The crosses today were as good as ever, I can't understand people saying otherwise. There was one from Elmo in injury time that pissed me right off cos it just couldn't have dropped any better, square in the middle of the box, everyone facing the goal, but no attacker was close to it, as was the story all game. Anyone know what happened when Ben Arfa got to the byline right near the goal in the first half? I'm at the other end but I couldn't work out how we didn't score there, or even get a shot off.
He's blown hot and cold so far but I think we'll see the best of him playing alongside someone else like Jela. Judge him in January.
Gotta say thought he did ok today, isolated most of the time he worked hard and linjed up pkay well at times, definitely needs jelly bacj alongside him
It doesn't matter who was up front. I don't think Costa would have got much from playing up front for us today.
I thought we got at them from wide, plenty of crosses, Elmohamody's were dangerous as always, but not enough players in the box. Sometimes none, or just Hernandez badly outnumbered. Southampton looked a very good side, very well organised and good on the ball. But we matched them.
Are you having a laugh? Quinn needs to go and his 'performance' today showed that. ****ing awful. As for Hernandez? I'm not convinced at all and wish we still had Long. Saying that Long was bobbins today. Utter ****e.
Quinn doesn't mind running at players through the middle. Ben Arfa has skills but to me he seems to drift out wide as frequently as possible. I think this is the biggest reason Hernandez is so isolated. If we could play Ben Arfa as an out and out striker (no defensive duties... ironic right Pardew?) then I think we'll fare much better in front of goal.
Seems like our fans are getting as bad as the Liverpool ones with Balotelli, scapegoating a player after just a few games when he is settling in, and our lad has even banged in some goals! Short memories our lot too as Hernandez stepped up to the plate with severe jetlag after Jellys warm-up injury, no wonder hes a bit knackered now
It isn't a case of scapegoating a player it's simply the fact that we have no depth up front and with Jelly injured poor Hernandez is out on a limb. He is not a lone striker and as the Sky commentator brought it to the attention of viewers "Hernandez is the only Hull City player in Southampton's half and he is surrounded by six Southampton players"! How the hell are we supposed to score under those circumstances? We have no 'end result' in our play because there is nobody up front. Hernandez needs two others alongside him to play to and to play off. We simply don't have them. Ben Arfa has one foot and does not fit into our team. Aluko belongs with North Ferriby imo or asleep with Sagbo on Wolves bench. We have done remarkably well under the circumstances (2 points from three top clubs) but the facts are that we have won 2 from 15 games. McShane was solid but was obviously 'ring rusty' and the injuries have stuffed up the momentum of our 'team play' which our midfield has shown some good signs with their first touch passing. It has, however, led nowhere because there is no strike force. I still feel that we have the players now to get it all together but I would like to see another striker brought in.
Hernandez was obviously isolated today, without Jelly he doesn't look like a £1m player, never mind a £10m player. We need to address our striking issues in January, you can't compete in the Premier League with only two out and out strikers and the players we have for the second striker role aren't really working.
Good team performance? What match where you watching? Their goal was a diabolical pass back followed by a diabolical clearance against a team that in my opinion are in a false league position. Their deluded fans seem to believe they are going to win the league, not a cat in hells chance, best they can hope for is 8th again
We need to change to a more conventional formation. We have an absolute sack full of excellent attacking talent but most of them are struggling to get game time and when they do they're stuck playing in a way they're not used to and doesn't really suit them, rendering them largely ineffective. We struggle to get forward in numbers with three at the back, Ben Affrey and Hernandez are stuck trying to make forward moves on their own, the wing backs are always behind the play giving the forward players no support or width. I don't see why we keep a squad full of attacking potential shackled. We have three very good centre halves but when one of those is injured, we're finding space for the likes of Bruce or McShane at the expense of someone like Brady, Aluko or Ramirez. We looked so much better when moving to 4-2-3-1 yesterday, it will be madness not to go with that against Burnley.
I think Bruce could do with some help when it comes to our attacking play and forward transfer targets.
he frustrates me for many of the reasons already listed, first touch poor and he came with a reputaiton of blistering pace but havent seen any evidence yet.. still 3 goals already, playing average, and against west ham he looked the real deal, so clinging on to the hope that he will settle in soon , clearly needs a strike partner up there with him tho to work off.
He just seems to have too many weaknesses to me, bit like Proschwitz. He can finish, head and take penalties but he never gets the space cos he's always 2 seconds behind everyone else, slow as a bastard which doesn't help and he doesn't have the hunger of someone like Jelavic or even the strength of Sagbo. I feel for Bruce a bit because he tried to drop him at Arsenal but had to make a last minute change due to Jelavic's injury, and he's got **** all other options. I was thinking yesterday I'd take him off but then who would you bring on from that bench? We'd have had no strikers on the pitch again. We were always gonna end up short trying to go half a season with only 2 centre forwards, especially as one was a gamble that we're hoping will settle. That said, I'd have kept Ince here, he'd have been my first sub yesterday.
Hernandez is getting used to the English game and while doing so has still scored three. Jelavic should be back by the end of November and if they're both up front together the goals will return. Hernandez has certainly done better than Balotelli!
5-4-1 was hardly conducive to scoring. Had we not made that early blunder the game had 0-0 written all over it.
