We were incredibly defensively solid earlier in the season, things were fine. It wasn't the most attractive football, but it was effective. You were moaning because things weren't perfect, but they rarely are in football. We've now lost Faurlin/Austin/Phillips/Simpson- and look in turmoil as a result. Add the latter 3 to the side, and we'd have beaten Burnley, Derby and maybe drawn with Reading.
I, too, was quite pleased to see a starting 11 with the pace that we lacked against Derby. I think we benefitted from having Traore and Hoilett on from the start. Also, I don't agree with all the criticisms being made on here, criticisms of Harry and of the team. He's got to make the most of what he's got and 4-4-2 was an understandable attempt to improve our goal-scoring. Despite being one of his biggest critics, I actually thought Kranjcar had one of his better games! To me, he showed more aggression and determination than I'd seen from him before. Similarly, I thought Doyle was pretty good, especially in the first half, winning lots of headers and scoring, FFS. Hill was winning everything in the air (but see below). And now for the negatives: Zamora. If Zamora is the solution to a problem, perhaps someone can tell me exactly what that problem is? All 3 goals were soft IMO. For the first, BAE was left to mark 3 men at the middle to back post. The scorer came from deep and I reckon a midfielder should have tracked back and picked him up. The second went over Green's head (poor positioning/misread the flight) and Hill had lost his man who scored from about 2 feet. For the third, BAE made no meaningful challenge and gave his man far too much space to have a shot, just as he had been allowing the opposition to put in crosses all day. This is why, at the end, he couldn't get in Spurs team. I think you guys over-rate him. Therefore, I think we may need to go back to 4-2-3-1 and play Onuoha at CB, for a bit more pace.
IMO Kranjcar did have one of his better games but then, it's all relative. See what I've been saying about him for the last few weeks on other threads. Some of you guys seem to have only just sussed him. P.S. Swords, have you seen my avatar?
Things were not fine, we had a once in a lifetime clean sheet run, we are scoring the same as relegation sides and have been even with a 100% fit team. We were **** then but fluking results and are **** now getting what we deserve.
Well, we'll have to differ on that one mate. I thought Kranjcar was comically awful. He mis-timed nearly every challenge as he is so slow he couldn't get there in time. He gave the ball away time and time again. He produced nothing, had a pathetic, scuffed shot (as usual) and looked the most unfit professional footballer I've ever seen! He shouldn't play again until he gets fit.
I don't understand your point about a once in a lifetime clean sheet run? We were defending very well, that's why we went on that run. Getting promoted isn't about scoring, it's about winning- which is what we were doing. I'd take eight defensive 1-0's in a row right now. You wanted Harry out whilst we were unbeaten. This "I told you so" attitude is nonsense, you're a tangible demonstration of a stopped clock being correct twice.
Rodders, have you gone off your rocker? You've put the wrong Rodney up mate! please log in to view this image
i watched the first hal again last night and am finfding it increasingly hard to agree with most of this If you can have alook on you tube at thier first goal. To me (and i watched it 3 times, clint moves towards the cross and gets caught doing nothing and happily leaves BAE to mark 3 players all inside the box at the back post...Not sure how that is Harrys or BAE's fault but they are certainly being blamed... Or at least thats what it looked like..let me know what you think.?
No, for that to be true, I'd have to be wrong about everything else. I was right about AJ being injured all season, I was right about it being insane going into the season with just Austin and the Fulham cripples, I'm right about the lack of pace at CB meaning we can play a compact formation, i was right about both hughes and redknapp, You just can't take the fact that I and others said all those things long before they happened. I never said "I told you so" until now because you just posted so much bollocks that I had to disprove it. So what you are saying is you expect us never to concede all season and win every game 1-0? It didn't take a genius to figure out the clean sheet run would stop and our lack of scoring would mean wed get a lot more draws and losses. Knowing that, wouldn't it have been prudent to sort out our total lack of goalscoring? Oh and no, I'm not glad were losing so I can be proved right, I know that will come from you very soon, fair play to everyone else for not going down that route.
It's Harry's fault (IMO) because he picked a completely open midfield, thus we were completely over-loaded when they broke for that first goal. Watch it again, Barton is just jogging back instead of breaking sweat to get back into the middle. That goal wasn't BAE's fault, but we wouldn't be so exposed if Henry was sitting in front of the back four. Do you really think a midfield central two of Barton and Kranjcar in a 4-4-2 is the correct line up?
No mate, you are 100% right with all of that Im jugetting a bit bored with BAE being the whipping boy when him and Traore have a great partnership. Of course that was the wrong midfield and maybe Joey being out may force us tplay better. i remeber carroll stepping up when JB went off previously. Im not pinnning my hopes on Carroll, just think its time to let up a bit on a team that havent been below 4th place on 30 games. as for the goal it was Hills fault ultimately, i love the guy but i suppose if were going to be super critical then it need to be consistant across the team...IMHO. as i said i only saw the first half and TBH it could have gone either way at that point,,,,Not sure WTF happened in the 2nd half NB befoe this gets turned into an Tarrabt thread with regards to moans about players, I consistently praised and criticised ALL players when appropriate...lets not go down that road please
Been away and not seen the game. I cannot understand what Arry is doing playing 442 and without a DCM. He seems to have gone from too defensive to way to gungho, as the Reading game seems to have been a similar tactical cokk up to the Burnley one. For me he should play 4231 and stick with it. I'm not at all impressed by Arry and IF we could replace him now with someone who can get more from the players we have then that would be good for me. But without such a Manager being available to come in now we have to stick with Arry this season and hope he pulls his fingers out. Zola?! He's done nothing in his Manager career to suggest he'll get us up.
Flyer you weren't right, none of us were - you like all the others have simply bought into the false God that is the Premiership. You cant do these things quickly - neaveau riche will always act as Bumpkin Billionaires and that's what we now are. There is far too much pressure on everyone to get there at ANY cost and you're equally one of us. There has been nothing wrong with Hughes - he's improved Stoke and did fine job at Wales, Balckburn and didn't ruin City or Fulham. There is nothing wrong with Redknapp - he's had a career which will be remembered for more positives than negatives. The players? - They're just players - no different to any of the other players playing in the other 91 clubs. You saying you're right, and even believing you're right unfortunately doesn't make you right. I have seen the light - we are doomed until some class envelops our club from top to bottom. The players and formations at this moment in time are the least of our problems. Do you remember where we were heading with Mr. Gregory? I think someone has just passed you off some jellied eels as Coquille St. Jacques, now the jellied eels are exquisite but if you think they are Coquille St. Jacques you'll always be disappointed.
You cant play a 442 with a DCM or indeed a AMC, you need players who can do both jobs. You can only have a DMC or an AMC in a 5 man midfield.
I've just been told things are not very good internally, I'm trying to get more info and I'm hoping it means HR is going. It looks like what nuts said could be true.
