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Has to be zabaletta if you ask me.
Don't you think?
I think think guy is quality.

paulmclaren wrote:Has to be zabaletta if you ask me.
Don't you think?
I think think guy is quality.

I rate him higher than Richards. DOn't know why Hughes' chosen Micah ahead of him. But it's a long season. His time will come.

I bet de Jong isn't too happy at the moment either.

Must admit.
That Barry and Ireland midfield is quality.
What a partnership.
Barry is a very good underateed signing by us.
Ade has been awsome upfront.
When this team ticks.
Omfg.
Watch out prem :D

Micah has been quality in the last couple of games. Think Hughes has got this right so far.

Onouha for me

irblinx wrote:Onouha for me

Definitely.

I am trying to figure out between Nedum Onouha, Pablo Zabaleta and Martin Petrov, all three could and should have started today, quite what any of them have to do to get in ahead of some of the guys that are selected before them I have to scratch my head for the answer.

The players they should be replacing are: Micah Richards, Richard Dunne and Craig Bellamy......I know Bellamy came on today, but he jackshit in midweek, and jack here today also, yet Petrov scores, looked good against the best side in the World and yet gets dropped and slips down the subs pecking order behind players with very limited skill (Bellamy, de Jong).

Ned don't care how well Dunne was in last game Ned after last season deserves his spot and 1 good game by a very inconsistent player didn't give enough reason to remove his spot.

Robinho_Is_GOD wrote:I am trying to figure out between Nedum Onouha, Pablo Zabaleta and Martin Petrov, all three could and should have started today, quite what any of them have to do to get in ahead of some of the guys that are selected before them I have to scratch my head for the answer.

The players they should be replacing are: Micah Richards, Richard Dunne and Craig Bellamy......I know Bellamy came on today, but he jackshit in midweek, and jack here today also, yet Petrov scores, looked good against the best side in the World and yet gets dropped and slips down the subs pecking order behind players with very limited skill (Bellamy, de Jong).

The situation in the game, of trying to close out the game when we are ahead, meant the situation did not suit Petrov coming on....

The only other way for Petrov to get on from the start is to drop Robinho, because they play in the same position.... is that what you are suggesting ??

If we end up going deep into a cup competition this season and/or are beset by injurys, the Zabs, Neds, Petrov's of this world will come in very handy.

I thought Micah was struggling second half today...he looked unfit

IanBishopsHaircut wrote:I thought Micah was struggling second half today...he looked unfit

Hmm wasn't that superb sliding block he made to cut out Ward's cross in the last 20 minutes or so? I thought he was superb all game.

In answer to the question, it's Ned, but no way can you drop either centre half in a partnership that hasn't conceded a goal yet.

Nedum without a shadow of a doubt. In my humble opinion he was our best player after Superman in the final 4/5 months of last season and looks more than capable of holding is own, in fact he's a better all round defender than Richards, Dunne and Bridge and potentially better than Toure. With Lescott on his way, our first choice CB pairing will be Toure and Lescott, but I would love to see how our back four would perform it were to be...

Zabaletta Toure Onuoha Lescott

Onuah 100% for me

Dunnie showed again that he has poor ability when it comes to football basics yesterday for me, yes he's good at blocking but his awareness of where the ball is (or where its gonna end up when he kicks or headers it) when you compare him to toure is pretty shocking - I would like to see Bluemoons suggested back 4 get a game - looks top class to me

bluemoon wrote:Nedum without a shadow of a doubt. In my humble opinion he was our best player after Superman in the final 4/5 months of last season and looks more than capable of holding is own, in fact he's a better all round defender than Richards, Dunne and Bridge and potentially better than Toure. With Lescott on his way, our first choice CB pairing will be Toure and Lescott, but I would love to see how our back four would perform it were to be...

Zabaletta Toure Onuoha Lescott

sound post that mate and I love the look of that back four.

Both decisions to play Richards before Zabaleta and to play Dunne before Ned baffle me in equal measure.

While I think Richards will bounce back from last season, Zab should be one of the first names on the teamsheet for me. Just the kind of Fullback I like. Good at defending, aggressive, has pace and can cross the ball. I consider him to be among one of the better fullbacks in the league.

Ned on the other hand, you have got to wonder what the lad would have to do to get to line up before Dunne. Although we haven't conceded, which has been down to Given's fantastic form mostly, Dunne for me has looked really really poor. I was hoping he'd bounce back from last season and a half but he only seems to get worse. Then again Nedum came to an age in the end of the last season and was looking really assured bossing the back line. Why he isn't there really makes of scratch my head.

Niall Quinns Discopants wrote:
Ned on the other hand, you have got to wonder what the lad would have to do to get to line up before Dunne. Although we haven't conceded, which has been down to Given's fantastic form mostly, Dunne for me has looked really really poor. I was hoping he'd bounce back from last season and a half but he only seems to get worse. Then again Nedum came to an age in the end of the last season and was looking really assured bossing the back line. Why he isn't there really makes of scratch my head.

I agree that it is harsh for Zabba to be sat on the bench for the last couple of games but I do actually think it's quite good management from Hughes and he's wanted to get Micah's confidence back up (and consequently his performance levels) to what they were at his best. Zabba is a quality character so I think he'll deal with being benched in the right way (by excelling in training etc and forcing his way back in). Nedum, well I think he's more of a case of being eased back to match readiness after being injured.....I don't think Dunne would have started another game in front of him TBH.

I looked at the bench yesterday and I have to say I cannot believe the quality we had sitting there

Onuoha
Zabaleta
Petrov
Bellamy
De Jong

and that's before you even factor in people to come back from injury like

Johnson
Kompany
Santa Cruz

It is barmy....I cannot believe that we have improved to the level already that we have a really good side on the pitch and that level of quality waiting in the wings. Insane times

I'm completely unconvinced by Zabba, defensively. He's great going forward but was twice skinned alive by Celtic & rescued by RD plus had the piss taken out of him by the young lad at Barca midweek admittedly playing on the left but still desperately poor. If that had been Micah there would've been many people having a go at him on here but it hardly gets a mention when Zabba does something wrong.

Micah was often up against 2 on his own later on in the game as SWP's legs went & I'm yet to see a fullback who can look great trying to fill 2 positions. Zabba looks awful when it happens to him. He also won nearly all his headers v the various tall clones Wolves humped the ball up to & imo Zabba wouldn't have got near any of them, which would've meant lots of chances for their strikers & Wolves may have got at least a point had he played.

Imo Ned is as good or better than both of them in any position across the back 4 anyhow so he would be my choice for RB if we dropped Micah, which I don't think we should as he's got twice the potential as Zabba for a defender, is a young lad & is doing ok. Sure, Zabba's a class above coming forward but we created 10 chances without that anyway & missed them. That wasn't Micah's fault.

It's only going to get worse for Ned with Lescott comes in.

Ned & Zab for me

MaseCTID wrote:It's only going to get worse for Ned with Lescott comes in.

Ned wil get games imo. It's early days & it's not just about this season; it's about having a Chumps Lg squad for the future.