How many times over the last 3 years did we see that? How many times did we lose posession as a result! It has been a pleasure over the last couple of weeks to watch Town KEEP posession of the football and actually play it out from the back. Who would now swap Sonko for Maca? Who would swap Andrews for Norris? I watched a very good game of football today and we out played a very good team make no mistake! Yes the key now is to carry on in this rich vein of form and the important thing has been over the last couple of weeks is that we have reverted back to a controlled passing game. We now have a team that is happy in posession, can create and finish chances and importantly knows how to defend when without the ball. How refreshing! I left Portman Rd at the final whistle with a huge grin on my face along with all my fellow Northstanders and I haven't seen that for a few seasons. How satisfying to dominate a good passing team and deservedly win. A great result today and we are well on the way to creating "Fortress Portman Road" once again.
I still think McAuley is a good player and was for us. Confidence is a big thing for him. But he is one of the best readers of the game as a CB I have seen at Ipswich, I think him and Sonko would have been a decent partnership. Sonko just has all the physical attributes to be a great defender. As for Norris, I would prefer Tonny Dinning in our midfield!!!
Think Mcauley was made to look good, because he was the best of a very poor bunch. However if you critically analyze his game, you would find there was a lack of pace, and poor distribution of the ball, yes a good reader of the game, and a fine header, but we were never going to get to any great heights with him.
What a treat of a game and well worth the 200 mile drive believe me, tho am puzzled at the lack of a PR roar from the Cobbold stand! Totally agree JWM about the passing game returnig but still toomany hopeful long balls I thought. Quite a line-up now, and nice to see subs of quality making a difference and nice touches from new boy Wabara. Thought Leadboots played well, Jimmy showed nice touches but not at his best, and great to hear the whole place erupt at Chops 1st...and then sure as eggs...his 2nd, almost a replica of the first! The Duke and JET seemed up for it jostling for every ball when came on. Happy days at PR and good to see everyone play for each other. Lots of gloomy seagulls on road back to Sussex! And I didnt have time to place my tenner... Onwards & upwards.
avoid the cobbold stand awful atmosphere, north lower is where its at...... on the subject of Tony Dinning, I'm gonna bring up Alan Mahon. With us the season before, I thought he was a cracking player.... !
Truth seeker, I actually think McAuley was made to look worse than he was playing with Delaney(who could make the best defenders look awful) and Edwards who last year was put into the RB position. I think form the start of this season we can appreciate how good a defender he was for us with some of the results at the beggining of the season and awful defensive displays. I remember on numerous occassions last season how McAuley got Edwards and especially Delaney out of trouble, it was never really obvious as neither make horrendous mistakes but their position was terrible. One thing I would say though is he is definitely a confidence player and sometimes buckles under the pressure. His distribution definitely improved under Jewell. Alan Mahon definitely was a cracking player and to think we couldn't afford the 250k asked for him from Blackburn, I reckon we may have got promoton that season if we had signed him but who went on to sign him and acheive promotion... Paul Jewell!!!
yeah Royle sure identified exactly the right targets, take note Keane + Magilton ! Heard a rumour we wouldn't stump up the £100,000 needed to sign Ricardo Fuller, which was the final straw for Royle. Anyone know if that's true !? If so, 06/07 I believe Lee + Fuller could have lead us to the play offs....!
Weighty I think thats a little harsh. IMO we would have been relegated last season without McAuley and Bullard. But continuing the them I'd rather have a telegraph pole at the back than Damien Delaney!!
I'd rather have tuesday's edition of THE DAILY TELEGRAPH than Mcauley. Bullard was pivitol to us staying up, Mcauley was one of the reasons we found ourselves in that trouble...........SHANDYPANTS SHANDYPANTS SHANDYPANTS.
Very harsh - he was easily our best defender for a few years. But that deflection was criminal. He threw himself at the ball side on when he should've stood his ground.
Yeah I was hoping noone was watching that But I think he's a good defender his biggest problem is lack of self belief sometimes I think. When he played with conviction and was comfortable in his environment he was easily one of the best defenders in the division and towards the end of last season put in some superb performances better than any other CB we had in years.
never rated mcauly, as plum states he's a shandy pants, his hairs too fluffy and can't defend for toffee.
I think you are over egging the pudding! Maca is an average player who can head it a bit and then hoof it! How you can say he was one of the best defenders in the Division is just beyond me! No pace, cant pass and panics in posession! I wouldn't have Maca or Norris back for all the tea in china! Best thing we ever did was to allow them to run down their contracts. Biggest example of Maca was the OG against the Budgies! He is cack and would never get into our current line up.
Because Warky he'd always be the one getting stuck in, putting himself on the line, getting back and clearing. He didn't have much competition for the honour of being our best defender but he undoubtedly was before this season.
See i disagree Gus I think he could play for toffee,he ran around like he had one stuck up his arse most of the time! Why do you agree with everything Weighty says?your not in alittle clique there are you?
If you lot think that Maca was a great defender then it says either 2 things! 1. You haven't seen many games 2. Our team was absolute **** and he was made to look good I have never rated him and Magilton spunked too much cash on him.
Never got stuck in or put himself on the line IMHO. He always appeared to be going through the motions never fully committed.
McAuley was/is a good player, not an exceptional defender but none the less a good one and a very good championship defender. i dont like it how now he has gone and we are playing well we look back and all of a sudden think he was useless, he wasnt and if we didnt have him at the back we would have been a much worse team for it
