I am just as stumped as you are unless AN feels he has to get some return for the money spent by actually playing him and not warming the bench or dugout for the season.[/QUOTE] Yes Thai - there was a period after we scored when we were really knocking it around and had a good goal scoring opportunity fallen to someone other than Naismith, then I think we could easily have gone 2 up, or at least forced their keeper to make a save. The attempt from Whittaker that was cleared off the line was a mishit and had Whittaker just tried to hit the ball, instead of belting it, he would have scored!!
his touch and movement were better than most out there - I must be the only one that can see or else I'm a deluded twat
Needless to say tomorrow's thread is going to be nothing like this one, I'll save my efforts for next weekend
Slightly OT but John Ruddy was spotted at Lavare Park, Spixworth yesterday watching his boy play in goal for an under 9's side. All very commendable I'm sure, but you would have thought he would have been at the Portaloo supporting his team mates ?
I can't help feeling that yet again some fans pick out a player and wait for him to do something wrong, ignoring whatever he does right. I fail to see the accusation of heavy touches and sloppy passes made against him. He teams up well with Jerome and Hoolahan and exploits space well, even in a crowded defence like that at Ipswich. Like Wes, he will be critical to our success this season.
I'd guess that he rarely gets a chance to support his son, being a Saturday worker. I don't have a problem with that.
We spent enough time passing it back. We desperately need to pass the ball forward quicker. It would help if Hoolahan could pass the ball without doing a little turn first. To be honest I'm getting a bit bored with AN's excuses. He's the manager if all 11 players aren't passing the ball forward quick enough then it's because he's either not giving the right instructions or the players aren't listening to him. One or 2 not doing it is a player issue. The whole team not doing it is a manager issue. Whatever happened to playing without fear, playing our own game and attacking. The were many similarities between yesterdays game and the way we played last season. I'm starting to become concerned about whether AN has really learnt the lessons from last season.
Almost exactly what I said on the 'tips/bets' thread this morning. And it's the reason I don't think promotion this season is as assured as many seem to think.
Looking back at Ipswich, now, I wonder if there's more to the line-up choice. With Jarvis and Pritchard injured, Jacob returning from injury and Canos not yet fully match fit, AN had a dilemma on the right side. Jacob and Canos were good options on the bench and both got their chance as subs, but AN needed another option and that was Howson starting on the right. Mulumbu isn't really a DM, having played alongside a DM at West Brom and Howson is the best attacking option of our CMs. With Pinto and Brady playing as FB/WBs, we did achieve a fair amount of width with that formation. That was lost when Pinto had to be replaced because of a tweaked hamstring. Whittaker can play the FB/WB role as well and he did get two good shots in, one on target and the other hitting the post, but he almost conceded a goal as well. Jacob came on for Mulumbu after 61 minutes to provide a different attacking option which allowed Whittaker to concentrate more fully on his FB duties. Canos was another attacking substitution and Ipswich had difficulty picking up the subs as they produced a lot of movement behind Jerome. On another day, it might have produced the victory we all wanted, but I don't think AN got enough credit for dealing with a difficult situation.
I can see your logic, Canario, but AN doesn't seem to be making excuses here: “I didn’t think our play deserved to go on and win it but we had the best chances in terms of those two and Jacob Murphy went through at the end. We didn’t move the ball as quickly as we should have. We didn’t play it in behind their midfield and defence quickly enough. We needed to be better on the ball.” Averaging 2 points a game is a good start, IMO, but the more complex quick passing style we play needs match time to develop properly. We were much closer to it with Pinto on the pitch and the move that set up Jerome's goal was a good example, but we didn't produce that often enough. It's clear that's what AN wants, but it's a case now of achieving that consistently sooner rather than later.
