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Better than Cookie's collection?



I hope so but it won't be easy

Wow, that squad really lacks width. Basically the only threat we had from out wide was Zabaleta or Richards overlapping on the right.

mr_nool wrote:Wow, that squad really lacks width. Basically the only threat we had from out wide was Zabaleta or Richards overlapping on the right.

Bit gobsmacked with that comment mr n. What about Johnson, Milner, Nasri?

johnny crossan wrote:

mr_nool wrote:Wow, that squad really lacks width. Basically the only threat we had from out wide was Zabaleta or Richards overlapping on the right.

Bit gobsmacked with that comment mr n. What about Johnson, Milner, Nasri?

Nonceon was generally played on the right so ended up coming central. Nasri always cut inside too. Milner provided decent width and why no Kolarov in the graphic?

johnny crossan wrote:

mr_nool wrote:Wow, that squad really lacks width. Basically the only threat we had from out wide was Zabaleta or Richards overlapping on the right.

Bit gobsmacked with that comment mr n. What about Johnson, Milner, Nasri?

Forgot about Johnson to be honest . He was good for one season. Milner did an alright job as right winger I guess, but he can't compare to Sané and Sterling. Nasri and Silva both played wide on paper, but generally drifted all over the front line. Non of them are natural wide players.

Balotelli played wide for us too. That squad had everything in it for me. Top Class. Lescott and Kompany were rocks and Barry De jong and Yaya basically meant no one ever dominated us in midfield, height aggression strength but also the ability to play, what a team! What a front four too, prob the best four ever seen in PL, only rival i can think of was the rags four in 99.

mr_nool wrote:

johnny crossan wrote:

mr_nool wrote:Wow, that squad really lacks width. Basically the only threat we had from out wide was Zabaleta or Richards overlapping on the right.

Bit gobsmacked with that comment mr n. What about Johnson, Milner, Nasri?

Forgot about Johnson to be honest . He was good for one season. Milner did an alright job as right winger I guess, but he can't compare to Sané and Sterling. Nasri and Silva both played wide on paper, but generally drifted all over the front line. Non of them are natural wide players.

I think Johnson as a footballer gets a disservice from us, for 2 and a half years he was vitally important. He came off the bench in lots of tight games and gave us something on the right and won a lot of games for us. I always felt if we were struggling he could come on and open up a team, i dont rarely think that these days when i look at our bench(well last 2 seasons anyway).

Pity about his off the field antics, he should have stayed and played the bit part player for us.

Dubciteh wrote:

mr_nool wrote:

johnny crossan wrote:

mr_nool wrote:Wow, that squad really lacks width. Basically the only threat we had from out wide was Zabaleta or Richards overlapping on the right.

Bit gobsmacked with that comment mr n. What about Johnson, Milner, Nasri?

Forgot about Johnson to be honest . He was good for one season. Milner did an alright job as right winger I guess, but he can't compare to Sané and Sterling. Nasri and Silva both played wide on paper, but generally drifted all over the front line. Non of them are natural wide players.

I think Johnson as a footballer gets a disservice from us, for 2 and a half years he was vitally important. He came off the bench in lots of tight games and gave us something on the right and won a lot of games for us. I always felt if we were struggling he could come on and open up a team, i dont rarely think that these days when i look at our bench(well last 2 seasons anyway).

Pity about his off the field antics, he should have stayed and played the bit part player for us.

I'm with Nool on the lack of width thing. Mancini never adequately replaced Bellamy. This lack of variety/options in our attacking play worked against us in Europe.

Foreverinbluedreams wrote:

johnny crossan wrote:

mr_nool wrote:Wow, that squad really lacks width. Basically the only threat we had from out wide was Zabaleta or Richards overlapping on the right.

Bit gobsmacked with that comment mr n. What about Johnson, Milner, Nasri?

Nonceon was generally played on the right so ended up coming central. Nasri always cut inside too. Milner provided decent width and why no Kolarov in the graphic?

Not my graphic but, since it was the squad for the 2011/12 title winning season, Kolarov should clearly have been in there instead of the permacrock Bridge.This answers your width point too, although Sane/Sterling are arguably a significant upgrade on Johnson (who was nevertheless not without footballing merit as has already been pointed out.)

We won't see another squad like that again.

Mase wrote:We won't see another squad like that again.

Probably not Mase, but we may well, in the near future, see one which will be great, but in a different way.

Mikhail Chigorin wrote:

Mase wrote:We won't see another squad like that again.

Probably not Mase, but we may well, in the near future, see one which will be great, but in a different way.

