So I've finally watched the reading game and I'm immediately struck with 1 question....How the hell did we not win that..? Granero's free kick (absolute quality); Tarbs 1 on 1 miss (gotta put them away); Mackies chance BZ chance...etc....? Im not gonna dig anyone out because i thought most of our players played ok. Ceasar did what he does but his distribution wasnt good. Back 4 are a shambles when i comes to defending, shape, marking or in fact anything they are paid to do...Only Nelson comes out with any credit...and maybe ....mmmm..no! Hoillett was ok. Few good runs but didnt really influence as we thought he would. Granero was usual class but its painfully obvious he's played in Spain with the best and he plays a possesion game. Lost the ball very rarely and involved in most of what went on. I wish he would back himself a bit more and attack the goal/shoot more often. He is obviously the best technical player we have (Note tarbs people i said "technical player" as opposed to skillfull) and has the ability to hit the ball. Think he should be played as ATM to link and support the front 1/2? How that free kick didnt go in is a mystery-great save! Tarbs.had a good game IMHO. Did simple things well and linked up defense -attack with usual skill. Few misplaced passes but all others did the same, cant hold that against him. Really looks to be maturing and improving; and i guess we must give MH credit for that ? The fact he missed that 1 on 1 goal shows he is not the finished article. Most good prem players would have put that in the back of the net without a second thought. In fact I'm struggling to think of a prem midfielder i would back to miss it! BUT...The way he created that space and chance was an absolute joy to watch. Brain was 3 steps ahead of those around him and the side step is the mark of a genius...just a shame about the end product..i'm hopefull & believe it will come. Diakite was good. he does worry me when he tries a Cryuff turn in the most exposed of places and better teams will pick up on that and make us pay for it. But having said that his passing, interceptions and tackling was good. he also loves to stride forward and inthe future could become the new Vierra ? Apart from that most of the others were in and out of the game. No-one made any real impact that i remember, and i only watched it 20 mins ago I cant understand how we can be over run or dominated by a team like reading with the players we have? something is obviously not right in the background Finally (sorry Col), I'm finding it hard to blame MH for this draw. He put out the players/team we all wanted (more or less) although the formation was wrong. But top players adapt to the oppo as the game progresses and thats what makes them top players. What i do know is: 1 defensively we need Samba / Dawson / A.N.Other ASAP 2. We need a clinical finisher. Someone who does f-all whole game then puts ball in the back of the net every other game...ALA Owen, Van the Man, shearer,Etc...... we are creating but are just not ruthless enough both through desire and ability! I suppose in retrospect a draw was a fair result considering the torrid time Roberts gave our back 4. Last note: I was and am a Gorkks lover & never knew why we sold him, but watching this game, our players ripped him apart. His goal aside he was run raged by our front line and was lucky to get away with a draw.....Having said that.still think he's as good as anything we have now ! Comments?
Hiya Queens...after a long sleep I am beginning to agree....but what you say make me more worried....The free headers in our box whenever Reading had a set piece or deep cross, was so worrying.. Our centre two did not win a ball in those circumstances...if we give a goal or two a match that way, then we need to score more. The front players are scared, lacking confidence, which only comes from scoring. Only Mackie was running, geeing up the crowd...everyone else was going through the motions The main thing I will blame Sparky for, is that even in the last 10 minutes, for our corners free kicks etc, he left three players back, and another two awaiting the rebound...at the other end of the pitch,Reading threw all but 1 forward. Sparky is so afraid of losing...he can't win..... all well and good when you are midtable away at Citeh..... but home to Reading!!!! Really can't see us coming through this now...please prove me wrong
Queens....I agree with most of that, especially that Taarabt should have scored. He would usually and sums things up a bit. He was absolutely gutted at missing it and I think that at least shows that his attitude is now spot on. He really looks as though he cares now....unlike some of 'em. You asked that you couldn't understand how we were over-run at times by a team like Reading and then said you "couldn't blame MH although the formation was wrong." Well......it was the formation, allowing us to be outnumbered in midfield and not playing Faurlin, that caused this. Whose fault is that? Beth.....I agree that some of them were simply going through the motions, in particular Bosingwa who doesn't look as though he gives a flying whatsit. However, although I agree that Mackie worked hard, I also thought the other forward on the pitch, the one who scored, Cisse also looked a threat. He had a couple of great shots (the one at the end was so close!) and also set up chances for Taarabt and Zamora. He also actually linked up the play quite well at times too. Must continue to start imo.
