I thought they did too. On the other hand Lynch and Bidwell on the left side were poor. That's why I didn't try to give it a positive or a negative slant Strolls. I just put it out there to see what came back and in some hope that the supporter in question might be a poster on here and may have enlightened us.
9s, that's the most encouraging thing I've read about yesterday! If true, it means that Ned cares a lot and it might help him realise we, the fans, need to see his leadership as Captain demonstrated. It's part of the job. Maybe this old fella was able to impart some wisdom? It would be very interesting to get a follow up on that conversation if anyone from here was sitting nearby. Having watched the replay, it is hard to see how Smithies did not make a save for the goal given the quality of other saves including the penalty. We are not lucky and have not been for some time now.
Shouting at the team is what ned shd be doin! If it wasn't for the armband you wdnt know he was captain!!!
The last 15 minutes or so, after Mackie came on, we were all over therm, their penalty area, Mackie himself was bright and moved all over them. Villa only had 1 attempt on goal against us in that period, as we dominated, a great save to keep Gestede out who was by himself. Mackie had a good chance that should have been better, but we definitely looked the brighter as we pushed hard. How Villa are poor, is that they have no pace. They have loads and loads of experience but those ones who do, are all starting to push on and have no pace left any more. Experience isn't enough to make them promotion contenders, is why Villa are struggling. We should have had a point from this game. Their goal was almost impossible, that acute an angle and it got by, and it blew my mind. A good strike, yeah, but it was so tight I couldn't believe it went in. But we didn't give up. At least we gave it a go after Mackie came on. Hopefully he can inject some more of that from now on without getting injured. I doubt he should start, but he can do the same for the last 20 minutes at least for the next few matches. Very suspect still in the midfield. And no enough patience nor the luxury of skill to look up, take a second and make better passes. Too immature and hurried. Like the shot that Hall had in the last 5, if he had looked up for a second before misfiring, Sylla was just to his right by the post clear and waiting for through ball - we just don't seem to have cognizance in believing we have the skill to do that, especially when you can easily suss out that Villa were also being slow to such recognition, and could have been taken apart. Too much hacking away to nothing by both sides. Really need Luongo to do better and control the middle. Too often, too many gaping holes there. It's going to be a fight to stay up. I would have played Sandro in place of any of Hall or Lynch. I think Hall is overwhelmed and get out of position a lot.
I keep saying... we are prone to make mistakes, but no more, no less than other midtable teams. Lynch and Bidwell were poor yesterday but Lynch was outstanding against Norwich. Perch has had two good games since his sending off.....This is not exactly the defences fault. They will make a few mistakes, some goal-costly...the problem is further forward.... The best move of the match yesterday, was Halls exquiste ball through to Conor? Hall is playing well, I am impressed by Hall as holding midfielder But if we do not offer anything going forward and cannot score goals at all.....the defences one mistake, costs us the game. The knowledge that we cannot score really puts the pressure on the defence not to make a mistake. Chery was dire yesterday, as were all the other forward players (excluding Mackie at this moment...he played 10 minutes and they were OK). If we can just start scoring a few...things will change If we can't then obviously we really are up s@@@ creek without the paddle
Is it time for Chery to sit out a game or two? Can't see what he's offering at the moment and his set pieces are worse than Barton's. On reflection I still think our overall performance was OK yesterday but we do look toothless, if only you could gum teams into submission.
I only saw the game on TV, and that's never the best, 'coz your eyes can only go where the cameras go, but it was disappointing. I feel for Washington - he's being asked to do something he isn't really good at. I've still no idea if he is the penalty area poacher I thought he might be when he arrived. In these days of the pressing defence, I can't remember the team obviously hunting in pairs when Villa had the ball. Villa were quite physical (often illegally so, but not enough to draw fouls - lots of body work and use of hands that Sky seemed to miss when concentrating on our easy-to-spot clumsy shirt pulling). We weren't able to match them and often got bundled out of possession. In possession, I couldn't tell what the game plan was when we had the ball. Apart from moving the ball down the wings, I don't really know what else the team was being asked to do (as a team). A couple of times, Luongo made space for himself and took my breath away, but that was about it. Chery is still out of sorts. Perch did a couple of intelligent things (I know!). So - what are our strengths? How should we play? I can't see much money being available in January for players that will make a big difference this year. Anyone?
A centre half in midfield? when you have a midfielder on the bench can't we find a manager that's not obsessed with playing players out of position!!
Blimey, Strolls! Of course Villa deserved to win - they won a penalty, created numerous chances and scored a goal. Look at Beth's statistics. We did not have ONE shot on target I do agree with you that the players have the potential to be good enough. They need it drawn out of them by the right manager
I wonder about that. I don't go in for negative shouting but the players have to be resilient enough to take it when thing go bad on the pitch. It worries me that Ned has to go over to a fan and say "Please stop shouting nasty things about me, you're upsetting the team". If Holloway thinks there's a growing issue of barracking, let him make a plea to the fans. But Ned and his crew just have to toughen up and get the job done, and not behave like thin-skinned prima donnas
Completely agree mate, I only mentioned last week that we seem to have quite a "toxic mix" of too many overseas players adjusting to the league as well as too many champ/signings from league 1 underperforming. That combined with no leadership and changes of manager and here we are. My overall and main worry is that there's too many things wrong at the club at the moment, and if a few aren't put right, It's very hard for me to see anything other than relegation.
Yes is the simple answer. Add to him Washington who I don't believe will ever make a decent striker at Championship level and, more controversially, Luongo who has talent but who more often than not fails to provide any cohesiveness in midfield. And while Onouha had a better game yesterday I still think he is the weakest of our back 4 options and should drop to the bench captain or not. Other than that I was starting to see some things I liked yesterday particularly from Perch and Wszolek and all our subs were strong when they came on so IH has good options.
Plainly our inability to create chances is the main problem, but I certainly didn't think we were outplayed by Villa. Apparently Chery has created 60-odd chances this season, but I can't recall many in recent games. I heard that Bidwell apologised to the team at half-time for his poor crossing - I hope Chery did too.
Onouha - Can't pass For a lump, he's taken off the ball soooo easily The positional sense of a disorientated blind man that's just downed a bottle of Gammledansk A Captain? - Only on a planet where the alternative is Barton, Sandro, Bosingwa or Traore. Ned - doing his job for going up to a fan and tell him to stop being so nasty? - Really? This is not about Onouha, I happen to think he comes accross as a decent enough person - that doesn't qualify him as a proffesional football player and certainly he is not a captain. What this is about however is this - those in the camp that we are not playing that badly are right - in fact we may have reached our own nadir - but it certainly doesn't win football matches. For those that think we don't have too bad a playing squad - they are also right - just that the sum parts do not add up to anything. We are a nothing side - not defensive giants - not offensive defensively - not the strongest of midfields - yet not that skillfull - probably not the worst forwards - yet can't score - we don't press well - we don't counter attack with pace or continued tempo - we can keep the ball in non dangerous areas - we lose it in the worst. It doesn't look good - as Col has written, when the Multi Millioniare ownership started we were staring at League 1 square on in the face - all those many hundreds of Millions later - where are we today? Is Fernandes going to invest in Leigertwood, Buszacky, Vine, Ageyamang, One Size etc in Jan? That's what it took to stay up then, oh, and a decent manager in Di Canio.
