Take away the pens and free kicks....

[Negative_Jeff]

Just had a chat with Brian, apparantly he was sick and tired of having to set the team up in this 4-2-3-1 just to suit Gylfi.
The other thing with having such a talented player meant we were too inclined to play the occasional bit of football.
Watch us go now that we can get back to some genuine direct stuff and this is where Harte comes in. There`s nobody better at pinging those 60 yarders down that left channel in the general direction of Shane Long.
Brian has also looked back in history and decided it`s about time somebody tried to emulate Lawrie MacMenemy. Big Lol won the FA Cup in 1976 at Southampton with the oldest team ever. Just two more signings over the age of 30 should do the trick.

[Wax Jacket]

He picked out passes nobody else would see. He tried through balls rather than the long ball. He could get past players with ease.

Hang about...

When Matejovsky did that for us, everyone hated him.

Reading fans in being absolute pfucking morons shocker

[Riskit for a biscuit]

......that Sig scored for us, was he actually that much better than what we already have?.

Yes he was.

[marcusopp]

......that Sig scored for us, was he actually that much better than what we already have?.

Yes he was.

No question we've lost a great young player. If we didn't sell him, he'd eventually have become p1ssed off and upset the squad.
We've got good players in his position (Howard and Tabb), but not a great deal of cover now (Karacan).
Not sure if Gunnarson can still do centre mid every week.
I wonder who the failed signing was........

[Victor Meldrew]

......that Sig scored for us, was he actually that much better than what we already have?

He was good im not denying that but at £6m he wasn't THAT good

Ian Harte will bang in the free kicks and pens for us now, hopefully it will also allow Howard to get forward more which i believe is his better position - defensively he's shaky.

The idea that all we have to do is give the ball to Harte and he will just smash in free-kicks and penalties so we won't miss Gylfi is laughable.
Presumably (if he gets a game) Harte will take corners and free-kicks from our right-that was fine for the likes of Shorey who was young enough to get back in position but Harte is 33 and has never been quick.
I prefer left-backs to defend and free-kicks should be within the remit of our more forward players.

As for some of the posters saying Gylfi is not THAT good-he has the poise and movement of a top player and makes time for himself with his great control and first touch.
The only reason I can think why he hasn't gone to a Premier League club in England is because he doesn't have great pace,something that Premier League clubs now seem to see as essential.
A modern-day Neil Webb who will be missed but at least (unlike with Webb at £80,000) we have got the sort of price that reflects his ability..

[Millsy]

The only reason I can think why he hasn't gone to a Premier League club in England is because he doesn't have great pace,something that Premier League clubs now seem to see as essential.
A modern-day Neil Webb who will be missed but at least (unlike with Webb at £80,000) we have got the sort of price that reflects his ability..

Watch it. You'll get lynched by those who believe the BundesLOLiga was a better move.

[TBM]

I was simply saying that Sig delivered a cracking free kick/penalty and that Ian Harte is just as good, if not better than Sig at doing the same.

We will see

Where's that smug smiley?

[Snowball]

.

Ian Harte will bang in the free kicks and pens for us now, hopefully it will also allow Howard to get forward more which i believe is his better position - defensively he's shaky.

The idea that all we have to do is give the ball to Harte and he will just smash in free-kicks and penalties so we won't miss Gylfi is laughable.
Presumably (if he gets a game) Harte will take corners and free-kicks from our right-that was fine for the likes of Shorey who was young enough to get back in position but Harte is 33 and has never been quick.
I prefer left-backs to defend and free-kicks should be within the remit of our more forward players.

Oh, dear, Victor.

5 Times in team of the Week (5/12)

Scored 5 goals in 15 games

Two goals at least scored from his corners
One goal at least scored from his free-kicks

That's 6 out of the 17 goals since he's joined us, and two at Carlisle.


And, as yet, we have not conceded a SINGLE goal (9 conceded in 10 games) from our corner where Harte has been caught upfield.

[cmonurz]

Seriously Snowball, and I post this out of kindness - don't take the route with Ian Harte that you did with Shane Long. You've made this point on other threads already, stop spamming.

[Snowball]

Gylfi was a GREAT player, but other players DO step up, as I predicted.

Just as Viera went from Arsenal and made room for Fabregas to break through

HOWARD in particular, has stepped up. He has already had 5 official assists in 10 (1) appearances, whereas last season, that was how many he managed in 33 (6)

So he is performing THREE TIMES better (and then some) (could do with a goal, though)

Last season Gyfli had 9+1 assists in 38 (5) games, an assist every 4 games. Howard, this season is doing twice as well, an assist every two games.

So Howard is making goals as well as Gylfi did.

Harte is scoring from free-kicks as well as Gylfi did. (2 FCs in 9 games, on target for 10 Free-Kick goals per season. Gylfi scored just THREE FCs in 38 (5)

Here's an Unfair Stat.

After 14 games last year we were 22nd with a GD of -12
After 14 games this year we are 6th with a GD of +8

A Fairer Stat

Last Season (Gyfli's Year) we scored 68 and conceded 63 = (per game) 1.47 goals for 1.37 against

This season we have scored 22 and conceded 14 (in 14 games= = (per game) 1.57 goals for 1.00 goals against


1.47 goals for 1.37 goals against
1.57 goals for 1.00 goals against

Not much of a difference? It IS, big time! Last season's GD was just 5 goals. This season, already on 8, we are on target for .57 times 46 = + 26 Goals


Take virtually any indicator you like, League position higher, goal-scoring higher, goals conceded lower, free-kicks (scoring more), total assists, more.

