Time to shake it up at Wigan

[Feedthewolf 4,846]

2 minutes ago, Drazen Muzinic said:

Leave it FTW, he's looking for a scapegoat and MS is in his sights tonight.

25 points from 27, MS has been immense so far in the charge up the table, 7 points clear of third, others were lacking tonight - either played out of position or expected to fill in for a suspended genius.

Unfair to single out anybody.

Absolutely agree. Let's stick to our guns, eh? I'd say 35 points from the last 42 available is a decent return. Remember when we were fighting our way up the table, into the top half, then into the playoffs, then into the top two? Well it turns out we're still six points clear. It's an absurd time to start sh¡tting ourselves and pointing fingers.

[Van wink 2,994]

There has to be a scapegoat for some. I seem to recall it being Krull a few weeks ago, it beggars belief when you look at our record, Next season is going to be fun on here.....

[Feedthewolf 4,846]

1 minute ago, Van wink said:

There has to be a scapegoat for some. I seem to recall it being Krull a few weeks ago, it beggars belief when you look at our record, Next season is going to be fun on here.....

I'm going to be using the ignore button quite heavily next season, I think.

[hogesar 9,673]

I really think I must be seeing things.

From my perspective we conceded a poor goal but completely dominated the game from start to finish and despite a determined, organised and compact Reading team created numerous chances on goal.

Not our best performance but such a hugely long way from 'dull'....90% of teams in our league would kill for a performance like that.

Let's not start setting completely unrealistic expectations on performance levels just so we can have a moan...

[Drazen Muzinic 1,445]

2 minutes ago, Van wink said:

There has to be a scapegoat for some. I seem to recall it being Krull a few weeks ago, it beggars belief when you look at our record, Next season is going to be fun on here.....

Can we add Russ Martin to the squad for this purpose?

[Alfie54 76]

1 hour ago, KiwiScot said:

Leitner in for Cantwell and push Maclean further forward.

This for me too

[Branston Pickle 3,658]

1 minute ago, Drazen Muzinic said:

Can we add Russ Martin to the squad for this purpose?

Just wait til May 6th - you’ll have a choice of scapegoats when Wes and Russ play each other!

[Van wink 2,994]

3 minutes ago, Branston Pickle said:

Just wait til May 6th - you’ll have a choice of scapegoats when Wes and Russ play each other!

Can we get Redmond in there, a Murphy or two, we could have scapegoats against the rest.

[glory.win or die. 270]

1 hour ago, Making Plans said:

Too many half hearted performances tonight - Steipermann, Cantwell & Maclean.

Can't afford to carry passengers now when we've got class players gagging for a game on the bench.

Time to start with Vrancic & Leitner

 

We battered Reading, we were 30 seconds a way from winning. We switched off for their equaliser, we failed to score the 4 or 5 goals that most other nights we would have, and reading defended for their lifes,we certainly didn't fail because there were any half hearted performances, it was just one if those nights.

[norfolkbroadslim 223]

18 minutes ago, Drazen Muzinic said:

Leave it FTW, he's looking for a scapegoat and MS is in his sights tonight.

25 points from 27, MS has been immense so far in the charge up the table, 7 points clear of third, others were lacking tonight - either played out of position or expected to fill in for a suspended genius.

Unfair to single out anybody.

 

Nope, not looking for a scapegoat and you're wrong, it's not unfair to single anyone out, son.  Stiepermann was extremely poor tonight!

[Feedthewolf 4,846]

1 minute ago, norfolkbroadslim said:

Nope, not looking for a scapegoat and you're wrong, it's not unfair to single anyone out, son.  Stiepermann was extremely poor tonight!

I saw plenty of excellent interplay involving Stiepermann. I saw him drifting left a lot more than usual to make space through the middle. I saw his usual physicality, but Reading defended so deep he didn't have much opportunity to make his buccaneering runs. I just don't see where 'extremely poor' comes from... we're victims of our own success here, the standards of some people are borderline ridiculous. He was below par by his recent standards, perhaps, but extremely poor? Do me a favour!

[Drazen Muzinic 1,445]

2 minutes ago, norfolkbroadslim said:

Nope, not looking for a scapegoat and you're wrong, it's not unfair to single anyone out, son.  Stiepermann was extremely poor tonight!

Whether he was at his best tonight or not, you've chosen him as a scapegoat from a team performance.

 

And, if I'm your son, you owe me thousands in maintenance and that bike I never got for my 7th birthday.

[Van wink 2,994]

10 minutes ago, Van wink said:

Can we get Redmond in there, a Murphy or two, we could have scapegoats against the rest.

Add Ryan Bennet to the team as well.

[Disco Dales Jockstrap 1,891]

We were a little off tonight, lacked a bit of spark but we still created enough to win. No need to panic.

