DM - Really sums up how I feel about today. I'd like to see the same starting 11 against Liverpool as we had against Spurs and as good as Hoolahan has been, he wouldn't be in my starting 11, as he often tries to beat one player too many for my liking. Why isn't Naughton playing, as I don't think RM is fast enough for RB; but he played brilliantly when he had to fill in at CB?? Totally agree re last summer's and the January signings and can't wait to see who will be joining us for next season.
Lambert does occasionally get it wrong tactically (Doncaster away last season springs to mind... He admitted it himself after that game).
Its not over reaction. its called disappointment. Everyone has their owm level of it. I used to sulk for a week if we lost and my son has inherited that. Now I am less likely to sulk but still get very disappointed with a poor performance. And today was poor. And it seems inexplicable that the team that played so marvellously against Spurs and for 73 minutes against Mancini City was altered again today and ended up second best. And the last half hour was a insult to all the fans who had travelled to Blackburn. To see that tactic employed smacked of desperation. But we move on to the Scousers and hope that sense will prevail. The right team and brand of football restored and we give them what for.
They owe it to the thousands who travel to watch them and the even greater numbers who worship them to give it their all.
For what it's worth I can say that Howson, Holt, Bennett and Pilkington (Ruddy too ofc) will be starting next game almost certainly. Johnson will most likely go in to fill the midfield but not sure who will partner Holt up front! Vaughan/Wilbs/Morrison all deserve a go and no saying Jackson couldn't do it either, but I don't think Vaughan will start next match. As for the defence, I think if Naughton is fit, he should play, really that simple. I don't think we'll beat Liverpool, but I hope for a great performance to quieten the discontent after today!
Way too far. Given the players we had on the pitch it was the best tactic we could use, and we looked much more likely to score than Blackburn. It didn't make for gripping watching but had we only been one behind we would all have been on the edge of our seats for the final 20 mins!
No offence, but there's a little bit of a contradiction in this- Naughton can't start AND the same 11 against Tottenham play. I personally think the team starting should be: Ruddy Martin Bennett (R) Ward Drury Bennett (E) Howson Johnson Pilkington Holt Vaughan Here's my reasoning: Lambert is deliberately not playing Naughton. I don't know why, there's quite a bit of speculation. I wonder whether it's clever- pushing down his value by making it look like he's been dropped- Fulham are apparently chasing him after all. More likely, though, is that Lambert doesn't see any point playing a right back who probably isn't playing next season and sees Martin as long term. I'm going to trust Lambert entirely here even though it doesn't completely add up. As for Vaughan- couple of reasons. Firstly, Wilbraham has been great recently, but best as an impact sub, not when starting and Morison/Jackson are not in great form (I thought Morison had a good run out today). More importantly, I though Vaughan looked great today- he was by no means perfect and obviously needed substituting, but considering he's played barely 90 mins since ?October he was great. His touch was better than Morison's/Wilbraham's, he seemed to link up well with Holt and he had the pace to cause problems. If it wasn't for a great defensive block, I'm pretty sure his shot in the first half would have gone in. His game today reminded me of Howson's first- a little over-eager perhaps, but the class is there for all to see. He is our best long-term prospect up front, if he can stay injury free, so I think we should be playing him as much as possible
As much as I think we played badly today and made Blackburn look above average - which was more than enough to beat us - this season has been nothing but a success. Next season will be see us improve again.
Well, that wasn't brilliant. How Surman stayed on the pitch and Holt and Vaughan went off, I do not know. Also, Ward went up front for the last 15 mins or so. If this was the plan, why not keep Holt on, and take off a midfielder/defender? Then we could have had 3 strikers up front, rather than a CB. That was what annoyed me the most today. the ref wasn't great either, but I don't think a better ref would have completely changed the game. Having said all that, at least we are staying up and we can move on and try and beat Liverpool.
But we weren't one behind, we were two. And the players on the pitch were decided by PL. And if PL thought that was going to be the best way why did he take Holt off? He brought Pilkington on to give us width both sides and then played the long ball. And I don't think we looked more likely to score. Robinson made one decent save all afternoon. And statistically they had more shots on target. They should have had a penalty and hit the post.
Lambert said after the game that he couldn't complain about the effort, but the performance wasn't there. If he is saying that, then can we all just agree that we didn't play well today and move on to the game I've been looking forward to for months now. We can stuff those scousers next week.
Just seen the highlights and I'm not making any excuses for the first goal as our defending was awful, but does anyone else think hoilett controlled the ball with his arm in the build up?
Yes they do, but it is easier said than done. None of the players turn up thinking they're going to take it easy, but that edge of fighting for your survival is now missing and it is a psycological thing that is difficult replace. You see it every year, teams at the bottom start picking up points at the end of the season when they realise time is running out. Teams at the top get better too when they get to squeaky bum time (we have done it in both the last two seasons). We are mid table with little to play for and so the extra edge is missing. Remember last time in the Prem? Up to the Man U game at home we were very poor. In the last quarter of the season we picked up several wins at home and actually gave ourselves a real chance going in to the last game that looked unlikely with 9 or 10 left. At the start of the season I am sre we would all have taken that greatfully. I'd much rather be in our position and taking defeats now we are safe than be in the bottom 5, playing well and finally picking up points but with a real posibility of relegation.
