Papering Over The Cracks.........(again)

[Guest nufc_geordie]

Before going any further I just want to point ou that the results on Saturday was excellent but the performance wan't. Liverpool could and should have had a hatful of goals and we were lucky to come away with anything:

 

1. Steven Taylor has been our best defender all season so why move him out of position to accomodate Bramble (who formerly played right back at Ipswich before moving to Centre Half)?

 

2. Roeder named SOlano as first choice right back a while back. How come everytime he does have to play him there he doesn't?

 

3. Babayaro? Enough said. Terrible on Saturday, absolute waste of space.

 

4. Milner has been an equal of Taylor and Butt this season if not our best player. Again, why move him out of position to accomodate players?

 

This is almost England syndrome. Let's move all of our better players to accomodate other players. We proved it against Fulham that the set-up isn't good enough, against Sputs we were very lucky and again on Saturday. As much as those were a great three points on Staurday I can't help thinking that playing the way we are another Birmingham results is just around the corner!

[Liam Liam Liam O]

because all 4 things you list actually worked to our advantage on saturday and we won FFS 

 

Taylor at RB  - excellent,

 

Nobby on right wing - possibly Man of the Match

 

Babayaro - after the first 20 minutes, played pennant really well & considering what he's been through this week............

 

Milner on the left - stopped them attacking down their right which is something duff has acheived once this season & was constantly threatening coming inside

 

[mozy]

Before going any further I just want to point ou that the results on Saturday was excellent but the performance wan't. Liverpool could and should have had a hatful of goals and we were lucky to come away with anything:

 

1. Steven Taylor has been our best defender all season so why move him out of position to accomodate Bramble (who formerly played right back at Ipswich before moving to Centre Half)?

 

2. Roeder named SOlano as first choice right back a while back. How come everytime he does have to play him there he doesn't?

 

3. Babayaro? Enough said. Terrible on Saturday, absolute waste of space.

 

4. Milner has been an equal of Taylor and Butt this season if not our best player. Again, why move him out of position to accomodate players?

 

This is almost England syndrome. Let's move all of our better players to accomodate other players. We proved it against Fulham that the set-up isn't good enough, against Sputs we were very lucky and again on Saturday. As much as those were a great three points on Staurday I can't help thinking that playing the way we are another Birmingham results is just around the corner!

 

So would you rather have seen Duff on the left wing and Carr at left back?

[Cronky]

Before going any further I just want to point ou that the results on Saturday was excellent but the performance wan't. Liverpool could and should have had a hatful of goals and we were lucky to come away with anything:

 

1. Steven Taylor has been our best defender all season so why move him out of position to accomodate Bramble (who formerly played right back at Ipswich before moving to Centre Half)?

 

2. Roeder named SOlano as first choice right back a while back. How come everytime he does have to play him there he doesn't?

 

3. Babayaro? Enough said. Terrible on Saturday, absolute waste of space.

 

4. Milner has been an equal of Taylor and Butt this season if not our best player. Again, why move him out of position to accomodate players?

 

This is almost England syndrome. Let's move all of our better players to accomodate other players. We proved it against Fulham that the set-up isn't good enough, against Sputs we were very lucky and again on Saturday. As much as those were a great three points on Staurday I can't help thinking that playing the way we are another Birmingham results is just around the corner!

 

Well like you I'd question one aspect of Roeder's selection, although you'd have to say the decision came off. He's clearly not confident about Solano defensively, and it may have been better to play him at full back, keep Duff and Milner in their positions, and drop one of Taylor, Onyewu and Bramble. I assume he doesn't want to do that because he's worried about our lack of aerial power. Or maybe he's bottling it, I don't know.

 

Having said that, I can't understand why you're being so negative about the game as a whole. We beat a good side, and though we rode our luck, there were periods when we more than matched them. This is Liverpool we're talking about.

 

Babayaro terrible? I think you saw the performance that you were expecting to see, not the one he actually gave.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

I don't really get this 'papering over the cracks' attitude that always crops up. I know we haven't been playing amazingly well recently, but it's funny that when the likes of Chelsea scrape a win they've 'got character' and 'done enought to win', but when we do the same thing it isn't positive.

 

We can't change the squad now until the summer, so I for one would take another few 'papering over the cracks' wins.

[toptoon]

Team should now be imo:(if Shay and emre are still injured)

 

Harper

 

Nobby  Taylor  Gooch  Edgar

 

Milner  Butt  Parker  Duff

 

            Dyer  Martins

 

Subs

***

Krul/Pav

Hunty

Baba

O'brien

Sibi

 

 

[Guest nufc_geordie]

Team should now be imo:(if Shay and emre are still injured)

 

Harper

 

Nobby  Taylor  Gooch  Edgar

 

Milner  Butt  Parker  Duff

 

            Dyer  Martins

 

Subs

***

Krul/Pav

Hunty

Baba

O'brien

Sibi

 

 

 

Agree 100% with that team.

