to step up to the mark. MON has been getting a lot of stick, most of it fair. But! It's about time the players started to take their share of the blame. I'm sorry but Larsson just isn't up to the pace in the premiership. It is getting embarrassing how slow he is, both in movement and thought. Watch back Evertons goals. He slowly jogs up to Felaini to watch alongside him as he scores. He then slowly jogs over to watch Osman make the pass for their second. Now this isn't something that has just started happening. His odd good delivery and freekick is letting him get away with murder. He is clearly a weak link. He had quite a few chances to help out the defence yet stands and watches. Even when Gardner was getting doubled up on he still stood back. MON is clearly seeing something in him I'm not. He should have been the first one subbed yesterday.
I hear what you are saying, and in truth his delivery/goals input has faded to nothing as well. That said, yesterday was much better, and I think we are getting there. The second goal was tragic, through the legs of JOS, who is just about always an 8 + out of 10 for us. We need a break, but we'll be ok, I feel much better about it after yesterday. I fancy we might get a win down at Fulham, good side they are, I just fancy it may be next week.
If we had taken those chances yesterday would have made a huge difference. Both in result and all the lads confidence. I have said this before, there have been times in the past when we have absolutely blown Everton off the pitch and the feckers have came back and stole it. As for Fulham, Jol has set them up very well. I think it is going to be a case of hard graft all round to take them on. And going for the jugular when we get the chance. We just aren't good enough at the moment to play to hold onto a lead. So lets just make the lead bigger. Smarter man than me said, "The oppo can't score if you have the ball in their half."
For me MR, we sat off from the start second half. I'd have said 'lads, pressure the **** out of them till 55mins, and take the heat out of their teamtalk, then we will pick them off on the break'. I know they didn't score till 70+, but we'd invited pressure, they'd have been bamboozled by us going for the jugular.
Can't disagree mate and it is one of the things worrying me about MON. I'm not calling for his head, but we have to sustain the pressure when we are on top. I saw some great attacking play when he was at Villa. It's as if he still has doubts about certain players here. And clearly not doubts about the same players I do. hahahahaha
I'm ****ed off that young Connor isn't getting a chance, lads in smashing shape for reserves/U21's etc. Give him a shot, he could be the key, and a plan b within plan a, if that makes sense.
I'm still yet to be persuaded with CW, too often looks ponderous. I certainly hope he can make the step up to the prem. For me I would have had Fletcher and Saha up front and given Sess free rein in behind them. But that would have left Larsson covering behind Sess and he clearly isn't up to the job. Fletcher isn't a target man. The way we are trying to hit him with the ball isn't his game. He needs the ball playing into him not just lobbed in his general direction. The best teams get their chances by passing and moving. The only one we have doing it on a regular basis is Sess and when the others aren't on his wave length it looks bad on Sess. I saw some flashes of him and AJ starting to bond.
Me too, and against Villa to a lesser degree. Considering that they are the best 2 footballers at the club, it's a great place to start. I', feeling much more positive, but we need to see the results soon, or the seasons over. There's no relegation threat, but the season will drop flat as a witch's tit if we don't have a couple wins on the belt, and soon.
Don't even want to start thinking of the "R" word this early in the season. I honestly think we have the players who can turn it around. MON was saying he wants the players to feel as though they can express themselves. To do that, they need to have the freedom to attack, you can't express yourself whilst defending. McClean has rightly been getting stick for his attacking play, but **** me the lad puts a shift in, running back and defending and generally making a nuisance of himself. (A lot are forgetting how much of a big step up this is for the youngster.) Sess isn't too bad at chasing back in MF as well. Lets have them wearing themselves out attacking not defending. PS. Rep to strawberry for the low thread score, it means so much to me. (Not!)
See, I thought Sess was having a sit season, until I got back, sat in my seat in the North Stand and watched the lad. He's not playing badly, but the lack of confidence & movement in others is giving him no option & too much load. I understand we expect a lot of him, rightly so as the lad has incredible ability, but he's not god, he can't carry the side alone. Now that AJ is finding his feet, I think Sess will come out of the shadows and hit a real good vein of form. McLean, I'm afraid I think he rates himself too much, but I don't think for a second he's beyond salvation. I can run all day in an SAFC shirt mate, doesn't make me worth my place, this applies to McLean, at the minute.
Never a truer word. Spot on, the lad needs to take a step back and look at his attacking play. If he isn't doing his main job he needs to be rested.
Said it before mate. I may talk a load of **** about my club, and be completely wrong in my assessment of players and play. But this is a football forum the place to air those views. In the main so far in this thread me and BB have thoughts along the same lines. When we do argue we do it without resorting to abuse. Far to often on here lately, some on here get far to personal when disagreeing. The arguments should be based on football not on someones birthplace or someone is having a go at their pet player. Most people disagree with me, if they are going to disagree, more power to their keyboard, just do it without abuse. Too many threads are being killed by abuse. PS. The above applies to Mackems, I still reserve the right to tell Skunks to **** off!
I've noticed a few mini-spats with McLean on the park, one with Fletch v Villa & one against Boro, can't remember who with. Just a look of 'what the ****' from the lad, as if he felt he was superior in some way, funny, as Fletch is 4010 times the player! I've heard, we've all heard, about the lad going a bit 'big time', hopefully it hasn't somehow unsettled the dressing room cos the last time that happened, Makin v Phillips, it was the early rot in the wonderful Reid team. I point out this is purely speculation on my part, but I clock things like this all the time, and I know full well how things like this can affect the collective. People say last 2 weeks we have been better. 2 weeks ago, McLean was dropped, correctly. I'm watching it mate, hopefully I'm off the mark on this one.
I did notice whilst watching the live match on stream that the youngun was shouting and waving his arms about a couple of times. Can't remember the situations mind. Hope he isn't getting too big for his boots. As the only loser will be him. As professional footballers or not they are the same as us and get the hump. And they will leave him hanging out to dry.
He's managed to get himself from being a bit of a fans darling to one many wouldn't miss in 3 months. If he's not aware of that, he'll be a fall-away, and that'd be a real shame, as there's a footballer in there, if he takes his heed out his arse he'll see it. I reckon the lad will be alright, but he needs benched, even out the matchday squad for a couple weeks as a bit of a reality bitchslap.
It's pretty blatant about McClean. 1 year ago he couldn't of even dreamed of playing for his country and since then he has even caused upset in the National team. Hiring minders None wearing of the poppy (i'm with him on this one but it's still controversy following him about) Not trying as hard as he was last season Looks really moody and angry with his own players on the pitch at times He just seems to be one of these people that have a self destruction button, dont know why, he just does.
**** me mate give ower will you, people on here may think you know what your talking about, going all testicaled like, tarring me with the same brush, and the result will be [ were ****ed ]
IMO this minder story is total nonsense. Has anyone from the club or MON said anything other than he can have who ever he wants over to stay? It's a pal coming over for a while as I believe the lad is homesick, nothing more. I've noticed the McClean witch hunt is still ongoing on certain social media sites but that was to be expected when certain assumptions were made about the lads’ political preferences without any evidence. The lad is damned if he does and damned if he doesn’t but one thing I will say is that ATM he should be dropped and used as an impact sub to see if his performances improve.
