What I'd do

[Charl91]

Based on what? The Burnley game alone I presume?

At Middlesborough, Reading & Crystal Palace games, he has shown glimpses of the quality he produced against Burnley, but nothing that would suggest he is the best player at the club. Another flash in the pan loan player!

He hasn't been any poorer then any other of our players though. On his day he's good. He can't be blamed for the whole teams performance.

[Kitchandro]

Kamara has impressed me. Has worked hard as well, unlike some people.

[accessory]

Kamara has impressed me. Has worked hard as well, unlike some people.

So why has he been taken off in the last two games?

[MC Prussian]

I'd give you a chill pill.

[Kitchandro]

So why has he been taken off in the last two games?

Why is Bruma being picked? Why is Van Aanholt here? Why is Gradel not here? how is Andre Mariner still refereeing Premier League games?

The world is full of such questions.

[MC Prussian]

So why has he been taken off in the last two games?

Why is football played with 11 men on each side? Why is the Earth not flat? Why does a camel not fit through the ear of a needle?

Why are you so incoherent?

[The Doctor]

So why has he been taken off in the last two games?

Because he's hardly played for fulham this season and so is lacking the match practise/fitness/whatever to complete whole games?

[carterfox90]

Ricky lambert

good shout should have bought him 2 seasons ago!!!!

[Itsthejoeker]

Get rid of Vassel, have you been drinking?!

[Babylon]

I'd agree with all but a couple of them.

[Narborough_fox]

How long is it going to be until they work out have no chance at all of getting Miguel Vitor permanantly. Benfica's valuation of him is 15,000,000 euros he was only let out on loan because the club thought Sousa would help his development.

[MC Prussian]

How long is it going to be until they work out have no chance at all of getting Miguel Vitor permanantly. Benfica's valuation of him is 15,000,000 euros he was only let out on loan because the club thought Sousa would help his development.

a) Who says we can't get Vitor on a permanent this summer?

b) He's currently worth 1.5 million Euros - somewhere in there, you managed to add a zero too many

c) He was injured for a while

d) I still believe Vitor has improved since we signed him on loan

[artursteppe]

I must say, I am quite impressed with what is being said in this thread. Naughton, Mee and Vitor have been great for us and it would be marvellous to keep them. I also think Kamara is a maybe.

But let us be clear on where the real problems lay. Goalkeeper, a new quality keeper is a must. Midfield, Oakley is the strongest tackling player we have in midfield. Need I say more. Also, and this will upset a few, Wellens, King and Gallagher are not as good as people seem to think. We cannot afford to have all three in the team ( as I have been saying all season ). For me, at any one time, I would only include one of them in a starting line up!

[LAD]

How long is it going to be until they work out have no chance at all of getting Miguel Vitor permanantly. Benfica's valuation of him is 15,000,000 euros he was only let out on loan because the club thought Sousa would help his development.

agree, got no chance of signing Vitor, good young prospect who Benfica will likely want to keep, and doubt he wants to stay at leicester were apparently hes not even good enough to get into the first XI. IMO no chance of signing Naughton either, plenty of mid-table prem teams will happily take him off Tottenhams hands, too good to be playing in the championship. before the Reading game would have said Ben Mee odds on to stay here for another season on loan, but after being dropped from the squad on saturday, doubt he would want to continue playing under Sven so he'll probably go on loan to another championship contender.

Would love to see the Yak stay, but for the wages hes on hes not worth it. Kamara would be a positive signing and on his day is a difference maker. Think Mackail-Smith would be a good signing, 30 goals this season - the lad is a proven goalscorer.

IMO 2 positions need looking at, LB and CM. Van Aanholt wont be here next season and bruno berner cant cut it anymore, can we get McGivern back? and Wellens/King/Abe/Oakley been inconsistent this season, decent complete CM player would provide competition and up all their games

[lcfc_jme]

1. I'd KEEP Sven and give him at least a close season to sort-out the squad. Please note this as I can't make this more clear. He attracts players to the club, which is important.