Hopefully mate. I won't complain if we do.

Mase wrote:

Mikhail Chigorin wrote:

Mase wrote:We won't see another squad like that again.

Probably not Mase, but we may well, in the near future, see one which will be great, but in a different way.

Hopefully mate. I won't complain if we do.

corrected version - the team to beat

I did love that team. We had steel, grit an determination paired with flair. In a way it feels quite Chelsea-esque to me.

However, I do think we are building a superb squad now as well. One that excites me in a different way. I just hope it won't flatter to deceive.

thank god for that corrected version. i was wondering wtf Barry was doing out on the wing

phips wrote:thank god for that corrected version. i was wondering wtf Barry was doing out on the wing

played there for England

johnny crossan wrote:

Foreverinbluedreams wrote:

johnny crossan wrote:

mr_nool wrote:Wow, that squad really lacks width. Basically the only threat we had from out wide was Zabaleta or Richards overlapping on the right.

Bit gobsmacked with that comment mr n. What about Johnson, Milner, Nasri?

Nonceon was generally played on the right so ended up coming central. Nasri always cut inside too. Milner provided decent width and why no Kolarov in the graphic?

Not my graphic but, since it was the squad for the 2011/12 title winning season, Kolarov should clearly have been in there instead of the permacrock Bridge.This answers your width point too, although Sane/Sterling are arguably a significant upgrade on Johnson (who was nevertheless not without footballing merit as has already been pointed out.)

Johnson only put the effort in when he wanted to - he joined us with stamina problems (which I took to be an indication he didn't take training as seriously as he should have) and it was a feature of his game pretty much his whole time with us - a player that could only put the effort in for a hour in a match. Disgraceful for a socalled professional. Most of his motivation when playing for us was from wanting to prove the manager wrong.
I was glad to see the back of him and that was before we found out he had a thing for young girls.

Dameerto wrote:

johnny crossan wrote:

Foreverinbluedreams wrote:

johnny crossan wrote:

mr_nool wrote:Wow, that squad really lacks width. Basically the only threat we had from out wide was Zabaleta or Richards overlapping on the right.

Bit gobsmacked with that comment mr n. What about Johnson, Milner, Nasri?

Nonceon was generally played on the right so ended up coming central. Nasri always cut inside too. Milner provided decent width and why no Kolarov in the graphic?

Not my graphic but, since it was the squad for the 2011/12 title winning season, Kolarov should clearly have been in there instead of the permacrock Bridge.This answers your width point too, although Sane/Sterling are arguably a significant upgrade on Johnson (who was nevertheless not without footballing merit as has already been pointed out.)

Johnson only put the effort in when he wanted to - he joined us with stamina problems (which I took to be an indication he didn't take training as seriously as he should have) and it was a feature of his game pretty much his whole time with us - a player that could only put the effort in for a hour in a match. Disgraceful for a socalled professional. Most of his motivation when playing for us was from wanting to prove the manager wrong.
I was glad to see the back of him and that was before we found out he had a thing for young girls.

I didn't like him either. Always had a puss on him.

mr_nool wrote:Wow, that squad really lacks width. Basically the only threat we had from out wide was Zabaleta or Richards overlapping on the right.

Yes, but Micah was a beast back then. I loved watching defenders bounce off him trying to make a tackle when he was running down the wing. Huge shame about the knee injuries

Foreverinbluedreams wrote:

Dubciteh wrote:

mr_nool wrote:

johnny crossan wrote:

mr_nool wrote:Wow, that squad really lacks width. Basically the only threat we had from out wide was Zabaleta or Richards overlapping on the right.

Bit gobsmacked with that comment mr n. What about Johnson, Milner, Nasri?

Forgot about Johnson to be honest . He was good for one season. Milner did an alright job as right winger I guess, but he can't compare to Sané and Sterling. Nasri and Silva both played wide on paper, but generally drifted all over the front line. Non of them are natural wide players.

I think Johnson as a footballer gets a disservice from us, for 2 and a half years he was vitally important. He came off the bench in lots of tight games and gave us something on the right and won a lot of games for us. I always felt if we were struggling he could come on and open up a team, i dont rarely think that these days when i look at our bench(well last 2 seasons anyway).

Pity about his off the field antics, he should have stayed and played the bit part player for us.

I'm with Nool on the lack of width thing. Mancini never adequately replaced Bellamy. This lack of variety/options in our attacking play worked against us in Europe.

I actually think Bellamy was one of those rare players who are basically irreplaceable.