At Palace, we weren't unlucky. We weren't set up to win the game, just to cause them problems and frustrate them. Despite the 2 goal start we had, we paid the price - our strengths were left on the bench. I suggested on a post-Palace thread that a manager should always respect the opposition, but should respect his own players more. Yesterday proved it. Malky got it dead right, albeit against an appallingly bad Blackpool performance that he couldn't have anticipated before the event. As good as Smithy's been, I'd have played Mason to start at home for this one. As it was, I got my preferred "front four" after 20 minutes through Smithy's unfortunate injury, and what a performance they put on. With Whitts and Gunnar patrolling the middle, never mind the 4-4-2, we even got a sort of 4-2-4 going on times. More of the same against Brum please Malky. Having said that, all due respect to those "front 4", but with the other 7 out there, who needs forwards? Just McNuggs, Taylor and Marshy to get on the score sheet now.
well, for once i was right, i dont see the point obsessing about the opposition all the time when we have the best front line and wings in the league, by some distance. blackpool are at this level a very good side but individually we are much better than them. make them worry about us, attack the opposition, and thats what we did yesterday with devasting effect. its not about 4-4-2 or 4-5-1 its about players given the license to get forwards. its a bit like having messi and ronaldo up front and leaving one of them out because you'd be 'too open'.
Swampy - agree about our wide men Noone and Bellers - wouldn't swap any others in the Championship for them, but up front I'd take Charlie Austin from Burnley as an option for Heidi now that Maynard is out for the season. I like Helguson's attitude and commitment but don't see many goals in him. An out and out goal scoring centre forward (how old fashioned is that!) would be the icing on the cake. I still think we're light in the wingback department - if McNuggs or Taylor get crocked, Malky would need to play someone out of position. Gunnar could do it but I prefer him to stay where he is in the middle with Whitts.
I agree with this - what's been done to Connolly when he's been pulled out wide gives me nightmares. We need cover. As for attacking: always a good thing to do when you have the best forward line in the division. Why be negative? I half expected Cowie to be brought on at half-time, but it didn't happen till later.
I fancy Marshall to get on the scoresheet before McNuggs Sparkey! On the 424, we ended up in that formation with DJ at the helm at times, we just took too long to get back to 442 when we lost the ball. We sound fluid this season without becoming disfunctional. As you say Sparkey, more of the same on Tuesday. It will be interesting to see how much game time Bellamy gets in the next two game. Given there is a break after the Ipswich game will MM risk 180 mins, start him and sub him or bring him off the bench. The beauty this season is we can plug the gap far better than 2 years ago.
Remote - frankly I'm more worried about the Ipswich game than Brum. I think we'll have too much for Brum at the CCS though I can't see them being as poor on the night as Blackpool. Going away to Portman Road is a completely different story. We've never seemed comfortable with that fixture and Jewell must turn their current form around shortly or he'll be gone. In fact, from what I've seen and read, I don't think they've been as bad as their results suggest. If we get a point across there we'll have done OK - I just hope Malky doesn't play for it from the start.
If we have learned the lessons from the Palace game we should have too much for Ipswich. This is a good time for us to improve our record against them. As long as we score first I think we will take all three points.
Statistics and form always make me nervous. A winning / losing run always comes to an end. Just hope Ipswich don't start a winning streak against us. Hopefully MM has learned his lesson against Palace. Set out to win exploiting opposition weaknesses utilising the best formation to do that. With our attacking flair this year we could drop more points against teams that try to stop us playing than those that set out to beat us (ironic given that's what we were talking about with us against Palace). The creativity of Whitts and Bellamy and the directness of Noone, Smith and others should see us right in most instaces though. The thing that you're forgetting though Sparkey is our secret weapon. With Ipswich playing in blue we'll need to wear our lucky red kit (not the black on please). We've not lost in red this season.
I think red suits us. We've been it for a long time off the pitch, now let's just be in it on the pitch.
Just hope it's not that we've been in the **** for a long time and that we are going to be **** on the pitch. A win and a draw from the next 2 sees us on the magic 2 points a game after 10. It would be nice to be in credit towards the next 10 though. I'm getting greedy now.