9. I'd play 4-4-2

10. I'd keep a consistent back four, even if we lost the first two or three games

That, I agree with. As for the rest...

CMS is basically Matt Fryatt with Iain Hume's engine. Largely pointless owing to Waghorn being the same player but in stronger form. Thanks, but no thanks.

Pace in the side is all well and good, but not at the expense of footballing ability. 2 pacey wide players who can actually play football (note this is where Dyer fails) would be good in the summer. Moose and Schlupp could (and should if they're to have any future at this club) supplement these two provided Sven sees enough progress in them from their respective loan spells.

Getting rid of Oakley is pointless. I've mentioned it before, and I'll say it again now: he is never, ever, ever going to play every game for us in a season in his current state. Nor would we want him to. What he does, though, is give us experience and consistently solid (not outstanding, but not even nearly as bad as most make out) performances whilst on the field. He's competent enough to fill in when we have injuries, suspensions or need to rest players. He'd be brilliant for "younger, hungry, keen" players with relatively little experience.

If Yak and Kamara would take pay cuts, I'd keep them both. Same as I'd like to keep Mee, Naughton and Vitor even on their current wages.

Keeping Vassel is a must if we're going to play 4-4-2. He's better off playing through the middle and that's where he'd be if we played that formation. However, where Gallagher (our only real set-piece taker) would play in a 4-4-2 seeing as defending isn't his strong point and he doesn't have the pace to beat a man I don't know. Same could be said of a King-Wellens partnership if we're playing 4-4-2. Not defensively strong enough. Big problems seeing as on their day, all 3 are key players for us and worth plenty of points over the course of a season.

A new, first-choice, well-rounded goalkeeper is ESSENTIAL in the summer. With any 1 of our current 2 as back-up. No more, no less.

[bigneville]

He hasn't been any poorer then any other of our players though. On his day he's good. He can't be blamed for the whole teams performance.

I was responding to the statement that he is the best player at the club. A bold statement based upon only one game.

Kamara has impressed me. Has worked hard as well, unlike some people.

I call upon the 3rd goal at Reading evidence. He's chasing down Jimmy Kebe for about 20 metres, and then realises he isn't going to catch him (no one would catch him I know) but instead of still tracking back to cover the middle, where he could have made a massive difference in attempting to stop Noel Hunt. He stopped running. Not the work-rate of a hard-working player.

Now i'm not saying he's terrible or that he doesn't give some effort, but this guy has fantastic ability, but has failed to show it on 75% of the games he's played for us so far.

Certainly not a player I'd be wanting us to sign on a longer term basis. Give me a player with only a slice of his ability but is fully committed to the cause.

[The Doctor]

agree, got no chance of signing Vitor, good young prospect who Benfica will likely want to keep, and doubt he wants to stay at leicester were apparently hes not even good enough to get into the first XI. IMO no chance of signing Naughton either, plenty of mid-table prem teams will happily take him off Tottenhams hands, too good to be playing in the championship. before the Reading game would have said Ben Mee odds on to stay here for another season on loan, but after being dropped from the squad on saturday, doubt he would want to continue playing under Sven so he'll probably go on loan to another championship contender.

Would love to see the Yak stay, but for the wages hes on hes not worth it. Kamara would be a positive signing and on his day is a difference maker. Think Mackail-Smith would be a good signing, 30 goals this season - the lad is a proven goalscorer.

IMO 2 positions need looking at, LB and CM. Van Aanholt wont be here next season and bruno berner cant cut it anymore, can we get McGivern back? and Wellens/King/Abe/Oakley been inconsistent this season, decent complete CM player would provide competition and up all their games

In league 1, how many goals did he get in the championship last season when peterborough were up here?

Of course, and why not reunite the Ade Akinpanicbuyi and Trevor Benjiman strikeforce and get junior lewis in as midfield fulcrum?

[AlphaMaleFox]

In league 1, how many goals did he

(Craig Mackail-Smith)

get in the championship last season when peterborough were up here?