Farke will probably keep it the same for the Wigan match. I would sub Cantwell for Vrancic (so much quality) and then get him to swap positions with McLean but I'm all good whatever he does. 

Farke has got us this far and has made our team outrageously good.

5 games to go.

Let's fcking do this!

OTBC

 

 

[East Rider 551]

2 minutes ago, Feedthewolf said:

I saw plenty of excellent interplay involving Stiepermann. I saw him drifting left a lot more than usual to make space through the middle. I saw his usual physicality, but Reading defended so deep he didn't have much opportunity to make his buccaneering runs. I just don't see where 'extremely poor' comes from... we're victims of our own success here, the standards of some people are borderline ridiculous. He was below par by his recent standards, perhaps, but extremely poor? Do me a favour!

Spot on. 

Stiepermann was not 'extremely poor', he certainly did not have his best game but I suspect without him we would have been fairly light up front tonight. 

Reading had a plan and played for their survival, yet we had one really poor passage of play and it cost us their second goal.

An idiot in front of me failed to join in with a single chant, song or words of encouragement throughout the entire game, but during one quieter passage of play, shouts out loudly 'you're fu9ki4g shiit Stiepermann'. What a total to$$er. 

We missed EB and these things happen. What a time to be alive!

[norfolkbroadslim 223]

Well, football is all about opinions, and everyone has a different one.  Our recent run has been tremendous, and I didn't expect us to come back tonight like we did.  I actually posted in the match thread that if felt like one of those nights.  I wasn't critical of our overall performance and I said I'd take a point so I have no need to look for this overused phrase on here 'a scapegoat'.   I also mentioned in the match thread that I thought a few were below par. But equally, that does not mean that is wrong, invalid, unjustified, whatever words you may want to use and it also does not mean that one is looking for a scapegoat by posting their opinion about a players' performance.

I thought Stiepermann was very poor, way below his best.  However, I certainly don't agree with the person who posted that he played like a fan who pulled the shirt on for the night.  Lackadasical is the word.  At times, it's like mentally, he has these lapses and switches off. 

[norfolkbroadslim 223]

9 minutes ago, Drazen Muzinic said:

Whether he was at his best tonight or not, you've chosen him as a scapegoat from a team performance.

 

And, if I'm your son, you owe me thousands in maintenance and that bike I never got for my 7th birthday.

No I haven't.  If one were to use your favourite word 'scapegoat'.  Across the two threads tonight, this one and the match thread, I'd say that that honour falls to Cantwell.  He has been singled out by so many people!

[Drazen Muzinic 1,445]

2 minutes ago, norfolkbroadslim said:

Well, football is all about opinions, and everyone has a different one.  Our recent run has been tremendous, and I didn't expect us to come back tonight like we did.  I actually posted in the match thread that if felt like one of those nights.  I wasn't critical of our overall performance and I said I'd take a point so I have no need to look for this overused phrase on here 'a scapegoat'.   I also mentioned in the match thread that I thought a few were below par. But equally, that does not mean that is wrong, invalid, unjustified, whatever words you may want to use and it also does not mean that one is looking for a scapegoat by posting their opinion about a players' performance.

I thought Stiepermann was very poor, way below his best.  However, I certainly don't agree with the person who posted that he played like a fan who pulled the shirt on for the night.  Lackadasical is the word.  At times, it's like mentally, he has these lapses and switches off. 

So, am I getting this bike or not?

[Capt. Pants 4,234]

Cantwell did ok but we need better than ok. Too weak in the challenge. Vrancic for Todd please. 

[zema abbey football genius 36]

IMO McLean was our worst performer tonight...I lost count of the number of sh*t crosses he attempted and his corners were woeful

[Boris 56]

7 minutes ago, zema abbey football genius said:

IMO McLean was our worst performer tonight...I lost count of the number of sh*t crosses he attempted and his corners were woeful

I think he is chosen man of the match by sky sports lol

Not worst but really too casual today with not much space most of the game we simply need more creativity in the middle.

Nothing happen !Still amazing form and only shame is that Leeds and Sheff no one totally collapsed as we run with 25 its from 27. 

We need pick best players next Sunday and all shut be OK.

[littleyellowbirdie 2,550]

I don't think anyone merits being singled out at all. Trying to do a straight swap of Cantwell for Buendia was reasonable and we were creating chances, just not quite as fluently as we're used to. Reading's first goal was a sucker punch that gave them the chance to park the bus completely and they did it very well. 

Was Vrancic brought on too late? Given that we were a goal up not long after he came on then I'd say no. In fact, if we'd left it a little later maybe Reading may not have had time to equalise!

Joking aside though if Vrancic had come on earlier, maybe Reading would have been that little bit fresher and more able to adapt to his presence. Who knows?

Edited April 10, 2019 by littleyellowbirdie

[zema abbey football genius 36]

12 minutes ago, Boris said:

I think he is chosen man of the match by sky sports lol

Not worst but really too casual today with not much space most of the game we simply need more creativity in the middle.