Now we are a TEAM and don't rely on one player, and we are doing better!

[Motown]

I hardly ever post on here, just pop in to have a read, but even tempted to give up with that as all I ever see is you spouting off your poxy sodding statistics, just a bunch of numbers that prove absolutely nothing except that you need to get out more!

When has a statistic ever won us a game??!!

Can tell that everyone else is getting narked off with it now too as less and less proper discussions going on as everyone has given up as you keep hijacking every thread

[Vision]

Nothing to do with Gylfi or any individual players but we weren't a team this time last season because the then manager thought it was still pre-season and was experimenting.

EDIT. Not really relevant but am not convinced Arsenal are a better team since Vieira left in 05. Certainly the trophy cabinet would suggest thats not entirely true.

[Snowball]

Nothing to do with Gylfi or any individual players but we weren't a team this time last season because the then manager thought it was still pre-season and was experimenting.

Totally agree, Vish, which is why I used the season's figures rather than the "unfair" 14 v 14
but if you REMOVE those first 14 games last year, then we'd've had a GD of +17, still not as
good as we are doing this year. We aren't doing better because Gylfi is gone, but because
we have sorted out and settled the defence by bringing in Harte and Zurab and signing Griffin.

And Howard is getting more responsibility and taking it, ditto Karacan and Kebe.

We managed (well) letting a great player go. We'll manage just as well if Kebe goes in January.

[Snowball]

When has a statistic ever won us a game??!!

Every tiime the statistic goals for exceeds the statistic goals against

as you keep hijacking every thread

Not true. I tend to post 80-90% of my posts in those threads where a player (or manager) is attacked.

Long, Kebe, Harte threads probably account for 50% of all my posts, and my daily average is 4 post/day less than cmonurz.

It's just my stuff is concentrated into an area and a time-space.

[Vision]

Nothing to do with Gylfi or any individual players but we weren't a team this time last season because the then manager thought it was still pre-season and was experimenting.

Totally agree, Vish, which is why I used the season's figures rather than the "unfair" 14 v 14
but if you REMOVE those first 14 games last year, then we'd've had a GD of +17, still not as
good as we are doing this year. We aren't doing better because Gylfi is gone, but because
we have sorted out and settled the defence by bringing in Harte and Zurab and signing Griffin.

And Howard is getting more responsibility and taking it, ditto Karacan and Kebe.

We managed (well) letting a great player go. We'll manage just as well if Kebe goes in January.

Its a bit early to say we've managed. Its fair to say we're managing at the moment.

Like you I'm not one that really harps on about the loss of individuals but I'd reserve judgement until the end of the season before saying we're a better team.

[loyalroyal4life]

His last goal for us says it all. Could you see Long, Church or Howard have the audacity to score a goal like that?

[Wimb]

Harte has scored 2 very good free kicks for us and the 1 penalty he was asked to take was taken very well, so he's defiantly been a good asset. I'd still question some of the corners though, they don't have the potency that some previous corner kick takers have had but we've still scored a goal or 2 from them so it's not that bad.

If you're asking me if the Sig would improve this team then it's not really a debate as only Tabb away at Burnley has come close to making the impact in 'the hole' that Gylfi has. That being said his sale let us add Kizi and Harte and allow room in the budget for a striker come January so overall I think it'll closer to being even depending on who we bring in.

[Snowball]

Harte has scored 2 very good free kicks for us and the 1 penalty he was asked to take was taken very well, so he's (definitely) been a good asset. I'd still question some of the corners though, they don't have the potency that some previous corner kick takers have had but we've still scored a goal or 2 from them so it's not that bad.

I think to have scored three and been a major part of at least three more (6 out of 17) is very good, really,
and the defence is a lot more sound over the last 10 games, even when you include the twice we let in 3)
With those we are better by about 12 goals less-conceded per season. A big improvement.

His corners and free-kicks into the danger area are getting better as he settles. There was a purler on Saturday they should have done better with.

If you're asking me if the Sig would improve this team then it's not really a debate as only Tabb away at Burnley has come close to making the impact in 'the hole' that Gylfi has. That being said his sale let us add Kizi and Harte and allow room in the budget for a striker come January so overall I think it'll closer to being even depending on who we bring in.

Of COURSE Gylfi would improve this team. If we had this back four/five and Gylfi in the hole we'd for sure be top-three, probably the automatic places

---------Federici
Griffin-Mills-Zurab-Harte
Kebe-Tabb-Karacan-McAnuff
-------------Gylfi
--------Long


would be AWESOME, of course it would be, and maybe there'd be room for Armstrong for Harte if he really is long-term fit.

That to me is a helluva side with more to it than QPR who rely a bit too much on Taarabt. Might not top Cardiff, though.


But we'd never have got that side, because of the money situation

[Ian Royal]

We're missing Gylfi's link up play and threat in and around the box in open play, but Harte has admirably replaced his set piece delivery.

With Gylfi, I think we'd be doing just as well right now, probably better. Although without Khiz and to a much lesser extent Harte (thanks to Cummings and Armstrong) we would be weaker at the back.

[SLAMMED]

It's just my stuff is concentrated into an area and a time-space.

It's also spamming and boring as fuck...