I intimated in the preview yesterday, that I have a lot of time for Sunderland as a club, but I saw nothing to suggest that the team are at best nothing more than relegation candidates.
Which is what makes today’s result so annoying.
We had around 62% possession and created lots of chances, but were nowhere near as clinical as we need to be.
Indeed, I thought we should easily have had at least three goals in the first half alone and a more clinical team would have had five or six, overall, no problem.
So if I think Sunderland are going to seriously struggle this season, where does that leave us?
Well, Grealish and Traore were massively missed today and the fact that we’ve got them to come back is encouraging, so I’m not unduly worried.
If they’d played today, I suspect we’d have tonked Sunderland, as Hutton was given acres of space down the right, although I felt he never really took advantage of it. His passes weren’t incisive enough and I don’t remember him really taking players on.
Imagine Traore in the same situation and I could easily see us having scored at least another two today, probably of his own making, as Sunderland’s defence is as poor as it gets, I reckon.
That said, it’s not as though I thought Hutton had a bad game really. It just could have been better.
Which is a theme that runs through my assessment of the whole side really.
There are points to complain about though.
First was what I thought was very poor positioning by Guzan for the free kick.
I know it’s standard practice by goalkeepers to stand right on one side of the goal, but I’ve never seen the sense in it and surely a slightly more central position makes sense, as at least you have a chance of getting to the opposite post?
Then again, it was a peach of a free kick. But it just seems to me that Guzan seems prone to conceding from them.
He was pretty blameless for the second goal and the only other Sunderland chance I recall, was easily knocked over the top.
That second goal, which leads me onto the second complaint.
Just as I said in the preview, our defence still has me worried.
We always look like conceding and so it proved again, with us looking awful in about the only time they were really needed.
Clark went for the ball and made a mess of it, but even if Lens hadn’t taken the shot, they had a player on the back post in yards of room.
It just looked incredibly poor to me.
Of course, you might say we’re always likely to concede in this way with the way we play, but I just find it worrying and I certainly don’t think we’ll be able to rely on our defence when we play the better sides.
Other than those points, there’s not a lot to complain about, as the team performed okay and just as last week, I find it difficult to really find fault with anyone in particular, although your views of course will probably differ.
Sanchez played well, although he was still sloppy at times.
Gana was industrious and got stuck in.
Amavi went forward well, but also looked iffy in defence at times.
Richards looked solid overall and should have scored when it seemed more difficult to miss, although I’d take the argument that the ball was behind him.
Gestede maybe could have done better, but no overall complaints, as he doesn’t look up to speed yet.
Gil looked fairly good, although I suspect Sherwood won’t be happy with what seemed like a dive in the box.
Bacuna being taken off was the right call today, in my opinion. He got involved in the first half, but things just weren’t happening for him.
And then we come to Sinclair who totally justified himself in replacing the ill/dropped Gabby.
Would Gabby have got that second goal today? My money says not a chance.
And there’s the theme. We did okay, but not well enough against a side that we should have beaten easily.
Anyone I’ve not mentioned, well, they were neither good or bad in any noticeable way.
I find myself wondering how massive those two points might prove at the end of the season, even though I’m still hopeful that we won’t be needing them.
But we really need to start taking our chances much better than we currently are.
Which is why I still think Sherwood is, or ought to be, after a goalscorer (Austin, anyone?).
Now watched extended highlights. (Accepting only highlights) Clark looked poor today and showed he still lacks experience. I’m not sure it was poor positional play (OohAh) but it was very naive and rash tackling when all he had to do was defend the space. If Lescott comes then IMHO he has to start alongside Richards who looked an absolute steal on yesterday’s showing. The other quality Lescott brings is organisation if the defence which I’m not convinced either Richards or Guzan are doing as well as they might.
Really pleased for Sinclair; proving his doubters wrong and Gil looks like he’s going to create real problems. Gil, Traore and Grealish – now that’s lip smacking good.
I did say Richards was a good buy when he first signed as long as he can stay fit. Always rated him tbh. How much longer can out defenders be naive it’s not like he’s 18 any more. Our centre halves never learn from their mistakes and there lies the problem.
anyone else a bit disappointed the transfer window closes at 6pm instead of the usual 11pm.
i usually get a wee carry out and watch the transfers happen. its usually better entertainment than the shit that’s on the tv 🙂
wba signed j evans and we are odds on to get lescott.
so do you think sherwood will pull off any other transfers.
