Just back off the train back to Edinburgh after staying over in manchester last night post the match. I started a thread elsewhere about our inability to score from open play in the 1st half when playing towards the South Stand, that's now 2 goals from open play at that end since the end of August....why the f do we continually attack it in the 1st half?
Anyway, on to my views on yesterday's guff. 1st half was dreadful, 2nd half we only finally decided to put some effort in after about 65 minutes.
Much as I love big Edin and I have his name on the back of my home top, the guy is slow, has average ball control and I'm not sure he is good enough anymore, he seems to be a confidence player and at this level you need players who do it week in and week out no matter how well or badly things are going.
I was an early doors doubter of Fernando and remain so, he is slow, can't pass, gets caught in possession and for a big bruiser gets knocked off the ball far too easily. I can't decide whether he is a great player just lacking in confidence (see above) or whether he is just genuinely not very good or more appropriately, not good enough for us, the more I see of him the more the latter seems more likely. On a similar vein, I reckon Fernandinho has been pretty inconsistent as well this season....great game last week at Chelsea and distinctly mediocre yesterday. We have too many players now showing inconsistency, one great performance a month is not good enough for us anymore.
We were a shambles at the back for most of the 1st half....I think Joe was at fault for their goal with another ill advised charge out of goal, not exactly the first time it has happened...if he had stayed on his line that Hull player would not have had that shot when MDM's clearance went to him.
Like others have said on here, why don't we bloody shoot when we around the box? Their keeper had barely a save to make in the whole match, we barely tested him...the one from Nasri on his right foot in the 1st half, when he tried to move it on to his left on the penalty spot was typical....an equaliser just before half time would have completely changed that match.
Again, our corners were pretty dismal to the point where it's really rather pathetic how unthreatening we are from them...give the guys who come up for them a chance by getting them higher and past the first defender....it's fairly basic stuff.
Kun woke up in the last 20 minutes when he had more space in and around the box after Edin went off and looked dangerous.
Silva has not been playing well for a number of weeks and when he doesn't, by God we have problems.
Still, Jimbo did well and that was a cracking free kick, he must start on Wednesday.
Pretty worrying yesterday all in all, on that sort of showing we have a fight to finish in the top 3. Let's hope Ya Ya and WB can shake things up big time when they finally return.....we bloody need it.
On a more cheerful note, had a great time in Manchester again.
