I felt that after seeing the Chelsea game. Last night though he was exactly what we've been missing for a while. Good footballing skills and a brain aswell! It's been said he takes too many touches, I think he just keeps the ball until he can see somewhere sensible to play it. He was getting stuck in too.
Irvine was the catalyst last night, not only that he put Dickos goal on a plate for him- even Dio would have tapped that one in, or Alan Fettis...
Has to be said Diomande had a bloody game too. Took two players to mark him all the time. He didn't fall over either which Is a bonus. Well pleased for him.
What makes you say that? I'd have agreed in earlier matches but he's done ok last couple of games.Especially given that he's not a LB and is a young lad having to fill in. He wasn't getting skinned or anything last night. Only downside was his launching it forward too often .... but that is clearly Nige's instruction at the moment ("we play in their half as much as we can"). Edit: https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/max-clark-much-more-just-1259134
I thought he was v poor with the ball last night, nearly every time he got it he punted it long down the line, to say he hit his target 50% of the time would perhaps be generous, when you compare him to Aina on the other side for me there was a really obvious difference in ability. Defensively, I thought first half in particular they targeted our left back area and their full back got in a fair few times, again compared to Aina there was for me a huge difference. I appreciate that he is not a a natural full back, and has never played at this level until this season, and is being massively thrown in at the deep end due to the appalling approach to transfers this season, it'd be good for him if he could have been eased in to the team, playing in a team that's not losing more often than not, but sadly its not the case and I think teams will continue to target him and expose him.
I think he does ok. They may have targeted our left back area but it didn't do them much good? They've got to start at some time and we don't have the luxury of 'bedding' players in. He'll learn from all this and be a better player for it.
Might not be the case with Kingsley not a million miles away.... though on reflection, I don't know if thats an improvement or not..
I think Clark gets more criticism than he deserves, and there's no way Kingsley should be walking straight into the team when he finally gets fit.
Completely agree. That said was it a stroke of tactical genius? Long balls negated their three man midfielder (and we have been poor in the middle of the park recently), and the long balls to Dicko kept their back three from pushing on. Still ugly to watch and if we fed Evandro the right balls and gave him movement we would look a lot more threatening
He's not top drawer and has taken time to rise above dire, but he is improving and working hard at it. He was and will be targeted, which is the obvious thing to do, and that means more focus on him. What I took from his performance was an improvement on previous poor games and a decent bit of mettle to answer the opposition's hard questions. Also surprised that Evandro has been pulled apart by some. He's a quality player with the embedded confidence to hold the ball and take more touches; sometimes that works for him (as on Friday) and sometimes, due to his game time, it works against him. It's not his judgement, just his form and any coach would see and know that. It's the difference between being creative and not being...
Don't love hoof-it but sometimes it serves a purpose. Still too much on Friday, but it gave space and time to our midfield and the outcome was plain. Evandro and Larsson, two old hands, used it wisely and gave strong performances.
Evandro Dicko Dawson Thought Irvine and Aina where much improved second half. Huge save by McGregor and all. By the way, hate to end on a negative but I will, Irvine's passing sometimes is absolutely dreadful, but he improved has everyone tired, he is supremely fit. If we can pass the ball to Evandro's feet and get players round him we should be fine, he actually waits to pass the ball to a players feet rather than panicking and giving it away. I hope if we do stay up, Nigels plan will change instead of Clark and Dawson smashing it up the field all game, absolutely pointless and counter productive. It must a game plan cos both aren't bad passers of a football. Also, we are dieing for a tough tackler that can pass, a general as it where, we are very very weak without Larrson.