Domingo, we don’t till Tuesday the rest do on Monday, its our bank holiday that’s what I’m led to believe or am I wrong.? Looking a the motd, I thought Clarke was lightweight on his tackle but Cuzan ?well he never left the ground going across to get the ball, I do see a better side than last year just need time.
Sanchez equally to blame for second goal I’m amazed no one has picked that up
Definitely he was partly to blame, I did say that after the second goal during the match replying to someones post.
With serious doubts about Gabby (form) and Kozac (fitness), this geezer from Roma looks tasty. I’ve said before that TS may be keeping some cash back for the January sales when he has a clearer picture of where we need to reinforce. He’ll have one eye on Guzan for sure, and how our new front two develop. But then again, you always get ripped off pricewise in January. Although Lerner/Fox have upped the wage structure, we’ve still really just broken even. Lerner must hand over another £20m or so from the TV money…
The fear was that RL would trouser a % of the fees for Benteke and Delph. Don’t think he’s done that and I suspect TS has more of a problem with the squad size rather not having funds if he needs them.
We might get a surprise come deadline day but I’ll be happy if we can just get rid of NZog and if Lescott joins, Senderos. Open minded about Richardson but if someone comes in for him all well and good.
Hutton looked OK yesterday and with Crespo and Bacuna as back up I don’t think we need to rush out and buy a RB. Seem to be pretty well served in mid field so another top striker and a goalkeeper has to be priority.
Gosh ur sad lol. Who cares when it finishes its another overhyped day to show more ads for sky. If we are going to sign anyone we will sign them whether deadline finishes at 1pm 6pm or middle of the night. It’s all irrelevant. Don’t even follow it it’s more up to date on social media etc than sky
Quite correct OhAhh. My Mrs just laughs at the nonsense of it all…
Lol she’s right 🙂
watched highlights from yesterday seen 2nd half live,if we had someone to score we would have beaten sunderland plus palace last week who have spent 50m since pardew took over
we need leaders on field no body bully opponets or ref pantilimon was wasting time from 10min no one moaned to ref oshea wrapped arms round rudi much like utd match no penalty given
we definitly need a right back hutton is useless bacuna is a squad player at best,keeper not much he could done about goals but have no faith in him,clark showed flashes last year that he could be a good player but after 4 games 2 errors leading to goals plus bookings sorry not good enough
JVillan – agree O’Shea had his hands around Gestede’s neck but that seems to be OK now as long as it’s in the penalty area 🙂
Yes, I forgot that one and it had me fuming.
Imagine a Man U player getting that treatment and the opposition getting away with it?
No chance.
oohah
sanchez lost ball centre circle villa had about 5 players behind it clark made another howler richards deflection took it past guzan,it is the one thing sanchez needs to get up to speed on and fast you don t get time with the ball
team like to see against leicster
guzan
new right back
armavi
richards
lescott
sanchez
gana
traore
grealish
sinclair
new striker
plus gil has to toughen up should have either scored or got pen not jump out of tackle
Having watched the game on a stream I think we were easily the best team.
If we had a forward we would have won by 3 at least Charlie Austin springs to mind. And as previous comments have eluded too ceiran clark was the weak link today.. And without Gabby our football is so much better.
We will not be suffering like last year thou….
Yep, we were easily the best side, hence my assertion that this was definitely 2 points dropped.
Problem is if we signed Austin do we go back to just lumping it up to him like we did with Benteje? IV noticed Liverpool are doing it more so are Utd when Fellani came on today.
No.
They’re different players.
Agreed Sanchez was too complacent. As much as I hate to say it we could do with a Joey Barton type player but not actusllY JB himself
Was that the 1st competitive draw under TS ?
Just like the Utd match our penetration down the left stopped…..O.K. we still played down there but Amari and Sinclair stopped taking on the defenders…..and with 15-20 mins left I could see the Sunderland breakaway winner coming…….that last min corner was murder to watch.
Was screaming for a forward change in last 15 as well but Rudi actually had a better time even though I thought he would not score……..all our shooting was diabolical.
I have to say that apart from Man city who are in a league of their own and Palace no team in the prem has much to be happy about. That includes Liverpool Utd arsenal and Chelsea. Ok those teams will finish top 4 in the end but they have spent an obscene amount of money and are still nothing special imo.
Leicester?
Agreed, Villa away.
I always have the sneaky feeling that we’ll concede and lose.
It stems from the two previous managers, imo, where the defeatist attitude made anything likely.
