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Post by Danstoke82 on Apr 8, 2008 10:08:39 GMT
An analysis of last night...I maybe wrong on a few points, but just some observations..
Tone's tactics were a little bemusing. With Lenny out, which I had no idea of and Fuller on the bench, I wandered if Tone needed his head testing. Reports suggested that Fuller had been ill recently and that was why he didn't start. However, to me, Fuller looked fine. When he came on he was the difference and cut through their defence on many occasions.
To start, a partnership of Ameobi and Sidibe confused me a little, as I thought they both do the same job, a target man to head the ball on? both were heading it onto the other with no realistic results. It's clear to me that Ameobi is not match fit at all and to pay that much on a striker who hasn't played 90 minutes for some time and isn't really considered a prolific striker was a huge gamble. Okay, okay, he's only had two games but to me he hasn't really shown anything to live up to his billing as the man who will fire us up.
Fuller is still our best outlet, without question and I just hope that Ameobi's arrival has not disrupted the harmony of the dressing room, with his huge wages, I doubt it has, but sometimes you wonder, when the current crop we had had worked so hard to get us where we are, only for a "big name" to appear and apparently be the one to fire us to the promised land and finish all their hard work.
Tone's reason to drop Fuller to the bench must have some decision behind it, as for such a crucial game, to drop your main goal scoring threat is a huge gamble. I do hope Tone is not making stupid gambles at such a critical time of the season. Fuller just simply has to start, end of story, if he is fit enough to play any part then he MUST be the first name on the sheet. Not only can he score but he creates and that is what we lack upfront when he is missing. No disrespect to Mama Sidibe, he has a job, which he does, but his job works well with Fuller on the end of it, without Fuller, Mama's job sometimes seems pretty meaningless.
Is Ameobi the answer? yeah the guy can score goals for anyone and has scored a few at Premiership level and perhaps I would think differently if he had chipped in already with a few goals for us, or even a decent run-out, but in the two games he has played with the five we have got him for, he doesn't look to me, like he will add anymore to what we already have. He seems to want to hold the ball up in the box, but with nobody running on in the absence of Fuller, who is he holding it up for as Mama plays so deep he's nowhere to be seen, Ameobi would be better suited with a "fox in the box" type striker, not a big supporting attacker like Sidibe.
Ameobi and what comes with him is a huge gamble, Coates and Pulis know this, to spend that amount of money on a striker who really, hasn't set any world's alight. The fact that he hasn't played a full 90 minutes for months is also a worry, the guy simply isn't match fit. The Championship is a very physical league and every player needs to be at peak fitness, Ameobi isn't anywhere near it, and he hasn't got the luxury of any settling in period, basically we need results from him now, but his fitness and lack of sharpness at the front of goal is a big worry and I personally, although not knocking the ambition of the Ameobi signing, would of preferred to have tried for someone else, okay, I know the Kamara deal didn't work out, which was a huge disappointment, as Kamara is a class act at this level, but Ameobi is an untried quantity at this level.
Ameobi, simply, will start each game because of the fee we paid for him, He needs to up his act and fast, simple as really, we well know that players need time to settle and Im sure he does, but we didn't bring him into have a nice honeymoon period from the near wilderness at Newcastle, we brought him in to help compliment our goals tally, a job, you would expect of a Premiership striker, you could say the same could be said about Paul Gallagher, Pulis though, sees him more as a wide player and impact striker, again, disappointingly, we haven't seen the Gally we had last time round and I don't think Pulis rates him highly.
For a team in the Championship to boast a strikeforce of Fuller, Ameobi, Cresswell, Gallagher, Sidibe, you would have to say have big ambitions for a push to the gravy train that is the Premier League. Okay Sidibe and maybe Cresswell may not quite be up to Premier League standard in all fairness, I may be wrong but they have done a decent job this season. Considering Cresswell has played a majority of it wide left but still chipped in with a hat-full of goals.
