The **OFFICIAL** Escape-Goating Thread

[Arkay DubyaGlobal Superstar]

Right, well, I should start having had first hand experience of the farce that was tonight. I'm sat at home now after having my dinner and a bit of a sit down and a cry and I am still left with one overwhelming feeling - bewilderment. How the fudge did we lose that? I'm not kidding when I say we should've won that 4-0. At the 35-40 minute mark, they hadn't had a sniff. A few balls into the box but no real threat, they didn't have any cutting edge or any real ideas. Then, one of the most incredible collapses I've ever seen. Marshall was at fault for two goals and horrific - nay, non-existent - marking accounted for the other three. Just like you've never seen. At that point it looked like every time they went forward they'd score.

Make no bones about this, Charlton were poor - we gave them all their goals. My friend summed it up perfectly "they've scored five goals without ever looking threatening". Amazingly, we were still the better team which is why this whole result perplexes me. In fairness, we had very little luck tonight and could easily have had 6 or 7 ourselves but things just didn't go our way and coupled with some ghastly defending created something of a perfect storm. One, I doubt we'll see again anytime soon...I hope.

Anyways, a quick summation for you (I shall not bother with ratings...)

Marshall - Had a Hardly had anything to do and when he did he ballsed it up. Lord knows what he was thinking for the first goal and why his arms inexplicably failed to work for the third. Chump of the Match, for sure.

Connolly/Hudson/Big Ben/Taylor - Funny I should group them as a unit because that's exactly what they failed to defend like tonight. Connolly looked the most assured. Big Ben made some good challenges but seemed hesitant at times and communication between him and Hudson must've been in Double Dutch judging by how crap they were at picking up Charlton players in the box. Taylor was the same as Taylor always is, for better or worse. A collective from them all.

Cowie - Did simple stuff well and was having an unfussy solid game until the 40 minute mark when he underwent the collective collapse that the whole team suffered and started booting the ball in the air.

Noone/Frei - both worked hard, tracked back and seemed to cause problems but also went missing at various points. Noone, in fairness, really made efforts to get City back in the match. Probably the best player overall on the night.

Whitts - had a poor game in the first half, kept giving the ball away but seemed to get the bit between his teeth at 5-2 down and helped galvanise the "comeback". He almost...ALMOST looked pissed off.

Helguson - scored a great header then disappeared for the rest of the game.

Mason - was more of a threat but did tend to drift in and out of the game. I don't think him and Helguson up front is a good pairing. They don't link up very well or offer what the other lacks. Time for a rethink up front.

Gunnar - gave the ball away a bit too much (another one guilty of booting the ball up towards the stars) but was on a hiding to nothing as the game was already lost when he came on. Took his chance well and did give the midfield a bit more steel.

Kimbo - the guy clearly has talent, had some great touches but I can see why Malky has taken his time to bring him in. I think it'll be a while longer before we see the best of him.

Gestede - leapt around like a salmon and had the heading ability of one. Caused problems just by being there but won only a few headers in truth. Hard to know whether he has good feet as NOBODY ever passes to them.

Malky - Oh dear. He had a for me too. Whatever was said at half-time simply did not work as Charlton just walked in three goals not long afterward. It also took us to be 5-2 down before we saw any changes. Still the man for the job for me, one bad result does not a bad manager make but he needs to learn and fix the defensive issues - sharpish.

Vincent Tan - he wasn't there and failed to do the Ayatollah when I sang it for him. Shocking performance.

I'll make Slumdog's night by saying I thought we needed more steel in the midfield and someone like Kiss might be the answer, sat in front of the back four. I also think that either Helguson or Mason needs to be swapped out, maybe for Velcro? Might be a good time to rotate Marshall for a bit too. As for the defence? Fudge knows...

[KamuzaInternational Call-Up]

I'll whisper it but does anyone think, away from home, we might put Whitts back out wide? His breakout season in terms of goals scored came when he played wide and we can pair him with a genuine pacy winger in Noone. Then we can be double hard (Gunns and Kiss) in the middle.

[Slimfrog's Son™Global Superstar]

I'd say we are all in agreement that we need to FIST Kiss. Unfortunately Whitts has been repeatedly anonymous when we play away. And Joe Lewis has to come in for Marshall. The defence need to be put in the stocks on Queen Street over this though. I haven't been Helguson's biggest fan but the guy battled all match. And I can safely say I love Noone almost as much as I love Kiss. The guy plays like he supports City.

[Arkay DubyaGlobal Superstar]

I think that is well worth a try. I have to say, I think Mutch will make a difference too.

I saw the Millwall game earlier this season which was Maynard, Smith, Noone, Mutch, Gunnar and Whitts in a 4-5-1. We played well that night and were barely troubled at all. For the first 40 minutes of this game, it was exactly the same.

In the absence of Mutch, the 4-5-1 with Kiss in instead might be the best option. Saying that, I think we'd need a poacher/pacey striker up front for that to work. Either Bellamy or Velcro (if he's up to it). I wouldn't be convinced either Mason or Helguson could do that role.

[Arkay DubyaGlobal Superstar]

I'd say we are all in agreement that we need to FIST Kiss. Unfortunately Whitts has been repeatedly anonymous when we play away. And Joe Lewis has to come in for Marshall. The defence need to be put in the stocks on Queen Street over this though. I haven't been Helguson's biggest fan but the guy battled all match. And I can safely say I love Noone almost as much as I love Kiss. The guy plays like he supports City.

Helguson is the new Miller. He tries hard but doesn't offer enough as a striker to convince me of his starting place. As a sub, yes, but not to start.

Given the amount of creativity we now have in midfield I think there is room for a battler like Kiss. Noone is awesome, possibly our best signing this year.

[Slimfrog's Son™Global Superstar]

Helguson isn't a target man, he isn't big enough and his distribution and lay-offs aren't either. That means we can't play 4-5-1 with him up front because we all know he doesn't work in that formation. Maybe Velcro would but he's not even on the bench so who knows. Mason is still way too raw. And not sure Bellers could play lone striker. But you are spot on that 4-5-1 with Nicky up front does work because at this level he's a pretty complete forward and by now he would be hammering the goals in for us

[KamuzaInternational Call-Up]

We've got a plodding forward and a huge hole in the middle and yet Velcro and Kiss can't get near the team. Fine if they were a pair of free signings not panning out as we hoped but we paid good money for them both. Gahhhhh. (we need a frustrated smiley)

[RhysGlobal Superstar]

Great write up Arkay. How strange to think that this one should have been in the bag.

Thank goodness that we managed to pull it back because at the end of the day this is equivalent to 1-0 loss in regards to goal difference

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