I'm pretty fed up of Bruce's attitude that our ambition is to draw a game away from home first, and if it's looking good, then go for the win. It cost us in the PL and it's potentially going to cost us this season. Even during last month's 'perfect' run we were terrible away from home.
Totally agree but my point is that by increasingly instilling this doctrine, accurate as it may be, into the heads of players, we are stifling both them and the games. An attacking fullback might reach the touchline where all their career the would have been encouraged to get their head up and pick out a good cross. What was once instinctive is now riddled with doubt and hesitation. Should they cross or cut it back to my No 10. I might get a good cross in but if it's poor and easy defended I will get an ear bashing. Far safer to tap it back to the number ten. No matter that he turns and passes back to the halfway line. I can't be bawled out for wasting good position on a cross. Even if that is not the intention of the player or manager what with the minute examination of every players performance, including I would presume their adherence to tactics, I think it inevitable that such negativity increases. I also think it's already apparent in the game.
Just a quick review of all the posts from today: If Hernandez had scored it would have been a different result! Probably! Players not crossing. We're ****! Again! Bruce has gone from MOTM to not having a clue in 90 minutes! Changing a striker & an attacking midfielder for a striker & an attacking midfielder is wrong! It should have been for a midfielder & a defender! A striker who scored a hat trick last week shouldn't have replaced a striker who didn't score a header, that would have been a Winner & everyone would live happily ever after! Aluko's ****! Probably! Meyler, suddenly not playing, should have started over Hayden, who was playing because he was better than Meyler, but now he's not, but when Hayden wasn't playing he was better than Meyler, but now isn't! ****ing confused with that! Despite being top of the league, lots are worried we now have blown all chances of promotion! I feel I've missed many things out, it's late is my excuse!
We weren't ****, it was a very even game, a single goal either way would have decided it, if Hernandez had scored the header, I expect we'd have won. Nothing wrong with Hayden starting, but his early yellow limited him in the second half and Meyler coming on would have strengthened us. Taking our best striker off was a mistake, Akpom should have come on for Diame. Nobody has suggested we've blown all chances of promotion.
Only the negatives one though. While there weren't many positives today (Leicester C apart) a fair few posts pointed out that we are still in a very good position with it all to play for.
Well I think we've Come to expect that Bruce will never drop Mcgregor even tho he's the a big part of the reason we are where we are, so we have to just get used to his casual mistakes. But seriously if we want this team to get anywhere, we need to get Kuciak in goal asap! Or any decent keeper (wonder if we'd of got as far in cup games with him in net, just a thought) and we need to stop playing midfielders up front (what is that about?) .... Also the subs were f*****g tragic and Bruce needs to habg his head in shame, yes he swapped attackers for attackers, but honestly would Chelsea replace Costa and Hazard at 0-0 when there dominating, 3 very foolish decisions by Bruce! I think without these crazy ideas we could be running away with this league!
Surely there is more to it than a just forward running onto a header anyway. Knock downs defensive errors, etc. It's called the danger area for a reason and the more time the ball is in there, the more the danger. I agree that it is important to have players in there too.
I wasn't there, so can only offer a thought. I might be wrong but you, in the same situation as me, seem to be saying that the substitutions had no effect on their possession, their movement and passing and our goalkeepers reaction. That might be fair. What would also be fair would be to look earlier and see how they took possession, how our resilience (and reported dominence) was broken down in the space of a few minutes. Cause and effect, as applied to a substitution policy (often seen - to our detriment). Depends how much you subscribe to the law of coincidence, or whether you're fatalistic. Maybe you're a Happy Coincidentlist.
Was my sarcasm that good that you took it all seriously? I'll just add 1 more, McG is **** & it's about time we got the new goalie in, the one that's unproven & we know nothing about except what we've been told & seen on YouTube, or else we'll be relegated! Thanks Tony Harper!
Perfectly summed up the game could have gone either way, Diame today did nothing for me and in a close encounter like that both of your forwards have got to be on top form. Both defences were on top for most of the match and I would have liked our wingers to get to the by line more often. When you go to third in the league its never going to be easy and you are going to be put under a lot of pressure but we limited them today to very few chances and a draw was deserved which would have been a very good result, how ever it was not to be and it as brought them right back into it. Our next five away fixtures are very difficult starting next week we need a win at Blackburn and then its our game in hand at home to Brighton were we need to create a gap on some of the others again. All teams lose we have just been on a great run the important thing now is to respond in a positive way and show others why we are top of the league.
What is it with modern day goalkeepers , parrying instead of keeping hold of it ? I realise on occassion it's not always possible, but really... it seems like keeping hold of the ball and smothering it is the last thing on their mind.
As someone who was actually at the match, this thread is ****ing hilarious. It was a tight game, it could've gone either way, as said before had Abel scored we likely would've won. We were not **** at all.
The balls move in the air so much more these days that they are told safety first though if you listen to commentators you would think they should try and catch everything, it looks a lot easier than it actually is watching.
You're not allowed to say you went, it upsets some people who's opinion is a lot more relevant than yours who don't go. Actually seeing it is immaterial. Come on quill you know this
I agree with all this, also In the first half, and probably the City contingency being at the other end didn't see it clearly, I was closer to the goal we were attacking in the first half, Snodgrass should have scored from the chance he had, but he hit it straight at the keeper.
