We do, which makes it all the more frustrating that we're being held back by a manager with a zany, reinvent the wheel way of playing
We need to find the right balance, we went very pragmatic this morning and denied them a lot of chances but it resulted in us having no shots on target, so it's probably too much the other way, but Puerta looked good, Hughes was fantastic (as expected), and Bedia a real threat up top, just need to get the midfield combination right. It's telling that Mehlem and Simons were bypassed so much, that there's just something not quite right with the style of play that our CMs are used so little.
That first season, he was angry and pissed, and we loved him for it. Sadly that second season, he was more melancholic in his pissed up state and far less effective. Club psychiatrist, take note
We need to stop the ridiculous corner routine as well. In a game of few chances where we've done well to keep the opposition at arms length (just like against Sheff and Leeds) it will and has cost us hugely
The corner that cost us wasn't played short though it was just played to the edge of the box, I didn't mind it as an option, it was just Madley getting in the way of Puerta.
Yeah fair comment. In that situation would you rather take the red card to stop the almost certain goal? With 20ish minutes left, I'd be tempted to say yes.
should have gone straight through the back of Madeley to get the ball - killed two birds with one stone
Depends if it's someone we don't mind losing for a game. Hughes or Coyle no, Jones or Drameh possibly. Shouldn't have to be a debate though as it shouldn't be happening
I've had situations in my own games where the ref has stood in my way and it's gotten to the point where I've asked the ref if he'd book me if I had to push past him and he's said no. I wonder if that was just one ref in the heat of the moment, or if refs would genuinely accept players pushing past them to get the ball.
another loss walter still doesn't know his best starting 11,possibly relegation battle incoming have we got enough fighters within the squad?
I think he does, but always going to rotate after an International Break. I didn't think we looked too bad against the table toppers?
Much tighter at the back. Maybe that's Hughes or maybe we've just stopped ****ing around with it. Zero efforts on target. Zero. Ref got more in the way of 2 Sunderland players in first half, but no-one here complaining about that oddly. Is that the 4th goal we've conceded from our short corner routine? Their right back mentioned they'd spent the last week targeting the short corner. It should have been a handball end of first half but prob not a red.
I think that's irrelevant because Drameh did actually catch him, so he obviously didn't need to bring him down from behind. He caught him and got back goalside. Why he then allowed him past again and to shoot I don't really understand.
I think this is an old fashioned concept that fans and media still hang onto. We clearly don't have a best 11, we have a big squad which looks like it was built to be able to rotate it regularly. I called that he'd rest Millar and Zambrano today. They'll probably both be back in on Wednesday.
If he fouled him from the front it's still a red though. I'm saying it's easier to commit and foul the opponent than execute a perfectly timed tackle, which is clearly why Drameh didn't dive in, he didn't want the red.
Yes I noticed that too, and then he did again late on. People screeching about corruption and bias conveniently forgetting that.
I hate it when we moan about refs when we've lost, even if we have a genuine greavance. Makes us look pathetic and opposition fans love it
