Players outside the Top 4

DSB

Think Laursen would do a job for any of em except United

AngelofFire

Gareth Barry
Gabriel Agbonlahor
Benjani
Nicholas Anelka
Aaron Lennon
Darren Bent
Berbatov
Roque Santa Cruz
Arteta
Micah Richards
Sol Campbell.

~Rebel~

Dont think he's been mentioned, but i'd have Distin at Liverpool in a heartbeat!

Mr Alan

Dunne > Distin imo

Killme00

Mr Alan wrote: »

Dunne > Distin imo

I agree but neither would replace Agger or Carragher

Also Laursen for Villa is class

PHB

Yeh don't think they are up to that standard. Can't say I think Barry is up to that standard either.

Mr Alan

Dunne would get more game time than Sami would and Aggers development would be improved by him playing alongside Dunne as well as Carragher.

But i agree, i wouldnt for a second trade either of them for Agger.

Necronomicon

Actually I shouldn't have needed last night's game to remind me, but Martin Petrov would go straight into the left wing of any top 4 club.

JæKæ

I'd like to see players like Petrov, Bentley and Koumas with one of the bigger sides. They create so much for their respective sides, it would be interesting to see how they fare with better players around them.

Chardee MacDennis

petrov on his day can be very very good but i've seen him not turn up to a few games this season. dunno would he be in any of the top 4 until he becomes more consistent.

Xavi6

Call_me_al wrote: »

petrov on his day can be very very good but i've seen him not turn up to a few games this season. dunno would he be in any of the top 4 until he becomes more consistent.

Valid point alright. A fair few City fans have been p*ssed at him during a number of games, though when he does play he's better than any other left winger imo.

mayordenis

heres maybe i'll try this
i'm only going to put in a player could at least be a non-ridiculed squad player at a top4 team

5 Man City elano
6 Everton arteta
7 Portsmouth
8 Aston Villa young (especially another year from now)
9 Blackburn bentley or santa cruz would both do a good job for all 4 imo
10 West Ham green(think he's better than almunia just about)
11 Newcastle given(above)
12 Reading hunt(maybe)
13 Tottenham berbatov
14 Birmingham nobody
15 Bolton anelka
16 Middlesbro' nobody
17 Wigan Ath nobody
18 Fulham bullard
19 Sunderland nobody maybe jones in time
20 Derby ROFL

Dont be at yourself

Nobody's mentioned Yakubu! He'd do well at any of the top 4 bar Man Utd, I reckon.

weemcd

when these players are in form, anyone from:

N'Zogbia
Micah Richards
Petrov
Elano
Agbonlahor
Martins (*id pick him over everyone else on the list, clearly has the ability, he's just been rotated and constantly played out of position, and therefore effectivness at newcastle)

Mr Alan

Supposedly Martins may end up at Liverpool in Jan. Rafa came and told me in a dream last night.

~Rebel~

Mr Alan wrote: »

Supposedly Martins may end up at Liverpool in Jan. Rafa came and told me in a dream last night.

dammit, you actually got me excited when i read that first line! Mind you, you're deep love for Rafa may have built a bond between you, thus giving you second sight into Rafa's plans!

I propose a test - close your eyes, think of Rafa and imagine tomorrow's teamsheet..

Mr Alan

~Rebel~ wrote: »

I propose a test - close your eyes, think of Rafa and imagine tomorrow's teamsheet..

even my deep love does not give me insights into the genius that is Rafas team selection.

have heard whispers on a couple of sites about Martins, but nothing substantial. But with Martins,Owen,Viduka,Smith...and the fact that Newcastle are ****....who knows!

pickarooney

Krancjar and Richards would both make the Liverpool first team I think.

Chardee MacDennis

pickarooney wrote: »

Krancjar and Richards would both make the Liverpool first team I think.

and who exactly would Kranjcar replace? Gerrard, Alonso, Mascherano? I Dont think so.

Pepe LeFrits

Call_me_al wrote: »

and who exactly would Kranjcar replace? Gerrard, Alonso, Mascherano? I Dont think so.

He's a wide player...

Raskolnikov

Kenwyne Jones!

Elano - look at how Citeh crumble when he gets closed down, he'd be awesome in a team full of proper players. Plus he starts for Brazil. IMO the best player outside the top 4.

Petrov - class act, Liverpool could do a lot worse than have him in their starting 11...as could united with the form giggs has been in.

Santa Cruz - great squad addition to any of the top 4.

Shorey - is involved in some form or other in almost every goal Reading score!

When you consider liverpool only really have Carra and Agger in defence (Hyppia is not gonna be reliable for more than one r two games at a time) then you'd have to include some of the city, wet ham or portsmouth defenders on this also.


