Ventspils V Newcastle

[Shearergol 0]

4-5-1 is clearly a system we cannot play with the players we've currently got in the squad.

174920[/snapback]

 

As we have about 1,5 striker and a zillion midfielders I think it's rather sensible to play 4-5-1...

174937[/snapback]

 

Apart from the fact that the striker isn't capable of holding the ball up, yeah.

 

Play to the strengths of the players, surely?

174938[/snapback]

 

I didn't see tonights game but normally Shola isn't a bad target player. No Shearer by any means, but still OK. And if we play 4-4-2, who should we drop? Zog? I don't wanna do that.

174945[/snapback]

 

Zoggy didn't even play in the 4-5-1, so I wouldn't worry about that fact. Can't see him starting many games this season.

[Bombadil 0]

Zoggy didn't even play in the 4-5-1, so I wouldn't worry about that fact. Can't see him starting many games this season.

174959[/snapback]

 

I wouldn't worry about that. I think all of our midfielders will start enough games, given the injury problems we always have. Emre's injury record is poor and Duff, being the pacey player that he is, has had his fair share of muscular problems too.

[Jimbo 175]

I thought Emre was fantastic, I didn't think we played badly at all, just that the formation didn't complement us one bit.

[Tooj 17]

I thought Duff played some half decent balls in that any decent striker with good levels of anticipation and who attack the ball in the box would have at least made half chances of, unfortunately we currently don't have any strikers with this intelligence and eye for goal.

[Dr Kenneth Noisewater 0]

I thought Duff played some half decent balls in that any decent striker with good levels of anticipation and who attack the ball in the box would have at least made half chances of, unfortunately we currently don't have any strikers with this intelligence and eye for goal.

174967[/snapback]

Nail on head.

[snakehips 0]

We did the job.

 

 

But that was boring to watch

174954[/snapback]

 

That's European football for you! I can't stand it tbh.

 

The ref was very pernickety over the slightest touch, which made our game rather stale imo. Things will be different when we get back to real football.

 

I was a bit concerned with Sherla as well. On the 63rd minute he was in the middle of our half ffs. And did you notice where he was when Bramble was heading the ball for the goal? Near enough on the 18-yard line ffs (or so it looked like).

[The Fish 10966]

thought Carr was a weak link, gave away a couple of stupid freekicks (like Moore)

 

Emre was pick of the bunch, Butt gets praise for doing a boring job well, I thought we got down their wings well but had no-one in the centre to meet the supply. I thought Nobby tailed off dramatically towards the end and would still prefer Milner to him.

 

In the next leg I'd be tempted by this formation

----------------Given

-------Taylor Bramble Moore

------------------Butt

--------Parker ------- Emre

Duff------------------------ N'Zogbia

----------------Ameobi

 

if Parker\Duff and Emre\N'Zogbia can work as hard as they did they can dominate the wings and keep the opposition pegged back in their half. Focus the play through Butt then to Parker or Emre, Then Duff or Zoggy, get the crosses into Aemobi or pull the ball to the eighteen yrd line for one of Parker and Emre, and whichever winger isn't on the ball to have a strike at goal.

 

I really don't rate Carr and Babayaro and while they didn't have nightmares I don't think they really showed me any reason to keep them in the team.

[Dr Kenneth Noisewater 0]

Aren't you forgetting our nightmarish experiments with three-man defences in the past?

[Guest Patrokles]

I thought Carr was alright, personally.

 

Babayaro looks like his confidence is totally shot.

Edited August 10, 2006 by Patrokles

[Tooj 17]

Aren't you forgetting our nightmarish experiments with three-man defences in the past?

174992[/snapback]

I always remember when SBR played that against Spurs at home that time we got beat.

[Jigsaw's Juggernaut 0]

Personally I think we should stick to a 4-4-2 in future. The amount of time quality balls were being played into the area and there was not a man around to get on the end of it. Ameobi was always just in front of them or behind them. We missed the 2nd forward following him up. For certain spells of the game today it looked like we were playing a 4-6 formation tbh.

[Shearergol 0]

Pretty sad when we actually need to sign 2 full backs as well as 2 strikers.

 

Thought Carr was rubbish, again.

[Jigsaw's Juggernaut 0]

I didn't thinkt he defence did THAT badly tonight, nothing worse then their usual antics anyway. Glad to see Carr and Babayaro push up a bit. I thought the worst player tonight was Solano by a mile. He did sod all.

[Guest Patrokles]

Aren't you forgetting our nightmarish experiments with three-man defences in the past?

174992[/snapback]

I always remember when SBR played that against Spurs at home that time we got beat.

174996[/snapback]

 

He played it up until half time in the Robert Spurs game too.

