Quite simply we played a stunning game of footbal from 15 to 45 minutes today. We went 1-0 down and came back with a stunning controlled onslaught. Excellent passing and movement, Bouazza's goal was absolutely brilliant, the breakaway from defence was exceptional and fluid. I felt so proud of my team. Pardew was animated and directing, there was a real will to win. Early in the second half we should have been 3-1 up only to find ouselves 3-2 down 5 mins later.. unlucky but our heads didn't drop and we continued to play good football and create chances. There is structure and a pattern we are playing as a unit
Having been to the last two games there is hope. Semedo has been excellent today in midfield and Weaver despite his slip made up for his error when he forced Larrson wide when through on goal. Moutakil gives us options we didn;t have with Cranie and Youga is playing with a new found maturity. Holland supported Gray very well today.
The problem will be that the team will be playing at the Valley next week and that is the casue for concern. Confidence is brittle we must as fans seek to underpin our team with support, even if we go down after 10 mins.
Finally I sat with a Brum supporter today boy do there crwod get behind theri team, not just one side but all sides, we could learn a thing from that
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We've had the usual outbursts again tonight slagging off Pardew and the team.
Why? Simply because we didn't win at St Andrews.
So the knives are out again regardless of yet another good team performance.
If only we would put the energy we spend slagging off Pardew - into actually getting behind the team.
And then it all went badly wrong at the start of the 2nd half. We hit the post when it would have been easier to score. If we could have got that 3rd goal, I'm confident it would have been all over. However, typically for us, within 2 minutes Weaver lost his footing & gifted a harmless cross to Phillips, who isn't going to miss from point blank range. Soon after, Weaver again spills a shot straight to a Birmingham player & we're suddenly 3-2 down.
We played the last 30 minutes against 10 men & looked absolutely clueless! We just couldn't manage to get the ball into the danger areas at all, as Birmingham put all 10 players behind the ball & lumped it into row Z at every opportunity. Todorov looked slower than slow & his substitution didn't work at all, for me. Our confidence had just evaporated & we could have played until Xmas & never scored.
I was delighted with our 1st half performance. Our second half, though, was shocking. We just didn't seem to know what to do. Overall, a totally frustrating performance & I'm still not convinced that we have enough to stay in this division. Maybe these much feted loan players will make all the difference!! LOL.
Easier to score ? I thought he did well to hit the post, he was practically on the byline.
Agree that the last 20 odd minutes were a bit disappointing but they did get ten men behind the ball and with the changes we made we seemed to lose our shape and resorted to lumping the ball into the box and hoping. If we had kept to the controlled football and look to fashion some decent chances we might have faired better. As for Toddy. Well, he was waiting for the ball to come to him and wasn't prepared or able to move for it. Very poor and a waste of a sub.
I predict a much, much better home performance but whether we get all three points, who knows ?
Catch 22. I wonder if we would have played as well as we did in the first half if the game had been at The Valley? The players didn't have the pressure of the boos/groans, abuse, and played brilliantly to come from behind.
After 3-2 in the second half, we never looked like scoring, but, yeah they did get 10 men behind the ball, and timewaste loads.
Semedo must start imo. Would like to see Varney back next to Gray (who played well imo)
My impression (I didn't go) is that we've turned a corner and that people should lay off Pardew's back.
If we were signing players on contracts I'd see some light. . . . not loanees.
But I thought Pardew had admitted his mistakes regarding loanees last season and yet here we are in early NOVEMBER straying back to a failed policy??
But the point I can't get out of my head, even now, is how can a club that was supposedly so well managed can be in such a pitiful state that it can't even afford to pay off it's failing manager!
Saturday, in terms of the rest of the season, is a huge game.
Sod back to back 'performances' (lot piss and wind all that), when did we last put together back to back wins??
For the first time this season, we've had back to back performances. If there had been any justice in the world, they'd at least have been back to back results. People who went to Argyle (including me) and Birmingham have said so.
Because I saw the team play hugely better in virtually all departments, I'm encouraged.
Shouldn't we put our energy behind supporting our team and encouraging them against Sheff Utd?
Instead of praying that Pardew falls on his sword.
For the next period up until Christmas I'm couldn't give a monkeys toss about performances, that's smoke and mirrors til we get points on the board. I just want back to back wins even if we are outplayed for every game, couldn't careless.
Nobody is praying for Pardew to resign because he's not going to and wants a pay-out so that's a non runner.
Luke Varney knocking in a hat-trick off his backside will do me at the moment.
Finally I sat with a Brum supporter today boy do there crwod get behind theri team, not just one side but all sides, we could learn a thing from that[/quote]
Finally I sat with a Brum supporter today boy do there crwod get behind theri team, not just one side but all sides, we could learn a thing from that[/quote]
Sorry got it wrong above. Agree with all you said Latimer, apart from the above. I was in the Directors' box yesterday, and all I could hear was the Charlton fans until Brum got in front.
Not sure what formation we'll play next week at home, but if we don't get three points we're in big trouble.
Why has it taken so bleedin' long?!!
quoting myself here but on seeing Sam's chance again then yes he should have scored. Wasn't an acute angle and nowhere near as close to the byline as I thought. At 3-1 it would have been game over. Others elsewhere have blamed Weaver for his couple of mistakes, but keeper mistakes are alsways highlighted, and others such as Sam's miss go unnoticed in comparison.