As Lineker says, it begs the question what Grant was doing during the interval. It also makes you wonder what would have happened had Upson been wearing the bloody armband! Mind you, I can't believe we would have been AS bad at the back had the much maligned Matty played!
Not that Parker gets off Scott free for that first half horror show. He was repeatedly the wrong side of the ball when West Brom were in possession and, inevitably, it was Parker who gave away the free kick that led to the third Baggies goal. Wasn't that in exactly the same position as the freekick he gave away against Denmark, with a carbon copy challenge from behind?
Were we unlucky? We hit the bar twice and had a perfectly good goal disallowed; but West Brom could have been five up at half time. They were bloody unlucky when Fortune blocked that shot almost on the line, with Green on the ground floundering, and they were definitely robbed of a penalty. 3-3 was a fair score although, as Shearer said, it could have been seven all because of the appalling defending.
Unless we can get Upson and Tomkins back quickly, we are in desperate trouble. And unless we can sort out which of Noble or Parker is meant to hold, we are dead and buried.
No Obinna today and it is hard to see how he can be accommodated unless Ba breaks down. Boa may have played his last game but the hope has to be that Hitzlespurger is fit and available to join Parker and Noble in midfield. Somehow, we have to get those three playing as a unit, with one holding and the other two linking play. Today the centre backs were hopelessly exposed. Repeat that against better teams and it will be seven goals shipped with no hope of getting seven back in reply!
How can Obinna just be dropped? He scored 5 goals in two games. Yes, he makes some very bad decisions around goal. But Boa Morte makes worse decisions pretty much everywhere. If he was fit and simply dropped then yet another nitwit move by Grant.
ReplyDeleteWife and daughter are away and I'm home with my 4 year old son. Thus the many posts today in between Lego building and snacks.
two début goals from Ba today - can't wait until his leg is better!
ReplyDeleteI like Noble as a player and I am not happy at all to have to say this after seing the match on tv. His covering back was superficial, sketchy, tentative and so on. Mark was as much at fault, and more perhaps, as the defenders were.
ReplyDeleteWhat's the story with Obinna? Was he sick? Or was that another briliant move by Grant? I have to say, that before I have heard Carlton Cole speak about Parker at half time, I started thinking that perhaps there is another side of Avram Grant. That maybe I was wrong to think he cannot motivate anyone no matter what. And then I found out, it was Scott who made the Manager's speech! Well, finally, someone had to step up and do it, our manager was probably too busy thinking about what excuses to make to the media at the end of the game!
Whoah! You're right..where was Obinna?! Where was Sears? Barrera? I'm not gonna bother asking about Dyer though.
ReplyDeletenoble played terrible in first half as did parker but noble was the main reason we got 3 goals having a hand in all of them and it should be parker as the holding midfielder why he is here as noble has the vision and the pass to damage going forward
ReplyDeleteFirst time visitor to this blog and I've read enough previous posts to wonder what the writer HF problem is. Does he not know the meaning of the word positive? our newest player scored two goals on his début (big achievement in the EPL) and there is no excitement, fanfare or congratulation. The negativity is so acute I suspect a serious medical condition. Why do people return here; as it borders on self flagellation?
ReplyDelete"First time visitor to this blog and I've read enough previous posts to wonder what the writer HF problem is." Erm, where have you read these posts if this is your first visit to the blog? How do you usually sign off your comments? Mwaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh. Or something like that! Now, what is the word I am looking for? T...O...S...S...E...R!
ReplyDelete"We lost three top class centre-halves in a week. I think [Matthew] Upson, [James] Tomkins and [Danny] Gabbidon, and [Victor] Obinna, it will be one or two weeks. Obinna got injured on the ankle on the flight to Nigeria."
ReplyDeleteAnyone can look through the previous posts - it's what blogs are for.... that's a bit of a weak argument if you don't mind me saying so.
ReplyDelete12:25 TOSSER?! hardly a nice way to treat a new poster now is it.
ReplyDeleteMakes a complete sham of your comments below.....
There is no orthodoxy here. I may disagree absolutely with the point you are making but if you submit something worthy of posting, I will post it!
Cut the insults guys, make your point and invite debate!
I would have loved to have seen your reaction when Lineker said that HF :) You musta thought oh sh*t!
ReplyDeleteTo be honest Stani, I had justed started an article on how Grant had turned things around with his inspirational half time address when I heard the Cole interview. Time for a hasty rethink!
ReplyDeleteHahaha! At least you're honest mate. I would have loved it had you posted it and we could have countered with Carlton. Me being the innocent sod that I am, I had posted the link to the interview already!
ReplyDeleteYou think there was a deeper message in Carlton's interview? Do you think he was taking a swipe at Upson's poor captaincy and Grant's poor management? I wouldn't put it past him. He has come out about Grant before.
It was great what he said though.
Any chance there will be repercussions for Grant over this? Do you think there is ANY chance SuGo will make a change now? I doubt it, but with an FA Cup game coming up there are two weeks.
ReplyDelete