I was at the game yesterday and also got frustrated as joeys passes were being cut out or misplaced; but let's be clear about this passing involves two players and I did not see any of the recipients of joeys passes either looking to receive or making runs behind the Burnley defence; it should also be remembered that most of the passes were cut out when we were attacking when the ball has to be moved quickly to be effective but as such introduces a greater margin for error. Joey was involved in everything yesterday regardless of whether we were in or out of possession. The only leader in this team.
Maybe its better to let Joey rest for a match or two. If the team performances will improve with lineup without Joey so that is just fine but if not .......?
Barton is a much better footballer than Henry. I admire the character of players like Henry who have managed to carve out a football career with limited ability and do not like to knock them too much because of the effort they do put in. However when we have the ball he is a waste of space on the pitch. For me we have to be braver and play with 2 CMs who can play. I would go for Barton and Mutch and drop Henry. I understand that Henry is in the team to break up play. He does this occasionally but more often than not gets by passed in midfield by opposition players. It's often been suggested that H has to be in the team away from home because of the defensive qualities he brings. I would suggest it's not working.
More than anything else what frustrates me about the team is the inability to pass the ball to players on our own team. You would think that it was the most basic of abilities at this level but giving away the ball or putting it out of touch seems to be what is practiced most between matches. Harry once described Bobby Z as 'a proper footballer - he passes the ball to his own team' - two years on few others seemed to have grasped the value of this essential skill - why?
Well, that is true. I havent seen all our matches but in those what i have seen Barton has been top-4 at least. He has his limitations but always give hundred per cent. Our team is so limitated and poor that when Barton and Sandro are out our midfield is depended on Henry. IMO we have much more severe problems than Barton right now.
I think Barton did start very well yesterday, but as per usual we go a goal behind and our game plan seems to go to pot. After we went a goal down Barton's passes started to go astray, but so did everyone's. We seem so brittle away from home, we play the same formation away, yet the players just seem different and lack the same grit they show at home. But Barton does work incredibly hard and it's all very well singling him out, but the only alternatives at the moment wouldn't work any better. All our problems stem from the back and we're always on the back foot as we just can't seem to stop the opposition scoring first. Change this and we might just get to play our game, Barton might have a chance of going forward and maybe things might just change. It would be nice, just once, to lose because the other team played us off the park. At the moment every damn team beats us because of our own mistakes and that pisses me right off.
I agree. Our best football this season was with Fer,Sandro, and Henry in the middle whilst Joey was injured. I'd like to see Kranjcar start a few more games too
You highlight my other really annoying bug bare this season. The number of times our player are waiting to receive a ball rather than going to meet it, then having it intercepted or pressured straight away.
cheers oslo, been following this board for a while now and have laughed,raged and groaned like all I am sure. Finally decided to dive in and pleased that I have; it is a great board
yeah, and what it shows is a lack of confidence which is of course a huge problem for several players - Matt Phillips is a real case in point.....he sort of makes himself available......but then stands just a liitle bit too close to an opponent to make the passer think twice an change his mind. We need players who DEMAND the ball
The 'problem' with Barton is that when he makes a mistake it's there for all to see; he puts himself in a position of responsibility, as does Dunne. Barton does an awful lot of good things that go mostly unnoticed, he often tracks players out of the game, or that move anyway. And to highlight that, it was actually him NOT doing that as effectively as usual that led, in part, to Burnley's first goal. Joey Barton is, and WILL BE, one of our most important players if we are to stay up.
In Joey's defence, our formation at home makes it very difficult for any of our midfield players to keep possession as they are always out-numbered in there.
I don't really want our midfielders to keep possession, i want them to win it and very quickly pass the ball accurately and preferably forwards. When you are outnumbered its either that or lump it, our current fvoured option.
Its more important we get a change of Manager. Arry' is starting to install his influence..............but in the negative..........Barton and all players will be more effective and will improve under a new Manager (as long as under 60!!)
