A much needed three points..............but

[torryowl]

2 minutes ago, Mick De Lyons said:

He mentioned a lot more attributes than the ability to simply shout loudly.

do you think he's better in the air than lees and hutch ,,,,,,,,do you think just because he's left footed he's  better .......do you think we lack a leader ........i cant comment on who shouts the loudest because i'm up in the grandstand but obviously guru knows that hanley's good at it . how i dont know but if he says so i wouldnt question it

[gurujuan]

31 minutes ago, torryowl said:

do you think he's better in the air than lees and hutch ,,,,,,,,do you think just because he's left footed he's  better .......do you think we lack a leader ........i cant comment on who shouts the loudest because i'm up in the grandstand but obviously guru knows that hanley's good at it . how i dont know but if he says so i wouldnt question it

 

If Carlos wanted him, I guess he must have thought he could offer something

[Mick De Lyons]

Just now, torryowl said:

do you think he's better in the air than lees and hutch ,,,,,,,,do you think just because he's left footed he's  better .......do you think we lack a leader ........i cant comment on who shouts the loudest because i'm up in the grandstand but obviously guru knows that hanley's good at it . how i dont know but if he says so i wouldnt question it

To be fair, i know next to nothing about Hanley. I can understand the point about being a left footer. I think Hutch isn't the best in the air, but his ground play is excellent at times. Apparently, Loovens is a good leader, so i'm not sure if that ingredient is missing. But obviously Hanley is a quality centre back, otherwise Benitez wouldn't have gone for him. 

[torryowl]

1 minute ago, gurujuan said:

 

If Carlos wanted him, I guess he must have thought he could offer something

yeah ...back up

[gurujuan]

30 minutes ago, torryowl said:

yeah ...back up

 

Maybe he just wanted him to sit on the bench, alongside Abdi and Reach

[torryowl]

1 minute ago, Mick De Lyons said:

To be fair, i know next to nothing about Hanley. I can understand the point about being a left footer. I think Hutch isn't the best in the air, but his ground play is excellent at times. Apparently, Loovens is a good leader, so i'm not sure if that ingredient is missing. But obviously Hanley is a quality centre back, otherwise Benitez wouldn't have gone for him. 

ok ..who as hutch struggled against in the air when he plays at the back ?......hutch as been brilliant why some cant see that is beyond me .

[Mick De Lyons]

1 minute ago, torryowl said:

yeah ...back up

I doubt as a back up after spending what would have been close to 5 million. Its obvious that Carlos made his mind up early about Hutch and also Loovens post season surgery came into the equation as well. Hutch is a good centre back. I personally would have kept him in his old role, but i think that many were surprised when the only addition at centre back was a re draft of Sasso.

[torryowl]

6 minutes ago, gurujuan said:

 

Maybe he just wanted him to sit on the bench, alongside Abdi and Reach

why not .....what you cost doesnt get you a place in carlos's side, its how you perform and no one as performed better than hutch this season ...though lee runs him close

[gurujuan]

For me, it isn't that I don't think Lees or Hutchinson can't do a job, but if you asked me, who is the best left sided centre back, Lees, Hutchinson or Hanley, there is only one winner. By the same token, I wouldn't expect Hanley to play the right sided role as well as the other two

[markg]

3 hours ago, dumboldowl said:

 

This applies week after week. If there was a league table plotted of yards advanced against passes made we would be rock bottom by a mile.

 

 

but it isn't, it goes on points

[Mick De Lyons]

2 minutes ago, torryowl said:

ok ..who as hutch struggled against in the air when he plays at the back ?......hutch as been brilliant why some cant see that is beyond me .

Its your opinion he has been " brilliant ". Just because myself and Guru don't see it that way, doesn't mean we think he is poo or even average. In relation to air balls, there has been a number of occasions this season where he hasn't dealt with crosses particularly well. One on onr arial combat from a ball launched forward is a different area. I thibk at times he reacts to scenarios and doesn't see things early enough. To be fair to Hutch, Lees hasn't been in the same form as last season and gaining and understanding takes time. Like i say, i think overall Hutch is a good player, its just that i would personally have preferred him ti stay in his old position, get a back up and a centre half. Its all about opinions.

