Too clever for your own good TP

[TheWiseMaster]

Too clever for our good

The biggest game of your career and you blew it.

Tried to be clever keeping our two best attacking options in Fuller and Bothroyd on the bench. Bothroyd was the obvious answer in the abscence of Lawrence - we had no-one to deliver the ball

To make matters worse you started with two players - Pearson and Ameobi way off match fit - presumably because of the money we have doshed out. Pearson struggled all through and Ameobi spent most of his time getting in the way of the other strikers

Start a match with two players with a comined total of two goals for the season - no wonder Palace werent frightened - they are probably still laughing!

Pulis - you blew it big time!

[Northy]

remeber the QPR away line up last season? He blew it then as well

[MrMagic]

Totally agree TWM - totally agree.

The thing that still enrages me the most is the second goal. It's lads and dads stuff to push out when you clear the ball. We had 11 men sitting behind the ball waiting for Palace to put it back in. They score the inevitable goal, Pulis stands with his hands in his pockets and then claims bad luck on the radio.

He should apologise to the fans for cocking it up, and then he should go and find a teamsheet from when we were winning and look at the difference. Griff and Pugh would be a start.

Spent all day yesterday with the excitement of the match building up, only to have it burst like a baloon when I found out Sidebe was starting.

Gutted

[followyoudown]

thewisemaster said:

Tried to be clever keeping our two best attacking options in Fuller and Bothroyd on the bench. Bothroyd was the obvious answer in the abscence of Lawrence - we had no-one to deliver the ball
(

Can't believe I'm going to defend Pulis here (well kind of ) but to play Boothroyd would have meant dropping Ameobi or Pearson and the money we're paying for Ameobi means he has to play, Pearson had to play on the left hand side of midfield otherwise we couldn't play Pugh out of position at left back and Griffin at right back but seriously after the first 55 mins the introduction of hippopottamus and parkin would have looked a better option that what had gone before

[Robo10]

Eeerm, drop Mama? Clearly unfit!

[jezzascfc]

One has to look at the acquistions of Ameobi and Pearson now and question their worth.

As we are paying such a truck load of cash for them, it seems Pulis feels obliged to play them. Without them last night, he would have had to start Fuller and Bothroyd, and had room for Gallagher on the bench. Would that have made us weaker?

With only six games left, bringing in new faces to a tight knit squad, at least one of which is clearly seriously lacking match fitness and sharpness was a dangerous move, and one which seems to have backfired.

[followyoudown]

You're only allowed four loanees in the starting 11 Mr Laws ;)so dropping Mama wouldn't have helped.

on a more serious note the introduction of all these loanees seems to have turned a blip in form into our form flat-lining. how many loan players do our rivals have in their squads ? can't be good for team morale when players like Simo and Shawcross are dumped out of the team unceremoniously.

[wedgwood]

Sidibe and Cresswell don't have to be on the team sheet every game they are fit, or should I say half fit to play.

Pulis can't make the cut when he has to it seems, and I've also said it many times before. He never dares to to put in a team who really goes for attacking.

[Dingdangdoo]

Last night was THE match to win. Everybody was up for it and most expected to see Fuller back with Ameobi and us go all out to win. The news that Lawrence was injured AND Fuller on the bench subdued me before the game started. Okay the one off the line was bad luck but we clearly were second to most balls and the hoofball was sadly very evident. TP contradicted himself afterwards by saying he needed to talk Fuller into playing (wtf) but that Ric was well up for the game!!!

The game changed dramatically when both Fuller and Bothroyd were on. I even thought Ameobi played a bit better with Fuller even if he did take the best opportunity off his foot.

TP you blew the chance last night, let's just hope you can pull something out of the bag for the final push!!

[followyoudown]

wedgwood said:

Sidibe and Cresswell don't have to be on the team sheet every game they are fit, or should I say half fit to play.

Pulis can't make the cut when he has to it seems, and I've also said it many times before. He never dares to to put in a team who really goes for attacking.

well when two of the loan places are taken up by Nash and Riggott and Pugh is apparently the only adequate left back at the club and Ameobi having to play we don't have that many options in midfield getting rid of Eustace whilst giving a contract to Diao looks like a more and more outstanding piece of business each day that passes

[Dr Oetcake]

this is the final push!!!

[Jolley_Potter]

Inept, basic, spineless.....and Pulis' team decisions were'nt much better either

[FullerMagic]

followyoudown said:

wedgwood said:

Sidibe and Cresswell don't have to be on the team sheet every game they are fit, or should I say half fit to play.

Pulis can't make the cut when he has to it seems, and I've also said it many times before. He never dares to to put in a team who really goes for attacking.

well when two of the loan places are taken up by Nash and Riggott and Pugh is apparently the only adequate left back at the club and Ameobi having to play we don't have that many options in midfield getting rid of Eustace whilst giving a contract to Diao looks like a more and more outstanding piece of business each day that passes

In order to find a starting loanee place for Bothroyd on Saturday (definitely if Lawrence is unfit), it may just be worth reintroducing Simo for Nash to free up a loan space?

