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We missed clout in the middle last night and it cost us yet again. We can bang on about how great Barry and De Jong are but we should be playing more than 1 DM. We need a great CAM and Ireland has gone off the deep end this season not to mention his terrible injury record of top of it. I honestly think if we had somebody of Irelands quality from last season playing last night we would have won that game by a fair few as we had the most possession and shots on goal. But relying on wingers obviously isn't working anymore everybodys got our number and we cannot change it up as our middle is a bunch of defensive mid fielders.

Forget Champions League this season to be fair most players will have world cup on there minds right now anyways and I think we proved we mix it with the best teams it which might be enough to tempt the best to come here still and help us net CL next year. I am just happy we can win away this season something we clearly couldn't do last season.

Should be NUMBER ONE on the shopping list. No, in fact make that proper playmaker. Someone in the mould of Gerrard, Lampard etc. That is the number one priority this summer. Everything else come second.

I don't mind having a 'playmaker' in the squad but if our wide players & fullbacks could actually cross the ball & our centre forward could get on the end of it we wouldn't need one.

Someone like Gerrard would of course make a difference as he gets out wide & delivers great balls as well as all the other stuff but if you compare the rags, Chelsea, Spurs, Villa, Everton, to us; they all get great balls into the box, low & high, near post & far post. A lot of the goals we concede, we would never have scored if it was the other way around because we NEVER get any quality into the box & if we did, no one would be on the end of it.

I'm not against signing any kind of creative player but we need to accept that we have a problem with both fullbacks & both wide positions. It's ok having Bellamy, a striker, playing out wide if Bridge, Johnson & Zabba get great balls in but they don't.

We won't win the Premier league until we sort that out & imo it's even more important than having a 'playmaker' as some teams will stop him playing & we'll be back to the same situation where we need crosses. Arsenal have a similar problem.

I feel that we are literally only 1 player away from challenging for the top.

A midfield playmaker a la Eyal or Ali to make us tick AS A TEAM. We have some great individual talent, but right now that's all it is.

We should be going all out for Joe Cole.

Ted Hughes wrote:I don't mind having a 'playmaker' in the squad but if our wide players & fullbacks could actually cross the ball & our centre forward could get on the end of it we wouldn't need one.

Someone like Gerrard would of course make a difference as he gets out wide & delivers great balls as well as all the other stuff but if you compare the rags, Chelsea, Spurs, Villa, Everton, to us; they all get great balls into the box, low & high, near post & far post. A lot of the goals we concede, we would never have scored if it was the other way around because we NEVER get any quality into the box & if we did, no one would be on the end of it.

I'm not against signing any kind of creative player but we need to accept that we have a problem with both fullbacks & both wide positions. It's ok having Bellamy, a striker, playing out wide if Bridge, Johnson & Zabba get great balls in but they don't.

We won't win the Premier league until we sort that out & imo it's even more important than having a 'playmaker' as some teams will stop him playing & we'll be back to the same situation where we need crosses. Arsenal have a similar problem.

Couldn't agree more. The reason we sit there thinking every time Spurs got an attack they'd score is because of 3 people - Lennon, Bale and Crouch. And every time we got an attack you knew it would eventually end up in a shot from outside the box is because we haven't got a striker who makes runs into the box. Johnson can cross, Bellers can cross, SWP is on the bench where his crossing ability is best. Adebayor prefers to dolly around in the centre circle.

Can we get Zabba crossing lessons aswell please?

He cant cross the road nevermind the ball.

lets all have a disco wrote:Can we get Zabba crossing lessons aswell please?

He cant cross the road nevermind the ball.

id prefer if we just sold him. he is shite.

lets all have a disco wrote:Can we get Zabba crossing lessons aswell please?

He cant cross the road nevermind the ball.

Bridge is worse though. Has he put single cross in the danger area this season. They always either float out or completely misses our strikers heads flying over them. Zabba has at least put two or three very decent crosses in this season. Bridge none.

Joe Cole would help as a playmaker, and a man who can split a defence but we need a box to box general who can dictate things for us and be a threat or a factor in both his own box, and the oppositions.

We need a Vieira of 10 years ago, a McMahon in his pomp at Liverpool, dare I say it a Keane who is not only a great player but a leader. We have too many defensive role players in the middle sat on top of the back 4, and as a squad too many Indians and not enough chiefs.

Find this player, pay him whatever and make it happen City. And whilst doing so pension off Vieira please as hes done.

