Gallowgate Toon

Martins is a funny player, can't quite decide whether he looked thick because he is or because of the way he was deployed but watch his latest goal for Wolfsburg, he made a very intelligent run and looked lightning. He's doing ok for them, not started a lot but still got 5 in 9, which ain't half bad for someone that's been a sub mostly.

He looks ridiculously tense when he plays, not relaxed whatsoever, he just snatches at any crossing or shooting opportunity, so it's no wonder he looks crap when the key to striking a ball is to be relaxed. I thought he played well in the second half, looked really dangerous, especially when he picked up the ball and ran at the defence through the middle on a couple of occasions. He just looks a totally different player to the one that played for Mallorca and Argentina (where he actually delivered and still delivers good crosses), he's just one of those players that when it comes, he'll be good but the hard bit is getting there

The reason for the downturn is pretty obvious, all the way through the campaign we've been average in attack and excellent in defence but with our current make shift back line, which compensates a lot of height, physicality and natural defensive awareness we're prone to leaking more than we're scoring. We really need our 2 main CB's back so we can have that consistency there again.

Honestly some of the garbage about Aguero on here. The lad is not the world's best striker at the minute but it would be stupid to say he's nowhere near the likes of Villa, Torres, Drogba and dare i say it Messi. Look at his stats in the last 2 years he's provided 20 assists for his team and scored nearly 40 goals in the league alone, for a lad of 21 that is a phenomonal rate and not many players can match that. He may be out of form this season but he's scored 4 goals in 8 games in all competitions, i've seen Rooney and Van Persie go through stages of 10 games without a goal. Looking past the 4 players mentioned above there aren't many, if any better than Aguero.

Why is it every week without fail Kevin Nolan is out, it's not just once a week either. I'm all for celebrating victories, and going out but in moderation, you're a footballer you fat shit so bloody act like one.

I agree it has had some contribution this season but i was thinking more along the lines of whether it was a significant contribution, and i think he offers less than Loven, Harewood and Ranger. Imo Carroll offers a very limited package and he has a negative effect on our general attacking play, and he's generally not performing as a striker should. I also agree that he is a lot more energetic and hard-working than Harewood, but that's not what we need right now, we need goals and Harewood looks like he's going to score a lot more than Andy. As for his heading, predictably i'm going to disagree because i really think his ability in the air is not that good as with all of his strike partners this season, his flick-ons never seem to connect very much, is that an endictment on them or him, who knows but i wouldn't like to play with him because i would have no idea where his headers would end up.

This isn't an overreaction? He played bad in a team that is ****, no surprise. Harewood hasn't played football for two years because he's woeful. How's it an overreaction? Andy Carroll hasn't proven himself at any senior level yet and you can't use the s*** team excuse this season, we're second in the league. We were all over Forest in that second half and he didn't even get a sniff and if you're using that logic Harewood must be better because he actually had some chances yesterday playing for a 's*** team'. Look at it this way, since we've been in the Championship Carroll has been outdone by Kevin Nolan and Shola Ameobi, with the latter playing about 4 games. Harewood isn't a world beater but he's hardly woeful. Take away his Wolves stint, he's had a tidy record in the Championship pretty much always getting well into double figures, and he did score 14 PL goals in his first season for West Ham. Give him some more game time and he'll get us goals at this level imo. We're second in the league and yes were are playing ****, I can't believe people don't notice this, we've been **** all season. Carroll didn't have a good game, I agree, but to start saying stuff like his heading is always crap is just rubbish. As for your last bit...Harewood should be given time but Carroll, who's 20, should be written off? Right. Edit- A bit of faith in Carroll and he'll come good IMO, he's got bags of potential, as has Ranger, and it's mental to write either off at the moment. Carroll shouldn't be written off totally, i'm saying he's unproven at any level and at the moment he's doing precisely nothing, he's not even forced a save in 4 games, so give me a reason to persevere with him? Imo he should be benched. You say that nobody notices we're playing shit, i think average would be a far more suitable term, and if we've been that shit how come other players have managed to perform? He's had 2 good games this season man, he's had plenty to shine. What the hell does being 20 have anything to do with it? Harewood hasn't played in 2 years, of course he's going to be rusty but he actually looks like he could score a goal at some point in a match which would be rather handy in our current predicament. As for his heading, you tell me how the great effect of Andy Carroll's head has really helped us this season? In fact yesterday he had 2 headers in the box and he sent them in the opposite direction, it's been like that all season, not just yesterday.

Of course it's not the sole reason, but Harewood has managed to get into some threatening positions and forced some saves etc Carroll has done nothing.

This isn't an overreaction? He played bad in a team that is ****, no surprise. Harewood hasn't played football for two years because he's woeful. How's it an overreaction? Andy Carroll hasn't proven himself at any senior level yet and you can't use the shit team excuse this season, we're second in the league. We were all over Forest in that second half and he didn't even get a sniff and if you're using that logic Harewood must be better because he actually had some chances yesterday playing for a 'shit team'. Look at it this way, since we've been in the Championship Carroll has been outdone by Kevin Nolan and Shola Ameobi, with the latter playing about 4 games. Harewood isn't a world beater but he's hardly woeful. Take away his Wolves stint, he's had a tidy record in the Championship pretty much always getting well into double figures, and he did score 14 PL goals in his first season for West Ham. Give him some more game time and he'll get us goals at this level imo.