It’s also why I’m always reticent in predicting an emphatic win; even though I did predict it for this game, which bit me on the arse.
I do believe Sherwood and the lads can change my thinking though 🙂
Oohah, the prem is so over-rated, it’s unreal, imo.
It’s even getting to the stage where outside the top couple of clubs, they’re all very average.
Didn’t Mourinho say the same about his own side, even though they won the league, last season?
Trust me, we’re seeing the latter signs of an implosion, although it may be drawn out to justify the latest deal.
Pool are a classic example, in that they’re aiming for the top 4, but wouldn’t have had a chance against the Villa that won the league how many years ago?
It’s a bubble that’s due to pop, no doubt about it, imo.
And when it does, maybe we’ll see reasonable ticket prices come back, eh?
Hope your right Badger. There’s also the fact that we may lose a European spot to Italy next year as our teams havnt justified having 4 teams in CL. If that happens it becomes the top 3 so teams like Utd pool and arsenal could lose out for years lol
Blimey, for once, I think you’re right about something!
We’ve been poor in Europe lately, no doubt about it, compared to how the English sides were over the last 10-15 years or whatever.
We’re in decline, but don’t want to admit it, imo.
We’ve gone down an ever increasing European road and it’s making us more similar to the Europeans all the time.
Nowt wrong with that necessarily, but we’re killing our own grassroots.
And there’s no doubt we have always played the game differently until recent times, which is what set us apart somewhat.
As we become more European, so the appeal will decrease, imo.
What do u mean for once! I’m always right 🙂
Unlikely as Italy only have it two teams in champs league this season, so we should pull ahead points wise. First time a country has had five in tho, with Spain!
They are only a few points behind us though something to do with co efficiency. Even the way our teams in Europa competition is taken into account.
Take a look at this bud, we’ll fine for a fair few years
http://www.uefa.com/memberassociations/uefarankings/country/index.html
Look at the points system. Para 3.
That’s wrong they are only .5 behind us according to what I read yesterday and we were third
It is early days yet for the EPL. Don’t forget TS was motivated to scrap the entire team, because they just weren’t good enough, but several other teams have brought in many more new players, and in particular foreign new players than is normal. So they all need time to gel. It is notable that Palace Swansea and City who did the least amounts of starting 11 changes are the sides starting the best.
The bubble will not pop unless it is part of a general economic bust, and whatever you get paid in – a Season ticket will not be cheap.
I guess the other factor is with the new TV money a lot of so called lesser teams have closed the gap a bit in sky 4. If you look at each team in the prem now they all have 2-3 really good players.
Totally disagree, OLL.
A rise in any market, at the rate that the Prem has achieved, is totally unsustainable.
Especially when the quality is actually falling, in my view.
No doubt we’ll see 🙂
OLL, please see my 9.25 pm post above.
Read both your posts Badger. I disagree on the pricing issue. Most grounds are selling out EPL games even if they are televised and will probably do so until the midwinter. VP is in a minority – where you stand a chance of getting in on a walk-up basis. What sort of increase is justifiable depends whether you are a buyer or a seller, and it seems to be a seller’s market right now. If that changes then so will the seat prices.
I agree with both you and Oohah that English teams, by far the most guilty being Manchester City, have under-performed in Europe in the past few years. If we lose a European place that is as it should be, one would hope that stronger leagues gain the rewards.
I have an idea why this is. Start with the recent winning sides in the CL and none of them play with 1 striker except PSG, and PSG have been the bridesmaid team not winning the trophy. The winners have been paying with 2 or 3 forwards. The EPL seems to favour the multi-layer instead of 3-row formations, with a single striker.
Now football formation fads circulate, when you are past 60 you will have seen most of them, and the single striker fad had a lot of success, but it has been rumbled. It has led to players holding down the full back job for their attacking ability, but who cannot defend against an opponent who can beat them and score, not beat them and pass inside. We are due a return to the double or triple striker idea in the next 10 years.
Give me back the forward line of Gray, Graydon, Little and Deehan with Carridous, and Giddy providing crosses as well. Then Mortimer powering through like ya ya toure does today. Best attacking team IV ever seen at VP and that includes EC team.
I tend to think Mourinho shot himself in the foot at Chelsea over his attitude to his respected staff, footballer’s can make or break a manager and hide behind a team not liking what he did. That’s just my thoughts, he does have an arrogant side in his personality. It just seems funny how the standard of football dropped at Chelsea.
