That has to be one of the poorest 90 minutes of football ever played. Never mind the goalless outcome, never mind the paucity of opportunities, never mind the defensive tactics employed by both managers (disgracefully by Zola in our position), the complete and utter lack of vision and skill evident in both teams was embarrassing.
What did the game amount to in terms of forward play? Pederson's and Diamanti's free kicks, the first of which hit the bar with Diamanti forcing a good save from Robinson, a straight ball up Roberts who out muscled and turned Tomkins far too easily before making it easy for Green by shooting far too close to the keeper, a good save from Green from a shot that was heading for the top corner and...did we actually create an opening from open play over the whole 90 minutes?
True Diamanti had a couple of shots straight at Robinson but they weren't worked openings. True Collison had a shot blocked. True Parker sent a lovely ball across the six yard box but there was nobody in a claret shirt anywhere near. But what else? What else for God's sake?
We were at home against a very ordinary team and we set up and played as if we were playing Barcelona away. The best opportunities fell to Blackburn, which is hardly surprising given we seemed to have an allergic reaction to getting into Blackburn's box. When Parker's cross shot across the middle of the six yard box, Diamati was on the edge of the box on the opposite side, WALKING. He made NO ATTEMPT to hit the open space in front of him, apparently oblivious to the possibility that Parker might actually cross the ball into a dangerous area. With no penetration down the flanks again because of Zola's insistence on playing a right footer on the left and a left footer on the right, Blackburn knew we had to go through the middle, so they simply packed the middle of the pitch and knew that a freak opportunity apart, they couldn't concede. And so it proved.
People will defend Zola and point to the injuries but his tactics were to blame. If you have a right footed left back, surely you have to have a left footer on the left of midfield, otherwise the opposition full back knows you will go inside every time. The one time we got a cross in from the left (first half), Diamanti had drifted over there. Is that a coincidence? I don't think so!
Where was Stanislas? The game was crying out for some pace down the flanks but he wasn't considered as an option. As I said in my half time report, Noble played so deep that he was in danger of stepping on Upson's toes. The decision to withdraw Kovac and Behrami was spot on because neither showed any attacking intent or invention whatsoever. The formation is fine for away games but for a match at Upton Park? Zola was waving the white flag from the kick off!
We should have started with Diamanti on the left, Stanislas on the right and Cole leading the line. By playing a negative formation, Zola did Allardyce's job for him, turning Upton Park into a morgue. It looked to me more like a pre season training warm up than a must win game! No bookings for ourselves and only one for Blackburn says it all - there was no passion, no desire, no challenge, no invention, no action!
Thank God we have signed McCarthy. But unless Zola changes tactics that won't help us much anyway. You have all the strikers in the world and you will not score if you don't get the ball into the box. Behrami is a great defensive midfielder but, as I said to howls of derision more than a year ago, he offers virtually nothing in terms of defensive flair. Kovac is competent at holding but passes sideways and backwards only. Parker doesn't play with his head up so does not play defence splitting passes. Noble is better holding than in the final third. Diamanti lacks the pace to play wide and the discipline to play in centre midfield. Collison might be more effective if allowed to play off his right foot. And Stanislas? Until Zola plays him on the right and tells him to go at the full back, we will never know.
Did anybody play well? Upson, Spector and Faubert all had good games, as did Tomkins until Roberts did him all ends up (he has learnt nothing since his debut against Everton it seems!). Noble anchored well too. But that's it. The rest looked like they they were going through the motions, happy to keep Blackburn out rather than trying to win the game. That must be on instruction surely? "Keep it tight until Carlton comes on" must have been the instruction. And by the time he came on, the whole stadium was in a coma. Faubert tried to rouse the crowd at the end with arm gestures. How about playing some attacking football instead lads? Dear God, by the end I was yearning for an Upson lump just so I could see the ball reach the Blackburn area!