as you know mate i did not want mark to go. but for a must win a lot of the players looked like they could not be bothered and that can only be marks fault. he should be inspiring them and i dont think he is. i hate to say it but i think we are going down. letting in goals cant score and a team that seems to have lost the will to play
View from near: We can't defend, we can't score, our luck is lousy. We are a team that has forgotten how to win, and we are up to our necks in ****. Good Morning everyone!
That's a very good OP Queens. Pacey and punchy, unlike our first half performance. I agree with most of it but I also agree with Beths and cols comments. I noticed you made no mention of Mackie in your op ( I think?) and I'll tell you why. I like Mackie but not in the starting eleven. He is not as effective starting as he is coming off the bench after 65 mins. He ran around a lot but didn't create anything. In other words it might as well been SWP who everyone wanted to be dropped. Rightly so. So in saying that, this position the berth on the right is tactically wrong. ( Most of the time imo. ) Far better to let Hoillet use that channel and cut in as he can strike a ball very well with his left peg or feed an overlapping full back. As col said, if we had played an extra man in midfield ( Faurlin ) we would have had better players in the right areas of the pitch dominating the game. Granero in a more advanced position would be a better outlet than what we had. He would also be more dangerous with his passing ability to the front three of DC AT and JH. We were far too predictable with the 4 4 2 and we made it easier for Readings defence. With the extra man in midfield Reading wouldn't have been allowed to play so many balls into the channels which stretched our back four. This happened far too frequently and caused Bosingwa and Traore to become knackered prematurely. A basic tactic that Holloway used so effectively at Blackpool. No wonder they became so ineffective when they got forward. Hughes never seemed to notice this. That's probably why it continued throughout the game.
I agree with this Nines. Hughes is continually playing the wrong formations. Today was the closet he has come to picking our best team for me for a long while, but I'd have much preferred Ale for Mackie and Hill for Ferdinand in a 4 2 3 1, with Mackie to come on if it is not going right. Gives better support to our dodgy back 4, and should give us a better platform going forward, would allow Granero to move up and be a more of a force at the sharp end.
In slow mo on MOTD, I think Taarabt clipped the ground ever so slightly which took pace off the ball. It may be a reason but not really an excuse. Absolutely two points dropped rather than one gained. Despite moving off the bottom, I am now resigned to more of the same for the rest of the season. I always wanted to give the team and MH 10 games to succeed and now we are there but no success. Long, hard slog. I don't see us as definitetly relegated. We all said that about Wigan last year and they out together a neat run right at the end that saved them. We still have time to do just that and January may help at risk of introducing yet more players into the squad.
Good post but I don't know how you can't blame MH. They were disorganised and it's his job to organise them.
fair enough replies thast i cant disagree with...yes maybe MH was at fault for bad management but surely, as a player you dont want to lose? Players are inherantly winners, OCD driven, and desire the extreme, i find it hard to accept pro players that "go through the motions"!!, just doesnt fit the profile. I accept that MH started them / some in the wrong positions but the likes of Hoilett (most obvious) changed position during the gme. Not defending anyone, but apart from a bit of luck, we should have won. Defo cant blame MH for this one..IMHO (sorry CoL) What i will say is MH got the initial line up / pos wrong, but any decent player will adapt to that. ! Could you ever imagine Roy Keane letting an opposing player run past him because SAF said he was Centre Back......no way ever !! ..Top players do what they hve to and adapt.ALA Scholes, Rooney, Gerrard, Parker, all have smething else n common too!!
