Its not the players are physically tired. Its lack of mental toughness. The formation hasnt been sussed out. We've played it all year, yes maybe teams are adapting better now. At the end of the day in all sport you have to beat the man in front of you. you have to out fight him then out play him. Thats what is letting us down. They knew Faye would win most headers, so were ready in midfield to pick up all the balls he headed and they did. They knew Stocky kicks to elmo to head on, so were ready to pick up the knock down which they did. The back 3 werent given a moment to settle on the ball. Not sure how anyone can blame Macca for the first goal. Second one he was poor on but Meyler was the one weak as piss and Quinny didnt get a foot in just poked it to them. Every throw in we had, they closed us down and made it hard. Throw ins they had we just let them do what they wanted. Lazy. Elmo was pathetic. Body language terrible, did put in two decent crosses eventually. Just does not fancy any physical combat. I woulda hooked him at half time he was that bad. Brady kept going and going even though everything he did didnt come off. Kept passing to the opposition in the first half but then who was showing for it? Also why dive when you can get a shot off on goal? Meyler just didnt seem to fancy getting stuck in. Did his customary throwing himself to the floor a few times. Quinn got clattered a few times. Seemed to go to pieces. His first touch was shocking, worst display for us. Evans, i said on another thread he kept going, which he did but he is still the weak link. The drive and combative nature comes from the centre midfield. He isnt up to the job. He cant pass a ball forward, kept passing it back to Chester who was under pressure constantly. Boyd, was he injured? He needs a platform from the midfield so he can play otherwise he is just a passenger. I would have kept him on and changed the midfield. Fryatt, AKCJ said it on the match thread after 10 minutes he's not fit. We could all see it and he didnt fancy it either. Terrible decision to play him Brucey. He shoulda been hooked at half time too. Why he kept him on until 60 minutes i do not know. Simmo and prossy got in each others way. Prossy leaps like a salmon but either shoulder/ears it or hasnt the guts to head it properly. Another fanny. Simmo cant be happy been dropped for Matty and it reflected in his play. He isnt scoring but he is the only player capable of holding it up to bring others into the game. Some of these players needed to be dropped a few games ago to wake them up, Bruce cant have any faith in Fathi Cairney Rosy. I would have liked to see TC come on and try and get a hold of the ball in the middle. He could not have been worse. Fathi could have come on for Elmo. Fryatt was just a waste of a sub. I know Bryan Hughes was training with us recently, if Ian Ashbee was and still registered with us, I think every poster on here would play him against Cardiff. We need a leader who is going to bollock them and make them fight and lead by example. We havent got that unfortunately.
You make some very good points, however sometimes it very much is the formation. When Watford and Bristol City came to us and played 352. It totally stopped the way we played. It's the changes during games that I would like to see when things are going poor. Yesterday he just made like for like changes that had no effect. When we went 442 against brizzle it allowed elmo and rosy to double up against there one wide man and get plenty of crosses in, albeit for the las 5 minutes. So, a good post, but sometimes it is the formation and lack of change during a game.
They just keep the wide men and midfield tightly man marked and close down everyone in defence/midfield so fast we can't et settled and pass it. No one to pass to in midfield, can't pass to the wide men, can't just pass to the forwards, can only pass to constantly closed down defence. That is the formation being ****ed. That's how easy it is to stop us, we didn't have a chance whilst we were playing with no width at all, it was everything down a crowded out middle of the pitch, or long. Steve Bruce got to take the blame for yesterday, he's got tactical nouse equal to that of a pigeon.
But thats true in whatever formation. Its about a player taking responsibility for his own role. Instructions to Elmo "get the ball down get down your wing whip crosses in". what does he do come inside and pass the ball to aplayer who isnt comfortable with holding it or spraying passes about, Evans. Ever heard sometimes when you pass the ball you pass the buck?? Players didnt take responsibility for their own job and wanted others to do it for them. Anyway that pidgeon dastardly and muttley were after was well tactical.
