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Post by davejohnno1 on Feb 22, 2014 21:58:39 GMT
I thought it was a crazy substitution at the time because Arnie was our only genuine threat, but lets assume, for one minute, that Arnie was injured and we had little choice but to bring him off.
Who could we have bought on considering we were being a little bit over-run, Man City were dominating possession and we were struggling to keep the ball in any part of the field.
Ireland for Arnie? Maybe but even that wasn't or wouldn't have been like for like. Ethers? More like for like for sure but Ethers hasn't played for god knows how long, we didn't have the ball anyway and how would we have got it to him? Palacios? More defensive than Arnie obviously but it left Adam a little freer to be further forward which although positive, isn't a position I like him in. He is much better as a central midfielder as he has been utilised as over the last month or so.
Debateable really who to bring on.
Now, minutes after the sub was made, they come up the pitch and score but thereafter, we actually got more of a foothold in the game, they stopped looking like such a threat and we even had a couple more chances of our own where we could and probably should have done better. Palacios himself had a very decent appearance from the bench so all in all, it wasn't a substitution that didn't work.
My point is that I thought it was madness at the time and if Arnie wasn't injured, then it remains madness. However, if we assume that Hughes is no fool and that Arnie was injured, was it really that bad a substitution? In that context, I don't think it was.
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Post by bayernoatcake on Feb 22, 2014 22:09:47 GMT
Ethers, easy. Winger for winger.
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Post by davejohnno1 on Feb 22, 2014 22:13:03 GMT
Maybe but Ethers was no better than Walters when he came on and having not played since god knows when, maybe he was a little reluctant to use him.
My main point is that IF Arnie was injured and couldn't continue, it wasn't such a crazy substitution and to a degree, given that we saw more of the ball and actually managed to cause them a few more problems which came to nothing, it did actually work.
If Arnie WASN'T injured, it was a crazy substitution no matter what and would have been a crazy substitution no matter who he bought on to replace Arnie.
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Post by bayernoatcake on Feb 22, 2014 22:16:14 GMT
Maybe but I always prefer like for like subs especially when it involves outlets. He's a natural outlet, when Arnie went off we didn't have one.
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Post by foxysgloves on Feb 22, 2014 22:19:27 GMT
Ethers, easy. Winger for winger. Had to be. Balance is everything. At times i think MH is guilty of overthink. Trying to be too clever when the simple option is the best. Though i think he's getting a lot more right than wrong even if results don't suggest it. |
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Post by Stafford-Stokie on Feb 22, 2014 22:29:15 GMT
Maybe but Ethers was no better than Walters when he came on and having not played since god knows when, maybe he was a little reluctant to use him. My main point is that IF Arnie was injured and couldn't continue, it wasn't such a crazy substitution and to a degree, given that we saw more of the ball and actually managed to cause them a few more problems which came to nothing, it did actually work. If Arnie WASN'T injured, it was a crazy substitution no matter what and would have been a crazy substitution no matter who he bought on to replace Arnie. Ethers for me also. It is a fair point that he hasn't played much but WP has hardly been the first name on the sheet for the past 2 years. Is there any indication that arnie was injured? |
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Post by davejohnno1 on Feb 22, 2014 22:40:48 GMT
He seemed to pick up an ankle knock but to me, he looked like he had shaken it off.
As I say, if he wasn't injured, whoever came on for him, it was a crazy substitution but in the scheme of things, assuming he was injured, it wasn't as crazy, in my opinion, as it looked at the time.
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Post by cheeesfreeex on Feb 22, 2014 23:03:11 GMT
Within the context of the match:
I thought we'd competed well and whilst riding our luck defensively we'd snatched at a few chances. We were good value for a blank sheet at half time.
Bego was immense, but Charlie Adam was roaming about destined for a punch up, Whelan was hot on his heels, and Ryan had lost another groin...
Plenty of reasons to make some changes...
but of course the Assaidi/Arnie obvious option had gone...
That change would undoubtedly create a distraction if not an outlet.
I thought:
Palacios - Arnautovic
Etherington - Whelan
Ireland - Walters
were confusing, unfathomable at the time.. lost a bit of structure I thought.
Nevertheless they shook it about with what they'd got, so I conna really knock Sparkster.
I suppose two years or so ago, those subs would have raised a significant pulse.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 22, 2014 23:06:05 GMT
Ethers wasn't bad when he came on, far better than walters.
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