NOT ONE TEAM PLAYING WELL IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP AT THE MOMENT Squeaky bum from top to bottom at the mo .......Even in Hull
exactly my thoughts hampshire, were going to need to after the last few games. see how we get on against wednesday hey, which for the first time this season im not confident about
never got playing today, whitts absent again, no leadership at the back without hudson and leicester kicked us off the park. they had chances where they could have scored, so 1-1 isnt the worst result in the world. we do seem to be lethargic and lacking confidence in recent weeks, and possibly its because whittingham isnt pulling the strings like we know he can? i know its harsh to pin the blame on one player but he's class and we need him to get back to top form.
We are playing with one player in central midfield. Witts has to be dropped or we change to 3 in midfield. Can't continue to carry him in a 2 man midfield we get out played. Leicester really should have beaten us. Make shift cb pairing all second half, witts following the ball around midfield like he was ****ing refing the game not playing in it. We were there for the taking, it's a great point because we were terrible. Leicester weren't much better bar a 20 minute second half spell. We continued to cough up easy set pieces and you could just see the goal coming from one. We've got to get near to FC he spent most of the game without another one of our players within 20 yards. Why didnt we give Noone ago against their double yellow carded right hand side? Their left back was the best player on the pitch and he had Noone in his pocket, don't think Conway would have troubled him but at least Noone might have been able to make some impact playing on our left. Can't believe I'm about to write this but I think we have to start Rudy against the wendies. do you think Kimbo has shagged MM's mrs because I can't see any other reason he can't get a sniff of the first team despite doing nothing but play well!
The Leicester fans who came down must be sick to not get 3 points. Half our team did not turn up tonight, Whitts gets worst every game just standing on the park without any movement, too lazy to run even a few yards. You can see the pressure he puts on Gunnar.
Still...we are 4 points up with a game in hand. We are right on the 2 point per game mark. The next two matches are important for us. 6 points would have us all feeling a lot better I think. Agreed that Whitts should have a day off and Kim get a start. Also need a couple of lads to stand up and be more vocal. Hudson really stands out as the only leader we have.
Surely its' time to pick a 5 man midfield.....Mutch & Kim coming in, Whitts slightly advanced & Bellers left & Noone or Smith right.....to think of the stick Dave Jones used to get for sticking to 4-4-2???
Totally agree with Wiffletree above. Conway was once again poor and cannot beat his man. Whitts is badly out of position, further forward and he will score for us. Leicester were by far the superior team and they must be gutted they did not get all 3 points. Malky needs to use the squad now, for me i would have Joe in from the start, every time he plays he causes the opposition defences problems, Rudy played well when he came on. The one bright moment which fills me with confidence, Mcnuggs did really well in the second half. Young Nugent is totally out of his depth Rant over.
agree totally, with a change in the centre of the park, drop one of gunnar and whitts and let them recharge their batteries....... conway worked hard and did once skin their full back and put a delivery in, but i'd like to see kim get a chance.......
I don't agree that Nugent is out of his depth. With Hudson by his side we were rarely troubled first half and while Connolly defended well and actually tried to bring the ball forward second half he is not the commanding presence Nugent needs by his side at his stage of career. Remember he was up against 2 very good forwards, 1 a regular scorer and the other an old head who knows all the tricks in the book. Our Nugent was hardly beaten in the air and stood his ground when the ball was at feet. The only criticism I have is of his distribution which was poor second half with no Hudson by his side to give him composure. I am pleased McNuggs came on and did well. Dyer was their most dangerous forward player but he caused fewer problems second half with Kev marking him. It is a pity their goal ultimately came as a result of a corner Kev conceded however he was under pressure from Dyer and he could not rsik trying to control a fast moving ball at knee height. Their left back was excellent, Schlupp I think. I believe Man U tied to nick him off Leicester last week after a couple of week's trial but got turned down. As for changes for Saturday I doubt Hudson will be fit (at least he will have 2 weeks to get fit before the Peterboro game). What was wrong with Turner last night? We will need him on Saturday for a big, physical Wendies team. I agree more support is needed in midfield where we get over run every game. MM is unlikely to drop Whitts or Gunnar so I would bring in Kimbo and go to 4 3 3 with Bellamy and either Noone (if fit as he was limping around the pitch after the game) or Conway either side of Campbell. I hear what you all say about Mason but who are you going to drop to bring him in? He is not a wide player so unliekly to replace Noone/Conway.
its short sighted to say nugent was out of his depth. the midfield was poor and neither centre mids wanted the ball and didnt offer the defence options - so i blame the people who dont want the ball rather than the person who gives it away due to a lack of any options, on this occasion.
Exactly the way I saw it too. He handled Woods pretty well considering he's one of the more difficult opponents in this league. We are getting over run in midfield. Every team that comes to the CCS will watch the video of the last. See our midfield failings, target it, get the same success. It's no coincidence Leicester turned up with an identical game plan to Derby just with better players. To drop Gunnar in front of Witts would be shocking imo, make Witts earn his place back and give Kimbo a chance in the immediate. If Bellers is on the pitch the loss of Witts set piece delivery is pretty much negated.
But why are we having to play like this! Why didn't Malky bring someone in in January, or get a loan player now. We really struggle at the back when Hudson isn't playing. Also agree on Whitts, if he isn't good enough, take him off. All of the teams we have played since Christmas seem to have figured us out, all stop us scoring with an eleven man defence, and then catch us out on the break. Malky has to change his game plan, change the formation he has been using, and take players off if they aren't playing their best. I'm starting to wonder if the "IL Watfordano" supporters are right about Malky running out of steam towards the end of the season, and whether he is the right man to to take charge in the top flight. If we go up.
That's the issue though, a 5year old could figure us out. We are weak physically in the most important part of the pitch. I'd like to see us play 4-3-3 at home. Kimbo, Gunnar and Cowie/Witts as the 3 with Bellers, FC and one of Noone/Mason/Smith up front. Witts could also play as one of the front 3 instead of Noone/Mason but you do run the risk of getting a bit narrow then. If Kev can play like he did in his 2nd half cameo then we've got 2 Fb's again who can step up into the space a slightly narrower formation would provide. It turns into 4-5-1 if under the cosh but can be a very fluid formation with the legs in the middle. At the very worst it would mean when Blackburn turn up they cant just crowd the middle of the pitch and stop us as an attacking force completely! If the next time I walk into that stadium I see a midfield 4 of Cowie, Witts, Gunnar + 1, I'll be devastated.
So apart from all this is everyone happy? First thing Malky did when he arrived was give even the accadamy lads a chance, we are all in this together as a squad approach. Now forgive me if I am wrong but certain players through no fault of their own are not being given a fair chance while others are glued into the starting 11. We had a number of players on the bench better than out on the pitch, they cannot be happy. Macnaughton has near been destroyed this season the way he has been treated. As for Mason...he must have turned up late for training 6 months ago so Malky is teaching him a lesson. And on we go...going through the riot act to no avail. This is what we got this is what we are getting so this is what we will have to put up with. It is unbelievable given our position that Malky is slowly losing the fans and becoming more and more withdrawn. We all know from the position he was in that failure now will get him the sack so that pressure will affect him at some point. Who would think looking at this thread we were top and 4 points clear with a game in hand and the other teams only have 9 games to catch us? Chasing the teams above us in previous seasons looks like a dawdle compared to this situation. jck
