Was he at Reading? I was. And we were crap. Truly, truly crap. What about Portsmouth? Playing against 10 men and we stumbled over the finishing line with a penalty. What about against Forest? We could have been three goals down before Noble netted from a very dubious penalty award. What about against Coventry? That could easily have ended in a draw. What about the Derby game? Two goals behind in no time because the Rams, like Forest and Ipswich, "came out of the blocks quicker than us". Tell me, why were all these clubs allowed to seize the initiative?
That's easy to answer of course. Allardyce sets out to win a game attritionally. It is a safety first approach, based on allowing the opposition to burn themselves out and looking to snatch a goal over the course of 90 minutes. The trouble is, if a team seizes the initiative and scores early, you are buggered. As we were last night!
The new signings will hopefully help but - and this is a frightening thing to say - we missed Diop last night. Without a third centre back, we are just as frail through the middle as we ever were. Remember last year when we went to Newcastle and shipped five? Tell me, what's changed? Apart from the quality of the opposition, of course! At least Grant's team struggled against Premiership teams!
Last night's performance was disgraceful and humiliating. Allardyce is threatening to drop players - but he should look into the mirror if he wants to know who really is to blame. But was there any humility? Was there fcuk! He is an arrogant sod, convinced that there is only one way of operating, the Allardyce way!
I would love to know how many times we got the ball into Ipswich's box last night- the great measure of success according to Doctor Evil. Unfortunately for him, games are decided by the number of times the ball ends up in the back of the net!
9 comments:
http://www.skybet.com/cms/breaking-transfer-news.shtm?name=Carlton+Cole
Carlton Cole to Barcelona for £83 million!!!
Completely correct, yes the new players may help but the Truth that we will see answered soon will Sam allow them to play football or just the only system he seems to know and Managers like Jewel clearly knew how to overcome.
This is not a qpr story
I said recently that we were top on merit. We have the most points but we all knew that a big defeat was just around the corner and there are 2 new clubs in the mix. What was the West Ham and Southampton show is quickly changing into the Birmingham and Cardiff steamroller. Saints were expected to shoot their bolt early and they can't get a win, even at home, their fortress. Cardiff and Brum have both gained momentum for a strong run to the finish. It could be that Brum and Cardiff will be the 2 teams promoted while we're left to the play-offs. I don't think we're even going to get a day out at Wembley.
Of course that could all change with our new strike force as we win games 5-4. Is Wally Downes still our defence coach? He should be sacked immediately.
Kevin in Manchester writes....
Sorry for sounding like a stuck record but we are all, I hope , agreed that promotion is the only aim this season. Sam knows how to play attritional football.it ain't pretty but more often than not it is effective. we are well into the second half of the season and we are top. Not any of the other teams playing attractive football you have lauded at times in the last five months- Brighton,derby, Leeds, Cardiff, Southampton but us, west ham. I could understand your impotent rage if we were in Leicester's position but we are not.Yes it'll be nip and tuck from now till May but that was always going to be the case. As for last night-shit happens. when you get thumped out of the blue by a no mark team it usually has more to do with the players than the manager.
How right you are. I hate to admit it, but I couldn't have put it better myself.
Exactly jaybs. ALLARDYCE has to allow his players to play their own game according to their strengths.He has put to tight a rein on them and it is really beginning to affect overall gameplay.Giving them more freedom is the key to turning the team's performances around.It means that ALLARDYCE will have to adopt a new mindset in the way he coaches his teams.Has he got what he takes to adapt,I'm not so sure.
Totally with you Essexhammer. That is exactly what I have been asking myself too. Sam has to change or we may have to change Sam. And it may be sooner than most people think.
Our recent performances just cannot go on for too long. This is not West Ham United, despite still being top of the League. He may say that the West Ham way is "the losing way", but I disagree. The West Ham way is playing entertaining football and winning comes from doing this right. In any case, no team can survive in the Premier League playing "the Sam way" (judging from recent performances).
Anony-mouse says,
Kevin's got it right. Promotion is the be all and end all this year. The club can't afford not to go up.
Birmingham and Cardiff are threats, but they will have their own problems to deal with. Cardiff have a small squad and are going to Wembley- traditionally that has taken second tier teams' minds off the league. Birmingham are on a great run, but have just sold two of their best players and are still in the FA Cup. With all their Euro games behind them, they may not have the legs to last. I still suspect that the Saints will come again but we made a better signing in Maynard than they made in Sharp.
We've just signed players who have pace, goals and creativity in them. If they gel then we may have a team with the balance that we crave. That's to be seen - until then remember, as much as some of you, including the author of this blog moan like f*ck, there isn't a team in this league who wouldn't want to swap places with us.
Post a Comment