Match Day Thread Hull City v WBA

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I was surprised to see Smallwood in people’s MOTM top three. He wasn’t awful but he did what he does every game and passed backwards or sidewards; a very average performance against a poor West Brom team that sat deep for most of the game. Docherty looked better yesterday than he has in previous games but I’m still not convinced he’s a Championship-level box-to-box midfielder. Honeyman worked hard but didn’t create much.

It’s been the same story all season. We have a lot of grafters in midfield but few technically-gifted players who can pick a pass and create chances. They looked really good last season, especially Docherty, because they had more time on the ball. They don’t have as much time on the ball this season and it shows. The midfield never really set the tempo of the game or get a rhythm going with their passing. It’s all very frantic.
 
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augustatiger said:
We seem to have a culture of wanting to play out from the back.
This often gets us into trouble and when there is no route out after a few tip taps it’s back to the goalie for a hoof.
Two instances yesterday.
First half 1 minute of injury time Smallwood 30 yard back pas to Ingram resulting in a corner.Fortunately the dreadful ref didn’t let them take before blowing.
The penalty debacle.Trying to be clever and play out…should have been put in the back of the stand.
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Have to agree with the last sentence, in the past you were told if in doubt put it out by the coaches.
 
Also, I think Greaves sees himself as a ball-playing centre-half. He actually looks quite good on the ball but it felt like that penalty was coming all season. He tries to be too cute sometimes with his Cruyff turns and eventually it was bound to bite him on the arse. It was a moment of naïveté on his part and hopefully he learns from it.
 
Slater didn’t have a great game but no reason to bring him off at all to play longman
That wasn’t a game changing substitution was it.

we did nothing second half
Why didn’t he push a centre back up front last ten minutes? bring hudd on
Keep smith on alongside eaves

and certainly target the left centre back of theirs

but it just played out with no threat from us

very flat very disappointing

I’d rather have gone for it and maybe conceded a couple more but banged one or two in
 
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jhe10 said:
If the new management have any ambitions towards getting near the playoffs then we need a new midfield. We don't have a single midfielder who would get into any of the top teams in this division, bar maybe Luton.
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Idk about that, mate. Dark horse this season. Mpanzu, Campbell and Lansbury would walk into our starting lineup. Don’t even think Honeyman would get into theirs.
 
Geo10 said:
Tell me who’s better, that should be in front of him on current form?
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All of those starting.

This is the 2nd City manager to not fancy him. That says a lot, it also says a lot that nobody in the Championship thought he was worthy of a contract and Derby didn't fancy him either.

On his last start he was awful, his legs just looked gone. So to say he's our best midfielder when all the evidence, is showing the contrary is just silly.

If he hadn't played for us before, he'd just be put down as another ****e signing not up to the level from last summer.
 
Shark Sports said:
All of those starting.

This is the 2nd City manager to not fancy him. That says a lot, it also says a lot that nobody in the Championship thought he was worthy of a contract and Derby didn't fancy him either.

On his last start he was awful, his legs just looked gone. So to say he's our best midfielder when all the evidence, is showing the contrary is just silly.

If he hadn't played for us before, he'd just be put down as another ****e signing not up to the level from last summer.
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Who in the championship would take the rest of our midfielders
Smallwood isn’t rated by any of his previous clubs as championship standard
There wasn’t a stampede to sign slater
Doc doesn’t look upto it either
I still think technically Toms better than the rest
Terry didn’t fancy him? Terry signed him, Terry got sacked.
 
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None of our midfielders would get in any decent Championship side.
Recruitment in January was poor Slater & Walsh add very little.
Let’s hope the owners have deep pockets we need a new midfield.
 
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Shark Sports said:
I think there's got to be a sense of realism here.

I didn't think yesterday was that bad nor do I think the manager is the problem. Grant wasn't and neither is Shota. What we face week in week out are sides who are technically better than us. We do our best to make up for it with graft, desire and hard work but from everything I've seen this year, we're probably the poorest technically in the division.

We are what we are at the present time, but a major problem is the midfield sitters, they're naff on the ball and I see why Shota wanted to bring in Walsh. I understand the calls for big Tom but his legs have gone.

We do create a surprising amount of chances though, but we just never take them and although KLP gets all the plaudits, he misses far too many and did last year too.

We just have to get through this and then there's a major overhaul required in the summer. I've seen a few people says that we need 10 signings for the summer. That's pretty obvious, and has been for a while, we not only have to make the XI better but we have to really improve the depth too.
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I agree with most of this, but we do have technical players, they just don't play. You mentioned Walsh, he looked like a higher division player compared to the rest when he came on against Barnsley. It's easy to say Huddlestone's legs have gone, but when he's played he's generally been excellent. Stroked the ball around masterfully against Everton, Bournemouth, Peterborough and Derby this season.

I talked about this before, but we obviously prefer less technical and more energetic midfielders. Grant and Shota both clearly agreed on this. I just wonder how we actually improve in the summer. We can buy more technical midfielders so we move the ball better but are they going to get in the team? Walsh and Huddlestone can't for some reason.
 
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I think you're being unkind on Honeyman here, alongside decent players he would be the perfect ratter in there capable of finding the killer pass. Alas he is having to do everything while.playing on with a shoulder injury.

Of those on the field yesterday I would say Jones and Greaves could go to a higher level, Flemming needs a little work on his defensive side, Honeyman would deffo improve with better players alongside him, and obvs KLP. We have Baxter as well coming back which seems to settle the defence. But imho there definitely needs a big investment across the park, good honest bunch of lads but sadly lacking in quality. Jury is out on Allayhar, given his injury and lack of game time.
 
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PLT said:
I agree with most of this, but we do have technical players, they just don't play. You mentioned Walsh, he looked like a higher division player compared to the rest when he came on against Barnsley. It's easy to say Huddlestone's legs have gone, but when he's played he's generally been excellent. Stroked the ball around masterfully against Everton, Bournemouth, Peterborough and Derby this season.

I talked about this before, but we obviously prefer less technical and more energetic midfielders. Grant and Shota both clearly agreed on this. I just wonder how we actually improve in the summer. We can buy more technical midfielders so we move the ball better but are they going to get in the team? Walsh and Huddlestone can't for some reason.
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I hear what you're saying but the likes of Thudd and to a certain degree Walsh are luxury players and means the rest of the team have to competnsate, I just don't think we have a midfield good enough to put round them to accommodate that.
 
I think we will buy in a new spine to the team in summer. I like the lads we have as centre halves and they are good prospects but we have needed an experienced head badly this year. We need a new midfield general to pull the game by the scruff of the neck and take others with him. Lastly we need another goal scoring centre forward who can cut it at this level. The loss of Baxter has made a real difference too and I would like to see him sign. To all those who think we are safe we certainly are not. We still need another couple of wins to get over the line. Without the points deductions of others we would be right in it this year. There is not enough quality in there and I will be relieved if we get to the summer still in the championship.
 
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Steven Toast said:
I quite liked the look of that lad at Plymouth, Camara, tall lanky midfielder. Though he did gift us a goal, I think he is one heading to the top.
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We should’ve been looking at Matt O’Riley who went to Celtic for £350k exactly the type of midfielder we are missing.
 
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