Why the turn around? Allardyce made two substitutions at half time but Collins for Faye and Faubert for O'Brien are not the sort of changes that alter games offensively. Faye had smashed heads just before the break and hopefully it's nothing serious because we will need him against Reading. Bringing on Faubert may have been tactical but it was not the positive statement that many of us were hoping for. Maynard did come on eventually - to be allowed a few minutes to further diminish his goals per game ratio.
Vaz Te had a blinder apparently. He scored the vital opening goal from a cross from Nolan and was a real thorn in the side of Peterborough in the second half. Our possession share in the second half was not far shy of 70% and it isn't often that we have dominated a Ferguson managed team to that extent!
A huge well done to Gary O'Neil too for a brilliant goal - his come back from injury has been heartening. I'm still not convinced about him as a player but he is a trier and that goal suggests he has a bit more quality that many of us imagine.
Interestingly Collison and Lansbury were nowhere to be seen tonight - not even on the bench. So thank God Green didn't collect a red card or get sent off. Will Allardyce take that chance on Saturday?
It all hinges on the Reading game now. Can we get Di Canio in by then to give the team the confidence to play the Royals off the park?
13 comments:
I thought the cross for Vaz Te's goal was from Matty Taylor?
You are indeeed a sad f....r
Why Rich?
Anony-mouse says,
Come on HF you can do it- I know you can. At half time you called it a clueless 45 minutes of Allardyce football. So how about being man enough now to give him some credit for the second half performance. By all accounts we looked excellent in the last 45 against a side who comprehensively turned over Reading- your tip for automatic promotion. Or are you trying to say that whilst the first half was all his fault, the second half had nothing whatsoever to do with him?
And one last point. You mocked me the other week for saying how important Vaz Te is to this team and the style of football we are capable of playing if he is in the side- we'll see who called that one right by the end of the season- I'm quietly confident.
I've kept you long enough. Good night. COYI!
Like I said on the half time thread, we have just played well for 45 minutes against the team 7th from bottom in the Championship, a team that had lost SEVEN times at home before tonight's game. You are talking as if we have gone to Arsenal and won! Get a sense of perspective.
Tell me, if the second half was down to Allardyce, why couldn't he get that performance in the first half? Why does it take us 45 minutes to start playing? The big criticism of Grant was that we only played for 45 minutes in any game. How has it changed under Allardyce? The opposition are weaker, that's all.
With regard to Vaz Te, my point was that he isn't Messi and that we should be able to cope without him. We have the biggest and highest paid squad in the division. By the way, Allardyce could have had Vaz te in the summer for nothing. Why didn't he sign him then?
Anony-mouse says,
You have to earn the right to play. We did that in our poor but still in it at the break performance- unlike Reading. Tell me what I said that shows I'm reacting like we beat Arsenal. You're using your usual tactic when you're struggling in an argument- over-the- topness (anony-mouse copyrighted word) and exaggeration.
Vaz Te isn't Messi- well spotted, but he is a very decent creative player. And yes Allardyce could have had him for nothing in the Summer but so could anyone else- only Barnsley came in for him. So if that is the only thing that you can cane Allardyce for tonight- then go for it. But before you do, show me your article from last Summer banging on that we should sign him. I won't hold my breath.
The idea that it is somehow making HF look a knob for lambasting our first half performance because we dominated the 2nd half is ludicrous.
I didn't see too many posters coming on here at half time saying, 'don't worry, it's all part of the Allardyce masterplan - we're going to batter 'em 2nd half' at half time. Wise after the event is easy people.
Bottom line is this; we played appallingly first half, were set up negatively as usual, totally lacked in creativity and were lucky both not to concede and, as they say, to have none!
Allardyce's football, his tactics, his attitude towards the fans and our heritage - all of these suck.
One up top on Saturday again, I guess? Doubtless Allardyce will try to take us for the mugs some posters on here clearly are and claim it's 4-3-3.
Why do you have to earn the right to play? What an absurd cliche. Good teams dominate from the off, they don't "earn the right to play". We have that right. We have the best squad in the division. If used correctly, if deployed positively, we would play as of right, not because we have earned that right.
Spot on headmaster. Where have you been in recent weeks?
Always looking in, HF. Still love the site and probably check it daily.
Tend to post less frequently these days. Completely quit Mr Dale's love in of a site now.
Posting sporadically on the org and of course heavily involved with c&b.com. Been majorly busy workwise, in truth.
How are you getting on with c&b.com? Applied to get on News Now yet? I can offer an endorsement if it would help.
I'll email you HF.
Anony-mouse says,
Hello Headmaster- proud mug here.
Win or lose I never come on here at half time or any time during the game. If like tonight I'm not at the game I'm on KUMB like most people.
Bottom line isn't how you had it at all- not even remotely close. The actual bottom line is we got the three points and even HF conceded we could have had five in that half. I don't disagree with all you say, but like HF you don't want to concede that Allardyce might have his good points. Your mind is set.
And in answer to your point, yeah one up top on Saturday for this mug. Or do you want to drop Nolan, for all his faults our most consistent goal scorer and threat so that we can play a 4 4 2, when Nolan can't play in that formation. Oh OK drop him, play 4 4 2 - we've got loads of strikers who are banging them in left, right and centre. Not all the mugs on here are those who disagree with HF.
Night, night.
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