- May 26, 2004
- 4,797
- 2,139
Good Week
Zeki Fryers
Filled in fairly well in midweek, then came on at half time on sunday. With Danny Rose and Jan Vertonghen still having fitness worries, and Naughton's time at left back surely over, Fryers has a real chance to make an impression.
Ryan Frederiks
To be honest, I had not been impressed in the various cup outings/friendlies I had seen Ryan play. He looked fast, for sure, but the winger-turned-full back looked lightweight and offered little. A loan at Brentford did not really work, but on Thursday he showed drive and ambition and good dribbling skills and made an impression.
While his chances of getting into the first team are slim, and Adam Smith is more established in terms of pedigree, Ryan has given himself a good chance of a productive loan spell next month.
Shaq Coulthirst
First team debut. Enough said.
Lewis Holtby
How Holtby is not starting games given how lacklustre certain members of our midfield seem to be is beyond me. The German brings boundless energy, a relentless positivity, and the kind of attitude that has made him a fan's favourite. He plays the game how we would like to.
He took his goal very well against Anzhi, and was one of the few players to show a bit of fight on the weekend, even before we went down to ten.
Jermain Defoe
I bet JD was glad he did not play a part in that horror show. I was both surprised and not surprised to see Soldado picked ahead of him against Liverpool - evidently the Spaniard's hattrick had done enough to regain his place - and after the drubbing JD can look forward to either a new manager or a new start in Toronto. Suffice to say he won't be sending Andre a Christmas card.
Bad Week
Andre Villas-Boas
0-6 against City. 0-3 against West Ham. 0-5 against Liverpool. Ignore the red card, we were crap with eleven men - in fact I had said at half time that we looked like we were playing with ten men already!
The side looks completely disorganised, we have no game plan to win the ball from the opposition, no idea how to stop them when they attack, no clue what to do when we have the ball. At least a schoolboy side ****ing runs about a bit.
What is most alarming is the effort, lack of. It is unprofessional and it is going to cost AVB his job because if the players cannot be bothered to fight for the manager then Levy has little reason not to make a change.
I think Andre has had long enough to sort the side out. Either his tactics are wrong (how about trying something different for crying out loud??) or the players are not doing what he is asking them to do? Regardless, the solution is the same...
Daniel Levy
He made a gamble getting rid of the media's darling Harry Redknapp, and he brought back the Director of Football role. While transfers were completed, there will always be the lingering doubt that they were not what the manager really wanted (and the failure to sign Moutinho two summers ago when the side needed and still needed a true playmaker will be rued by AVB for many years to come).
It would be a big call to sack AVB, but it could be a bigger call not to.
Kyle Naughton
Feel a little for Kyle because he was not helped by Nacer Chadli's happiness in anonymity but at best he struggles as a left back, and with no natural left footer ahead of him, the left flank struggles to function as part of the team.
He has not progressed like Walker or Rose, and it would not surprise nor upset many if he was offloaded this summer.
Moussa Dembele
A frankly rank performance. Moussa used to annoy because he did not demonstrate his abilities enough, but now he is getting brushed off the ball and shanking passes. Why does he get picked ahead of Holtby?
Michael Dawson
I'm sure he is not helped by the disarray in midfield, but Dawson is getting exposed so badly that maybe AVB's first instinct was correct?
Roberto Soldado
It was great to see him grab a hattrick on Thursday, but when presented with a good sight of goal just after half time against Liverpool he blasted over when a player of his type (an out and out goal scorer) must test the keeper. I thought he was unlucky with the foul on Mignolet, but after the sad news about his wife's miscarriage football and the shellacking to Liverpool pales into insignificance. I'm sure everyone wishes all the best to Bobby and his family.
Zeki Fryers
Filled in fairly well in midweek, then came on at half time on sunday. With Danny Rose and Jan Vertonghen still having fitness worries, and Naughton's time at left back surely over, Fryers has a real chance to make an impression.
Ryan Frederiks
To be honest, I had not been impressed in the various cup outings/friendlies I had seen Ryan play. He looked fast, for sure, but the winger-turned-full back looked lightweight and offered little. A loan at Brentford did not really work, but on Thursday he showed drive and ambition and good dribbling skills and made an impression.
While his chances of getting into the first team are slim, and Adam Smith is more established in terms of pedigree, Ryan has given himself a good chance of a productive loan spell next month.
Shaq Coulthirst
First team debut. Enough said.
Lewis Holtby
How Holtby is not starting games given how lacklustre certain members of our midfield seem to be is beyond me. The German brings boundless energy, a relentless positivity, and the kind of attitude that has made him a fan's favourite. He plays the game how we would like to.
He took his goal very well against Anzhi, and was one of the few players to show a bit of fight on the weekend, even before we went down to ten.
Jermain Defoe
I bet JD was glad he did not play a part in that horror show. I was both surprised and not surprised to see Soldado picked ahead of him against Liverpool - evidently the Spaniard's hattrick had done enough to regain his place - and after the drubbing JD can look forward to either a new manager or a new start in Toronto. Suffice to say he won't be sending Andre a Christmas card.
Bad Week
Andre Villas-Boas
0-6 against City. 0-3 against West Ham. 0-5 against Liverpool. Ignore the red card, we were crap with eleven men - in fact I had said at half time that we looked like we were playing with ten men already!
The side looks completely disorganised, we have no game plan to win the ball from the opposition, no idea how to stop them when they attack, no clue what to do when we have the ball. At least a schoolboy side ****ing runs about a bit.
What is most alarming is the effort, lack of. It is unprofessional and it is going to cost AVB his job because if the players cannot be bothered to fight for the manager then Levy has little reason not to make a change.
I think Andre has had long enough to sort the side out. Either his tactics are wrong (how about trying something different for crying out loud??) or the players are not doing what he is asking them to do? Regardless, the solution is the same...
Daniel Levy
He made a gamble getting rid of the media's darling Harry Redknapp, and he brought back the Director of Football role. While transfers were completed, there will always be the lingering doubt that they were not what the manager really wanted (and the failure to sign Moutinho two summers ago when the side needed and still needed a true playmaker will be rued by AVB for many years to come).
It would be a big call to sack AVB, but it could be a bigger call not to.
Kyle Naughton
Feel a little for Kyle because he was not helped by Nacer Chadli's happiness in anonymity but at best he struggles as a left back, and with no natural left footer ahead of him, the left flank struggles to function as part of the team.
He has not progressed like Walker or Rose, and it would not surprise nor upset many if he was offloaded this summer.
Moussa Dembele
A frankly rank performance. Moussa used to annoy because he did not demonstrate his abilities enough, but now he is getting brushed off the ball and shanking passes. Why does he get picked ahead of Holtby?
Michael Dawson
I'm sure he is not helped by the disarray in midfield, but Dawson is getting exposed so badly that maybe AVB's first instinct was correct?
Roberto Soldado
It was great to see him grab a hattrick on Thursday, but when presented with a good sight of goal just after half time against Liverpool he blasted over when a player of his type (an out and out goal scorer) must test the keeper. I thought he was unlucky with the foul on Mignolet, but after the sad news about his wife's miscarriage football and the shellacking to Liverpool pales into insignificance. I'm sure everyone wishes all the best to Bobby and his family.