[Shearergol 0]

I didn't thinkt he defence did THAT badly tonight, nothing worse then their usual antics anyway. Glad to see Carr and Babayaro push up a bit. I thought the worst player tonight was Solano by a mile. He did sod all.

175021[/snapback]

 

Agree with your comment about Solano tbh. Milner has looked good in pre-season; I'm not his biggest fan, but I'd like to see him given a chance there.

[Jigsaw's Juggernaut 0]

I didn't thinkt he defence did THAT badly tonight, nothing worse then their usual antics anyway. Glad to see Carr and Babayaro push up a bit. I thought the worst player tonight was Solano by a mile. He did sod all.

175021[/snapback]

 

Agree with your comment about Solano tbh. Milner has looked good in pre-season; I'm not his biggest fan, but I'd like to see him given a chance there.

175026[/snapback]

 

 

Milner should have been on at half time tonight. As much as I like Solano, I think his legs are starting to go and Milner should be given a full game in the second leg.

[Radgina 1]

Can I just add Duff was shit....stepover king and fuck all at the end of it...

[sammynb 3508]

thought Carr was a weak link, gave away a couple of stupid freekicks (like Moore)

 

Emre was pick of the bunch, Butt gets praise for doing a boring job well, I thought we got down their wings well but had no-one in the centre to meet the supply. I thought Nobby tailed off dramatically towards the end and would still prefer Milner to him.

 

In the next leg I'd be tempted by this formation

----------------Given

-------Taylor Bramble Moore

------------------Butt

--------Parker ------- Emre

Duff------------------------ N'Zogbia

----------------Ameobi

 

if Parker\Duff and Emre\N'Zogbia can work as hard as they did they can dominate the wings and keep the opposition pegged back in their half. Focus the play through Butt then to Parker or Emre, Then Duff or Zoggy,  get the crosses into Aemobi or pull the ball to the eighteen yrd line for one of Parker and Emre, and whichever winger isn't on the ball to have a strike at goal.

 

I really don't rate Carr and Babayaro and while they didn't have nightmares I don't think they really showed me any reason to keep them in the team.

174991[/snapback]

So fish are we just going to start with 10 men or is this after Solano has been sent off?

[Gemmill 46032]

Can I just add Duff was shit....stepover king  and fuck all at the end of it...

175036[/snapback]

 

You're joking yeah?

 

Or am I gonna have to play the typical-bird-doesn't-know-what-she's-talking-about card.

[Holden McGroin 6783]

Can I just add Duff was shit....stepover king  and fuck all at the end of it...

175036[/snapback]

 

You're joking yeah?

 

Or am I gonna have to play the typical-bird-doesn't-know-what-she's-talking-about card.

175067[/snapback]

 

Didnt have a lot of end product and often gave the ball away (running it out etc). Promising but below par for me.

[Rob W 0]

I thought Duff was pretty anonymous

 

Carr had a reasonable game, Solano was a bit in-and-out, Emre buzzed around

 

Butt had been given the Laurent Robert Cloak of Invisibility

 

Ameobi proved again that he is NOT a first class striker and should never be played on his own up front -

 

Bramble - brilliant strike but my heart is in my mouth whenever he gets the ball in defence

 

the rest average

 

All in all a good result away from an average performance against a side that would be OK in the middle of Div 2 (aka "The Championship")

[Craig 6700]

Can I just add Duff was shit....stepover king  and fuck all at the end of it...

175036[/snapback]

 

You're joking yeah?

 

Or am I gonna have to play the typical-bird-doesn't-know-what-she's-talking-about card.

175067[/snapback]

 

Didnt have a lot of end product and often gave the ball away (running it out etc). Promising but below par for me.

175068[/snapback]

 

Isn't 100% match fit yet. Definitely promising though - we he's up to speed he's going to be scaring the shit out of full backs...

[sweetleftpeg 0]

Parker and Emre had decent games and I thought Shola did well considering.

[Gemmill 46032]

Can I just add Duff was shit....stepover king  and fuck all at the end of it...

175036[/snapback]

 

You're joking yeah?

 

Or am I gonna have to play the typical-bird-doesn't-know-what-she's-talking-about card.

175067[/snapback]

 

Didnt have a lot of end product and often gave the ball away (running it out etc). Promising but below par for me.

175068[/snapback]

 

Shit? Stepover king? That was my main gripe. The bloke is quality and with a striker making runs for him things would be different. The reason he was running into blind alleys last night was partly because no one was giving him an outlet IMO.

[Guest alex]

Some ok performances. The back four did ok after a shaky start (Carr had a good game) and I thought that the midfield looked better as the match went on. Shola did alreet too as he was living off scraps really (did really well to set up that Solano header). We rarely looked like scoring against a very ordinary side though, which is the main worry (not that it's something we didn't already know about).