 

I know Babayaro's brother died the night before the game and in that respect I commend him for playing but unless you were watching a different game to me he gave the ball away everytime he tocuhed it, he was weak/ didn't even tackle when he should have been and positionally he was unsound.

 

Bramble was ball watching constantly, and Milner was inneffective on the left as the Liverpool players knew he was always going to cut inside. He worked hard and played his part defensively but we lost the creativity which has helped us in rcent weeks.

 

I don't think I am being negative/pessimistic I am being sensible. People who don't think results like this are papering over the cracks are majorly blinkered. Since xmas we should have got nothing but a good hiding off Mna Utd, Liverpool and Spurs yet we have walked away with 7 points luckily.

 

To come back to the point about Chelsea etc having character when they win 1-0, 2-1, well that is because they have had to fight for it, not because they have been outplayed for the majority of the games.

[Cheshire Mag]

Before going any further I just want to point ou that the results on Saturday was excellent but the performance wan't. Liverpool could and should have had a hatful of goals and we were lucky to come away with anything:

 

1. Steven Taylor has been our best defender all season so why move him out of position to accomodate Bramble (who formerly played right back at Ipswich before moving to Centre Half)? - Roeder has his favorites, Bramble is obviously one of them.

 

2. Roeder named SOlano as first choice right back a while back. How come everytime he does have to play him there he doesn't? - Because Roeder is full of shit.

 

3. Babayaro? Enough said. Terrible on Saturday, absolute waste of space. - Has been playing terrible of late but fair play to the lad on Saturday for playing because his little brother died the previous day.

 

4. Milner has been an equal of Taylor and Butt this season if not our best player. Again, why move him out of position to accomodate players? - See Question 1.

 

This is almost England syndrome. Let's move all of our better players to accomodate other players. We proved it against Fulham that the set-up isn't good enough, against Sputs we were very lucky and again on Saturday. As much as those were a great three points on Staurday I can't help thinking that playing the way we are another Birmingham results is just around the corner!

[AyeDubbleYoo]

I know where you're coming from nufc_gearodie, and I partly agree, but I think we deserve credit for the likes of the Liverpool result. To come back from 1-0 against such a good side is a quality result, even if the performance wasn't great.

 

I'd obviously like to see us playing better football and winning more convincingly, but in the meantime I think the lads should get some credit for the results they have acheived.

[Tisd09]

Why is it when we lose we are S**t when we win we are papering over the cracks? If we were as s**t as people are making out we would be scrapping for relegation, but we are in a healthy position now and with a few players coming back there is a chance to push forward up the table. At least we have a bit of chance of balance in the team!

[Guest smoggeordie]

Before going any further I just want to point ou that the results on Saturday was excellent but the performance wan't. Liverpool could and should have had a hatful of goals and we were lucky to come away with anything:

 

1. Steven Taylor has been our best defender all season so why move him out of position to accomodate Bramble (who formerly played right back at Ipswich before moving to Centre Half)?

 

2. Roeder named SOlano as first choice right back a while back. How come everytime he does have to play him there he doesn't?

 

3. Babayaro? Enough said. Terrible on Saturday, absolute waste of space.

 

4. Milner has been an equal of Taylor and Butt this season if not our best player. Again, why move him out of position to accomodate players?

 

This is almost England syndrome. Let's move all of our better players to accomodate other players. We proved it against Fulham that the set-up isn't good enough, against Sputs we were very lucky and again on Saturday. As much as those were a great three points on Staurday I can't help thinking that playing the way we are another Birmingham results is just around the corner!

 

Babayaro is not a good player in general. However, I thought, bar their goal, he didn't put a foot wrong all afternoon and he deserves a lot of praise for that.

[Guest leon b]

I agree with the players/management getting credit for the results they have been achieving, especially with the team constantly changing due to the injuries.

 

The big thing for me though is getting our hopes up, we all hope/expect th club to be in a higher position come the end of the season.I think if we can tighten up away from home and maybe get back to back wins the ball will begin to roll.

[madras]

Before going any further I just want to point ou that the results on Saturday was excellent but the performance wan't. Liverpool could and should have had a hatful of goals and we were lucky to come away with anything:

 

1. Steven Taylor has been our best defender all season so why move him out of position to accomodate Bramble (who formerly played right back at Ipswich before moving to Centre Half)?