Interesting idea that the physio row might have had that fall out; haven’t seen it anywhere else, but it could actually explain a lot.
I do think that the apparent disintegration of John Terry’s game may also be a big factor, which of course begs the question why Jose didn’t see it coming, or failed to recruit a suitable replacement if he did?
I think we should swoop for mourinho and as a good will gesture let them have Gabby Sherwood and Lamberk
Ardent villa,
Think he did at one time but fans wasn’t to pleased at dropping him to the bench, its strange how Chelsea’s demise came after that incident, the doc was a well loved person in the club, as you know Mourinho likes to be the man. I think players wasn’t happy and the sting gone out of the team.could be wrong but does seem strange.
That Dr was no better or worse qualified than any other club Dr. Just because she is an attractive woman it’s become an issue. If it was a man Dr no one would notice. I should imagine there’s other things behind the scenes going in which no one knows about.
if she was our club doctor gabby would have knocked her up by now 🙂
Bill, Mourinho’s playing a game.
One that needs to be played, to set players apart, imo.
I believe Sherwood is trying to play the same game.
One where we’ll see the make or break of him as a manager.
Average managers who say/do the same stuff all the time, will always produce the same average results.
Keep the faith mate, at least for a decent time 🙂
If the transfer window closes without a new keeper, we will have missed the vital change and will be guaranteed to drop points like confetti at a wedding.
The League goals Guzan has conceded this season include two – Janusaj and Lens – which were deflected in when the keeper had the line to goal covered, no blame there. Dann’s header at Palace was not his fault either, because Dann could have placed that anywhere he wanted, wherever the keeper stood.
Unfortunately the other two cost us 3 points out of 12. Rolling the ball at Palace to the full back after waving the central defence forward as if he was going to kick it, is just weak brained. Standing to one side of the goal at the Sunderland free kick taken by a specialist is just bloody stupid.
At the other end we find goals hard to come by, and a clinical finisher capable of changing that will be expensive. But we are giving away cheap goals with Kermit in the green jersey and buying a better keeper would not cost half as much. Then if the muppet’s kicking and throwing is considered, it is appalling and a counter attacking side needs a keeper with better than average distribution.
Hate to get too much on Guzan’s back, but he just doesn’t inspire the sort of confidence that the best keepers do.
OLL, I totally respect your opinion, particularly on the goalie side of things, as it seems you might have some experience there.
But I’m really beginning to wonder if Guzan has had some kind of Ayew friendship with your missus.
While I agree he has his faults, he isn’t the main cause of our results, imo; even though I picked him out yesterday.
Our overall defending is piss-poor and that needs sorting.
But i do agree, it stems from the goalie.
I don’t know the Ayew story to which you allude, but my Missus is a foreigner who diplomatically changed from being a Tractor Girl to a Villan on marriage. She hasn’t seen great goal-keeping by the Villa, though Friedel until he aged was above average. She started watching Villa with Mellberg, Laursen and Staunton – by comparison with that trio our current defence is poor.
If you go back to my first posts and read the record you will see I was at variance with the majority of posters here, and in the VP crowd, in disparaging the performances of 3 players who the majority lauded and I felt were a problem. Guzan, Gabby and Delph. I think the majority has come round to my view on Gabby and Delph. Two down, one to go.
I’ve been with you for a while on Gabby and Guzan. Add Clark to the pile and I think we’ve found our weakest links!
I’ll give Clark a little longer. Actually I thought he had come on a ton at the end of last season, I even wanted him to be the team captain. So I am disappointed, and cannot deny, that he has made glaring gaffes in the EPL to date this term. When the back four has stabilised we will see how Clark is doing.
Slight change of topic, I was at the game yesterday in L9 of the Holte, I’m not a season tkt holder but go when I can and always like watching from different parts of the ground. About half way through the 2nd half a group of about 15 fans all stood up and starting singing, they seemed determined to get behind the team, I thought it was great, reminded me of the old days when I stood on the Holte. After about 5 minutes of non-stop singing a steward came down and tried to get them to stop, soon followed by another 10 or so stewards, they still wouldn’t stop singing. Then the police were called down, there was a bit of a scuffle and one of the lads seemed to be ejected or arrested.
I couldn’t believe what I was seeing to be honest, our stewards calling the police down to arrest our own fans for supporting [very vocally] our team. I guess the problem was that they were standing, but I left the ground quite dejected on thinking how sanitised supporting your team [at least in the premiership] has become. If I was a young lad in my 20’s I certainly wouldn’t want to sit and just clap every now and again!
