SteV

Someone needs to post this on RTG to spark a 100 page debate about how Boldon is a red and white stronghold™️, and how any Boldon Mags are the worst kind of scum imaginable.

We’ll have to disagree there. Whilst it was far from his best performance, and he should have scored at least once, he was the one who was trying to make things happen. Execution - not great, bordering on poor, but it felt like he was our best outlet. Eddie said as much after the game. Murphy offered very little bar two (very) dangerous balls into the box. And that’s not even a criticism of him really. It’s what he is, and he’s been a huge part of the team over the last couple of years doing that. Woltemade offered next to nothing, but as pointed out, there’s significant extenuating circumstances around him, and we should definitely be having prolonged patience with him. Overall, I think the extremely long-winded point I’m making is that whilst he, like most others (probably bar Hall and Miley at present) deserve some criticism, what he gets on here is OTT IMO.

In stadium, you’re probably right, everyone gets it. But on here, and SM (OK, might be best off ignoring that), I defer back to the game the other night. Gordon, whilst elements of his performance were hugely frustrating, was far more dangerous than Murphy or Woltemade. But who’s the one who has pages and pages of negativity? There’s been some perfectly valid points made by @Lush Vlad , amongst others, on how we should expect more from him due to previous performances, wages etc, compared to the likes of Murphy. And I don’t dismiss that at all. I agree up to a point. I suppose I just rail slightly against the reactionary, ‘fuck him off’, ‘he’s shit’, type of comments when he is, and continues to be, one of our best players, albeit not currently at in a consistent enough manner.

That seems a considerable distance away from ‘rape’? I’m starting to think that Sun front page could have been a touch sensationalist.

Fair point. Which is why Man Utd had a (slightly) better xG than us on Friday, despite us being the significantly dominant team.

Without wanting to drag my previous posts up, I was very much OK with him coming in as the Wilson replacement, even with the injury record (which wasn’t as bad as made out IMO). However, once our other striker decided to activate dickhead mode, it changed everything. We were then shopping in a different market, which I agreed (and still do) with.

He certainly would have been a very good third choice, unfortunately I don’t think we’re in a position to be paying our third choice striker £100k p/w, even if he was on a free.

I suspect the entire forum would have exploded if we’d replaced Isak with DCL and Vardy (however much of a stopgap it was).

Can’t come back until next season unless he’s prepared to pay a massive tax bill. Plus he’s currently on 400k p/w

That could well happen, but I’d very much doubt it would be a striker who would start ahead of Wissa and Woltemade.

We scored from two crosses the game before

So that’s him, Pope and Elanga that we’re just pretending to be injured?

Josh Cullen went off injured for them today, sounds like his knee’s fucked. Thought he was the definition of a Championship-standard player when they came up here, so not really bothered either way, but he is their captain, so must have something about him.

There’s plenty of merit in many of those points. But it does kinda confirm that, rightly or wrongly, Gordon is held to higher standard of accountability/blame than the majority of others.

The reaction to last night suggests otherwise mind. Not saying he doesn’t deserve criticism for some things obviously. But out of the front three last night and even the subs (although you’d maybe give them a bit of a pass), he was the one that created the most and looked the most likely to get us something. But who’s the one who gets absolute pelters on here?

Outside of Hall, was (IMO) our best player last night. Should have scored (arguably twice) and made other mistakes, but seemed to be our only (again, aside from Hall) attacking threat. Seems to be held to a much higher standard than anybody else in the squad, but that’s the way it is and will probably never change whilst he’s here.

I agree, it probably will be something along those lines. I just don’t think it’s a quick fix to do it at PL level.

I feel like Woltemade is the difference. He’s so unique, with such an ‘odd’ skill set, you really need to adapt to play around it. With Wilson and Isak, obviously it was mainly Isak drifting out wide, but Wilson could do that do a degree, to interchange. No good Woltemade drifting out wide, he needs to drop into midfield and link.

Is a week (six days) long enough to completely restructure the way we play? Bruce (I know, comparing a top of the range model with an old banger…) used to do it all the time, lose badly, then try and change everything for a game a week later, and it hardly ever worked. I honestly don’t think we’ll see them playing regularly together until next season.

2-0 win. Comfortably the worst team we’ve played this season, even allowing for the red card and the fact everything went mental in injury time.

I’m completely convinced that Wissa and Woltemade in the same team is ultimately the way forward. However, what the ‘just do it man’ crew need to realise is that it completely changes the balance of the team, and it’s going to take (training) time to get that restructure right. As convinced as I am that it’s the way forward, it’s no good having them in the same team if we get overrun in midfield because we haven’t got the set up right.

As things stand at present, should absolutely be a nailed on starter for England in the WC.

You have to laugh at how much he absolutely despises Craig Hope.

Is this because: a) it’s going to take numerous decades to build a new stadium b) the average age of forum posters is similar to the average age of East Stand inhabitants c) something more sinister

With the obvious benefit of hindsight, would you rather have sold Watkins and kept Duran?