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Tuesday, December 10, 2002
I've had a couple of days to think but I still feel much as I did at the end of the match.
Disappointing result but not really a bad performance for the most part. Going into the game I had two concerns - how we'd cover the right back role and how the LC exertions might tell against us (N'castle didn't play at all midweek).
I was glad to see UDLC given a 'chance' as a regular rightback (with our problems there), but he didn't really take it too well. I'm not sure he qualified for all the criticism he received, though. Samuel was at least as poor in his preferred left back position and Mellberg was marking a particularly dangerous volume of air for the decisive goal, rather than more logically tracking their main aerial threat. The annoying thing about UDLC for me is that he looks like he's got the power and pace to be quite good but his alertness and decision making seem to let him down badly.
I think the tiredness factor (compounded by the loss of Barry) told in the second half as our midfield was over-run. Hitz couldn't pass to save his life, Kinsella was invisible (again) and this marginalised whatever attacking threat Hendrie and Leonhardsen (who still tried to get forward to be fair to them) provided. Maybe the tiredness wouldn't have been a factor if we'd held onto the ball more effectively but it seemed (2nd half) that every ball forward had to be a long punt towards Dion's head or a long punt wide for DV to chase. These low percentage balls just resulted in us having to do more rather than less chasing around - either to catch up with play or trying to get the ball back (where we missed Ian Taylor's timely foot-ins), again.
Still, there were positives - Johnsen actually outplayed Mellberg at the back, Bellamy was very well handled, and the midfield (until Barry was replaced by Kinsella) started brightly.
If nothing else it shows the risks of playing (virtually) the same XI in the LC on Weds and then again on Saturday.
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Copyright 2008 - Captain Vulture
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