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Post by swampySCFC on Mar 5, 2009 8:58:23 GMT
Diao was poor tonight you cant get away from the fact. He was cumbersome and I think I saw him make only one tackle.
I would be looking for him to impose himself a bit more but he didnt look comfortable.
I wonder if hes still carrying the injury as it wasnt long ago he was off to France for consultation was it?
Amdy has done well for Stoke this year, keeping Olly out etc.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 5, 2009 10:31:14 GMT
Absoutely stupid comment! It has nothing to do with him it more to do with how we play at home and the support, nothing to do with Diao. HE IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH. Can't pass, head or tackle Its not a stupid comment facts are facts mate. I presume you accept the accuracy of them. If you dislike Diao bang your head against a brick wall because the manager who knows more about football than you do thinks he is the best midfielder in the club by a country mile his quote not mine so end of argument as i said. I presume you dont think you know more about football than tony pulis? What do you think he brings then chief, given that you're so high above the rest of us that you can see what we can't? A player in his position isn't supposed to be adept at keeping the ball and doing the simple stuff. Diao frequently gives the ball away and takes far too long on the ball, leading to opposition players dispossessing him. |
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Post by tony harrison on Mar 5, 2009 10:36:47 GMT
Agreed. I would be tempted to play Ethers, Rory, Wheelen and liam across the middle. Spot on, this is the midfield we have needed for some time now. Diao tackles but gives away too many fouls, sometimes due to players falling over too easily but he gave Bolton so many free kicks in dangerous positions. He cannot control the ball quick enough and get's robbed. He cannot pass. He runs around like a headless chicken most of the time. Was brilliant in his first season with us and made a vast difference to the team but he is now a liability. |
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Post by salopstick on Mar 5, 2009 10:44:40 GMT
a great professional foul when bolton could have been through, took it for the team well done
but apart from that............
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Post by padders01 on Mar 5, 2009 11:30:24 GMT
a great professional foul when bolton could have been through, took it for the team well done but apart from that............ HA! Yeah about the only thing he did do, A FOUL! I don't like bashing players, but when we clearly have better players then they have to play (Amdy Faye) |
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Post by anfieldred(and white) on Mar 5, 2009 11:37:06 GMT
Diao played like the Diao i remebered, not the one that your Manager seems to hallucinte about. That is, not very good.
When we played you at your place, the lad that replaced Diao last night (Faye) had a monumental game. He twatted everything that moved, never lost the ball, and never stopped running.
Last night Diao looked like the weak link, and the moment that Faye came on you looked 5 times more solid.
How many times did he loose the ball in your own half because he was slow or trying a fancy trick.
Diao would probably get in the Worlds best ever beach football team, but an agressive fast paced prem match - dont think so son.
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Post by rabbigan on Mar 5, 2009 11:38:18 GMT
Have been a fan of Whelans from way before he joined us.
Given the chance in the role he had last night he can become an outstanding midfielder.
Salif unfortunately who has been agreat holding midfielder can no longer cover his lack of pace with his ability to read situations and the time he needs on the ball is becoming a liability.
Amdy Faye and Whelan are by far our best central midfield pairing.
Rory does not compare with Amdy in that position and for my money I would have a midfield of Liam, Whelan, Amdy , and Etherington.
Liam worked extremely hard up and down the line last night and Etherington does the same.
I think the long throw is now of limited value and of no value on a decent sized pitch away from home. In fact the time it takes when you are operating at a fast tempo as we were in the first 20 minutes last night actually slows things down and gives opponents time to regroup.
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Post by crashbandicoot on Mar 5, 2009 11:55:16 GMT
Totally agree with this thread, Salif is a shadow of the player that he was in his spell with us and is simply not good enough. I cant understand how TP rates him so highly
Add to this we have Amdy Faye on the bench who is a better defensive midfielder by a long way!
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Post by thepremierbanksy on Mar 5, 2009 12:33:50 GMT
Lot of people are calling for delap to be given a run in the middle, but now that whelan is looking undroppable, i'm not so sure it's a great idea. We haven't been a single game this season without a proper holding midfielder, and have usually had whelan playing very defensively anyway (quite like he does for Ireland). If whelan is suddenly going to be allowed to get forward, i'm not sure it would be wise to not have someone parked in front of the defence. Delap is good at breaking down play and can probably do a good job of being the holding player, but is he going to be better at it than faye? And is it worth the gamble of finding out?
As for Diao, if he's undoing all his good work by consistently losing the ball, then it's drop time really.
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Post by RAF on Mar 5, 2009 12:38:34 GMT
Or maybe we would have won more without him playing, as he doesn't actually do alot?
H
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Post by sirpineapple89 on Mar 5, 2009 12:51:26 GMT
Although I don't like to berate players, I really am not a fan of Salif's. He's had a few good games where he has really stifled players but, more often than not, I find him to be laboured, lacking pace and slow on the ball. Last night I thought he was asleep.
Amdy Faye convinced me that he was the better option in CM when he completely marked Gerrard out of the game at the Brit. He's mobile, strong and can actually make strides towards the opposition box. Sometimes his distribution can be a little wayward but there's no doubt in my mind that he is superior to Diao.
I don't think Diao is crap but I don't think he brings enough to the table.
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Post by truckerged on Mar 5, 2009 12:54:08 GMT
first its cresswell then salif who's next for the booboys delap? sorro? higgy? fuller?
my own personal opinion on the salif diao situation is that tp knows he is not 100% but he thinks he will improve with every game he plays that is why he persists in him. i am not saying thats right or wrong but i will support whoever pulls on a red and white striped shirt!!
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Post by pez75 on Mar 5, 2009 12:55:44 GMT
a great professional foul when bolton could have been through, took it for the team well done but apart from that............ Err - he had to make that foul because of his own mistake... In fact, if you review most of his last ditch tackles, they are usually a product of him giving the ball away. |
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Post by pez75 on Mar 5, 2009 12:57:18 GMT
Diao's sloppy performance tonight was the only blemish in an otherwise very enjoyable game. He lost possession so many times it was frightening and the same goes with the number of times he gave away free kicks in dangerous positions. He was worryingly slow. TP has a blind spot when it comes to Salif but I hope the evidence in front of his eyes tonight will persuade him to have a little rethink. Fingers crossed. The only blemish Smudge? Are you forgetting the complete waste of space that was Sidibe? |
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Post by RAF on Mar 5, 2009 12:58:16 GMT
I'm sorry , can you tell me exactly what you think you are doing differently than anyone else?
Please don't try and tell me discussing on here some players failings has anything to do with getting behind the players or the team on the day.
H
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Post by march4 on Mar 5, 2009 17:03:03 GMT
Sidibe and Diao are somehow the most effective spine to our team. We get better results when they play.
Diao was poor last night and yet I remember that immense performance at Wigan where he seemed to be everywhere when we were repelling their attacks.
With Ethers back, TP now has selection problems and they are the best problems to have.
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Post by stokie4life on Mar 5, 2009 17:17:50 GMT
Diao was very poor last night and in recent games. I think when Ethers is back we should move Delap back into the centre
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Post by padders01 on Mar 21, 2009 18:35:51 GMT
I don't want to start another thread, but again he was the weak link today and as soon as he went off and Delap went into the middle we played 1000 times better.
We are carrying him all match, Whelan has to play the whole centre of the midfielder by himself.
We CAN NOT afford to carry anybody and he has simply got to go until he is match fit.
Delap played alot better than Diao has done all season and Amdy Faye is so much a better footballer than Diao at the moment.
I don't like bashing any Stoke player, I JUST WANT THE BEST FOR STOKE CITY FC. Diao is not that
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