I did not see the game but the Cardiff equaliser was depressingly predictable after we took an early two goal lead. Without Reid, the centre of the defence is short of pace, whilst Chambers and McCartney were never going to provide a sense of solidity on the flanks. A win is a win, but the fact that we let a two goal lead slip and needed a late winner to progress, when playing against Cardiff City's stiffs, is worrying.
Perhaps more worrying still is the fact that this season is shaping up much the same as Avram's year in charge. Pre season went like a dream, we performed well in the League Cup, but when it came to the Prem...oh dear.
And for all the money spent by Allardyce, are we really any better than when Avram was in charge? Take out Carroll - and he never plays - and this is a mediocre team, Winston Reid apart who Grant brought to the club.
Remember, Nolan, Carroll, Jussi, Vaz Te, Taylor, Downing, O'Brien, Jarvis and Joe Cole have all suffered relegation from the Prem in their careers, and as QPR showed last season, if you pack your squad with failures, you ain't going to win the title in a hurry, even if you have spent a fortune to recruit them. You can, of course, add Tomkins, Collison, Noble and Reid to that "Relegated Club" giving us a baker's dozen of hanged men.
So, progress in the Capital One Fan Cup is great, but Cardiff's reserves should have been a push over and much tougher battles lay ahead. This still threatens to be a tough, tough season.
So much joy!
ReplyDeleteThings aren't rosey at the minute and we are desperate for a striker but reading this I want to slit my wrists, it ain't that bad!
ReplyDeleteleo chambers was solid, he will be a good defender in the future! i went to the game, we played well, very well untill morrison came off, and jarvis went a bit quiet. we had a penalty shout turned down, and it was blatant, also thier 1st goal should not have stood
ReplyDeleteHow can you comment on a game you didn't see? For large periods of the first half we were excellent and should have blown Cardiff away by half time. Our substations made us less creative and less cohesive in the second half. You're unfair on Chambers who had a decent game. The two main weak links were Collinson - who let everyone go past him without a challenge (both Cardiff goals were a result of his powder puff display) and Linda who, perhaps understandably, looked rusty and off the pace. There was enough shown by largely our own reserves last night to give hope going forward. You need to get out more or, perhaps, get laid.
ReplyDeleteKevin In Manchester writes..
ReplyDeleteYou know I am admirer but please you are tipping from scepticism( good) into cynicism(very bad). We know the squad is thin but they are doing all right. From 'where will the next goal come from'; we've scored five in two games and in Morrison we have a candidate for the best young player in the league. OK we lost to Everton but we nearly always do and this time you can't say anything other than they are a better team and not likely to trouble the relegation places. It's too early to say if we will either; these days every game looks to be an challenge but that's true for 13 or so of the 20 PL teams. Cheer up we won and beat the team that beat City!
Surprise surprise you didn't go! You never do!
ReplyDeleteThis thought is really depressing. The only basic difference between our record and Sunderland's this year is that we have played Cardiff twice and they haven't.
ReplyDeleteI posted a similar comment before preseason finished & had to tolerate the insults from the "you're no fan" brigade. Points we needed to pick up in the league to survive we have already dropped. So far this season we have beaten Cardiff twice. The Stoke & Everton performances were dire.
ReplyDeleteFanny how do you stay alive? surely you should be on suicide watch with all sharp objects kept well out of reach.
ReplyDeleteCouldn't agree more Andy!
ReplyDeletedid not see the game....in other words it was not on t.v.....because lets be honest you never SEE the game you only ever view the game with your best friend remotey.......must have been a death in the family........again and again and again and again ..........you get the picture.
ReplyDeletewhat happens if the worst happens[highly unlikely because you look to strong.....thats when i can stay awake to watch m.o.t.d....your always on second to last or last on the show]and you go down.....you have already gambled next years t.v money....so thats your bungee jump payments tied up.....did you not read about the GREAT LEEDS UNITED melt down more than a decade ago?
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