Credit to Hull, they're doing quite well at the moment, but we shouldn't be conceding three goals at home.
Gutting result but more so for me is the Gouffran miss against West Ham with the last kick which would have won the game. As much as the Hull result killed me, we just didn't turn up on the day and a point probably would have been fair so I only view it as 1 point dropped. Agasint West Ham (a game where they had no strikers) we had all the ball but didn't create zip until the last kick so that's two points dropped for me.
I think we all knew at the time it was a massive shame. I don't think they'll be the last points we rue throwing away through poor defending and disjointed performances. I personally think that's what we are as a team. We lack that set of stable personnel through the team that will give you a minimum of 7/10 every time they play. We have some talented players but we lack a bit of backbone and consistency. We don't have that Given, Speed, Solano, Shearer combo who rock up every week. Either we go and sign those players who know the league or you have to be patient blooding younger players who grow with the team. There is no real magic solution.
Nail on head for me. We only really have Krul, Gouffran and possibly Anita (due to his style of play where he keeps it simple etc) that give you a minimum of 7 out of 10 each week. Even then though I'm not sure Gouffran ever rises much above a 7, you just know what you get with him. He's quick, has an indifferent end product but works his nuts off for the cause. Colo could be added to the consisten category but even he's prone to a horror show once every 5 games.
How selective memories are. Remind me again how far up the table we were with that spine? Since Shearer signed we were 2nd...then 13th, 13th, 11th, 11th. If you're talking about when we had Sir Bobby Robson in charge, however....
Selective memories is an apt subject. There is quite a bit of information you're missing out there isn't there for convienience?
That's why he always gases after about 70mins. People moan about him being taken off but the truth is he has usually gone missing in action. I don't mind it though. I'd rather have a player putting in a 100% in for 70mins than someone coastin for 90mins. He probably couldn't a "blue chip" member because the reason you alude to, he doesn't have that ability to raise his game to a 9 or 10 as yet. You never know though as its still early days for him. Solano was ****e for about 18 months and then suddenly the penny dropped. Even Krul I'd struggle to put in that consistent category. He was a couple of seasons ago but now has been a bit patchy. I thought he looked like his old sel on Saturday though. That one on one was fantastic. Anita is a pretty steady but again needs to find more 9's or 10's. HBA/Colo/Cabaye/Tiote/Sissoko all have 9's and 10's in them - unfortunately they all have 4's and 5's too! Remy seems pretty consistent mind. He has clearly adapted very well to the league. He actually seems to thrive on it.
Which means, if you are absolutely determined to be optimistic, that there is some grounds for hope. We can certainly score. We can ping the ball about a bit too. Tighten up the defensive work by the full backs and get a 90 minute out of at least 8 of the players on the pitch, and we're probably as good as anyone outside the top 6.
Don't get me wrong - - this is on the basis that our full back started defending and that any 8 of the players on the pitch were playing to their abilities at any given time. If that happened, we would score more than we concede more often than not. On that basis, we would be comfortable amongst the Evertons and Swanseas of this world. Is that the team we have now ? God no. Is it too much to ask ? I don't know. Probably. But it isn't asking that much
No no but the club being in turmoil, turning over (mmm apple turnover) managers willy nilly, one of that blue chip taking his time to adapt, and some of those seasons players not playing a full season is a good chunk of reasoning. I just think at present we have no one of the calibre of a Shearer or Speed in terms of performing in the PL. Not that those players are easy to come by mind, their appearance records tell you that much!
I think finishing 2nd twice probably helps attract that calibre of player. Would Shearer have been so keen on his hometown club if we'd have finished 16th the season before? Methinks not, for all his subsequent loyalty. Of course I agree that we don't have the consistency of performer. Coloccini's probably the closest thing we have, so nuff said. But NUFC have never had it always so easy. I mean, the squad that SBR took to 3rd were - on paper - not the 3rd best squad in the country. Adds weight to your claim that the core is vital, to be fair, because it was that core playing 40 games that took us up the table, with the "special" players chipping in to add another dozen points to the total. But how much is it just players, how much wanting to play for that manager, or how much is it down to the feeling around the club in general? I think we had that consistency in finishing 5th. Colo, Cabaye, Ba were consistent. They always did a good job and then it was down to a bit of something special to grab more points - a Ben Arfa winner here, a Cisse stunner there. All were backed up by consistency. How did Pardew lose it so badly last year? Same damn players, including Ba at the start, so what went wrong? What's interesting this season is we seem to be getting that back. Cabaye has been on form, Colo - apart from the odd lapse - has been solid. One difference has been the consistency at full back - Simpson/Raylor always did "ok". This year we've had one or two good performances, coupled with 2 or 3 abysmal ones. You never really had Simmo or Raylor having an abysmal game. Poor at worst, but they didn't cost the team an entire game. Another is Cisse. But what we're talking about here is down to the individual trait of a player - either that's more important than it should be, or the manager isn't doing enough on an individual level and perhaps relying too much on Opta. Anyway, this has spun vastly off topic, so I'll call it a day
Anything but talking about those bastard lost points! Hull were full value for the win, so I wouldn't take anything away from them. I think it has to be an opportunity missed though when you're at home against a club likely to finish around you come the end of the season.
Anyway, this has spun vastly off topic, so I'll call it a day. _______________________________________________ Looks like a lot of people have called it a day.
