What needs to be done?

[Mr Tibbs]

The only thing that needs to be done is for Saturday to hurry up, get these lads back out on the pitch where they can stand up and be counted as a team who's up for the fight.

 

 

[peakram]

Obviously the injuries are a big factor, if Thorne had played these two games very much doubt we would have lost them both, similarly with Martin, but we will never know, personally would have signed Tudgay as cover at start of season, he can hold it and lay it off and would be fairly happy to be a squad man, meaning we could continue with the same style of play albeit with a lesser goalscorer up top. Would have been worth getting an experienced hard man from the lower divisions possibly too who can put the boot in in away games, obviously Warnock not being considered for that role despite having done it for the best part of a season at Blackburn in the past.

Hopefully in 3 weeks or so we will be nearer full strength, disappointing that Thorne is only rated a small chance of playing against Norwich as the original prognosis was 2 weeks I believe.

[Jourdan]

It's obvious where the problem lies. It's been obvious for seven years. Our defensive unit simply isn't promotion calibre. When the pressure is on and you need your defence to step up, more often than not, our defence folds. Like tonight, like on Saturday and like at Wembley all those months ago.

If we do end up missing out on the automatic promotion places, we just have to accept there are teams in the division with a better defensive unit than us - it was the same last year as all three promoted sides had a better defensive record than us. There are defences that are just more canny and composed under pressure.

I have nothing but admiration for the likes of Keogh and Buxton, who were with us when we were scrambling for a top half finish, or in Buxton's case, worse, and how they have elevated their performance levels over the past 18 months. But at the end of the day, they are still the same players and still have the same deficiencies. For me, having players like Grant and Eustace as part of the unit certainly will have helped them to raise their game and perhaps relieve some of the pressure in terms of leading the side and being the senior professionals in the group.

That said, I don't think we need to change things radically other than perhaps giving Albentosa a chance to show what he can do. The best thing McClaren can do is just settle on an eleven now and show conviction in this group of players. We need 7-8 players who are going to keep the shirt for a fair stretch of games. How can we expect to perform consistently if McClaren doesn't know his best eleven or something resembling it? Yes there have been injuries but we have also had players in and out of the side needlessly too.

You can't expect players, especially young players like Christie, Hughes and Mascarell, to be unaffected if they are a regular starter one minute and then collecting cones the next. It's destabilising in every way possible. Take Mascarell for example. We were unbeaten in five games. Why was he taken out of the team? His confidence must have been shot after that. Thorne might be the better player and might be better suited to the position but he should have been made to wait until he was truly ready or Mascarell had a complete shocker. Now had Thorne come in and stayed fit for 15 consecutive games, we'd all be laughing. But we knew it would be a risk in rushing him back into the fold. For me, I would have given him the whole season to recuperate.

 

[Alph]

Losing a bit of patience with Mascarell. He's too naive and weak imo. Good footballer but I'm slowly getting a bit annoyed with him. Especially after a very slow George Thorne came back and played the actual position. Omar doesn't really screen the defenders. He's a terrier. That's not the job of a 1 man defensive midfield. 

I used to love playing there. You can pretty much stand on the same spot and just push the game wide for others to deal with. You've always go the most passing options. It's quite easy to do the basics. Obviously Omar wants to give more than that which is what we all want but he's stopped nailing the basics.

Screen the back 4. Don't let the CB's get anything at them. Nobody sneaking into their blind spots, nobody running at them. If you're in the pooh then retreat to them. Don't go off chasing the dream. 

No goal is one persons fault as such and certainly no defeat is.  But Omar is contributing just a bit too often to our opponents finding space near our defenders 

Protect them. Screen them. 

[TroyDyer]

Anyone who posts about what needs to happen despite not actually having seen the game is a total div.

[Wolfie]

If CM & DB are both unavailable for any longer than 2 weeks then IMO we have got to take appropriate action and bring in an emergency loan signing in that position. 

