Does Nicola Cortese's dream .....

[Saint Charlie]

No chance. He'll go abroad.

 

Actually, thinking about it further. If Cortese had any kind of dream and ambition do you not think that he'd have signed better players than the **** we've signed this year?

 

Think NC has demonstrated a decent amount of ambition with the signings - one of whom was 8m more than our record signing prior to this summer.

[tajjuk]

I was at the game (yawn) and thought AOC was our best player by far. More galling were the likes of Cleverley whose every pass was so, so predictable - like years of coaching have taken any ounce of flair or imagination away. That is like so many English midfielders - they become quite good at doing the expected, and why we are so easy to defend against.

 

Cleverley would play a pass to someone and then sprint forward because thats what he was coached to do (pass and mvoe) but with no intention of being available for the next ball - instead just moving in straight lines.

 

At least NA keeps talking about getting us to "play between the lines" and we have some players ie Lallana who do this really well - drifting into good positions (and Lallana has the flair to do the unexpected occassionally) but you only had to see Ramirez vs Villa to see that he is the type of player England just don't produce - likewise David Silva, Cazorla etc.

 

The reason - they play the same pass they did in the school playground 10-15 years ago - the natural, instinctive, creative one - rather than the one the coach said to when you get the ball in x position.

 

Nearly all Silva, Cazorla, Fabregas, Iniesta, Xavi etc's best work comes out of little 5-10 yard passes - apart from they are played in the opposite direction/angle/time to what is the norm.

 

England tried to play like that vs San Marino and kept getting the ball stuck under foot.

 

Sadly true, the likes of Barcelona work on control and passing under pressure, they play huge amounts of piggy in the middle style games where first touch, playing with head up and finding space is crucial. Typical english youth team players concentrate too much on fitness, strength and games, it's all about winning whereas the foreign players it's all about individual skill and mentality. Hopefully though the focus at our club through all youth teams is emphasising these skills and sharing ideas/linking/learning from clubs like Barcelona can only benefit our youth players.

[Saint Charlie]

Sadly true, the likes of Barcelona work on control and passing under pressure, they play huge amounts of piggy in the middle style games where first touch, playing with head up and finding space is crucial. Typical english youth team players concentrate too much on fitness, strength and games, it's all about winning whereas the foreign players it's all about individual skill and mentality. Hopefully though the focus at our club through all youth teams is emphasising these skills and sharing ideas/linking/learning from clubs like Barcelona can only benefit our youth players.

 

Hopefully - you can't have a team full of "mavericks" anyway - but the odd one or two will only help your chances of breaking down a defence.

 

I think we have young players in this style - but imagine it is coached out of them - or they don't adapt to rigid formations etc.

[Village Saint]

Maybe we should also turn down signing Messi on a free transfer in a few years time, if he is over 30.

 

There is a huge difference between Messi - the ultimate team player - who is prepared to share the glory around, support his team-mates etc - and Mr Selfish Are459e who, however good he is, would not be an asset in a team of young guys needing that support. Cole is one of a (hopefully dieing) breed of players who came through when the first really big money came in who really don't care about the game, the other people in it or indeed anyone but themselves. They have all grown rich on the game and given nothing back. In fact they think they are bigger than the game so why should they. They are not all Chelsea defenders but there have been a few in recent England tournament squads and it is their big time Charlie attitudes that have led to England underperforming not the inclusion of hapless individuals like Stewart Downing, who have at least given their mediocre best. The England team will only pick-up when they have been finally cleared out from the squad. As for Cashely in a Saints shirt it will hopefully never happen but I would certainly seriously think about never going again if it did.

[Turkish]

If we want a chocice we can get one from Sainsburys

[david in sweden]

well I think many of you have made your point.

 

Of course being 1000 miles away from the homeland does mean that not all of the inside chat in English football makes it past Heathrow, but I think I get your drift.

 

Perhaps AC isn't the best example........however, even those of you who were most rude about the OP avoided blashemy - so thx for that.

[LostBoys]

Cole is a world class player and a world class knob and this is one of the worst posts this year.

[lordswoodsaints]

I think Nicola has a few dreams,most of which cannot be achieved at this point and its raising expectations with the fans and causing discontent and adding to the pressure on Adkins......although I like NC he really should keep his dreams to himself unless he can guarantee the outcome or get a team and manager that can fulfill his dreams.

[Wes Tender]

I think Nicola has a few dreams,most of which cannot be achieved at this point and its raising expectations with the fans and causing discontent and adding to the pressure on Adkins......although I like NC he really should keep his dreams to himself unless he can guarantee the outcome or get a team and manager that can fulfill his dreams.

 

Dreams? Or aims and ambitions? So he should keep these ambitions to himself and not tell his manager, the players or the fans? Right.

 

Adkins has to know what is expected of him, or else how does he plan for it?

 

As for the fans, most will appreciate that the people who run our club have such high expectations of where they want us to be in the future. Where exactly is the discontent of which you speak?

 

Was that always your little bit of philosophy as your location, or did you change it just to make it ironic for that post?

[david in sweden]

Cole is a world class player and a world class knob and this is one of the worst posts this year.[/QUOTE]

 

the question I set on the OP was a hypothetical as Cortese had previously been quoted as saying that he couldn't see why we wouldn't (at some time) sign a player with 100K salary !

 

Whether it's Cole.. or not (the first name that came to mind) is purely immaterial. However, most other posters seem to agree that he is not a good example, and I accept that.

 

btw ...what's YOUR worst post of the year ?