After having played the masterstroke of bringing on Richardson and Dejagah and being rewarded, rightly, with the lead we once again imploded with15 minutes to go. We werent helped with the injury of Sidwell, but he is really the only midfielder that has the legs to last 92 minutes. I'm not including Holtby as he is more of a forward to me. But, Diarra and Parker both can't last the full game when they play together. Just like Murphy couldn't in his last season but he would get subbed after 70 minutes with fresher legs. The reason is simple in my eyes, its age and not extra training sessions from our dictator of a manager. They didn't have the legs! So, against Stoke I would not play Parker. He has lost whatever he had. If Sidwell is fit I'd still play Diarra as Sidwell does all the running and Diarra and can hold things together in front of the back four. Play the same guys, except Darren (can't hit a barn door from 2 yards) Bent. As we are so poor with 15 minutes to go I'd also play Burn for either Amore or Hangelaand. Shameful defending for their second. C58 listed plenty of reasons why we are so poor on another thread but I can't see any other scenario than we get relegated now that Sunderland are playing well and Wezt Brom a win away from safety.
I make you right on most points there Cravin' . Don't understand the exclusion of Burn by Magath. Maybe with the threat of Crouch at Stoke it might be time for him to play instead of Amorebieta.
Funnily enough I was out walking the dog after I wrote this and your point about Burn and the other youngsters began to wrangle a lot. What did Dan Burn do wrong? Not a lot really.
I would have played Kvist alongside Diarra... He can play 90 mins and doesn't do circles. Parker's legs are gone. Bent is useless and clueless.
I thought Roberts could have come on if Sidwell wasn't injured. hey ho - if's and but's and all that.
As I recall, he did make some mistakes in matches that led to goals. I rate Burn, but his performances weren't entirely faultless. I'd rather have Amorebieta's experience for the last couple of games, though I can see the argument the other way.
Absolutely correct Craving. When Sidwell went off we didn't have a midfield at all for 20 minutes or so. Add to that that Heitinga was also crocked, bringing on Bent was ludicrous. Our "midfield crisis" has of course been the recurrent theme on the Board all season and maybe your post should have been titled 'Did We Ever Have Any Steam?'. Considering the cumulative ages of Parker, Kara, Diarra, Boateng (wherever he is!?), Duff, Riise (who played wide mid on Saturday) and Sidwell (who's not exactly a chicken) must be at least 500, what did we expect? Another observation. Only one of the seven we signed in January played on Saturday.
Nail on head C58. We haven't had any steam at all for this season. We haven't had any puff to run out of! There really isn't an answer unless Magath chucks the crocks out for the last 2 games with a ridiculously outlandish throw of the dice and put the Under 21 midfield in! I did actually think that Dejagah played well when he came on. Richardson too. It was a game we could have won. Is Stoke a winnable game. Yes it isbut it will be hard work. We deof need some luck after the first goal that Hull scored. One thing I have to say is that most of our goals have been good goals this year, we haven't had that many pens or og's or a flukey one here and there. We've had to work hard for every goal and most from open play (I think, or that's what it seems).
Kvist doesn't do circles he goes backwards and sideways - he's awful. Parker not much better it has to be said
