bluemike wrote:Mach, how have we reverted to our old ways ? The last Five games have seen us beat Bolton & Sunderland, play very very well at Leeds and should have won and lost to Bristol City where we played Waghorn, McGoldrick, Celina & Garner, that is not defensive and we didnt sit back, at Sheff Utd we had as many attempts at goal as they did and while we were not great I still say we didn't sit back and invite them on to us, it was more a case of them being better and pushing us back, it doesn't always mean we sit back.
We may have had 16 "horrible seasons" in this division but only Five under MM, don't really want to go over it again but look where we were when he arrived, pretty much down, we have improved year on year until last season when we had our bad blip, to get into the play offs at all was a bloody miracle given our spending power, maybe a gripe at ME is valid but at MM ? he had to play to his strengths and at times I accept that wasn't the best to watch, but it is a means to an end. Every season it gets harder and harder because the gulf between the haves and have nots get bigger and bigger, it is Multi millions we are talking here, you wait and see how the Scum get on next season if they dont go up this time around, no more parachute money, that will be a different scenario. Of course they have had the upper hand in recent seasons, hardly surprising really, in actual fact they have beaten us only once in the last Four meetings and at least two of those we were the better side and robbed of victory with crap decisions like Douglas' goal being disallowed etc.
While Five defeats in Seven is not great we have not played that badly in a lot of games and a win Sunday will still see us well placed with a Quarter of the season gone, Mach you cant say we would be 19th - 20th if it wasn't for injureis, that is just silly and your opinion, not fact, what is a fact is that we have had a worse injury list than pretty much everyone and still have several missing. I also completely disagree that he has no plan B, sometimes this season he has had a Plan B, C & D such is the amount of times he's changed things, Sheefield being a classic case in point, he changed it numerous times, that is having a plan B. Same as the hoofing thing Mach, we haven't hoofed it much this season at all, Sheffield for a time was the most, other games we have played much better football.
Mike I have only said that in my opinion McCarthy is coming back to his old ways and a few September matches have proved that. I haven't said we've fully returned to that.
Let's have a look:
1. QPR away - as you remember it was thoroughly abject. I said to you on the day that it was the return to the old ways and you replied that you couldn't stand another season like that last one yet again. We lacked everything that day. Energy, attacking intent, there was literally no positives to take it from.
2. Bolton home - yes we won but didn't he start with 5 defenders? His ways again. Did we put them under the pressure from the start? We didn't.
3. Leeds away - everyone is raving about that and rightly so as fighting spirit is what we want. However first 20-25 minutes and we had let them have a go at us and people perhaps don't remember the manner in which we conceded goals. Very poor defending.
4. Sunderland home - I'll give you that OK. Sunderland were devoid of confidence and we took our opportunity.
5. Bristol City home - yes you're right we started with Waghorn, Celina but my main issue is with the 2nd half. Garner's shot at Fielding aside we never threatened them. You claim that McCarthy has plan B, C etc. Where was that? We kept hoofing towards their centre backs and they had no problems to deal with it. If hoofing doesn't work then try different way. It didn't work and it was so glaring.
6. Sheffield Utd away - first half an hour pure McCarthyism and let the opposition have a go at us. Last 15 minutes of the first half was the only good spell. Second half and apart from Waghorn hitting the bar we never really troubled Blackman in their goal. Painful hoofing for the most of this half.
As I've been saying many times I have no problems with hoofball as long as it gives us results. Give me ugliest, boring 1-0 wins every week and I'll be happy as it's all about results no matter how it's achieved. But if hoofing doesn't work he has to alter our system. Unfortunately this set up is his favourite one. If we start like that against Norwich then it's gonna be like it always has been in the recent years. Yes they have only beaten us once despite the millions in their disposal but I'm fed up of all those: should have/could have beaten them, there wasn't much between us and them blah blah blah. Yes Douglas' goal should have stood I know. But McCarthy doesn't probably realise what it means for the fans. He is content to take the draw and yap about a few quid they spent. Norwich is just another game for him and that pisses me off.
We'll see how he sets up the team on Sunday. Don't want to see back five and two deeply sitting defensive midfielders !
As for my opinion that we would have been 19th-20th had it not been for injuries. You Mike think it's a silly one. OK I respect that. But I'll return to the Millwall one where we were heavily depleted and he was forced to play many attacking players. Mike if he had had more fit players he would have played for a point. Because that's his way. Stop that for f**ks sake and put teams under the pressure and let them worry about us for a change !!!
My general feeling won't change regardless of what happens on Sunday as we'll keep drifting anonymously in this league. But I want to be buoyed by the team's performance, I want the team to put them under the pressure, to attack them and finally beat them as 8 years without beating them is somewhat an embarrassment. If McCarthy keeps treating this fixture like just another game then their long unbeaten record against us is going to remain intact.
) has always been a bit more cerebral than just throwaway pub talk (around closing time) on the net.
) that's another beer you owe me lol
