Toon Vs West Brom

[sammynb 3508]

Some right miserable bastards on here.

 

We won

 

Jonas looked class

 

Ameobi's never been playing so well since Roeder was in charge

 

Barton looked quality before tiring

 

Out of the relegation places

 

With Wigan playing Bolton tomorrow chances are we won't be back in there tomorrow.

 

Scary second half, but after 8 games without a win can people not look at the positives?

 

It's a marathon not a sprint.

[acrossthepond 878]

3 points was the only option for this game.

 

Weak subs. Jonas looked done, so I guess Geremi was the only replacement (Duff to the right maybe and zog on the left?) but Xisco for Martins was a bad idea. Xisco for anyone is a bad idea.

 

SIDE NOTE: Xisco really is incredibly shit. This looks like Luque #2. DLC must be laughing all the way to the bank.

 

Martins has not really replicated his first season form. Did a job today and was better than Ameobi, which isn't saying much.

Jonas was incredible.

Beye was back to his old self. Would've loved to see him score that chance but the man was no less than immense.

Colo had a bad error. He can't lose concentration like that against a donkey like Miller - imagine what Carew will do to him.

Barton was good, Guthrie was absent (rather have Butt), Enrique was decent.

Duff seemed to be rejuvenated and actually beat defenders sometimes, but he either tries to shoot or go for the killer ball too often.

 

All in all, something to build on.

[Ketsbaia 0]

I wouldn't say Colo lost concentration, he just slipped. Apart from that he was great.

 

Taylor is much more of a worry come Monday.

[TheMoog 0]

I have this sneaking suspicion though that Ashley is trying his hardest to make it a near certainty that we get relegated prior to him selling up... the bastard.

[Gemmill 46020]

I have this sneaking suspicion though that Ashley is trying his hardest to make it a near certainty that we get relegated prior to him selling up... the bastard.

 

Aye cos that'll help him sell the club. Please explain your logic.

[Tooj 17]

Fucking hell that was absolutely woeful, well the second half was. They were there for the taking first half, then absolutely awful tactics in the second from Kinnear, absolutely awful, which allowed them to get back in. But still, a much needed three points.

 

Could lack of match fitness have had anything to do with it? Weren't half the team (Barton, Enrique, Guthrie, Jonas, Martins) playing their way back from a spell out?

I don't believe so. As they were just playing far too deep.

[Jusoda Kid 1]

I wouldn't say Colo lost concentration, he just slipped. Apart from that he was great.

 

Taylor is much more of a worry come Monday.

 

 

 

here, here, he's the new Bramble, puts the shits up our other defenders.

[Asprilla 96]

Am I right in thinking XISCO is only a loan signing?

[Craig 6700]

Am I right in thinking XISCO is only a loan signing?

 

Not according to .COM

[Dr Gloom 22143]

i thought we did well personally. we bossed the first half, playing some nice stuff at times. we were always going to be nervy after they scored but we got the 3 points - that's the main thing at this stage. this season is all about survival and suddenly the next few games don't look to difficult with a win under our belt (except chelsea). two or three wins out of the next five games and we'll be on the road to recovery.

 

howay jfk

[spongebob toonpants 4131]

Enrique worries me, he looks terrified to be on the pitch. I take it "The Bull" is from the Zico Martin school of nicknaming

[Asprilla 96]

Am I right in thinking XISCO is only a loan signing?

 

Not according to .COM

nope the midfielder is on loan

Xisco cost us around 5m from what i remember

 

 

Fuck.

[Kid Dynamite 7169]

martins really is shit and i really don't know why the fans love him. when owens back martins should be the one getting dropped and not ameobi.

 

duff, jonas and beye played really well and barton and ameobi were decent. guthrie wasn't in the game once again.

 

I cant see why people hate him!? Yeah his end product was shit last night but he always looks 10x more likely to score than Ameobi, Smith, Xisco, Carroll or anyone else we have fit at the minute. Hes also the only player in the team atm who can skin a player

[Guest alex]

Spot on. Never been a massive fan of Martins but his pace is crucial to the team.

[Isegrim 9896]

martins really is shit and i really don't know why the fans love him. when owens back martins should be the one getting dropped and not ameobi.

 

duff, jonas and beye played really well and barton and ameobi were decent. guthrie wasn't in the game once again.

 

I cant see why people hate him!? Yeah his end product was shit last night but he always looks 10x more likely to score than Ameobi, Smith, Xisco, Carroll or anyone else we have fit at the minute. Hes also the only player in the team atm who can skin a player

Too bad, he tries to skin half the opposition team most of the times and loses possession when he fails taking on the third player.

 

With Martins there is unfortunately a huge gap between claim and reality. Of course is Martins our biggest threat at the moment. I still think he mostly makes next to nothing out of his pace and skill because he is just incredible thick.

[Fop 1]

Spot on. Never been a massive fan of Martins but his pace is crucial to the team.

