Micky settling in on opening line-up?

[Kneon Light]

As for last night, and all of pre-season, I don't really care. He's just been brought into the club, he's got a proven track record of success with clubs better than ours, and he'll get his chance to make the shirt his own. If he doesn't then, in a couple of months, I may well be agreeing with you. But, I'm not going to pay any attention to a few lacklustre performances in micky mouse games, because if I did then there are about 5 of our top players you could consider leaving out (Murray, Cox, Virgo, and Whing off the top of my head have done nothing this pre-season) but to consider leaving a big signing out of the team for the FIRST game in favour of jokers like El Abd is just obscene.

But his success was with other clubs and in the past. I'd like to see himself prove himself here first before automatically being given the shirt just because he is a big name signing. The purpose of pre-season is not just fitness but for the team to gel and in this respect he has yet to gel and as a result I don't believe he is worthy of a starting place YET.

Murray and Whing were in my opinion two of our better players against Ipswich. Murray used the ball intelligently and Whing looked solid and broke forward when he could. Both far better options than anyone else in their positions. Same for Cox. No one in pre-season has shown more in the positions of these 3 than the 3 you name. Therefore they deserve their places.

El Abd has (again in my opinion) done more than Livermore and that is my I feel he deserves his place. Oh and how exactly is a player that is local, has always given his all for the club and has stepped up a gear in face of competition for his place a joker?

 

[Kneon Light]

IMO El Abd has done a lot more than Livermore in pre-season to warrant a place in midfield.
The difference to last season is that when Thomson and AEA played together last year they BOTH played the defensive midfield role (or at times part of a bloody stupid diamond!!). This year it is very clear from pre-season that Thomson has been told to join up with the attack meaning we need a defensive minded midfielder such as AEA (or Livermore).

With all the signings in defence I would not like to see AEA play there. I think we have better options across the back. As a defensive midfielder though I think AEA is a very good player. I also think the arrival of competition will get the best out of him as he knows he cannot afford to take his foot of the gas for fear of losing his place. From what I have seen so far (and I appreciate it is only in friendlies) Livermore is playing like a player guaranteed of his place.

Oh and as for moving quickly Livermore isn't exactly speedy!

 

[Keeping The Dream Alive.]

Certain players react differntly to friendlies. I think Livermore is one of those players, you wont see the best of him until the season gets going, I'm with Hans on this one

 

[Kneon Light]

Don't get me wrong I'm not writing Livermore off. I really hope he proves to be the answer in midfield. I just think if a player steps up a gear in friendlies and performs better than his competition then he deserves his place initially. It would then be up to Livermore to win the place back.

Whoever starts at least we have good competition for the defensive central midfield position. I wish we had the same options for the other midfield place!

 

[Cpt. Spavil]

Kuipers

Richards
Lynch
Elphick
Whing

Cox
Thomson
El-Abd
McLeod

Murray
Forster

That is a very decent squad there

 

[NMH]

El-Abd should be set as midfielder, nurtured there as a conduit to distribute to the forward players, and eventually made Captain. That would be the key move to turn BHAFC into a team with prospects.

The defence OUGHT TO have enough players there in their respective positions - Whing/Richards/Lynch/Elphick should know those critical few yards of space by now - but imho the latter two (that NSC and all have been creaming themselves over for ages) need a lot of work before they can be considered up to their jobs.

Yes, I will be the one accused of kissing el-Abd's bottom while most of you lot have been extolling Elphick as the new Messiah.
"he's a mess alright...."

 

[fatboy]

Kuipers

Richards
Lynch
Elphick
Whing

Cox
Thomson
El-Abd
McLeod

Murray
Forster

If that is the team and I wouldn't rule out either Hawkins or Virgo starting at the back, who will be subs?

Sullivan
Livermore (El-Abd)
Hawkins
Virgo
Dixon

 

[Winker]

Tommy Elphick needs to work on his distribution from defence. Last night most of his lumps upfield to his fellow seagulls went to the feathered variety, not his team-mates.

Towards the end of the match I was expecting Micky to bring someone on to change the game, but looking at the bench there was no-one there to do that. It didn't look good.

 

[chickrun]

from what i saw on saturday if i was Micky the first three players on my team sheet for Crewe would be Elphick, El Abd. and Southall although i would settle with Kuipers if we cannot raise the cash

 

[ali jenkins]

I read in the Argus today that the Team on Saturday will be the team that play crewe

 

[steward 433]

I read in the Argus today that the Team on Saturday will be the team that play crewe

So it won't be then if it was in the Arsegas

 

[BensGrandad]

I would say that if the team, as you want it to be, is chosen entirely on form over the friendlies, then it would not be El Abd replacing Livermore but DOUG.

The problem there is that we shall be playing against better players in the League than the ones of County standard that Loft has excelled against.

 

[BensGrandad]

I think that speaks volumes...