Goaters 103 wrote:Joe Cole would help as a playmaker, and a man who can split a defence but we need a box to box general who can dictate things for us and be a threat or a factor in both his own box, and the oppositions.
We need a Vieira of 10 years ago, a McMahon in his pomp at Liverpool, dare I say it a Keane who is not only a great player but a leader. We have too many defensive role players in the middle sat on top of the back 4, and as a squad too many Indians and not enough chiefs.

Find this player, pay him whatever and make it happen City. And whilst doing so pension off Vieira please as hes done.

I fully 100% agree with that. We need proper midfield general. And a leader. Someone who will raise his hand up when going gets though and lead the team on the field. Preferably this player would be skipper as well.

Forget Di Maria's and rest of them fannies. We already have enough of those. We need leaders and WINNERS to lead us. No expenses should be spared trying to find one.

Goaters 103 wrote:Joe Cole would help as a playmaker, and a man who can split a defence but we need a box to box general who can dictate things for us and be a threat or a factor in both his own box, and the oppositions.

We need a Vieira of 10 years ago, a McMahon in his pomp at Liverpool, dare I say it a Keane who is not only a great player but a leader. We have too many defensive role players in the middle sat on top of the back 4, and as a squad too many Indians and not enough chiefs.

Find this player, pay him whatever and make it happen City. And whilst doing so pension off Vieira please as hes done.

He currently plays for Roma and is called Daniele De Rossi.

CityGer wrote:

Goaters 103 wrote:Joe Cole would help as a playmaker, and a man who can split a defence but we need a box to box general who can dictate things for us and be a threat or a factor in both his own box, and the oppositions.

We need a Vieira of 10 years ago, a McMahon in his pomp at Liverpool, dare I say it a Keane who is not only a great player but a leader. We have too many defensive role players in the middle sat on top of the back 4, and as a squad too many Indians and not enough chiefs.

Find this player, pay him whatever and make it happen City. And whilst doing so pension off Vieira please as hes done.

He currently plays for Roma and is called Daniele De Rossi.

He'll never leave Rome though. Certainly not for us.

But yes, that's the sort of player we need to after in anger.

Niall Quinns Discopants wrote:

CityGer wrote:

Goaters 103 wrote:Joe Cole would help as a playmaker, and a man who can split a defence but we need a box to box general who can dictate things for us and be a threat or a factor in both his own box, and the oppositions.

We need a Vieira of 10 years ago, a McMahon in his pomp at Liverpool, dare I say it a Keane who is not only a great player but a leader. We have too many defensive role players in the middle sat on top of the back 4, and as a squad too many Indians and not enough chiefs.

Find this player, pay him whatever and make it happen City. And whilst doing so pension off Vieira please as hes done.

He currently plays for Roma and is called Daniele De Rossi.

He'll never leave Rome though. Certainly not for us.

But yes, that's the sort of player we need to after in anger.

I dont claim to know who or where this player is but he is out there and its City's job to find him, pay whatever is needed for him and get him in. Oh and for the record this player isnt James Milner either - methinks his season may prove to be a Stephen Ireland one, ie one really good one in 5.

Goaters 103 wrote:

Niall Quinns Discopants wrote:

CityGer wrote:

Goaters 103 wrote:Joe Cole would help as a playmaker, and a man who can split a defence but we need a box to box general who can dictate things for us and be a threat or a factor in both his own box, and the oppositions.

We need a Vieira of 10 years ago, a McMahon in his pomp at Liverpool, dare I say it a Keane who is not only a great player but a leader. We have too many defensive role players in the middle sat on top of the back 4, and as a squad too many Indians and not enough chiefs.

Find this player, pay him whatever and make it happen City. And whilst doing so pension off Vieira please as hes done.

He currently plays for Roma and is called Daniele De Rossi.

He'll never leave Rome though. Certainly not for us.

But yes, that's the sort of player we need to after in anger.

I dont claim to know who or where this player is but he is out there and its City's job to find him, pay whatever is needed for him and get him in. Oh and for the record this player isnt James Milner either - methinks his season may prove to be a Stephen Ireland one, ie one really good one in 5.

I agree that's the kind of player we need, perhaps two of them. I thought Barry & DeJong were doing a great job last night BUT imagine if you replaced them with K**** & I*ce at their best or Bryan Ro***n. Would we still have lost?

I'm not sure Gago would be the answer either but he'd be an improvement on Vieira in that role. We need power & height as well as ability though imo.

I don't mind us also having a fairy playmaker in the squad as long as he's more of the quality of Ronaldinho rather than Elano.

I'm hoping that we'll have better luck with injuries next season especially in defence. The left back position desperately needs addressing. Bridge cannot defend and would probably be better suited to a similar role as Gareth Bale. Having Hart back should prevent the sort of problem we've had recently and i'd like to see him start ahead of Given. Hopefully Lescott and Kompany can form a decent partnership in the middle.

