Nail biter to the final whistle but what an immensely important win!!!
Thought the boys sat back when we went 1 up which allowed Yeovil to nip in and bang the equaliser home. Too much faffing around in front of our goal - we should be punting the ball away and not gifting it to the opposition.
Poyet was far and away the best player on the pitch, and if it weren't for him we'd be totally screwed this season. Just hope we can hang on to him for a while longer - pure class!
At 3-1 our daughter (aged 10) suggested 5-2 would be a good score with us to score from the kick off after they pulled one back! I was always comfortable once we took a 2-1 then 3-1 lead as I thought it was only if the ref was prepared to throw away his career and gift them an equaliser that we would fail to win. In short we were better in key areas, especially down our side of the pitch - we sit in the upper west... Poyet, Cousins, Ajdarevic... Wiggins made up for a poor game on.Saturday with.precision in tackles, clearances and short passing. I've said all along that we were at risk if Wilson out before Solly back - if Morrison preferred to Nego that tells us a lot but perhaps 3-5-2 in future games now Cort has appeared again? Upfront I'm not sure about playing both Reza and Sordell but certainly better than the other fella... And I've always been convinced by Obika. Confident we were better and we can finish the job in part 2 next Tuesday because at the heart of this squad I see a mid-table team which Riga is teasing out with this WLWLWL pattern. The one thing Yeovil had was pace and urgency with some of their attacking - we could do with some of that - let's see what the club does over the summer on that front.
Ten minutes after they equalised I would have settled for a point. It was a strange game - lots of effort from both sides, some good moves but some pretty dire bits as well. Whether we deserved to win is arguable, but the first 15 mins of the second half saw us on top and made the difference. Then, just as we were starting to look home and dry, we had panic stations and the sight of four centre halves defending our lead.
Morrison looked uncomfortable but did his best at right back, while Dervite had a solid game, scored but did seem to be AWOL for their first goal. Wiggins had a decent game but Cousins was the stand out player, ahead of Poyet, who gave away the ball badly twice in the first half, but had an excellent second half. Sordell looked like an almost proper striker and Reza flitted in and out. As for AA, it's hard to find a player that wheezes so much after one long run - is he really 24 as someone informed me. Our skipper may not be the best player in the Championship, but his effort, guile and leadership helped us to hold on to out flimsy advantage.
That was way harder than it should have been. Thought Riga made a big mistake playing Morrison right back. Taking him away from the central position but more seriously, he is simply not able to play right back. You need somebody who is mobile, can turn quickly and can pass the ball in the full back positions. This is really important both defensively but also because full backs see a lot of the ball in possession. A right midfield player (not that we've got one of those) is better suited to right back than a centre half in my opinion. Alternatively one of the young full backs or Hughes, and leave the centre halves the same. Could well have cost us - we were all over the shop first half and then ended up having to switch everything in front of the defence to help protect him. Calamitous two goals conceded. Some of the Powell beraters would have had a field day if he'd made that tactical decision. And on that note, bringing Cort on at the end for Sordell to leave us with 5 defenders to hang on to the game... that sort of decision cost CP a few times too... it's a fine line between being a tactical genius and a clueless out of your depth sunday league manager..
Anyway, worked out just about in the end, hated seeing Cousins back on the right but to be fair to him he had one of his better games out there.
Obika looked like a right carthorse when he came on couldn't control the ball at all.
Result is a very very big one and we really should stay up now given our run in and the teams above us that our now potentially catchable.... but I'm not holding my breathe - a winnable home game for the suddenly in form scum and a defeat at Brighton and we're back in the drop zone...
I thought we were far better than them - unfortunately nerves and Hamer having a rare poor game made the game closer than it should have been. Also, there was a spell in the second half when we looked a class apart - ref was really poor here I thought as they were fowling every time we got past them and the book needed to come out. You can't reward fowling ref!
We looked better second half because Reza dropped back into a 4-5-1. I thought Reza had his best game for us, getting used to the pace and the physical demands of the Championship perhaps, although he did bottle that challenge.
