This was very disappointing. On the plus side the team tried to play football for the whole game. Fuller, Waggie (a player I have previously doubted), Stephens, Evina and Jackson were all excellent. Big Yann chipped in with an upstoppable header beating the best keeper in the division who basically kept Birmingham in the game that lad has the potential to be a great keeper! That took us to 88 minutes, with Green on for Waggy who had run his socks off, that was a change that had worked.
Then for whatever reason was apparent to him but certainly to nobody else, least ways where I sit, he made two changes at 90 minutes, chaos ensued it was clear that once again players were not sure what they were supposed to be doing, who they were picking up and Birmingham equalised and we lost yet another two points in injury time. So can we now demote Chris Powell from demi-god to human being, albeit a really great one, and tell the truth and that is if he doesn't start to get his substitutions correct more often we will be in the relegation dogfight. I actually think if he had left well alone for the added time we would have been OK.
On the subject of the pitch it looked pretty dire which is a shame because in the 50+ years I have been going to The Valley we have always had a good pitch hopefully Paddy and his team will sort it out soon because it is begining to look like a cabbage patch.
What a nice bunch of people you all are. Me ? Not so I'm afraid, I am beginning to think that we lack intelligence in our Management/Coaching team. How many times are they going to watch us take a one goal lead into the last minutes, and then watch everybody pile back into our penalty area and invite the opposition to attack us ? If you can't work out that there must be a better way, how did you get your caoching badges ? I watched Spurs under the cosh in the last few minutes on Saturday with a one goal lead, and every time they played the ball out of defence. OK they have better quality than we have, but Newcastle pose a far greater threat than Birmingham who were awful. Hoofing the ball out will only produce another ball directly into our area where anything can happen. We are very slow learners, even if we survive in the Championship this time, how many supporters will we lose next season ? Chris Powell is a much loved and legendary Player, he needs help.
i thought wilson was pony in the last 3rd on saturday, he has got no killer instinct and i can't recall too many crosses from him or solly when wilson was on the pitch , hopefully a one off and no he isn't a scapegoat i'm only commenting on his performance on saturday
After watching the game on sat from my season in the lower west, decided to watch the highlights on iplayer. Cannot understand why Elliot was left completely unmarked for their equaliser, if you look he is in yards of space. Hope Chris gives defender responsible a right b?ll?ck??g! Basic defending principles!
After watching the game on sat from my season in the lower west, decided to watch the highlights on iplayer. Cannot understand why Elliot was left completely unmarked for their equaliser, if you look he is in yards of space. Hope Chris gives defender responsible a right b?ll?ck??g! Basic defending principles!
That was the problem powell and the defenders had no idea who they were marking due to his poor subsition decisions!
After watching the game on sat from my season in the lower west, decided to watch the highlights on iplayer. Cannot understand why Elliot was left completely unmarked for their equaliser, if you look he is in yards of space. Hope Chris gives defender responsible a right b?ll?ck??g! Basic defending principles!
That was the problem powell and the defenders had no idea who they were marking due to his poor subsition decisions!
Ridiculous comment. These guys are professional footballers; it is their job to know who they are marking in ALL circumstances.
The problem with SCP's substitutions, is that too often they're reactive rather than proactive, hence we end up with 2 or 3 subs coming on in the 90th minute when we're trying to get an equalizer (Shef Weds) or trying to hold on (Brum), and ending up shapeless.
Bringing on Dervite at such a late stage confused the defence - the players weren't sure who Dervite was meant to be picking up, as he wasn't on the left like Waggy was - and sent a negative signal that we were going to sit back and absorb pressure, and history shows that this season we're no good at that. Dervite for Stephens might have made more sense in hindsight...
Their goal showed we were "defending" with two lines of four, one on the edge of the box and no-one marking... but it's not all bad as we simply need to put a two goal lead together...and I think we have the strikers in Haynes, Fuller and Kermorgant to do that In answer to Oohaah's stats I prefer this website:
puts us on a 2.5% chance of relegation / making the top six and even highlights the most dramatic result of the day being Peterboro beating Leicester... according to them that shifted each teams chances by 8% whereas our result was a minor setback
do feel its the shape of the team rather than who actually comes on that is the problem . on sat there just seemed to be chaos after the subs cane on. scp does seem to be on a hiding to nothing with these situations but we need to sort it out sooner rather than later.
