A mate of mine who is a Blackburn fan from Darwen watched the game on TV so I thought it would be an idea to get an unbiased opinion on us from someone with no axe to grind. Here are a few of his comments- "the formation seemed a bit confused at the start but it seemed to settle down after 20-25 minutes" "you had nothing in midfield, the no. 14 ran around chasing everything but once you got the ball, there was little intelligence in midfield - all you seemed to want to do was to pass the ball sideways, no one appeared to want take the responsibility of driving on into the box. The one time that you did, you scored" "I've never seen a team make so few challenges, you just stood off players and let them run at you. The midfield and defence didn't seem to connect and the same with midfield and the attack" "Davies looks like a real player, a lot sharper/smarter than the rest of the starting line up. Taylor also held the ball up very well, losing very little" "overall, the performance wasn't that bad, a draw would have been a fairer result. You need to actually put some tackles in and get someone in midfield to run the game and I think you will be fine" These are genuine comments from a "disinterested party". For my own part, I think that some on here need to stop panicking. Much as we weren't going to run away with the league this year, we won't be relegated. We are just a couple of players short (and we may have them in our ranks) of being a decent side and those talking about panic, lose of crowd/dressing room really need to get a grip. Leicester fans wanted Pearson out recently, ask them now... DM is going nowhere this season so stop bellyaching and get behind the team - in fairness, the Eastend were great yesterday, its the rest of the moaning minnies that transfer the atmosphere to the team and affects performance. Pompey fans set the example, ours are an absolute disgrace moaning about every misplaced pass or mistake. Get a grip...
I echo Prems comments completely and would also add, Del is a good manager IMHO and the season is only 11 games old,let's wait until January and then see....
Agree with both of you, cant believe it really 13 games played and apparently we're going to get relegated
I think your friend has mad a very astute assessment of our problems, he has pretty much summed up in words the same game I was watching. Whoever came up with Pearson as 'man of the match' yesterday must have been laughing all the way home... We were awful yesterday for the first 20 mins but we did improve when Stead suddenly decided to step in to the midfield and he gave them some energy and purpose in there, we scored as a result of this. We look completely stripped of any confidence now. somebody is gonna need to stand up and take the game by the scruff of the neck, all our players are too nice, we need a nasty bastard. And quick too.. (Great post Prem.)
Not at the game but as ever listening here at home to Radio Bristol. I think the comments by the Blackburn fan are spot on. At the moment we do not seem like a "joined up" side with forwards getting goals and defenders who have come in for a great deal of criticism being left exposed again and again. Being very honest, last season what I saw of Marvin Elliott made me think we had seen the best of him, but we have really missed him mopping up and pushing forward to support the front men. And being even more brutally honest, Albert is a very exciting player when running at defenders at pace. BUT the end product is not there often enough for all his pace and trickery. He rarely takes the full back on the outside, thereby not getting to the dead ball line for a pull back which is still one of the deadliest attacking moves a team can make. Just look at the three own goals we have conceded this season - our players are facing their own goal to deal with crosses from near the goal line. On the left, Woolford promised to deliver but very quickly faded after the first three or four games. Pearson seems as many have said, to go to sleep at times. Maybe his personal problems are affecting him. Skuse promises so much but honestly is below average. Morris has seen his best days and probably is not here for his playing ability. Anderson I have not seen so can't comment. And can't say I'm a fan of Kilkenny who spends too much time moaning at everyone within earshot. I just keep thinking that while we need a good solid brick solid centre half, that we do not have enough quality in midfield to defend and close games down when we need to. I believe that DMc must give more chances to Joe Bryan, Bobbie Reid, Joe Edwards. And before anyone says they are too young and not strong enough here is my answer. In 1970 at the age of 18 in the last game of the season, Alan Dicks gave a debut to an 18 year old. The next season he played 37 first team games and is a living City legend. No prizes for knowing his name and what he achieved at City. His first two seasons were spent in a team that hardly hit the headlines and also flirted with relegation. But think on; if AD had not given him his head at 18 years and kept him back until he was 21, 22, 23, like James Wilson has been, would Gerry Gow have been the player he was? DMc has to get some new life into our team quickly.
Not quite RR. We have better strikers. Ours wouldn't have missed those gifts we offered up to their front men. Apart from that I agree Hull deserved the win.
Let's analyse the play Their defence quicker and more determined to win every ball. Their midfield I would swap ours for theirs,just carved us up at will. Their strikers looked far more dangerous when on the ball,looked like they went through our defence at will.ours struggled to go through their defenders,our strikers were much taller,yet their defenders won many of the heading balls. Their pass and play,pass and play was great to watch. They deserved and wanted It more.
They only scored one goal for all that penetration. Our shower scored their second for them and that's despite our defence (joke) offering them 2 tap-ins.
As I said on another thread, Hull aren't the best team in this division by a long way, but at times they made us look totally incompetent and third rate. The concern is that we've lost to Burnley and Hull, at home, and in successive games, and have conceded another 6 goals. The harsh reality is that these are the teams we should look to be beating, especially at home, just to survive. I'm 100% behind Del, but looking at the 6 games we have in November, it's not going to get any easier.
Runs into the box? Well Woolford was doing that and got a few goals out of it and is now lucky to make the bench. Skuse again started off the season well but has looked very poor last few games but in fairness doesnt look like he knows himself what role he should be playing. Usually he sits in front of the defence with someone like pearson going forward. Last few games he has played along side Morris and now Foster. I hope M Wilson doesnt get a new contract but cant imagine him leaving if he is playing this regular by del as would prefer to see edwards play there every game over wilson. Saying that saw us play southampton pre season and del played edwards in centre midfield. So playing foster there isnt the first time hes played a right back in the middle of midfield