Remember, we beat Blackburn 4-1 in Curbishley's last game in charge. In Zola we trust? Trust him to cure insomnia perhaps!
Ratings: Green 6; Faubert 7, Tomkins 5 (8 until Roberts turned him so easily - that was when the game should have been won and lost) Upson 7, Spector 7; Diamanti 6, Noble 6, Kovac 6, Behrami 6, Collison 6; Nouble 5. Subs Cole 5, Parker 7 (he created an opportunity!) Sears 5
14 comments:
All the intangibles (weather, pitch condition, form etc.) fell into Blackburns hands today. Not saying our boys arent at fault but its not easy to beat hoof-it-merchants in the winter.
Zola and Clarke are on fat contracts apparently (to the surprise of DS) so no amount of bleating is going to get rid.
sears created a few oppertunitys aswell he deserves a 6 and tomkins 1 mistake aint worth getting dropped 3 off his rating unless it led to a goal.
to be fair i have to agree with u for alot of ur match report which is surprising for my self
Awful game,no skill no attacking flair,at least we are picking up points.SULLIVAN'S interview on SKY after the match was interesting to hear about a BRAZILIAN striker to join McCARTHY,who the heck could that be?
Zola if your reading this.....
WHAT A FUCKING LIBERTY!
Did you see G&S after the whistle? ANOTHER two points dropped! Only goal difference is keeping us out of the bottom three at the moment.
Scott Duxbury here…..
Got a chance to watch my team today. Should have won after Jermaine’s goal, but got done by a late B’rum equaliser. Never mind. Looking forward to seeing Eidur play. Pretty poor show by the Olympics I hear. By the way of course I wasn’t going to sell any players to the Spurs… none of them are any good.
BFS's teams don't really play football in the true sense of the word - so it should come as no surprise.
Noble was awful. If 5's average, I would have to give him a 4. A shame though, he played well last game. Upson had a good game. Faubert was our best player. Two excellent crosses, one excellent pass.
I think Zola was probably hoping for a game like that to make the owners go that extra mile in getting some players in.
The pitch wasn't the best for our style of play but we better get used to it because it's that time of the season.
At least we can't complain about being last on match of the day.
I thought that Noble had a very good first half. He had clearly been told to sit deep and pass from there - and most of those passes were completed. We were then over run in midfield in second half because Blackburn had the extra man once Cole was on and we had no natural width so we kept trying to play through the middle. People are blaming the pitch but team selection and tactics are at the root of the problem. Clarke has clearly won the battle of wills over tactics and we are setting up to suffocate rather than rip out the throats of our opponents. (Sorry Saw 3 is on TV as I type!)
People talk of our midfield being strong but they aren't showing it at the moment. Behrami and Collison need to find form and someone needs to start getting in the bloody box. We can't have 3 of Noble, Behrami, Parker and Kovac playing defensive/deep all at once. It does seem that that's what they are doing at the moment. I felt for Nouble today.
As for Noble; I think I've given up on him. He hasn't got it I'm afraid.
...and nothing on Terry HF? What's your opinion on it?
I believe 'Employee of the month' was on before saw 3, I know who will not be winning that one. I disagree that this was a must win game, I think we have a few more games before we get to that stage, but as I said before I think we are simply a team that will draw with the best and draw with the worst (and the average). I seem a bit confused when people say we play the game how it should be played, surely that's Chelsea and Arsenal at the moment?
You do nothing but moan when we play 4/3/3 and get beat. So we close up shop, don't lose and you still moan. We could win 9-1 and you'd be having a pop at Green for letting a goal in
0832, were you happy with that performance and result. I want 4-4-2 with a left footer on the left of midfield and a right footer on the right. I have been consistent all season in calling for that. I will keep moaning until we get it. If Zola ditches his fancy ideas and gets back to basics, we will survive. If he keeps fannying around with players out od position and 4-5-1 / 4-3-3 formations, we could well go down. We are not good enough to play like Arsenal or Barcelona.
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