Really very impressed with this evening. For me this isn't now about who comes in to the team on Saturday, it's who from last weekend's team comes into that one. To which the answer is Charles. If there were no other changes (other than leaving Downs out of the squad) I'd be very happy.
Doesn't it depend on whether the other player is behind the ball? Anyway who gives a ****. Let's leave all the over analysis to the VAR ridden Prem.
Yep. Hence Charles coming in. Is it a coincidence that our best and most organised defensive display is the one where Stephens and THB aren't in the squad? One for the analysts there...
Shame about the result but a great effort by nearly all. Armstrong - needs to play, can obviously score. A goal last match, woodwork this match, he knows where the goal is. Downes(not Downs) - best game since Championship campaign last time. Scienza - Looking dangerous, imagine what he can do against some of the championship players. Jander - looks like he could be some player when he's fully settled. The defence as a whole - good in the air, on the ground, getting forward. Quarshie was the best of the centre backs for me, very commanding performance, I would be happy with either Wood or Edwards partnering him(or both) against Boro. Charles - needs to play, so hungry, great coming back and also as was evident can score. Very good. . . . . Archer - he's an ok player, there's potential there, maybe better off the bench. Macca - good and bad in one package. Baz will almost certainly continue in goal, less brain farts! Stewart - didn't do much but I'd be inclined to start him, hasn't had a decent run and history shows he can score at this level. JayRob - Think he should start more, good player who tries to make things happen and will surely only get better. Downs(not Downes) - Ali Dia did more in his brief appearance than he has in a handful of appearances. Looked like a rabbit in the headlights and always made the wrong decisions, had too much of a heavy touch.He may have some potential but he's definitely not for now. Surely there is a youth player who would do better than him at this stage? Needs to be loaned out and developed before playing for us again(now I have said this, watch him get a hat trick against Boro).
Think everyone has said but Downs just didn't hold the ball up it bounced off him. Definitely can see how our team would look good against teams who open up but few will in the Championship. Thinking of a back five with Stephens and Bazunu coming in. Problem is how do you fit Armstrong, Charles, Fellows and two others into a decent front five :s
I really, really wanted Downs to come good, but I'd rather see Princewill Exhibitionism in the squad right now.
Except for one very poor cross in the first half (when he really should have found Armstrong), I was very impressed with Jelert. He can definitely start vs Boro.
One last thing on Downs. If you buy 9 players in a summer, and only one of them is a turnip, you've not actually done too badly on your recruitment. Sadly the turnip is the one where we really needed someone to be good.
The ref thought that maybe if we had a corner we might have scored from it so in preventing that he’s done all Liverpool asked of him and he’ll go home a happy man.
I mentioned that at the time. Such a shame he got that so wrong as Armstrong had done well to get goal side and it wasn't a massively difficult cross. Agreed he did well other than that though.