[owlandished]

Stopped reading after "but"

[torryowl]

1 minute ago, Mick De Lyons said:

Its your opinion he has been " brilliant ". Just because myself and Guru don't see it that way, doesn't mean we think he is poo or even average. In relation to air balls, there has been a number of occasions this season where he hasn't dealt with crosses particularly well. One on onr arial combat from a ball launched forward is a different area. I thibk at times he reacts to scenarios and doesn't see things early enough. To be fair to Hutch, Lees hasn't been in the same form as last season and gaining and understanding takes time. Like i say, i think overall Hutch is a good player, its just that i would personally have preferred him ti stay in his old position, get a back up and a centre half. Its all about opinions.

it is about opinions and only one counts and carlos as pinned his on hutch ......................one last thing i have seen all but the burton game and cant recall one incident where hutch as looked vulnerable on balls crossed in ......

[AwokenGiant]

 

5 hours ago, vulva said:

David Jones has been brought in for a reason. Eventually, it will be him and 3 others in midfield. 

 

I think he'll be used more often when we are away from Hillsborough. 

[Mick De Lyons]

3 hours ago, owlandished said:

Stopped reading after "but"

No you didn't....

[Mick De Lyons]

3 hours ago, torryowl said:

it is about opinions and only one counts and carlos as pinned his on hutch ......................one last thing i have seen all but the burton game and cant recall one incident where hutch as looked vulnerable on balls crossed in ......

Everyone sees a game differently, ive seen plenty of occasions and on the deck aswell. Carlos's opinion is the one that counts, no one would dispute that, but this is the reason for forums, to have an opinion.

[CrosbyKitchens]

7 hours ago, vulva said:

We are far too open for a promotion winning side. Flair will not get you promotion. We are getting away with it at the minute as we are playing bottom half teams.  

Or, we are learning how to play together. When this team clicks, no one is going to notice the defence.

 

Banana and Wallace need dropping.

Reach should move up to left wing when Pupil is fit. FF on the right. Abdi and Lee in the middle.

 

Hooper and Fletch up front.

 

 

[pgmetcalf]

Not just that game, but most games, even last year. We are sluggish and don't move the ball around quickly enough; I don't mean passing the ball, just that we are slow to react, we are too nervy and indecisive. I think this is to do with player positioning at movement, sometimes there is little option to pass it backwards or hoof it long, is which case massively increase the chance of turning over possession. For me, the player with the ball should always have at least three options; all the top premiership sides drill this into their development squads - working in triangles.
 

From what I've seen, we don't attack the ball enough or get under it when I think we were able to. We concede too much space, when we don't have the ball, instead of putting the boot in. We rely too much on wing play resulting in a high cross that generally the keep gets or it overshoots everyone and are simple to defend against anyway. When we get a corner we don't have enough players waiting outside the box waiting for clearances or knockdowns, except Bannan is generally there, but I'd like to see people who can have a pop from distance there too - Wallace, Forestieri, send the big defenders into the box for a corner.

 

I think we have the makings of a decent team, but there are things that need ironing out quickly. Have to be happy with another 3 points

[torryowl]

well i think we pass sides to death and come the last 15 minutes there on there knees and thats when we are most dangerous ....our fitness levels are outstanding and the relentless pressure we can impose towards the end of games is i think a massive part of carlos's plan .

[Holmowl]

30 minutes ago, torryowl said:

well i think we pass sides to death and come the last 15 minutes there on there knees and thats when we are most dangerous ....our fitness levels are outstanding and the relentless pressure we can impose towards the end of games is i think a massive part of carlos's plan .

 

I think some of our players, notably Lee, Bannan, FF and Hunt, are still going full throttle at the final whistle. Fletcher and Reach were flagging towards the end, though Reach is new to Carlos's regime. 

 

But I don't think 3 goals in the last 18 first halves, if continued, will lead to promotion. There are only so many finger tip saves and last minute winners we can muster. 

 

If we really are that fit, surely 90 minutes of tempo rather than 30-45 minutes of tempo will work even more in our favour.