Nothing happen !Still amazing form and only shame is that Leeds and Sheff no one totally collapsed as we run with 25 its from 27. 

We need pick best players next Sunday and all shut be OK.

Really? Ha-ha! Tbf he was neat and tidy...It was just his final ball and corners that drove me mad.

Not as mad as Tony Gale’s tedious commentary mind 🙈

[SwindonCanary 455]

Farke will get it right !

[Six Pack 93]

28 minutes ago, SwindonCanary said:

Farke will get it right !

With Buendia out, I was carefully monitoring the performances of Stiepermann and McLean tonight. Although we have been on a eight-game winning run, I feel we have not been as fluid in the middle of the park after Vrancic's absence from the team. We have won 8 of the 9 games so nobody misses Vrancic but there has been a noticeable sluggishness in the centre of the park.  Although both Stiepermann and McLean have contributed with goals, Mclean appears slow and Stiepermann although still running at opposition defenses rarely plays a "killer" ball. I don't recall one assist during this "winning run" but this is not noticed if Pukki, Buendia, and Hernandez are playing. Don't get me wrong they are good players and I'm not "scapegoating" . I believe McLean is retained ahead of Vrancic and Leitner because of his extra height and stockiness so is better suited to defend at set pieces, sacrificing a wee bit in midfield. He has won his fair share of headers but lacks the guile of the other two.

 

With Buendia out, it gave us the perfect opportunity to gauge exactly how good these two would manage.  Cantwell for Buendia - a winger for a winger was a fair enough call. But with Buendia out, we needed others to put their hand up, as Buendia assisted or scored most for the goals during this "run".  I thought McLean was ok, he was more mobile than most games but his set pieces were poor until the ball that found Zimmermann. Stiepermann has been poor for a long period now and should have been the first one subbed. His first touch, poor control, failure to find a teammate, and running into blind alleys are much more apparent in these close encounters.

Let hope DF does learn from errors. Nobody's perfect and he lost 2 points tonight by not manipulating what was happening in front of him.  Reading are not a "big" side, they are a quick side, So bringing on a big defender (Klose) was not a good decision. Especially when you take off Pukki, your best player instead of Stiepermann your worst player. The best form of defense is to continue to attack Reading but taking off a fast player up the top left Rhodes and Stiepermann up there so Reading was easily first to the loose ball.

I understand the importance of starting with Stiepermann at the beginning of matches but he must come off straight away if he is ineffective. If he is tired then the quicker the better as both Reading goals were down to him. NOT SCAPEGOATING

 

[Vazzza 62]

Perhaps one of the most one sided stats I've ever seen for a game... 

[smooth 114]

With much of this season we have seen us dominate, like yesterday, but just have that extra gear of movement and zip in our play for a goal. It is what has made us the top team and I believe Buendia is the one who shows that the most. He is that class above and it was going to be tough without him. But there were glimpses, chances and we also almost got a win from the last 5 mins of the 90. Even with a gluttony of chances it felt their keeper had a worldy and we weren't going to score. So 2 goals in the last 10 minutes shows we can still put fear in teams.

Readings midfield was tough and strong and their defensive performance was commendable. The first goal totally against the run of play and their equaliser, was once it left his foot row z or a goal.

So no major panic, but reason to look at how we performed. I will agree with looking at how we have won the last few and also individual performances.

I think yesterday mario proved why he and mo are right to be pushing to play.

 

We need incisiveness and the passing ability from the middle of the park to put the ball into Hernandez, mario and teemu in space. For the last few weeks our style has gone through the flanks as our best players are there.

McLean actually performed better out wide, I felt, yesterday and I feel vrancic can come in with McLean out wide.

Although we have a buffer, we need a win Sunday. We need to play with a cutting edge and I think we need that midfield to have vrancic in at this point.

[spencer 1970 207]

Calm down everyone. If Rhodes's header would have gone in we'd all be giving it "team is...." and all that jazz; oh, and I'd be £550 up FFS! 🤣🙈😅

[canarydan23 4,060]

8 hours ago, Feedthewolf said:

That's nuts. I thought he had a largely positive influence in general, obviously gave the ball away for Reading's first but otherwise I thought he was decent enough.

Lol. What is football like on acid? 

[canarydan23 4,060]

8 hours ago, Van wink said:

There has to be a scapegoat for some. I seem to recall it being Krull a few weeks ago, it beggars belief when you look at our record, Next season is going to be fun on here.....

Ah yes. I forgot the golden rule. Do not criticise players on a football forum. 

Stiepermann has been awesome this season; he's a huge part in how we play. He was diabolical last night. 

Pinkun Regulars: SCAPEGOATER! BINNER! WHERE DO I LIVE? ARE THOSE MY LEGS?