough to get used to the difference between the reserves and the prem.

We'll always be chasing the game if changes are made because we're forced to rather than because they're seen as opportunities to get the squad more experience.

-- Anonymous, March 11, 2002

bobby is on record as saying that he has no cover on the right

Emmerton?

not answering your question Softie but perhaps it IS an area we have no obvious cover when Dyer is out

we talk about a lack of cover in the centre but versatlity and the ability to play wide and inside is important

-- Anonymous, March 11, 2002

My suspicion is that we will have to trim numbers in the summer and that it will be people like McClen and Acuna who are offloaded. We are starting to get a bit "numerous" again if you look at our squad list.

-- Anonymous, March 11, 2002

I made the point about Solano recently when there was a discussion about squad depth. Absence of Bellamy and Dyer should demonstrate how lucky we've actually been with injuries this season.

-- Anonymous, March 11, 2002

It's just that last season we replaced him with Charvet at the start of the season until Dyer was fit when he covered for him and later on it was Bassedas. I'm not counting Gavilan who sat on the bench from time to time as he only ever managed 5 minutes against Chelsea and 1 against Leyton Orient all season. That was 2mil well spent when we all start whinging about 9.5mil on Robert, wasn't it?

-- Anonymous, March 12, 2002

yeah but if he's a star of the World Cup we might end up making money on him, or finding cover for Solano

-- Anonymous, March 12, 2002

That would be like being too tight to buy a striker and picking up Kevin Phillips for 500k instead and then trying to make out it was a stroke of genius rather than plain spawny.

-- Anonymous, March 12, 2002

We could always get Robert to start using his revelation of a right peg in place of Solano. Or Dyer on the right, with Acuna and Jenas midfield. Or Jenas on the right, and McClen / Acuna midfield.

-- Anonymous, March 12, 2002

We have won games without Nobby, you know, like when he was away with Peru. As a short term measure, I'm almost certain Bobby would use Lua.

-- Anonymous, March 12, 2002

I'm almost certain he wouldn't use Lua2. Nobby is all about control, technique, guile. Lua2 isn't.

-- Anonymous, March 12, 2002

MacB, Bobby has said outright that he'd use Lua and in fact spent much of the autumn when Nobby was on shite form (that no one seems to remember now), pointing out that Lua, in five minutes, was doing more Nobby was doing in full games and that the latter could expect to be dropped if he didn't buck his ideas up as we had a decent replacement.

Times have moved on a bit b ut don't underestimate how well YBR thinks of Lua.

-- Anonymous, March 12, 2002

PS. I note YBR saying this morning that he doesn't want to sell McClen and that the players who are for sale are on the list. Does anyone know who's on this list? Surprised .com haven't published it.

-- Anonymous, March 12, 2002

Surprised .com haven't published it.

I'm surprised that you're surprised by that Dougal. :-)

-- Anonymous, March 12, 2002

They put players' contract status on the players section. Only Marcelino and Karelse on the list at present.

-- Anonymous, March 12, 2002

lucky with injuries??

Imagine if Kieron had been fit ALL season. Imagine where we'd be....

-- Anonymous, March 12, 2002

Arsenal go on about their injuries, but their team wasn't really that much of a second choice team.

Wiltord has played more than anyone else this season for Arsenal. Out of those there, only Pires could be seen as being rested. Bergkamp rarely starts to be honest from lack of long term fitness. Campbell, Lauren, Vieira, Grimandi, Ljungberg, Kanu and Wiltord are all pretty much first choice.

I don't think you can move into the realms of luck with injuries, you just have to accept them and get on with the game.

-- Anonymous, March 12, 2002