1.) 04 Oct 2017
04 Oct 2017 08:47:50
They are struggling hugely for goals and the owners have said they won't significantly invest. We offer them a good deal and they can sort out their attack.


2.) 04 Oct 2017
04 Oct 2017 09:30:54
Ed001
1: Ok if the club are set on VVD try and make it happen
2: Try to have back up options if saints won’t sell to us
3: Surely it would be unacceptable if neither of the above happen and we don’t strengthen at CB.

Note : I realise the Manager says that we won’t bring players in that do not improve what we already have.
In Central Defensive positions. Right now I just can’t see how it would be possible to not improve .?

{Ed001's Note - there are plenty out there that would not improve things, that is the problem with fans and their ridiculous knee jerk reactions.}


3.) 04 Oct 2017
04 Oct 2017 09:59:05
If we look at how long the defensive issues have been going on Ridiculous Knee Jerk reaction is hardly fair .
Sensationalism Ed100 ( Ate you Jim White in disguise) ?

{Ed001's Note - I was not talking about the issues, I was talking about the idiotic 'well anyone could do better' response. There are lots of defenders who are not better, the quality of defending in the game is appallingly bad right now.}


4.) 04 Oct 2017
04 Oct 2017 10:11:00
Well anyone could do better is not anywhere in my post .
What I was trying to get across is that - if we have the funds available to invest in defensive players that are being claimed 50-70 million. Surely the people at the club responsible for recruiting players can find improvements .

{Ed001's Note - this: "In Central Defensive positions. Right now I just can’t see how it would be possible to not improve .?" so it was in there.

If they come up with better, available, defenders, then I am sure we would not be hanging round waiting on VVD.}


5.) 04 Oct 2017
04 Oct 2017 11:11:44
Ok Ed001 : “Well anyone could do better “ is not what I said.
I just don’t agree with you that with the resources we have available, we can’t strengthen/ improve in central defence if we don’t get VVD .
On another issue let’s get into strikers . 😂 joking.

{Ed001's Note - I never said we couldn't, while you clearly said that it would be impossible not to improve, however we could have bought donkeys like Maguire or Keane, who would have been worse than what we have. If the players are not there and available, then we can't buy them.}


6.) 04 Oct 2017
04 Oct 2017 11:35:09
Imagine Nesta in todays market. Unthinkable money.


7.) 04 Oct 2017
04 Oct 2017 18:23:59
Our poor defensive record is probably 25% due a poor keeper not inspiring confidence, particularly at crosses and set pieces, 25% due to near non existences of defensive midfield, 25% due to full back asked to push up so much that holes are always left behind, and then the 25% CB.
VVD alone is not going to solve the problem.
The keeper and defensive mid just as important.


8.) 04 Oct 2017
04 Oct 2017 20:21:34
I hadn't really noticed the dearth of quality of defenders but when you try to think of better options that would be available it gets pretty difficult! We could easily end up spunking £40m and be no better off. Lovren looked decent before we signed him and saw him week in week out.


9.) 04 Oct 2017
04 Oct 2017 22:01:46
Forget about Keane or Maguire
We could have gone for Davinson Sanchez as an alternative to VVD
He would have been an improvement
It's a pity Klopp only had eyes for one player.


10.) 04 Oct 2017
04 Oct 2017 23:05:28
I still can't see us getting VVD.

Completely agree ed001
'the quality of defending in the game is appallingly bad right now'

Very true, it's not just us, it's across the whole sport, the quality of defending these days has hit rock bottom.


11.) 05 Oct 2017
04 Oct 2017 20:11:49
HaHa eds1 I bet eds25 loves your view on Keane.

{Ed001's Note - no idea, but he knew I did not rate him when he was at Burnley, however I think he is coming round to my way of thinking now.}


12.) 05 Oct 2017
05 Oct 2017 07:11:43
BRAVO waynechai 👏👏👏👏.

{Ed001's Note - somebody really calling for Davinson Sanchez? Have they even watched him play? He is terrible and is Spurs' weakest link right now. Dawdles on the ball and is exactly what we do not need.}


13.) 05 Oct 2017
05 Oct 2017 07:05:19
Do we think a good DM would be a better option? The CB positions get exposed far more than they should.

