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Post by nicknacknoo on Mar 15, 2008 19:09:49 GMT
yeah yeah yeah its a point and we are top of the league and im as happy about that as the next person but there were 3 points there for the taking and our lack of impetus,life and spark cost us gaining an easy 3.fuller was petulant,cresswell knackered,bothroyd pedestrian,diao the same i just could nt see where we were gonna get a goal.i could nt see watford, scoring which was just as well, but we just did nt seem to want it enough.i refuse to believe we are a hoofball team cos ive seen us play some decent stuff but there was none on display today.the following was excellent and i even heard the "stokie aggro "chant which ive not heard for years.............fuck it we are top,but it was a pretty disheartening display!
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Post by surreystokie on Mar 15, 2008 19:42:42 GMT
Happy, if embarrassed, after that shocking display, to be top once more, with only seven games to go. We were dreadful. Early in the second half, we should have been on a high, to know that they had ten men, while we had three subs on, which should have meant three fit, raring to go players and a goal or two in prospect, in front of our own noisy supporters. And what did we get? A team who looked knackered, (as if it was us who had ten men!) bereft of ideas, a minimal attacking threat, - and no shots on goal! - little urgency and a talented individual up front who can out-shrug Thierry Henry. His body language is appalling and not good for the rest of the lads. To think that we would have lost but for Carlo suggests much work to be done, both in training next week and in the dressing room. The real worry is that it was the team with ten men who always had a man to spare and, and as we still have to play four of the bottom five, who will all be fighting to save their skins, it's time for taking the pills, methinks. And when will the air-heads who cheer when the opposition lose a man, realise that we rarely do well in this position? Come on lads. You can't do worse next week-end and the results all went for us today.  |
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Post by foals on Mar 15, 2008 19:46:28 GMT
how much do you reckon we missed lawrence?
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Post by lancer on Mar 15, 2008 19:51:21 GMT
We can-and do- play crap, but still not lose. I'll settle for that, although i would expect us to beat ten men. But football isn't like that.
WE are gathering points, and to be quite honest, at the moment that is all i care about. We DO play some awful football, but so do the other sides, we only see our own faults, and being self critical often blinds us to the quality or otherwise of the oppostion. Keep the faith, lads and lasses, promotion is the aim, and I don't care how we do it.
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Post by nicknacknoo on Mar 15, 2008 19:53:18 GMT
we missed lawrence big time,to me hes the only player who can beat a man.gallagher seemed to play without confidence,there was no penetration and nobody seemed to be on the same wavelength.aimless balls forward, terrible heading in defense thank fuck watford played like cavemen too!!just read your post lancer im with you but we should have won that game and would have if we d have pushed more there no over laps or fuck all which was criminal with the extra man!
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Post by n01stokie on Mar 15, 2008 20:11:59 GMT
how much do you reckon we missed lawrence? I---------------------------------------------------------------------I - this much? ;D |
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Post by Norfolkstokie in manchester on Mar 15, 2008 20:25:11 GMT
I can't really think of a single clear cut chance (apart from the penalty) for either side. But- Shawcross and Dicko were excellent
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Post by surreystokie on Mar 15, 2008 20:28:08 GMT
Personally, lancer, I am keeping the faith and hope that everyone will back the lads next saturday. It's as well to be realistic, however, but maybe the tide will soon turn, with regard to performances. And at least all of our suspensions will be completed, in time for the last five crucial matches.  |
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Post by davejohnno1 on Mar 15, 2008 20:34:22 GMT
Norfolk...Agree about Dicko...What the fuck was that substitution all about?
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Post by ruts66 on Mar 15, 2008 20:42:08 GMT
Monica, I salute your honesty at a time when anything remotely negative on here usually results in abuse.
It was a travesty that TP didn't go for the kill today after SJE's dismissal. If we lose out on an auto spot to Watford by the odd point he'll only have himself to blame...
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Post by davejohnno1 on Mar 15, 2008 20:44:36 GMT
We have said exactly the same thing on the way home Ruts.
A point we would all have taken before the game, but a massive opportunity missed by never even attempting to win the game at any point in the 90 minutes.
Despite going top, I feel desperately disappointed in our manager tonight!
