New central midfielder ?

Stranded · by **Stranded** » 27 Jul 2007 10:12

It'll be Harper, Gunna and Cisse who start the season, as I'd pretty much think we'll go 4-5-1 at OT.

Huntley & Palmer · by **Huntley & Palmer** » 27 Jul 2007 10:15

FinchOwl It will be Gunn and Harper to start the season, and finally harper will be allowed to play the position that best suits him(IMHO) as an attacking midfielder. I have always felt he has had a better range of passing and better skills than Sidwell, but Sid was always percieved to be the better goalscorer so was given the more advanced role if you like when they played together. When Harper fist came to this club he was a bloke who could excite the crowd by taking people on, this has been lost over the years due to the systems and personnel employed by Mr Pardew and Coppell(which is in no way an attack on either, its just the way it has been, and in the most very successful) I am interested to see if Harper can rediscover this lost 'magic' and be our creative force, whilst Gunn holds in a deeper position. I was never Sidwells greatest fan, as i believed his 'energy and drive' often masked his failings, but dont get me wrong, he was a great player for this club. This aside we still need one more midfielder for the centre of the park, but i am of the opinion that Gunn and Harper will make a very good partnership, and we all have to accept that the balance of the team will be slightly affected by this permanent change of personnel in the midfield after 4 years of the Sidwell/Harper combo

As I have said elsewhere, if Gunnar starts when a fit Cisse is available then I would question why we ever bought him in the first place.

FinchOwl · by **FinchOwl** » 27 Jul 2007 10:16

Stranded It'll be Harper, Gunna and Cisse who start the season, as I'd pretty much think we'll go 4-5-1 at OT.

Ok, picky!!

Your prob right about OT

But on the whole, unless Cisse has a few stormers in pre-season and at OT then i would expect it to be Gunn and Harper in a 4-4-2

FinchOwl · by **FinchOwl** » 27 Jul 2007 10:20

Huntley & Palmer
FinchOwl It will be Gunn and Harper to start the season, and finally harper will be allowed to play the position that best suits him(IMHO) as an attacking midfielder. I have always felt he has had a better range of passing and better skills than Sidwell, but Sid was always percieved to be the better goalscorer so was given the more advanced role if you like when they played together. When Harper fist came to this club he was a bloke who could excite the crowd by taking people on, this has been lost over the years due to the systems and personnel employed by Mr Pardew and Coppell(which is in no way an attack on either, its just the way it has been, and in the most very successful) I am interested to see if Harper can rediscover this lost 'magic' and be our creative force, whilst Gunn holds in a deeper position. I was never Sidwells greatest fan, as i believed his 'energy and drive' often masked his failings, but dont get me wrong, he was a great player for this club. This aside we still need one more midfielder for the centre of the park, but i am of the opinion that Gunn and Harper will make a very good partnership, and we all have to accept that the balance of the team will be slightly affected by this permanent change of personnel in the midfield after 4 years of the Sidwell/Harper combo

As I have said elsewhere, if Gunnar starts when a fit Cisse is available then I would question why we ever bought him in the first place.

My take on the situation is that SSC very rarely buys someone and puts them straight into the 1st eleven. And i realise that Cisse will have had a whole pre-season, but i personally think Coppell will go with the players who served him so well last year first and foremost, obviously we cannot predict injuries(which is why Seol started right wing last season, it would have been Little had he been fit) This seems the Coppell way over the past 2 years

Stranded · by **Stranded** » 27 Jul 2007 10:21

FinchOwl
Stranded It'll be Harper, Gunna and Cisse who start the season, as I'd pretty much think we'll go 4-5-1 at OT.

Ok, picky!! Your prob right about OT

But on the whole, unless Cisse has a few stormers in pre-season and at OT then i would expect it to be Gunn and Harper in a 4-4-2

Well Cisse has impressed all and sundry so far so I'd expect him in a 4-4-2 personally.

Huntley & Palmer · by **Huntley & Palmer** » 27 Jul 2007 10:47

FinchOwl
Huntley & Palmer
FinchOwl It will be Gunn and Harper to start the season, and finally harper will be allowed to play the position that best suits him(IMHO) as an attacking midfielder. I have always felt he has had a better range of passing and better skills than Sidwell, but Sid was always percieved to be the better goalscorer so was given the more advanced role if you like when they played together. When Harper fist came to this club he was a bloke who could excite the crowd by taking people on, this has been lost over the years due to the systems and personnel employed by Mr Pardew and Coppell(which is in no way an attack on either, its just the way it has been, and in the most very successful) I am interested to see if Harper can rediscover this lost 'magic' and be our creative force, whilst Gunn holds in a deeper position. I was never Sidwells greatest fan, as i believed his 'energy and drive' often masked his failings, but dont get me wrong, he was a great player for this club. This aside we still need one more midfielder for the centre of the park, but i am of the opinion that Gunn and Harper will make a very good partnership, and we all have to accept that the balance of the team will be slightly affected by this permanent change of personnel in the midfield after 4 years of the Sidwell/Harper combo

As I have said elsewhere, if Gunnar starts when a fit Cisse is available then I would question why we ever bought him in the first place.