I don't recall the gap being 13 points , biggest gap I can recall is 10 points
after 28 games .... i looked in the sheff wed programme , we had 39 and p'boro were 3rd bottom on 26
ahh ok yeah just checked and you are right, its alarming but I think it will be a hard ask for a number of sides to keep that kind of form and overhaul us, we just need one more purple patch to make sure, as curbs used to say we keep doing what we are doing the results will come! a lot of sides down there will take points off each other and fritter away points, but like us might get shock result, which we have also shown we are capable of doing.
Either way, its a hell of a lot more interesting being in this division!
The problem with SCP's substitutions, is that too often they're reactive rather than proactive, hence we end up with 2 or 3 subs coming on in the 90th minute when we're trying to get an equalizer (Shef Weds) or trying to hold on (Brum), and ending up shapeless.
Bringing on Dervite at such a late stage confused the defence - the players weren't sure who Dervite was meant to be picking up, as he wasn't on the left like Waggy was - and sent a negative signal that we were going to sit back and absorb pressure, and history shows that this season we're no good at that. Dervite for Stephens might have made more sense in hindsight...
In fairness, I would not blame Dervite for that one. He had been on literally a few minutes, presumably under orders to help shore things up, by the time everyone worked out who was meant to be doing what it was too late. Much as I like Cort, Taylor is the best leader of a defence we have, I do wonder if having someone like that giving commands would help shore up the defence.
I was so bloody angry at my club at the final whistle that I resisted the urge to post after the game. I have not felt like that walking away from the Valley for many many years.
So 2 days later what do I think?
My thoughts at the final whistle:- Crap team, crap defending for the goal, Powell lost us the game with his ridiculous subs, who was picking up Elliot. The board must be considering Powells position after that, disgraceful management....blah..rant...blah..rant etc....
My thoughts now the dust has settled. Great performance by the team, if it wasn't for Bukland we would have had 4-5, flukey shot went to Elliot who put it in. If I was the manager, I would have put Green on for Wilson earlier, I would have put Devitte on to shore it up at the back when Powell did, and see out the time, I would not have put BWP on for Ric (who was holding the ball up), if the board sack Powell, then there will be no ST money from me (not that I think they are considering it).
We have been playing this season with the same team that was in L1, barring Ric. Powell has done wonders. Saturdays football was excellent to watch, we got a point, many would have taken that before the game, missed opportunity's cost us, as did nervousness, you only had to look at Villa yesterday, they have had serious issues with seeing out games. One day we will tonk someone 5 or 6 nil, the law of averages says that we will start putting the chances away, I would be more concerned if we were not creating the chances.
Lesson for me, football is about passion, as much as I bitch and moan when we lose, in the cold light of day there are more positives than negatives about Saturdays game.
Making similar mistakes game after game is the most disheartening, most culpable here is SCP, much as we love him, 2 years experience hasn't taught him much about: seeing/admitting that so-and-so is having a mare and needs to be subbed, winning ugly, defending a lead, not waiting for the opposition to make changes, before considering any of our own. On Saturday Wilson was having a total mare his crossing is worse than my 6 year old niece's and not really helping Solly much. SCP didn't even try swapping him with Waggy for a bit and Waggy's powers are greatly diminished on the left so it had to worth a look for 10 or 15 minutes. The team had panicked and folded in the previous 2 games so when we finally got past the exceptional Butland we all feared the next 5 minutes. Birmingham started to play for the first time in the match and rather than calling the players higher up the pitch and pressing the blues SCP sends the signal to back off drop back to the 6 yard line by sending on another centre half. I'm not saying go gung ho just carry on doing what had been working the whole game - Birmingham were awful and negative, openly time-wasting from 60 minutes in, they came for a draw and witless wrong-headed lack of conviction on charlton's part handed it to them on a plate. SCP's fine at leading a side when it is winning regularly and relatively easily but now as in 2011he seems stumped and hyper cautious when things aren't going so well. If Fuller and Yann stay fit their combination of quality(RF) and heroic passionate effort(YK) will ensure enough goals to keep the side ticking over - SCP has got to sort himself and the 8 behind them into a more focussed and clear thinking unit.
The problem with SCP's substitutions, is that too often they're reactive rather than proactive, hence we end up with 2 or 3 subs coming on in the 90th minute when we're trying to get an equalizer (Shef Weds) or trying to hold on (Brum), and ending up shapeless.
