Topic: Round Table Discussion: Robbed by the Baggies. Owl faced mastermind accused.

[geoffstrong]

maybe we are having the same problem as this one?

Birmingham has not been the most successful of clubs in England, but all of that is about to change. The English Championship league side has played the past 100 years while being under the spell of a gypsy curse. As the legend goes, the club moved into its digs at St Andrews a century ago, building the stadium on land that was being used by the Romany community. After they were forced to move, the angry gypsies put an 100-year hex on the stadium.
Throughout the years many a City manager would try to remove the curse with little success.
Former manager Ron Saunders tried to banish the curse in the 1980s by put ting crucifixes on floodlights and painting the bottom of his players’ boots red.
Barry Fry, in charge from 1993 to 1996, urinated in all four corners of the pitch after a clairvoyant said it would break the spell.

Maybe we need Kenny to urinate on the goal posts the crossbar maybe beyond his talents though.

Joking aside has anyone else seen a season when we have hit the woodwork so often as this,  for me and it is a repeated comment, we dominate games but dont score from all the chances created. A curse now is what I am left with to understand this season.

[John C]

So yes it was business as usual, stone wall peno denied, woodwork rattled, sitters missed, ricochets going every which way but in.  Can it really go on all season and be laid at the door of luck?

I often find it hard posting in the round table as it arrives on the main board coinciding with the TAW release and I just feel as if I'm repeating what those lads have said.
Regarding your point above, after the performance yesterday I'm convinced this is a fundamentally odd season and whether we burn the posts or send the nets out with the Sea Odyssey I really don't think there will be a repeat of any of it next year.
I thoroughly enjoyed that game yesterday, I hardly even moaned about Dirk. We were technically well organised and played the type of football I'd be pleased to see regularly. Despite people forbidding us to put it down to luck a massive portion our every 90 minutes we've played in the league has afforded us bad luck. If Maxi gets the pen, which by the reckoning of every professional pundit a player is entitled to if your touched, then its a different game altogether. 1-0 with no chance of a QPR repeat.
There was creativity and penetration from nearly every angle, there was nothing really frustrating about our approach play - only about our finishing. Its as simple as that.
The lads should be proud of their effort imo, I'd just add that we saw the good and the bad of Suarez yesterday. Its not often this country see's a player with his ability, he can turn on the proverbially sixpence, he can drift past people or tenaciously battle past them. He's a wonderful player with a single mission which is to go towards the goal even if its a high risk move. I love him. But he's ball greedy, and I posted the same on here last November. Perhaps its the last thing we need to coach out of his game, but often it means we are a bit wasteful.

The league position has been debated all afternoon and I can't emphasis how important it is to me, but I'm far from down-hearted.

A turn over of a small group of players with one excellent buy and we won't finish behind Newcastle ever again. Ever.

[The G in Gerrard]

I'd just add that we saw the good and the bad of Suarez yesterday. Its not often this country see's a player with his ability, he can turn on the proverbially sixpence, he can drift past people or tenaciously battle past them. He's a wonderful player with a single mission which is to go towards the goal even if its a high risk move. I love him. But he's ball greedy, and I posted the same on here last November.

I'd agree with that. Does he think some of the others aren't going to score? We are becoming far to reliant on the lad though, sometimes I get the feeling the rest of the players hope he can do something rather than taking responsibility themselves.

The bit in first half when he slipped and picked himself and then fed Maxi for that penalty shout (I think it was then) was bloody brilliant.

[lukeb1981]

Oscar Cardozo would sort out our lack of goals im sure of it, what is up with Pepe this season does he not want to get his kit dirty or something, he has been awful lately some of the goals we have given away he defo could have done better with , but i think we need a shooting coach and a goal keeping coach in the summer.
Our luck relly is out in the league

[The G in Gerrard]

Oscar Cardozo would sort out our lack of goals im sure of it

We have Carroll, we have Suarez, we need someone different to them two like a Torres for example.

[Mighty_Red]

Was too pissed and shocked after the game to post, not because I hadn't seen it all before, but because it had happened YET AGAIN!

The positives - out brand of football is good, we play nice attacking football, and our defence is generally sound. We usually keep the ball well and we create chances. However pissed off people are, you cannot say that you have not been entertained by the team.

