tonight?
The insipid mess that was a poor excuse for a team against the Woolwich Pikeys on Saturday or a team with some backbone, spirit and ability, like the one that turns up on European nights?
Maybe they should have worn the crappy “chocolate” strip at the weekend.
When Jol should have been complaining about the antics of the scum (something needs to be done about them, especially Lehmann, but it won’t as in all the debate following Ronaldo’s antics at ‘Boro Rosicky’s dying swan routine to get the first pen wasn’t mentioned.) and another edition of the “Graham Poll Show” he decided not to take the ARSEne Whinger route of blaming everyone else for the failings, instead having a go at the players for the inept display. Though this could be seen as blaming others as I don’t think his rotation policy helps one bit.
Just as Defoe gets settled, good game and well taken goal against Wigan, he’s out. Partnerships is what’s required to get a cohesive unit. Ledley & Dawson at centreback, Jol knows this that’s why you don’t see them being rotated even though the captain ain’t fully fit. There needs to be a regular central midfield pair, it should have been Huddlestone & Zokora on Saturday but Tainio was in there, not the game to bring back a player from injury. And the strikers need a run of games together to form a knowledge of each other, so few goals and changing from game to game can’t be a coincidence.
And Cardiff in the cup has upset written all over it.
Well at least Jenas is out again with an injury, every cloud…
It was the Good, The Bad & The Ugly in the 2-1 victory
The Good, Jol picking the right team and the way they played and took it to Boro, two great goals.
The Bad, Zokora’s sending off and not finishing Boro off when they had the chance, Defoe still making great opportunities for himself but not scoring.
The Ugly, reverting back to last years ways when one up, dropping back and letting them come on and conceding a late goal from a set piece.
But then it was back to the good, unlike last year coming back from the equaliser to get the winner.
Made it hard for ourselves by not getting a second goal earlier on, but it was a pretty good performance, especially coming so soon after the game that must not be mentioned ever again. Shame the players hadn’t been so fired up three days earlier, Zokora especially… He looked much better and more composed with the ball at his feet, and especially when pushed forward with the immense Hudd in the holding role – but I’d have preferred to see Jenas back in a regular starting role. Shame he’s apparently out for four weeks now, combined with Zokora’s suspension – Malbranque in the middle, perhaps, with Ghaly on the left? Or a chance for Murphy to try to convince Jol he’s worthy of more than a few minutes every so often – starting, perhaps, against his old club this Saturday. While hoping Andy Reid doesn’t come back to haunt us…
Same old story, struggling to get the second when on top ain’t it.
Think you know what I think about Jenas getting back into the side 😉
Whole side just look better with Hudd in there, like to see Malbranque given a go in the middle with him and I’d go with Murphy on the left but imagine Tainio will be back in somehwere.
Shame about Keano but will stop Martin tinkering for tinkerings sake, well until Mido’s back.
Well, someone was bound for a pasting…!
Funny, we looked much more fluent against Boro, but today the goals just went in…
I *heart* Berbatov…
Nah the Hudd is the man 😉