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a1canary

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Everything posted by a1canary

  1. Since that post has been removed, may i refer colleagues to this as an alternative: http://www.twtd.co.uk/forum/345771/yawnsville.../#24 A truly tremendous read. Starts off with an attempt to be all civil towards our victory, which is maintained for a surprising number of posts, before suddenly descending in to angry snarling farce!!
  2. [quote user="Bethnal Yellow and Green"]Olsson and Whitts have had a lot more cover under Alex Neil than they did with Adams. Especially when Howson was playing on the right for a chunk of the season. Whittaker was never a bad player, just expected to produce in the final third and defend the entire flank with little help - same could be said for Olsson. I do worry that he might not have the speed a modern full-back tends to have. But I don''t see him being a problem in the Prem - someone to challenge him for the position is vital though.[/quote] Yes, but there isn''t a right back on the planet, at least not in the planet that we operate in, who can cope well without cover. That is what Neil has got right - the balance of the team that allows Whittaker to get forward and linkup well with Redmond Howson and Hoolahan but to also retain his positioning and those around him when we''re without the ball. I agree i''m probably looking at it with rose tinted specs with all the euphoria of yesterday but even then i think he has shown improvements on his biggest weakness of getting played around too easily in his RB area and caught out on crosses. He was sound in that yesterday but also great in his strengths of intercepting opposition play and setting off attacks down the right. I actually think Martin has been the more dubious defender in recent games, albeit he played well yesterday and has been a fabulous servant to us. 
  3. Very little recognition even now for the way he has performed. He seems to have been involved in our most important goals - yesterday, against the binners, and in other key games through the latter part of the season. Full backs are such important players in the modern game and both of ours have been brilliant, Olsson and Whittaker, and although we definitely need another right back to cover, i feel confident these two can step up next season if they carry on where they left off.
  4. I was a bit surprised he went for the same attacking line up (wes and redmond) rather than dorrans but that''s why he''s the manager! He knew we had to seize the initiative and do what they did at CR and with the wide pitch and the big game, big name attacking players he absolutely made the right call. Ditto Jerome. It''s an interesting one though in terms of how we play next year and the lone role that Jerome has actually grown in to in the last couple of months after he returned to the team. He did say at the start of the season when he was playing in a two and scoring goals that he was enjoying that and that he tended to play a lone frontman role at Stoke and he didn''t always enjoy it. But under Neil he seems to have taken to it differently and seen it as his responsibility to really lead the whole team from the front. That must be down to Neil. I''m not going to argue at all with the starting 11 as it was in the game but i do just wish there was a way we could use Hooper more because he is a great finisher.
  5. OP - do you mean that''s the officially recorded pass completion rate for Wes in the game?  If so, can you post a link?
  6. Lol. Blimey, hadn''t we all forgotten about him eh!   What do you suppose will happen? Can AN work his magic on him i wonder!?
  7. One thing i''ve also noticed in these play offs is that as soon as the whistle goes at the end of a match the first thing he does is seek out and congratulate the opposition staff. As his finishing and goal celebrations often show, they guy is cooler than a lorry load of refrigerated cucumbers, which seems to translate off the pitch too, where he doesn''t get too hyped up or carried away and thinks first to show his respects to the opposition. He must be a great influence in the dressing room. Really hopeful he can be a force for us in the PL. What a guy. Never ever have known it when we signed him. Credit to Neil Adams for that!
  8. Thing is, it''s entirely appropriate to call him the New Messiah because you have to admit, he does sound a LOT like the old one! That''s not to say he''s not a different man who is his own man, but i''m talking about their outlook, their approach and attitude. You only have to listen or read what he says... fear of failure, only look forward, hi tempo attacking football, i can only affect our own game/players don''t care what others say or do particularly. These are all things that they have in common and that both have said at one time or another. And that''s before any of the lazy Scottish/SPL based parallels. Thing is, i''ve never been one to go on about the old one either and i''ve also never believed that it''s a good idea to try and replace a successful manager like for like, to look for someone who had the same approach and attitude as the previous one. And we didn''t do that at all with Hooton - we went the other way, and at the time that appointment was made, for two seasons at least, it was the right appointment. So it''s ironic that perhaps by accident we have appointed the closest to like for like with the ''old'' Messiah, that it''s possible to get!
  9. I think it''s something to do with people being in their cars! People get in cars and they behave like tw@ts. Sounds like the fans were mostly all good and friendly down at Wembley.
  10. I think that''s spot on Tumble. There is a very high probability of this game ending level after 90, at which point, or maybe after 70 mins or so, a fresh Wes vs tiring legs is going to be a massive weapon for us. And yes, Dorrans to start gives that extra solidity. Bethnal, you make no reference to Hooper at all in your assessment of who might start up front. Not an option for you?
  11. Hobby horses aside, Russ was at fault for the Ippo''s goal, simple as that. There aren''t any excuses for letting their single biggest attacking threat get the wrong side of him for a set piece. He is a great captain and leader and a great guy to have around, definitely future management material. But for all that, he''s not actually the greatest defender - he does get caught out too often for my liking.
  12. It''s a really tough call. I don''t think Grabban should start having been out of match action for a while. But whenever Hooper has been called upon he has delivered, especially in pressure high pressure games and situation (Bolton). And look at his goal v Rotherham. Interesting that he was deployed in a loan role v Fulham in Jerome''s absence and he too was a real handful and set up one of our goals. I just think chances are going to be at a premium and he is our best finisher by some distance imo. It is such a hard call though because Jerome can score goals like v Watford or Bournemouth out of nothing but can also mis sitters like v Ippo that Hooper wouldn''t.
