OFFISHAL MATCH FRED

First topic message reminder :

Okay, enough transfer speculation and birthday cake, what's your prediction for team and score tomorrow?


Subs: Lewis, McNaughton, Conway, Mutch, Ralls, Rudy, Helguson.

3 - 0 City......

Oh dear. Getting closer

Taylor just saved us the match, great stop. And with the promising counterattack, guess who gave the ball away again?

We need a clinical finisher to put away our chances, so Malky brings on Helguson. Im not sure whether this is evidence we need a new striker or Malky has just lost it, but it makes me want to cry.

mason has been poor since he has come on.

We have been very poor today. So many passing errors.

Well well well. Good on Ipswich, they played well and Mick has done wonders since arriving.

I fancy they could still even make a late push for the play-offs if they go on a run. If not, no doubt will be challenging next season.

Ill leave the match ratings to Kamuza as he's better at them. But ill make some points I spotted -

- Conway is becoming the new Cowie, seemingly unable to be replaced. Had a horrible, horrible game, giving the ball way countless times. About the only thing he could do right was dive.

- Has anyone seen Mason? I swear I saw him come on but I cant remember him touching the ball. Similar can go for Gestede

-Bellamy was brilliant, but lacked any decent support. Needs the support of a better striker and they could be devestating together

-Connolly also poor, we definetely need a new right back. Some sloppy defending from that side and one time he missed the ball for a clearance entirely and nearly gifted Chopra a goal. Good centreback cover, but shouldn't be a fullback

-Taylor was pretty good! Seemed effective in attack, and saved our skin at the back.

-Noone was awesome from what I saw, most dangerous player on the pitch. Why the hell did Malky bring him off? Smith was also impressive but I wanted to see Conway leave, Noone to go to the left and Smith go right. Malky logic rules all though, apparently.

-Whitts was looking more dangerous, but still not quite at his best. Ill grant him that he put in some great balls, but it was a shame there was no one on the end of them too often.

Ill take a point though, so im happy. Im going to be shouting 'GET CONWAY OFF!' in my sleep for days though.

We've had a massive rainstorm here and lost internet at half time. Couldn't get the stream back until 3 minutes from time, but from what I saw it looked a pretty dire game. We seem to have developed the skill of giving the ball to the opposition without good reason, at any point in the game.....

Seriously, teams are going to try to get amongst our midfield, so there has to be a Plan B

We desperately need a striker. Gestede was woeful and looked completely out of his depth. I would also like to see Noone back on the left with Smith on the right. Carlton Cole anyone? (He's been told he can go).

Feckin freezing cold, piss poor game.
Can't remember one clear cut chance.
Probably should have taken off Conway rather than Noone.
Harrumph.

Cyncoedslumdog wrote:We desperately need a striker. Gestede was woeful and looked completely out of his depth. I would also like to see Noone back on the left with Smith on the right. Carlton Cole anyone? (He's been told he can go).

It's going back to what I said a while back - we can't rule out long ball football. The draw is a good result especially considering results around us, but at times this game stunk of us being figured out. Our lack of a true out an out striker puts a heck of a reliance on our midfield, and teams are spotting that and realising the way to neutralise us is to not allow them to flow. We can't do anything to stop it happening right now, because long balls don't have anyone capable enough on the end of them.

Don't rule me out straight away here. Carlton Cole is a perfect example of the type of player I feel we need. I'm not saying if we get him we should play hoofball all season long, but it's the key to breaking teams down. Whittingham played some delightful balls today, and some of our best chances came from them falling to Noone and Bellamy (Conway got some too but he invariably just gave it away). If we find ourselves being pressurised off of our fluid passing style, one way to mix things up is to flick it long over to the wings or to a waiting target man like Cole. Put yourself a in the opposing teams boots - if the opposition like to pass it a lot then press forward and focus on shutting out the midfield. If the opposition play long football, then your defence sits back and monitors the strikers carefully. But a team that is capable of either playstyle? That will give any team a headache, because going after the midfield leaves gaps at the back and sitting back gives the midfield way too much room. Attacking perfection, really.

Carlton palmer anyone?

Vinnie Tans Tache wrote:Carlton palmer anyone?

.....or Harry Palmer, but not a lot of people know that!!

Wednesday 3-1 up. Looks more & more like point gained rather than 2 lost. Hull just missed a penalty.

Crap performance but a great point in retrospect. Just goes to show what a tricky league this is. Leicester are the ones to watch.

Can't believe results went our way again, I would hope We dont lose momentum even tho itbwas a shoddy performance, fresh faces.r needed Deffo a striker,