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Post by johnnysoul60 on Feb 17, 2012 0:51:06 GMT
To be fair to the bloke he is worn out and been overplayed, down to the manager at least he always gives 100%
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Post by Jamo on the wing on Feb 17, 2012 0:57:48 GMT
Tonight I thought his hold up play was reasonable, won his fair share of headers, didn't give passes away and his work rate was phenomenal. I felt we gave a good account of ourselves tonight but were outclassed by a brilliant side. Come on here and most people seem to think we've played shite. I think we tried hard although I didn't see the Stoke that has made us what we are which was a shame. Goal scoring is a massive problem (even more than usual) at present and we haven't got enough players on the pitch who look like scoring or even having a shot. I'm not sure what the answer is but a change of personnel up front is a must and we need to find some balance in central midfield. That's a tough nut to crack given what we have but I'd currently have a look at Glenn and Deano.
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Post by bunnyscfc on Feb 17, 2012 1:00:43 GMT
playing your best striker is the answer Jamo
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Post by Jamo on the wing on Feb 17, 2012 1:02:27 GMT
playing your best striker is the answer Jamo Well exactly, mate. I'm still at a total loss as to how he didn't get a single bastard minute tonight.
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Post by withingtonstokie on Feb 17, 2012 1:03:31 GMT
I agree with philm87 on this one. SJW has looked tired for weeks (and clearly needs a rest) but to be fair i thought tonight he had his best game for a while against a very good side although still should have been subbed for Ric after say 60 mins for his moment of magic!
Valencia are clearly an excellent side who drew with Barca a couple of weeks ago and are 8 points clear of 4th place in Spain. Still can't wait for my trip to Spain next week...who knows, miracles can happen :-)
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Post by Deleted on Feb 17, 2012 1:10:19 GMT
So many of the cogs just aren't working are they?
At the back-end of last season, the wingers were playing out of their skin. SJW was on fire, but the opposition also had to worry about the wingers and Kenwyn as well. This gave SJW more space.
We're so reliant on the wingers, but Matty's been next to awful all season, and Jermaine's never really got started. They've rarely been played together and this makes us so easy to snuff out as an attacking force.
We have a squad crammed full of talented strikers, but only two of them ever get a look-in. Alternatively, we have absolutely no cover for the most important part of the attacking machinery, the wingers.
When they're not delivering the goods, there's just no creativity at all. The midfield provides nothing going forward, and our forwards offer nothing on their own.
It's a mess.
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Post by benidormtovalencia on Feb 17, 2012 8:26:45 GMT
a bit like comparing who has done the best turd on tonights showing. Fuller and Jerome should be paired together, as of now. Totally agree, we are dropping fast
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Post by peterthornesboots on Feb 17, 2012 9:17:02 GMT
I thought that Walters did ok last night.
Put in a good shift again and his hold up play was decent.
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Post by davejohnno1 on Feb 17, 2012 9:19:01 GMT
I haven't read the whole thread because I don't have time, but that is very harsh.
Walters was our best player last night and it was a good job he was because Crouch was fucking hopeless.
Best game Walters has had for a while in my opinion and I can't stand the bloke. You have to be fair in these things.
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Post by Northy on Feb 17, 2012 9:27:55 GMT
Third in La Liga and a full 18 points off the top place, even 8 points from second. I agree they didnt get out of first gear, but get real, they are miles off being premier league champion quality!!! What exactly did everyone see him do that was so bad? He was better than Crouch. failed to run 5 yards and hassle the centre half when he scored the goal, that's his job, to run and hassle
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Post by dadofsam on Feb 17, 2012 9:30:37 GMT
Smashin' kiddie is Walters, an uncomplaining workhorse. There we have it, he's a shoo-in
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Post by cobhamstokey on Feb 17, 2012 9:41:33 GMT
The problem is our strikers arent coached to do what they should be namely scoring goals and offering attacking threat. There primary role is tracking back and helping the midfield. No wonder they look so tired when they're working so hard in there own half. I have sympathy for JW he was outstanding last season and at the start of this he's just shattered and needs a rest. Jerome looked excellent yesterday and should be fresh as a daisy he really needs to start.
