edited to add - this was in relation to post 174 i could barely hear anything - i was sat near a disabled supporter who was effing & blinding, and screaming nonsense for 90 mins; my ears were actually hurting at full time.
We were poor today, an absolute defensive horror show from start to finish. Belkalem was a walking disaster bar a couple of decent tackles, cumbersome and almost as slow as Iriney which is saying something. Angella wasn't a great deal better, couldn't pass wind whilst Ekstrand had the worst game i've seen him have. Iriney was slow and a walking red card for most of the game, how he's in the side ahead of Battocchio and Murray i'll never know, we looked so much better with JMc sitting and Murray injecting some pace and urgency into the midfield. Never going to be good enough, gladly take Eustace back over him. Overall we just lacked pace throughout the side, nothing in behind and bar the 2 goals we rarely threatened their keeper. Too many sloppy passes and we seem to be along way off from the side that came so close last season. Not really getting the hate for the referee, a few iffy decisions but he pretty much got all the big ones right. One of the better ones.
The back three were our downfall today. So far this season Angella has been head and shoulders above the rest, but today he had an off day; Ekstrand just seemed to struggle to get the pace of the game and Belkalem showed he has a way to go - I have no doubt though that given time, they will get it sorted. Fabbrini was awesome today, his movement is something to behold. Apart from Lewis' goal, I thought he was fairly ineffectual. Iriney had a bad day, if he hadn't been subbed I could see him getting a red card - not entirely his fault for the second goal though, a poor pass from McEachran but he was caught napping. The whole side seemed to be lifted by Murray's introduction, he was immense. I think people are being a tad hard on Acuna - he definitely has something to offer. I had a bad feeling about today, usually when I think that we end up winning easily - what went wrong! Keep the faith!
Iriney played well today - those that have made their mind up on him will never say otherwise. I was also pleased with McEachran's performance, but Murray added the forward drive we needed. All fit, I think out first team looks like: Almunia, Anya, Faraoni, Ekstrand, Angella, Doyley, Abdi, McGugan, Murray, Deeney, Forestieri
My only consolation is the reasoned debate on here. Fully expected a bunch of bed wetters. Well done forum.
This maybe true I was sat far right of the rookery and for most parts of the game particularly in the first half I couldn't hear anything.
Jesus,just watched FLS highlights of the game.FF not tracking back for the final goal sticks out like a sore thumb.
Wow the two errors really were clear as day on FLS, Iriney check one shoulder checks the other and gets nicked, far too slow. Fessi what the ****ing hell, just stops totally still lets the ball go to have a little moan?
The errors were shocking, I mean ALOT of people had a go at Briggs for his errors last season and it was very raucous. Those two incidents are as bad which both lead to goals which have lost us a match. Yet the treatment to Fessi and Iriney to a lesser extent just isnt quite at the same volumes. I wonder if it because of the stage of the season we are in compared to when Briggs made his? The errors have to stop and I hope both Iriney and Fessi are dropped for Brighton to show that they cant be so negligent.
Wasn't Ekstrand injured before the start of the match? He was hobbling around and made to do an extra sprint warm up to check on it. I was surprised he started let alone completed the game. Today was definitely the quietest game of the season so far crowd wise. The 1881 were fantastic last home game, today, hardly heard them.
Didn't they have their little get together on friday? Perhaps they were all too tired or they prefer to sing their songs in the privacy of a room Pathetic cahunts
Harsh. I thought they tried hard. First half an hour, when others joined in, it was good. Then when it was just them it didn't carry.
Acuna for Fabbrini? Why take off the only player able to draw at least two Derby defenders toward him when he has the ball? With him off their defence were totally unoccupied and reverted to their usual shape. Crazy decision by Zola. Not that this lost us the game. We conceded 3 goals at home ffs - 3! So we've proved we can score regularly. Now let's prove we can keep a clean sheet or two.
Fabbrinni gave the ball away twice very easily just before getting sub. For all his skill is he actually providing chances and scoring goals? We actually needed a striker willing to get in the box.
It is refreshing to read a match thread after we've lost that isn't filled with over the top reactions. Everybody has they're own thoughts but agree we shot ourselves in the foot. Why, when we were tearing them a new one did we make a change. All it did was disrupt us. And if you're going take somebody off at that point why not a defender. Fabbrini was having a good game and at that point none of the back 3 were involved because Derby couldn't get out of their half. The mistakes are becoming a little irritating now and we need to cut down on the amount we make before it's too late. I'm still convinced we will go up. The players. Almunia. Nothing he could do with the goals and I'm utterly delighted he came back The back 3 as a unit were not good. As others have said, Zola needs to make his mind up on who is his best 3 and stick with it. Half the issues will be down to this Midfield. I thought Mccheachran had a very good game but we can't play him and Ireney together and if I had a choice it would be Mccheachran for the home games and maybe Ireney for the away. Mcgugan I thought did ok. Desperately wants to be involved which you can't fault and scored a great goal. Awful free kicks though Pudil was outstanding and man of the match in fact is having a very good season. We didn't get the ball to Casetti enough but prefer him as a wing back. FF and Fab. I thought this actually worked. Both gave their defence a torrid time in the second half and god only knows why Fab came off. Disappointing but not the end of the world and on to Brighton
One has to say FF and fab worked. 2 goals scored was not the problem. 3 conceded is what needs addressing. that should have been a 2-0 win.