So, the problems - the final ball, the finishing, the strategy for scoring and mentality. All have been done to death at various times of the season, and all were apparent yesterday. I keep harping on about the fact that players do not get in the box in numbers. I expect them to either be in the box when a cross comes in, or ready to make a run into the box. Our delivery into the box is often terrible, but we make them look worse when there are only 2 attackers versus 6 defenders - how can you pick anyone out from that? We do suffer from a lack of movement in and around the box, with only Suarez and Maxi on the same wavelength.

The chances - Kuyt should be scoring the first, and Carroll had two where he should be scoring if he wants to prove his quality. The problem we have in the team is that there is no-one who can turn half-chances into goals on a regular basis. Torres used to do that, but even he can't do it anymore. Missing guilt-edged chances is bad, but the difference between winning lots of games and not is that magic ability to conjure goals from nowhere. A striker who is quick over 6 yards is a must in the summer, that doesn't mean getting rid of Carroll but we need that addition if we are going to cope with Europe next year.

[pepecat]

I blame the pairings of Diana Dors and Don Estelle in defence and Charles Hawtry and Will Hay in centre mid . They never got going all afternoon.

Bamber Gascoigne should start next week if you ask me and I'd give Michael Aspell a run out in attack as well.

I couldn't find any of them in my Rothman's football year book collection

[Knickerless]

ha, if that was a stone wall pen I can see why some of you get so angry with the other 'stone wall pen' decisions we have not been getting.

Sometimes... no wait... all the time, its best to stay on your feet and just try and hit the target. This way not only may you score goals but you also
won't end up looking like an embarrassed little nob sack in the replays.

[Tepid water]

It's all gone wrong on the pitch since the beachball at sunderland.....

Seriously, that was a pivotal point of heinous back luck which had continued ever since.


It's not the most constructive thing to add to the thread, but in many ways it is as convincing an argument as I can find football wise

[John C]

It's all gone wrong on the pitch since the beachball at sunderland.....
Seriously, that was a pivotal point of heinous back luck which had continued ever since.

Hey you might not be wrong there mate, without sounding pathetic I've never known such continuous bad luck.
At least this season injury list has not been as bad as others in the past, but losing Lucas when he was storming to become player of the season was a blow.

[rushyman]

Its not having one player who is truly lethal in front of goal

You cannot be unlucky all season. Posts off the lines. its comical week after week, because there is a shitload of panickers in the team.

Bellamy hasnt been chosen nearly enough. He shouldve been the main striker really, that decsiison shouldve been made a while ago. But when youve paid 35m for someone you really have to stick buy him. And though hes scored a couple of big ones of late, it simply hasnt been good enough. Just doesnt fit in with the football we can play.

Last year at Fulham. Thats what we can play like, that is the football that would get us springboarded and where we want to be.

[Tepid water]

Hey you might not be wrong there mate, without sounding pathetic I've never known such continuous bad luck.
At least this season injury list has not been as bad as others in the past, but losing Lucas when he was storming to become player of the season was a blow.

I'm not so sure bad luck is that much of an issue though....

We've sold Mascherano, alonso, Torres, Yossi the rat, and stevies been injured much of that time...

It's not rocket science, and we've not replaced them with players of anywhere near the quality or mantality they had.

We replaced Mascherano with poulson. £4.5 m gone
We replaced aurelio with kn...(can't type the word sorry) for £4.5m and two youngsters...

They were both so awful we had to cancel their contracts essentially.... £9m gone just like that
Joe cole....joint highest wages at the club?  Never a Liverpool player..


No wonder it's been difficult

[John C]

We've sold Mascherano, alonso, Torres, Yossi the rat, and stevies been injured much of that time...

Who asked you to come in here and depress us all. Now we've got to find the Samaritans thread.

[CHOPPER]

Hey you might not be wrong there mate, without sounding pathetic I've never known such continuous bad luck.
At least this season injury list has not been as bad as others in the past, but losing Lucas when he was storming to become player of the season was a blow.

Luck luck luck lucky luck luck luck...

[jaffod]

Not having the 'bad luck' argument with regards to how many times we've hit the woodwork. Those shots that hit the post and bar are actually our best efforts and should be applauded because everything else gets blazed over the fucking bar or past the post.

[woof]

I'd be very interested to find out what sort of shooting drills they do in training. With the exception of Gerrard, none of the midfielders or defenders can hit the ball from the box. Not even close at all. Just wild sprays

[jckliew]

I'd be very interested to find out what sort of shooting drills they do in training. With the exception of Gerrard, none of the midfielders or defenders can hit the ball from the box. Not even close at all. Just wild sprays

Our defenders are out scoring midfielders. That tells a story. Glen and Agger has a good
shot on their boots.
The midfielders however, aren't exactly hungry for goals.