My take on the situation is that SSC very rarely buys someone and puts them straight into the 1st eleven. And i realise that Cisse will have had a whole pre-season, but i personally think Coppell will go with the players who served him so well last year first and foremost, obviously we cannot predict injuries(which is why Seol started right wing last season, it would have been Little had he been fit) This seems the Coppell way over the past 2 years

But Seol started against Boro with Oster on the bench and Little injured. Again, Cisse must be better than Gunnarsson otherwise what was the point in buying him

brendywendy · by **brendywendy** » 27 Jul 2007 11:24

Huntley & Palmer
FinchOwl
Huntley & Palmer
FinchOwl Cisse must be better than Gunnarsson otherwise what was the point in buying him

he could be potentially better
or as good with a view to brynns retirement?
thats two possible reasons

Huntley & Palmer · by **Huntley & Palmer** » 27 Jul 2007 11:27

Well he must be as good, we weren't buying for cover supposedly

papereyes · by **papereyes** » 27 Jul 2007 11:29

buying for cover = going backwards

brendywendy · by **brendywendy** » 27 Jul 2007 11:34

buying for cover=sensible if we require cover
buying for cover>spending daft money in panic

didnt we require extra cover in midfield last season too?now sidwell has left, this guy isnt replacing him, but filling a gap we had already
that all seems sensible to me. when sidwells replacement arrives we will then have the full compliment of CMs all with different styles and skills, this can only be a good thing IMHO

even if currently he isnt quite up to brynns standard today(& im hoping he will be feckin great though), it doesnt mean he wont be by january

Stranded · by **Stranded** » 27 Jul 2007 11:39

Depends how you buy for cover. For me you buy a better player than you already have at the club and they become the cover. The first 11 is improved and the quality of cover improves as well.

papereyes · by **papereyes** » 27 Jul 2007 11:39

buying for cover=sensible if we require cover

Why not buy to improve, and then the cover takes care of itself?

If you buy someone worse than what you've already got (ie buying to cover for the position), the improvement is minimal, at best.

brendywendy · by **brendywendy** » 27 Jul 2007 11:43

but potentially the bloke could be much better than brynn
just that right now, he may not be,
so saying if we start with brynn when cisse is fit we shouldnt have bought him, is slightly erroneous

Huntley & Palmer · by **Huntley & Palmer** » 27 Jul 2007 11:52

brendywendy but potentially the bloke could be much better than brynn
just that right now, he may not be,
so saying if we start with brynn when cisse is fit we shouldnt have bought him, is slightly erroneous

So you are saying that Cisse is nothing but cover at the moment. So a player that could not command a starting place last season is better than a player that we have gone out and spent decent money on?

Woodcote Royal · by **Woodcote Royal** » 27 Jul 2007 11:52

Mr Angry Furthermore, if Skyline and I got a pound everytime you expressed your view that Oster and/or Gunnarsson should be played instead of Sidwell, I suspect our season tickets would have been paid for!!!

Whilst I certainly think Harper and Gunnarsson could, and have in the past, made a better pairing than Harps and Sidwell, and that Oster could do well in the centre, I have never, ever, suggested Gunnarsson and Oster would be my first choice pairing.

But, on the one day that Coppell decided to give this combo a try, I thought they did rather well.

Gordons Cumming · by **Gordons Cumming** » 27 Jul 2007 12:01

If fit, Harper plays no doubt, if only for his energy alone.

It's Harper + one of 4 for me

brendywendy · by **brendywendy** » 27 Jul 2007 12:11

Huntley & Palmer
brendywendy but potentially the bloke could be much better than brynn
just that right now, he may not be,
so saying if we start with brynn when cisse is fit we shouldnt have bought him, is slightly erroneous

So you are saying that Cisse is nothing but cover at the moment. So a player that could not command a starting place last season is better than a player that we have gone out and spent decent money on?

why do people insist on taking what i have said, then twist it completely and say"so you are saying xxxx.....what a fool u are"

A:im not sure .75 million is decent money in prem terms, though it obviously is for us.
B:and personally i think cisse will be challenging both brynn and harps for their places within a few weeks of the season starting.

and C:, i was simply answering the assertion that there would be no reason to sign someone who was currently not as good as the others we have already.

this is clearly untrue

look at bikey, he was not as good as the other options when he signed, but he had potential, which he then started to fulfill, and then started to push for the 1st choice place, and will most likely replace Ivar before too long

Platypuss · by **Platypuss** » 27 Jul 2007 12:14

brendywendy why do people insist on taking what i have said, then twist it completely and say"so you are saying xxxx.....what a fool u are"

Because you have yet to demonstrate that you are capable of coherent, rational thought.

brendywendy · by **brendywendy** » 27 Jul 2007 12:17

Platypuss
brendywendy why do people insist on taking what i have said, then twist it completely and say"so you are saying xxxx.....what a fool u are"

Because you have yet to demonstrate that you are capable of coherent, rational thought.

i refer the right honourable gentleman to my previous post, which, whilst he may not agree with what is said,
is both coherant, and rational

ish

Huntley & Palmer · by **Huntley & Palmer** » 27 Jul 2007 12:17

brendywendy why do people insist on taking what i have said, then twist it completely and say"so you are saying xxxx.....what a fool u are"

A:im not sure .75 million is decent money in prem terms, though it obviously is for us.
B:and personally i think cisse will be challenging both brynn and harps for their places within a few weeks of the season starting.

and C:, i was simply answering the assertion that there would be no reason to sign someone who was currently not as good as the others we have already.

this is clearly untrue

look at bikey, he was not as good as the other options when he signed, but he had potential, which he then started to fulfill, and then started to push for the 1st choice place, and will most likely replace Ivar before too long

Because you keep changing your mind. Bikey had the luxury of time last season, until Sonks got injured and even then we bought Doobs in just in case he didn't sort himself out and Gunnar could cover there. We don't have this luxury in the centre of midfield this season, hence why it would make no sense to bring Cisse in as a potentially good player. He will be thrown in the deep end from the off, not in a few Cup games and when someone gets injured.

New central midfielder ?

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