 

Yup, if Martins had a good touch, reliable finishing and vision (or just one of those) to go with his pace and physical attributes we'd never have got him in a thousand years.

 

But his pace is still very threatening and he sometimes produces something pretty special as well, and it's part of why Keegan's Owen/Viduka/Martins thing worked so well.

[Flair 0]

lol fucking hell talk about the most fickle fans

 

Now ameobi should be starting ahead of martins

some people really have there moments on here

 

but good god he scores a couple for first time in 2years and wins a couple of headers, apart from that was the same old shola

 

and now he starts ahead of the lad whose half fit still scores and did 10x more running... madness

 

dumb irish twat. martins is shit and it's obvious you have never seen him play. martins and owen can't play in the same team unless we play 433. ameobi has also been the better player out of the two lately and doesn't deserve to be dropped

 

Oh dear. Triggy get your head out of your ass.

[Ketsbaia 0]

Enrique worries me, he looks terrified to be on the pitch. I take it "The Bull" is from the Zico Martin school of nicknaming

 

He needs an arm round the shoulder at the minute. He's been in and out the team God knows how many times over the past few months. It's like he's doing the pissing Hokey Cokey

[Guest alex]

I still think he mostly makes next to nothing out of his pace and skill because he is just incredible thick.

 

i think it's more to do with the fact he gets the wrong type of ball played to him, rather than a through ball to run onto with maybe 1-2 defenders to wrong foot and hit have a dig, he gets given the ball with his back to goal 30yards out with an entire defense around him... or knock downs currently from shola which well says it all really.

 

he got a good ball last night, took his chance, which at the end of the day is what strikers are meant to do.

good supply and he'll put them in, at the minute he's having too much to do, and how many strikers currently in the league is there that could take on 3 and slot it away... let alone at a club the state ours is currently in

Re: the first bit, it's partly down to a lack of creativity in midfield but you could have Platini and Zico in there and Martins' movement would still be poor.

[Isegrim 9896]

I still think he mostly makes next to nothing out of his pace and skill because he is just incredible thick.

 

i think it's more to do with the fact he gets the wrong type of ball played to him, rather than a through ball to run onto with maybe 1-2 defenders to wrong foot and hit have a dig, he gets given the ball with his back to goal 30yards out with an entire defense around him... or knock downs currently from shola which well says it all really.

See, that's my main gripe with Martins and his pace. He doesn't get these balls because his movement is awfully shit. He never anticipates situations and starts runs to show his team mates they can pass the ball to him. Mostly he just waits and only starts running after the ball has been played - only then he starts chasing it (btw he could have got some of Shola's knock downs if had started running earlier).

 

He'd make a perfect cat playing with a ball of whool if he wasn't a professional football player unfortunately.

[Ketsbaia 0]

I distinctly remember Shola playing a brilliant through ball last night and Martins, after lurching in the right direction, turning and running in the complete opposite direction.

 

And his first touch is still horrific.

Edited October 29, 2008 by Ketsbaia

[donaldstott 0]

I thought Shola had another good game last night, what you need from a target man is the ball to stick and relieve the pressure on the centre halves and most of the time Shola gives you that. Certainly on current form he deserves to be in the team.

 

I find Martins very frustrating, he just makes bad decisions and he uses his pace very badly. But his pace is vital to the team and his unpredictability works in our favour.

[Park Life 71]

The source of all out problems is the midfield and lack of understanding as a group what should be happening in key phases of the game. The strikers would all look better if they received the ball in the right areas in the right way. They don't.

[spongebob toonpants 4131]

Shola won a load in the air in the first half.

 

Sadly his most memorable moment in the second was falling over the ball after finding himself a load of space outside the box

[Kid Dynamite 7169]

I still think he mostly makes next to nothing out of his pace and skill because he is just incredible thick.

 

i think it's more to do with the fact he gets the wrong type of ball played to him, rather than a through ball to run onto with maybe 1-2 defenders to wrong foot and hit have a dig, he gets given the ball with his back to goal 30yards out with an entire defense around him... or knock downs currently from shola which well says it all really.

 

he got a good ball last night, took his chance, which at the end of the day is what strikers are meant to do.

good supply and he'll put them in, at the minute he's having too much to do, and how many strikers currently in the league is there that could take on 3 and slot it away... let alone at a club the state ours is currently in

 

He needs to learn to gamble on sholas flick ons. It was similar when Bellamy first came, Shearer was winning headers Bellamy wasnt expecting and he wasnt gambling on them. Its probably the first time in a long time weve had someone filling that Shearer sort of role.

 

And before people say it, Viduka never filled that role. Hes much better with the ball into feet, not holding off 4 defenders like Fat Sam played him for.

 

Also thought Enrique looked a lot steadier than Bassong at LB last night. Still far from perfect but its hard getting used to a new league when you play 1 game in 5