How many times have we seen our midfielders(apart from Stevie)  poaching in the box when the cross comes in?

They are almost always standing around the box, stationary like

[KopThat]

It has been the same story at home all season we have dominated games had the most chances
but failed to convert them, and then come away with a draw or a loss.

It's not really just a predatory striker, some of our build up play around the 18 yard box and the quality of our crosses have been poor.

That was our top back 5 and they did well save one mistake that was punished.

We still have a huge game to come, and perhaps the remaining league fixtures we could give some of our young talent a cameo.

We have the nucleus of a very good side, they just need to play to their potential week in week out.

[koolkamal]

Not read everyone's comments so not sure if anyone mentioned this but the subs didn't really work out. Downing and Bellamy. Once both came on all we did was get crosses in to the box or hit it long to Carroll. We stopped playing the way were for most of the game prior to that. Lack of ideas and just ended up crossing the ball in hope.

[jckliew]

Sometime ago, someone posted how games are won in the area around the box
plus or minus 5 yds.......this area seems to be our undoing.

Watched Barca how they cut through this area, especially when the opponents
crowds this area out and Messii does his slaloms........OR a quick pass to the wings to pedro or alves.
They dont exactly have a tall no.9 for high crosses. All about quick passing and interchange.
But that takes a very close knit understanding between the players

[The Red artist.]

I didn't find anything about the game depressing, annoyingly predictable but not depressing. All the signs are there for progress, not dis-similar to Houllier's team in 2000-1. I know that team finished third and qualified for the champions league but it will always be better remembered for its cup exploits, but it was the promise of what lay ahead that was the real bonus as the season drew to a close. Fuckinell how we could have done with a post Christmas Gary McAllister this season.

For many of the players it is their first season, things will get better for them, the team will integrate better. Finishing cannot be as bad again, surely, luck, well I don't want to go there but I've never known anything like it. The woodwork, I don't know if it is some sort of record but I'd doubt any other team has used it as much in the past.

We've got less than two weeks for a FA Cup final, win it and Kenny will have delivered the only two trophies he could realistically have given us this season. For me performances have been a million miles better than results and we sit in the falsest position in the league since Carlisle led it in 1974.

Roy had his day, Kenny has many more in him!

Absolutely spot on lad! I've never known a season like this one, me arl fella is 82 and he says the same, its been crazy. I've really enjoyed this season though, we've played some great football at times and we know the rest. I've certainly seen enough to convince me that our future is bright and safe in the Kings hands. Cant wait for next season.

[Knickerless]

Not read everyone's comments so not sure if anyone mentioned this but the subs didn't really work out. Downing and Bellamy. Once both came on all we did was get crosses in to the box or hit it long to Carroll. We stopped playing the way were for most of the game prior to that. Lack of ideas and just ended up crossing the ball in hope.

Completely agree with this point. Although we had not scored we had the momentum and when Bellamy and erm...  Downing came on we lost that momentum all together. I honestly felt the goal was coming until we made those changes and then we just went flat. Dirk was doing a good job with Johnson down the right hand side and if we were going to change anything I thought it would have been a straight Bellamy for Maxi on the left where we were doing comparatively very little. Great shame, when I was watching us rip them apart I thought, win the cup, win the last four games and we will still be sitting Okay for next year.

Either way, I have tried sticking by Downing to the point I'm blue in the face. I hate to beat on our own players but words can't describe how poor a player I think he is and I don't actually limit this to his time at LFC. He has has never had a good game for England either and even his Villa form was patchy at best. Great to see Henderson starting to show some form and we all know the big man will come through but jesus do us all a favour and get Downng out of Anfield asap, a winger who literally cannot find the head of a 6'6 forward, really?

[gallden]

I'm admittedly out of my depth here, but it's worth noting, I said this in the Kuyt thread, that our performance when Kuyt came off drastically declined.  We were absolutely battering them down that right flank. 

[Another Red]

Congrats to Roy Hodgson on the win. West Brom are now 1 point behind us. Roy was a spectacular failure during a tumultuous time for the club, but by winning this game he gave us all the middle finger salute.

