That was not a great advert for Championship football. Low on quality and tempo and if anything made my hangover worse. We defended well but everything else was very poor. Cardiff did nothing and gave us a lot of space in the first half, yet we didn't make nearly enough of it. The midfield had a nightmare today, Wellens and King in particular, you are expecting these 2 to turn with the ball and create something. Yet almost every touch from midfielders and strikers was a negative one, going backwards. Only when Johnson came on in the last 15 minutes (WAY too late) did we skin anyone. 2 of our midfielders need to be dropped and none of them could argue that they deserve to keep their place, I want to see Danns and Johnson in with instructions to run at players. All this slow, sideways passing will get us nowhere. Once again we didn't exploit the space or the injuries in their team because we were too negative. Beckford and Vassell were useless, neither held the ball up well and Vassell had 2 golden chances in the last 10 minutes that he should have buried. Peltier was MOTM, and Mills was again solid. Konchesky for me, is too left footed, slow and technically average. He had a bad game today. Another deflating performance that, away from home or not, was well below the quality that we need to be aiming for. We need to get some consistency and a point is little consolation in a match that was there for the taking. We will need to go to in form Boro and get a result, even a draw there could see us lose more ground. Gelling is not an excuse for our boring, low quality football anymore. Good teams play well over a long period of time, we are playing well in patches, very small ones. The biggest disappointment about today is that Sven will see that performance and insist that 4-3-3 will solve his problems. Of course this will in fact make them worse.
Cheer up, was better than watford vs florist yesterday Playing much more like a team now, defending is a hundred times better, starting to settle on our best 11 and formation methinks and overall we were unlucky not to score. Draw was a fair result in the end against a solid cardiff side who will be in and around the playoffs again this year, disappointing not to win but that's football sometimes
It was much better than that, Emilio. Don't forget Cardiff are unbeaten in 5 or 6 and look like a strong side with Malky Mackay. A 0-0 draw, without looking like conceding all day, away at our bogey team, with our top scorer injured, having played them midweek and holding firm when they were in the ascendancy is a cracking point in my eyes. Another draw at Middlesborough and a win against Derby and we'll say that its been a good week.
Ifs and buts with your last comment, both have started the season better than us and I'll be very surprised if they play as badly as Cardiff did today. There is no way they were at their best and the match was there for the taking. If they had played well it may have been a good point. They didn't and sadly we weren't much better. We are still not playing quick cohesive football. It is very slow build up and this leads to us losing the ball whenever we try to get over the halfway line. We didn't have the quality going forward to break them down. Nugent is our top scorer with 2 goals. Beckford cost £4m and should be the goalscorer. And in any case, Nugent was being given the same poor service that Beckford has had so far. The man has played 3 games and hasn't had one goalscoring chance. WTF is that all about? Stats will only paper over the cracks for so long, a performance like today on a regular basis and we will finish midtable. What did we actually do with the ball today that was encouraging? This point away from home against 'a good side' doesn't really reflect our actual performance. It was one-dimensional and lacked ideas. No one in front of thee back 4 played well.
I'm not saying we played well, but we were not awful. Lets be fair we got a tad unlucky and we could have won 2-0 with Peltier's bullet header cleared off the line and Vassell hitting the bar, if they had gone in then you wouldn't be saying that we played awful. We didn't play well and got a point against a side in the top 6, lets look at it in a more positive light rather than be negative. QPR drew 5 games 0-0 last season and 3 we're against top 6 teams away from home, we have sorted out our leaky defense and didn't concede today against a team that had scored in every game this season.
I have to say I completely agree with emilio, we should have won that game easily, i was depressed watching it. Beckford, fernandes and wellens had absolute shockers, mills was excellent, defence never looked in danger but they had half a team injured used all their subs at half time and were generally cack apart from mcnaughton and we should have won. last 10 mins they were camped in their own half we had 3 golden chances and didnt take one. we are midtable and thats how we are playing. I hope to god johnson plays on weds nigght, hes the only one who passed forwards when he came on.
It depends which way you look at it. If you see Cardiff as a class above us, keeping them quiet all game was a good display. But we should be judging ourselves as one of the promotion favourites, and therefore taking a point away from home shouldn't be a pleasant surprise. I've not said there were no positivess, the defence did well and that is pleasing. But everything in front of that didn't encourage me at all, and by this point in the season I was expecting us to have started playing some good football on a regular basis. I have to be honest about what I feel and I can't just take the positives and ignore the negatives.
I know, but Cardiff are a good side who are notoriously hard to beat. We're unbeaten away and unbeaten in 5 in the league. Lets not forget that it wasn't glamorous but an away point isn't the end of the world providing we win at home we should do well.