Drastic times call for drastic measures - and it could well be Bothroyd's last match and he'd be well up for it at Cov, his old club.

[potters11]

FM: Agreed. Personally, I feel Nash has done well, but Simmo is more than capable. Bothroyd did well after coming on last night, what's the feeling with Lawrence's injury? Pulis didn't seem to give much away.

On another note, I feel that Pulis' interview was nothing short of a disgrace, how John Acres said it was one of his best is beyond me.

[anarchicalan]

followyoudown said:

thewisemaster said:

Tried to be clever keeping our two best attacking options in Fuller and Bothroyd on the bench. Bothroyd was the obvious answer in the abscence of Lawrence - we had no-one to deliver the ball
(

Can't believe I'm going to defend Pulis here (well kind of ) but to play Boothroyd would have meant dropping Ameobi or Pearson and the money we're paying for Ameobi means he has to play, Pearson had to play on the left hand side of midfield otherwise we couldn't play Pugh out of position at left back and Griffin at right back but seriously after the first 55 mins the introduction of hippopottamus and parkin would have looked a better option that what had gone before

Precisely why he's a crap manager!

Any sort of DECENT manager would play a team on ABILITY, not fiscal considerations.

[craigscfc]

im not anti-pulis or pro-pulis..
but his decision last night was terrible and he has to realise it.
Its clear Ameobi isn't match fit, he holds the ball up well but doesn't pass it or shoot.
So why he played Sidibe for 55 minutes alongside him i do not know. It would of been a much better idea to start fuller with either Ameobi or Sidibe with him for the first half and put Palace under pressure, you saw how their defence was backing off fuller as he got the ball.

I like the bloke, but being honest i think hes cost us big time with that decision especially. (Not to mention leaving out Dicko, possibly Galley and leaving Griff on with his current form). I know it wasn't his fault that Lawrence got injured but he should always have a plan B. We looked unprepared last night, and we cant afford to be dropping points especially at home.

Sort it out please Tone

[TheWiseMaster]

We shouldn't have to play any player so for me Pearon and Amiobe can be the impact players from the bench if they are not match fit

Pulis should have started with Bothroyd (for Lawrence) who has looked a good player every time he's played

If we had to start without Fuller then Cresswell had one of his best games at Sheffield alongside him last week

Any of the loan players could drop out if we need to balance the side including Riggot for whom we had a very able replacement in Shawcross. Indeed playing both our own centrebacks might increase their goal outfut again

The full backs were a joke - bad decisions all over the field

[wolfieboy]

Saddest sight in the world, a stupid geezr trying to be clever, he aint and he's fucked your season for you

[dadofsam]

Pulis is that most dangerous thing in a position of power - a stupid man who thinks he is clever.

Warnock is worth 10 Pulis's I'm afraid

[growler]

My heart sunk last night when I saw Mama's name on the team sheet. How can he be chosen ahead of Bothroyd (why did we get him on loan if he is to only play a bit part), Creswell, Gallagher and even a half fit Fuller?
Pulis was shown up last night. Palace operated wth pace and width using exactly the kind of players our manager refuses to buy or bring through.

[BackwardsSideways]

I just think Palace played really well and they are form team at the moment unlike Stoke whose form is pretty shambolic at the min

[woolster]

I think the time has come to abandon the 'loyalty' policy - such as including Cressy and Mama, then simply go with the best side:

Nash, Griffin, Cort, Riggott, Pugh, Pearson, Whelan, Delap, Lawrence, Fuller, Shola!!

That side should produce the goods if we use it right - personally feel we're a much better passing side without Cresswell in it - the amount of times he gives it away or loses out to a full back cos' he simply doesnt have the skill or pace to beat him is frightening!!!!!

As for Pearson - he played well at Wednesday and I thought he was really useful last night - he looks good on the ball when you give him a decent pass and doesnt want to just smack it anywhere!!!! Think we're being a bit harsh criticising him to be totally honest, he's showed glimpses of being very good!!!!!!

Lets back the boys for the last 4!

[starkiller]

There is absolutely no reason why a manager's team sheet should be vastly different from what 20, 000 fans would pretty much choose.

Your job, as manager, is to coach them, motivate them and get them working together and doing the things they are best at, not to out-think the supporters.

The glaringly obvious decisions regarding team selection are glaringly obvious because they are the right ones.

Building a squad so that a good team pretty much picks itself is not failiure - it's the opposite.

Square pegs in round holes is not only making the job more difficult than it should be, it proves nothing, only that you're an idiot.


It's football not chess FFS.