11,

not bad for poor Peterborough side, without proper service and support from midfield...

[Charl91]

I was responding to the statement that he is the best player at the club. A bold statement based upon only one game.

And I was responding to yours about him being a "flash in the pan" player. Like I said, he's had a game where he's been excellent, and a few where he's been as good as most on the pitch, so I don't think it's a fair call to write him off so early.

[bigneville]

And I was responding to yours about him being a "flash in the pan" player. Like I said, he's had a game where he's been excellent, and a few where he's been as good as most on the pitch, so I don't think it's a fair call to write him off so early.

Excluding the Burnley "flash in the pan" game. He has been nothing more than an average player really. He hasn't stood out at all and as you've mentioned he was as good as anyone on the pitch.

If he had the real quality and drive to do well he would have excelled in more than one game.

My initial argument was that he isn't the best player in the club and I fully stick to that.

I also still believe until he re-finds his Burnley game form or something similar, then that indicates he has been a flash in the pan.

[Guest Col city fan]

Thank fuck Col City Fan isn't manager then

Good analysis there..well thought out and articulated - ever been on Jezza Kyle?

[The Doctor]

Good analysis there..well thought out and articulated - ever been on Jezza Kyle?

oh, I do enjoy irony....

[Jon the Hat]

I would trust the world class football manager, who has made his living managing teams, playing football, in a professional capacity as it were to work out what is required, whilst accepting that knowing this doesn't actually mean you can achieve it even with Thai money and a lot of expertise, over my speculation and Internet forum speculative fun.

[Charl91]

Excluding the Burnley "flash in the pan" game. He has been nothing more than an average player really. He hasn't stood out at all and as you've mentioned he was as good as anyone on the pitch.

If he had the real quality and drive to do well he would have excelled in more than one game.

My initial argument was that he isn't the best player in the club and I fully stick to that.

I also still believe until he re-finds his Burnley game form or something similar, then that indicates he has been a flash in the pan.

Hmm, I still maintain it's hard to excel if no-one in the side is playing well. Each to his own opinion though I guess.

[Thracian]

I've had pelters this weekend for daring to question Sven's tactics, motivational skills and team selections. I've also been asked to 'put my money where my mouth is' so thats what I'm doing....

1. I'd KEEP Sven and give him at least a close season to sort-out the squad. Please note this as I can't make this more clear. He attracts players to the club, which is important.

2. I'd assess whether Hobbs was willing to play for Sven... if he does, then I'd bring him back and develop him into the commanding centre back I have always felt he could be. If he doesnt want to stay then I'd let him go for sure.

3. I would not fill the squad with loanee journeymen...this never seems to work well. The loan players I'd attract would be younger, keener and, most importantly, probably want to sign a longer-term contract with City

4. I would push the boat out to keep Ben Mee, Miguel Vitor and Kyle Naughton - I'd have no interest in PVA, the Yak or Kamara

5. I would sign a commanding midfield player - he would be tough physically and mentally, and I'd make him captain

6. I would not try to build a team around Oakley - though currently on form, he's not good enough for the future of the club

7. My most expensive signing would be a goal scorer - possibly a lower league player who I'd scouted to death - I'd still like to see McKail-Smith at City

8. I'd get some pace in the side - I'd play Lloyd Dyer on the left and would look for a nippy right winger.

9. I'd play 4-4-2

10. I'd keep a consistent back four, even if we lost the first two or three games - Hobbs/Vitor and Mee would be my first choice

11. I'd get rid of Howard, Ricardo, Vassell and Oakley

12. I'd get a good first choice keeper and bring back Conrad as second keeper

Thats what I'd do

Most of that makes sense although Hobbs would not be my choice of centre-back and Kamara looks to have the skills to be an excellent player. Yakuba is so frustrating. He has so much ability but so little by way of complimentary workrate. It means that, too often, if he doesn't score he's a liability - and a reason we're dropping off to defend when the opposition gets possession instead of pressing quickly and forcing early mistakes.