 

2. Roeder named SOlano as first choice right back a while back. How come everytime he does have to play him there he doesn't?

 

3. Babayaro? Enough said. Terrible on Saturday, absolute waste of space.

 

4. Milner has been an equal of Taylor and Butt this season if not our best player. Again, why move him out of position to accomodate players?

 

This is almost England syndrome. Let's move all of our better players to accomodate other players. We proved it against Fulham that the set-up isn't good enough, against Sputs we were very lucky and again on Saturday. As much as those were a great three points on Staurday I can't help thinking that playing the way we are another Birmingham results is just around the corner!

even before we knew of his circumstances over the weekend everyone in the pub,including those who want rid of him,agreed he had a good game.

 

i half think you decide on how someone plays on who they are and before a ball is kicked.

[Sima]

Babayaro hardly did fuck all wrong on Saturday tbh.

 

People BLATANTLY prejudiced.  Bunch of stinking racists imo.

[Guest alex]

I have to agree, with the first bit anyway. The second bit is a blatant wind-up. I'm not his biggest fan but 1) He had a canny game and 2) He's still the best left-back at the club. He's the only one who is naturally left-sided and able to link up properly with whoever is playing in front of him.

[buzza]

babayaro played pretty well on saturday. He is miles better than edgar, ramage, carr etc..

He should play on both european games aswell to get him match fit and to get some games under his belt, same goes for duff, charles, emre etc.etc..

[toontownman]

Baba had a good match, he had some dodgy defensive moments yes. but on the whole was good considering how long he has been out.

 

The comments about him constantly giving the ball away is nonsense, he actually looked better than normal coming forward and linked up well with Milner.

 

Id have him in ahead of anyone else we have at LB. He is too easily pushed off the ball though and can make a rash challenge too many. Hopefully he can stay fit and improve now.

 

Have him in the team over Carr a million times over.

 

 

[NUFC06]

I just hope that Babayaro stays fit

[Rich]

The amount of times we've "papered over the cracks" this season is unreal... surely couldn't be anything to do with the fact that in reality there aren't that many cracks in the first place? (For a team supposedly challenging for a top-six place, I mean.) Obviously there are a few key areas we need to strengthen in transfer-wise and a few style adjustments we need to make, but howay, after every single win there are people who call it "papering over the cracks". It's laughably brilliant.

 

Do people genuinely think we are utter dogshit or something? Have these people seen the other teams in this division?

 

I know everyone wants us to play like Man Utd or Barcelona every week, but that is a little bit of a stretch in our current plight, or ever really as we don't come anywhere near to these teams financially. People need to lower their expectations if they want to be happy following this club, at least in the short-term, instead of picking apart everything that Roeder/Shepherd/Player "X" does.

 

1) Admittedly I was a bit peeved by Roeder's team selection on Saturday, but we won 2-1, so he was proven correct.

 

2) I thought exactly the same before the game but Nobby was outstanding and Taylor didn't do half-bad at RB, either.

 

3) Utter dogshit. I've been waiting for his return for weeks now and I thought he put in a very solid performance in very tricky conditions against a good right-winger. It wasn't his fault for the first goal because his back-pass was perfectly weighted to be smacked by Harper, who simply didn't oblige. I know the brother situation is an easy get-out for him, but much like most of the other times I've seen him at SJP this season I thought he looked our best bet in that position. I do still hope we buy a good quality LB in the summer, though.

 

4) Again, you would have had a point here if we'd lost or if Milner had been atrocious, as I was a bit puzzled by this from the outset - but he played well, gave Finnan a torrid time and constantly had Pennant pinned-back defending as him and Babayaro attacked down that flank. Most of our play came down the right, where Solano excelled. He played on the left against Man Utd, didn't he? And scored that peach of a goal? Think Glenn might have been looking for more of the same.

 

People need to get the blinkers off and sharpish, I thought we played some cracking stuff on Saturday in pig-bad conditions and although we did get a little bit lucky, it's not like we were completely outplayed. Carragher and Agger were bricking themselves whenever Martins or Dyer got the ball in what is becoming a fantastic partnership for this club up-front, I'd love to know how many goals-per-game they've scored when playing together as I bet it's a close call to being one in every match.

[eaststar]

I'm with nufc_geordie and the 'vibe' i got is that we are papering over the cracks.  But everyone is entitled to their opinions. Having said that I'm very proud of the result and credit needs to be given where deserved. Regarding Babayaro, I thought had a pretty solid game - there was one moment when Bellamy went past him and he just lunged at him and i thought 'oh crap' - but besides that moment he was solid and kept that side in control.

