Elliott Ward - A game of 2 halfs!!

[I am a Banana 0]

In the 1st half he really didn''t look interested and his 1st mistake was made within 30 seconds with an awful header from the kick off which resulted in a reading corner. He didn''t meet the ball in the air which put us under pressure and we were fortunate to still be 0-0 when we then scored. The reading goal came from a mistake from ward. I haven''t seem the replay but it seemed like he should have won the ball and Kebe was through, and was able to stroll into the box unchallenged and then picked out Shane Long to make it 1-1. He made more errors and to get to half time only conceeding 1 was lucky (although we could have scored more)!!

 

Second half, he was much better meeting the ball, winning headers and made a crucial block late on. There were still a few times where he let the ball bounce and the reading player beat in in the air. and Kebe looked dangerous.

 

Not feeling too confident with him and Whitbread at the back over the next 6 games as we will miss Barnetts pace.

 

[y]

[GJP 79]

Yup, he had a bit of a ''mare today. No idea why he didn''t just dump Kebe on his arse in the build up to the goal and after that he looked totally lost for the rest of the half.

 

I actually thought Adam Drury looked very shakey defensively as well, although obviously Ward''s big mistake for the goal will mean he takes most of the criticism.

 

 

[adycanary 0]

In my opinion he looks more settled playing on the right side of centre back as he did after Barnett went off, hope he steps up his game while Barnett is out tho

[Captain Holt 520]

He was shiyte throughout, half the player Nelson was. I said at the time we got rid of the wrong one. Has never filled me confidence, and never will.

[I am a Banana 0]

I don''t this drury looked shakey but it wasn''t his best norwich game. But a player like Kebe isn''t going to make life easy, quick and will always run at you!

[The Great Drinkell 50]

He was very poor in the first half but we will have to get used to him for a few weeks. He just needs to defend first and then play after. Also thought he was up against a real handful in Shane Long. - Mr Lambert!!!

[InLambertWeTrust! 0]

[quote user="Captain Holts Derby Day Hat-Trick"]He was shiyte throughout, half the player Nelson was. I said at the time we got rid of the wrong one. Has never filled me confidence, and never will.[/quote]

Just a word of caution everyone this is the same bloke who slated Ruddy [;)]

[Nexus_Canary 1,016]

Yeh Ward was chronic, that hospital pass to Ruddy after our first was suicidal

[I am a Banana 0]

[quote user="Nexus_Canary"]Yeh Ward was chronic, that hospital pass to Ruddy after our first was suicidal
[/quote]

i forgot about that, that just shows how long the list of poor play by ward was [:P]

[Nexus_Canary 1,016]

Agreed Ward was really not good today. Seemed better in the second though to be fair.

[Captain Holt 520]

CT, 90% of this forum slated Ruddy. I''ve taken that back several times now.

[Pyro Pete 1,889]

No idea what was up with Ward in the first half. His mind definitely wasn''t focused on the game.  Seemed to be his own worst enemy, constantly over-complicating

instead of keeping things simple. I hear Scunthorpe have a solid,

no-nonsense centre back...The other defensive problems on the left side were partly caused by Lansbury constantly moving into the middle, leaving the left flank vulnuerable to attack. Surman''s arrival seemed to give us a better balance.

[I am a Banana 0]

[quote user="Pyro Pete"]No idea what was up with Ward in the first half. His mind definitely wasn''t focused on the game.  Seemed to be his own worst enemy, constantly over-complicating instead of keeping things simple. I hear Scunthorpe have a solid, no-nonsense centre back...

The other defensive problems on the left side were partly caused by Lansbury constantly moving into the middle, leaving the left flank vulnuerable to attack. Surman''s arrival seemed to give us a better balance.


[/quote]

wenger must make sure his loanees get games as i would have started surman or lappin on the left not lansbury. But you cant drop fox or crofts due to how they have been playing and hooly is just too good!

[Guest]

He made plenty of errors first half, had a mare, but I felt he was left woefully exposed by Drury and the rest of the tean. In the second hald I felt we nullified the threat of Kebe better, hence he looked much more comfortable.

[Rudolph Hucker 0]

I (honestly) had an awful nightmare last night - so bad it woke me.

 

As a consolation I saw Ward suffer a worse nightmare this afternoon but unlike me he didn''t wake up early, he only woke up late on.

 

He was poor against Millwall - despite scoring - he lost us the initiative with a careless header after 9 seconds then lost us the initiative again after we scored (although Holty scoring would have made it 2 - 0) by going limply into a tackle with the wrong foot. He gave Ruddy a hospital pass, dallied with the ball in our half and hardly won a header against Long. He looked better once Whitbread came on.

