Now visit Ipswich, lying just off the bottom of the table (23rd) Chopra firing blanks...Jewell on the verge...Chopra...hmmm, he wouldn't would he? Chops tap your head sone..go on both hands pal!
If we can get some away form together we will start to look like serious contenders. It is still the thing that worries me a little. 2-0 up against Palace as an example. A good result against Ipswich is important to show that we can win away from home for team confidence. Still, feeling very happy today
The title is now ours to lose. It doesnt matter what any other team does, If we win every game we will be promoted as Champions!!!!
Aye onward to Ipswich where traditionally we get very little from them. However i have a good feeling about this game, that is as long as the formation doesnt change. By the way i though Joe Mason had a great game last night.
ronny - totally agree about Mason - he isn't just a star of the future, he could be a star right now. Sorry for Tommy with his injury, but so glad to see Joe start last night instead of him. He deserves a run in that spot and would be very dissappointed if Malky decides to bench him and change the formation back to a more defensive setup for the Ipswich game. Bellamy ran all night until he came off - hopefully to be loose enough to start on Saturday. If Malky can keep that 11 to start each game, we'll win far more than we'll lose, home or away. I know Turner and Mutch are probably due to return, but they'll just have to wait.
I don't care where the goals come from. We said on a thread a few weeks back, we've got goal potential all over the park (except right back). Better to have 7-8 chipping in the odd goal than one player scoring loads. By the way, didn't one of our strikers score last night. I thought Bellamy was playing up front with HH. If Bellamy isn't fit for Saturday I'd put Mason up top and KimBo or Smith on the right. We need to keep to 442 at the momment. Sparkey, I agree that unless there is a definite drop in form we should stick with the incumbents. Let Mutch and Turner wait for their chances. Same with Smith, he's been playing well, but does Mason deserve to be left out? It's that type of competition that pushes a team on and gains them promotion.
Top of the table eh! It could have been 4 or more with the number of crosses put in the box. Bellars workrate was incredible again last night. Petty booking by Friend I thought for simulation presumably, especially when one of their players did the same towards the end of the game. Why are we so quiet as a crowd though? Even the Canton were fairly quiet by their standards until that first goal. Come on Bluebirds this could be our year.
48% possession last last night. Our centre mids were very static. We played very direct and our ball retention was poor. I think MM had looked at them shutting down Brighton and instructed us to get the ball forward quickly and the result says tactically we were right. I didn't understand why we'd signed Mutch until I watched him live. He's more dynamic than Gunnar, against Wolves he gave us pace and movement in the middle we haven't had for ages. Gunnar is a bit more solid defensively imo but if we want to win this division by being the best team in it, personally from what I've seen up until now, Mutch will help us do that better than Gunnar. I'm very glad to have both though and I'm sure they'll both get plenty of game time.
Fair points Stevo and I must say I tend to agree - but citing Mutch against Wolves as a benchmark might not have been typical. Wolves are the worst team I've seen at the CCS this season, and that includes Blackpool. How the hell they were level with us on points before last night I have no idea. I posted a thread a few weeks back saying how alike Mutch and Gunnar are - though not necessarily in the way they operate. I questioned whether they could play together as they seem to get in each other's way, and since that time, they haven't. One on for the other as substitute is the way forward depending upon the circumstances of each game. For the moment, I think Gunnar is doing more than enough to justify his continued inclusion at the expense of Mutch. Same applies to the Connolly/Turner scenario. Isn't it so nice to have those sort of problems?
I dont think we played that well last night. If fit I would recall Mutch and Turner. Axing one of the defence would be very harsh. But Turner is in my opinion our best defender. Mutch is just a better player than Gunnarson. Smith id also recall. Who to leave out will be difficult though. Using the squad after 3 games in quick succession would be a good idea. As long as we attack and dont sit back we should win comfortably. Play like we started the 2nd half and we will probably lose. Weve shipped 7 goals in 2 away games minus Turner. Bring him back.
