Want to get a bit of debate up about the players coming in, and how well/bad they did. I'm talking about Mark Gower, Luke Moore, Stephen Dobbie, Garry Monk, Nathan Dyer. I was really impressed with Mark Gower yesterday, so much energy, he was clearly trying to make a point, shame he can't do that all the time. Luke Moore was fairly impressive. I think because now theres no pressure on him. It's always been said that most of us think he has got some talent, just his work rate. Yesterday, he held the ball up fairly well, and got others invovled...I don't think he ever looked like a dangerous attacking threat, but played well for the team. Still prefer Graham in the team. It was nice to have a bit of freshness there. Stephen Dobbie is very creative and attacking, was trying to shoot from outside. He looked to me as if the only other game he has started this season was the first one, and the rest of the time he was on the bench. Good to see him on the field. Monk was solid as usual. He really is a tidy player, who is good for our sqaud. I do think Caulker and Williams are the better partnership, but Monk is fantastic coming back in. Dyer, put in a great shift. Looked dangerous and fast, great at defense, as was sinclair. Well done to Dyer, trying to get over a small dip in form. Really proud of the lads yesterday, well done to all.
Gower did look good and it was definitely one of his better performances in a Swansea shirt from what I saw. Whether he can put that level of performance in twice in 48 hours remains to be seen I think though, and that's no sleight on him. Tough fixture schedules don't help, and he's no spring chicken. Luke Moore played really well I thought, but I thought the link up play looked better because Dobbie was getting forward so much. If you've got a player sitting behind you, controlling the ball and playing a give and go becomes a lot easier! I think Graham would've looked as good yesterday but a rest isn't that bad an idea given Graham's work rate. Agreed on Monk as well. Tidy player who shows how far knowing the game in your head can get you. No pace any more, but up against one of the fastest attacking teams in the Premiership and aside from a deflection the defence wasn't breached. Incredible effort, but I'd still expect Caulker to come back in. Dyer looked good but he's still got to take people on more and look to get around the back more. Granted, it seems like a fruitless exercise a lot of the time, but by going wide he'll drag people out of position and create space for others.
I still don't know about Dobbie. For me, I don't know yet whether we gain more in attack by playing him than we lose in defence. Ideally, we need a player like Stephen Dobbie, but better?
great courage by Brendan to make several changes and it worked a treat, we need to make changes more often to keep our players on their toes. A much improved performance all around......
Dobbie will get better but he is rusty and he needs games. Yes he looked off the pace at times and he did lose the ball in a couple of promising situations but that was to be expected. You don't come on after months on the bench and start pulling up trees! What was obvious is that his presence changed the dynamics of the team as an attacking unit. He is always a threat in and around the box and, apart from his scoring threat, he is well capable of spotting a killer pass to play someone else in. His presence in the final third, which is where he mostly plays, divides the defenders' attention and creates space for others to run into. Dare I say it, I think we might have won yesterday had a match fit Dobbie hit his best form. Now I'm not saying that he's the answer to all our problems (his lack of work rate precludes this) but he can certainly give us a different dimension when he plays. We just need him to be game sharp and the only way he can be that, is for Buck to play him more regularly. Without going overboard, I think he has a lot to offer this team.
I'd agree with that but I'd still say a fully fit Dobbie will lose the ball a lot at this level. In the second half of last season it was happening a lot, but you can cover it a bit more easily in the Championship, and we had Borini running riot for a while too. While I'd say Dobbie was Swansea's most important player for the last month or two last season, I'm really not convinced he's the answer. Like I say, we need a player like Dobbie, who turns to face goal every time he gets the ball, but that player needs to be a lot, lot more industrious otherwise we risk sacrificing our possession which is, let's face it, fairly essential.
I think Gower did pretty well, Luke Moore looked better than normal back in his favoured position, Joey Allen was much brighter (did anyone see that outrageous bit of control with the outside of his foot!), but for me, Dyer and Taylor returning to the team made the biggest difference. Garry Monk had an awesome game up against Adebayor. I haven't checked the stats, but I am pretty sure Monk won 75% or more of aerial challenges with Adebayor. If he had any pace left him, he would be a top centre back. I think the formation helped our tempo going forward, and surprisingly made us a little more hard working in defense than normal. It put extra defensive responsibility on the wingers and they didn't dissapoint. The way Scott Sinclair got back to cover the runs of Kyle Walker made a big difference, and it is definitely the dirtiest I have seen Sinclairs shirt after 45 minutes. Dobbie did I expected, not a lot, but I think the change in shape reminded us of the way we were playing at the end of last year, and played very well because of it. He had one or two very neat touches, but fell over the ball more than once, hit two very tame shots, and rarely offered an option to link up play. Both full backs were looking for forward passes in to the centre of midfield, and both full backs became frustrated with the lack of options offered by Dobbie. Jazz did ok, but did get cut up twice for the goal, and even though he got beaten a couple of times, Rangel was instrumental in the build up to the goal, and I'll be so much happier when we have Rangel and Taylor starting.