Poyet is one hell of a player, hard to believe he's only 18. Shouldn't underestimate Cousins's contribution though. We lost a little momentum when the disgracefully unfit but hugely talented Ajdarevic went off, and our defending was woeful - two comedy goals conceded - but we earned and deserved the win.
Not a right back worthy of the name in the building it seems. Says something when you'd rather make 3 changes to your defence than play Nego. Let's hope Wilson is fit on Saturday because a team that can put 4 past Leicester at their place would have been in double figures against our Keystone Cops tonight.
A very strange performance, far more open than we've seen in weeks, the defence was far worse than it's been recently, I assume they haven't had much time to work on their formation since Wilson's injury, as they looked all at sea at times. But definitely signs of promise up front, Reza does have moments of quality we've not seen this season, even if he tended to drift very deep, he won quite a few free kicks for us, Sordell's confidence and energy definitely improved after his goal.
Selections seem slightly random, Church playing 90 on Saturday, but nowhere today, Nego playing for the U21s yesterday when we had no Wilson today (was his injury today?), I imagine Obika will play on Saturday as he'll have something to prove, though he did very little today after he came on.
Leeds are in meltdown, but play Blackpool and Barnsley next, and Birmingham soon afterwards, so unless we can overtake them, we really need them to get their act together quickly!
Oh, and that Jiminez chump needs shooting. Poyet will be worth comfortably more than what he flogged the entire Club to Roly Poly for. A bit of foresight from him there and him and his mates could've made some cash out of Charlton.
That boy is pure, pure class. His reading of the game and awareness is sensational. The positions he turns up in to break up the play, he just knows where to be, where to run, when to cover for others. Timing of his tackles is superb. No fear. Passing so accurate. Thank f*ck he emerged because if he hadn't we would be all but relegated by now. He'll go on to way better things but if we stay up this season we'll have a lot to thank him for regardless of where he is headed next.
Finally the attack looks threatening and the defence panics and makes mistakes. Need morro in the centre and prefer dervite to wood though both made errors tonight. Front six still look disjointed but against bottom half opposition there is enough individual class to see us win, poyet outstanding again. Hope we revert to type Saturday and go for a clean sheet. 2 more wins and a couple of draws should now be enough.
the right back situation needs to be sorted out. Solly is class but if he's not gonna ever play again it needs to be high on the list in the summer. Morro at right back was a bit silly. He is our most solid CB and is defo not a ball player. We had a solid right back for a change but lord of mercy it was painful when he tried to play to feet. It also weakened the centre of the defence.
The midfield was good, strike force ok, THE MARV HAS COME GOOD (well he scored...)
my nan was over from the might torrivieja and she brought us the luck we needed,
it wasn't convincing but who cares?!?!? we fackin won a game we really really needed to,
Skimmed through other posts and cannot agree with anyone who thought Reza (or Sordell) had a 'good game'... Yes, Reza put in the cross for the the 3rd, but otherwise I thought he was lightweight, in the wrong place at the wrong time most of the time, bottled challenges and generally ran around without doing anything...for me we were playing with ten men with him.. Sordell was so frustrating..am glad he got the goal but am sure even I could have scored that.. he did grow in confidence after that goal and I liked his chasing down, but on the whole just not enough effort for me... Defence was all over the place...love Morro but he is not the ball playing right back we seemed to think he might become simply by moving him out there...never again please Jose..
When we went direct, we seemed to get a result...AA's goal and then Wiggins nearly making up for playing Yeovil onside for their first, with a great run down the left, only for Reza to miss...more forward play please...
Hate the sitting deep, with 35 minutes to go, even with a 2 goal lead...we invited the pressure on and let Yeovil play and we're simply not good enough (with a makeshift defence) to see the game out like that.. I liked Yeovil's style of play - lots of quick, forward, passing...neat one touches and one-twos to get themselves forward...fortunately they weren't good enough to fully capitalise..
