When the half-time think tank got together behind the Loft, we were all pretty unanimous that we had just watched one of the most inept performances that we could remember seeing in a long, long time. Dinosaur Redknapp began things with yet another totally inept team selection. 4-4-2, against a side that were always going to play 4-5-1 and hit us on the break? Inept!! Play 4 central midfield players with no holding midfielder? Inept! Play 4-4-2 with no wide players except the fullbacks? Inept!! Play two of our slowest players in the wide midfield positions in a 4-4-2? Inept! Redknapp is out of touch with the modern game and I can't believe that Hoddle signed off on our starting line up!! Henry should have started, with Sandro injured. With Fer and Barton alongside each other in the old fashioned 4-4-2 that I used to play in in the 80s, Fer was totally wasted, collecting the ball around the halfway line. He certainly didn't help matters by being totally disinterested in the first half. Isla is as much a right back as I am and we sold Simpson!! Marvellous! Redknapp will relegate us imo. Green - 6 - Could have come for the cross leading to the first goal. Isla - 3 - Terrible, simply bloody terrible. A good wing back imo, but never a right back in any shape or form. I don't think he has a defensive bone in his body. Tried a ridiculous back heel just outside the area to lose possession leading up to the 2nd Stoke goal. Didn't get forward that much either, considering that we needed the fullbacks to give us the width. We must play Ned at RB as he will be so much more reliable when defending and is just as quick or quicker. Ferdinand - 5 - Lost Crouch for the second goal, which is becoming too regular a feature. Definitely fouled by Crouch before the first goal, so no fault there. A couple of excellent defensive headers. Caulker - 7 - A towering header to equalise, but doesn't seem as commanding in his own box. Traore - 5 - Started like he was in a coma. Improved as the game went on. Please give Yun a go Mr dinosaur! Barton - 6 - Was the only one in midfield in the first half who seemed to have any energy. We missed him went he went off. But he obviously shouldn't have started! Fer - 5 - Looked totally disinterested in the first half. Improved in the 2nd once Henry was sat in behind him (there's a surprise!!). Mutch - 5 - Another who improved once he was able to play in his preferred position in the centre. Kranjcar - 8 - Our best player on the day. Always looked threatening when cutting in from the left and scored a magnificent free kick to grab a point. Some excellent passing and looks a lot fitter. Austin - 5 - Mmm................the jury is still out, but to be fair, he had very little service. Vargas - 6 - Made some good runs and looked lively, although he was a little lightweight against their giant defenders. Subs: Phillips - 6 - Did a little better than of late and put in a couple of decent crosses. Terrible first touch at times. Henry - 7 - Sealed up the space in front of the back four and did just about everything right. Should have started in front of the back four. Oh BZ - 5 - Made little impact. We improved in the 2nd half and at least showed some spirit to come back from behind twice. Stoke could have been out of sight before Kranky's late equaliser though! If he wanted two forwards, Harry should have at least played Henry in the centre with Barton. He would have had to leave Fer out though. If he had done this, Fer could have played: ------------------------Green------------------------ Isla--------------Rio----------Caulker-----------Traore ----------------Barton--------Henry------------------ Hoilett------------------Fer------------------Kranjcar ---------------------Austin--------------------------- Thoughts?
Thanks Col. I still have no idea what our formation was meant to be in the first half. I don't think any of the players knew either! Alas, that didn't manage to fool Stoke though.
Good write up and agree with most of it, especially Henry starting ahead of the two crocks. Spot on RE Kranjcar, Austin and pretty much everyone. Apart from Ferdinand! I don't know how you can give him five mate. He was woeful. And I wouldn't say "no fault there" for the first goal either. Yes Crouch climbed but a better defender wouldn't have allowed himself get into that position in the first place. It reminds me of Green two seasons ago when he was pushed and dropped the ball and let in a goal. Not strictly legal but definitely not faultless himself either. If Dunne had've put in that performance yesterday he'd have been called a carthorse and a Donkey and all sorts of things (not just by you mate but by everyone!) He's still living off his England days with some folk subconsciously IMO . I realise now that I've probably been doing the same a small bit with Dunne because he was a cracking center-half for Ireland.