I agree about Berbatov, Anelka, Cahill, Hunt, Arteta, Micah Richards, Dunne, Id have said bojinov based on his time at Fiorentina but he got injured so soon into his City career that we'll have to wait and see.

I disagree about Doyle, Long, Defoe and Paul Robinson...decent players but not top 4 material.

Villain

Gabriel Agbonlahor and Martin Laursen from Villa and maybe Young.

redzerdrog

i think lescott would improve liverpool as a first choice left back and then cover for centre back

Melion

Nobody think Giles Barnes would do a job at a top team? Definitely good enough for a squad place IMO

Helix

Villain wrote: »

Gabriel Agbonlahor and Martin Laursen from Villa and maybe Young.

laursen would do a job at centre back for any team in the world imo

*nb: im not calling him world class btw lol

Guy:Incognito

I'd like to see Liverpool signing Bentley and Richards.

Attractive Nun

There are some weak positions in the top 4 that a good few players would have a shout.

Liverpool are relatively weak on both wings, as are United on the left (though Babel, Nani and Rosicky probably have more talent than most wingers outside the top 4). I'd reckon Petrov, Bentley and Young would have a chance of making those positions. On the form of last season, I'd give Pedersen a chance too. Maybe Arteta too on the right, though I feel he's better centrally. I suppose even at Chelsea those players would have a chance. Tbh, with the exceptions of Ronaldo, Hleb and maybe Malouda and Joe Cole on their day, there are a lot of wingers in the PL of a similar, good-but-not-great quality.

Up front, there are quite a few strikers better than Kuyt/Crouch, as well as Saha (though he's not really starting XI) and Shevchenko (likewise). Berbatov and Keane would probably make it, as would Santa Cruz on current form. I think Martins and McCarthy have the talent to make it in one of the top 4, and tbh although Kuyt is a decent player, I'd rate at least the above, plus maybe Yakubu, Owen, Viduka, Agbonlahor, Carew, Bojinov, maybe even Doyle as better players. Come to think of it, on recent form, Kanu and Benjani might even be in with a shout of that title.

At full back, I'd say Richards could probably displace every right back in the league right now except Sagna, and perhaps Arbeloa when he plays there. I'd maybe even rate Chimbonda better than Ferreira/Belletti or Brown (but not Neville). No real competition for left backs though.

There are some great central attacking midfielders outside the top four (including Elano and Cahill, perhaps the two best players outside the top four, full stop?), but I wouldn't have any of them in the top four. Right now Hamann is about the only competition I can think of from the defensive midfielders, and he wouldn't make it either.

Centre backs? Arsenal, United and Chelsea have amazing parternships - no competition at all really - as do Liverpool, but I wouldn't rate Carragher or Agger (yet) as highly. Dunne might be in with a shout there, but probably not.

Almunia is the obvious weakness in the goalkeepers, a few would probably challenge for his position in the Arsenal team - certainly Given, James, maybe even Robinson(!), Jaaskelinen.

That's my two cents.

Esse85

Melion wrote: »

Nobody think Giles Barnes would do a job at a top team? Definitely good enough for a squad place IMO

Certainly not at the minute, maybe in 3/4 years time.

Helix

strong talk barnes will be at villa come the end of jan

Fratton Fred

Gareth Bale and Berbatov would make any team, based on their squad rotation policies. The general opinion was hat the performance by Berbatov at Fraton Park this season was the best seen there so far.

Woodgate is getting back on form and was superb on Saturday, although the Portsmouth midfield played to his strengths and gave the forwards very bad service.

Melion

I think Barnes to Villa is a great move for both parties if its true. He is a definite future England midfielder. Anyone who saw him last season could see it, he's just been injured for the majority of this season.

Mr Alan

Dont think Barnes really qualifies for this thread though, good as he is and as much potential as he has, at the moment it would be a fairly big risk for anyone of the top 4 to buy him.

Not saying i dont rate him.

PHB

Barnes should go to Villa and see if the same thing happens to him as it did Young.
After watching Petrov last night, he really would be great on any teams left wing.

Helix

Mr Alan wrote: »

Dont think Barnes really qualifies for this thread though, good as he is and as much potential as he has, at the moment it would be a fairly big risk for anyone of the top 4 to buy him.

Not saying i dont rate him.

sure everyone wouldve said the exact same thing about young this time last year and look at him now, ill be amazed if hes not shortlisted for ypoty (he wont win it mind, but he'll be in the 6)

theCzar

Thank God Lescott played poorly for England, or there would be serious offers in from all over Europe. H'e absolute class at CB, and does a great job at LB too.