Special mention to Cousins who has been marginally overlooked in favour of Poyet of late...the lad put in some great crunching tackles, broke up play and looked to get forward... Poyet, again, looked class...
Don't expect a result on Sat (they owe us from Boxing Day and you know Stephens will score...), but a win next Tues please chaps.
Such a shame we are not at the other end of the table and in with a shout of having both cousins and poyet to build around next season. Whatever we get for poyet it won't be enough.
Think Sordell put a decent shift in tonight. Hopefully that should see Church off for the rest of the season (can't fault him for effort, maybe he needs to reinvent himself as a winger).
Funny how people see things, everything bad in our defence tonight was through Dervite, he wanted to play football in all the wrong areas, and I blame him for both Yeovil goals, on the other hand I felt for someone playin out of position Morrison was first class. Obika was obsolute toilet when he came on and Harriot shit himself from a challenge which would have seen him clear and then play silly buggers on the edge of our area. Thought Sordell put a geat shift in. And it was probably the worst 3-2 win I have ever seen but I will take that. Re Obika it's a shit song and he looked better with better players around him last season. MOM Wiggins
That was way harder than it should have been. Thought Riga made a big mistake playing Morrison right back. Taking him away from the central position but more seriously, he is simply not able to play right back. You need somebody who is mobile, can turn quickly and can pass the ball in the full back positions. This is really important both defensively but also because full backs see a lot of the ball in possession. A right midfield player (not that we've got one of those) is better suited to right back than a centre half in my opinion. Alternatively one of the young full backs or Hughes, and leave the centre halves the same. Could well have cost us - we were all over the shop first half and then ended up having to switch everything in front of the defence to help protect him. Calamitous two goals conceded. Some of the Powell beraters would have had a field day if he'd made that tactical decision. And on that note, bringing Cort on at the end for Sordell to leave us with 5 defenders to hang on to the game... that sort of decision cost CP a few times too... it's a fine line between being a tactical genius and a clueless out of your depth sunday league manager..
Anyway, worked out just about in the end, hated seeing Cousins back on the right but to be fair to him he had one of his better games out there.
Obika looked like a right carthorse when he came on couldn't control the ball at all.
Result is a very very big one and we really should stay up now given our run in and the teams above us that our now potentially catchable.... but I'm not holding my breathe - a winnable home game for the suddenly in form scum and a defeat at Brighton and we're back in the drop zone...
I think one of the differences between Riga and Powell, you might argue, is that even in the first half Riga was switching things around to try and correct for problems caused by his initial selection and formation. It's conjecture, but I suspect Powell would have tried to tough it out until at least half time. Powell tended to trust his initial judgment more, believing it would work out in the end (which it sometimes did) where as Riga seems more willing to make proactive adjustments based on what he sees unfolding in front of him. There have been changes that Riga has made which have made no difference or that have maybe even lost us momentum and he's made a few weird starting team selections, you are certainly right that it often comes down to very fine margins, but I'm glad that Riga appears to be more proactive from the touchline. Even the most staunch Powell supporter can surely admit to being frustrated at the lack of action Powell sometimes displayed in games that were clearly not going our way.
That was way harder than it should have been. Thought Riga made a big mistake playing Morrison right back. Taking him away from the central position but more seriously, he is simply not able to play right back. You need somebody who is mobile, can turn quickly and can pass the ball in the full back positions. This is really important both defensively but also because full backs see a lot of the ball in possession. A right midfield player (not that we've got one of those) is better suited to right back than a centre half in my opinion. Alternatively one of the young full backs or Hughes, and leave the centre halves the same. Could well have cost us - we were all over the shop first half and then ended up having to switch everything in front of the defence to help protect him. Calamitous two goals conceded. Some of the Powell beraters would have had a field day if he'd made that tactical decision. And on that note, bringing Cort on at the end for Sordell to leave us with 5 defenders to hang on to the game... that sort of decision cost CP a few times too... it's a fine line between being a tactical genius and a clueless out of your depth sunday league manager..