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Post by streetwise on Feb 17, 2012 9:48:13 GMT
Be fair lads. Thought Walters had a decent game against a top team. Everyone gave their best and we could have had a couple of goals to show for it. Get an early goal next week and we're back in it.
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Post by rabbigan on Feb 17, 2012 10:04:54 GMT
It concerns me that anyone thought Walters had a good game. From his awful effort early on he wnet backwards. His first touch, second touch, third touch is absolute arse.
I can forgive him a lot because his first in the Wembley Semi was agoal of superb quality but he does not do it often enough and is extremely limited in all departments of his game.
We need to worry when Pulis keeps picking him in front of decent strikers week after week. I just cannot work this out at all.
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Post by bunnyscfc on Feb 17, 2012 10:20:46 GMT
Be fair lads. Thought Walters had a decent game against a top team. Everyone gave their best and we could have had a couple of goals to show for it. Get an early goal next week and we're back in it. I bet its sunny today where you are
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Post by The Stubborn Optimist on Feb 17, 2012 10:35:15 GMT
Johnny Walters, god bless him, is the class dunce, the kid that just can't get it no matter how hard he tries. He's the kid with the school report that simply reads "tries hard". A likeable enough lad but doesn't quite cut the mustard.
Last night was a typical "Walters" performance, lots of huff and puff with no end result.
He's got the turning circle of an artic, the first touch of a rapist and looks, as someone else has so eloquently described it elsewhere on the board, like a dog playing with a balloon.
Our current problems can be summed up by the simple observation that we aren't scoring enough goals. The primary responsibility for goals lies with the forwards, Crouch and Walters, they aren't coming up with the goods, simples.
Time for change methinks.
Jerome did more in his 20 minute cameo than Walters has done since god knows when.
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Post by fca47 on Feb 17, 2012 10:42:45 GMT
Missed a good chance in the first couple of minutes, and didn't threaten them in the rest of the match, needs to be replaced by Jerome or Fuller, we need more pace in the middle as our wingers are being marked out of the games, consistently.
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Post by southstanddan on Feb 17, 2012 10:45:30 GMT
Utter crap - he was the only one closing them down
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Post by roylandstoke on Feb 17, 2012 11:24:38 GMT
Thought Walters was OK last night.
People are getting fed up with him and slagging him off because of the policy to play him every minute if every game whether he is playing well or not, even if that means shoe horning him onto the left wing.
We have a few options up front. TP is not doing Walters any favours with many fans by always playing him and leaving others on the bench.
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Post by jeycov on Feb 17, 2012 12:21:30 GMT
Walters wasn't that bad. Again service was fooking awful for our front men. Valencia are too clever for us and like other teams have sussed us out. For me tonight and this season, Etherington has been woeful. Walters needs a rest even if it's down to the bench Yes he is our penalty taker but surely someone else can take over this role? He always gives 100% but has either been asked to pay out of his best position linking with a fellow striker or has had poor service. I agree that Etherington was clueless as to how to get past their defence last night - he has been lacking in confidence for some time now. Service from both wings was poor. Wilkinson played well for most of the game - good to see. It would be good to see our FA Cup semi final starting line up (as near possible) start a game. At least they were aware of each others patterns of play and passes could be anticipated instead of guesswork. Jerome looks more likely to fit that style of play as Crouch has had a different impact on our team formation. We are very lucky to be going to Spain with only 1 goal deficit. A change of personnel out there, may give them something to think about / have to adjust to, I would like to see Fuller included and Jerome or Jones start. Delap just hasn't got enough pace for our team. They have a tough game v Barcelona this weekend so will need to have their best 11 on the pitch. I havent seem a replay of the tackle on Dean Whitehead - reading the reports it sounds nasty, I thought a player can be given a red card / match ban retrospectively?
