Hi all Just listened to the game online. Steve De Ridder got a half tongiht and played really well. I was wondering why Atkins never starts De Ridder? Whenever he comes on he is awesome, holds the ball up, scores too. Is it just a matter of time do you think?
I'm as big a fan of de Ridder as anyone, but the question is this: who deserves to lose their starting place? We have thirteen or fourteen players doing well enough to be an everyday starter at the moment, but unfortunately the league won't allow us to play them all at the same time.
He invented that diet. Adkins, meanwhile, is a football genius who uses De Ridder brilliantly. What else do we want?
I think it's because we have other players playing well as well. Chaplow has been on fire at the moment and Guly has also done well.
he didn't play really well he was average compared to what i have seen before. he is an impact player so is better to bring him on when other players are tired as he will have more of an impact
If you're going on about defensive liabilities then Lallana is aswell, he was playing too narrow first half therefore left Harding with 2 men a lot of the time.
Simple answer to why he won't start de ridder.. Lallana and chaplow are on GREAT form.. and won't be dropped!
I think the reason is that he is better as an impact sub,he has started the cup games and had a chance to impress and he hasn't done it,the only time he has impressed is when he has come on as a sub,i.e Cardiff and Reading so i think that is the best thing for us at the moment.
I think this is the main reason. He is still learning the English game and was caught out tracking back in a few tight games early on in the season. And as people have rightly said it is difficult to see who he would replace. Guly is in great form as is Chaplow who is full of energy. The weakest of our wide men at the moment is Lallana who is returning to fitness and there is no way you would chose De Ridder over him.
I thought he was less impressive tonight than I have seen him previously, although the second half in particular was littered with errors from many others. I just think we are luckier than we realise. For most clubs it's a case of "x is rubbish, why not try Starting Y, he can't be any worse than X surely?" As I was watching tonight, which in many ways wasn't the greatest performance, I thought about how difficult it would be to call who will be player of the year at this point. Everyone has had some good form and contributed. It's all good!
To be honest I too think it would be difficult to chose player of the year. Certainly Chaplow would be in there as would Hoover and maybe Richardson.....Cork perhaps or spider or Ricky? Chose any one of those at the moment....but the season is just about a third of the way through....who will last the course..........
Oh and the keeper is still doing the business; Lambert is playing as well as he ever has without getting the goal return he might expect; did you mention Hammond who has surprised me? Point made, and isn't it a nice problem?
