My view of the Spuds match

[Blutony]

Even I don’t rate my ability to read a game but I honestly think many of you are being way too harsh on MH and the lads.

It was only 10 days ago (after Arsenal and Chelsea deserved wins) that we were hailing MH the new messiah.

We started the match with an attacking mentality (hoping their Achilles is still their defence) and created the better chances. Their defence, on the day was strong enough to shut out Adebayor and we were left with half chances…but we were controlling the game.

Obviously, due to injuries (Bridge and Bellers), our weakness was the left flank that side of the team would have struggled against anyone. One they used Lennon they created chances but we defended well enough for their shots to be hurried and to be honest embarrassing.

Once they scored we played the game (rightly in my opinion) like a cup-tie which was always going to allow them more chances.

The substitutions I think worked. Petrov showed good pace and RSC, at last, looked dangerous.

If we had taken our earlier chances we could have had all 3 points I believe.

 

[kippaxblue76]

Even I don’t rate my ability to read a game but I honestly think many of you are being way too harsh on MH and the lads.

It was only 10 days ago (after Arsenal and Chelsea deserved wins) that we were hailing MH the new messiah.

We started the match with an attacking mentality (hoping their Achilles is still their defence) and created the better chances. Their defence, on the day was strong enough to shut out Adebayor and we were left with half chances…but we were controlling the game.

Obviously, due to injuries (Bridge and Bellers), our weakness was the left flank that side of the team would have struggled against anyone. One they used Lennon they created chances but we defended well enough for their shots to be hurried and to be honest embarrassing.

Once they scored we played the game (rightly in my opinion) like a cup-tie which was always going to allow them more chances.

The substitutions I think worked. Petrov showed good pace and RSC, at last, looked dangerous.

If we had taken our earlier chances we could have had all 3 points I believe.

I agree with some of your points but many on here wont, prepare yourself!

 

[Elanos_Right_Boot]

What, are you seriously saying we could have won that game? That was one of the most abject performances I've seen us play in the top flight. We were as clueless on the pitch as off it. We needed leaders out there and we've still got precious few of those. And as for leaders only MH thinks that Toure should be our captain. He's off on an extended break for five weeks after Christmas which is hardly what is needed right now from him. I was at that game and apart from the first 20 minutes we were never even at the races. We can't play on a cold Wednesday night at whl with at least two players going awol, namely Robbi and Ade. We never dealt with Spurs pace or passion/desire to win. We had two shots all game and they never looked in danger of losing it. Added to that our tactically unaware manager putting Sylvinho (our slowest player) up against Lennon the quickest on the park and it was tailor made for embarrassment.

 

[Blutony]

We looked embarrassing…I agree, as Arsenal did at ours but only after we finally scored. Until then they still were in it. Matches played like cup-ties often produce a one sided affair once a team goes ahead.

Sylvinho was out classed, as I stated the left side would have struggled against Wrexham. Retrospectively perhaps we should have played Barry there and Kompany in midfield.

I don’t think Adebayor is the type of player you’re going to see running all over the field a la Tevez. But had he got on the end of a corner and/or converted, what was by his standards an easy chance, he would have come out of the game with credit…he’s only there to get on the end of things.

I agree about Toure and captaincy…odd choice and he’s off form, Barry for me, but stranger things have worked.

 

[HardyBarlow]

Even I don’t rate my ability to read a game but I honestly think many of you are being way too harsh on MH and the lads.

It was only 10 days ago (after Arsenal and Chelsea deserved wins) that we were hailing MH the new messiah.

We started the match with an attacking mentality (hoping their Achilles is still their defence) and created the better chances. Their defence, on the day was strong enough to shut out Adebayor and we were left with half chances…but we were controlling the game.

Obviously, due to injuries (Bridge and Bellers), our weakness was the left flank that side of the team would have struggled against anyone. One they used Lennon they created chances but we defended well enough for their shots to be hurried and to be honest embarrassing.

Once they scored we played the game (rightly in my opinion) like a cup-tie which was always going to allow them more chances.

The substitutions I think worked. Petrov showed good pace and RSC, at last, looked dangerous.

If we had taken our earlier chances we could have had all 3 points I believe.

What chances were these then?

We looked OK for 30 minutes until they worked Lennon into the game, he had the beating of Sylvinho and then they got the break leading to the first goal.

One way stuff after that until they sat back after the killer second. We pushed a bit more, without really creating much, and they picked us off with the 3rd as was always gonna happen when your chasing.

Abysmal perfromance, without even Shay being a positive.

I agree to a certain extent that using this one performance in isolation as a stick to beat Hughes with is a bit unfair. Getting us to a semi and beating Chelsea should at least get you some time.

However, looking at our results since the Derby defeat, and it's clear relegation form for a £2M team, never mind a £200M one. This is an acceptable stick to beat Hughes with. The fans would be satisfied losing to Chelsea, Spurs and Stretford if they put away the lesser teams as we would be in a infinately better position in the table.

These are our next league fixtures: Sunderland (h), Stoke (h), Wolves (a), Blackburn (h), Everton (a), Stoke (a), Portsmouth (h), Hull (a) and Bolton (h) before we host a beatable Liverpool side. We need 7 wins and 2 draws out of that lot going into the liverpool match.

Unless Hughes can get us to Wembley, anything less and he should be sacked.

 

[blueblood08]

no one i know thought hughes a massiah after beating chekski and arse nal ,surely the point is this .for these games, the big ones if u like we have done well,no arguments there!these are the ones me, you my lad or our cat could be manager for the day.the players are up for it in every way. but when we need a manager hughes goes missing.the players were rudderless not interested for the most,we were unbalanced clueless and crap,so my veiw of this game was one to forget and hope things improve due to the players taking some responsability,and realising that all wins are 3 points ,and we need them all.hughes is no massiah we win when hes not really needed and gets it wrong (the draws,and loss to spuds) when he is .the spud mach just confirms it,as for the subs .petrov on far to late ,rsc on, wrong again left us with 2 x big centre forwards with noone to supply them.ribinho off ,albeit didnt play well ,wrong again should have been put up front. tevez moved back and barry brought infront of sylvinho to help stop the runs of there winger.they out played us out fought us,were quicker stronger ,more interested and probably understood the importance of the game to their club more than us

 

[PaulPowerShower]

It was only 10 days ago (after Arsenal and Chelsea deserved wins) that we were hailing MH the new messiah

Like fuck we were

Everyone said - well done now keep it up - thats about as hyper as we got

 

[DontLookBackInAnger]

I thought we went to Spurs, we didn't prepare well and we got what we should have....

 

[ibbo_mcfc]

Sorry, Can't agree. Love City to death, but have to say, that was so disappointing. What let us down was our inability to control the ball and pass it. That performance was so abject. The one positive is, the only way is up.

 

[davecat]

we didn't turn up, sylvinho looked like he was sh1tting himself, the players weren't reading each other at all, everyone looked scared to take a shot and we weren't getting into spaces anywhere
Pie at half time was cold, got grief from some posh spuds fans on way home saying our fans were sh1t and weren't making any noise (moved to london a few years ago).