As regards to our tactics, well quite honestly, it's obvious to us all we have been found out by our opponents, the high ball up to Mama just doesn't work anymore does it, yet we insist on playing it, I lost count the amount of high balls I counted that went straight to Mama, usually to be outdone or beaten to it by Hudson. Teams know our style of play, it's been well documented by football writers about how we play. Set pieces and high balls, which all in all, Palace seemed to cope ok with last night with exception to some missed chances. If we want to play the set-piece style of football then it is imperative that Liam Lawrence is playing, as he is our main threat at delivering quality corners and free-kicks, however, this too has been found out by the opposition as they set their bigger defenders to mark out Leon Cort, Ryan Shawcross and Mama Sidibe because thats usually where the ball ends up going to.
I must also question the defence last night and the exclusion of Carl Dickinson in favour of Danny Pugh. A bit of a shocker really as people will admit, that Dicko has been consistent all season and to be dropped in favour of Pugh, who really, on last night's showing, is not a left back at all was a joke. I believe that Dicko may of coped far better with the pace of Sinclair, who ran Pugh ragged for 75 minutes, but Pulis believes that Pugh is the answer, I think all in all Pugh is a squad player at most and could be used as a sub in a second half to hold the midfield. His passing was poor and it seemed that every time he got the ball he was in a pure panic just to hoof it away and give away possession once more. We lose possession so often with the high ball hoofed up the park, I just wish the players would knock it around on the floor more often and keep hold of the ball. We did have a lot of possession last night, but the amount of times we gave it away was awful. There didn't seem to be much closing down either once we had to get the ball back, allowing Palace to play to their dangermen on the flanks.
Another questionable decision is whether Andy Griffin warrants a starting berth each week. He's simply not a decent right back and it showed again last night, as he was outdone by a 17 year old kid, Griff has a decent tackle but absolutely no pace. He just isn't as effective as he was last time round and just because he is skipper, shouldn't mean he should start each week. Players like Andy Wilkinson, has proved that he can do a solid job at right back and has been very unfortunate to have had to make way for an under-performing Griffin. I think the whole Derby debacle has really effected Griffin and quite worryingly, I don't believe we will see the player he was last season again.
Carlo Nash had no chance with the second goal last night, and I'd love to see their temporary centre back hit another like that in his career, but he still seemed to get caught out on the first, some of the blame must fall on Griffin though as the back post was completely bare, with Nash stranded.
I for one am getting very worried about what will happen. The fact that we had it in our grasp but know seemingly starting to throw away our chances is really becoming frustrating. Teams around us are rarely dropping points and the fact that West Brazil have two games in hand over us is a real problem, especially now that they are out of the F.A. Cup. We have had enough chances to really put daylight between us and the others but just keep throwing it away. The home games against Burnley, Blackpool and Palace were 3 pointers, yet we struggled and have taken minimal points, not looking like a team aspiring to play in the top flight. The question is, can Stoke City put up with the mounting realisation that Premier League football is within their grasp? Or are they going to fall at the last hurdle, like many fans have increasingly come to terms with how that feels, especially after last season's end of day heartbreak, we simply don't want to have to put up with "almosts and maybe if's".
The failure to gain automatic promotion would be a real kick in the nuts, if it happens, I worry about the morale of the team with an impending playoff date against a team in far better form than ourselves, okay Watford have been shaky but they seem to be finding themselves again at a crucial point. A team jumping into the playoffs in the midst of a good run has a far better chance than a team that perhaps has just missed out on a automatic spot or progressing, they have the confidence, whilst I don't think we have a lot of it at the moment, which couldn't come at a worser time. It must take a lot out of a team and I hope we didn't peak to early back in February.
For automatic, I hate to admit, but I think West Brazil will nab one of them spots. They have been niggling away all season at the top and their lucky escape against Colchester will probably fire them up. The second spot will fall to either us, Watford or Hull. I honestly believe Brizzle City have had their spell, although will probably play a blinder against us at the Brit and nab a point or something. Hull are in good form, but all good runs come to an end and they have some difficult fixtures. Watford, seem to have found a win from nowhere and will probably build on it, I reckon they are our biggest rivals for that spot. Its crucial we put last nights result away and concentrate on Saturday. Coventry are fighting for their lives and will no doubt play the better football probably, we just need a bit of luck, a 1-0 win, or simply a result to fire the lads up once more, Coventry MUST be that match, no more draws and especially no more fucking losses, we have to WIN and it starts Saturday, no excuses Tony Pulis. You said you believe we will do it, help us share you belief and show us we can.
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