Match Day Thread The lads v Villa

I think that is harsh on Colback last night. He offered good protection to the back four. He also was fairly accurate with his passing, always showed to help people out when they were pressing early, and generally got about the pitch well. The only thing I would say is his wild challenge into the back of one of their lads was stupid. The problem with Colback is he is a nothing player. He is not a holding player, and he is not a creator. He is supposed to be a box to box. However he is not dynamic enough to do that with any effectiveness at the top level and we don't actually play a formation where that is required. I could see a role for him in the Championship as part of a midfield three, if you had a destroyer and a creator there also. He is basically Danny Guthrie with slightly less ability. Given Guthrie was way out of his depth in the PL then...

It would do my nut in playing next to Shelvey last night. When we were being pressured first half he didn't want to know. That for me does not bode well when he steps back up as most teams now play a high tempo pressing game. He just drifted around without a care in the world. Then when they dropped off and their heads dropped, he came alive and wanted the ball. Only to then proceed to try and play 56,000 long rang worldie passes straight out of play. The lad has talent but his attitude is questionable under pressure, he needs to learn to keep it simple at times and there is an obvious question mark (probably because of the previous issues) of him cutting it in the PL.

Dummett does do a decent job. However he will kill our attacking play in the PL. Last night he found a team he could actually get forward against, they were that bad. Most of the time he just can't and destroys any flow to our play. Of course this is compounded by the limited Gouffran. Neither can go past a man or even play effective combination play wide to get into attacking areas. We get away with it in the fizzy pop, it will not work in the slightest a level up.

Rafa will know all of the above hopefully.

 

Shelvey was summed up in trying to score direct from a corner. Great ability, but it's got no chance of working. He's a good barometer though - if the opposition has our card marked and is rabidly tracking every pass, Shelvey will be sulking near the centre circle. If they're not at the races and dropping off too much, Shelvey will pick up 70% possession....on his own. Bit harsh, I do like Jonjo, he has ability at almost everything, but to get the most out of him in the PL, he will need a better partner. The Tiote who played with Cabaye is the minimum level.

Bang on for the left wing as well. It's a left wing well set up to defend. But when the ball gets to Dummett we must turn over possession 7 or 8 times out of 10. To be fair to him, he gets so little from Gouffran it's ridiculous and the set up generally means Colback, not Shelvey, is nearest to him. So he stops, stutters, flaps then kicks it 50 yards to the other team. Last night Villa collapsed so badly he could jog forward. He got in the box, for chrissakes!!! He and Colback are better than they're making out, they just struggle, mentally, to believe in themselves, they both flap and panic too easily; Dummett with the ball, Colback with AND without the ball. Both need to be replaced, as well as Gouffran, with first teamers come Summer.

 

shelvey only 24 , got alot of football in him yet ..for me its players like that diame who gives nothing in my eyes why we struggle .also .this slow passing game just is not good at home ...we need and should encourage players to run the ball .and play at high tempo ..not let the away team just sit back at ease or at there own will ...

 

Top of the league. Struggling badly.

 

Agree with most of this.

One of Shelvey's problems is the "partner" he has to play with. He does need a Tiote type partner. Someone who will break up play and give it to Shelvey quickly and cleanly and with time to play. Colback will never be that player. He's not comfortable on the ball and is painfully one footed. He also plays square and back to often and too quickly and by that I mean it's his first thought rather than looking to play forward and playing square or back if that isn't an option. In fairness he tries and last night was one of his better games but to put that into context Villa were garbage and easily the worst team at St James' this season. If he couldn't play better against Villa then he might as well give up.

Dummett also had his best game in a while but he still was constantly playing square and back too much against a very poor team and probably their worst player facing him. Also noteworthy as to how many times he is rushed into clearing as he takes too long to move the ball on. His balls forward also were varying between poor and average but again in fairness to him he didn't get much support from Gouffran to give him options. He defends well but at this level never mind PL level he needs to offer more going forward. He like Colback is also painfully one footed. I don't say that because they are left footed as there are others in the team who similarly are painfully one footed but right footed though the best recent example is Sissoko. I say it because again it impacts on his ability to keep the move flowing and slows everything down as he manoeuvres the ball onto his passing foot. Ultimately he is a centre back playing full back and he always tries for which i will always give him credit.

