Why, for pity's sake? I used to be a huge admirer, but the guy playing left back now is not the Herita Ilunga who joined us on loan. Like all the Nani signings, he has proved a flash in the pan, a streak of light across the footballing firmament turned into a skid mark on the toilet pan! He fully deserves the name Rita, because he is playing like a tranny in high heels and pencil skirt!
Where was he for the West Brom equaliser exactly? The OS correctly reports that Ibanez was "completely unmarked" as he headed home. Surely Ilunga, as the left back, was responsible for covering the far post as that cross came in from the right? But, as usual this season, he was completely AWOL.
The guy looks dazed and confused and utterly disinterested in what is going on around him. In fact, he looks so bad, I could even see a case for replacing him with Spector!
I agree he is having a bad time of it.Pointless playing him,when his form is poor.GABBIDON was doing okay there but he is not the answer, yet another position we need to fill.I'm still not sure whether GRANT knows his best 11,with injuries blighting his judgement.But I would imagine DA COSTA,UPSON,and BENHAIM must be the best candidates for the centre back positions.TOMPKINS looked good against STOKE in the cup,so I expect hime to be ready for a comeback soon,if his confidence is up.REID is the only one I am not sure about.
ReplyDeleteDa Costa picked up an ankle injury at Arsenal - caused by Fabregas. Seems to be a pattern of petulance running through his veins at the moment. I agree that Ilunga is dreadful. It was he who was supposed to be marking Ridgewell last week and he who allowed Ibanez a free header last night. He fails to close down enough to stop crosses and his distribution is questionable to say the least. However, with Gabbidon having to play centre half the alternative - Spector - just doesn't bear thinking about. Letting Daprela go was a mistake for sure
ReplyDeletefprnding on the team i would surpisingly enuff let spector have game at right or left back maybe let jacobsen play left back for tht game juts make sure u dont play spector against out an out wingers
ReplyDeleteI have no problem with Ilunga, him being picked last night or his performances. However, leaving Obinna on the bench and playing Barerra...?! Beyond me.
ReplyDeleteAlthough, as everyone keeps saying, he did have a good World Cup.........
The problem is we have no natural replacement for Ilunga because the jokers in charge sold him along with Diamnati. Now we have no cover and rita has no competition for his place. Spector - no never ever ever
ReplyDeleteThoses things are difficult. Ilunga was injured pretty long so it takes time to reach the same level he had in the 08/09 campaign. He needs further matchday experience but in our current situation it's questionable if you stick with him. He was an excellent left back but at the moment I think it would be better to replace him. You don't know how he performs in training but in the last two games he just didn't look sharp enough. He gives the wingers too much time for a well timed flank and let Ibanez totally unmarked last wednesday. All in all it's a hard decission.
ReplyDeleteNow, every premiership manager knows, that a long high angled cross from the left somewhere near Green's left post has a good chance of creating a goal. Green has not the guts to come off his line and Ilunga has lead in his feet. It was there for all to see when WBA got their second goal. Green on his line panic stricken and Ilunga off balance watching the ball being headed in by someone he should have been challenging. Its elementary stuff, either the coaching staff or the player's,or both, must be idiots not having put this repetitive problem right that has cost us so many points.
ReplyDeleteI was waiting for you to blame Ilunga for that goal. Even though he has been very poor, that goal was not his fault and I think if you look at it again you will agree with me.
ReplyDeleteIf you watch Ilunga for the whole move, he is always with a Brom player at the far post. The run Ibanez made should have been picked up by someone else as Ilunga had a man all along. Have a look. Maybe Ibanez should have been Barrera's but but he just didn't look behind or follow.
Take nothing away from the cross though, it was magic. I was raving about this guy the last time they were in the Prem. Wand of a left foot has Brunt.
But he isn't on the far post when the cross comes over is he? We do not man mark, we zonal mark. You can see that when we end up with Jacobsen marking Zigic when he pulls to the far post for a cross from the left of our box, and then Ilunga marking him when the cross is coming in from our right. If Ilunga did, indeed, track a player, he should have pulled away and marked his zone, passing the runner to a centre back. In fact we had a knot of three defenders, all of whom were bypassed by the cross.
ReplyDeleteAs for the cross, the absence of marking made the delivery dead easy. I could have delivered it. I have delivered many crosses just as accurately. Crossing a ball is not hard if you are not challenged and if your target is totally unmarked. Had Brunt failed to pick out his man, it would have been down to rank poor delivery in my book!
Spot on John, though I think marking was the real issue this time.
ReplyDeleteZones don't score hammersfan.
ReplyDeleteIlunga's shite, but that goal was not his fault.
Of course zones don't score, they are used to stop players scoring. Leave a zone empty and you invite a goal. That is what Ilunga did and the result was a goal.
ReplyDeleteDear me. And if Ilunga went and marked that zone, that prolific, goal machine of a zone, who would have marked the guy Ilunga had in the middle? And if Ilunga was marking your zone, would Ibanez have bothered running into it or Brunt crossing into it? No. Ilunga would have been marking the empty zone as two free Brom men in the middle of the area stuck the ball in the net. You would have only then blamed Ilunga for marking no one.
ReplyDeleteYou"ve been wrong on so many things but you still haven't lost that stubborn head-up-your-own-ass-ness have you? It brings you no humility, no introspection. How sad. You must be a very difficult person to live with Mr Always Right
You answer your own question my friend. You say, " And if Ilunga was marking your zone, would Ibanez have bothered running into it or Brunt crossing into it? No." So, THAT goal would not have been scored by your own admission.
ReplyDeleteNow, you do go on, "Ilunga would have been marking the empty zone as two free Brom men in the middle of the area stuck the ball in the net. You would have only then blamed Ilunga for marking no one."
There are two problems with that argument. The first is that there were two West Ham centre backs marking that zone. You could throw a towel over a scrum of West Ham players bypassed by the cross, including Ilunga. So your initial premise is wrong anyway. But, even if there was nobody there, how do you know a goal would have resulted? We are comparing a goal that WAS scored against a goal that MAY have been scored. Hmmmmmm. I would take the goal may have been scored option because we MAY then have taken three points instead of one. And if a goal had been scored, it would have been Upson or Gabbidon's fault, not Ilunga's.
You don't seem to understand the basics of zonal marking my friend. You may disagree with the tactic and prefer man marking, but we play a zonal defence system and Ilunga was not in his position, not marking his space which enabled Ibanez to run into an empty space and Brunt to lay it on a plate for him. If Ilunga is marking an empty zone, it is not empty, it is guarded by Ilunga. If every zone is guarded there is, in theory, no unmarked players. What if two opponents attack one zone? That's where your midfield come into play, tracking runners. Sometimes, you are caught in two minds, to track a runner or to mark your zone. If he is running into an empty zone, you track. If not, you mark your zone. Ilunga should have marked his zone!
As for being always right, I have admitted to being wrong quite often on here. But, given how much I comment, I reckon my success rate is pretty good actually. But, this is a site that you visit for my OPINION and you are allowed to contradict that opinion with your own. If I then retort with a counter argument, it is bad form to simply resort to insults. So, how do you now counter the points I have made without calling me a big nose?
That hit a nerve didn't it? Maybe because there was some truth in it.
ReplyDeleteIlunga was marking a player. He could not leave him in the middle of the six yard box and wander off to mark an empty space.