Bringing on Dervite at such a late stage confused the defence - the players weren't sure who Dervite was meant to be picking up, as he wasn't on the left like Waggy was - and sent a negative signal that we were going to sit back and absorb pressure, and history shows that this season we're no good at that. Dervite for Stephens might have made more sense in hindsight...
That's about the size of it.
Between them Cort and Morrison have enough experience and quality to hold a backline together for a 5 minute a rear guard action. Stephens's defensive usefulness is precisely nil, the amount of time he spent half-heartedly trailing around in the wake of the very limited Gomis on Saturday was embarassing
I think this was more down to bad luck than poor tactics. Butland had a great game and we were better than them in every other department. But, it is frustrating to see that we are only 7 points of the play offs and deserve to have gained 8 more points from our last three.
It reassured me that we actually are not far off being a promotion chasing side - a bit of fine tuning here and there and it looks like that is for next season now - providing we can keep this team together!!!!
An attacking player stands a couple of yards out in front of goal, and it's the manager's fault for not making it clear that one of the defenders should pick him up. Some of you lot should take a look at yourselves.
After watching the game on sat from my season in the lower west, decided to watch the highlights on iplayer. Cannot understand why Elliot was left completely unmarked for their equaliser, if you look he is in yards of space. Hope Chris gives defender responsible a right b?ll?ck??g! Basic defending principles!
That was the problem powell and the defenders had no idea who they were marking due to his poor subsition decisions!
Ridiculous comment. These guys are professional footballers; it is their job to know who they are marking in ALL circumstances.
Not really, you could say the strikers for birmingham are professional footballers and shouldn't get marked...
Powell messed the tactics up - centre back for a left winger. Before then we were marking well after the substition you could see no one knew where they should be/what the tactics were. Powells fault imo.
After watching the game on sat from my season in the lower west, decided to watch the highlights on iplayer. Cannot understand why Elliot was left completely unmarked for their equaliser, if you look he is in yards of space. Hope Chris gives defender responsible a right b?ll?ck??g! Basic defending principles!
That was the problem powell and the defenders had no idea who they were marking due to his poor subsition decisions!
Ridiculous comment. These guys are professional footballers; it is their job to know who they are marking in ALL circumstances.
Not really, you could say the strikers for birmingham are professional footballers and shouldn't get marked...
Powell messed the tactics up - centre back for a left winger. Before then we were marking well after the substition you could see no one knew where they should be/what the tactics were. Powells fault imo.
You're right, I can almost see Morrison's thought process now. 'Dervite on for Waggy? Wait, what does this mean for the team's shape? The manager has said nothing!! Hang on, as there's now a defensive player in the midfield, do I not mark the attacker inside the box? Is that what my job is now?! Maybe I should go in goal for a bit, or sit in the stands? I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO UNLESS THE MANAGER EXPLICITLY TELLS ME TO DO MY JOB!'
I don't remember exactly, but I'm pretty sure his head exploded after that..
I wonder if Powell was too worried about the big lump Zigic coming on (especially after he scored at St Andrews) and brought on the big defender to compensate, instead of someone pacier to counter the movement in the box...
The big question, is who was meant to be marking Elliott? He was playing in midfield, but in various roles, so wouldn't have been picked up by the CBs Morrison and Cprt.
Just watched the highlights on CAFCPlayer. For all the talk of Butland being like a bionic goalkeeper programmed to be all the best things from Yashin, Banks, Schmeichel and Buffon, there was only one save in there that I wouldn't expect any half decent keeper to make.
We've got to get more clinical with our finishing. Giving Yann a few more crosses like the one Pritch pulled out at Blackburn and Solly did on Saturday wouldn't go amiss either. Quality ball from the midget at right back, whip one of them in per match and Yann would be top goalscorer in the division.
Comments
Then for whatever reason was apparent to him but certainly to nobody else, least ways where I sit, he made two changes at 90 minutes, chaos ensued it was clear that once again players were not sure what they were supposed to be doing, who they were picking up and Birmingham equalised and we lost yet another two points in injury time. So can we now demote Chris Powell from demi-god to human being, albeit a really great one, and tell the truth and that is if he doesn't start to get his substitutions correct more often we will be in the relegation dogfight. I actually think if he had left well alone for the added time we would have been OK.
On the subject of the pitch it looked pretty dire which is a shame because in the 50+ years I have been going to The Valley we have always had a good pitch hopefully Paddy and his team will sort it out soon because it is begining to look like a cabbage patch.
