Wingers

Actually, we’ve ended up with 2 players who have quite different skills sets….
We have 2 traditional wingers in Pennant and Kewell.
We’ve added Benayoun, who replaces Garcia’s creative spark, and can also cross the ball.
More excitingly, Babel, whose a left winger/striker whose play down the flank is similar to Lahm….
Also importantly, is that both of these players can play elsewhere, like striker and centre midfield.

Everyone was expecting wingers like Quaresma, Mancini, Simao

But we ended up with two players who are NOT wingers... Benayoun and Babel

Have to disagree there. 

Benayoun and Babel are wingers, the idea that you are thinking is that they can play in other places.

We can't expect Rafa to go off and sign £20 million talent in every position can we?  I think it is safe to say we have signed the players that can fit in those positions.  Again,  I think our last signing will be Gabriel Heinze. 

What about Hawar Mohammed??
You have never heard of him most of you but he was the best LM in the Asian Cup for Iraq...he out-shone Kewell by far in their match against each other and has the sweetest left boot. Produces a tremendous cross, defensive wise he is probablyone fo the best at getting back and forward down the pitch and can beat a guy easily. Just my opinion as he is an awesome player. here's a link to watch Hawar on youtube:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=http://youtube.com/watch?v=dT67NqI7dX0
TBH Pennant has impressed me so far in the pre season. He has more confidence in his game and it's showing with his performances so far. Can push for a permanent first team place this season if he keeps it up.

quaresma  and  Kompany then that'll be job done

quaresma  and  Kompany then that'll be job done

While we're at it why don't we grab Kaka & Ronaldinho too?

Quaresma & Kompany would cost at least £25m for the pair, despite Rick Parry's comments does anyone really think we have that much left to spend?

Kompany? as in Vincent? Since when has he played on the wing??

While we're at it why don't we grab Kaka & Ronaldinho too?

Quaresma & Kompany would cost at least £25m for the pair, despite Rick Parry's comments does anyone really think we have that much left to spend?

Definately not, at most I'd say there's £10m left in the kitty. TBH I would have liked to see at least one signing for the wings who actually played purely as a winger, but I don't think we can expect to see anyone else come in for the job now.

Definately not, at most I'd say there's £10m left in the kitty. TBH I would have liked to see at least one signing for the wings who actually played purely as a winger, but I don't think we can expect to see anyone else come in for the job now.

Me too, it does seem we've signed players who can 'do a job' out on the wing but aren't actually wingers. TBH if Kewell can stay fit for a whole season, which is a big if, we should be ok. But I'm not happy having to rely on Harry & would feel far more comfortable if we'd signed a proper winger for the left.

Like Hawad Mohammed . I heard though he is getting a 10-day trial at Arsenal and interest coming from Sunderland too which is a bummer.

Just reading now that Harry Kewell is injured again, there is also much debate crossing my head whether our current wingers are good enough for this team if we want to win the league. Im Australian myself, so i think Harry is a star player, but he is proving too costly with all his injuries, so i think it is time for him to leave.
I do not believe that Pennant is good enough at all, he is too slow for a winger and lacks the ability to find strikers when he crosses the ball in (ie: champions league final he had a tonne of possession on the wing, where did all his crosses go, or were we able to get a chance at scorring from his crosses??)
I also believe that Riise is no good, and within the next 12 months, will not be at liverpool.
Ryan Babel is the only class winger who can produce something. Pace, skill and can cause havock for opposition. I also believe that yossi can do the same, but not to the devistating affect.
If we compare our wingers to the top teams wingers.....mancs- ronaldo, giggs.....chevski- malouda, robben.....

If im going overboard, let me know....but im just abit worried, that we dont have the depth or talent in our wings so our whole team is balanced.
Strong defence, strong midfield, strong attack (all 3 with depth), and our wings seem to be not as strong.

You forgot Benayoun, and his experience and classy passing will probably give him a starting spot.

And Pennant is underrated- his crossing is very good, and he's improving constantly.

I think Benitez is gearing for a possible 4-3-3......Babel Torres and kuyt/crouch up front....with masch, gerrard and alonso in the midfield.
that would be awesome.

I think Benitez is gearing for a possible 4-3-3......Babel Torres and kuyt/crouch up front....with masch, gerrard and alonso in the midfield.
that would be awesome.

However if we played exactly the same formation but classed Babel & Torres as wingers, making it a 4-5-1, everyone would complain that we're being negative

Well.... where are they?

I thought our biggest weakness was down the flanks? We not even linked to any wingers, I doubt we'll be signing any it seems quite late on in the transfer market now.

Benayoun, Babel, Pennant, Aurelio & Gerrard will be used as our wingers.

Add Degen, Keane and Dossena to that list.

Add Degen, Keane and Dossena to that list.

I wouldn't want to see Keane playing there, but he may look at Cisse when he was here, and Bellamy.
Not to forget Kuyt now plays as a winger for us.

I wouldn't want to see Keane playing there, but he may look at Cisse when he was here, and Bellamy.
Not to forget Kuyt now plays as a winger for us.

Kuyt is doing better as a winger than as a foward IMO

Kuyt is doing better as a winger than as a foward IMO

He always gives 110% every game, that is important i feel - then again, when I give 110%, I'm still sh*t

The wings aren't a new problem, they've been a problem since the days of McManaman. He was the last decent natural winger we had.

Since then I don't recall to many out and out wingers, Pennant, Kewell (when fit) and Gonzalez off the top of me head. Barmby, Kuyt, Babel, Garcia, Benayoun, Smicer, Heskey, Cisse and Bellamy (to name a few) all ended up on the wing when it isn't their position. I thought Gerrard on the right was untouchable at times, but again he isn't a natural winger and most of the time wasn't even on the right wing. So every year since the summer of 99 we still haven't found a top class winger, nearly 10 years without that real quality winger. The closest we came was Kewell but injuries hit him and forced a 5 million flop on our books, Pennant is decent but not in the same class as McManaman. 9 or 10 years and we still can't find one, something needs sortin out now.

I think another thing what makes it more of a frustration is that we  have come within 1 or 2 million of signing some players who are great on the wings e.g. Simao.

I still think that it was a mistake selling mark gonzalez so i do, he's a natural winger and i think given a better chance could have been a success, im sure im not the only one who thinks this.. am i?

Yes , he hardly made an impact and was shrugged of the ball far too easily to be a premiership player.

He showed glimpses of what we could do though. I mean come on, Ronaldo was a push over in his first season wasnt he? Deserved another crack considering Rafa hasnt looked for someone to replace him.

Wingers is our priority. We could have had Ronaldo and Simao just to name a few and came short by 1 or 2 million quid. Its as if we are stingy about the most problematic area of our squad when we are willing to pay anything for other positions ie. Dossena, Keane, Barry, Skrtel, Babel, Nando etc etc etc.

True and i totally agree we need to get a quality winger and the only way of doing that is by paying through the nose for it. Yet i certainly do not think Gonzalez was the answer. In truth i do not believe him to even be a good footballer. On the ball he was poor and his only real outlet was pace. His tracking back was atrocious and seemed disheartned each time something did not go his way.

Either way, when are we actually going to pay top dollar for a top winger ?