Now you’re beginning to see what the Prem is really becoming.
I’ve experienced this myself.
And it’s frankly a scandal, what’s going on.
I’ll be on this and will post about it tomorrow, if I get time.
Thought it might spark a bit of a debate Badger, it was in L9 so a bit away from the middle of the Holte where most of the more vocal singers would be, they were obviously a group of friends who I guess are more than just casual fans.
Sounds like the group singing are Brigada who try to start of singing in ground. They are always being picked on by stewards who are nothing more than anorak jobsworths on a power trip!
Badger, Dave C, don’t get me going ,its one of the things in my life that I could write a book on.
Its madness what happens at VP in the stands. Just ruining football. The atmosphere in the bundesliga is ten times better than in the BPL, its really sad.
On another note, just read the comments from TS. Interesting that he says Gabby, Westwood and Clark should all be important leaders off the field. Maybe I’m reading too much into this, but is he suggesting they are likely not to be starting? Gabby has already lost his spot, Clark would probably make way if Lescott comes and you would think Veretout has to make the first XI at some point soon?
You could be right with your Brigada comment Oohah, just looked them up and they sit in the L9 area. If it’s a constant problem for the stewards why don’t the club get in contact with the group and let them sit at the back of the stand so they can stand and not block anyone’s view, if that is the reason they are being picked on. From what I could see, and I was no more than 6 yards away, they are very passionate Villa fans.
Dave, that’s exactly what the problem is, if people behind can not see and complaints start to get to head stewards they have to act, and Dave you get people like that so called Brigade its inevitable that other fans cannot see and hence problems, I had that very same thing at Wembley, people standing up and its causes others behind to stand, they now should open a part of a ground that if you want to stand let them, today its beginning a new trend in defiance to other fans.We all want the same thing , go to see a game of football in comfort not in aggressive attitudes.
I see that Andre Ayew scored and was then voted man of the match for Swansea against Man Ure. Anyone else think we may have bought the wrong brother ?
Yep think we have
I reckon we wanted Andre, but he chose Swansea instead and recommended his brother to us.
Trust us to sign the wrong one
Nope, I think Jordan will definitely come good, but he won’t be the natural goal scorer some people still think he will/ever was going to be.
Yes Mark, I don’t want to be an ‘I told you so’ but I said when we signed him that Swansea had the better Ayew. I watch quite a bit of French footy on BT and Jordan never impressed me at all. He’s still got bags of time to impress us but I don’t think he will, he’s no more a prolific scorer than Gabby. Would love to see a natural scorer like Austin, or a cheaper option like Gayle come in before the window shuts, that’s unless Sinclair can become a natural no.9, which he just might!
Very true Bill, I think a safe standing area would go down a storm at Villa, and many other grounds too. Fatty Faulkener mentioned it a couple of seasons ago, he got slaughtered by the Hillsborough families association but I think he was right.
Hillsborough families need to get over themselves. Yes it was tragic but that was too do with their fans mob handed bullying the police to let them in. The police were also at fault too sending fans into the wrong part but we’re panicked by the fans. Add to that the ridiculous idea of fences. I know we had a hooligan problem at the time but putting fences up in every ground was ridiculous. If there were no fences those Liverpool fans would have automatically been pushed to safety onto the pitch. Safe standing now is completely different there is no fences and we have collapsible seats. Works without a hitch in Germany and adds to atmosphere.
Outdone yourself there oohaah.
It’s one thing moaning about the Villa but about people who’ve lost sons and daughters? That followed up by a blatant conspiracy by the police and others to cover it up their mistakes for 25 years.
Think I’d find that quite hard to get over personallly.
No one really knows the truth Pat. It was a tragic event no doubt about it but times have changed just because it wasn’t safe then dosn’t mean it it’s not safe to stand now. I wasn’t trying to cause offence just pointing out that it was a chain of events that caused this tragedy it wasn’t standing per se that caused it was other factors that would very unlikely be repeated today. Health and safety has moved on big time. Let’s remember it suited the prem clubs to go all seater to charge more it wasn’t purely fit safety reasons.
End of the day the bottom line is Liverpool supporters chose to go to the game without tickets and force there way into the ground. Had there of been an ounce of concern amongst those who travelled without tickets wouldn’t of travelled in the first place. If people take chances like that in there life then inevitably it’ll backfire at times with fatal results.
