So..................new season. First home game and the TV screens behind the upper loft weren't working. The digital clock on the scoreboard didn't work for the first half either. We really should have known, shouldn't we?!! On the way to the ground, those Neanderthal idiots from Cardiff tried to intimidate me and my youngest (thank **** my eldest wasn't with us or else it would have all kicked off for sure!). I've said that I will give Ramsey and the team 10 games and I will stick to that, but I must be honest and say that it was very, very poor yesterday. I realise that with so many new faces, things will take time, but we couldn't string 3 passes together for virtually the entire game. Cardiff were, by far the better team and if they were better in the final third I don't think we would have even got the draw. Our midfield was pulled all over the place, with Luongo looking constantly out of position, leaving huge gaps around Henry, who had one of his poorer games. Wittingham looked the best midfielder on the pitch. Oh how we needed Faurlin!! Chery made some good runs in the inside left channel and delivered some great low crosses that either (or both) Austin and Phillips should have made a better job of getting on the end of. However, Chery's early corners were Bartonesque in their awfulness! The first half was even in its mediocrity, but Rangers took the lead with an excellent header from Clint from a good corner from Phillips. Perch and Konchesky seldom got forward and both, but Perch in particular just pumped the ball forward, as did the entire team. Perch did ok defensively but he looked pretty poor on the ball. The defence as a whole looked a little shaky, but they were left quite exposed by our poorly positioned midfield, with the fullbacks getting virtually zero help from Gladwin and serial offender for this, Phillips. In what looked like a 4-2-3-1, Chery did ok at times behind a disappointing Austin, although he needed to come and join with the other central midfielders at times to link up play better. Luongo looked a little lost and certainly didn't help Henry much in the holding role. Gladwin looked slow and cumbersome while Phillips looked ok going forward, without putting much of a shift in going back. The 2nd half started with Cardiff completely on top, which prompted Ramsey to remove Chery, much to the dismay of those around us, and replace him with Doughty. Doughty immediately slotted in alongside Henry and put in a solid display. Luongo was sent further forward where he looked much more at home. Completely against the run of play, a good flick on from Austin, followed by a good ball from Luongo, found Phillips bearing down on goal. His shot was deflected and looked like it was going in, till the keeper somehow managed to claw the ball away for a corner. Another good delivery from Phillips, this time to the near post and Clint helped the ball towards the goal with his forearm which led to the ball going in off Charlie's mid-drift. Rangers were two up against a side who had dominated them for most of the game. Maybe Ramsey was going to be lucky? Nope!! Clint lost his man from a corner and then it was just a matter of time before Cardiff at least equalised. Although it has to be said that Phillips missed a good chance when through on goal and JET missed a sitter, either of which would have given us the points. Austin also had an effort cleared off the line before being replaced by Polter. JET had replaced the disappointing Gladwin. Obviously we had to wait for the very last minute of normal time for Rangers to concede, although it was a cracking volley that earned Cardiff a point. I have tickets for "Stan Bowles day" next week and it's only Stan the Man that makes me want to attend. Player ratings and comments: Green - 5 - No chance with either goal, but still managed to kick the ball straight into touch twice in the first half. Perch - 5 - No protection from Gladwin. Coped ok defensively but looked poor on the ball. Gave the ball away a lot. Onuoha - 7 - Our best player. Looked solid and used his pace to cover. Hill - 6 - Great goal, but at fault for their first. Defended well. Konchesky - 5 - Ok defensively, with no help from Phillips in front of him. Offered nothing going forward. Henry - 5 - Not one of his better games, but was not helped by Luongo's poor positioning. Luongo - 5 - Poor until moved further forward when Chery was replaced. Looked to link up well once in that more advanced role. Phillips - 6 - Some good corners and a couple of decent crosses. Looks a threat going forward, but offers no protection for his full back. Missed a good chance. Chery - 6 - Made some good runs and delivered a couple of excellent low crosses. Strangely subbed after 55 minutes. Could be a good signing. Gladwin - 4 - Looked poor. Slow and cumbersome but hopefully he'll improve. Austin - 6 - Scored, so he did his job. Looks as though he's waiting to move, although he looked to be trying hard enough. Subs: Doughty - 6 - Slotted in well alongside Henry and maybe should be a started instead of Henry. JET - 5 - Put himself about. Looked a little ponderous and missed a sitter! Polter - 4 - Poor. Looked clumsy and ponderous. I just hope that most of the players gel quickly and start to look better than they did yesterday. Ramsey...........................7 more games before I pass judgement. PLEASE, PLEASE PLAY FAURLIN!!!!