Fratton Fred

I'm not really saying these guys are better than what the big four have, but our central defence of Campbell and Distin must certainly be up there as one of the best in the premiership.

I knew Distin was good at City but until I wached him regularly I didn't realise how good he is. As for Campbell, well enough said.

Attractive Nun

^Agreed, in fact I really do think the Premiership is full of really excellent partnerships in central defence. Vidic/Ferdinand, Terry/Carvalho, Toure/Gallas, Carragher/Agger, Distin/Campbell and Dunne/Richards are all awesome partnerships, up there with any of the top European leagues. And with the likes of Martin Laurson, Ledley King, Alex, Wes Brown, Jonathan Woodgate, Ryan Nelsen, Jolian Lescott and Christopher Samba floating around too, I'd say central defence is probably the Premiership's strongest position overall.

ROCKMAN

I think Torres/Gerrard could make it in any of the TOP 4 SIDES

:D:D:D:D:D



Yes was waiting awhile for this one.

DSB

Hahahah beautiful.

Im_No_Superman

ROCKMAN wrote: »

I think Torres/Gerrard could make it in any of the TOP 4 SIDES

:D:D:D:D:D



Yes was waiting awhile for this one.

Best post of 2008!

Third_Echelon

ROCKMAN wrote: »

I think Torres/Gerrard could make it in any of the TOP 4 SIDES

:D:D:D:D:D



Yes was waiting awhile for this one.

Brilliant!

Lescott, Arteta, Cahill would make it in any top side across europe. I go to see Everton a few times a season and try to watch all tv games. I have to say, watching Arteta live at a game is a joy! The man is so intelligent on and off the ball. On tv you only see so much of a player. Any time I go to Goodison I just pray that he is playing (for Everton's sake and mine )....

His judgement, vision, passing and crossing is top drawer. He is always a step ahead. He knows how a ball is going to break and where to be at the right time. For 2 million quid he has to be one of the best buys ever. Also Cahill was only a million. Lescott was around a million as well.

Villain

Arteta is class but he goes missing way way too much to play in a top 4, cahill wouldn't make it into the first 11 at the top 4 but he would make the bench, Lescott was awful for England but has potential.

theCzar

Third_Echelon wrote: »

For 2 million quid he has to be one of the best buys ever. Also Cahill was only a million. Lescott was around a million as well.

I believe Arty was 2.8, Timmy was 2.2 but Lescott was 5 million, all very well spent it transpires.

Villain wrote: »

Arteta is class but he goes missing way way too much to play in a top 4, cahill wouldn't make it into the first 11 at the top 4 but he would make the bench, Lescott was awful for England but has potential.

I disagree Arteta goes missing. If he's playing, he is the centre of everything. Sometimes he's merely electric, but he never disappears.

Cahill's only problem is the wealth of competition for his position in the top 4. He's not as good as Lampard or Scholes, but to be honest, over a season, I think he'd come up with more big performances than Gerrard, and score at least as many goals, probably more. All the while providing the same tireless running. He's not as strong on the ball though.

Lescott is the best defender Everton have had. If Fabio watches any Everton games, I think he'll get more chances. I'd have him over the aging Sol Cambell any day.

GuanYin

Anyone else waiting to see DesF's head explode when Stephen Hunt joins Sunderland (as he seems to want to do)?

I don't think Hunt is top 4 material, but I'd have thought he could do a job at somewhere like Villa or Spurs or Newcastle (if they got their act together).

Villain

Villa are joint 6th I think comparing them with spurs and newcastle and saying if they got their act together is funny, but I might be biased PSI

GuanYin

Villain wrote: »

Villa are joint 6th I think comparing them with spurs and newcastle and saying if they got their act together is funny, but I might be biased PSI

Well I meant Newcastle specifically there.

Villain

Ah I see, I couldn't seehim getting place in the Villa side or the others really, Young, Lennon, Milner all better imo.

eirebhoy

Third_Echelon wrote: »

Brilliant!

Lescott, Arteta, Cahill would make it in any top side across europe. I go to see Everton a few times a season and try to watch all tv games. I have to say, watching Arteta live at a game is a joy! The man is so intelligent on and off the ball. On tv you only see so much of a player. Any time I go to Goodison I just pray that he is playing (for Everton's sake and mine )....

His judgement, vision, passing and crossing is top drawer. He is always a step ahead. He knows how a ball is going to break and where to be at the right time. For 2 million quid he has to be one of the best buys ever. Also Cahill was only a million. Lescott was around a million as well.

Very similar player to Nakamura. Maybe faster than Naka?