Its been said plenty of times before on here, we NEED to have a commanding presence infront of our back 4. Hopefully GT is going to be fit for selection but if not it has to be time to give Warnock an opportunity in DM role otherwise what's the point in signing him. 

[LesterRam]

Not the greatest of nights but... we never looked like winning the league and in most parts qualify for the play-offs last year, I think the problem is we are lacking in a defensive midfield cover for the defence, it gives our attack confidence in going forward knowing you can interrupt play in the midfield, the whole spine of our team is currently injured, we have Chris upfront who is probably a better player than most people realise, he scores goals yes but he can hold up play and pass to oncoming attacking midfielders which we have the best midfielders in the league, Eustace love or hate him creates a barrier for our defence, when your formation is built to attack like ours the pressure will build at the back, giving mascarell grief for is part is wrong, he looks a decent player and he isn't a defensive midfielder, he isn't a great tackler and the abundance of attacking midfielders we have he never looks like showing his class further up the field, Steve cannot put Albantosa in a side that is shipping goals like we are, the confidence will go and I think the idea was for using him in the Premier League, too many dirty players in the Championship, look at Hughes he takes some fouls in a season, keep the faith people we have the best squad of players in the league and when all fit will demolish any team. how much did this squad cost again

[YorkshireRam]

What about... 

Christie Shotton Albentosa Forsyth 

??? 

[MuespachRam]

hughes definitely has to start

defence needs shoring up, albentosa in, dont tell me we dont know if hes any better, when hes in the la liga team of the month alongside messi, jordi alba and iniesta

also mascarell doesnt offer enough protection, its alright him being good enough going forward but hes supposed to be a defensive Midfielder 

cue the 'pathetic', 'half fan' responses 

[MACKWORTHRAM]

Pick your best team.

[Wolfie]

Big assumption that everyone wants Albentosa in the side when none of us have seen him play for the first 11 yet.

[RodleyRam]

Big assumption that everyone wants Albentosa in the side when none of us have seen him play for the first 11 yet.

[Papahet]

Albentosa can't be that bad a player if Evans had gone all out to get him. 

Look at Eibars recent form since Raul left, coincidence? 

 

Sat	31/01/15	PRD	Eibar	1 - 3	Atlético Madrid	View events	More info
Fri	06/02/15	PRD	Deportivo La C…	2 - 0	Eibar	View events	More info
Mon	16/02/15	PRD	Eibar	0 - 1	Elche	View events	More info
Sun	22/02/15	PRD	Villarreal	1 - 0	Eibar	View events	More info
Sun	01/03/15	PRD	Eibar	0 - 1	Athletic Club	View events	More info
Fri	06/03/15	PRD	Levante	19 : 45	Eibar		Odds
Sat	14/03/15	PRD	Eibar	17 : 00	Barcelona		Odds
Sat	21/03/15	PRD	Granada	21 : 00	Eibar		Odds
Sat	04/04/15	PRD	Eibar	-	Rayo Vallecano		Odds
Tue	07/04/15	PRD	Eibar	-	Málaga		Odds

 

 

[cloughandtaylor]

Lets get a natural goal scorer in first, it really does not matter what it costs, emergency loan deal for one of two of the Spurs strikers would do it  - we need to get promotion this season.

Sort out the defence in the summer.........

Yes, we were poor against Fulham, but we created many chances last night but unable the put them away - that is a major problem and a short fix can sort this out.

The defence is a complete rebuild and will take longer to address.........

 

[Gypsy Ram]

Just watched the whole match, how the hell we lost that? 

[Alph]

Just watched the whole match, how the hell we lost that? 

[AmericanRam]

Just watched the whole match, how the hell we lost that? 

[Gypsy Ram]

We should have scored 4-5 goals. I dont know why there is a panic frenzy, that Jack actor dude won a Bafta, he joins the ranks of Wixman, we should be happy

[North_Stand_Ram]

Kompany was dropped tonight after his awful display vs L'pool. It can be done, and if it's done to him, it can be done to anyone. Keogh needs a break