 

Big ups to GR for the win - but I would still like him replaced with someone with more stature in the offseason so we can compete with Man U, Chelsea, Arsenal etc

[Rich]

I'm with nufc_geordie and the 'vibe' i got is that we are papering over the cracks.  But everyone is entitled to their opinions. Having said that I'm very proud of the result and credit needs to be given where deserved. Regarding Babayaro, I thought had a pretty solid game - there was one moment when Bellamy went past him and he just lunged at him and i thought 'oh crap' - but besides that moment he was solid and kept that side in control.

 

Big ups to GR for the win - but I would still like him replaced with someone with more stature in the offseason so we can compete with Man U, Chelsea, Arsenal etc

 

Aye, I'm sure merely changing the manager would achieve that!

[eaststar]

I'm with nufc_geordie and the 'vibe' i got is that we are papering over the cracks.  But everyone is entitled to their opinions. Having said that I'm very proud of the result and credit needs to be given where deserved. Regarding Babayaro, I thought had a pretty solid game - there was one moment when Bellamy went past him and he just lunged at him and i thought 'oh crap' - but besides that moment he was solid and kept that side in control.

 

Big ups to GR for the win - but I would still like him replaced with someone with more stature in the offseason so we can compete with Man U, Chelsea, Arsenal etc

 

Aye, I'm sure merely changing the manager would achieve that!

 

Yeah I think it would.

 

I think GR is doin a decent job - especially in rebuilding the club.

 

BUT - i don't think he is capable of winning the league or being up there with the bigger clubs.  Just the feeling I get.  I believe someone with a winning track record and reputation would take us to greater heights. But yeah - right now, well done GR - and may you keep proving me wrong.

[eaststar]

Yeah, well I don't there are any good prem managers outside those u named...Curbishley?? haha

 

Actually, I probably would omit O'Neill from that list.

 

But that's the sort of calibre of manager we should have got - yet we didn't.

 

GR just doesn't give me the confidence that, say, SBR did.  But, wah, we're stuck with Roeder and he's doin a decent job so wah, wateva

[Guest Jangles]

I think the main problem was that we didnt have a left winger, Duff is coming back from injury (and didnt impress before that) and wouldve struggled badly against liverpool - Zoggys crocked and Pattison and O'Brien arent good enough . Milners played on the left before and one a good job so it made sense to play him and move Nobby to right wing then its a case of who covers right back and Taylors played there more often than Bramble.

 

Ive been pissed off with Roeder quite a few times this season (usually when carr waddles back into the team) but not this time, I thought the team made sense.

 

Im getting pissed off with the negativity of some folk, Im a believer that youve got to make your own luck and we seem to be doing this - 'Youve got to buy a ticket to win the lottery' is the phrase that springs to mind

[Rebellious]

Before going any further I just want to point ou that the results on Saturday was excellent but the performance wan't. Liverpool could and should have had a hatful of goals and we were lucky to come away with anything:

 

1. Steven Taylor has been our best defender all season so why move him out of position to accomodate Bramble (who formerly played right back at Ipswich before moving to Centre Half)?

 

2. Roeder named SOlano as first choice right back a while back. How come everytime he does have to play him there he doesn't?

 

3. Babayaro? Enough said. Terrible on Saturday, absolute waste of space.

 

4. Milner has been an equal of Taylor and Butt this season if not our best player. Again, why move him out of position to accomodate players?

 

This is almost England syndrome. Let's move all of our better players to accomodate other players. We proved it against Fulham that the set-up isn't good enough, against Sputs we were very lucky and again on Saturday. As much as those were a great three points on Staurday I can't help thinking that playing the way we are another Birmingham results is just around the corner!

 

Bramble played RB at Ipswich ? Thats news to me. Taylor played there alot under Souness.  I was half expecting Bramble to get overly mocked as usual on saturday so when I watched the 90 mins I decided to focus on the 3 CB`s and count each players mistakes. In the first half Taylor made 5 Bramble 2 and Gooch 0 . In the second half Taylor 3 Bramble 2 and Gooch 2.   Nearly all the mistakes were from Bellamy turning them or getting in behind apart from one time Taylor played Bellas onside. 

Considering Taylor played RB , Bramble & Baba back from long injuries and Gooch being new to the prem I thought the defence were good and you could notice the improvement between the 3 who played last week without changing it around to much.  The goal wasn`t even conceeded due to the defence, it was a keeper error.

 

As for the point about Solano I take it you didn`t notice how much we needed him in the rm position against Fulham. Was Taylor that bad that you would want to sacrafice Solano at RM ?

 

I don`t think Baba was that bad considering it was his first game back in a while and other circumstances.