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Post by jimmygscfc1234 on Feb 17, 2012 12:31:44 GMT
But.....no-one really seems to take in the fact that Walters isn't/wasn't/hasn't been a striker for the larger part of his career. We signed him from Ipswich where he was club captain and a right sided midfielder who liked a pop at goal. I don't really know why Pulis bought him as a striker but I guess he had a hard on for his legs and lungs. Walters had a good stint for a while last season when everyone played well but he's not the answer to our atrocious scoring malaise and never has been.
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Post by fca47 on Feb 17, 2012 12:39:32 GMT
He's a much better striker than he is a midfielder. But he seriously looks as though he doesn't believe he will score.
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Post by mrblobbysdad on Feb 17, 2012 12:44:10 GMT
Walters has played in 39 games and scored 8 so far this season. Thats almost a full season already.
I agree he needs a rest big time. He just doesnt hae the same energy, fizz and drive as a fully rested SJW does.
This might seem to be a bit mental, but Walters currently has 3 yellow cards, the sooner he picks up two more and is suspended, the better. Thats how badly he needs a rest and I dont see Pulis EVER dropping him. Id rather it was this way instead of a serious injury. ???
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Post by eriksson74 on Feb 17, 2012 12:44:43 GMT
2 goals from open play in 40 games for JW, throw in a couple of missed pens and he doesn't exactly give us the goal threat we need.
Last night he was extremely poor, a poor shot/choice in the 1st min (a square pass to Crouch would have seen him with an open goal) a bizarre attempt at a back post sitter from Rory's throw in the 1st half and general all round poor performing with the ball.
Folk have blamed him for the goal, whilst I like to see strikers up the pitch, the way Pulis plays his teams, he has Walters dropping in to pick/mark holding centre midfielders!
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Post by simpson93 on Feb 17, 2012 12:48:48 GMT
Players like him will never get us progress long term. no no, he just helped us to a FA cup final, into Europe, but no he didnt help us progress, the lads fucked! i garantee last year every single person slating him on here now was singing his praises, this board is a fucking joke at times!
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Post by jimmygscfc1234 on Feb 17, 2012 12:59:29 GMT
I like Jon Walters a great deal but I never saw him as a frontline striker. He's struggling at the moment and the manager needs to treat him as he would any other player trying to find his form. The unfortunate truth is that by continuing to persevere with him Pulis makes it easy for fans to start picking on Walters as a central problem, when he's really just the tip of a very large iceberg.
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Post by thoz1982 on Feb 17, 2012 13:35:56 GMT
I think Tony has to play a big part in John Walters recent performances. The idea of this 'bigger squad' was to utilize the strength and depth and rotate players (Like Cameron Jerome) to keep them fit and fresh. Walters has looked tired and leggy at times recently. Don't forget though that he was a £2m buy which in these days wouldnt get you that value!
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rastabaxus
Lads'n'Dads
Delap... into the 6 yard box... GOAL.
Posts: 69
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Post by rastabaxus on Feb 17, 2012 13:47:59 GMT
He's shown he's got quality, but he lacks consistency and is a confidence player to a large degree. Severely lacking confidence, like half the team.
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Post by Pirate on Feb 17, 2012 14:40:47 GMT
Apparently according to TP in the sentinel, JW was fantastic last night????WTF???? Not in the game i watched, must have been in the showers afterwards?
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Post by spitthedog on Feb 17, 2012 16:16:39 GMT
Apparently according to TP in the sentinel, JW was fantastic last night????WTF???? Not in the game i watched, must have been in the showers afterwards? Bollocks! Case of re-writing history I'm sure he says these things to try to convince himself and us that he is making the right decisions Fuller would have caused more trouble in their defence in 2 minutes than Walters could create in the 2 games he will get against them.
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