Looking up the table

[Guest alex]

When I say produced, I don't want any of you thinking you can take any credit btw.  I'm self-made, this just happens to be my stage.

 

Aye, what a fucking let-down in real life though 

[ChezGiven]

Its called 'Squeaky bum time' isnt it?

[Guest Gemmill]

The luck we've had over the last five or six games has been incredible. So many times the ball was scrambled away from the goal or deflected just wide, a tiny change and we'd have conceded every time. Not once in that period have we kept teams out by being solid. It's 11 games since our last clean sheet too.

 

I think we have defended bravely in many of those games, i.e. throwing bodies at the ball, player, off the line etc. which had this been a team fighting relegation or for the title, would be seen as good defending, moments that win titles or keep you up. I know what you are saying though and agree, I'm just not too concerned, I mean it's not as if we have a good defence so I'll take these brave bits of defending as a bonus because I've seen us collapse to manic defending far too often. I think Pearson has had an effect in that respect because earlier on the season we were very standoffish and just allowed things to happen, ala Bolton at home. Today we think, well yes they're through and there is danger, but they're gonna have to trample all over me to get in, or I'm gonna hurt myself here to keep them out, ala Taylor nearly crashing his head off the bar las night, or Bramble nearly getting his head taken off had things went the other way with that stooping header. That is probably also a sign of good character in the team, we fight more, we look uglier and defend uglier, all positives anyway IMO.

 

HTT man, we've been thoroughly outplayed in 3 of the 4 league games we've played in January and we've got lucky to end up with results.  Not a lot positive in that imo.  Great results, but when the luck runs out (and the luck always runs out) we're gonna get humped off teams.  

 

And this is at home too.  Teams like Villa and West Ham are coming to SJP and putting us on the back foot.  Not good.  Not to mention Birmingham.

[ChezGiven]

When I say produced, I don't want any of you thinking you can take any credit btw.  I'm self-made, this just happens to be my stage.

 

Aye, what a fucking let-down in real life though 

 

The ego has landed tbh.

[Guest Gemmill]

When I say produced, I don't want any of you thinking you can take any credit btw.  I'm self-made, this just happens to be my stage.

 

Aye, what a fucking let-down in real life though 

 

The ego has landed tbh.

 

Whatever mingers!

[Guest Knightrider]

The luck we've had over the last five or six games has been incredible. So many times the ball was scrambled away from the goal or deflected just wide, a tiny change and we'd have conceded every time. Not once in that period have we kept teams out by being solid. It's 11 games since our last clean sheet too.

 

I think we have defended bravely in many of those games, i.e. throwing bodies at the ball, player, off the line etc. which had this been a team fighting relegation or for the title, would be seen as good defending, moments that win titles or keep you up. I know what you are saying though and agree, I'm just not too concerned, I mean it's not as if we have a good defence so I'll take these brave bits of defending as a bonus because I've seen us collapse to manic defending far too often. I think Pearson has had an effect in that respect because earlier on the season we were very standoffish and just allowed things to happen, ala Bolton at home. Today we think, well yes they're through and there is danger, but they're gonna have to trample all over me to get in, or I'm gonna hurt myself here to keep them out, ala Taylor nearly crashing his head off the bar las night, or Bramble nearly getting his head taken off had things went the other way with that stooping header. That is probably also a sign of good character in the team, we fight more, we look uglier and defend uglier, all positives anyway IMO.

 

HTT man, we've been thoroughly outplayed in 3 of the 4 league games we've played in January and we've got lucky to end up with results.  Not a lot positive in that imo.  Great results, but when the luck runs out (and the luck always runs out) we're gonna get humped off teams. 

 

And this is at home too.  Teams like Villa and West Ham are coming to SJP and putting us on the back foot.  Not good.  Not to mention Birmingham.