If Carroll was a midfielder i'd be satisfied with some good running, but he's a striker and he's posing zero threat to the opposition's goal. Harewood has scored one, hit the post twice and forced a couple of decent saves from keepers in 3 matches. Carroll has done nothing of note, i'd rather have those goal scoring opportunities (which i believe Harewood will put away when he gets more game time) over some running and jumping.

Honestly, how the hell was Carroll better than Harewood? christ Marlon wasn't good but at least he got into some goal scoring positions and had a couple of digs and when the ball was at his feet he did some nice lay offs and a lovely back heel. Carroll has had plenty of time this season to show us what he can do, but tbh he's been largely shit and let's not forget he's a striker who never mind hasn't scored many but hasn't even looked like scoring. It's not as if he's even good in general play, he's the exact opposite of what we should be playing as when the ball's at his feet he's slow and soft as shit diving around like an eejit. This myth about his aerial ability is farcical too, he's 6'3 and gets regularly out-jumped by smaller defenders and when he does win them they're like a pinball, zooming off his head at 100mph in any direction, no wonder nobody can read his flick ons because they're so erratic. Harewood wasn't good yesterday either, but in his 3 games or so for us he's had more chances than Carroll, and he's not even fit, the lad's not played football for basically 2 years. Stick with Harewood and either Ranger/Loven, as for Carroll he can stick to the bench as far as i'm concerned.

We're not going to score with Andy Carroll leading the line, he's never going to make it as a good striker.

I didn't hear Nolan's name once that half, get him off Guthrie CM and Jonas on the wing.

Keep sucking hombre

It wouldn't even be a stupid bet to put on tbh.

Using Ipswich is pointless as they are crap and bar 10 minutes we were average. We also played that system for most of the previous 2 matches and we looked toothless, we were much better on Sat when Nolan dropped back to CM.

Nolan may have scored goals but as we'll now revert to 4-4-2 this season, Nolan will now be utterly useless because he can't pass, run or tackle.

Ok then, let's judge their effectiveness on a fair basis. Last season Ryan Taylor, Kevin Nolan and Jonas Gutierrez all did bugger all for Newcastle United and are therefore as equally effective as eachother.

You can't compare those 2 to Jonas, mainly for the fact that they've played twice as much as him.

He has a very good touch which is the basis of technique. His crossing with his left is pretty woeful but with his right, it's not too bad tbh he put in a decent one yesterday. His shooting is a bit of an unknown quantity imo he will never be Steven Gerrard but he took a couple yesterday, with 2 being decent and one being terrible, if he keeps shooting more though he may gain confidence and then i'll judge. His record so far (at age 26) says to me his shooting isn't all that great. Stats don't show the players role in the team or confidence in the certain area of that ability. He's never been known to be a shooter, at Mallorca his job was simple: Get the ball, run at defenders, play clever pass inside to striker or get to the byline and cross it. His role's changed now, and i think he's going to be encouraged to shoot a lot more this season. His goals for Mallorca were pretty nice though, all 5 of them.

He has a very good touch which is the basis of technique. His crossing with his left is pretty woeful but with his right, it's not too bad tbh he put in a decent one yesterday. His shooting is a bit of an unknown quantity imo he will never be Steven Gerrard but he took a couple yesterday, with 2 being decent and one being terrible, if he keeps shooting more though he may gain confidence and then i'll judge. His passing's pretty solid imo and he's not exactly in a position to make incisive passes, especially when the rest of the team stay static for most of the game, it was refreshing to see Harewood actually run on the defence's shoulder because for too long we've had 'target men' who didn't make the runs.

I'd prefer to give Ranger an opportunity with a good strike partner tbh. Andy Carroll's a beast but not a great footballer, by all accounts overall he's been pretty poor this season and if he's not winning the headers, then he isn't doing much else. At home i'd have Ranger-Harewood, away from home Carroll-Harewood.

I think Carroll was bossed all game in the air and on the deck, he barely won any headers and when he did they were to nobody.

We don't look very fit, they really ran straight through through the middle of us quite a few times today and it's a bit worrying to see us looking so leggy early on in the season. I know Nolan is a big lad and not famed for his fitness but he really is ridiculously out of shape, he should never play CM for us because after 60 minutes he's huffing and puffing and leaving huge gaps for Smith to try and cover by himself and this was massively evident tonight. Well done to Hughton for making some good subs (esp. getting Nicky Butt off) but our tactics really need sorting, just play it on the deck please Chris, we have players who can pass a ball adn we look so much more dangerous. Also, Carroll and Ranger is never going to work against the better sides because they are so static and they stand 30 yards apart, so if one does win a flick-on the other is nowhere near. I like Carroll, he tries hard and gets himself about a fair bit but when the ball is at his feet he's pretty useless and it was annoying to see Ranger subbed over him when he has the ability to create so much more. Next game i'd like to see Ranger and Harewood upfront but unortunately it won't happen.

Looked good, nice and easy debut as he couldn't have played any worse opposition from the league.