 

Diame in that 10 role just plays with his back to goal and may as well not be on the pitch he needs to play on the half turn or basically running from a bit deeper.

Totally agree on the left wing points. Also on Shelvey. He mostly gets the time to enjoy himself in the Championship but unless he has a quality player to do his dirty work back in the Prem I think we could see him going missing way to often.

 

Sheffield losing 2-0 at home to Brentford

 

Huddersfield beat Reading. Probably not the best result for us as Huddersfield are on a roll and gaining ground, but Reading and Sheffield both dropping points is still good.

 

I think you have to look at the positive side of this. We have pretty much killed off any hopes of a challenge from Reading, Leeds and Sheff Wed now. It's effectively a 10 or 12 point lead with a game in hand:

1 Newcastle 32 37 69
2 Brighton 32 28 68
3 Huddersfield 32 8 64
4 Reading 33 5 60
5 Leeds 33 11 58
6 Sheff Wed 33 10 58

If we lose to Huddersfield a week on Saturday things could get hairy but if we beat them then we are home and dry.

 

Yeah, despite our boys not looking great recently, the points they've gained are vital. And the goalhdifference accumulated earlier in the season is like an extra point. Some massive games coming up - even if we can draw against the top dides, it favours us more than them.

 

You play Brighton away the Tuesday before that Huddersfield game. Quite possible to lose both of those which could put Huddersfield above you by a point. I think it's probably a 3 horse race but Reading also playing both Newcastle & Brighton in next months, so could be more ground gained.

Certainly wouldn't right anyone off just yet. GD could be huge though, you look at top 2 compared to the rest and there's 20+ goals in it. If teams finish level over the next 13/14 games, can't see them making up that difference in GD so is effectively another point.

 

That game next Tuesday is going to be interesting. A win and it puts the other firmly in Huddersfields grasp, a draw might not help either team though. Only bonus is Huddersfield don't play that midweek due to FA Cup replay, so won't have a chance to put pressure on immediately.

 

Quite unlikely that we would lose 3 games in a row though as we play an extra game so we wouldn't be overtaken Huddersfield if we got just one point out of nine, although they would have a game in hand. It doesn't matter really. I'd be surprised if we lost to them and they will drop more points than us in the run in since we are a better side. I still think we'll win the league by 5 points and automatic promotion by 10 points.

 

Bold claim that.

Yeah unlikely to lose 3 in a row, but taking each game in it's own right, away to Brighton could easily be a lose, Huddersfield won 6 in a row, could easily lose to them. Reading away, again could be a loss. Now, you could win all 3, or draw some etc who knows, but you have 3 very tricky games coming up against 3 closest rivals. In space of 2 weeks, could go from 8 clear, to 1 or 2 points in it going into business end of the season.

 

I'd be amazed if we didn't get 4 points from those games. It will probably be 6 or 7. The other teams won't win every game either you know.

 

Right now I think it's perfect timing that we're starting to play some of the better teams. Since those two defeats in our opening two games, all of our defeats have been to teams down the bottom of the league, with Wednesday being the exception. We have struggled against teams that haven't been trying to win games. I think all three teams will try to take us on and go for the win. As has been pointed out already, they need the win more than we do at the minute. I think that will suit us and stand us in good stead, I am not suggesting it will be an easy run of games, but I do think we can be confident going into them - probably more confident than if we were playing three teams down the bottom.

 

Undoubtedly the case. We need to take some of the shackles (not all) off at home. We have the personnel to make tweaks to formations and/or tempo/attitude. Rafa just has to put his bold kegs on and get it sorted.

 

Couldn't agree more.

 

Someone's learning.