 

I'm not disagreeing Gemmill, but what do people expect from a shite defence with shite players and in some positions, bits of bairns? What I am saying is while people concern themselves with the "OMG teams are creating chances against us, OMG we're crap" line and having near heart attacks, I'm thinking a few months back, those chances would have been taken and we'd have imploded, can you remember Bolton at home? Teams are still creating chances and putting us under pressure yes which isn't what you hope for, but we are dealing with it better which is what you do hope for. It looks ugly and messy, but it is better than just letting teams break us at will, with ease, which they often did. Today the opposition need more than luck, they need to be clinical. Of course we are going to come a cropper at some stage as we face better teams with clinical players, teams who don't have an off day, but we were always coming a cropper even when teams were having off days or not putting us under unlimited pressure, we are not a soft touch now. We would fold after a few attacks, today we don't, we defend for our lives.

 

BTW, by the same token, we are missing lots of chances ourselves, last night we could have scored 5 or more, same against West Ham whose 'keeper made a few good saves, one day all those chances will go in. Basically, it's the Premiership, home or away, good team or crap team, teams have their chances and moments. Blackburn could have had a few against Chelsea, they cut them open at will at times, West Ham caused Liverppol with the meanest defence a lot of problems, Arsenal's kids could have ran riot against Spurs.

 

I just feelk our defence comes in for some unfair criticism and can't win,, if we clear shots off the line or make last ditch tackles or the opposition fluff their lines, we are lucky or whatever.

[Dokko]

The luck we've had over the last five or six games has been incredible. So many times the ball was scrambled away from the goal or deflected just wide, a tiny change and we'd have conceded every time. Not once in that period have we kept teams out by being solid. It's 11 games since our last clean sheet too.

 

I think we have defended bravely in many of those games, i.e. throwing bodies at the ball, player, off the line etc. which had this been a team fighting relegation or for the title, would be seen as good defending, moments that win titles or keep you up. I know what you are saying though and agree, I'm just not too concerned, I mean it's not as if we have a good defence so I'll take these brave bits of defending as a bonus because I've seen us collapse to manic defending far too often. I think Pearson has had an effect in that respect because earlier on the season we were very standoffish and just allowed things to happen, ala Bolton at home. Today we think, well yes they're through and there is danger, but they're gonna have to trample all over me to get in, or I'm gonna hurt myself here to keep them out, ala Taylor nearly crashing his head off the bar las night, or Bramble nearly getting his head taken off had things went the other way with that stooping header. That is probably also a sign of good character in the team, we fight more, we look uglier and defend uglier, all positives anyway IMO.

 

HTT man, we've been thoroughly outplayed in 3 of the 4 league games we've played in January and we've got lucky to end up with results.  Not a lot positive in that imo.  Great results, but when the luck runs out (and the luck always runs out) we're gonna get humped off teams. 

 

And this is at home too.  Teams like Villa and West Ham are coming to SJP and putting us on the back foot.  Not good.  Not to mention Birmingham.

 

Villa & WHU are tricky games, even at home though. Both teams will feel they can come here and beat us (which means they'll play very attacking and go for the jugular), and probably think they have the right considering our season.

 

I dont think the Brum game was true reflection. We deserved to get beat, but not 5-1, and wouldn't if Taylor hadn't been a muppet.

[Guest alex]

I thought 5-1 flattered us, if anything, against Birmingham. We were absolutely murdered.

[Guest Knightrider]

The Brum game was a freak result, regardless and shouldn't be used in any argument. Oh and as ever, if you attack more, as we now do, you run the risk of conceding more or coming under attack more, a while back we were keeping clean sheets or losing the odd goal while struggling to score, today we are scoring far more goals and that brings a small price, being far more open to the opposition. Our style will yeild more points than the other style of defending and playing for percentages however, as the stats and second half table reflects. Not easy on the old heart but for us, what works best...

[Guest Gemmill]

The Brum game was a freak result, regardless and shouldn't be used in any argument.

 

But that's where you're wrong.  The point is that the Brum game is the one game this month where the scoreline gave a true reflection of the game.  The other games were the "freak results" in the sense that the scoreline greatly masked or (in the games that we won) actually betrayed the way the game went.

[Guest Toonman37]

great to see us in 9th Position. But how high can we go?  Can we get into Europe? 

