Today is definitely the best I've seen Downes play for us, seems to be really settling in which can only be a good thing.
Yeah it's good to see him being vocal as that's one of the most important things in a keeper imo. Can tell his confidence has improved as a result of the support he's had at the ground this season. Loved the scores when he wants chant too
For the game itself or the unnecessary stress in the build up, when, in fact it was all over? Weird to feel lightheaded at 3.30 on a Saturday afternoon when we're often playing!!
So many candidates for our man of the first half. Possibly our best 45 minutes of the season. Far fewer candidates for man of the second half. Over the course of the whole 90 mins, Downes just pipped KWP to my MOTM. Kyle basically played the first 45 mins as an out-an-out right winger. Which meant it was great to see that we had proper balance on both sides for once. Birmingham were so bad in that first half, and we were so dominant, that it didn't matter that it regularly left us vacant at RB.
Good to see it finally clicking. Still don’t enjoy the possession style but if we actually win games it will be a lot more bearable
Not sure about that. We've been scoring goals in the last breath, so it's hardly like "they instantly believe it's over".
Ah-hem. Mystic No7 does it again with his first post. Really once I post on the match day thread we should just stop the discussion and move on to the next
That was excellent - was watching delayed as my wife foolishly booked us out for lunch. Some great individual performances, KWP MOTM for me, but that's a bit like saying "Verstappen is going to win the Grand Prix", so ignoring KWP, Downes, Beddy, THB all in with a shout. Thought Sulemana and Alcaraz had their best games for us this season so far. I do wish someone would tell Kamaldeen that you only need to beat a player once though. Bree very solid as well, and Stu dictating things in midfield. Still, definite green shoots in terms of what we could and should be with this squad. Very satisfied.
It was KWP's mistake for their goal, so for once (probably the first time this season), I'm giving it to someone else: Stuie for his first half performance. Just pulling strings like it's a training game. Some incredible passing; short, long, one-twos, through balls, the whole range. Agree about Sulemana. He makes so many good runs, and gets into so many good positions to cross the ball, but ends up only putting in one good cross out of every four or five opportunities. The rest of the time he loses the ball trying one twist or turn too many. You sort of might as well play him, because he does the first bit so brilliantly. If only he learns to just put the ball in rather than faffing, we would have double the number of chances.
Yep. There were a bunch of opportunities, especially first half, for him to get the ball in that he wasted by taking another turn. But he's still cheat-code level in some ways, and far better than Fraser/Edozie in that position (in an attacking sense at least).
The three of them all bring something quite different, which is good. I still reckon Edozie has a ton of potential too. His all round play is getting better, while Sulemana is just a complete wild card.