Is it possible to win the league on our budget?

[cotter]

to win the league imho two things need to happen.

 

a) we need to stop spreading the budget too thinly and gamble on true quality in areas we need it most, if we were to pour our entire budget on one wide midfielder and one striker of true quality that is going to serve us better than trying to fill four positions with average quality.

 

b) we have to push up as a team front to back, none of this 'a defenders job is to defend' bollox arsenal and manu defend higher up the pitch, keep the hoofing down to a minimun and have fullbacks that provide the width while their wide players hunt for goals. basically defend as a team and attack as a team, if the defenders expect the midfielders and attackers to track back then the midfielders and attackers should expect the defenders (especially the fullbacks) to start attacks.

 

if the above doesn't happen I can't see us winning the league any time soon because if we don't do 'A' we will continue to replace mediocrity with mediocrity and if we don't do 'B' we wont have enough about us to pin lower teams in their own half and force them into errors helping us break them down.

rotation is neither here nor there as all the top teams do it.

 

 

in mitigation i think the lack of overall quality in his original squad, meant rafa probably needed three or four windows to get us to a point where we were consistenly in the shout for the top four places.

 

that isn't to say he hasn't made mistakes in the market as well. and i agree that from here on in, as much as possible, and finances forthcoming, we need to be looking to make top class signings the priority.

 

don't agree on your second point so much. i think if you compare our defensive line now to how we played when houllier was in charge there's a world of difference. generally i think rafa encourages the defence to push forwards, and the team as a whole in fact. his entire tactical approach is based on closing down and exerting pressure high up the pitch.

 

any sign of our defenders dropping off is wholly there doing in my opinion. sami especially likes to play deeper, and i think without agger there it's carra's inclination too. i don't believe their instructed to hoof the ball either.

 

in aurelio, agger, arbeloa he's tried to sign better ball players. he was also in for alves (what is it with As?) think it's a limitation he realises we have.

[Zippy]

in mitigation i think the lack of overall quality in his original squad, meant rafa probably needed three or four windows to get us to a point where we were consistenly in the shout for the top four places.

 

that isn't to say he hasn't made mistakes in the market as well. and i agree that from here on in, as much as possible, and finances forthcoming, we need to be looking to make top class signings the priority.

 

don't agree on your second point so much. i think if you compare our defensive line now to how we played when houllier was in charge there's a world of difference. generally i think rafa encourages the defence to push forwards, and the team as a whole in fact. his entire tactical approach is based on closing down and exerting pressure high up the pitch.

 

any sign of our defenders dropping off is wholly there doing in my opinion. sami especially likes to play deeper, and i think without agger there it's carra's inclination too. i don't believe their instructed to hoof the ball either.

 

in aurelio, agger, arbeloa he's tried to sign better ball players. he was also in for alves (what is it with As?) think it's a limitation he realises we have.

 

 

Good post. When we have our most mobile and gifted fullbacks (Aurelio and Arbeloa playing) they get forward a lot and make a great difference to our attacking play e.g. Arsenal at home in the league last year.

 

Agree with those who say we need to spend on quality now rather than quality. If and I hope we do have a good size budget this summer I would hope that we spend it on two players (unless Rafa can find a top class attacking player for a bargain price of course) a top class wide man and a top class support striker. I think two top additions in those positions would see us become a much better team.

[redrosetints]

to win the league imho two things need to happen.

 

a) we need to stop spreading the budget too thinly and gamble on true quality in areas we need it most, if we were to pour our entire budget on one wide midfielder and one striker of true quality that is going to serve us better than trying to fill four positions with average quality.

 

b) we have to push up as a team front to back, none of this 'a defenders job is to defend' bollox arsenal and manu defend higher up the pitch, keep the hoofing down to a minimun and have fullbacks that provide the width while their wide players hunt for goals. basically defend as a team and attack as a team, if the defenders expect the midfielders and attackers to track back then the midfielders and attackers should expect the defenders (especially the fullbacks) to start attacks.

 

if the above doesn't happen I can't see us winning the league any time soon because if we don't do 'A' we will continue to replace mediocrity with mediocrity and if we don't do 'B' we wont have enough about us to pin lower teams in their own half and force them into errors helping us break them down.

rotation is neither here nor there as all the top teams do it.

 

Yeah thats very true. In fairness on b) though, I think we've statred to defend more deeply since Agger got injured to compensate for Samis lack of speed. Twas the same in the days of Sami and Stephane, no pace, deep defending.

[Guest Romano Polizia]

Roy Evans and Brian Reade made some good points on TIA last night, or was it today. Anyway, they were basically repeating a lot of what is said on these forums about Rafa's cautious mentality and over elaborate game plans and how we need to stop worrying about the opposition and be a lot more positive, especially at home, starting by allowing the two full backs to bomb forward and be that extra attacker.

 

Roy mentioned Mascherano, and with him protecting the back four, it's basically a licence for us to attack and overpower teams. But we just seem reluctant and end up searching for the killer long ball. Whether it's the players or instructions from the manager, who knows anymore.