  13. You beat me to it Jim - was literally about to post something similar. Don''t understand why there seems to be so much stuff flying around between both sets of fans as if it''s Wolves or Leeds or someone. We''ve never had an issue with ''boro fans, I''ve known a fair few and always found them good natured and good for a laugh. It just looks like fans are bitter over that one result they had down at CR. We all know that counts for nothing and if anything, the way they played that day only shows how much they feared and respected us. They got an own goal and then shut the game down because they didn''t want us to play our game. Besides, nothing to do with the fans how the manager chooses to play. As Jim says, let''s make it another friendly final!
  14. There was also a laughable post on their the other day by some fool seriously asking the question "why are we in so much debt?" What was all the more unbelievable is that the answer came back that it was all down to player contracts from the early 2000s in the PL (Finidi George etc). Yes, that put them in debt and led to administration, but since Evans took over AFTER that, their debts have gone from £32m to £85m. Mostly due to years of pitiful attendances failing to cover their wage bill and making big losses year after year. They have literally been brainwashed in to thinking and believing that Marcus Evans has been good for them. Quite astonishing. It''s like some kind of social experiment!!
  15. [quote user="Wot Jimmy Rimmer Got"]Why? Are they standing on an anti-plastic manifesto?[/quote] They stand on a manifesto of not liking those who ''aint from round ''ere. Which is what "if you''re not living in an NR1-NR3 postcode you aint welcome at the game" amounts to.
  16. Back OT, i''m a bit worried about tonight. Forest have dropped off badly since they lost any chance of making the play offs and i fancy they could get a trouncing tonight if Watford are in the mood and get an early goal. 3-0 is an entirely plausible result and would put them above us :( My main hope of them slipping up rests with Brighton who are very much still in danger
  17. [quote user="Wot Jimmy Rimmer Got"]If you don''t have an NR1, 2 or 3 postcode you''re not supporting your local team. That makes you the very definition of a plastic![/quote] Wow. UKIP could yet do well in Norwich on May 7th!
  18. There''s no question he brings stability and consistency to a club and that''s what Brighton need. He just seemed to reach an impasse with us and seemed to run out of ideas really quickly. Has yet to prove he has the dynamism and ideas to take clubs to the next level. But here''s hoping he does us some favours in the coming games...!
  19. The guy is an absolute unit and he has that lazy long gait that players like Toure have that allows him to really eat up the ground - his fitness should not be an issue save for maybe in the last 10 or 15 when he could be subbed if he was tyring. The guy has credentials and deserves a chance - as Morty says, he''s not some untested youth player. I think the untested and no doubt the part of BJs game that people are most anxious about losing is his disruption and play without the ball.
  20. Hmmm, I like it, even if i think it''s a tad optimistic! Leeds is never an easy place to go, even given the two bit club they are now. If it wasn''t for their latest lurch off the pitch with the randoming sacking of their coach i''d have thought we could be on for a draw there. I have to say it''s difficult to guess where we might drop points from that lot. Bolton at home are poor and their grandads up front are going to struggle with out intense high pressing game so i can''t see us losing that. Boro will sit in and if they have Ayala back i think that''s the one where we''re most likely to drop points. Their defence was badly disrupted for their Watford game so a lot depends on if they have their first choice back 4. I also think we will - in fact feel certain - that we will slay the Fulham hoodoo. I''ve no doubt that AN has no time at all for Hoodoos! So on reflection, i''m with you, i think we''ll win them all too :)
  21. http://www.soccerstats.com/homeaway.asp?league=england2 Not bad for a team who couldn''t buy an away win not so long ago
  22. Blimey - couldn''t we just have a game of football to talk about! Suddenly we have a week between games and it seems like an inordinately long time and we start having bicker threads like this! I do agree the original post - "let''s all point and laught at the Ipswich racist" is very stupid. We have as bad a problem if not worse.
  23. [quote user="mrs miggins"]-------------------Ruddy------------------- Whittaker--Martin--Bassong--Olsson --------------------Tettey-------------------- ------Howson---------------Johnson----- -----------------Hoolahan------------------ -------------Hooper---Jerome------------[/quote] Assuming Tettey is played and not rested i''d probably go with this at Huddersfield but risky going with the diamond away from home when you''re expecting the opposition to attack you. Leaves our full backs exposed and our right side especially. I read a good report of the derby game in their local press that mentioned our one weak spot being our right full back area. Whitts has put in some good peformances of late and he does great going forward but i''d always be nervous playing any formation that doesn''t afford him protection.
  24. [quote user="Lord Eddard Stark"] --------------------------------------Ruddy-------------------------------------- --Whitaker----------Martin--------------------Bassong------------Olsson-- -----------------------------------------Tettey------------------------------------------ ----------------Howson--------------------------------------Johnson---------------- ---------------------------Hooper---------------Hoolahan--------------------------- ----------------------------------------Jerome------------------------------------------   Possibly harsh on Dorrans but thought Hooper looked very sharp when he came on against Derby, depending on Hoolahan''s fitness I''d consider starting Dorrans to give Wes a rest [/quote] I must admit Hoolahan and Hooper have a really great understanding between them and it''s a joy to watch them play together. They have the classic 6th sense of one know where the other is going to go and when. They''ve scored some great goals between them. Tough to leave Hooper out tbh
  25. This wouldn''t be a tricky call if it wasn''t a Tuesday game after a tough game on Saturday and an even tougher one coming up v Forest. Tettey doesn''t do 3 games in a week very well but it''s hard to leave him out. If we do AN seems to prefer a two man defensive midfield, probably with Johnson and Howson helping play out from the back and counter with our quicks so i''d expect Redmond and Jerome to feature. SW---RM---SB---MO ------JH-------BJ------ --NR----WH----GD--- -----------CJ-----------
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