Barton was our best midfield player yesterday without doubt. He was the only one with effort and did running & fighting a lot. Buzsacky was again back to his normal medicore championship-midfielder role. He was slow and his effort was appauling. Taarabt was having one of his bad days and he did not look like match winner whole afternoon. SWP was better on the second half and did ok.
In the cold light of day the first half performance would have been embarrassing against a Championship side, spineless, gutless and lacking even the most basic organisation. To come out in the second half and play more like what was required from the start was papering over the cracks, the team is unbalanced with serious deficiencies. Diakite is badly needed in the same way that Derry and Faurlin shielded our suspect defence last season. SWP is pants, he has had 20 odd games to find some sort of form and frankly is no longer PL quality, he can't cross to save his life. Buz was given time and space by Wigan to look like a world-beater, other teams will be closing him down and he then becomes anonymous. Adel has to revert to his midfield role where he can be much more involved. I hope Young returns for the Fulham game and we have Anton and Onuoha in the middle with Diakite just in front. Players playing in their best positions. Adel in place of SWP and Mackie up front. Lastly, Cerny should be given the gloves as Kenny is just not reacting sharply enough. Hopefully if all are fit this will be the team for the Fulham match: -------------------Cerny------------------ Young---Ferdinand---Onuoha---Taiwo Taarabt---Barton---Diakite---Traore -----------Mackie---Zamora------------
mackie is not a winger he is a forward, play him in the right position and he will score goals,why do people not rate him ,he always gives 100% ,which is more than you can say about some of our other players
I would go with this. It will be interesting to see if HH gets a return once he's back to full fitness though.
"A defeat that feels like a win"??? Can I have some of what you're on, please Peruvian? Me, having just lost the easiest two games of our run in, I'm very depressed and very, very worried. In a constructive moment, I'd go with Sooper's team. -------------------Cerny------------------ Young---Ferdinand---Onuoha---Taiwo Taarabt---Barton---Diakite---Traore -----------Mackie---Zamora------------ Despite this team including Barton, IMO he hasn't done nearly enough to justify the hype: terrible passing eg gave Wolves one of their goals. Generally, I think Derry's looked better, although, not surprisingly, he seems to tire after an hour.
The only thing keeping my mood up is my youngest son, who keeps telling me that we're still not in the bottom 3 and that the teams below us are worse than us. I know....i know....but i NEED something to cling onto!
Col, I am assuming your son is a real youngster. My teenager is full of doom. Mind you he has the right, having still never been in the stadium to see us win live in the Prem. Now I am reluctant to take him, figure he is cursed.....
-----------------Cerny------------------ Onouha---Ferdinand or Hall---Gabbi---Taiwo Taarabt---Barton---Diakite---Traore -----------Mackie---Zamora----------- I'd have change the back 4 four a bit as Young has been giving away too many goals recently, and also bring i Gabbi as he seems to win a lot of ball. Toss up as well for me now between Anton and One Size, Anton still looks like his head is with the Terry case, but Hall seems to get better and better. Otherwise your team for Fulham Sooper looks right to me.
Col! Perhaps a bit but not much, he looks uncomfortably one legged to me. He hit a good hard shot into the side netting that I thought had gone in at first !!, when he should have probably crossed to players in the box, and ballooned a couple of shots or crosses into the stands.
He's 12 mate and a season ticket holder, along with me and his 17 year old brother who spent the entire 2nd half against Wolves with his head in his hands, muttering and swearing to himself!! The youngest is always optimistic and it does me good to have him around!
Which part of my post made you doubt that i was not watching QPR? I just watch that match again and im totally behind my words,
This! Though Adel didn't play as well as against Wolves, he seemed lost up front, he still looked our player nost likely to open up Bb, and did when he dropped back when Mackie came on!
We seem to play better when are in "nothing to lose situation" as a week ago against wolves last 15 min and on the second half yesterday. Sadly in both occasions it was much too late. We also have few players (Mackie ,Taarabt & Buzsacky) who played well in some matches and just when you starting to believe them they flopped badly. It's a enigma to sparky when its right time to play them.
We learnt that Bobby doesn't play through the centre, he needs someone along side him who is going to get into the 6 yard box. That person is not Adel, so Adel will have to be moved back into midfield and after Saturday worth putting Mackie in there. The Midfield were woeful in the first half, I participially liked the shot on MOTD from behind the goal when Nzonzi scored, you can see Buz jogging back with no real urgency looking at Nzonzi who he should have been picking up. SWP needs a little educating on the job of a winger, only got down the line a couple of times in the second half, seems scared to take players on and insists on drifting to the middle. I'm not a Barton fan but he did pick up his game in the second half, Like all I hope The big D can bring something we are lacking in the midfield.
