What worries me is that we seem to be slowly becoming a long-ball team. I can't believe that this is a deliberate style of play especially with Damien Matthew as coach yet it seemed that way as time after time when we got the ball in midfield the whole team would just head forward, expecting a lump towards the Burnley box. To give Green his due he tried hard to find space but the general pattern was established, and it just doesn't work. It also kills the atmosphere. Almost as though the players, like the fans, are just hoping something will happen.
Not even looked at this page today, I assumed it was a shocking display and my dad told me no different, usually I'm a pessimist to the highest level, but this season I've been optimistic, never expected us to do a Norwich or Southampton, frankly we would have got spanked harder than a porn star if we were in the prem, No relegation battle for us, just nothing fun, mid/lower half of table for us, but I'll take that, as long as Wednesday go into administration or go down....COYR
It's not so long ago (last season and beginning of this season) that the Good Doctor was seen as too reluctant to make changes and too loyal to his existing first team players. I think that changed once Kermit got injured and changes were enforced. Since then he doesn't seem to have a clue what his best selection and formation is. It is less than two weeks since we beat Leicester away. A deserved win and a very good performance. So the players do have it in them. I think there is little chance we will go down. Though I accept that we may sink as low as 19th to 21st with our traditional feeble end to a season it will come too late to be dangerous. I think there is a general consensus that our problems stem from our weakness is midfield. We have a lot of all-rounders there who can both defend and attack (Jackson, Pritchard, Stephens, Wilson) but are not really good enough at either. Most of the goals we concede come from our opponents passing the ball up the middle and into our penalty area. Something we are unable to do unless Stephens is having one of his rare good days. At the start of the season I forecast we would finish 15th, and many of you thought similarly. We are now 15th so I am not disappointed with our results overall, just with the quality of our football. It would be useful to have long balls to Fuller and Kermorgant at Plan B, not as our first and only option. None of us know what the money situation is. Hell, we don't even know who really owns the club. If we can get in a couple of midfielders in the summer and one or two of our youngsters come through, we could still do well next year. There is little difference between any of the teams in this division, as results show. It is just some teams can grind out results more often. We would be even more disappointed if we followed Wolves, Birmingham, Blackburn, Bolton, and maybe Leicester and Nottingham Forest if they don't get promoted. Their supporters had a right to expect a lot more than we ever did.
I know The Valley is our pitch and we should be able to play on it as much as visiting teams BUT..... Sparrows Lane is like a green carpet and that is where we train during the week so playing at The Valley seems to come as a surprise to the players EVERY WEEK! There must be a local pitch somewhere (Charlton Park?) as poor as The Valley where they could train? When I took the dog for a walk this morning (@10am) they were putting the training aids out at Sparrows so it looks like Sunday training for the lads.... or perhaps just for squad who didn't feature yesterday? Was I also the only person who thought that the ref cost us the game yesterday? Haynes was attacking and a Burnley defender intercepted the ball with an obvious back pass to the keeper but the ref gave nothing the keeper threw the ball out and Burnley scored from that attack! Typical of our luck this season
There was also quite a cynical side to Burnley; I think they had 4 players booked, all for professional fouls when we had a player breaking clear from the middle of the park.
I don't think a bad pitch is an advantage to the home team. If anything, I think it actually works out as a disadvantage. Possibly because players are more cautious and don't want to risk injury (and probably why they don't train at Charlton Park). Or maybe it plays into the hands of an away team mentality and tactics. It reminds me of something I read a long time ago, that in leagues with both grass and artifical pitches, the teams with artificial pitches did better away from home than on the artificial surface.
Yes pulling back and like an Italian team it was different players doing it all the time. Thinking overnight about the game Wilson did well and like Waggy seems to get dropped no matter how well he plays.
1 upfront is when we play at our best and we should set up at home exactly how we do away. We were excellent at palace unlucky to lose yes we lost but did CP need to change it ...he can't help himself
the pitch is a disgrace. i was actually walking round shops today thinking about the weather and how it would help the pitch (sad). hopefully by the millwall game there'll be some grass there. it does work to our disadvantage. the home team (anywhere) typically presses and attacks. the away team counter on the break, which means they get one or two chances, from hoofed clearances - you do not need a good pitch to do this. to press, as we should at home, with slow precise build ups, you do need a good pitch. we dont have one, therefore we cannot create chances.
The referee was very poor, but in truth I don't think he cost us the game. We were the better team, but both sides were absolutely shocking. Their keeper was class, made a few great saves. Agree about Burnley's negative side. They were time-wasting from the moment they scored. In truth, it was a perfect example of how to defend a one-goal lead effectively. Getting players behind the ball without just inviting attacks. On a side note, what on earth is it with Charlie Austin? I like the bloke as a footballer, and I've enjoyed reading about his rise from being a part-time footballer cum brick-layer, to a Championship striker attracting interest from Arsenal...but why on earth does he always seem to try to wind up our fans when he scores? I remember him doing it for Swindon 2/3 seasons ago and did it again on Saturday. Reminds me of that twat Gary Madine who started stroking the Wednesday badge towards the Covered End when walking down the tunnel a few months ago. Does he not realise that means absolutely nothing to us?!! We're not rivals, you never played for us and we've never targeted you with any individual abuse...it just makes you look thick as dog ****.
Charlie Austin is apparently worse off the pitch. I know someone who knew him as a youngster and said he was always a little ****. Good finisher though!
As far as I'm aware she, like Prince, never had a surname. But I doubt that she was a mother either so I still didn't trust her.