Anyway, worked out just about in the end, hated seeing Cousins back on the right but to be fair to him he had one of his better games out there.
Obika looked like a right carthorse when he came on couldn't control the ball at all.
Result is a very very big one and we really should stay up now given our run in and the teams above us that our now potentially catchable.... but I'm not holding my breathe - a winnable home game for the suddenly in form scum and a defeat at Brighton and we're back in the drop zone...
I think one of the differences between Riga and Powell, you might argue, is that even in the first half Riga was switching things around to try and correct for problems caused by his initial selection and formation. It's conjecture, but I suspect Powell would have tried to tough it out until at least half time. Powell tended to trust his initial judgment more, believing it would work out in the end (which it sometimes did) where as Riga seems more willing to make proactive adjustments based on what he sees unfolding in front of him. There have been changes that Riga has made which have made no difference or that have maybe even lost us momentum and he's made a few weird starting team selections, you are certainly right that it often comes down to very fine margins, but I'm glad that Riga appears to be more proactive from the touchline. Even the most staunch Powell supporter can surely admit to being frustrated at the lack of action Powell sometimes displayed in games that were clearly not going our way.
Yes a definite Powell fan and I'm still dubious about what's in store for the club from JR and RD BUT, JR does switch things about if it doesn't seem to be working.
Phew....... Astrit's goal was a piec of classy individual skill. Then we fell apart at the back and thye got a cheap goal back. Was worried that we'd struggle to hold on after first half. Then we got two in quick succession - Charlton scored 3 before 55 minutes! Dervite's header was good and Sordell might only have tapped in, but he was there to tap in. Something we've been missing is both balls into the box and someone to tap them in. No complaints from me, thought he worked well tonight. When they got one back through another defensive error I feared we might settle for a draw but we held on. Good to see big Leon back, with our 4 CB/1 LB defence! Lots of individual errors tonight, but also some very nice touches - true of Reza, Harriott, WIggins. AA would be in a much higher league if he could stay fit for a whole game. Both Cousins and Poyet top today. Morro struggled as RB and Yeovil exploited it a bit. However, we won, woohoo! I can see why Yeovil concede loads, but they never give up, which is pretty admirable. Would be happy to see them stay up if we weren't in danger of going down.
I couldn't believe it when they equalized after our first goal. We don't score many anyway and then to have scored a cracker so early on only to have it pulled back within 2 minutes was something of a downer. I didn't feel too good when I saw Morro was starting at RB and their first goal just about summed that up. His mistake led to confusion at the back I believe. After that we huffed and puffed for the rest of the half apart from the last few minutes when we almost scored a couple of times. Hamar's distribution was pretty poor although I thought the rest of his game was ok. AA's goal was pretty sublime.
In the second half I moving Cousins to right midfield helped Morro at RB - at least it felt more solid. Two quick goals were totally unexpected but Yeovil were never down and out and looked dangerous every time they came forward. Their second goal was no surprise and we were holding on at the end.
Three magnificent points though and I thought Poyet was immense. The best game I think he's played for us.
I honestly thought JR would reinstate Moro to CB at half time with either Cousins or Hughes to RB or even go with 5 at the back. As others have said he was not comfortable with the ball at feet and the defence was all over the place with him out of the middle, so sorry JR you got that wrong and failed to sort it. However the decision to go with Sordell proved to be justified and I thought Reza had his best game for us thus far. Astrit is class albeit for an hour, if only he could up his stamina what a player he could be. Poyet is something else and Cousins almost back to his best, I dread to think where we would be without the emergence of these two starlets this season. Apart from playing them onside for the equaliser Wiggins played well. Hamer and Dervite were due a dip in form but fortunately the result overshadowed this. The safety line gets ever closer and we can look to leapfrog teams above now rather than look over our shoulders at those below. A point Saturday would be great and another win next Tuesday and we are nearly there COYRs
The fact that we have Morrison playing right-back is ridiculous, how poor must Nego be if we are switching our best centre-half to right-back? Especially as Morrison is really not any sort of right-back at the best of times, certainly not in the way that you could play Herman at centre-half or left-back.