Attackwise I agree about needing an attacking midfielder. Tevez works hard enough without having to drop deep to get the ball. He also needs help up front. I've not been impressed with Adebayor. He spends half his time out wide and is usually M.I.A when any quality balls are played into the box. He also seems slow to react and is often caught on his heels.

I think it's gonna be a busy summer again but hopefully, the time the players have had together and a fit Tevez from the word go will see us into that top 4 next season.

All missing the point here. A decent AM would face the same problem Ireland has faced this season - the part of the pitch he would operate in is already occupied by our main striker! As long as Tevez is in the side then an AM is not an option. A "proper" out and out striker in front of him might be more of a solution.

Socrates wrote:All missing the point here. A decent AM would face the same problem Ireland has faced this season - the part of the pitch he would operate in is already occupied by our main striker! As long as Tevez is in the side then an AM is not an option. A "proper" out and out striker in front of him might be more of a solution.

We aren't missing the point at all. Tevez often has to drop off to try to play a link role that a decent box to box midfielder would do. Ireland isn't this player either - yes he can be a creative player in the final third, but he isn't a player who tracks a runner 40 yards and makes crucial tackles inside his own box as well. We need the prototype box to box player as priority number 1, 1a and 1aa this summer. Without him our side is unbalanced, as it has been for most of this year.

Goaters 103 wrote:

Socrates wrote:All missing the point here. A decent AM would face the same problem Ireland has faced this season - the part of the pitch he would operate in is already occupied by our main striker! As long as Tevez is in the side then an AM is not an option. A "proper" out and out striker in front of him might be more of a solution.

We aren't missing the point at all. Tevez often has to drop off to try to play a link role that a decent box to box midfielder would do. Ireland isn't this player either - yes he can be a creative player in the final third, but he isn't a player who tracks a runner 40 yards and makes crucial tackles inside his own box as well. We need the prototype box to box player as priority number 1, 1a and 1aa this summer. Without him our side is unbalanced, as it has been for most of this year.

Tevez plays that way WHATEVER. When Ireland was there he did exactly the same thing, he forces the midfield back! He is a very good and effective player but is a brainless one and we need to build the team around the way he plays - something Sir BaconFace refused to do and the reason he wasn't such a success as the Swamp.

Socrates wrote:

Goaters 103 wrote:

Socrates wrote:All missing the point here. A decent AM would face the same problem Ireland has faced this season - the part of the pitch he would operate in is already occupied by our main striker! As long as Tevez is in the side then an AM is not an option. A "proper" out and out striker in front of him might be more of a solution.

We aren't missing the point at all. Tevez often has to drop off to try to play a link role that a decent box to box midfielder would do. Ireland isn't this player either - yes he can be a creative player in the final third, but he isn't a player who tracks a runner 40 yards and makes crucial tackles inside his own box as well. We need the prototype box to box player as priority number 1, 1a and 1aa this summer. Without him our side is unbalanced, as it has been for most of this year.

Tevez plays that way WHATEVER. When Ireland was there he did exactly the same thing, he forces the midfield back! He is a very good and effective player but is a brainless one and we need to build the team around the way he plays - something Sir BaconFace refused to do and the reason he wasn't such a success as the Swamp.

You are spot on this time Socrates!

I dont claim to know who or where this player is but he is out there and its City's job to find him, pay whatever is needed for him and get him in. Oh and for the record this player isnt James Milner either - methinks his season may prove to be a Stephen Ireland one, ie one really good one in 5.[/quote]

I agree that's the kind of player we need, perhaps two of them. I thought Barry & DeJong were doing a great job last night BUT imagine if you replaced them with K**** & I*ce at their best or Bryan Ro***n. Would we still have lost?

I'm not sure Gago would be the answer either but he'd be an improvement on Vieira in that role. We need power & height as well as ability though imo.

I don't mind us also having a fairy playmaker in the squad as long as he's more of the quality of Ronaldinho rather than Elano.[/quote]

I agree entirely that 2 midfielders in the De Rossi/Essien/Keane mould are essential. As said above, city need to find this player or spend a lot of money to try and buy an established player. A fully fit Michael Johnson could fill one of the roles but there's still a gamble there.

Also, a centre forward who does most of his best work inside the box and not down the flanks or in midfield. No point playing 2 wide men and them having nothing to aim at.

Other than that, wingers on their natural wings, work on delivery and overall fitness.

We're not in a false position, we're 5th and not a million miles off.