Only saw the highlights but I'd like to hear if you think Britton should be left out to maintain the attacking impetus? Didn't seem to do us any harm
Yes, yes we do. How many shots on target did we have yesterday? 8. That's probably more than we had against Everton, Newcastle a QPR combined. Tottenham are the in form team, and in Gareth Bale have one of the best players in the Premier league. We kept them quiet, and deserved the three points. Had we had the same liune up as we had against QPR, we would have lost 3 or 4-0, there's no doubting it. So, I say stick with this line up but Graham up front.
Dobbie did lose the ball quite a few times yesterday, as did as did alot of our attacking players. He deserves a run in the team, and should command a place more than Moore IMO. Dobbie worked hard yesterday, maybe not as much as Graham, but, as Ivor said, hows he meant to be match sharp if he,s not being played? If we are going to be an attacking side, Gower or Britton have got to be dropped, they are very similar players, to have both in the same team is a waste of a player. I thought Rangel changed the game yesterday, it seems when him and Dyer play on the right hand side, not many teams can live with it. Monk did his job, nothing more, and I thank god Ashley Williams is in the form of his career to be able to make up for his lack of pace and ability to be a premiership CB. Caulker has got to partner AW to keep up our great home record. I would rather Lita to play the Target man role than Moore.
The performance yesterday was simply down to our manager removing the shackles of the negative Sousa style, and not down to any individual player, when you allow your players the freedom to express themselves in their correct given position, then that's the sort of performance that results, we know all our boys can play the game well, as it's meant to be played, and yesterday was a good example. I'm not going to pick holes in any of our players yesterday, as the way I see it, they all played fantastic, because they were simply given the licence to thrill by Rodgers, and I hope that the negative Sousa style is left out, for the rare occasions it's needed. Gower was excellent yesterday as was Jazz, and Dobbie, they all could come under scrutiny, but there are mitigating circumstances with all three. I would like to balance up however some of the unfair criticism of Dobbie, I wonder how many of you lot, would be able to put in a 100% shift if you had been left on the bench all season? I suggest you cut Dobbie some slack as he is the foremost of our players that threatens the back of the net, and if Rodgers gives him a run of games to hit some form, and he communicates better with Sinclair, then you'll see plenty of goals. Finally I'd like to correct the misconception, that we play negative when Britton is in the side, that's just fantasy, Britton is not the reason for our negative play, and neither is any other player, it's simply the result of Rodgers instructions, and nothing else, even Leon likes to get forward, just that he's predominantly been used to protect our back four, and carry and fetch from them too, if Briton had played yesterday, the same game would have been seen! Well done Rodgers for making the right call, please remember it......................... please log in to view this image
Allen and Agustien behind Dobbie ... That's our best midfield. Say what you like, I doubt that BR suddenly said to the players "forget what I've been telling you the last month just go balls out going forward.". The way we played yesterday is down to the players on the field. Rangel makes a huge difference offensively - Jazz is probably stronger defensively and does have more pace, he can't match Rangel going forward, yet.
Rangel makes a huge difference offensively - Jazz is probably stronger defensively and does have more pace, he can't match Rangel going forward, yet.[/QUOTE] Like that you ended with the word 'yet' Yankee. Jazz has been thrown in at the deep end and has performed magnificently - like you I think he will continue to grow into the team and get better and better. He will also soon become a regular for Wales.
Jazz was great . If not for his yellow card & in your face attitude after that yellow card , plus needing more offense , Buck might have left him in the 2nd half . Thought Gower's nice pass to Dyer & Dyer's left footer that tested the keeper set a tone . Ashley Williams was a man on a mission of perfection . Monk was .... Monk , another job well done . I think Monk might have been a part of Williams's willingness to go forward knowing his Buddy was there for him . Moore was great , never seen a guy fall down so much after good plays Lol ! Dobbie has the quality fundamentals , just rusty . Allen was a big part of our success IMO . Besides just playing great , I noticed Allen picked Modric's pocket a few times & Modric was following Allen around , angrily , trying to get revenge & was taken completely out of the game . Gower played well , passed well & tackled well BUT , when one of the outside defenders gets caught up field & Gower has to jump in for him , Mark is SLOW !! Would prefer if Gower only plays with Britton myself . Cheers !!
when someone with the skills, speed and quality of bale gets shut out and resorts to diving then our boys have shown they can move thier game up to a new level. what a roller coaster season its turning out to be 2012 BRING IT ON !!
Having that creative player in the hole changes the approach of the opposition midfield completely. Despite the fact Dobbie played poorly and can do far better we still looked a better side with him there than without IMO. It can't be completely coincidental that the game he plays we look far more potent as an attacking unit than in the majority of our recent games, and even though he played crap he was still a whisker away from setting up a goal. As others have said, what we really need is someone like Dobbie to play in the Dobbie role, but better. Brendan sounds like he's identified that anyway as he's come out and stated we're after 2 attacking midfielders of quality so fingers crossed we land the right players.