We need the whole team to improve its finishing. I'd put it down to luck if it didn't happen every week. We don't need 1 striker to bang in 30 goals a season (although that would be nice). We need our midfielders, wide players and strikers to score more. Juventus are leading Serie A and their top scorer is on 10 goals. Rafa's Valencia won La Liga without a significant goal scorer. We put too much pressure on Carroll and Suarez, but the truth is that Kuyt, Downing and our central midfielders could also have contributed more.

[KirkVanHouten]

The entire squad seems determined to underwhelm, just when we've had to lower our expectations the players can't even meet those ones.

Our right side had acres of space to work with yet could not fashion a single clear cut opportunity.

Same problem that we've had all season - There is no 'goal scorer' in our side, Carroll doesn't have that killer instinct in the box and Suarez has no set position so is always drifiting around. So basically nobody ever goes to the six yard box.

These players are either incredibly lazy our lack any semblance of bottle. The only way our team is going to break down teams that park the bus is by stretching them wide and Fullbacks and Midfielders making runs into the box.

This summer another winger, a back up DM and a real striker, someone who may contribute absolutely nothing to our build up play but knows where to go in the box.

[woof]

If I were Kenny, I'd be playing guys like Sterling to see if they are ready for the big stage next year

[redintweed]

I was a bit cheesed off when they scored. Glen should have knocked the ball back to Pepe and then up the left.....but he tried a flick that didn't come off. Even after this I was confident that we could score 2 to win the game. WBA didn't really offer much and were happy to sit back. Good teams eat teams that sit back. But it all went pear shaped after the substitutions. Now I'm not Dirk's biggest fan but he and Glen were destroying it down the right side and all our good play came from there. I think Bellamy should of come on for Maxi and I had no problem with Jonjo for Jay late on when we were chasing the game. We just lost all momentum after about 75 minutes and it just wasn't working. The last 10 minutes were a little painful in all honesty as we seemed to lose our shape and our enthusiasm.

I do think maybe a couple of players had an eye on the cup final. The only problem with this is, if they want to be picked, form is everything. Even under Rafa's reign we had problems against the lesser teams. If you watch the Mancs, they grind out the wins that we can't. Against the big clubs the lads seem to lift. But against the WBA's etc. they just seem to cruise. I don't know what the answer is but we need to get that winning mentality that we had back in the 80's. Kenny should know about it, he was a major part of it.

I agree with several posters that we are not that far away from really being a good side. Just a couple tweaks and look out. We just need to keep faith with KD. We are playing a good style that is easy on the eye. We are lacking a cutting edge and some pace though. I think Jordan and the big fella will come good. I'm still not convinced by Adam and Downing though, but the talent is surely there. I don't want to be a club that sacks managers willy nilly. Keep the faith and hopefully with a couple of additions in the summer (Lucas will be like a new signing), a decent preseason, a large slice of luck and the support of all the fans, KD can turn it around.

[ArcticRed]

Seems we just can't get any breaks at all this season. Admittedly, our finishing has overall been, if not all out bad then at least wasteful. But you would still expect at least _some_ of the random flukes to go our way. I mean... the law of bloody averages would have it that at least a couple of our 30 woodwork hits ought to roll off the right way. But no.
And this game just typified it. Ball cleared off the line twice. Rebounds from their goalie going, uncontrolled, every way but ours. I just knew when the ball came off the crossbar, hit the back of the goalies legs and somehow managed to bounce away from the goal instead of into it, that it was gonna be yet another one of those days. It immediately brought to mind our game against (I think) QPR back in december... when SWP cleared the ball onto the underside of the crossbar, only for the ball to bounce on the line and out. Even own goals won't bounce the right way this season.
Add to that a rather uncharacteristic error from Johnson, and you got the recipe for a fucked up game of football.

As for the manc shite winning this kind of games... they do get an awful lot of help. I don't care whether people choose to call me conspiracy theorist or whatnot, but I'm dead certain that had the match been at the Old Trafford, and that was Rooney or Young going down instead of Maxi, they'd have got the pen. No if's, no but's. The only team I can remember scoring 4 games in two concecutive matches from pens. With those being the only goals. That's the kind of... fortune... we so sorely need when we're struggling like we are now.

As for the game... it was as perfect as it could get for 70 odd minutes... bar, of course, the most important bit. The guys did everything right... except score. Then they seemed to fade. Which, I think, is a rather natural reaction. Part of it might be them having one eye on the cup final. But I think this season is starting to get to them. If it hasn't months ago. The ability to, match after match, dominate the opposition without managing to grind out a result or at least get a lucky bounce for once this season, must be messing with their heads as much as it's messing with ours.