The only difference between you and I is that I actually watch the games and form an opinion, which in most cases is similar to those with a great knowledge of the game. As has been said by many football is about opinions. My opinion has held me well in my football life and has helped me to enjoy and be succesful in anything that I have done within the game.

 

[The Large One]

You're essentially saying the same thing as TLO. You may well be right, I don't know, and neither do you. But Livermore's the senior man we've brought in to solve our midfield crisis. He's got to start, and only then will we see whether your criticisms of him are correct.

El Abd won't get in the defence, but at least if he does he'll be ok there. I just don't buy the idea that he's a midfielder. In my view he looks VERY uncomfortably with a ball at his foot, and that's not good for a midfielder. We've seen El Abd and Thomson before, and it was SHIT, truly shit. Let's give the new guy a chance to improve on that before we write him off!

Why? His past is not the over-riding issue, it's the present and near future we're interested in - especially if he is not playing well.

You don't start just him because he's the senior man.

 

[The Large One]

The only difference between you and I is that I actually watch the games and form an opinion, which in most cases is similar to those with a great knowledge of the game. As has been said by many football is about opinions. My opinion has held me well in my football life and has helped me to enjoy and be succesful in anything that I have done within the game.

I would say one thing for you then, Brian - your limitless confidence in your own football opinion abilities is unquestionable.

 

[The Large One]

The point of friendlies is primarily fitness, and also about every individual player building up to their best in time for Crewe. Everyone will do that in a different way and at a different speed. The results don't matter, it's just a slightly more competitive training session. I totally fail to see how Livermore is "playing like a muppet" when he's probably played around 250 minutes of football for us. That's not enough time to make a judgement DURING the season, but when it's 250 minutes of meaningless pre-season action it becomes a silly statement to make. He's not in because he's a big signing, he's in because he's proven over the last few years that he's a quality player often plying his trade a notch higher than BHAFC. That, in my opinion, totally overrides a couple of games in the parks of Burgess Hill and Bognor, and some time against top opponents from the division above. Get him in the team for the first few weeks of the season and then, and only then, will any of us be qualified to judge him.

Plus, your preferred replacement (El Abd) has done nothing either this pre-season or in his career to suggest he can make a career as a central midfielder. I would say that if the team, as you want it to be, is chosen entirely on form over the friendlies, then it would not be El Abd replacing Livermore but DOUG.

The games I have seen Livermore play in were Lewes, Charlton and Ipswich (the three highest place clubs to that point) - NOT Burgess Hill. Or rather, if he did play against Burgess Hill, I didn't really form an opinion then.

The point of pre-season training is not only about fitness. It's about a whole range of issues. The point is, if the rest of the midfield is doing OK(ish), why isn't Livermore?

You don't put someone into the first team for a league match 'just to see how he does'. You have to know he is going to do a job.

And as for El-Abd having done nothing to prove his first-team credentials, I can only assume you didn't see the Ipswich game. Or rather, if El-Abd hasn't done anything to merit a first-team place, then Livermore certainly hasn't.

 

[B.W.]

Which we would have had with Wilkins - except some of that strength in depth would not include Mayo and Hart.

So, the hope for this season is that the manager's decisions and training will make the difference.

On last night's performance though, the team are streets behind Championship class, as they tore into our PACKED defence innumerable times in the first half and should have scored a hat-full.
When they played a weakened squad second-half, we basically drew 2-2.

I seriously believe that Lynch and Elphick are over-rated by many on here, as they were lightweight and ineffective as a defensive partnership. Richards still looks fairly solid thankfully, but then he was up against familiar faces too.

... and the fact that Mickey has not p1ssed off most of the players... that will help of course... and McLeod looks like an excellent addition... and Livermore, Virgo and Hawkins are all good pro's from a higher level, and... well, that is enough for me... we have FAR greater chance of success under Mickey than Wendy... stop being so negative and... Keep the faith!

 

[B.W.]

But I think you need to appreciate the role he's here to play. Thomson, by the sounds of it, is going to be freed into a more advanced role - see the argus quote today: "Albion expect him to be a goal threat." Livermore, therefore, is going to be the new hate figure because he'll play the defensive role and people will automatically think he's 'ineffective.' All we can expect from someone in that role is that they put their foot in and spray the ball around a bit when it's at their foot. I think he'll be fine at both those roles, and certainly better than El Abd (who can't pass for shit), or Fraser (who's as out of his depth as you or I would be in the Pacific). I've not seen loads of him, but what I do know is that Hull fans were VERY surprised he lowered himself to joining us, and that he played 300 odd games for Millwall (who were at the time a strong league one/championship team). There's no way, no way at all, that you can play people like El Abd or Fraser ahead of someone like that.

Spot and, indeed, on! One friendly game and these fools are counting Livermore out of one of the central midfield roles for one of the worst passers of the ball at the club...