Jump to content
Sign in to follow this  
plymcanary

Excuses, excuses: Woolnough is right!

Recommended Posts

It''s about time we faced up to facts, stopped making excuses and invoking ''lady luck'' every time a result goes against us. Let us instead ask some serious questions about commitmwent, ability and tactics. Here are three:

  1. Do Helveg, Jonnson and Huckerby, when he''s up against better opposition, have commitment?
  2. Do Drury and McKenzie. to name but two, have the ability to play at this level?
  3. Tactically, why are we continually allowing teams to get through the middle of our defence, or is that more about ability and commitment?

Perhaps Woolnough has a point; we do often look spinelessly gutless and quite prepared to go down ''gamely''. That''s a great pity when NCFC has such a dedicated following!

Only hope it changes.

Plymcanary

 

 

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
In many respects Woolnough is right - we do not have much quality at the club but what we are not is a disgrace to the premiership and it was that part of his report that was way off mark. We try to play an attractive style of football given the limited quality we have. Blackburn, the baggies and others are far more deserving as being labled not good enough than we are.

Of the questions you ask Helveg, Jonson and Hux have consistently work hard for this club in every game I have seen and I have no doubt that their committment is there. All three suffer from an expectation that they will perform like Henry every week but not even Thierry does that and he took 6 months to settle to prem football. What all three possess is quality which is evident even when they are not playing at their peak. We have not seen the best of Jonson but is now among the first choices for Worthys team sheet in midfield as he adapts to the english game. Helveg is doing well in a foreign position when he is a far better centre back or right back that the current first choicers - he simply needs the chance to show it - when put in a defensive situation his reading of the game is excellent and flem in particular would do well to stop glaring and learn.

Leon is not up to it, despite his good peformance against spurs. However Drury is and should be a fixture for the side for years to come - he has suffered for a lack of defensive cover in front of him for most of the season and unfairly in my mind taken the blame for worthys tactical choices.

Tactically Worthy has a lot to learn. With Helveg and Safri (preferably Francis) sitting deep we have prevented a lot of teams from walking through the middle in a 4-5-1 formation. However we are a partner for Damo short of being anywhere near a good 4-4-2 side - none of the alternative have combination of engine and ability to make it work - which is why the second goal against spurs was so disappointing. The central defenders are also to blame as they continue to invite strikers to the edge of the 18 yard box before attacking the ball - had Doc or Flem approached Brown early on he would have had to release the ball 25-30 yards out making a goal very unlikely. Instead we rush back to the 18 yrd line and get punished (Flem was inexplicably nearer the 6 yard line when the ball hit the net). However this is not a new issue (Harewood last season) and is something that again the coaching team should have addressed on the training ground.

Finally playing people out of position - we have talented players being wasted - HUx as a winger, ditto Bentley, Doc as a striker (a good couple of games in defence over Xmas to be fair to the big lad) Helveg as a midfielder, Eddie as a defender - the list goes on. Worthy has to start playing his best players in their best positions - only then will we pick up the points we need to survive.

OTBC

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
No, we are up to it. Helveg may not be commited but hes only playing because the whole midfield is injured. Drury does not have to be played as charlton can do left back, the same with McKenzie being replaced by Svensson. The squad we play is not full strength

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

[quote]It''s about time we faced up to facts, stopped making excuses and invoking ''lady luck'' every time a result goes against us. Let us instead ask some serious questions about commitmwent, ability and tact...[/quote]

Does Huckerby have commitment? After he turned down a wealth of better deals and money to come here? I''d say so...

Jonson has been one of most dangerous assets over the past couple of games and if you haven''t noticed, he''s injured at the moment

As for Helveg well, he''s still hit and miss at the moment.

Drury and McKenzie don''t have the ability to play at this level. In McKenzie''s case, the guy does run for England and you can''t fault his work rate, but like Gary Holt he just doesn''t have the ability. He missed an open goal against Spurs where all he had to do was nod it down and it just seemed to bounce off his head. Anyone else would have buried that.

Tactically things were starting to come together when we began to play 4-5-1. We looked stronger and we were difficult to break down. However, no tactics or formations are any use at all when 9 out of you''re first team squad are injured.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
I have to agree with Beds on this - Leon simply will never have that killer first touch that he so desperately needs to kill these chances - Sven has it; Leon does not. Its harsh as like others his enthusiasm is almost hypnotic - but so is my 8 yos love of singing but she aint ever goner make the pop charts - like leon she puts her all in but at the end of the day that aint quite enough....

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
Sign in to follow this  

×
×
  • Create New...