Hopefully 'The Redknapposaurus Ineptodocus' will be extinct from our club soon. He got everything wrong yesterday with the starting line-up and the tactics. I noticed that neither he nor any of his no.2's showed any animation from the bench again yesterday. They just sit there and gawk when we're quite clearly struggling. Kranjcar's performance was the only real positive and the only one who showed any premiership class. I wished I could contribute something more constructive and positive but words and thoughts fail me for now. Cheers for the report though Col.
The frustrating thing for me is that I think we have the players and a team spirit to remain in this league. however, I am now convinced that Mr Dinosaur will relegate us. 4-4 ****ing 2 with no holding midfielder and no wingers? Henry should start every game that Sandro isn't fit for. Redknapp is every bit as clueless as Hughes ever was.
Was it a case of square pegs in round holes? The fact that it took two injuries for us to get a balanced team on the field is very damning towards Redknapp. Is he just trying to shoehorn his preferred players into the formation he has decided is best for the match? Both Ferdinand and Isla were signed with a 3-5-2 formation in mind, both are now struggling in a flat back 4. Neither Isla nor Traore are full backs, we were hopelessly exposed at the back especially when Caulker carried the ball forwards leaving Ferdinand on his own at the back. As Terry has already said, having the whole of our midfield 4 patrolling the same square 10 metres shows the folly of their selection, no width and no instruction and no balance. While admitting that I always watch Barton through my skunk eye, he very quickly undid all of his good work against Sunderland, where his passing was excellent, as he couldn't cough up possession fast enough yesterday. I was not upset when he had to be substituted, and the arrival of Phillips started to give us some balance. I'd agree that Phillips' first touch was atrocious for a professional player, but once in his stride he offered a threat that we've yet to see from Hoilett as he attacked his full back with menace - if, however, we played Hoilett on the right we may see the same from him. The fact that Henry looked so good shows how poor what went before him was. That is not a criticism of Henry at all, he did exactly what was required admirably, but also shows how poorly set up the team were before his arrival. Stan, Beth and I did discuss how pleased DT would be. Fer definitely improved as the need to attack grew. He seems to have an ability to barge through players with the ball which only emerges when we are pressing forwards. Both he and Mutch have a desire to get into out opponents box, which we have lacked for years. Vargas made a number of good runs into space as you said, I'm sure we will knock that out him before too long and he will be as static as the rest of our team. As for Charlie, hopefully he is carrying an injury, because, as Stan observed, he was not really jumping for any of the hopeful balls pumped forwards. I'm sure that the majority of his goals this season will come from headers, so this is a worry. Niko was magnificent. He showed his wonderful range of passing, vision and determination, how Crouch was awarded BT's man of the match is beyond me. Should he and Vargas strike up a solid understanding things could get very interesting, but at least we have someone who can avoid the first man from corners and offer a range of options from attacking free kicks. his performance in open play was equally impressive, he was clearly targeted by Stoke as the match went on, thankfully he made them pay for it. In summary, the best players don't necessarily make the best team. Sir Alf Ramsey left Greaves out of his England team in 1966 because he felt that the balance was better without him, we need to learn the same lesson.
Totally agree, apart from the Phillips being more of a threat than Hoilett comment. Never in a million years for me. As I said, If Mr Dinosaur wanted both Vargas and Austin to play, he needed to leave out either Fer or Barton and start with Henry. You're right when you say that Harry just puts players in to get his favourites into the 11 rather than playing the most balanced side. He will relegate us imo.
Hoilett's been played on the right many times and its been no different. I actually think he plays better on the left or best of all, through the middle. He'll never whip in any crosses like Phillips did yesterday. He could be out there all season but he won't cross as many as yesterday so you might as well forget that. He can't cross because he's not a real winger.
