No dont go mad, this is just a question. Our defence seems solid enough with 4 clean sheets but we have blanked now against 2 lesser teams after dominating (especially vs hull). Iv said it a couple of times this pre season I really think we need to get rid of C.Martin bring in someone more clinical! Im not stressing before anyone jumps down my throat. Im merely voicing my opinion. Good to see the defence playing well! OTBC
I have said this so many times on other threads and will say it again - I just do not understand why Chris Martin is still at the Club. Apart from Ajax - where I thought Vaughan looked quite sharp but Holt got no service - I have not seen any pre-season games. Are we dominating but not creating chances or are we creating chances and missing them?
Neither side really created anything tonight, wasn't really a case of anyone missing glaring chances.
Yes! Simple as that, my worry was if we try and tighten up we will stop scoring and that seems to be the way. I really don't think the strikers this season will able to do the business. We need someone to compliment our midfield cause we make so many chances and there just doesn't seem to be anyone who can do that...
Perhaps we are back to the point raised on other threads - do we need a solid defensive midfielder so that the rest can push forward?
I read the twitter updates and there were loads of chances for us (non mentioned for them) and.we missed them all. But.from what I gather we played very well, with Snodgrass, Russ Maetin and Pilks the stars.
better get the armour ready. I agree I would like to have a bit more firepower without Holt I feel we look a bit one dimensional at times, from the reports I've had about Vaughan there are some major positives so lets hope he keeps fit. I do think we could deal with an all round forward with a bit of pace but if I'm to be honest we need a high end player and I'd presume we'd have to go abroad for that or make a gamble.
Buying a better striker that what we currently have will be hard on our budget. Will most likely have to come from abroad and will still cost a bit, this can't be a panic buy because the window is closing. I'm sure hughton will have a few irons in the fire we just have to see what happens.
There's a lot of talk about Aubameyang from St. Etienne. I think it's probably only because his pace on FIFA is 96, but Ive seen a few people say Jackson is going to the Championship and Aubameyang is coming in. He looks like an African Neymar and he is pretty good but I would imagine out of our price range?
I think we have failed to score because of how solid we have been defensively. Not because the strikers lack quality
pre-season is all about adjusting the balance of the team, as well as fitness levels obviously. there is nothing wrong with our strikers. in fact, its quite pleasing to see how we've tightened up so quickly at the back. we won't know where we stand until the season is a month or two old but i have no concerns whatsoever about our forward line. as i've long said, if the right striker comes along and he's priced accordingly then snap him up, but its not mega urgent and that rule applies to every position on the park. what we have got now is incredible depth to our midfield but as 1950 mentions, still no quality holding player. it will give our attacking players more freedom to express themselves once that player is signed. nothing to worry about as long as we get him. if we don't get him, its irrelevant if we sign another forward as we'll have the same issues we do now! some people look and see we haven't scored that many goals - that isn't down to finishing, its too simplistic a view. its down to supply line.
give Holty and Morro chances they will score, I think he is working hard on the defence and that is upsetting the all out attack we had last year, just a case of getting the midfield balance and that could take some time, patience patience patience please
Being serious here guys, but myself and a few other posters on here did say when you first took on Who-ton that Birmingham were one of the more defensive sides in the championship last year. before we got shouted down.
The trouble with forwards is they are so expensive - you only have to look at sunderland bidding 12m for Fletcher. It's a gamble in the premier league. If they succeed, they keep you up and you may gain resale value. If they fail you could be stuck with an Andy Carroll, worth far less than you paid. I think we need to go for the time honoured wait and see approach
what you said is that birmingham played dire football which was not true we are not playing dire football, we are just failing to convert our chances. we needed to tighten up at the back and that's the first thing he's addressed, therefore he's already made a pretty decent start, albeit its still early days and the season hasn't even begun yet.
Last season we conceded the most goals if any team that wasn't relegated, we could do ith being a bit more defensive at times. I think the lack of goals is because of the training ground type feel to preseason, and we all know hat holty is supposed to be an awful trainer.
I think i said that Birmingham was set up first of all not to lose, and that made a pretty dire game to watch. sounds as though he has started the same with you guys, not saying its wrong but we have seen first hand how Who-ton sets up his sides. Just out of interest, how do you think you will do with a little more defensive style rather than your style from last year where you really gave it a go and proved successful at it? do you think the strikers will prove as deadly with the lesser amount of chances that will come you way?