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Post by chamberlain on Mar 15, 2008 21:15:51 GMT
norfolk there was also the chance in the first half for them ithink it might have been tommy smith that was brilliantly blocked by a combination of shawcross/nash
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Post by andylgr on Mar 15, 2008 21:23:31 GMT
Monica, I salute your honesty at a time when anything remotely negative on here usually results in abuse. It was a travesty that TP didn't go for the kill today after SJE's dismissal. If we lose out on an auto spot to Watford by the odd point he'll only have himself to blame... I agree that todays team was negative and that we should have gone for it a bit more, but it would be unfair to blame it on this one game if Watford pipped us, we can look back at other games, like the Preston defeat when we couldn't hit a barn door for instance or the Coventry home game when we gifted them 3 goals. Its easy to blame TP for not trying to kill them off today, but professional footballers should know that the best way to play a team with 10 men is to keep the ball and stretch the play, it didn't sound like we did that at all. Is that down to TP's tactics or the players not being on their game today? |
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Post by ruts66 on Mar 15, 2008 21:40:34 GMT
Andy, my belief is that if you set out a positive stall you get a positive response from your players.
That said, there were two or three very leggy players out there for us today, most notably Whelan. We desperately needed someone to put their foot on the ball today and boss the midfield.
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Post by ChesterStokie on Mar 15, 2008 21:47:15 GMT
Well for a starter Pulis sent out all the wrong signals with his team selection. When did we last play 5 at the back and why did he do that today? The cautious negative binary Pulis was back today and it gives me nightmares. The game was an absolute disgrace from start to finish. If football was always played like that we wouldn't bother with it would we? I certainly wouldn't. Yet again all the results went for us and we'll never get a better chance to take this league by the scruff of the neck and Pulis blew it. Shocking performance against 10 men. It might look a good result on paper but if you were there it was a shocker and a valuable 2 points dropped.  |
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Post by Cassius Clayhead on Mar 15, 2008 22:05:35 GMT
Tone,
Always plays "NOT TO LOSE"
Never- "GO OUT AND SHAFT THEM"
We now need to go for "Shit OR Bust"
1863- 2nd Oldest Club in the World.
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Post by apb1 on Mar 15, 2008 22:13:59 GMT
I don't think it's all Pulis's fault. We did kind of go to 442, he did bring Gally on, but our passing was woeful and we had NO shots second half
He should take some of the blame, but other than going 433 not sure what would have made the difference with Fuller out of sorts, Gallagher not as good as we hoped, Whelan not great either.
Watford played ok too - give them some credit.
We live to fight another day, but next match with no Fuller or Lawrence...let's hope Sidibe is fit as our silky football plan B still needs some work imho ;D
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Post by clactonpotter on Mar 15, 2008 22:20:43 GMT
Whilst one would hope that we could go for the jugular when an opponent goes down to 10 and claim 3 points,generally I think T.P. had the right strategy.
Watford were clearly going to be one of the more recognized hurdles that we had to clear during this run-in.
With players suspended/risk of bookings etc. it is a difficult call.
The bonus apart from a point is clearly not leaking goals-the goal difference could well be a deciding factor.
I am sure that if the team looked capable of storming the Watford defence,T.P. would have tried to push on...but sadly it does not seem that this was the case. As he stated before the match ,'You have to play to your strengths.'
At this moment it is of some comfort to us that other teams can afford to be a little more cavalier with their stats and have again proven that no matter how big you think you are, they can take the game to you and spoil the party.
The penalty save at Watford could well be one of the decisive moments of the campaign.
Based on all the other scores a point this weekend is priceless.
If you think this is a time for doom and gloom what must all those pitiful wretches below us feel?
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Post by andylgr on Mar 15, 2008 22:57:08 GMT
Andy, my belief is that if you set out a positive stall you get a positive response from your players. I agree. If you start with 5 at the back and play deep like Stoke do (which we do anyway even with 4 at the back) then that just invites teams on to you. Not a good tactic against a team like Watford, who put the ball into the oppostions defence at every single opportunity. Yet look at what can happen when we are positive - Southampton first half or Scunthorpe second half. I think that today we went there with a defensive minded selection to get a draw at the least, and in that respect it worked. |
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