If you're not talking about the past then you technically can't compared today's performance to any other performance because those were in the past. In fact you shouldn't even be talking about this performance as this is in the past too.
We all know you live in a cupboard under the stairs in a cottage in Devon and have never seen the light of day. Never mind paid 500 for a pass.
I thought Thudd had the most tackles in the league. Having a look at the stats he's nowhere (Diame, Livermore and Robertson are all in the top 45 (together with Boyd and Marney), Thudd is down in 88th. Incidentally we have the least number of shots per game, and joint lowest % of attacks down the middle (24%), confirming the views of a lot on here about not linking midfield and attack, relying too much on wing play and not having anyone to get on the end of crosses.
Did we only have one attempt on target? Quinn's header? I know we had a few shots wide but they were pretty poor attempts considering the positions we were in.
We seem to ponderously pass the ball backwards, sideways and then to the wing but never an incisive pass through the middle which other teams seem to do.
Yes, it's called "Possession Football" and it's boring. What makes it worse is "Closing Down" by the opposition causing the ball to be passed back to the Goalkeeper and we start all over again. As the season rolls on and, not forgetting the injuries to key players, we have a team barely capable of sustaining a 'third quarter' position. People can make excuses for our players (I do it myself at times) but we have to face the facts that we are being outclassed by most sides in this league. We have NOTHING up front. I know I bleat on about "Strikers" but we simply don't have any. They are all flogging their guts out but, to be brutally honest, they remind me of the days when we kicked a 'ball', made out of rolled up newspapers and string, up and down our Terrace with everyone trying to get to the 'ball'. Time is running out fast for our "Ten Million Dollar" man and his file is hanging precariously over the same section of the cabinet drawer entitled "Firing Blanks" that contains names such as Folan, Graham, Simpson, Proschwitz, Altidore, Sagbo and Aluko. We have an 'above average' Goalkeeper, some 'above average' defenders and midfielders but then we fall down. Bruce says he is happy with his team and will 'resist the urge to spend' next month. I don't think he has an option. Ben Arfa and Gaston should be sent back and an effort made (and I am sure he has been looking) to secure someone (anyone) who knows where the goal is.
Agreed. When Livermore decides to get forward he has the speed and energy to do it. He needs to use that option more. Thudd should be scoring more goals with the powerful shot that he has. Lets see both of them supporting our strikers around the box more often. We are far too conservative.
Bruce brought in most of those so called strikers - and not forgetting he also wanted DJ Campbell, whose also ****ing useless
This bullshit is getting worse, tell me what right we have to be mid-table. Our sole objective is to stay in the PL and if we can continue to average a point a game we will achieve this. We have played some excellent football this season, the only two games we have been **** being Burnley and Man Utd. The Spurs match was lost due to atrocious officials and we have given away the lead due to defensive errors. IMO Davies and Dawson can't play in the same team together, Davies played better when Dawson was injured and Dawson has played better since Davies has been benched.
Irony, is meant to be part funny. Care to explain exactly what you mean by that comment because honestly, it makes absolutely no sense. Unless you were just trying to be a smug, condescending snidey prick who is making out he's cleverer than everyone else, in which case, ok, I getcha. I almost lost my club due to the appalling way the club was run and managed financially (not for the first time I admit) to such a degree that the club was days away from being completely removed from existence. I don't see anything ironic or even remotely funny in that statement, so, care to explain?
I think you need to give your head a shake. Wake up and smell the coffee. We are awful to watch. Our play is about as attractive as Steve Bruce's 6 month pregnant nose.
Thudd always seems to pull his shots wide - he needs to aim for the centre of the goal and then he might just have a chance of getting it in near the post. I thought yesterday we got into some decent positions, but everyone seemed scared to take a shot and tried passing to someone instead, usually someone who was marked. The players need to take the odd chance, and at least make the defenders worry that a shot is an option. Finally, Aluko shouldn't be on a premier league pitch. He has no strength to out muscle defenders, not enough skill or speed to get past them, and not enough composure in front of the goal. He certainly isn't a match for Hernandez. Sagbo would have been a better option to hold the ball up and feed to Hernandez. I knew that as soon Aluko scored against Everton that he would start, be his usual **** self, and our chance of winning would be scuppered.
I just think that last year, we made a lot of difficult things look easy. We were sure to have a tough spell at some point, we'd avoided it so far, and now it's a big test. I think we should all be strapped in, for the full season, for a potentially bumpy ride the whole way. And you never know, we might stay up again.
Part of the problem, and probably the main part, is that Brucey brought so many new players in given anticipation of cup runs in Europe and the League Cup which didn't happen! We therefore created a squad to cope which on reflection was not needed. The warning signs to our League performances in general were there to see even then. In Bruceys defence we have a squad more than capable of delivering safety in The Prem, but confidence is down, there appears to be some disharmony in the dressing room, and BIG players last season (Curtis being an example) are under performing. Also Agnew should get some flak, he's the Asst Mngr, tactics are as boring as hell, and the players seem to be devoid of creativity as they 'conform' to what is asked of them. Based on the last month we will be down; that said a month ago most would have said Newcastle were for the drop! It can be done and turned around, now is the time for Brucey to prove his worth!!!
