Agree. Watched all but the first 16 minutes, thought we dominated the game. Missing that vital ingredient which we get some games and not others-luck. Not many home teams will pack their defences and play like Bristol did on their home field with City having the lions share of the possesion. Other teams are going to play like this based upon our reputation and form, it happens to the big guns in the Premier league, we will be no different.
We look slower and much more disjointed, and I've drawn the conclusion that it's because Huddlestone has to either play in the oppositions half, which means that Jake is on defensive duties as Thudd doesn't have the legs to get back in time if there's a breakaway, so it detracts from Jake's natural game, or he plays in his own half making safe sideways/backwards passes, with the odd 50 yarder out to either wing, and in doing so invites the opposition on/slows our game down. Sterling will probably have a pop and say that I'm as bad as Sharon is with Alex, but as I said the other day, in defence of Bo, I'm really not, I'm just 100% convinced that we can't carry Thudd in our centre midfield, we need pace, energy, energy and more energy, and that is something that Thudd's not capable of providing. Where were the partnerships today? Bringing one man into central midfield made all the difference to me. However Bruce will probably see it as a point gained rather than what is definitely was, two dropped, so that will keep Thudd his place for the next 18 months....ffs!
Worked today so missed the game and commentary. We looked ok on the highlights. http://www.skysports.com/football/bristol-c-vs-hull-city/339725
I agree, we aren't actually having a pop at the player but he just doesn't suit our team in this league week in week out. Nobody can say he's a bad player. If we play at a slower tempo it suits teams like Bristol City who can steal points off us because they can get round the midfield. We've dropped enough points this season already because of it to maybe cost us at the end
Wasn't Huddz fault that there were 2 cracking saves today. Wasn't his fault that Aluko almost had the goal of the month in a difficult attempt that just didn't quite connect. It wasn't his fault Akpom missed a cracking header by inches. Any other day we'd have had 3 or 4. Ref didn't help us at all. 2 points lost, but we can't expect to win every game. We'll be back and up for it against Derby.
I agree Happy, but it's got to be more than pure coincidence that as soon as Thudd re-appears as a starter that all of the partnerships turn to complete ****e. Hasn't it? Did we see one effective partnership anywhere on the pitch today?
If Huddlestone appearing suits your, and others, agenda then what you want to see is gonna be right - personally I put the draw down to a cracking save from their keeper, a ballsy header over their bar from a defender + two schoolboy header attempts by two of ours, I also put it down to Meyler and AH being absent, Chuka playing a strange role and a PL defender using his nous to drag our defender to the floor for their goal .......... we all see what we want to see.
But did you see any effective partnerships today? Huddlestone altered the whole dynamic and balance of the side, it was clear for everyone to see, not just me. Do you think the side looked as well balanced with Huddlestone as a starter?
And you're blaming Huddz for that? No. Just. No. A few of our players didn't play to their best. It happens. It wasn't Huddz fault. As has been pointed out, we had good chances, they defended well and a couple of cracking saves in any other game would have been in. The better team doesn't always win. The best players don't always perform. That's football.
I saw our side missing two key players, I saw Bristol, a team not as good as ours, battling and fighting for all they were worth. I'd like to have seen Hayden get a start, but he didn't, the guy who's guided us to the top of the table thought Huddlestone was a better bet .......... we had a number of players who weren't at their fluid best, personally I put that down to the opposition, I also think Huddlestone was a long way from being our worst player. But that's just how I see it.
Since when did Huddlestone become the go to person to criticize. I am pretty certain he didn't give the free kick away that Bristol scored from, he didn't fail to clear it and he didn't miss the chances others did. I honestly think people made their mind up about Huddlestone before he even stepped on the pitch rather than look at the evidence in front of them. The movement was very poor today, the whole team was static, is that Huddlestone's fault? We didn't play well today, but we probably still should of won. A natural goalscorer could have bagged two easy goals today, and we still created some good chances.
Whcih we all knew they would andwere given far too much time. They were first to most things. A key moment was a weak as piss 50/50 and Hudd lost it right in the centre circle. I'm a big fan of Bruce, but Hudd just doesnt do enough. Fine he isnt a battler, but what he is good at isnt enough to persuade me. I cant prove it but i believe him being there disrupts the others. Meyler and Jake were a pair of dogs of war hunting together and giving it to others. We looked slow and ponderous. Hudd recieves a ball too many times facing his own goal, whether he is just too slow, I dont know. He then always turns sidewards instead of immediately facing their goal and forcing them to stop and think. I think, I dont know, but i think it affected Clucas.
He's not Meyler though is he Chazz? Only Meyler plays like Meyler; with Huddlestone, it's a different type of game. As I said above, I'd like to have seen Hayden get a game, to me, he seems closer to a Meyler type, but he wasn't picked. To blame Huddlestone alone, as some are doing, for todays disappointing result is quite frankly pathetic.
Completely agree. Its not his fault we played with an unfamiliar strike partnership, lost our captain, changed centre back pairing, that Elmo and Dave had their worst games for weeks or that the link up between Clucas and Robertson was poor. We created enough chances to win the game but we're denied by some good saves and some questionable finishing. I'm not saying he played brilliantly, but given he's been sat on the bench for weeks its a big ask for him to come into a winning side and take the place of a very different player.
I posted earlier in this thread that I could see the equaliser coming - and sure enough it did - very composed finish too You guys will probably see this as 2 points dropped - but believe me - we have dominated (some) teams so far (Cardiff, Preston, Brighton) only to get either one point - or nothing. That's football and what comes around etc etc. In my opinion you played better than we did overall, but you wasted some chances and good positions. Overall you probably deserved the win, but having said that - after leading until 73rd minute and then holding on after that, I would have felt hard done by if you had managed to snatch the win in the last few minutes. Good luck for the rest of the season - we have Rotherham next - that will be an interesting test for us as they were the whipping boys until recently - now they have managed 2 wins back-to-back and are no longer bottom of the table. Just think - if it wasn't for Dean F-ing Windass things could have been SOOOOO different
