Certain players need to buck up or get lost. Kewell's attitude since he signed has been a disgrace. He's got alot of ability but rarely shows it. I don't know weather its confidence or lazyness, but something has to change, he's got 11 got the remaing games, he's got to play in most and play well when he plays. If not, he's got to go. Steven Gerrard, he plays when he feels like it. When he plays well, he's immense. Truely world class. But thats not often enough. 3 out of every 10 games is not good enough and going missing in big matches is also not good enough for a player of his "calibre". His attitude MUST change for the good of this club if he stays, take a note from Roy Keane's book Steven, he was well ****** off at losing to Milan. Thats the attitude to have, don't dare question your team mates or manager if you aren't doing it yourself.
The right attitude and mentallity is a massive weapon. Look at the effect it had on Everton after selling Rooney, their team spirit is immense, they haven't got the best players in the league, maybe a top 10 side in terms of ability, but there attitude has been immense this season. They've played out of there skin and it shows in the current league table. Chelsea are another example. They have the quality, probably no more than Arsenal or Man Utd in truth, but the fact they believe they are the best and play like they are unbeatable makes them what they are. They truely believe they are as good as people say, which kind of makes them that good.
Mourinho drills it into these players that they're that damn good that they start to believe it, it boosts the confidence so much and we all know what confidence does to players. For me this cockyness about Mourinho installs confidence in his players, imagine someone that confident who's won what he's won already telling you he believes in you, you're going to listen. You'd be a fool not to.
Secondly: Players
All this, players need time to settle nonsense is exactly that. You can spot class and ability a mile off. Yes tey need time to show there best, but if they don't show something straight away within two games, the chances are they never will. With Alonso and Morientes and even Garcia you could see there was quality there from the second they pulled on the shirt. Morientes brain and awareness, Alonso's passing acuracy and ability to control the pace of a game and Luis Garcia's ability to play at a high tempo with one touch passing. They all stood out straight away. Whereas Nunez and Josemi have shown.... well, i won't say nothing. But very little to suggest they are quality players.
We have in our squad maybe 5 players who are good enough and another 8 or 9 that are good enough squad players.We must strengthen this summer, but we have to bring in class, even if its only two players, they MUST be good enough to walk into the first team and improve it.
Players such as Kewell, Dudek, Traore, Baros, Smicer, Diao, Diouf, Cheyrou and Diarra i think have had there chance and failed to take it. They aren't going to win us league titles and Europian Cups. Baros has his plus points, but we have better players in Morientes, Cisse and Pongolle and backup in Le Tallec and Mellor and with him earning as much as he does and having a good sell on value i'd be willing to let him go for around the £8m mark.
We all know we need two quality wingers. So that should be the priority. They are out there, they may cost alot of money but they're out there. The ones that spring to my mind are:
Pennant
Shaun Wright-Phillips
Joseba Exterrberria
Stewart Downing
Damien Duff (maybe not but you never know)
Vicente (expensive but worth it)
Joaquin (expensive but worth it)
All of which in my mind would improve our team. I'd like to see a big name like Joaquin or Vicente brought in and a lesser player, Downing or Pennant maybe. We have to improve and we have to get the right balance aswell. Which is something we don't have.
This whole Gerrard saga is annoying me aswell. He should come out and speak his mind, if he goes, £30m and Scott Parker would be great business. If he wants to stay, he should come out and say there is no way he's leaving.
Third: The grass isn't always greener!
Lots of people here called for Houllier's head. We are no better off than we were last year. The gap to the top is still massive, we've lost the best player to pull on the shirt in the last 15 years and we now currently 5th. I understand Rafa is building, he has my support, but alot of people said how bad Houllier was for finishing fourth, well what if Rafa finishes fifth?
My point is, these people don't learn. The new scape goat seems to be a certain centre half who plays with his heart on his sleeve and gives his all everytime he plays. People forget what happened before he was here. Well i'll tell you what, watch the games before we signed him, we got an ariel bombardment and we simply fell to bits at the back with high balls and crosses. Guess who our other centre half was at the time... JAMIE CARRAGHER!!! I for one DO NOT want to go back to this. Carragher for all his qualities isn't and never will be a dominated and commanding centre half who wins 95% of his headers and can control players like Ferguson, Dublin, Shearer, etc etc. These players don't cause us that many problems because we have Sami. When do we ever conceed from a corner where its Hyypia who loses his man? NEVER! How many times is it Hyypia who wins the header from a corner we conceed? Who else apart from Morientes is now going to score goals from set peices? All teams have to worry about this year is Sami, no wonder he's been quiet. Now we have Morientes and Hyypia who both need to be watched. Also, how many times does Sami win headers of goal kicks, long balls, deep free kicks? He knows when to attack the ball, unlike Carragher, he NEVER lets the ball bounce and he very rarely mis judges a header.
Yes we need more pace, but we need a player who has the positional sense, heading ability, ability to read, intercept, dominate and control a backline like Hyypia does before we consider replacing him.
If anything he needs a partner in there with him. I don't care what anyone says, he's still a better player with more ability than Carragher, Carragher form wise has been superb, but form doesn't make you a great player. A player like Woodgate would be immense, along side Sami. With Riise, Finnan and Carragher around those two we'd have one hell of a defence.
Fourth: Losing your best player doesn't necessarily weaken your team
Self explanitory.