As others have said, surely Hughes or one of the youngsters could slot in there whilst Wilson is out?
Just home, and the overwhelming feeling is one of relief. Bottom line - it is 3 home goals and 3 points on a night, in a reversal of last saturday, when all of our relegation rivals except Millwall lost. That can only be fantastic. BUT, Hamer had a bit of a mare, Morro looked very shaky all night in the unfamiliar RB role and only Wiggins in the whole defence played well - in fact he was excellent. Midfield was strong though, with Poyet in particular showing remarkable awareness, anticipation and composure for one so young. Sordell and Reza did well up front too, although I was a little disappointed with Obika's contribution when he came on - a real headless chicken cameo.
A vital victory, and strangely, I feel that Brighton's big win at Leicester might work in our favour on Saturday. If Wilson is back and our defence re-solidifies I feel we could sneak a 0-1 win down at the Seaside. Even a point there, and then another Tuesday night win against Barnsley next week, and i might just start to believe we can stay in this Division. I really, really thought we had blown it. Now, at the very least, we have given ourselves a good fighting chance.
What a strange game. Not typical of our season at all. Defence all at sea and scoring 3 at the other end? Still, one of the more enjoyable games I've seen this year.
So glad Hamer chose tonight to have a mare because the rest of the team chose tonight to score goals.
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Thought the boys sat back when we went 1 up which allowed Yeovil to nip in and bang the equaliser home.
Too much faffing around in front of our goal - we should be punting the ball away and not gifting it to the opposition.
Poyet was far and away the best player on the pitch, and if it weren't for him we'd be totally screwed this season. Just hope we can hang on to him for a while longer - pure class!
I was always comfortable once we took a 2-1 then 3-1 lead as I thought it was only if the ref was prepared to throw away his career and gift them an equaliser that we would fail to win.
In short we were better in key areas, especially down our side of the pitch - we sit in the upper west... Poyet, Cousins, Ajdarevic... Wiggins made up for a poor game on.Saturday with.precision in tackles, clearances and short passing.
I've said all along that we were at risk if Wilson out before Solly back - if Morrison preferred to Nego that tells us a lot but perhaps 3-5-2 in future games now Cort has appeared again?
Upfront I'm not sure about playing both Reza and Sordell but certainly better than the other fella... And I've always been convinced by Obika.
Confident we were better and we can finish the job in part 2 next Tuesday because at the heart of this squad I see a mid-table team which Riga is teasing out with this WLWLWL pattern.
The one thing Yeovil had was pace and urgency with some of their attacking - we could do with some of that - let's see what the club does over the summer on that front.
Morrison looked uncomfortable but did his best at right back, while Dervite had a solid game, scored but did seem to be AWOL for their first goal. Wiggins had a decent game but Cousins was the stand out player, ahead of Poyet, who gave away the ball badly twice in the first half, but had an excellent second half. Sordell looked like an almost proper striker and Reza flitted in and out. As for AA, it's hard to find a player that wheezes so much after one long run - is he really 24 as someone informed me. Our skipper may not be the best player in the Championship, but his effort, guile and leadership helped us to hold on to out flimsy advantage.
Anyway, worked out just about in the end, hated seeing Cousins back on the right but to be fair to him he had one of his better games out there.
Obika looked like a right carthorse when he came on couldn't control the ball at all.
Result is a very very big one and we really should stay up now given our run in and the teams above us that our now potentially catchable.... but I'm not holding my breathe - a winnable home game for the suddenly in form scum and a defeat at Brighton and we're back in the drop zone...
Poyet is one hell of a player, hard to believe he's only 18. Shouldn't underestimate Cousins's contribution though. We lost a little momentum when the disgracefully unfit but hugely talented Ajdarevic went off, and our defending was woeful - two comedy goals conceded - but we earned and deserved the win.
