Been prodding about to see if there was any news about McCormack, who seemed to tweak a groin or something in the last minutes on Saturday. Nothing. The only team news is that Cauley Woodrow is back in training and that Stearman is back .. as in available for selection, which surprised me since I thought he was on a 3 game ban for a straight red. Apparently not and he was disciplined for only 1. (?) What I did keep reading however, were reports that Slavi was happy with our defensive display, especially in the second half. I've since watched the replay and struggle to see where that comes from. Okay going to be prejudiced but just to pick out Richards as an example, what I saw was him spending an awful lot of the time ball watching or at best trailing behind the ball. And across the team I failed to see any consistent organisation or discipline. I can't help but feel Slavi is digging a bit of a hole for himself in relying on the same players but often out of position. And frankly I'm at a loss to even guess how he'll tinker for this one. Does he set us up negatively as at home against Boro? Burnley after all are an even bigger threat - only they have scored more goals than us this season; 54 to our 53 (and conceded half as many). Or will he, as he said, take on board the lessons from the Boro game? His answer on Saturday was to revert to 4-4-2. Note there was only the one team change - Richards for Burn - but an entirely different formation. Arguably the scoreline says it was an improvement . But there's equally no question (as said before) Cairney was wasted on the outside, McCormack spent most of his time deep and we got hammered on the wings. . I believe he ought to revert to 3-4-1-2: ........................Lonergan............... ...........Madl.........Burn.....Amorebieta.... ...Fredericks...Baird.....Parker.....Garbutt.... ..........................Cairney........... ..............Dembele.....McCormack.... However not holding my breath on that. Not least if there is no McCormack.
If you are right about McC, I'd put in Smith, but that's not going to happen, SJ will put in Tunnicliffe Think for Burnley I'd like to see ........................Lonergan............... ....Fredericks........Madl.........Burn.....Amorebieta....Garbutt.... ..................Baird.....Hyndman.............. ..........................Cairney.............. ..............Dembele.....Smith...... Work on a more defensive back 5 with quick balls up front to Smith with Dembele & Cairney playing off him, get their midfield running back towards of their own goal. Amorebieta to take corners, put Smith and Burn up in area to make it awkward to get proper clearance, Cairney, Hyndman Garbutt across edge of area, Dembele inside 6yard box, Fredericks, Baird and Madl defending. Win ugly, who cares, just win.
I too am at a loss about formations and playing people out of position. What I would say is that SJ finds a decent formation and wins, plays a similar formation and the players don't turn up. I'd rather lose to Burnley fighting than go out with a whimper. Not that we are going to lose, hopefully everyone will raise the intensity 3 levels and stick it to them. COYW.
Rookie time again, with Mr Dean Whitestone in the middle. please log in to view this image Consistent with all those trying to make their mark, Mr Whitestone has produced 96 yellow and 3 reds in his 31 games so far. Two of those reds were in the one game we've seen him, when he sent off two Sheffield United players very late on in our 3-0 Capital One Cup win over them - at the Cottage way back in August last year.
At this stage in the season we don't want to be playing well and loose , like it or not we are backs to the wall if necessary lets be under siege but take 3 points
Rosc, if they can't raise their game knowing that we're 5 points from relegation then they should all be sold at the end of the season.
Difficult when you play against 12 men; Mr Whitestone was woeful. And I don't mean on the penalty decision which from my seat, if I hadn't known it was Boyd with his reputation of going over, I'd have given. Blimey, that makes me sound like Pardew or van Gaal rolled into one. No what I mean about Mr Whitestone was the way he let Burnley (especially Barton) run the game for him. And they were so clever with their fouls in breaking up/stopping play when there was a threat. In many ways this was the difference in the teams; when we fouled they were either needless or given away in dangerous areas. But sticking with Mr Whitestone, I just wish I'd kept a count of the number he didn't give against them as opposed to the number of debatable ones he gave against us. That said I don't wan't to imply this was a stop start game of fouls. It wasn't. And we played some great stuff especially in the first half - if only we had taken our chances it could easily have been 4-1 at half time. You couldn't fault the commitment of the team tonight and they deserved better. But .. oh those defensive lapses/lack of discipline they are so making life very difficult. . I've noticed that the Club have short listed Dembele, McCormack and Tunnicliffe as MOTM. Hmmm .. I'd give Dembele some kudos for probably his best all round game, certainly in many a day, and the other two had their moments. Find it difficult to understand how any of them were thought to be better than either Garbutt or Parker though. My instinct gives it to Parker but since I'll probably never get another chance, tonight my MOTM was .. Luke Garbutt.
I certainly agree the Mr Whitestone and the linesman on the J Haynes side were the worst I've seen in a long while. They missed so much it impacted the game. Thought though we played well, gifted them the first goal and didn't get a clear view of what the penalty was about to comment. If we play like that on Saturday we will win comfortably - and boy do we need to win.
GJ was going nuts on the radio. Sean Davies called the ref a clown on numerous occasions. Barton got away with so much (very clever) and I was left thinking that we as a team are a little naive. Deserved more but thats the way it goes I'm afraid. They didn't have many chances in the first half apart for the goal and the off side and we should have taken our chances better. but I think that is harsh as it sounded like we played well for 90 minutes and got punished for a couple of lapses in concentration. The thing is it's these lapses that are costing us.
I've been advocating the type of tactic we saw for our 2nd goal for a long time, where the ball is laid back to a on rushing FB who crosses first time into the area. I saw it away at Hull when we played them, they've use it a lot. and even higher up the pitch, it is an alternative to passes through the middle nad makes defenses twist towards their own goal. I'd have to advocate that the contact by Cairney was accidental, it was more Barton tripping over an outstretched foot, much like an accidental handball.