[nazza06]

Our problem is the defence. We appear to rely on a very young inexperienced Taylor to organise us when really we should have an experienced CB teaching our promising youngster. Our full backs are pathetic and it's fair to say our defensive organisation is very poor. We have a good midfield in my opinion but they're creativity is limited due to the defence being so poor and causing caution in our midfield mentality. Glenn HAD to strengthen the defence with reliable players, not necessarily top quality players, to improve the teams confidence. He hasn't done this and I think we are going to carry on making defensive slip ups through out the season which as we've seen all season will give the opposition confidence that they can grab a goal at any time. We have the quality in midfield and up front to push for europe but i just feel the defence has the ability to let us down and the rest of the players know it. We've been lucky in a few games not to conceed more but results have masked this and i think the birmingham game has really proven that when we don't have luck on our side results like this will be more frequent. Lets just hope with Gooch coming in he can stabilise the defence a little, although i fear he is an American version of Bramble, and allow us to show our attacking qualities. We really should have brought in some reliable full backs though if we were going to achieve any sort of consistancy.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

although i fear he is an American version of Bramble

 

Any particular reason you think this?

[nazza06]

although i fear he is an American version of Bramble

 

Any particular reason you think this?

simply by going from what i saw in the world cup, he seemed strong and solid at times but then make some really silly fouls, just like our Bramble. Obviously it isn't great evidence to judge a player on the world cup, like it would be idiotic to say Gerrard is crap because he didn't shine in Germany, but i haven't seen him play elsewhere.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

although i fear he is an American version of Bramble

 

Any particular reason you think this?

simply by going from what i saw in the world cup, he seemed strong and solid at times but then make some really silly fouls, just like our Bramble. Obviously it isn't great evidence to judge a player on the world cup, like it would be idiotic to say Gerrard is crap because he didn't shine in Germany, but i haven't seen him play elsewhere.

 

Fair enough, I haven't seen him at all so looking for any eye-witness accounts! Let's hope he is generally more consistent. Or at least that he has the knack of making mistakes that don't lead to goals!

[skryp2nit3]

although i fear he is an American version of Bramble

 

Any particular reason you think this?

simply by going from what i saw in the world cup, he seemed strong and solid at times but then make some really silly fouls, just like our Bramble. Obviously it isn't great evidence to judge a player on the world cup, like it would be idiotic to say Gerrard is crap because he didn't shine in Germany, but i haven't seen him play elsewhere.

 

Fair enough, I haven't seen him at all so looking for any eye-witness accounts! Let's hope he is generally more consistent. Or at least that he has the knack of making mistakes that don't lead to goals!

 

You're far more likely to be punished at this level.

[Guest Jangles]

Our problem is the defence. We appear to rely on a very young inexperienced Taylor to organise us when really we should have an experienced CB teaching our promising youngster. Our full backs are pathetic and it's fair to say our defensive organisation is very poor. We have a good midfield in my opinion but they're creativity is limited due to the defence being so poor and causing caution in our midfield mentality. Glenn HAD to strengthen the defence with reliable players, not necessarily top quality players, to improve the teams confidence. He hasn't done this and I think we are going to carry on making defensive slip ups through out the season which as we've seen all season will give the opposition confidence that they can grab a goal at any time. We have the quality in midfield and up front to push for europe but i just feel the defence has the ability to let us down and the rest of the players know it. We've been lucky in a few games not to conceed more but results have masked this and i think the birmingham game has really proven that when we don't have luck on our side results like this will be more frequent. Lets just hope with Gooch coming in he can stabilise the defence a little, although i fear he is an American version of Bramble, and allow us to show our attacking qualities. We really should have brought in some reliable full backs though if we were going to achieve any sort of consistancy.

 

It was our midfield that was the problem yesterday, when Butt went off and Dyer dropped back we had no presence in the centre of the park, meaning villa could control the game with relative ease. The defence that everybody seems to be slating put in some great blocks and goal line clearances which some folk are putting down to luck, and behind them Harper pulled off a couple of good saves.

 

 

 

 

[Geordie Boot Boy]

The Brum game was a freak result, regardless and shouldn't be used in any argument.

 

But that's where you're wrong.  The point is that the Brum game is the one game this month where the scoreline gave a true reflection of the game.  The other games were the "freak results" in the sense that the scoreline greatly masked or (in the games that we won) actually betrayed the way the game went.

 

I agree.  I'd say the Brum game was a freak performance * not a freak result, in that we were absolutely dreadful and they were particularly good on the night.  The scoreline was fair.