Several points arising from this thread and articles in the EDP/EN 1. Whilst I accept that Naismith scored a good goal against Blsckburn and had a hand in our build up to Jerome’s goal yesterday, these are mere flashes and I still do not feel that he has come anywhere near to justifying his £8.5M price tag. The ball fell nicely for him in the first half yesterday and with no defender near him, he decided to hit it first time and blazed it over the bar, when he had ample time to have taken a touch first and at least forced Bialkowski to make a save. I’m really hoping that Pritchard will be fit to at least play a part against Cardiff and displace him. 2. I’ve seen a couple of comments that AN hasn’t learnt anything from last year and even allowing for injuries, after yesterday’s team selection, I’m inclined to agree. Where is Maddison – AN has stated that neither him nor the Murphys are going out on loan, so why not at least have him on the bench. I’m hoping that both he and Godfrey will some worthwhile playing time tomorrow evening and also against Boro in the under 23 game on Thursday. 3. I think it was Paddy Davitt in one of his articles commented the fact that we seem to be losing several players to muscle injuries/strains and wondering whether ther eis something wrong with the training/warm up schedule?? Finally, I’ve seen a couple of comments re putting in a bid for Daryl Murphy, as he has a proven eye for goal at this level – I’ve heard worse suggestions!!!
What he's saying amongst other things is we didn't move the ball forward quickly enough, it's not the first time he's made these sorts of comments both this season and last. So he's identified the problem, knows what he wants from the players and has had time to coach them to do what he wants. However when we play it seems none of the players are doing what he wants, so I'm of the view that the issue is with him, could be a number of reasons for this, for example the way he tactically sets up the team or the other instructions he gives counter acts what he's trying to achieve or the players he's picking aren't able to do what he wants. If it was a case of only a couple of players not achieving what he wants then I would suggest it's an individual player problem. As none of the players seem to be able to do what he requires it indicates to me that it's a management / coaching issue. I don't know but the players he selected to start and the way we set up suggests to me that we went to Portman Road with the overriding intention of not losing, rather than with the intention of going for it, playing our game and letting Ipswich worry about us. So for me, despite what he said at the start of the season we seem to have slipped back into the attitude we had last season, which if it continues will result in mid table mediocrity. Points wise we are doing okay at the moment, but then again we were doing okay last season until we got thumped be Newcastle and became scared of our own shadow.
Brilliant post carrow. I do wonder if he's slipping back into last season's mentality (let's hope it was a 'one-off as it was against 1p5wich)and as you say , it needs to change sharpish, or we'll be ending up mid table.
I commented on the possible reasons for the starting line-up against Ipswich in post 230 above. What must be frustrating for AN is that we did manage quick passing and penetration during the game, but only some of the time and he acknowledges that. Ipswich employ a style of play which includes defence in depth and long balls forward to the two strikers. Their own fans complain about how boring and unimaginative this is, but it does enable them to create a threat (occasionally) while maintaining a defence in depth. While Pinto was on the pitch, this was breached several times as he got behind the defence to put in crosses, including the one which led to Jerome's goal. Losing him at half-time to a hamstring tweak was unfortunate, as Whittaker wasn't able to carry that on, though he did manage two good shots on goal by cutting in rather than going for the by-line. What you want is what AN wants, IMO, but it is more difficult to achieve, especially against mainly defensive opponents, but I think it will be achieved over the season as a whole.
Risk of sitting on the fence here (though better than being a pant-wetter) but I agree with Rick and Canario in virtually equal measure. A little fine-tuning and you'd both be saying exactly the same thing
Last two or three games he has goven the ball away lots of times, when it seemed like a simple pass was needed. I knw what you mean re: scapegoat but he hasnt been great. As our star signing last season, there is a lot of expectation on him to do well at this level and he hasnt been good so far. I think Whittaker has taken a lot of stick too. I thought he was good on Sunday (aside from one moment of madness). He gives a decent option going forward and nearly got us a goal or two! People forget that in the 2nd half of our last promotion season, Neil got him playing very well at this level. Im not his biggest fan but he is better than Martin as cover for Pinto as he offers more in attack.
That may be true, but if we set up with conventional wide men, alias wingers, as opposed to pushing central midfielders out wide this wouldn't be so much of an issue. Whittaker and / or Martin could concentrate more on defensive duties as there'd be less reliance on them to bomb forward and provide the width missing totally from Sunday's starting line up Just my opinion, mind.