Not a right back worthy of the name in the building it seems. Says something when you'd rather make 3 changes to your defence than play Nego. Let's hope Wilson is fit on Saturday because a team that can put 4 past Leicester at their place would have been in double figures against our Keystone Cops tonight.
But definitely signs of promise up front, Reza does have moments of quality we've not seen this season, even if he tended to drift very deep, he won quite a few free kicks for us, Sordell's confidence and energy definitely improved after his goal.
Selections seem slightly random, Church playing 90 on Saturday, but nowhere today, Nego playing for the U21s yesterday when we had no Wilson today (was his injury today?), I imagine Obika will play on Saturday as he'll have something to prove, though he did very little today after he came on.
Leeds are in meltdown, but play Blackpool and Barnsley next, and Birmingham soon afterwards, so unless we can overtake them, we really need them to get their act together quickly!
That boy is pure, pure class. His reading of the game and awareness is sensational. The positions he turns up in to break up the play, he just knows where to be, where to run, when to cover for others. Timing of his tackles is superb. No fear. Passing so accurate. Thank f*ck he emerged because if he hadn't we would be all but relegated by now. He'll go on to way better things but if we stay up this season we'll have a lot to thank him for regardless of where he is headed next.
Front six still look disjointed but against bottom half opposition there is enough individual class to see us win, poyet outstanding again.
Hope we revert to type Saturday and go for a clean sheet. 2 more wins and a couple of draws should now be enough.
The midfield was good, strike force ok, THE MARV HAS COME GOOD (well he scored...)
my nan was over from the might torrivieja and she brought us the luck we needed,
it wasn't convincing but who cares?!?!? we fackin won a game we really really needed to,
WE ARE STAYING UP!
When we went direct, we seemed to get a result...AA's goal and then Wiggins nearly making up for playing Yeovil onside for their first, with a great run down the left, only for Reza to miss...more forward play please...
Hate the sitting deep, with 35 minutes to go, even with a 2 goal lead...we invited the pressure on and let Yeovil play and we're simply not good enough (with a makeshift defence) to see the game out like that.. I liked Yeovil's style of play - lots of quick, forward, passing...neat one touches and one-twos to get themselves forward...fortunately they weren't good enough to fully capitalise..
Special mention to Cousins who has been marginally overlooked in favour of Poyet of late...the lad put in some great crunching tackles, broke up play and looked to get forward... Poyet, again, looked class...
Don't expect a result on Sat (they owe us from Boxing Day and you know Stephens will score...), but a win next Tues please chaps.
Think Sordell put a decent shift in tonight. Hopefully that should see Church off for the rest of the season (can't fault him for effort, maybe he needs to reinvent himself as a winger).
1-0
1-1
2-1 etc.... I was certain it would end up 3-3.
COYR!!
I can see why Yeovil concede loads, but they never give up, which is pretty admirable. Would be happy to see them stay up if we weren't in danger of going down.
In the second half I moving Cousins to right midfield helped Morro at RB - at least it felt more solid. Two quick goals were totally unexpected but Yeovil were never down and out and looked dangerous every time they came forward. Their second goal was no surprise and we were holding on at the end.
Three magnificent points though and I thought Poyet was immense. The best game I think he's played for us.
As others have said, surely Hughes or one of the youngsters could slot in there whilst Wilson is out?
A vital victory, and strangely, I feel that Brighton's big win at Leicester might work in our favour on Saturday. If Wilson is back and our defence re-solidifies I feel we could sneak a 0-1 win down at the Seaside. Even a point there, and then another Tuesday night win against Barnsley next week, and i might just start to believe we can stay in this Division. I really, really thought we had blown it. Now, at the very least, we have given ourselves a good fighting chance.
So general conception is, weak at the back as usual, had a bit of a mardy after 1-1 but ultimately three points which were much needed?!
So glad Hamer chose tonight to have a mare because the rest of the team chose tonight to score goals.
Vital win, but we're not out of the woods yet.