OMG, Col!! You've dared to refer to the 'G' word. In the end I was grateful for the point. We are indeed in the Championship and appear to be cutting our cloth accordingly. I think we will improve as the team gels (there - it's contagious!) but only to the point of low-mid table obscurity. You didn't mention us, the 12th man. I thought we were rather poor / muted too and that was before the team demonstrated how average they are just now.
PS. Meant to say thanks for the write up. Always enjoy them despite the performance! Also, how come there were so few police around? Previously when Cardiff are in town, it's like preparation for war! Having said that, I saw nothing at all untoward.
Good report, Col, as usual. I agree about your 10 game grace period to assess how CR is doing. That's reasonable. We need a season of consolidation - we won't get up to the Prem this year, and I wouldn't want to - I don't want another depressing season like the one just gone. We did look disjointed yesterday - I wouldn't expect much different from a team that had 5 or 6 new players. Cardiff have a settled team, some quality players and looked the better team. I saw potential in some of our players. Chery's crosses, as you say, look terrific coming in from the left. Luongo I think will be decent when he settles. If Austin goes, as seems likely and it's clear he want to play in the Prem, we're going to need a replacement striker. What we have doesn't look good enough from what I've seen. I feel transfer policy is in a straightjacket with this damn FL arbitration coming up (or ongoing, who knows?). The sooner we see a resolution to that, the sooner we can start to build with confidence on the pitch.
I thought Chery's 2 corners were cack at first until I saw the 2nd on replay and realised they were very good crosses. Its just that none of our Muppets decided to hang around the far side of the box to take a crack at one of those deep ones he sent in. Good report COL. I do think Phillips was better than a 6. He's our only player with a touch of class about him although he should have scored that chance.
I do think it's fair to give the team time to "gel". There are so many new players. There were Cardiff fans looking for trouble outside White City tube station, with no coppers anywhere to be seen. I just led the lad away from the twats.
If he had've scored he should have got an 8 mate. He was easily the our best player. Talk about an understatement. He was at the center of all our attacking play. Its no surprise he's one of only a couple of players we have on the books who is the subject of Premier League bids
Thanks for the report Col, I saw it pretty much the same. Couldn't understand why there was space in between the back and middle as we were playing a high line, maybe Henry dropping a little too far back not sure. We need people in the midfield (AF !) who are not scared on the ball and will get there heads up and pass. The one thing we have learn't from the first 2 games, is we have a long way to go ! On the bright side for me Chery looked as if he can create which I thought we would struggle with.
There wouldn't have been so much space in the midfield had Luongo not gone wandering out of position and if Phillips and Gladwin had worked back.
For the third season in a row we have thrown a complete new side together, the difference this time round they have been plucked from the bargain bucket. With one or two additions, especially in defense I think we will able to compete in this league. Promotion candidates? I doubt it on yesterday's show, but who knows, there's a long way to go. Couldn't quite get my head around the tactics yesterday though, and would have to agree that Cardiff were much the better side. As for the scores attributed to the players by Col, the only disagreement from me would be Konchesky, thought he was really poor.
Good report Col, I didn't see the game and am not surprised by the performance. I honestly think 10 games is not enough for judging the manager/team as I really don't expect us to start getting it together until the second half of the season. We have effectively bought a whole new team with another 2-3 new players to be added and i would imagine loans to be added during the season, very mutch a work in progress and as Goldhawk has said a season to consolidate.
I certainly agree we weren't great yesterday but I can't say I thought Cardiff were much better. They had more possession but did bugger all with it. We had by far and away more chances than them and I'll take goal scoring opportunities over possession stats any day. Very much a work in progress and for once the g word is wholly appropriate.
We certainly do need to give the team and management time to get things right, but I do think that 10 games is long enough to judge them.