Bringing on Dervite at such a late stage confused the defence - the players weren't sure who Dervite was meant to be picking up, as he wasn't on the left like Waggy was - and sent a negative signal that we were going to sit back and absorb pressure, and history shows that this season we're no good at that. Dervite for Stephens might have made more sense in hindsight...
In answer to Oohaah's stats I prefer this website:
sportsclubstats.com/England/ChampionshipLeague.html
puts us on a 2.5% chance of relegation / making the top six and even highlights the most dramatic result of the day being Peterboro beating Leicester... according to them that shifted each teams chances by 8% whereas our result was a minor setback
Either way, its a hell of a lot more interesting being in this division!
unbelievable how the whole division, practically, is closing up
5 wins
4 wins and 3 draws
3 wins and 6 draws
2 wins and 9 draws
1 win and 12 draws
15 draws
EDIT: I said 4 wins and a draw on Saturday but I think 53 might not be enough this time with it all being so tight.
So 2 days later what do I think?
My thoughts at the final whistle:-
Crap team, crap defending for the goal, Powell lost us the game with his ridiculous subs, who was picking up Elliot. The board must be considering Powells position after that, disgraceful management....blah..rant...blah..rant etc....
My thoughts now the dust has settled.
Great performance by the team, if it wasn't for Bukland we would have had 4-5, flukey shot went to Elliot who put it in. If I was the manager, I would have put Green on for Wilson earlier, I would have put Devitte on to shore it up at the back when Powell did, and see out the time, I would not have put BWP on for Ric (who was holding the ball up), if the board sack Powell, then there will be no ST money from me (not that I think they are considering it).
We have been playing this season with the same team that was in L1, barring Ric. Powell has done wonders. Saturdays football was excellent to watch, we got a point, many would have taken that before the game, missed opportunity's cost us, as did nervousness, you only had to look at Villa yesterday, they have had serious issues with seeing out games. One day we will tonk someone 5 or 6 nil, the law of averages says that we will start putting the chances away, I would be more concerned if we were not creating the chances.
Lesson for me, football is about passion, as much as I bitch and moan when we lose, in the cold light of day there are more positives than negatives about Saturdays game.
Same team for Hull away please.
COYR's
On Saturday Wilson was having a total mare his crossing is worse than my 6 year old niece's and not really helping Solly much. SCP didn't even try swapping him with Waggy for a bit and Waggy's powers are greatly diminished on the left so it had to worth a look for 10 or 15 minutes.
The team had panicked and folded in the previous 2 games so when we finally got past the exceptional Butland we all feared the next 5 minutes. Birmingham started to play for the first time in the match and rather than calling the players higher up the pitch and pressing the blues SCP sends the signal to back off drop back to the 6 yard line by sending on another centre half. I'm not saying go gung ho just carry on doing what had been working the whole game - Birmingham were awful and negative, openly time-wasting from 60 minutes in, they came for a draw and witless wrong-headed lack of conviction on charlton's part handed it to them on a plate. SCP's fine at leading a side when it is winning regularly and relatively easily but now as in 2011he seems stumped and hyper cautious when things aren't going so well. If Fuller and Yann stay fit their combination of quality(RF) and heroic passionate effort(YK) will ensure enough goals to keep the side ticking over - SCP has got to sort himself and the 8 behind them into a more focussed and clear thinking unit.
Between them Cort and Morrison have enough experience and quality to hold a backline together for a 5 minute a rear guard action. Stephens's defensive usefulness is precisely nil, the amount of time he spent half-heartedly trailing around in the wake of the very limited Gomis on Saturday was embarassing
It reassured me that we actually are not far off being a promotion chasing side - a bit of fine tuning here and there and it looks like that is for next season now - providing we can keep this team together!!!!
Powell messed the tactics up - centre back for a left winger. Before then we were marking well after the substition you could see no one knew where they should be/what the tactics were. Powells fault imo.
Wonder if he will be made to wear the famous yellow jersey this week?
;o)
I don't remember exactly, but I'm pretty sure his head exploded after that..
The big question, is who was meant to be marking Elliott? He was playing in midfield, but in various roles, so wouldn't have been picked up by the CBs Morrison and Cprt.
We've got to get more clinical with our finishing. Giving Yann a few more crosses like the one Pritch pulled out at Blackburn and Solly did on Saturday wouldn't go amiss either. Quality ball from the midget at right back, whip one of them in per match and Yann would be top goalscorer in the division.