Good writeup Col, I agree with the majority of it. One of the most irritating aspects of yesterday for me, was that "heads up" football was totally non-existent. We threaten sporadically enough as it is; let alone when squandering chances for men to run into space, or opportunities to reciprocate a run with a pass. I'm mainly talking about down the wings. Isla wasn't that effective going forwards (like you say), but frequently he'd overlap/have open space in front of him, yet no one in possession would look up play him through. Maybe this was just as a result of having 3/4CM's- and so an unnatural insistence on going down the middle. This was particularly evident when Phillips came on. I've yet to see an opposition fullback consistently get the better of him when we're attacking, and his cross is simply the best we've had for ages. When losing we should just totally spam balls down that right hand side for him- because he's a fantastic outlet (obviously he wasn't able to evidence it in our bizarre Spurs/Utd performances). Our refusal to utilise our pace down the wings (Isla, Phillips, Traore, Hoillet) means our key goal scorer (Charlie) never gets his bread+butter service: crosses. Goals are hard for us to come by- so we should just go basic and work the ball to the wing for a cross, then instruct 3/4 players to time their run into the box with it. Charlie, Fer, Caulker are all great headers, and Mutch is box-to-box. Have the other winger on the opposing side loitering out wide, to mop up any overly deep crosses. The fullback on the opposing side can come more central to aid our CBs in repelling any quick counters. Keep refusing to reward people's runs with a pass (happened to Vargas a lot too), and they'll inevitably stop making those runs. Great comparison Swords, spot on. Ferdinand's been the captain of England, he shouldn't have allowed himself to be bullied like that. Crouch had him on toast all game. He should've backed into him...collapsed dramatically with a yelp, or ideally looked to see where Crouch was beforehand and positioned himself more intelligently so as to compete.
You and I will never agree on that will we mate? I'd have loved to have seen your face when Phillips came on ahead of Hoilett. I think that I'm just a little more old fashioned than you. My idea of a winger is someone who takes on his man, gets to the by-line and crosses, not one who cuts inside and shoots. Phillips does the former, Hoilett the latter, although I would willingly concede that Hoilett is general played on the wrong side of the pitch to cross effectively, but I find his reluctance to take on his man on the outside frustrating. The fact that Redknapp is of the same opinion is somewhat worrying though!
Good report, pretty much spot on. What worries me, as well as the clueless manager, is how little impact Hoddle seems to have had so far. For me Redknapp's done, it's just a matter of time.
It is. Try as I might, I cannot comprehend why Simpson was sold. It beggars belief. Even if he thought he'd stick with 3-5-2 (which he shouldn't because you have to be able to play a few formations) he'd still need cover for a player that was yet to even have pulled on the shirt. Getting rid of Redknapp now would be knee-jerk but himself and his halfwit coaches have to step up to the plate or they could be sent packing in a few weeks time.
Agreed. End of November for me. If it's gone seriously pear-shaped by then he has to go. Any new manager would have 6 games before the next window and Teflon Tone can then sell our souls to Beelzebub with my absolute blessing. Or something. Unless we've already done this. I might be losing track as we take over the universe. Us. Cheers Col, good stuff as always.
Hoddle's imprint is yet to be seen. I thought the way guys were waxing lyrical about him when he joined was a bit OTT and was probably based on his getting the England team to play some half-decent stuff 20 years ago. Its time we started seeing some of the fruits of his legendary coaching skills. Steve Black? Don't make me laugh
Thanks Col, Casnt disagree with much of that. At least we showed a bit of effort this time. Still unsure about Charlie TBh...looks a bit out of his depth ATM TBH its painfull, and i said id give HR 12 games, but Im slowly moving my stance towards those who want him gone. Far to many reasons but he'll have my backing until we hit 10-12 games. Just hoping the Hoddle influence kicks in soon
