Nepotism

Today, Koren was better than Boyd for me. They were both ****, but Boyd was ****ter.

Boyd is a striker and looked terrible in midfield.

 

No, Boyd is a midfoelder who's looked great for us in a strikers role.

Koren put a shift in, get off his back.

We were missing Meyler and Quinn today, but fair play to bruce for not rushing Quinn back at 40/60 fitness.

Boyd looked knackered, and didn't get an inch of space - fair play to them - they did their homework.

If you want to slag anyone off, Elmo and Gedo looked off the pace after thinking they were too good for this league in about 5 games prior to this..... Bruce in midfield is an effective part of the rearguard, but I would have played evans if I'm honest.

We were defensively good enough - don't slag defenders off for the fact we didn't score more than them as our posession and territory should have allowed for all - but 30 mins in the first-half. We conceeded a single goal against the highest away scorers in the league.

Don't diss their 'keeper who was MOM either.

 

For once I have to say that I thought Steve Bruce got it wrong tonight, none of us are perfect I guess!

After the first 45 it was clear, even to a blind man, to see that the central midfield wasn't working, I was fairly sure that Bruce would replace Koren at HT for Quinn, who, incidentally, I thought should have started as Brady looks nowhere near as effective without him on the pitch, but, as we now know, Koren started the second 45 and went on to play the full game but for me he offers very little. If he loses the ball it's almost as if he considers it gone and rarely tracks back to recover it, he doesn't press the opposition when they're in possession unless you regard a half hearted effort at pressing as adequate, in fact now that he's stopped scoring, or even attempting, his 30 yard worldies I'm really struggling to see what his contribution is to the team at all.

Regarding the Alex Bruce debate, I would agree that to play him at home, at the expense of Cory Evans, is bordering on the ridiculous. I think that that the only area where Bruce would possibly outperform Evans would be in heading the ball, and we have THREE central defenders that are surely paid to take care of that particular area.

Anyway, as some sage will undoubtedly confirm, SB has worked wonders since he's been with us, we're still a point clear in second, and everything in the garden is still rosy! True enough, but with earlier subs tonight, or the absence of selecting a powderpuff mifield duo to start the game, I think we would have still been at least 4 points clear of Watford, and probably 7!

 

Good post overall.

RE Koren - it's not his lack of effort or bravery that's worrying me most. It's his total lack of awareness of what's going on around him or inability to do anything about it if he is aware. He's a playmaker and he can't even keep the ball at the moment so worrying about 'extra' skills that aren't really part of his job like defending is a bit optimistic. I'd be happy if he just offered an attacking ability but at the moment he loses the ball instantly every time he receives it. There was one moment tonight when someone played a ball over his head and all he had to was run into the open space with it and he'd have been free to cross unopposed. It was one of the few times tonight that we actually got behind them on the flanks. But Koren didn't even notice he had this space and played it back over his head, first time and into a packed midfield. It's happening more and more that he receives the ball under the slightest bit of pressure and has no composure or awareness to keep hold of it. I can't believe a supposed playmaker with so much experience can be so blind to what's going on around him.

 

Shocking OP from a man who has slated Bruce since before he even kicked a ball. Get a grip we're in a better position than 22 teams and in a worse position than only 1 team.

 

Boyd is now a central midfielder, he is a number 9. An attacking middefielder or a winger, definitely not a central midfielder. Also, Koren was shocking tonight.

 

He's also ineffective when sides put 2 men on him all game, which is pretty easy for sides to do when we're playing with only one man wide on each side. We had Boyd and Koren playing in the middle, and yet we didn't look like we knew what to do when we couldn't use our wing backs as outlets.

 

I didn't think Alex started to badly he won a few tackles and broke a couple of attacks up, as the game opened up he wast as effective and gave the ball away. Overall it's not his position we know that and he probably knows that but is trying to do a job, hopefully Steve will realise this and change his thinking I'd like to see fathi given ago I'm still not convinced about Evans tbh.
Re koren I said months ago he'd lost it and last night proved it to me he gave the ball away far too many times its got to be him or Boyd not both in the middle or we won't win many midfield battles and control a game

 

Brucie got it wrong last night with the centre of midfield. I trust he is a man who will learn from his mistakes though.

 

The worst thing about Koren, for me, is that he's Captain.

I'd rather AB be captain, I really would.

 

While he's in the team I'd give the captaincy to Faye. His experience could be vital over the next 6 games.

 

I don't think captaincy really makes much of a difference if I'm honest

 

Yes, yes and yes!!!!

 

There are no natural captains in our squad, Cory Evans may develop onto one but at the moment he's too young. For me a captain is one that will give his team mates an almighty bollocking as & when required and get their heads back into/into gear, in the style of Ash, we have no one that comes close to Ash in that department!

As others have said, at this moment in time I think it makes little difference who the captain is, as they're all much of a muchness, what would make an obvious difference would be to make one of your central midfield two a fighter who can also find a pass and begin an attack, Meyler was unavailable but what was the problem with Evans, Quinn or Fathi? Is it because Koren is undroppable? Any of the three would fit the mould, and I honestly hope that SB never goes with Boyd & Koren together in the engine room ever again, and before someone says that Quinn wasn't 100%, if you're fit enough to take your place on the bench then you're fit enough to play from the start!

 

Alex Bruce has that natural leadership about him, always yelling his head off, koren does too, but koren can be found guilty of committing the crimes he dishes a mouthful out for.

 

I take your point about Bruce, the problem with him being that 99% of the time when the ball comes to him he misplaces a pass or balloons it out for a throw in/corner, I don't dislike Alex, I just don't think that he can play football very well, especially from a midfield position! If we could combine Alex's mouth with Evans body we'd have a potential captain.

Koren? I also take your point, at the moment he's not a great example, enough said!

 

Correct. So have I. He's ****ing gash and always has been. I said in August that he can't tackle, pass, head, shoot or score. He's not particularly strong either. What the **** does he offer our team? A damn sight less than he offers our opponents, that's what

Koren was terrible again too. I wonder if ISTPLT and I are still in a minority of two when it comes to thinking he should be dropped from the first-team?

Ignoring the fact that neither of them should have started, the two of them should have been off at half-time for Fathi - who I'm guessing was caught porking Bruce's missus or something - and Quinn

 

The part about supporting attacks is being overlooked by a lot of people. The siting midfielder has to offer an easy pass to the player he is supporting, you could see that when Brady had the ball he did not want to pass to Bruce as early on he had given it to him only for Bruce to hoof it in the air and Brady had given him an earful.

I have nothing against playing Bruce in defence as he is decent for that position, but as a midfielder he is absolutely ****e

 

I sincerely hope fathi starts against boro, alex is just poor on the ball and his interupting the opponents play is nothing special.. Any half decent player could do it and im afraid thats true.. We needed extra quality in midfield yesterday yet bruce was basically absent due to his **** movment and ball skills in the 2nd half.. Fathi will be better..

**** about bruce seeing him in training? What is alex doing so special? Cleaning his dads office?

As others have stated you dont win the acon and get almost 100caps forma decent international side.. Its a jokr