There are a few minor tweaks needed with this side - I would much prefer to see Waggy on the right. Green is too slow, he wastes too many throw-ins and fails to live up to expectations too often. I really like Pritchard, but Stephens (when fit) and Hughes are better players. I feel more confident when they are in the side. BWP needs a rest. He is undoubted class and will come good; but he should be left out of the squad for at least one match. Let Haynes or Clarke have a start. More balls into the penalty area are needed, and not just lumped up to Kermit when he is 30 yards from goal. With Stephens in the middle we could tear apart the opposition more effectively. I am sure BWP would prosper with this style, as seen earlier in the season when the ball was played to Hayes' feet. Other than the above, all is great.
Agree with nearly all of this Ponders, except for the Waggy/Green thing although its turning into more of an issue that I thought it would. What I mean by that is that to me there is absolutely no contest on paper between Waggy and Green. Green is more skilfull and a fabulous crosser. Waggy is industrious but frustrating. When he is on top form Green blows Waggy away. But his top form moments are fewer and further between than they should be. Saturday being a case in point although there were serious issues about lack of service to him to the point where he started drifting infield to get the ball. He really should have done better with his two shots in the second half although he did brilliantly to get into the positions. Most worryingly for me is his apparent dislike of 50/50 challenges. All of that said I think Waggy would have disappeared into the general melee on Saturday and I was amazed and disappointed to saee Pritchard stay on and Green come off. So I think Green is potentially a class act and capable at a higher level (which I'm not convinced Waggy is). But he does need to produce. We need to take a couple of teams apart. Bury would be a good oppportunity for Green to fly and really show us what he can do.
Would you have been so keen on Hamer had his pitiful performance cost us the points? You need to go to Specsavers
No need for personal insults Rufus, its a public forum, nobody would bother posting if we all felt the same about every thing. I much prefer Green to Waggy, the latter is too anonymous, and though he has blistering pace, he wastes it with his inability to cross. Green on the other hand is brilliant at crossing, and also (at least attempts to) go past his man. I don't quite get the comments about Greens lack of pace, isn't a certain David Beckham seen as one of the greatest English wide-men of the past decade? As for Hamer, he was fairly poor yesterday (though made a great save from their free kick which seems to have not been picked up on). He's been decent this season and I'm not so worried about him, afterall, our back four are so good that I'd feel confident of a clean-sheet even if Stevie Wonder was in goal.
Hamer was awful on Saturday, barely caught a cross, some feeble punches and dropped the ball a few times. However, he is young for a keeper, so should get better. Yes, he kept a clean sheet, but how many saves did he make, apart from the skiddy free kick, as the defence protected him superbly? Seems a good shot stopper, but not so good on crosses which is a liability in this division. I don't recall Green putting in any crosses at all on Saturday, he had 2 decent shots (but straight at the keeper) and that terrible free kick in the 1st half. And poor defensively. Personally, I think he's a bit lucky to keep his place ahead of Waggy. Both players have slightly underperformed this season, when you consider how well they did last year in less successful teams.
im a bit perturbed by this constant criticism of Hamer punching the ball rather than catching it. now i dont go to the games admittedly, but do watch the highlights on CAFC player extensively. comments from the defence and SCP have also been made on this. If you come for everything, u wont get everything. equally if you stay rooted to your line then you are not going to get made to look a mug. the oppo will just score with what seem like unsaveable efforts on goal. if hamer comes, gets a touch and it goes off for a throw the other side...u should be praising him for his efforts. elliott was toss on crosses because he never came. Carson is the worst keeper ive ever seen on crosses. but to the uninitiated eye, they look great because they save one on ones. ben hamer is a rock solid keeper who will only get better. far from being a weak link, he is one of our stars. ben roberts is a great coach and knows his onions. u want a stat....check how many times hamer comes for a cross per game. then compare this to elliott/carson/kiely. you`ll soon see the wood for the trees. anyone criticising BWP needs their head tested
What is your problem with specsavers. That's where my glasse are from and I saw full well his saves on Saturday including the venomous free kick he tipped over to keep out a virtual goal, perhaps you should use them and you just might've seen that as well.
What was so awful about him. He made a decent save from the free kick and kept making saves when at the JS end, parrying the ball is good goal keeping when in tight situations. If you are looking for perfection then you won't get it in L 1. All goal keepers make mistakes and they are the sole unit under the most pressure. Keeping 3 clean sheets is an achievement in itself and no one was on here moaning about his peformance against Sheff Wednesday on here as far as I recall or Brentfold and I wasn't even there myself. Still I'm sure Robbie was always perfect. Many premiership goal keepers make these mistakes but it does not an awful peformance make.
