Soldado and Lamela, the elephant in the room.

[tttcowan]

There's lots of posts on here about how we should of done things differently. We lost by 4 goals at home so that's no surprise really. I also understand if Sherwoods trying to get us used to playing a certain way and understand if he didn't want to go ultra defensive which is probably what was necessary in that game. Would Capoue as an extra man in there made the difference, we'll never know. There were a number of poor performances in there so I wouldn't be surprised if it had made no difference at all. To be frank I think if our players didn't turn up which they didn't and manchester city did which they did we were always in for a schooling.

What worries me more is now, at the end of January, is our record breaking signings, both of them are nowhere to be seen. Regardless of how naturally gifted they are it's just pretty worrying isn't it... I still have hope but if you'd told me in the summer that we'd be in this situation with them both at this time of the season i'd be pretty gutted...

 

[yido_number1]

One's been injured a lot and the other has still won us a lot of points from the penalty spot... I do wish we'd gone all out for Benteke instead of Soldado but I'm sure he will show his class at some point.

Lamela is a strange one but he clearly needs to adjust and get his body right. Modric looked very similar in his first season so hopefully Lamela can improve as much.

 

[MarkyP]

Lamela is injured. When fit, under Sherwood, has been in the team / match day squad.

 

[TaoistMonkey]

Lamela is injured. When fit, under Sherwood, has been in the team / match day squad.

Wish I could believe that

 

[0-Tibsy-0]

Wish I could believe that

Those god damn fatigued thighs, worse than the plague. It's an epidemic I tell you!

 

[Rout-Ledge]

The fact is we've spent over £50m on two players who've barely made an impact. Unthinkable for a club of our limited spending power really. What a cock up.

 

[TaoistMonkey]

The fact is we've spent over £50m on two players who've barely made an impact. Unthinkable for a club of our limited spending power really. What a cock up.

I don't think signing them was the cock up. I bet we woo'd the shit out of them. Then we did a "Spurs".

 

[0-Tibsy-0]

The fact is we've spent over £50m on two players who've barely made an impact. Unthinkable for a club of our limited spending power really. What a cock up.

This would make more sense if either manager had given our most naturally talented attacking midfield/wide player any decent extended opportunity.

 

[tttcowan]

The fact is we've spent over £50m on two players who've barely made an impact. Unthinkable for a club of our limited spending power really. What a cock up.

I imagine that's the way Joe Lewis is looking at it... Will be interesting to see if there are any repercussions if neither start performing.

 

[teok]

Pretty disheartening situation all round. Really hope lamela can get over this "injury" soon. He isn't going to get used to the premiership sitting around in his house.

 

[FinnYid]

Wish I could believe that

Any reason why you can't?

 

[mpickard2087]

This is why a club in our position would be much better getting in place the best scouting network it can and picking up these players for £5-10m before they hit their peak. Do well they help us succeed and the worst that happens is they get sold for a big profit, if they struggle we haven't lost much.

 

[absolute bobbins]

This is why a club in our position would be much better getting in place the best scouting network it can and picking up these players for £5-10m before they hit their peak. Do well they help us succeed and the worst that happens is they get sold for a big profit, if they struggle we haven't lost much.

Lamela hasn't hit a peak in terms of ability or value, he's 21 but we're a bunch of morons (as a club)...the kid needs game time like Paulinho got (as he stated in that interview). Townsend should either have played on the left or not played at all in favour of Lamela.

If we'd done that, we would probably have a pretty well adjusted player now, on the precipice of ripping it up, AVB has to shoulder a lot of blame for that and if it continues then Tim will deserve just as much.

 

[hodsgod]

This would make more sense if either manager had given our most naturally talented attacking midfield/wide player any decent extended opportunity.

Lamela had plenty of opportunities against dynamo dollop, and he didn't exactly set the world alight.

I think we need to see him play for an extended period before we can describe him the way you do, and I have been saying this since the day he signed. We just don't know how good he is yet. Playing against poor teams in Italy is no yardstick for the premier league.

 

[mpickard2087]

Lamela hasn't hit a peak in terms of ability or value, he's 21 but we're a bunch of morons (as a club)...the kid needs game time like Paulinho got (as he stated in that interview). Townsend should either have played on the left or not played at all in favour of Lamela.

If we'd done that, we would probably have a pretty well adjusted player now, on the precipice of ripping it up, AVB has to shoulder a lot of blame for that and if it continues then Tim will deserve just as much.

He hasn't been given a fair crack, instinct (and I'm hopefully wrong) is he isn't right for this league though. His problem is that he tries to glide past people at walking pace and that doesn't cut it over here really. Must get quicker, although I appreciate he can only learn through game time.

 

[teok]

Lamela had plenty of opportunities against dynamo dollop, and he didn't exactly set the world alight.

I think we need to see him play for an extended period before we can describe him the way you do, and I have been saying this since the day he signed. We just don't know how good he is yet. Playing against poor teams in Italy is no yardstick for the premier league.

Yeah you are right, serie A is just of full of pub teams. Let's ship him out too west ham for £20k and get some proper english lads in before the window shuts.

 

[absolute bobbins]

He is quick though, as I said you can get only so much from watching games, he really needs another 1300 premier league minutes before we can begin to start saying he isn't suited

 

[hodsgod]

Yeah you are right, serie A is just of full of pub teams. Let's ship him out too west ham for £20k and get some proper english lads in before the window shuts.

They aren't at the level of England, Germany and Spain that's certain. It's a different style, no guarantee that a player can make it in both styles. What has getting English lads in got to do with my original post?

 

[JerryGarcia]

Soldado was in the team and playing faily well without getting loads of goals, Tim said he was rested against Swansea but against City I don't believe there was any option but to leave him on the bench and play with one striker (had to be Ade). I fully expect him to be straight back in the first team now though, there's no reason why we can't play two up top against Hull.

Lamela still needs a run in the team, there's still plenty of time for him to come good.

 

[Bobbins]

The fact is we've spent over £50m on two players who've barely made an impact. Unthinkable for a club of our limited spending power really. What a cock up.

I'd say the problem is we've spent over £50m on two players who we've then done our very best to avoid playing and isolate as much as possible.

The club's a joke. I don't think any other club could fuck up signing two of Europe's brightest talents like we have.