I do find some slight comfort, though, in the presence of some neat and tidy pass and move football. And the creation of chances. Had West Brom had us under the kosh for the majority of the game, I'd be fretting a whole lot more. Truth is, though, not many teams have managed to get one over on us in terms of overall play. It's the inability to take our chances, finish of games and avoid flukey goals against that has done this season in. And that, in my mind at least, is a hell of a lot easier to remedy than had the overall play still been lacking.

Onwards and upwards. And hope that things _do_ indeed even out. Cause if that's true, a win in the final, however flukey, would be on the cards. It's no more than we deserve

[DanA]

I mentioned it in another thread but I don't think we've had bad luck we just don't have the right mentality. None of the players we have are bad, I rate them all, even the under performers. This is compounded by not enough options.

Who in the squad has made a career out finishing everything that comes their way? Nobody. Who in the midfield has made a career out of winning possession? Lucas and that it. Who's got pace that worries the opposition? Only Bellamy. Too few options with skills we need.
 

[scatman]

Thats a good point.  Why have ALL of our attackers performed worse this season?

Maxi has a better conversion rate this season. So does Gerrard, they are the only ones though and both havent played often at all this season.

Let's just write off this league season and win that FA Cup, it's been shite, fuck knows what has conspired against us but our virus has even found its way to the Nou Camp lol

[X11LFC]

My hubby reckons we should have smaller goals on the training pitch   

[Camarero25]

Is the complete lack of a pressing system bothering anyone else?

I know that pressing high up isn't the only way to defend, but it doesn't half annoy me how passive we are off the ball against the likes of West Brom.

It also seemed to play right into their hands as we dropped so deep that they could lump balls into our box at will.

For me, a high line would suit the defensive players we have much better. All of our defensive players are at least reasonably quick, and Reina is an excellent "sweeper keeper". It doesn't make any sense to me that we insist on dropping off, defending crosses isn't exactly our strong point is it?

[redbyrdz]

Agree with some of the posters in here, we're far better than the table suggests. Two decent signings in attack, and everything should fall into place.

Those bemoaning our decision making. I agree. That is why we usually look more dangerous with Kuyt, Maxi, and Bellamy on the pitch, all who are above 30 and bring the experience with them. However I don't agree that it is a lack of coaching. I think our coaches are working very hard on improving our play, but it just takes time to take it all onboard and start using it. Against West Brom, our central midfielders had an average age of 21. They did well, but maybe they're just lacking that bit of extra experience to create those goals the strikers can't miss?

[redbyrdz]

My hubby reckons we should have smaller goals on the training pitch   

Like those?




Also we do finishing in the warm-up to every match. We're shite then too.

[drpepe]

Agree with some of the posters in here, we're far better than the table suggests. Two decent signings in attack, and everything should fall into place.

Those bemoaning our decision making. I agree. That is why we usually look more dangerous with Kuyt, Maxi, and Bellamy on the pitch, all who are above 30 and bring the experience with them. However I don't agree that it is a lack of coaching. I think our coaches are working very hard on improving our play, but it just takes time to take it all onboard and start using it. Against West Brom, our central midfielders had an average age of 21. They did well, but maybe they're just lacking that bit of extra experience to create those goals the strikers can't miss?

but we're getting worse, rather than staying the same or marginally improving...

in fact we're getting much worse!

games 1-12 = 1.8pointspg, 1.3goalspg, 0.9concededpg
games 13-24 = 1.4ppg, 1.0gpg, 0.8gpg
games 25-34 = 0.7ppg, 1.2gpg, 1.6cpg

[Sharado]

I've spilled me guts on this on other threads but we're approaching the end of the season and here's a stream of conciouness about the WBA game and our season in general - because this game and my thoughts on it apply to pretty much the entire season, save for a few games. It's contradictory in places, but then so's much of this season really - great at times, shite at others. Winning cups, gash in the league. Don't hate me for it, seems like it's endemic.

1) Our shape - what is it? I just don't see us having a clear 'shape' when we don't have the ball, we seem a bit headless chickens - pressing but no one really knowing where they should be or what they should be doing. I'm exaggerating there a little perhaps, but - yes it's a rafa reference - under rafa in all but his last season I always got the impression individual players were controlling their own little areas of the pitch, it's what made us so fucking brilliant in europe. Defensively we were supreme. At present it feels like we've got a good defence, generally speaking, in that it's comprised of good players but not neccessarily that our defensive 'system' works. This can also be labelled through the team. There seems to be a bit too much 'go out and play' in some games and not a 'system'. This doesn't apply to some of the big games though, it's like we do our homework for some games and in the 'little' games we just 'let them worry about us'. Sound familiar? It's what Rafa used to get slagged off for, usually by morons. We still need a plan in games against WBA or Wigan or...well...you know. I'd be interested to know from better scribes than me what people think our shape is this season, generally. I'm fucked if I know.

