Alex 30393 Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 Aye, I don't think he ever really had the pace to be a top winger. People always say he was a sprinter when he was younger to say he's quick, but I always thought he'd have to beat his man two or three times before he got his cross in for us (think he was one of them that really slowed down with the ball at his feet). Has a canny range of passing though which is what helped him as a CM. I think Milner gets a rough ride off people because he's an ugly cunt from Yorkshire and looks like a cartoon football player from the 1950's. He's more athletic than he looks and as others have said he has a very professional attitude. I didn't think he was class when he was at Newcastle but it's worth remembering he was only 23 or something when he left and he has definitely improved due to his hard work and the coaching he has received. He also doesn't hide which is always a plus and will put in a shift wherever he is asked to play. I'm pretty sure I read somewhere he was a cross-country champion rather than a sprinter as a kid, which woud certainly make more sense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howay 12452 Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 I'm pretty sure I read somewhere he was a cross-country champion rather than a sprinter as a kid, which woud certainly make more sense. That would definitely make more sense. I'm only going off an argument I had with a Boro supporter about Milners pace (no idea how we ended up on that topic ) where he just kept claiming Milner was some county sprint champion, I never really bothered checking as I'd seen Milner's lack of pace in person. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex 30393 Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 That would definitely make more sense. I'm only going off an argument I had with a Boro supporter about Milners pace (no idea how we ended up on that topic ) where he just kept claiming Milner was some county sprint champion, I never really bothered checking as I'd seen Milner's lack of pace in person. Had a look on wiki and both are true. Milner also showed talent in cricket, sprinting and long-distance running. He played for the Yorkshire Schools cricket team, was the cross-country champion at his school for three consecutive years and was the district champion over 100 metres for two years in a row. Still, he certainly doesn't have that seering pace off the mark, so to speak. I suppose a bit like how, even when he was a bit over the hill, Sol Campbell was as quick as anyone at Arsenal when they did the tests over 100m. Doesn't mean he'd beat Walcott or Henry over 30 yards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howay 12452 Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 Had a look on wiki and both are true. Still, he certainly doesn't have that seering pace off the mark, so to speak. I suppose a bit like how, even when he was a bit over the hill, Sol Campbell was as quick as anyone at Arsenal when they did the tests over 100m. Doesn't mean he'd beat Walcott or Henry over 30 yards. Aye, it's acceleration rather than holding your top end pace that matters more in football. It's a shame he never really got many chances at CM for us but I suppose we had decent CM's for a good portion of his time at Newcastle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex 30393 Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 KK tried him in CM just before (pre-season) he was sold against his wishes iirc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howay 12452 Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 (edited) KK tried him in CM just before (pre-season) he was sold against his wishes iirc. I think he was aye, it was something along the lines that Milners sale was dependent on them bringing in Schweinstieger and/or Lennon iirc (or that after the sale KK was promised them) and then Milner got sold and KK wasn't allowed either of them which was the beginning of the end of his tenure. Edited January 27, 2017 by Howay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strawb 3659 Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 It's all relative like, compared to most people even "slow" premiership footballers are rapid. The quickest kid at our school got rinsed by gazza in pre-season when he was at boro. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Kelly 1117 Posted January 30, 2017 Share Posted January 30, 2017 The closer you are to the pitch the more you realise how fast footballers are. Clark generally looked like he was moving at the speed of a constipated tortoise but I remember seeing in a cup game when I got a seat only a couple of rows from the pitch. You could see that miles faster than anyone I'd ever played football with in my life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kid Dynamite 5905 Posted January 30, 2017 Share Posted January 30, 2017 So Palace want their full £13mil back, plus £2mil to loan him for 4 months Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aimaad22 3462 Posted January 31, 2017 Share Posted January 31, 2017 To be expected if we're trying to do our business on the last day of the window. Cant really see anything happening today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aimaad22 3462 Posted January 31, 2017 Share Posted January 31, 2017 Mind you 15M for him might not be the worst deal ever considering 20M being quoted for the likes of McCarthy and Cairney Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lackie92 1 Posted January 31, 2017 Share Posted January 31, 2017 So Palace want their full £13mil back, plus £2mil to loan him for 4 months They are just being arseholes, wouldn't be arsed if we just kept Mbemba and then got Townsend in the summer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ewerk 26315 Posted January 31, 2017 Share Posted January 31, 2017 Townsend is an expensive bench warmer for them. It isn't in their interest to be too tough in negotiations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayvin 4964 Posted January 31, 2017 Share Posted January 31, 2017 They'd also be hard pushed to assert that we really need him given our current league performance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Kelly 1117 Posted January 31, 2017 Share Posted January 31, 2017 How would we actually fit Townsend into the team if we sign him? Isn't part of his problem at Palace that he doesn't want to play on the left? Wouldn't that give us the same problem with Ritchie as he always seems to prefer to be on the right. I'm certainly much more in favour of signing Townsend than I was at this point last year as I saw what he was capable of for us. But for all his quality, it does strike me that we're not really solving our bigger problems which to me is a lack of options if Shelvey is unavailable and a real attacking threat down the left. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayvin 4964 Posted January 31, 2017 Share Posted January 31, 2017 (edited) I think McCarthy was our best chance for a Shelvey option, and at £20m it just isn't worth it. Better off waiting for the summer on that one. I could see Ritchie and Townsend being alternated to some reasonable degree of effectiveness though. Edited January 31, 2017 by Rayvin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ewerk 26315 Posted January 31, 2017 Share Posted January 31, 2017 Ritchie is left footed. Maybe he'll put him on that wing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Gloom 19819 Posted January 31, 2017 Share Posted January 31, 2017 ritchie could be the answer to our number 10 problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gemmill 34433 Posted January 31, 2017 Share Posted January 31, 2017 Prime Minister Ritchie? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Kelly 1117 Posted January 31, 2017 Share Posted January 31, 2017 It's starting to look like £20m for a player like McCarthy isn't that overpriced. A year or two ago you wouldn't have considered more than £10m but that Wilchut is supposedly going from Wigan to Norwich for £7m and they're talking £15m for Hogan. If anything, Townsend is under priced by virtue of the release clause we had on him and that we're the only team he's played regularly for. With regards to Ritchie on the left or as a number 10 (I'm not discounting either), has he ever regularly or successfully played in those positions? I'd guess he would have played left wing at some point (being a left footed winger) but for us and Bournemouth at least he's been playing on the right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lackie92 1 Posted January 31, 2017 Share Posted January 31, 2017 I think Ritchie would flourish in a CAM role with Townsend on the right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rogerbarton 24 Posted January 31, 2017 Share Posted January 31, 2017 We said Ben Arfa would flourish as a number 10 and that never really worked. He's a hell of a lot more gifted than Ritchie too. Townsend might be a winger, but he's going to guarantee us at least 10 goals and probably a similar number of assists. Provides a real threat at set pieces too, which is something we've lacked. I think of him as a match-winner - he's one of those players who can make something happen out of nothing (think his winner against Palace, goals against Chelsea and Soton). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Fish 8989 Posted January 31, 2017 Share Posted January 31, 2017 Wouldn't fancy Townsend and Yedlin on the same flank if we face anyone half decent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Gloom 19819 Posted January 31, 2017 Share Posted January 31, 2017 he'd rip it up in this division too. no brainer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Kelly 1117 Posted January 31, 2017 Share Posted January 31, 2017 Rafa is a much better manager than Pardew. That needs to be stressed when making such comparisons. And in the interests of fairness, I would say Ritchie has a much better attitude than Ben Arfa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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