We need to learn the phrase "Man on!" We would have good 5 more points already this season if there was a bit more inter player communication. Other than that all is good, don't panic.
My initial reaction on hearing the team read out was that it was too defensive, as I consider Ireney and McEchran both a DM's and this really showed as we went forward with no support coming from midfield, once Murray came on the whole dynamic changed, though personally I would have put Murray on the right and brought Battochio on for Ireney. A very flat performance from our team today, with too many passengers. highlight for me, John Eustace clapping our fans after the game, a true professional and a gentleman...Thank you John.
Scoring a goal, providing an assist and not being a daft lump giving the ball away probably justifies it for me. I thought he was good.
It was woeful today, and what singing there was really wasn't constant. It may sound like that in the Rookery but being in the Rous towards the Rookery end it didn't carry that far.
Did anyone notice FF picking the ball up just before kick off and taking it to Eustace, inviting him to touch it? In jest I'm sure but it made Fessi look like a bit silly when he decided to stop playing when Eustace scared him which then turned into the third goal. Belkalem is still woefully short of the standards set by other defenders at the club. I am yet to see him have a good game. On his debut against Bournemouth I thought he was out of his depth but put it down to him not playing for ages and gaining match fitness but as things stand it looks like he is just not as good as other defenders at the club. The ref was woeful, utterly woeful...Eustace played him well and we didn't have someone to do the same. But that said, he was pretty poor for both teams.
Agreed and I would try these two again. Not sure about Acuna although when he came we took a creative player off which didn't help
Just watched the highlights and Pudil didn't even challenge Ward for the first, McEachran tried to play a 1-2 with Iriney which left our defence wide open and Belkalem had a mare with the third.
It might sound a strange thing to say, and I think later in the long season it will be a big advantage over other sides, but maybe at the moment we almost have too many options in defence and midfield, and we're chopping and changing a lot to give everybody a game or two, and we can't get consistency, especially in defence (see my post after the match yesterday). I like the 'first eleven' side that Travis posted this morning..but how many times will that side start, before Zola decides to rest a few of them and bring others in? The back 3 keeps changing, the wing backs keep changing, the midfield keeps changing.... I know it's a squad game but to me there are certain areas (most notably the spine) where you don't want constant change and you want to see partnerships develop. Burnley may well have a small squad and if injuries happen they will suffer, but right now their starting eleven picks itself, they have consistency of selection, and they aren't doing too badly! Ps it was 4 wins out of 5 before yesterday so maybe rotation does work!
Not sure why we are still discussing rotation when it wasn't the case yesterday. However, the rotation policy is meant to avoid situations like yesterday when we say 'we had X players out'.
Still annoyed, Derby were a shower of sh!t. They didn't beat us, we self destructed 3 times and beat ourselves. One thing was evident, we missed Anya. He would have destroyed Forsyth - also we looked like a different team when Murray came on, much more dynamic and fluid.
A weird one yesterday, again we should/can beat teams like Derby. McClaren is no fool and came with a game plan which worked for them. Defence- shocking, that Sammon goal at the end just went straight through everything. Belkalem was definitely the boo-boy yesterday. Defending starts higher up the pitch than the centre backs though, which means the midfielders in front (Iriney etc.) aren't blameless in that respect either. As said above all about getting the midfield balance right. Pudil, Murray, McEachran- all very good games I'm not convinced by Fabbrini. Has the skills but was also sloppy and very languid. Saying that Acuna (who I like a lot) didn't do a huge amount either. Stating the obvious but we're currently without our 3 best players. Would affect any side. Seem to say this a lot now but the referee was really poor, it's not so much just about decisions but how they 'manage' a game. He couldn't really do it at all.
I'm bringing up the point with regards to our back 3, which seems to have changed every match! And I'm not blaming yesterday's loss on rotation..I'm just making a general point that if we can field a settled back 3, a settled combination in central midfield and a settled pairing up front, it might be better. I appreciate yesterday's starting line up changed from the one at Huddersfield because Deeney was injured, Faraoni was suspended and Doyley and Murray showed signs of fatigue from the internationals, but what I was was saying I hope when those players are able to be considered to start next week (and hopefully AA is fit again soon), we try and stick to a settled back 3... My preferred choice would be the one that started at Huddersfield (Doyley, Ekstrand, Angella) but I appreciate other posters may see this differently. I just don't think the constant rotating at the back is helping us....
Yesterday was the 4th time in 5 matches following an international break (or a blank Saturday because our opponents were in the FA Cup) that we've failed to win under Zola! Thank Goodness we've a few more weeks before the next one!!!
