16th ... Hello darkness my old friend. I turned it off at 3-0 and watched the last episode of the Jackal instead. That thirty minutes of football is the worse I've ever seen us play. It feels like I've been saying that a lot recently until our seven game unbeaten run but even during that we played some horrible stuff. The Bristol City game was a tough one to stomach, but today felt twice as bad. I can't believe Cifuentes has resorted to this way of playing, who wants to watch this anti-football?
Wow, just catching up on the football scores after Boxing Day activities and we certainly took a pasting today! My Dad would have said, "after the Lord Mayor's Show.........."
As I left the house my wife put Gavin and Stacey on….my son had stomped off after we let the third in. Not keen on Cifuentes’ post match comments ‘not good enough’ obviously but some excuse finding with Morrison, and no hint of ‘I set us up wrong for this one’.
Huge disappointment 0-3 Disappointment is peaking at present. There is much to be disappointed with. I'm disappointed that l'm feeling disappointed.
Guys we do play like this once in a while, yet more often than not we play like you did today, hence why we made a **** Hull side look lake Barcelona last week!.....
Nah, that’s just some scribble by a kid on some kind of spectrum. Or ‘Good grief, we have the ****est opponents ever’ in Welsh.
That was quite frankly pathetic for a team at this level. It's quite easy to get excited when you're unbeaten in 7 but even then we have played pretty poor. I am absolutely fed up of the lack of flexibility in Martis tactics. One up top no matter if we are home or away. I wouldn't mind but that lone striker is basically playing the whole attacking half on his own, more often than not his furthest position being still in his own half. We can bang on about injuries all day long but that doesn't alter the tactics and set up which we employ. I still can't bring myself to part with hard earned wages to spend on watching the opposition play football.
People suggesting Smyth went off with a muscle injury, not surprised he's been our only outlet all season, must be knackered. I creally can't watch us play another game of just surrendering possession in its entirety. I just hope our lads are fired up for the Canaries on Sunday. I don't know what changes I would make but I guess Chair would be an obvious one at least he'll try and get on the ball. Wonder how close Colback is to a return.
The way Swansea passed and moved at pace was very impressive, especially in the first half. The simplicity of football was a lesson to us. We on the other hand, scrambled clearances like what you would witness in a child's game. I can only presume that we aren't capable of passing or moving like that. Obviously anyone playing at this level should have these basic abilities so I naturally think it's the way we are set up that doesn't enable us to even attempt to play this way. We may have picked up some results recently, which is great but the performances have still been dreadful to watch. This, yet again is a season of nothingness. We have become used to this I suppose.
If we get Colback at his best for any sustained period of time then great but realistically he’ll break down again and is a burden on an undoubtedly tidy contract. As President of the Paul Smyth anti-hipster fan club I worry for us without him. Andersen and Madsen bring none of the same qualities nor any real qualities at all, Lloyd will run about but defensively pretty useless. Perhaps Ashby there ahead of Dunne. For the 87th season in a row we’re chronically short on pace.
Think MC has forgotten Dunne is a right footed centre back. Surely the defence all shift across one and Ashby plays at RB. Although the thought of watching Fox at LB is scary. Don't the U21s have a LB? If Smyth is out would be tempted to play Saito out there, with Chair on the left, although this leaves us extremely vulnerable on the left side defensively. Or play Alfie on the right and Chair comes in for Field or Morgan. Mind u this is all immaterial if we play with a low block again as we will get hammered at Norwich
In my humble opinion, the fact that we are bigging up Paul Smyth as our saving grace totally sums up where we are as a club. Granted he has pace, works hard and all that but his end product is usually woeful at best. Yes he scored that great goal when the keeper ran but generally he's ****in useless after doing the hard work to the point of infuriating. As for Colback, don't see how he would get in ahead of Varane at the moment. Probably our most consistent performer of late. I could see it working if Marti decides that one up top is one too many and plays 6 in midfield.
Not sure how many remember me but im back......no specific reason for my absence but after yesterday needed to say something. What are these weird tactics used v BC and again yesterday?......yes the two CBs were different but come on as basically the same side outplayed Preston 17 shots to 2! Swansea had 2 more points than us and had lost the last two games and we were unbeaten in 7 yet we treated them like royalty and |I am not going to say a non league club going to Liverpool because that team would have had more fight, desire and conviction. If the two central defenders had the wrong feet on (2 left footers) then just get on with it. If you take away the goals that possibly Cook & Morrison may have dealt with the rest of it was dire . I do not understand why two young footballers (kolli and Morgan ) are just chasing the football as its passed to one of three options by our opponents. As a one time semi pro striker I cannot understand why Kolli does not get his body between the man and the ball just to get free kicks if nothing else, what are they teaching him?!! Couldnt MC see it needed changing asap and certainly after the first goal? Why play so differently away from home ?....our away record for a team that was doomed wasnt too bad and we just got lucky at BC. Yes, there are injuries that are affecting the team but most of the players have had lots of minutes now so all should be comfortable. To me there is still a naivety and understandable for the 18/19 year olds but that was a mistake yesterday playing those two as sole striker and No 10. Has MC no faith when we go away?.....Is that conveyed to the players?.....surely Not!! I think we would all agree it makes NO sense whatsover to sit back against passing teams and would be best to take it to the opposition by changing tactics. My hope was when we have a fit, Chair, Frey, Colback , JCS etc etc that the players who have been playing will be great substitutes, squad players who have already learned their trade and got far too many minutes already than they should have. Too lightweight and too many give the ball away too easily .....men v boys in last two away games.....embarrassing!!!t . . .