2) Luck - it's a cheap excuse in a lot of ways, but fuck me, we can't fucking buy it. We really fucking can't. Watching on Sunday I could only come to the conclusion we were fucking cursed. I know this almost flies in the face of what I've said above, but I do think both points are true. People can argue that Maxi's wasn't a penno - but it fucking well would have been if that was Nani at OT. Henderson would of broken the net if that shot was a centimetre lower. If stuff 'evens itself out' then next season I can only hope we spawn everything, nothing should be out of our grasp after this year.

3) Again I'm contradicting myself, but how the fuck haven't we finished more chances? Seriously, fucking how? It's not just a striker/poacher we need - we need all our players to improve their finishing. Perhaps I wouldn't be talking about luck then, or systems, because we'd have won - handsomely - but I honestly can't believe how much we've dominated so many games this year and done nothing with them. Are we really only a finisher away? Or are we a 'change the whole way we think' away? I spent the whole season hoping it'd 'click' and we'd batter someone, but it's not come. In fairness though, if it does come on 5th May, I'll live with it.

I remember Rafa's programme notes before Istanbul - it was something like 'It's been a strange season in many ways, but it's nice to say that it doesn't end today'. That's more or less how I feel about this season - it's been baffling, frustrating, maddening. But then, it's nice to think about Wembley and what might be.

I've bounced all over the place in this post. Fuck it though, I don't think all of it's mutually exclusive. Even though it kind of is.

[dumbo]

We signed a bunch players that create lots of chances, but score few goals.

The outcome, logically, is that we create lots of chances, but score few goals.

The ratio of shots that hit the post/crossbar to the shots that go in is called 'accuracy' not luck.  (in a 1-off tie, luck plays a part - over a season, not really)

[John C]

I'd be very interested to find out what sort of shooting drills they do in training. With the exception of Gerrard, none of the midfielders or defenders can hit the ball from the box. Not even close at all. Just wild sprays

I've been thinking about this also. Excuses can be made due to an uneven pitch or the flight of the ball but it does seem that basic technique is wanting. And its no single individual, everyone of them are failing to hit the target with frequency.

[KirkVanHouten]

Is the complete lack of a pressing system bothering anyone else?

I know that pressing high up isn't the only way to defend, but it doesn't half annoy me how passive we are off the ball against the likes of West Brom.

It also seemed to play right into their hands as we dropped so deep that they could lump balls into our box at will.

For me, a high line would suit the defensive players we have much better. All of our defensive players are at least reasonably quick, and Reina is an excellent "sweeper keeper". It doesn't make any sense to me that we insist on dropping off, defending crosses isn't exactly our strong point is it?

It's infuriating me beyond belief too mate but I think it's down to the absence of Lucas and who would usually mop up bad passes from the opposition. Were we pressing earlier in the season? Because I seem to recall we were putting teams under much more pressure than we do now.

[exiledinyorkshire]

While we're at it, I posted this on TAW last night. Not everyone agrees, obviously, but for me the Liverpool job, whoever does it, is a tantalising managerial position, because the side's on the cusp of resurgence, and the issues aren't that hard to address. Whoever's in the hot seat will win plaudits, assuming the obvious decisions are taken. ---

Thats a great post Hendo. We are trying very definitely to play a brand of football that can win this league. The evidence of an "attacking balance" is obvious, we just arent good enough at this kind of football yet. i've been saying it long and hard, we just need to keep set on our current course and get better at what we are doing. Think we could obviously improve on some of the palying staff, but the ideas are correct, if not executed sufficiently well at the moment.

I kind of disagree about the control of the midfield, i think with Hendo in the middle alongside Spearo we look alright, and god willing Lucas comes back next season with a second season Adam too, then the doble pivot roles shared between those 4 doesnt look bad to me. But the football is good! Patchy but good. Classic "stupid" from mr Johnson on saturday as well Roy, absolute classic. I think there were many amongst us that greeted the WBA goal with a giggle rather than a rage this week, i mean it was always going to happen wasnt it?