Evans was most certainly NOT the weak link in midfield on yesterday's performance. The team has lost it's bottle, how can you possibly hope to win a game if in 3 matches you can't score against 3 teams in the bottom 3 and you can't string a series of passes together? In fact no, you can't string one pass together. We've had enough chances, against frankly **** opposition. If a neutral was at Oakwell yesterday, which team would they have picked out as having a chance of automatic promotion and which team would they have thought was fighting to stay in the league? That was a gutless, spineless performance. No players can have any credit after that performance and personally I think we'll be in this league next season.
Spot on post, I think I've said on what feels like every thred we need an ashbee desperately, the 3 in there couldn't lace his boots at the minute. I'm not saying ashbee was any Roy keane but better than the current crop. Elmos proved he isn't up for the challenge he's put about 3 crosses in over the last 3 games him and Boyd haven't looked interested at all. Other than a striker next season regardless of which division a new midfield please Mr Bruce even if that means curtains for Meyler
im convinced some of the players are not wanting to go up, and are happy staying in the Championship, as they would be sold or released if we go up
Tired? They've had a week off FFS. I don't doubt being a 'Professional Footballer' is moderately taxing - all other teams are managing to hold nerve whilst putting in big performances. Tired, seriously, they don't know the meaning of the ****ing word.
I carnt buy this, wouldn't the prospect of getting promoted to the premier league and adrenalin drive you on? come on it must do!! Have Barnsley Bristol city who were already relegated only played 20 games ? Sorry tiredness is bollocks absolute bollocks
I think they blame Macca as he just let a player waltz past him and shoot instead of challenge him. However i do agree with the most, we lost our individual battles today. The midfield was shocking, and we where far to narrow which didn't help them. Normally they would have Elmo and Brady to pass to. Elmo looks injured to me, and Brady is now marked by two players as they know he is the key to our system. When you have your two wide men marked the midfield gets far to narrow and unfortunately not one of them thought to take a man on. Instead of passing it backwards maybe try beating your man, or drawing a man, something we didn't do at all. I agree on Fryatt he isn't fit and the ball doesn't stick to him at all. I would go with Simmo and Boyd. I stand by Boyd as in first half he did a few good things for me but had such shocking service at times.
I agree Geo but they aren't up to it physically or mentally it seems. I fear for us if we don't go up as people have no sympathy at all for the players or manager, could be dark days again.
Big difference is more common formations with full backs and wingers have 2 wide men which makes it impossible to man mark both wide men without leaving a big gap on the flank for a striker to run onto a long ball, therefore there's always an option. If there's only one wide man, it's easy to keep him marked out and force us to play through to middle and hit it long. Barnsley did a ****ing good job of it. It wasn't just the fact the wing backs wernt running with the ball, if they managed to get the ball in the first place there was already someone clinging onto their backs pretty much getting a piggy back. They had no space to turn or move when they got the ball so for them to have such utterly **** games is no surprise at all. If we'd had 2 men down the sides the wingers could have dropped back to help out the full back, team up 2 on 1 and work the ball out of defence, there's no way their full backs would chase our wingers up into our half else they'd leave big gaping holes on the flanks to ping a long ball to the strikers to run onto as I said earlier, and effectively just be playing a 2 man defence.
If they aren't up for it mentally then what happens if we manage to scrape promotion every games a huge game if going to old Trafford, the emirates scares them I've got a black cab they can buy as they need a career change Isn't this what you play football for ??
The fact is that this morning Bristol City who are bottom of the table have scored only 1 goal less than us which is shocking and that is one area which needs to be improved on next season
this is all down to nerves the young kids 4 of them in midfield to start with, have realised how close they are to there dream. nerves drain you mentally and this is why we look tired and lethargic the players are not physically tired. Its also the reason they are all shying away from the ball and have stopped playing nobody wants to make mistakes etc. Bit late now but maybe should have brought some experience in yesterday.. Dawson ,Roseinor fahiti even cairney has EPL experience. the question is can Bruce get the mentality right for the Cardiff game which for me is do or die as i cant see us winning the play offs. They have to get there heads straight and realise its do or die.
Got to check out for a few days, still think we go up anyway so hopefully all this is just hot air. We will match results with Watford and Bruce will get the balance right with the players, probably going to have to be brutal and leave some of his favourites like Elmo out
