Pomped
Monday, December 10, 2007
The flukey first goal was important and a combination of bad luck and poor reffing (poor for both sides, but a deserved earlier booking for Mendes would have made a big difference – and how did Diop stay on after the post-penalty scuffle?) meant we ended up with quite a heavy defeat.
Carson: Poor kicking for the 3rd goal. Doesn’t look worth £10M. I’m unconvinced.
Mellberg: Not great – if anything he got too far forward – but then looked lost! We have a real problem down the right.
Bouma: Miscue for the opener, not bad. If he was playing with flu then he did well
Laursen: Poor. Didn’t close the second goal, missed 2 good chances and was lightweight in a few challenges.
Knight: Could have cut out the third (at the expense of a booking). Not good enough to take us beyond mid-table.
Barry: Was he playing, first half? Looked static compared to their midfield movement. Needs to start deeper and drive forward rather than stand advanced and the ball not reach him
Reo-Coker: Caught in possession for the 3rd goal, usual harrying and ball-winning, plus some good defending when we went all out late on
Gardner: Unlucky with the OG but too slow against their midfield – esp out wide.
Young: Good set-piece delivery, but repeatedly failed to beat Johnson – should have switched wings earlier.
Carew: Won a few headers and lay-offs first half, but far to slow to get in the box after laying the ball off. Not enough goal threat
Agbonlahor: One of those games when he’d have been better on the right? Always a threat, though. Got stuck between waiting for Carews flicks and hitting the channels which meant we looked static up front.
Berger (sub): Awful. Looked well past it
Harewood (sub): Surprisingly effective running into the channels. Looked up for it
We were due some bad luck (the OG had the same kind of sliced clearance as Mellberg’s goal at Boro), but tactically we need to improve. All our first half chances came from crosses (mainly set pieces) so we should have gone for 2 threatening wide players. Gabby wide with Harewood on would have been my choice – or Maloney – or Barry wide left. Instead we laboured through the middle before launching balls in the general direction of Carew (who again was less effective second half). Gardner and Berger were both lost causes, but perhaps Gardner and NRC could have done ‘something’ in the middle if we’d gone almost 4-2-4. Our primarily defensive fullbacks are good away but less useful at home.
Glen Johnson was good for them. Defended well against Young and got forward - the kind of right back we could do with!
Discuss
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