 

Ward can pass well but sometimes he needs to be more no-nonsense.

[priceyrice 123]

My opinion about Ward has always been the same, he had a bit of class on the ball and is nice at playing it out but he suffers to many lapses in concentration and a CB can not do that. I prefered Nelson just because of his no nonsense style and i had more confidence in him not making a stupid mistake. I may be wrong about Ward as i don''t watch City play every week and now are back up defender is going to be Askou i am guessing? not play off quality defender. Proving a real shame that we let Nelson go, maybe Lambert was too nice to him

[Nexus_Canary 1,016]

[quote user="priceyrice"]My opinion about Ward has always been the same, he had a bit of class on the ball and is nice at playing it out but he suffers to many lapses in concentration and a CB can not do that. I prefered Nelson just because of his no nonsense style and i had more confidence in him not making a stupid mistake. I may be wrong about Ward as i don''t watch City play every week and now are back up defender is going to be Askou i am guessing? not play off quality defender. Proving a real shame that we let Nelson go, maybe Lambert was too nice to him[/quote]Should have asked him to see the campaign out Imho !Done the transfer deal to take place close season.

[Boyo 0]

I watched the highlights on one of the tv''s at half time and it was just such a poor attempt at a tackle by Ward for their first goal.  Kebe had pushed the ball too far in front of him and the ball was there to be won but he went in with a limp right foot and then Kebe done him for pace.  Something similar happened a few minutes after that but thankfully it didn''t lead to a goal.

 

He was just so poor today.  His passing was completely unlike him, his head was like a 50 pence piece and he just made sloppy mistake after sloppy mistake.  I''m really not confident with him and Whitbread at the back together against Leeds.  I''ve got nothing against Whitbread it''s just that Ward is a calamity waiting to happen!

[Lambo 0]

In Ward''s defense he''s still working his way back to fitness after a lay off.

 

Yes he made mistakes today, we got the 3 points though and he''s generally been decent this season.

[Morisons Prozac 0]

I like how Ward is slaughtered after one poor game (got rid of the wrong one, doesn''t fill me withconfidence, you know that type of bullshi t) and Drury has an equally poor game but that gets overlooked completely.

[Lambo 0]

^ Exactly mate.

Our fans just like a scapegoat

[kdncfc 27]

That challenge (if you could call it that) in the build up to their goal was nothing short of pathetic, it wasn''t as if we hadn''t been warned that Ward was an accident waiting to happen in the first half after he had already given away a needless corner and attempted a suicidal backpass to Ruddy. Overall I thought we played some good stuff at times today and certainly deserved to win but we really have to cut out the sloppy defending that has been costing us goals all season if we are to mount a serious challenge for automatic promotion.

[Woman in the Stands (WITS) 0]

I agree that elements of Ward''s game were poor today but we find that with at least one player every game. Then when the issues are raised, those posters are accused of getting on their backs. Well, the whole point of discussion boards is discuss what went well and what didn''t . If we can''t start saying what was wrong and suggesting how it could be improved, I''ll start thinking that that seriously flawed idea of a school practice of not marking children''s work wrong has crept in.Drury was exposed today because Lansbury was not working with him up the left wing; Lappin and Surman have been much better at that in previous games.

[Captain Holt 520]

Im fucking sick to death of reading this shiyte about ''scapegoats''

If I don''t rate a player, or think he had a bad game I''m gonna say so. I''m not having that at all, sorry.

[I am a Banana 0]

[quote user="Captain Holts Derby Day HatTrick"]Im fucking sick to death of reading this shiyte about ''scapegoats'' If I don''t rate a player, or think he had a bad game I''m gonna say so. I''m not having that at all, sorry.[/quote]

Why, its a fans forum to discuss players and the game, which is what we do.[y]

[Captain Holt 520]

...yes. I am discussing a players, Elliott Ward, and I''m saying I don''t rate him. He''s not a scapegoat at all. In my mind there''s such thing as a scapegoat. I''m saying if I don''t rate a player or think he''s had a poor game I''m saying that, that doesn''t mean he''s a scapegoat. Some fans around here think out players are prone to criticism.

[mrs miggins 0]

why are people calling him a scapegoat; he''s just shit- he''s never had a really good game for us and has been crap for other clubs as well; coventry springs to mind...we got him on a free. wake up people what did you expect-a good defender?