On the brighter side...

[Neiler]

Are we a better team now then when we sold Lecott and invested the money in Distin, Heit and Billy?

 

[SweetJesus849]

No Sorry. Rodwell hasn't had the luxury of consistent first team football in a stable team/formation. Rodwell has everything and more Fellaini has except the strength and aggression. Rodwell can dribble, shoot, has skill, is two-footed, can head the ball and is English. Fellaini is none of the above. He cannot dribble to save his life. He gets booked cos he gets frustrated and makes stupid challenges. We only got use out of him by basically playing long ball and sticking him up front. He can't pass more than 6 feet and he has no agility. One skilful turn the season before last against Man City and a fancy hair-do doesn't make him world-class. I don't understand why people are finding my point so hard to grasp. He is not even a sliding tackler. He is limited and we'd be extremely lucky to get £15m back and despite the crap I'm getting on here, I will be proved right, as I always am.

No team would snap our hands off or even bid £20m for Fellaini, and you guys need to get used to that fact.

I saw Tim Sherwood on Sky or ESPN after we'd bought him saying there was no way he'd expect Fellaini to be worth £15m, and he'd expect a lot more for that amount. I agree

Fellaini cost £15m but apart from his bullying strength and limited passing what does he offer? We need to keep both Fellaini and Rodwell and I feel the £15m on Fellaini will end up being a disaster. And I should add I would be the first to say that the wage we offered Arteta was ridiculous. And if we put Fellaini on the same wage, we are ****in ridiculous.

And you're surprised by that? I'm not. As many have said "too much Birkdale, not enough Kirkdale". I can't see this, I've seen Rodwell plenty of times and I still say he's ****e. Fellaini is still a better header of the ball and will always be the better defensive midfield player because he's got more smarts and guile about him. One thing you can guarantee is that Fellaini will never disappear in games, whereas Rodwell tends to disappear on a regular basis when he plays before coming up with his semi-annual bit of brilliance.

By the looks of things, you've got quite an argument on your hands with Steve Round too. Steve basically suggests the total opposite to what you say about Fellaini.

And please ditch the "He's English" argument, we say that like England are the best footballing nation in the world and we're just not.

 

[Gwladys Nights]

Are we a better team now then when we sold Lecott and invested the money in Distin, Heit and Billy?

It's a tough one, that. The back end of that year when we went on that 21 game unbeaten run and Heitinga was making a late stab for player of the season I felt like we'd definately improved with the sale of Lescott. Now I'm not so sure.

City's fans have really warmed to him over there you know after an indifferent start. I've heard City fans say that after Tevez, Yaya Toure and Kompany (who were three of the most impressive players in the league last season) Lescott has been arguably their best player for months.

We're probably about as good of a team as we were when we had Lescott, but in the intervening two years City and Spurs have gone from being our competitors to our superiors. It's hard to argue that we used the money to do anything but stand still, while others were able to use greater sums to excel.

 

[SweetJesus849]

It's a tough one, that. The back end of that year when we went on that 21 game unbeaten run and Heitinga was making a late stab for player of the season I felt like we'd definately improved with the sale of Lescott. Now I'm not so sure.

City's fans have really warmed to him over there you know after an indifferent start. I've heard City fans say that after Tevez, Yaya Toure and Kompany (who were three of the most impressive players in the league last season) Lescott has been arguably their best player for months.

We're probably about as good of a team as we were when we had Lescott, but in the intervening two years City and Spurs have gone from being our competitors to our superiors. It's hard to argue that we used the money to do anything but stand still, while others were able to use greater sums to excel.

Hard to argue with this. I think we can still make those transfers work like but Distin has probably been just as good as Lescott was in my view. He just makes the odd mistake. Still, I'd have Lescott back, good player with a good attitude on the pitch, the whole City thing got to his oddly shaped head though.

Then again though, it's not as if those 3 we brought in have single handedly been the culprits in our slight drop the last 2 seasons.

 

[quasi modo]

Are we a better team now then when we sold Lecott and invested the money in Distin, Heit and Billy?

I'd say no, Lescott offered us goals from the back something we never replaced, don't get me wrong Distin has been a good signing, Heitinga would be if played in his porper position and I don't see the fuss with Billy, apart from a few decent goals he has done nothing in two seasons.

 

[Cookachoo]

I don't want him to leave either but i think we'd get at the least r 15m back if we did sell, City would pay that easy, look how much we got for Lescott of them 22m was it? and no way is he worth that. Yeah maybe marouane isn't worth 20m or 25m right now but clubs are daft enough to pay big money thats why there would be a chance of clubs paying over the odds for him - example henderson 16m rising to 20m and he's not even that good!

