1. October’s Hull City is not the same side that earlier in the season showed an adeptness for ball retention and moving the ball up-field with smart, quick, short passing. Now City seem content to let the opponent have the ball for large swathes of the game, now City seem allergic to keeping the ball. 2. Sam Clucas had a torrid time filling in as left back, run ragged by Watford’s Dutch-born Moroccan Noureddine Amrabat. No shame in that, he was playing out of position, the shame lies in Mike Phelan’s doing nothing about Watford exploiting our weak spot all afternoon. Mason helped out on that side a couple of times, but didn’t appear to have been instructed to by the head coach. When Clucas went in the referee’s notebook with half an hour to go it seemed like a dismissal waiting to happen, but the lad who’s been a revelation in midfield this season was made to flounder till the game’s end. 3. This suggests Phelan didn’t think Watford continuing to focus on that side of the pitch in search of a winner was an issue worth doing something about, which is troubling, and/or he didn’t trust Josh Tymon to play in his natural role as a replacement for Clucas late on, which is interesting. 3. Watford’s goal, when it came (despite them having no shots on target, though they did hit the woodwork) stemmed from a move on which side you reckon? Yes, yes indeed, from the right wing. Dawson was incredibly unlucky, as was Marshall, neither could react to the ball pinging off the former, but there was nothing unlucky about us failing to do something to shore up the left side of defence, we just chose not to. 4. Ok, it wasn’t as bad as Bournemouth, but you’re really struggling to pick positives out of a sixth consecutive Premier League loss. 5. Alas, poor cactus purple third kit, we never got to know it well. How abhorred in our collective imagination it is!* 6. Luckily, despite the loss at Watford the week wasn’t a total loss. Victory at Ashton Gate on Tuesday reminded us that City can still defend tenaciously and overcome opposition, and the win was very welcome indeed. We’ll never look down at anything that gets City into a cup quarter final, and we’re delighted to be there. 7. Newcastle at home is an interesting draw. The Magpies, flying high in the Championship, are the bookies’ favourites to win the tie, which must be quite a rarity – when did a lower league side last find themselves expected to win away to Premier League opposition? Yet, given the pedigree of the sides left in the competition, it was them, West Ham or Leeds for a way into the semi-finals. And how exciting would that be? 8. City’s response to the tie has been characteristically erratic. The pricing for adults is very good, with a maximum charge of £15 being authentically good value. The lack of child/senior discounts is a nauseating disgrace. The decision to knock back Newcastle’s request for extra tickets is a challenge, to us and to them, to fill the ground. 9. Another week begins with the club in the clutches of the repellent Allam family. What part of “you aren’t wanted, you’re killing this club, so just **** off” do you suppose they’re having difficult comprehending? 10. Oh dear… please log in to view this image * Shakespearean kit jokes. Niche! http://www.ambernectar.org/blog/2016/10/things-we-think-we-think-232-2/
Firstly the clip resulting in Diomande's suspension and now this - it's been a great start for the new marketing and media manager.
I only saw MOTD highlights. Was Clucas really at left back as #2 says? We weren't playing three at the back with wing backs as said my phone app?
The logic of shifting our best midfield performer out of position does need questioning. Of course the response will be a lack of Premier League game time for Tymon and again it comes back to the game against Stoke and why wasnt he thrown on at 0-2 down?
If he played for southampton he would have been straight in as soon as the main left back was out or in poor form.
I'm sorry but when tickets are £9 you can't complain about no concessions, its actually less than Bristol City's concession prices for OAPs and Under 22's in the last round.
Tymon is a natural left back. I would always put in someone who knows the position rather than trying to ask someone to cover. We effectively weakened two positions on the pitch by moving Clucas from midfield.
In the current Southampton team they are playing rookie McQueen due to injuries to their other 2. Why City have such concerns over playing Tymon is ridiculous.
I don't agree with that at all, if all tickets were £1 you wouldn't complain on principle that concessions are paying the same as adults. Therefore the only real relevance is how much it costs, if tickets are full price then yes a lack of concessions is an issue, however if they are cheap, like for this game then it has no real relevance, the full price tickets are less than most concession tickets elsewhere anyway. If all concession tickets for this game were £9 and all adult tickets were £15 no one would have made fuss. Instead because they've made it more affordable for everyone people have taken issue with it.
If Tymon was 21, with half a season of first team league football under his belt, they'd probably have less concerns.
If he's good enough or has shown promise to be good enough he should be given a go. How terrible could he be?
Maybe we'll find out on Saturday, though the fact that he didn't come on when Clucas picked up that yellow and it seemed an obvious change, probably doesn't bode all that well for him. I noticed that Hull City Polls on Twitter ran a poll on this earlier and 80% of City fans who voted thought Tymon should be given the nod on Saturday.
I don't agree with you Its the principle of a child and an OAP paying the same as I do that I have issue with, not the ticket prices per se
If Tymon was given a chance he'd have half a season of league football under his belt & we'd have less concerns!
My point was, that Southampton have confidence in McQueen because they let him go out on loan to Southend to see how he got on, they didn't drop him straight into a Premier League game and hope for the best.
