by Original Dub » Mon Aug 24, 2009 11:42 am
I don't really think any player has been unlucky to be dropped so far. Bellamy was a vast improvement on Robinho at Ewood park and caused more problems for them in his 20 mins than Robinho did for his hour or so IMO.
That said, if Hughes dropped Robinho for our first home game, knowing how good his home form generally is and the fans backlash, there wouldn't be many in agreement. The same can be said for Petrov in this case.
As for saying one of the defence should be replaced... we haven't conceded a goal yet and while folk will always look for the one player that saved us in each game, a defence is a unit that includes all four defenders and the goalkeeper. If as a unit we are not conceding it means they are building up an understanding of how to play together.
Every team we play will have one or two chances, that's what happens in football, even to the very best teams in the world... one player will make a slight slip and the goalkeeper will be tested. That's why we have a quality goalkeeper. But to say Shay has saved us for both games is a bit of an overstatement, because without some of the blocks and defensive headers in front of him, his position could have been a lot more precarious.
Some of the views on Ned I can understand to a certain degree. He had a pretty good season last year considering the rest of the defence was so shit... but is that not the same view on why we thought Dunne has been seen to be so good in the years before?
I think Ned has the credentials to be a top defender, but until we concede I don't think we should be making too many changes, bearing in mind Lescott will not be sitting on the bench for 20 odd million.
If some on here had their way, a defence that has not let ONE goal in yet should have three changes made to it, with Lescott, Ned and Zabaletta coming in?
Madness.