I despair. Fellaini isn't good enough to get into City's first team, his on the ball ability isn't good enough to displace Silva, he's not got the drive or pace of Yaya and he's not mobile enough to provide the energy that De Jong does as a DM. They wouldn't have him for £5m let alone £25m because he'd just be warming the bench, and his injury record isn't the best either way. Now they might pay £15m for Rodwell if we kicked up a fuss and he's not as good as Fellaini, but they'd pay it for Rodwell because he's young and English, which is the same reason Henderson went for £16m.

 

[Chang Elephant]

I despair. Fellaini isn't good enough to get into City's first team, his on the ball ability isn't good enough to displace Silva, he's not got the drive or pace of Yaya and he's not mobile enough to provide the energy that De Jong does as a DM. They wouldn't have him for £5m let alone £25m because he'd just be warming the bench, and his injury record isn't the best either way. Now they might pay £15m for Rodwell if we kicked up a fuss and he's not as good as Fellaini, but they'd pay it for Rodwell because he's young and English, which is the same reason Henderson went for £16m.

Bit harsh Cooka. Did you watch Henderson for the U21's btw?

 

[Cookachoo]

Bit harsh Cooka. Did you watch Henderson for the U21's btw?

How's it harsh ?

I watched the U-21's yes, whats your point ?. Their recent performances weren't really the issue i was raising, the point was Henderson was signed for £16m because he's young, English and had become a key player in a mid-table side. The same could really be said for Phil Jones, a similar fee, young English and a key player for a lower half team.

Rodwell is young and English, but he hasn't really broken into our first team. Its also worth noting, Henderson and Jones have a decent chance of starting for their new clubs. Jones can play DM and that is a position United are currently lacking in with Scholes and Hargreaves leaving. Henderson can play all across midfield, particularly out wide which is somewhere Liverpool are obviously lacking.

So expecting a similar fee for Rodwell is beyond me at the moment, because if he can't get in our team, he's not going to have a hope of getting in City or Chelsea's. He doesn't quite fit the bill to entice those suitors. United were interested before his dip in form and before he fell out of favour, then their attentions switched to Jones.

 

[Abraders]

I feel that Fellaini is actually pretty good at passing.. and Tackling, he's a marathon runner and has a good head on him. His presence scares players too it seems and he's only going to get better.

 

[chicoazul]

Cookers, I'm a massive fan lid.

 

[Chang Elephant]

How's it harsh ?

I watched the U-21's yes, whats your point ?.

Basically that Henderson appears to be ****e.

 

[marsh]

I despair. Fellaini isn't good enough to get into City's first team, his on the ball ability isn't good enough to displace Silva, he's not got the drive or pace of Yaya and he's not mobile enough to provide the energy that De Jong does as a DM. They wouldn't have him for £5m let alone £25m because he'd just be warming the bench, and his injury record isn't the best either way. Now they might pay £15m for Rodwell if we kicked up a fuss and he's not as good as Fellaini, but they'd pay it for Rodwell because he's young and English, which is the same reason Henderson went for £16m.[/QUO

City play 2 Defensive Midfielders one of them being Gareth Barry, therefore Fellaini would get into citys 11 at the moment..
They wouldn't have him for 5m because we wouldn't sell him for that and if he was going for that yes they would buy him for 5m!

 

[Cookachoo]

Basically that Henderson appears to be ****e.

Based on that tournament, it doesn't say a lot for the collective future of English Football, or Pearce as a coach for that matter. Though he was quite impressive for Sunderland last year.

City play 2 Defensive Midfielders one of them being Gareth Barry, therefore Fellaini would get into citys 11 at the moment..
They wouldn't have him for 5m because we wouldn't sell him for that and if he was going for that yes they would buy him for 5m!

Goes without saying !

 

[alwaysblue]

I despair. Fellaini isn't good enough to get into City's first team, his on the ball ability isn't good enough to displace Silva, he's not got the drive or pace of Yaya and he's not mobile enough to provide the energy that De Jong does as a DM. They wouldn't have him for £5m let alone £25m because he'd just be warming the bench, and his injury record isn't the best either way. Now they might pay £15m for Rodwell if we kicked up a fuss and he's not as good as Fellaini, but they'd pay it for Rodwell because he's young and English, which is the same reason Henderson went for £16m.

Well he wouldn't displace Silva as they are totally different players, but I would have Fellaini over De Jong and Toure anyday. He offers more to the game than just smashing people around the pitch or the odd decent game. Going back to the City game (Goodison 2010, alongside Pienaar), he taught De Jong and Barry a midfielding lesson. He constantly wins possession, uses it effectively and has the ability to get a goal. Fellaini is our only potential world class player with Baines a close second.