Yep thats what annoys me, blind to others mistakes and want to dig out other players I find that neil was that player, folk hammering him for every mistake yet ekwah would get the praise. Obviously with neil its pretty much stopped as hes been that good this season n ekwah has been so inconsistent O9 will always split opinion, theres games where i really worry about him due to him wanting to get too tight to his opponent but then theres others where you want him in as he can bypass the press so well with his passes. He also defends well against trickly mobile forwards. Most players in the championship have faults, thats why they are at thay level -l Hope o9 has a stormer on sat n puts isak into the stand!!!
Tell you what though, I will be raging on Saturday, if our two centre backs let Isak get between them or Botman get the jump on them, like they did against Liverpool's centre backs. The simple fact is every footballer who has ever played the game makes mistakes so they are easy to spot if you look for them. I prefer to see the good things players do, it makes the game much more enjoyable
It’s pros and cons for me. Every player in our team has cons regardless of how good we think they are or may become they’re championship players at the minute. Ballard definitely has a mistake in him but his all round defensive ability, being good on the ball and offering aerial presence both defensively and offensively outweighs that. I’m just not sure O’niens ability to play out from the back should outweigh all of the defensive cons he has IMO. Just like I don’t think Roberts being a great dribbler outweighs his shocking end product and decision making at times. Cirkin gets caught out defensively quite often I’ve mentioned that before for all he’s great going forward he’s not the best defensively. Hume is the polar opposite great defensively but not as good going forward. It’s not just O’nien who has flaws I’m just stating that I think his outweigh what he offers and we’d be a better team with someone else there
They've decided they don't like a player based on some notion that he's not a natural centre back, so spend the time analysing to try and get some feeling that there opinion is based on fact, when in fact, the stats show he's a solid defender who more than makes up for any faults with the other qualities he brings Wtf is a natural centre back? Do you have to be playing there since the age of 12? 16? 19? Do you have to be 6'4 ? Imo, it's just a reason to criticise a player, when they don't have any actual facts or statistics to back their opinion up. The coaches have decided he's a CB, he's listed there on the club website and he's keeping players like Seelt on the bench. As far as I'm concerned, that makes him a CB.
Yet you appear to focus on his every time he has one! I find it hilarious that, after O’Nien has an excellent game, you ignore that and focus on previous mistakes. Patterson has cost as many goals as O’Nien this season. Yet avoids criticism!
It's not up to O'Nien to stand aside ... ... Seelt, Triantis, Hume, even Alese could take his place but manager after manager wants him there. I'd rather accept that, for whatever faults, and hope he plays well every game. I also wonder if he'd be under less pressure with Evans in front of him. There's been plenty of times when our centre midfield loses the ball and O'Nien has to fly in to rescue the situation ... ... it's not always pretty but it's pretty effective.
You don’t remember everyone jumping down my throat last season when I mentioned Patterson constantly making mistakes..?
Agree with this the lack of DM isn’t helping. We should have a midfielder dropping deeper to pick up the ball. Our CB’s playing on the half line just makes our opponents sit deeper.
I was talking about this season not last. Interestingly, I don’t always remember everything that happened a year ago on a football forum! It’s not that important! Why do you think that manager after manager has played O’Nien at centre back? Serious question as you, as a fan, appear to say we have better options. An opinion you’re entitled to of course. Although your reasoning seems to be completely contradicted by each manager.
Manager after manager? He wasn’t in Neil’s defence at the start of last season it was just Mowbray who’s played him. Beale hasn’t taken him out because he’s captain I’d imagine. Plenty of rumours about us looking for another CB though so might be something he’s noticed needs addressing
Your imagination runs away with you tbh. There's been times he could've played the captain at full back, when we've been short, but he's left him there. If Beale doesn't drop him, but we keep grinding out results, will you be happy with that ... ... we've no chance of the top two so would play-offs be a success in your opinion.
Play offs would be a success definitely. I’d imagine the top 4 will be the same come the end of the season, Ipswich will be in the play offs they wont go up automatically. I’m not saying we are poor because he’s in the team at all I’m saying I think we’d be better without him. We aren’t top of the league we’re in amongst a bunch of teams who aren’t special at all ie Hull, Bristol City, WBA.. therefore we can improve.
That's fair enough, I'm starting to understand. So, what ideally would like to see Beale do now as we're in the second half of the season?
If I had my own selfish way I’d sign an experienced DM and a better CB to partner Ballard if they don’t feel like Seelt is ready to go in. Brentford signed Pontus Janssen from Leeds whilst in the championship and it wasn’t a signing that was “sexy” by any means but it improved them so much. Bielsa seen him as surplus to requirements so Brentford snapped him up for about £5m iirc. They were lingering around mid table for years and they reached play offs his first season then went up the next. He was immediately made their captain because his presence both on and off the field was incredible for a young team. We’re crying out for someone like that we have no real leaders on the pitch. Getting both a CB and DM would those qualities would be incredible for this group imo. Ironically they also signed Norgaard that window! Obviously we’ve had injuries and players are coming back from fitness so I think that’s forced our hand but if the likes of Seelt, Pembele or Alese can’t get on the pitch ahead O’nien something is wrong.
I think we do have leaders if I’m honest. I think 09 is a great leader of the people in the team, I think Hume 09 Neil and Ballard inspire through their commitment. I think we miss a DM - Evans experienced reading of the game and tidying up but we might get that from a player who is more committed to that role. I think we maybe miss that physical leadership at the front that the likes of Hugill (Rotherham) provides. I think overall though we look like a unit so it doesn’t need drastic change.
I don’t mean the physicality as much just the general leadership/barking orders on the pitch. I think of Henderson in his last few years at Liverpool as the benchmark he was like another manager on the pitch for Klopp. With younger players I think there’s a “lack of vocal aggression” if you like and a bit of naivety because they’re still wet behind the lugs and don’t know what they can get away with. That’s not a dig at all btw that’s across the board with all young players at all clubs it’s life in general not just football and people will generally gain that leadership quality with experience.
I get what you’re saying I’m just not seeing where the problem is. It doesn’t feel like our unit needs an extra leader and I think 09 is a good one. I think it’s weaknesses in play we need to worry about. There’s a credibility a top striker gets for example that means they get their pass, I think that’s a gap.
