Positive is two draws against the top teams. However, like I said I can't see who will score the goals whether we are playing Sunderland or Portsmouth and that needs dealing with and quickly.
Celar was top score in the Swiss Super League and averaged a goal every 2 games at his last club. He is our Forlan?
We haven't really had a decent striker since Charlie Austin. Since we sold Les Ferdinand to Newcastle all them years ago, for big money at the time, we have never recovered and got back to being a top 11 premier league team. You need to have half decent strikers who can score goals no matter what league you play in.
Maybe would have taken a point if offered at the start of the day. We badly need to find some goal threat from somewhere though, Frey is a big miss even if Celar really put a shift in today. This madness of only having two strikers in the squad is utter lunacy.
Celar’s best game that I have seen, but only because he upped the energy to just about acceptable levels and had a couple of good touches. Still can’t see him scoring. Defence did well, though little to do second half. Chair was, in my opinion, our worst player did little useful with the large amount of possession he had. Morgan good, his brain is faster than some of our other players. Varane is growing up, solid performance. Madsen, well I don’t know, looks silky smooth for a moment but slows everything down and like Celar is a yard or two behind where he should be. So against ten men the only changes made are like for likes Smyth-Saito, Madsen - Andersen. I know we don’t have any real attacking back up but very conservative against an opposition who were well on the back foot. I would have taken a point before the game, but it’s disappointing after it. Still if we can’t get a decent shot on target we aren’t going to win games.
Better performance today, Varane looked good again & Celar had a better game, missed a chance to get our first home Win, young Morgan didn’t look out place & can only get better
Two clean sheets! Excellent, but we really don't look like scoring. The central defensive four (Cook, Field, Varane and Morgan) was solid. Maybe Marti has accidently worked out the best four here (for when JCS is having a rest)? Three points on Tuesday in coming!
Points dropped in my opinion. They were there for the taking with 10 men. Varane and Morgan played well together, especially in the first half. This was Sunderland not ****ing Barcelona and had 10 men yet we still couldn't score. We couldn't against Plymouth when they had 10 men either. If Celar is the answer, then we are asking the wrong question.
Out all afternoon having a late lunch, so only saw HT score before heading home..... Would have taken a point before kick off..... will read through thread later and look at highlights....
I thought we played very well considering the opposition were 5 points clear top of the table. If only we could put the shots in the corners of the net rather than way over or straight at the Keeper. Cook was very good again, so was Varane who had his best game yet for us I think. Madsen played some great passes first half, and that must have been Celar's best for us yet too, he was unlucky with the shot from 10 yards or so that was just wide
If I could change one thing about that game, I would have erased the red card incident so that it stayed 11v11. We are terrible against 10 men and I never like when it happens because I know exactly what is coming next: crap.
Considering the team we had out when I saw it I would settle for draw but then watching it at HQ we should’ve won
An extremely low bar, but that was Celar's best game for us. Still doesn't look like getting a goal, though, and seems happier running alongside his marker than making himself available for a pass or through ball. Varane was excellent - probably our MOM - and Morgan looks very much at home in this league. A couple of headers went straight into their keeper's arms when anywhere else was a goal. Madsen didn't dominate by any means, but I think he showed that he is a proper player in this more forward role.
Madsen showed a little something in the first half and linked up quite well considering he's been ****e since he arrived. Celar seems to be attracted to the defenders run rather than making any of his own. Varane, seems to be finding his feet and looks like he could find a home in the championship. Morgan was a breath of fresh air in the first 45 mins, a player who actually gets his head up and looks for a pass that isn't just backwards. Our problem will, as ever, be scoring goals. We didn't compete against Burnley, we defended and held out. Today was against a team that might be top of the league now but won't be come the end of the season. They were down to 10 and we just played the same way. We can all be thankful for clean sheets but if you can't score than you won't ever win games.
What do I make of that. Team that was top and still top of league. Reduced to 10 men rightly so. We get a draw. Unbeaten in 3 . The team played well. New players nearly all had their best game for us. Field was a very good CB. Sunderland had one chance, off the post early in first half. Cook, Dunne and Ashby were good. Varane and Morgan protected the back 4 well. Varane best match. Morgan was simple but effective. Madsen was good, Chair is improving each match. Smyth was Smyth...he gives everything. Celar was much more convincing. But when they went down to 10...they packed their defence..and so in fact had a less chance of scoring. It was always due to end in a draw. I was impressed. We are getting there.The team believe. We will win on Tuesday ( but there is a problem...the injuries are mounting..we are approaching a crisis)
Madsen has been poor up until now because he hasn't been played in the right position. He showed today where he should play.
