Skeletor

The main problem away from home are Sam's bizarre team selections and the fact that we always play with a lack of width meaning everything gets congested. Playing narrower makes keeping posession harder as you haven't got the opportunity to spread the play out wide and make the other team work to get the ball back. This causes more pressure on the defence as they get very little rest and have to work constantly which inevitably causes lapses of concentration or mishaps. Further more our defenders can't deal with balls over the top. It's always been the case and it doesn't look like getting sorted out any time soon. As most people have said, if we set out to beat the home team then we will most of the time. You shouldn't go to Reading and Derby with fear and praying for a point as you'll get nothing. It's all about having a positive approach to these matches.

They were my thoughts when I saw the team selection and I'm really not surprised with another insipid away performance. This is not just an Allardyce problem, we've been weak as piss away from home for a long time now but we need to put it right quickly. We're winning our home games and looking good there atm so it's not going to put us into trouble, but if we want to get anywhere this season, improving our away form is paramount. Fair enough changing the system to cope with the likes of Arsenal and Man Utd but f****** Reading? All it says to the opposition is "we're worried about you" when we should be picking Charlie N'Z no matter who we play, getting Emre in the centre and telling them to worry about us. Think Skeletor made a good point about Nicky Butt too, he's a different player away from home, doesn't often play well. Cacapa looks to be another player who's only good in home matches. Against Derby and Reading he has badly struggled with teams who give him no time to think or rest and certainly can't handle a physical battle.

Geremi is also starting to remind me of Jermaine Jenas in the way he plays :-/.

Ratings: Given - 5 - Didn't have much to do, but his kicking under pressure was awful and almost caused an own goal with Cacapa Beye - 6 - Wasn't too bad but again seems to get caught out of position a lot. Enrique - 6 - Too slow on the ball and gave it away a lot but at least got forward and attempted some crosses. Cacapa - 5 - Tries to play his way out of trouble every time and also thinks he has 10 minutes to pick a pass. Almost scored a horrific own goal. Dreadful in the air under pressure too. Faye - 7 - Probably the only respectable performance from the defence today. Emre - 7 - Poor first half out of position, but once put in the center he was the only one trying to make things happen Barton - 5 - Invisible first half, slightly more visible second half Geremi - 5 - Halts play a lot and delivered some dreadful set pieces Butt - 5 - Doesn't play as well away from home. Too slow. Martins - 6 - Caused some problems but didn't have much to work with. Owen - 5 - Alienated. Things just didn't go for him this match. Subs: N'Zogbia - 5 - Mostly invisible bar one run and shot. Smith - 6 - Made a difference by giving the team a target up front but ultimately couldn't do much with the general shit performance of the team. Milner - 6 - More width on the right hand side made a difference in our brief dominant spell.

Was about the only way we were going to score.

It's the truth. I think I hate Geremi in a completely unrelated thought.

Sounds like more booing when Martins came off.

1-0 Kitson It's over.

Pretty standard away day performance. No width, no incisive attacking threat. Endless crosses/long balls to two midget strikers. Comical defending that should have seen us 3-0 down by now. Yay. I almost had a heart attack with that Cacapa/Given fuck up. Like old times.

:-/

We can sign him when they get relegated .

Mike Ashley is awesome.

Big relegation 6 pointer for Spurs today .

1-1

4th...for now.

I could see Mourinho fighting like Ric Flair lol.

Yeah I'm sure Mido is dying to hear those terrorist chants week in week out.

Approved.

I thought he didn't care what happened to lower league clubs?

This

Owen? He could go in there. It's a tough choice really.

--------------------Given---------------------- Richards--King-------Campbell----Baines Bentley---Arteta-----Barry---------N'Zogbia ------------Anelka-----Berbatov------------ I really couldn't think of many wingers for some reason.

It was whoever our head scout used to be who spotted him and he got brought for a trial and everyone was impressed with him (particularly Alan Shearer who said something like "Don't let that kid leave without signing a contract"). Then there was a big ruffle from Le Havre who believed they had him on some slavery contract which seems to be standard over there.

http://img411.imageshack.us/img411/1525/glennroederqj1.jpg Glenn Roeder's reaction to the news.

[Arsene Wenger voice]...Yes...I think so[/Arsene Wenger voice]