[Archived] Interesting article

[Tom10K]

Is even our team actually that good now though? Over the summer we've lost our 3 best players and haven't signed anyone who'll take the league by storm. To me its now just a decent championship squad, but not one you'd look at and think thats nailed on for promotion. Hanley, Marcus Olsson, Formica, Petrovic, Vukcevic, Nunes, Rochina, Goodwillie, very very mediocre players.

Reading that I kind of understand what you mean but fans from other clubs would probably welcome Vukcevic, Rochina or Goodwillie at this level of football. For me Paul Robinson, Givet and Danny Murphy are players who Championship teams will "envy" to use a Steve Keanism.

Players like Etuhu could be a revelation in bringing back the bite in midfield which we sorely missed last season, but I have no faith that we won't be seeing him as a makeshift defender as Kean has already hinted at. This interesting article used logic and formations as if they are the reasons for our downfall, but there is no logic to most of the substitutions and team selections which we see. Take that infamous Spurs away match, we could have the best strikers in the world available and Kean still would have had them out of position.

[Steve Kean's Hypnotoad]

Not convinced vukcevic and rochina will be any less useless than they were last season personally. Rochina's hype was built on youth/reserve level, a point many young players fail to progress from. And vuckevic looks unable/unwilling to adapt to the English game, which he'll need to more than ever in the championship.

The rest are hit and miss, but rovers players that I look at and think "you belong in the premiership"? Being stingy, only Olsson. Robbo's shots/saves stats last season were atrocious, Dann looks like a one season wonder, Murphy is 35, etuhu was a bit part player at Fulham, and the rest to me are definitely championship standard. I think we could be in for a very rude awakening this season.

[Salgado Is A Hero]

Is even our team actually that good now though? Over the summer we've lost our 3 best players and haven't signed anyone who'll take the league by storm. To me its now just a decent championship squad, but not one you'd look at and think thats nailed on for promotion. Hanley, Marcus Olsson, Formica, Petrovic, Vukcevic, Nunes, Rochina, Goodwillie, very very mediocre players.

Not convinced vukcevic and rochina will be any less useless than they were last season personally. Rochina's hype was built on youth/reserve level, a point many young players fail to progress from. And vuckevic looks unable/unwilling to adapt to the English game, which he'll need to more than ever in the championship.

The rest are hit and miss, but rovers players that I look at and think "you belong in the premiership"? Being stingy, only Olsson. Robbo's shots/saves stats last season were atrocious, Dann looks like a one season wonder, Murphy is 35, etuhu was a bit part player at Fulham, and the rest to me are definitely championship standard. I think we could be in for a very rude awakening this season.

Hanley is very impressive for a 20 year old centre back.....he's a no-nonsense defender and shouldn't be compared to Phil Jones in that respect who could carry the ball out of defence.....still a bit raw as is 100% completely understandable for a defender of his age but has shown enough signs he will go on to become a top class centre back.....very physical as well and yet far from slow.

Marcus Olsson is poor......bring him on at the end of some games to stretch teams with his pace and drag their players out of position for others to do damage....can't see much else use for him but pace is a vital asset in any league.

Formica and Petrovic showed enough that they could be useful in the prem once given a run in the team.....a drop down in division could be very beneficial......bit harsh on Vukcevic as he barely played....especially as he impressed and gave us a different option when he did.....even helped out defensively as he's a natural winger.......if I knew he was going to be a regular starter I would bet 20 quid on him getting Championship Player of the Year.

Goodwillie and Rochina we didn't see much of either....both constantly played out of position......if for arguments sake, the C'ship is at the same standard that they played at before coming to us then they could be very useful.....Rochina's hype was bulit around his ability......wasted on the wing...needs to be up the field where he can do some real damage.

Murphy is 35 and a class act.....sits and dictates the play....don't need to be young to do that, just ask Scholes or Tugay.....needs the right CM next to him and Etuhu and him formed a great partnership in probably Fulham's best ever season when they got to the Uefa Cup final......being a bit part player at a top half Premier League side doesn't necessarily mean you aren't good enough for the Championship.