I think OoHah makes a valid point, yes the Hillsborough disaster was a dreadful tragedy, but does that mean we can never stand at football ever again. Also, every Villa v Liverpool game I’ve been to the Pool fans spend almost all of time standing, like most away fans, are the Hillsborough families association blind to this. Surely better to have safe standing, which a member of the association slammed Fatty Faulkener for suggesting, than to stand between rows of seats.
Exactly my point Dave C I’m not doing down what happened at Liverpool my family are all scouters and no people that were affected by this tragedy. But in this day and age of health and safety etc the chain of events that caused this tragedy would never be repeated if standing was bought in.
I agree Pat but it’s not a reason to automatically object to safe standing areas (if that’s what happened). The alleged police cover up is reprehensible but is not relevant to a safety debate over standing in modern PL grounds. OohAh does make a reasonable point in that you can’t compare current safety arrangements with those that existed 25 years ago. I would suggest that people standing throughout a game (which I recently had to endure in the Holte End and the stewards did not intervene) in seated areas is potentially far more dangerous.
@H60 Totally agree that safe standing has a future.
However I can also totally see why the Hillsborough families think what they do and I can respect that.
Just think that Oohaahs turn of phrase might need a little improving on.
What turn of phrase is that Pat. If IV caused offence then I apologise. I can understand why Hillsborough families have concerns but dosnt mean they should bully people that want safe standing. Yes they should be involved in the process and their POVs should be valid but they should not interfere with free speech to bring back safe standing which would more than likely make a comeback at Liverpool too. Remember until Hillsborough no one ever died from standing at a football match as i said earlier it was an unfortunate chain of events that led to this tragedy it wasn’t just standing that caused it.
Spot on Hitchens.
Oohah’s I know your intentions are good but we have to believe in common sense, all this seating came in because it was deemed to be unsafe to stand ,the man called Popperwell,was asked to assess safety in grounds, all what we have is Americanized seating, it don’t go in our stadiums ,why because we are a different race, we was brought up to say excuse , me after you, and I’m sorry, it was good for your father, also your grandads, let’s be what we are British, let’s not lose our identity, I say give parts of the ground back to who wants to stand. And don’t listen to idiotic excuses, rant over. Oh and to get the record straight all problems have been caused by police , or officials lack of running a ground.
By the way, Hillsborough was caused by Police , trying to get people off the streets, Bradford was caused by officials locking doors, Aston Villa had very much the same with Scottish Rangers, only the had me to open the doors, before the police intervention.
Hillsborough was caused by police but if the fences weren’t there the fans would have escaped onto the pitch. Bradford was caused by someone dropping a cigarette into the wooden stand below which had loads of rubbish underneath it that inflamed. There was no health and safety like today. Fans at Bradford died as they tried to escape going back towards the way they came in which was locked. The ones that went into the pitch survived. If there were fences it would have been 10 times worse. Rangers I don’t know as thankfully I was told by a mate a school not to go as Rangers would run riot glad I listened.
Hillsbourgh was caused by moronic Liverpool supporters travelling and forcing their way into the stadium. While the police could and should of handled it better it could of all been avoided if those supporters took the police advice in the first place and didn’t travel without a ticket.
Lets not forget the Liverpool idiots at Heysal
According to SSN we have now agreed the fee for Lescott.
Be a waste of 2m, no better than Clark or Lescott and while yes he’s experienced, adds nothing to the side in terms of quality. He might be able to “teach” the kids something but then if we’re going off experience Senderos can do that, having experienced different leagues.
Typical Villa signing I’m afraid though as our centre halves arnt great anyway and are all injury prone might be worth having him as a squadie bug I think he will be first choice unfortunately
Quite happy with our 4 current CB’s actually, Clark’s very good despite one mistake that will be held against him, just like 1 game where Sanchez gave the ball away is still held against him despite him being an excellent passer of the ball. Baker’s still quite good despite injuring himself all the time, Richards is slowly getting better and Okore’s decent enough. If we’re getting a CB, it has to be better than what we have or someone promising, not Lescott who’s mediocre. I do too though, he’ll start next to Richards which will be stupid.
No better than Clark or Richards*
Our CBs have a track record of injuries. Okore and Baker in particular. Lescott will be a useful addition, particularly in view of his experience. He’s not an exciting signing, or one for the future, but he will do for a season or two. I think the reality is that we can’t afford a top class centre half plus other additions that Sherwood is looking at. We also can’t afford to buy promising/unproven as we need someone to be up to speed asap.
I think Lescott will show himself to be a sound piece of business.