Whilst we have every player in the final 3rd any counter attack results in chances.

Can't help thinking that a more disciplined set up with a decent DM would sort our issues. Lovren and Matip didn't become bad overnight!

{Ed025's Note - i certainly think it would help beddoe, hendo, wiji and can lack discipline for me and keita will help for sure but a DM would be a god move for me mate..


14.) 05 Oct 2017
05 Oct 2017 12:22:03
What sort of ambition was getting a stop gap like Matip in, we clearly don't have the funds the other top sides do and don't have the coaches too teach who we have, its been a disaster for 4/ 5 seasons and to not fix it is worrying, a disciplined cdm we are crying out for, either Klopp is being made to try and teach players new positions or he is being stubborn and not getting 1 in, hendo, can and wijnaldum are very average, throw in Milner and the centre positions without Coutinho and Lallana are extremely poor, it stems from the keeper the lack of confidence in the defence, he should be shouting and organising the back four into position and letting them know what's going on, the cb in turn should be yelling at Henderson or whoever to sit in and cover for the full back or fill the hole in the centre of midfield, we lack leaders and organisers, the recruitment needs a massive look at.


15.) 05 Oct 2017
05 Oct 2017 13:06:13
Sorry ed001, I was clapping waynechai's post on the breakdown of our defensive problems.

{Ed001's Note - I know mate, but I was reading through the thread and saw that reply about Sanchez, though not who posted it or I would have specified who I was replying to. Apologies, I should have made it clear.}


16.) 05 Oct 2017
05 Oct 2017 11:20:47
Ed25, totally agreed.
The DM would probably be more important than a CB, unless our current crop of mid adjust, and learn how to sit.

It is illuminating to see how any times strikers score the goals with a ball through in between the centre back.

Questions have to be asked:
1. Why are they so far apart in the first place?
2. Why isn't one of them get closer to the incoming striker?

I would think playing so far apart is part of the game plan, and this is in support of the full backs which is providing the width to the team, which is needed because our so call wingers do not do that.
Then, the job become the DM's to track the incoming player.

These are the answers to the 2 questions above.

Of course, a faster and communicative CB would help, but that should be really a worst case scenario, like that for Newcastle's goal, where a faster CB would nib the ball away.

{Ed025's Note - the centre backs always seem to struggle when a pacy forward is allowed to run at them wayne, i believe a DM would cover that and give them the protection they need mate, i think it would help them no end..


17.) 05 Oct 2017
05 Oct 2017 17:49:22
E25, I agreed.
Dm is more helpful.
The kind of centre back, fast and communicative would also help, but that probably should be on top of a good dm.

{Ed025's Note - it certainly would not hurt wayne..


18.) 06 Oct 2017
06 Oct 2017 01:17:13
Could Gomes play as a DM and drop back to form 3 when the full backs are advanced?


19.) 07 Oct 2017
07 Oct 2017 19:00:09
I still don't get why people think we don't have the money. Look at what was being considered to be spent, the ability to say no to 100m for Coutinho. I don't think the club is short of money. I think, or hope, the previous lessons of spending big on mediocre players have been learnt. Spend big when the player justifies not for the sake of it.


20.) 07 Oct 2017
07 Oct 2017 20:48:38
Personally this needs to be sorted with a decent keeper! Someone who will give authority at the back and command his box and people around him.
I also think it needs to change from zonal to man marking depending on the game, stop allowing player to run onto us and get them marked out of the game. I think that if this was put in place. I don't think matip and lovren would be as bad as they show. They can defend but the system they play has so much more risk. But having mig behind them really doesn't help. A DM would also help the team out no end. And stop the gaps opening up at the back for us. But I also think that Henderson needs to find a new gear and crack on further as he sometimes puts the CB's under pressure. The amount of times you see matip running further forward than him is not a great sign. Sometimes it is fine but it is too regular. He needs to develop his game faster and to be more direct for us. I honesty think that will help us move on. But then I think the team formation should change and that klopp should try 4231 hendo and can in the middle. Bang into there heads that when one goes the other sits, and let the front 4 roam freely to intertwine together. I reckon that would really help the team structure and also bring more solidarity.