With the new signings, who knows? 5 Portuguese players, surely one of them will be useful.....a lot of the younger ones are in Portugal's youth squads and there will be a reason for that..........there will be no rude awakening for most as we all know who is managing the players and who makes them look worse mostly.....let's just hope we win in spite of Kean like the few occasions last season.

[Stuart]

The thread title needs alteration under the trade descriptions act!

[AllRoverAsia]

What's the excitement over. A pi ssed up Belgian teenager making a mess of his key broads.

[Rovermatt]

I didn't think there existed people still in favour of giving the odious Kean a chance. The man has proved himself, time and again, to entirely inadequate. How on earth could there be room for debate?

[Ozz]

Another (unrelated) interesting article.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/competitions/premier-league/9515826/Do-yourself-a-favour-and-give-Soccer-Saturday-and-Paul-Mersons-nationwide-arena-tour-a-wide-berth.html

[Uxbridge rover]

Another (unrelated) interesting article.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/competitions/premier-league/9515826/Do-yourself-a-favour-and-give-Soccer-Saturday-and-Paul-Mersons-nationwide-arena-tour-a-wide-berth.html

Brilliant !!!

[adopted scouser]

Another (unrelated) interesting article.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/competitions/premier-league/9515826/Do-yourself-a-favour-and-give-Soccer-Saturday-and-Paul-Mersons-nationwide-arena-tour-a-wide-berth.html

Brilliant

[philipl]

Another (unrelated) interesting article.

http://www.telegraph...wide-berth.html

That is brilliant!

Unlike the original article on this thread which is written by somebody whose lack of basic knowledge and understanding about football is breathtaking.

[DE.]

Another (unrelated) interesting article.

http://www.telegraph...wide-berth.html

Merson is moron-in-chief, the Grand High Moron, the Moron With The Child In His Eyes. An incontinent mouth, delivering slavering invective on seemingly very little knowledge and even less research, Merson appears to regard paid punditry as a noisy interlude between fried food breaks.

so true, "Mers" is a total imbecile. It's embarrassing to listen to him try and explain his jumbled thoughts. Charlie Nicholas and Le Tissier are sleep-inducing, too. I actually don't mind Phil Thompson, surprisingly.

[A cup of beans]

so true, "Mers" is a total imbecile. It's embarrassing to listen to him try and explain his jumbled thoughts. Charlie Nicholas and Le Tissier are sleep-inducing, too. I actually don't mind Phil Thompson, surprisingly.

Agree. The whole show irritates me these days.

The BBCs Final Score is far superior. BBC have consummate journalists who actually report on the matches, giving you an insight into whats actually happening on the pitch, whereas on SS they just shout excitedly and make little sense.

Stelling and Kamara were funny for a couple of months, but the act is tiresome.

Merson is a moron and the others smug, inarticulate and worst of all boring.

[Steve Kean's Hypnotoad]

That article had me in absolute stitches. Pretty much spot on as well. Kamara has worn thin and the pundits (apart from perhaps Le Tiss) are egotistical idiots. Stelling is the only decent thing about it. And Phil Thompson, what an annoying little Pinocchio muppet he is. Screaming like a deranged mental patient any time something happens in his game. Why does he do that? He blatantly doesn't care about Wigan v Stoke, I doubt he's being told to do it. Manic attention seeking is all I can think, another Steve Kean, a wannabee manager with a chip on his shoulder.

[DE.]

I just love seeing Thompson's face when Liverpool are losing.

raises a smile every time.

I actually think of all the pundits Thompson is the most "interesting", though admittedly that's in comparison to the other slugs on the panel. He's quite happy to put "Mers" in his place if he's being a ###### (often) and when not talking about Liverpool talks a little sense. The others barely seem to have a clue.

[Andy]

Must agree on Merson.

He must be over 40, yet speaks like (and has the vocabulary of) a 4-year-old girl.

The only person in the world who can't pronounce 'Newcastle'.

Noo-Cars-Ull