 

We were an unmotivated shambles on the night, we've shown a bit more motivation since then but the quality has not been significantly greater IMO.

 

 

* Not that I'm saying we've been the Harlem Globetrotters before and since then mind.

[Guest TampaToon]

when talking about "luck", i've gotta agree with those who say we're experiencing an evening out for some of the luckless results early in the season....you could argue that we were unlucky not to pick up 5-8 points (or more) in the early going when we were putting in great performances but couldn't buy a win....

 

also, every team misses 2-3 sitters per game, it's just the team that loses talks about the winner being "lucky"....if you do it time and again, like roeder's newcastle teams have when it counts - is that luck, or is that a team of clutch performers? it's rarely been pretty, but it's taken alot of work from the players to be as "lucky" as they have been...

 

if it is luck, i'll take it until some more skill returns to the side healthy.

[chicago_shearer]

Our defending is so poor, we don't deserve to be as high as 9th.  I'll be very surprised and pleased if we maintain a place in the top half. 

[Guest Gemmill]

when talking about "luck", i've gotta agree with those who say we're experiencing an evening out for some of the luckless results early in the season....you could argue that we were unlucky not to pick up 5-8 points (or more) in the early going when we were putting in great performances but couldn't buy a win....

 

Sorry, which games were these?

[gazza ladra]

when talking about "luck", i've gotta agree with those who say we're experiencing an evening out for some of the luckless results early in the season....you could argue that we were unlucky not to pick up 5-8 points (or more) in the early going when we were putting in great performances but couldn't buy a win....

 

Sorry, which games were these?

 

Fulham, and Sheffield at home. IMO.

 

Not great performances, but I don't think the results reflected the run of play.

[Guest Gemmill]

when talking about "luck", i've gotta agree with those who say we're experiencing an evening out for some of the luckless results early in the season....you could argue that we were unlucky not to pick up 5-8 points (or more) in the early going when we were putting in great performances but couldn't buy a win....

 

Sorry, which games were these?

 

Fulham, and Sheffield at home. IMO.

 

Not great performances, but I don't think the results reflected the run of play.

 

Fulham maybe, but Sheffield United got a result because they outbattled us and they wanted it more than us.  That and Charlton were the low points of the season for me, never mind games in which we were unlucky not to get a result.

[Wullie]

We barely created a chance against Sheff Utd. Fully deserved 3 points for them.

[Howaythelads]

Our problem is the defence. We appear to rely on a very young inexperienced Taylor to organise us when really we should have an experienced CB teaching our promising youngster. Our full backs are pathetic and it's fair to say our defensive organisation is very poor. We have a good midfield in my opinion but they're creativity is limited due to the defence being so poor and causing caution in our midfield mentality. Glenn HAD to strengthen the defence with reliable players, not necessarily top quality players, to improve the teams confidence. He hasn't done this and I think we are going to carry on making defensive slip ups through out the season which as we've seen all season will give the opposition confidence that they can grab a goal at any time. We have the quality in midfield and up front to push for europe but i just feel the defence has the ability to let us down and the rest of the players know it. We've been lucky in a few games not to conceed more but results have masked this and i think the birmingham game has really proven that when we don't have luck on our side results like this will be more frequent. Lets just hope with Gooch coming in he can stabilise the defence a little, although i fear he is an American version of Bramble, and allow us to show our attacking qualities. We really should have brought in some reliable full backs though if we were going to achieve any sort of consistancy.

 

That's far too simplistic. It's a team game and defending starts at the front with keeping the ball when it's played upto the striker, by bringing people into play. The midfield has a massive influence on how a team defends. As a team we have to keep the ball more, we have to control the game more and so reduce the pressure on the defence.

 

We looked shit without Butt. Dyer can play CM (although not his best position) and is an attacking threat when he's in that role, but he makes loads of runs and leaves gaps behind, this can only be compensated for by having someone alongside him who has a real football brain, who has genuine ability to sit and break up the opposition, to keep possession and to set us up in attack with some neat, sharp and quick passing. We had Parker in there, who wants to drill for oil every time he gets the ball ffs, if he's on his feet at the time, that is.