I think you are being a bit downbeat there Emilio. Most on here would have probably taken a draw out of this match. The defence was very good today and that was hugely encouraging. Mills was my MOTM with Pelts just behind. First half you're right, Cardiff stood off us and gave us far too much time. I think the problem was Fernandes and Abe in the diamond didn't get involved enough in the game and didn't give Wellens options when he picked up the ball. I was calling for Danns to replace Gelson because I think his direct running, which is what we needed at times because we were sideways too much when Cardiff got men behind the ball, would have caused a tired Cardiff defence problems and I was surprised he didn't come on. I think Johnson did well when he came on. We certainly kept the ball better and created more. I would be tempted to start him against 'Boro. Fernandes I thought was poor today. His touch was off quite a few times and he didn't really get involved in the game enough for me. We improved when Johnson came on I think and when Wellens went further forward I think we improved because he actually got involved in the game. King, sad to say, its the same problem. Didn't get involved enough in the game (bar his chance) and I think he'll do well to keep his place. Abe wasn't the attacking threat we would have liked but I think he and Peltier were good defensively down their side and he did try to get involved. I would keep Yuki for the next match. vs 'Boro: Schmeichel Peltier - Mills - Bamba - Konchesky Wellens Abe - Danns Johnson Vassell - Beckford Subs: Weale Pantsil Fernandes King Nugent I think ease Nugent in because it might be too much to throw him in against an in-form Middlesborough. The front two I would stick with. Vassell was so frustrating though. He looked lively and was industrious and did create a few chances for himself but how he didn't score is beyond me but he played well against Brighton and if you gave him that header 99 times out of 100 he would have scored it. I did feel sorry for Beckford, especially 2nd half when we pumped long balls towards his head because that isn't Jermaine Beckford's strength. 1st half he was better and making a few runs but he was well marked by a brilliant Anthony Gerrard who kept him quiet. His touch was off a few times though. I would play Johnson at the tip rather than base of the diamond because I think our final ball needed to improve when we got into the final third and Johnson has that ability more than anyone else in our squad to thread that killer ball and create something from nothing. Still, a draw was probably a fair result and solid defensive performances like that on the road is important in the Championship and it was a hard fought draw that I think will satisfy the camp as we push on through this week. We're only 6 points off the top two and considering we play 2nd and 3rd in the league in our next two games, I think its a gap we can make up over the course of the season. There are definitely many positives to take from this game, as well as many things to work on but we're solid defensively for the first time under Sven and once we get our key players (Johnson, Beckford, Nugent etc.) playing I think we should create our fair share of chances. Picking up points when you're not at your best is the sign of a good team.
I would of taken a point aswell. But with Peltier having a shot cleared off the line, Vassell hitting the bar and King missing a good chance we should of taken all 3. But another clean sheet. Nugent is back now so we should have more of a cutting edge Team for Middlesborough should be Schmeichel Peltier Mills Bamba Konchesky Abe Wellens Fernandes Danns Vassell Beckford Subs Weale, St. Ledger, King, Johnson, Nugent Johnson isnt match fit yet. He has played more football in the past week then he has played in a long time
I wouldn't risk him personally. Have Schlupp on and let Nugent have a week to regain fitness and start against the sheep shaggers.
I would have Nuge on the bench. He brings a more physical option and he's been training since Friday so I think he's fit enough. I also think it will help Beckford to play with a physical player like Nugent. For all Vassell's endeavor and his hustle and bustle I think Nugent and Beckford would work better as a parntership. I also don't think Schlupp did too much when he came on. I can only remember him winning one 50-50 but that's about it.
I came on here today expecting positivity after a great away point, another clean sheet and a decent spoiler performance, instead - more moaning. We're doing alright, we're on a good unbeaten run, and are living to the old maxim of winning at home and not losing away. Can't see a problem myself with this performance and result - and we nearly nicked it. In the past we've gone to Cardiff and looked clearly second best - not today. People are obviously expecting us to play like Barcelona after spending ten million - on the whole team that is, not quarter of a player! And as someone else pointed out, this was head and shoulders above the unwatchable tripe served up by Forest and Watford, two teams who look destined to struggle.
I thought it was a half decent performance today. Clean sheet is always a bonus and bamba and mills gelled well. Peltier had a great game and was v unlucky with the header cleared by earnshaw. Cardiff never looked like scoring even when they had their half hour in second half. Usually get nervous at that point but wasn't worried today. Midfield wasn't great today but just rest played well. Need to make kp stadium a fortress and keep it tight away from home and we will be alright.
