As much as we would like an extremely high quality youth product to come through, we also have to be realistic. Furlong should be second choice (which is still a great, perfectly reasonable opportunity for him) and he should be behind Isla. End of. Why should he get a first team slot just because? The romantic fans will love seeing him on the teamsheet but I questioned it. This is premier league survival. Ok, sometimes you take chances but this is one that simply doesn't make sense. I won't necessarily blame him for the result but I will say he was a weak link in the team last night when it came to being one on one with players. Surely everyone can see that? The real reason we failed in that game was as BZ has said, they didn't stick to the plan. You could see them falling apart, losing shape and looking tired in the final third of the match. With that said, I still think he has potential and may well be able to play at this level with more experience. He's done some good things for us, but he's also done some things that show inexperience and need for further development.
Peter, I suggest you read that back mate, as it didn't make a lot of sense. Also, you are so intent on getting all aggressive and confrontational that you're not actually reading what I'm writing. My last post on this to you, as you're intent on just being confrontational is this: I agree that Hoilett has been very disappointing this season. I believe we would have got better performances from him had he had a run in the team over a number of games. You don't rate him..........fair enough. At least Hoilett did get back and make tackles in the defensive corner a few times, although he also switched off a couple of times too from this job. (By the way, we probably wouldn't have got to the play off final without Hoilett's contribution in the semi). I have never rated Phillips and I thought he was pretty poor last night, especially in not tracking back. I know you don't agree that that is important for a wide man in a 4-4-2, but I do. If the wide men don't track back in that formation, it becomes more like 4-2-4 and fails to be effective imo. If you believe that 4-4-2 can work well without the wide men tracking back then you are entitled to that opinion. I think you're wrong. Phillips has been much better in recent games and I'm sure a lot of this is down to him being given a run in the team and thus gaining confidence (Swords is right that I wouldn't have given him that run in the team because I really don't rate him). It remains to be seen if his upturn in form is relatively permanent or a flash in the pan. I hope he continues to prove me wrong. I have already said that I don't expect anything going forward from Sandro and Henry (but you have chosen not to read this presumably). I would play them as two holding midfielders in a 4-2-3-1. This is the system we played at Sunderland to great effect. I agree with you that the injury to Gabriel actually helped Arsenal to cope much better with BZ, but I maintain that we didn't actually create much at all from banging the ball long to him all game. I also agree that Ned's injury left us exposed to pace at the back and that Sandro having to go off seriously ****ed us up in the centre. However, I believe that we should then have gone 4-1-4-1 with only Henry holding and not brought Kranjcar on at all or played him on the left. It's all opinions and I'm just a little disappointed that CR decided to go back to 4-4-2 and hoof ball after such a good display at Sunderland with 4-2-3-1. Now, please do read this before you start getting all hissy and accusing me of being Hoilett's bum chum and what not, there's a good chap.
Good post. I actually felt that we fell apart after conceding the first goal and Arsenal could easily have put 3,4 or 5 past us. The players seemed to immediately lose any self belief after the first goal, just as they did under Redknapp. I like Ramsey and Furlong. Both aren't beyond critique imo.
To say COL is stubborn would be an understatement. He makes Redknapp's ideas about Taarabt seem flexible! If Phillips supplied the ball for all our goals for the rest of the season he'd still say he was sh*t Madness
Swords, I could give you a long and informed response, as I have to Peter. The difference is that I think Peter does understand the game and would therefore hopefully at least get where I'm coming from. Now, you are a Chelsea supporter who knows precisely nothing about the game. Any in depth debate with you on football is a complete waste of time for that reason.
At least I know a good player when I see one...................................and when one is Toilet
But I'm so much happier about things at the moment. The dark cloud seems to be gone from over us and although things are tough, we're feeling a bit more like a proper club again who are trying.
Two years ago.....the team was a shambles, they didn't care, we didn't care...it was embarrassing....and I think by this time Reading and the Rs were essentially already down, maybe not numerically, but we all knew we were not getting out of it. This time, the team spirit is still good, Chris R seems just the right sort of manager to take us forward, but we are losing points on small little things, last minute goals, stupid sending offs, injuries and bad squad formation (from Arry)....but we are still in there, there are a number of teams who are no better than we are...there is optimism for now and the future... but as a friend of mine constantly repeatedly reminds me... I can cope with despair but it is the hope that kills you I am suffering this year, much more than the last three seasons....
I thought the front two defended very well from the front It was never going to be pretty against the masters of pretty football who always have options on the ball SB is right this can been engrained into Arsenal We could not sit back against Arsenal both their goals were scrappy imo both with a slice of luck People are forgetting defenders take a massive risk making rash challenges in the box ... I didn't see that apart from Henry who fouled Ozil Arsenal have extremely skilful players at close quarters and move the ball very quickly when they need to ... They did that second half brilliantly if you take away Girouds lucky break with the goal we may of ridden this game out ... Even nicked it with Austins and Phillips efforts We were very close and full credit to the team Of course I would love us to play high tempo Rangers football but CR is going for points that is clear and has the balls to pick the team to do it or we are down I think it is an amazing transformation that is happening and you can feel the confidence growing in our play It will be close but we were in a game against a top team and we matched them A lot of our players will look rusty compared to Arsenal and Spurs as we haven't purchased wisely Up or down we are far better without Harold
Today proves he was. The boy's out of his depth. Now its Redknapp: 0.83 ........................ Ramsay: 0.50 Tony brought a whole new gang in and from the moment they arrived they started undermining the manager up to the point where they convinced our dopey Chairman not to back him in the window. This has left us severely depleted and relegation is now staring us in the face. Tony Fernandes has got to be, pound for pound, the most incompetent Chairman in our Club's history.
It was clear to a blind man that, up against a player like Bolasie, Onuoha would have been the better bet if Isla was unavailable. I'm afraid Ramsey is having something of a spectacular mare!
Correct COL and another fukk up they've made at the Club was keeping Kevin Bond on the coaching staff. The man hasn't a clue.
Agree with Swords and Col. You reap what you sow TF. Relegation battles need experienced men at the helm, not novices.
it was very weak today playing furlong and swp from the start, then not making a meaningful change until 75 mins even though we were 3 down and then bringing on greco-cox instead of vargas or zamora
