The thing about yesterday I noticed a lot is the fact that we have no plan B when things are not going well. For everything Stoke are they have tried a bit harder this year to play football in a more pleasing fasion by signing Charlie Adam and Owen. It hasnt worked for them and they looked like they were in trouble so TP switched back to plan B and it gets them results as proved in the last 2 matches. We do not have a plan B, this is why we look so devoid of ideas and quality. Hughtons only plan is to give the ball to snodgrass and have him cross the ball for Holt and Kamara. Snodgrass had a bad game yesterday, the first in ages and thats why we had no shots on target. Basically if Snodgrass has a bad game we have no other way to score. If we stay up this year there has to be large investment in the team and if its still the same at xmas we need to be thinking about a new manager as if you were to take our 2 unlikely victories against Man U and Arsenal at home away we would be deep in the ****.
The line up was baffling for me. Kamara is completely ineffectual when deployed as a winger and I find it bizarre that he was picked ahead of two fit wingers who were sat on the bench (Pilkington and Bennett). I understand that Pilkington is just returning from fitness so it is partially understandable (though I'm not sure giving him 5 minutes at the end of a match is going to do much to improve this). Bennett has played well recently. Against both Reading and Swansea he has been able to use his pace to get to the byline and get balls into the box. For too long we have seen crosses coming in from far too deep. The problem here is that when this happens we rarely have more than two players in the box at one time (often not even Holt is there because he has pulled out wide) and the distance from which we are crossing means the crosses have to be perfectly precise which, understandably, they never are. I'm also not sure why he decided to start Howson in place of Hoolahan. In all the games we have played well this season (I know it seems a long time ago now), Hoolahan has been prominent in this as he is the one player we have who is able to find the gaps in between the midfield and defence and use this space to play in others.
So where should he play? - he was not a striker in the MLS, he was a wide left midfield player and to my mind that is where he should be playing for us, not over on the right or as a lone striker. Maybe with 2 up front because he can be a handful for defenders but never on his own.
I agree, I think he should play up front with one other. That is when has, by far, looked most threatening.
it doesn't matter how many plans you have, if the players on the pitch do not have the basic ability to make a pass, then you have no chance. they were like desperate headless chickens for most of the match. no thought was given to what they were doing, just get ball, boot it upfield, hope. in the second half, one incident involving Bunn. ball played back to him, under no pressure, booted it so far upfield it went straight through to Begovitch, 20 yards past out forwards. Ruddy must come back in, at least he tries to distribute to our players.
Gotta agree with Danary. To be fair to Kamara, after his lively stint vs Reading it would be harsh to drop him, but why you would play him at RM ahead of Elliott Bennett who is even less deserving of being dropped is beyond me.
I can understand playing 4-2-3-1 away to Stoke's 5-man midfield. I think considering KK a winger when he plays wide can be misleading. To me, it's more like the cutting in style that Huckerby played, and he managed that well at times. I liked the deft take and lay off he made in the penalty area to create an opportunity for Howson (I think it was), but unfortunately he blasted over. I thought KK put in a good shift all in all. CH did vary it after the goal by going 4-4-2 with Howson on the left, then bringing Hoolahan and Bennett to try and create more from a 4-4-2, but sadly it didn't work. Snodgrass was the biggest disappointment yesterday, but at least that's the first time I've had to say that. A good reaction at home against Villa will hopefully make up for it.
If Sunderland do us a favour tomorrow night, even a draw, and it will be a single game against Villa. Surely, even will realise he has nothing to lose by going for it against them. Win and we are safe mathematically. What other incentive does he need? Tactics are simple really. Score one more against a team who are so open at the back, they invite you to score against them. Keep Bradley back to cover the breaks, they do have three talented front men, and put positive minded players in the rest of the positions and tell them not to take a backward step.
I agree Redruth. Even at Stoke, I had hoped CH would keep the same formation (he used it at Arsenal!). It might not have worked, but it could have been worth a try. At home, I hope he does and it does the trick against Villa. At least he tried to change it by going to 4-4-2 for the last half hour against Stoke.
