Fingers crossed - would mean the world if we stay up! Cheers guys Think you have been amazing this season. Above many games this season I have dreaded you one of the most
Are you talking about the one in the second half? The announcers on TV didn't think much of it, saying that Gazza overcommitted. But I agree with you, I thought it was a decent save that most GK's would have punched. Like I said, I thought Gazzaniga was fine in the second half.
To be fair, the Gallipoli plan was sound. The navy screwed up by landing the men on the wrong beaches and then the dithering of upper class twits that were the officers let the Turks get men to the front. Lions being led by donkeys and all that. Back to the game, if you watched the Liverpool game today you would see how fast both teams break. We have the players that can break quickly yet its generally players like Davis or Cork are leading our charge (normally JRod is up there of course) yet our goal threats in Lambert and Lallana are lagging behind. Davis does not fancy taking on the last defender so waits for others to join him and the attack stalls. We then spend the next 5 minutes passing in pretty triangleswithout hurting the other team. Would love to get a player like Ba who has the skill and speed to take on that last defender
We had one until he knackered his ACL just when he was reaching peak confidence in his ability to score... Vin
I wonder why the Police (meant to be independent) are linking to half a dozen trade organisations on that page? Vin
True, but JRod helps out with the defending and has to run that 40 metres extra. The amount of breaks we create in a game, a player like Ba on the shoulder of the last defender would bring at least one chance a game. Even a fast kid like Rowe who has the speed yet is good 1 on 1 with the keeper would add that other dimension, not for every game but for home games where the other team will defend in numbers and a defensive midfielder could make way.
What worries me most is that all our remaining games are against teams that have more to play for than we have. I mean, I like the warm sense of security we've earned, but I hope the Cardiff game wasn't a foretaste of how we're going to end the season. To finish up 10th or 11th would feel like failure now. I'm hoping we play better than Villa and beat them, to me it's the acid test which will show our "DNA". Up the Saints.
We aren't finishing any lower than 10th. That would require West Ham or Palace winning three of their final five (and both have tough remaining schedules) while overcoming a big pile of goal differential, and Saints failing to register a single point.
Think you're underestimating the impact of a manager on results..... Ferguson > Moyes by 10+ pts a season with similar resources. Pochettino > Adkins by 10+ pts a season with similar resources. Martinez > Moyes by c. 10 pts a season with similar resources. Each to their own.
You missed my point, probably by about 10 points. Of course teams will get more points between having a bad manager and a good manager or a good manager and a great manager, but you made the comment after the match that Pochettino will never get more than 60 points, he was tactically outclassed by Solskjaer and the reason we lost the match. There was nothing wrong with the way we set-up given the personnel choices available. Basically Gallagher or Ramirez. We had control of the football and the game for large spells. The players worked their way into good situations but failed to capitalise. The game is ultimately won and lost by players and not every result can be put at the managers door
We lost a game by one goal because we couldn't seem to finish...has happened before and not just under MP....we have a low conversion rate from chances to goals. I absolutely refuse to accept Solskjaer outclassed Mauricio...came down to players. Cardiff did the only thing they could do and sat us out....the correct way for a struggling side to play a lively team like ours...hardly rocket science!
Cardiff didn't come to win this game, they'd have been happy to take 0-0. They didn't play like a team in a relegation battle because they didn't seem desperate for the points. I thought they were fairly solid defensively when not giving the ball to our strikers, but offered little going forward. I think we missed Rodriguez as our attacks mainly consisted of putting crosses into the box, whereas balls through to a striker to run onto may have been more effective. It showed our need for another striker.
Thats why you need a strong squad and I think its clear we are a couple of strikers short. See we are being linked with Sergio Garcia again.
That's what makes him cool! Him and Guly up front, sauntering their way past the awestruck opposition.
