pommpey
THE FUTURE ... AS IT USED TO BE
- Banned
- #1
A game of four quarters for me. First quarter, we looked very much likely to score and bossed them. Then, drinks break, as soon as they have fluids inside them they sit back and switch off, forget where 'ahead' is and concede. Third quarter we struggled to impose and let them boss us with at least three separate formations within 15 minutes. We got the goal we deserved but fuck me di we not make hard work of it or what?
Couple of things:
1. Norwood, and in fact most of the team who play in the positions out wide - learn some crossing skills, eh? With Norwood, as I have said, we have what people would have us believe a prodigious player with gifted feet. Sure, he can pick Baldock and Stevens out on the wing with a 40 yarder, but that is one trick ... where's the rest? Crossing - we have McB in the middle, a 6 foot 4 inch beanpole who feeds off that stuff and is his stock in trade. We have Sharp and McGoldrick who find half a yard or connect in the right places off balls in the box. Corners and balls in from wide are either lofted, too high, overhit or easy meat for the keeper. What happened to 'driven crosses' and smacks to the far post which are dummied, deflected and catch everyone ball watching? Nothing today going in from wide was productive, save for Ossie's pop up for Sharp to nod on. Burnley's defence was not exactly rock solid and I feel that more attention to detail is needed to get the ball hit at pace into the triangle from penalty spot to both posts. That is the action zone.
2. Balls down the wing into channels. Pretty evidently not working. Enda and GB (and Berge) trying to send Billy or McB down wide when they have to chase two players already on the ball is achieving nothing. We did make so much more progress with the 10-15m pass into the feet of McG and then go wide or short to feet to move forward. It was an area today when we surrendered too many possessions. Part of the problem was the lack of movement in midfield for options for people on the ball.
Henderson 6.5/10. No real chance with the goal, it was so close and unexpected. McB did allow Tarkowski a gift to get in front of him, and he knows that.
Baldock 7/10. I have yet to see GB have a really poor game this season. His concentration and fitness is impressive and he did contribute to the wide threat well, if the end product wasn't so good
Basham 7/10. Thought he was doing okay to be honest. Got his head in the fight and made some key interventions and as usual, ran himself out. I can understand if Wilder needed to change the line up, but he moved Bash into MF last year v Weeds and look what happened there
Egan 8/10. Back at his best. Committed and competitive and a sweetly taken strike.
Robinson 7/10. Again, did okay considering. Marshalled Rodriguez well and started to move up as an overload attacker. But he is still 'not JO'C'
Stevens 6/10. He's still on three cylinders
Osborn 8/10. Thought he had a great game TBH. Harried, made space, played neat 1-2s and showed great energy. Fleck might struggle a bit when he is fit again to replace Osborn
Norwood 4.5/10. Becoming the man-to-replace for me. Either put Berger in there or try Lunny. Norwood isn't what we thought he was, and I doubt never will be. There's a reason why clubs jettison him on promotion to the PL
Berge 5/10. Another disappointing performance. A couple of flourishes, but I counted four passes in the second half that were easily read and intercepted. And he still doesn't like 'mixing it up', seemingly a bit nesh.
McGoldrick 8.5/10. For a senior player, his experience in gaining control and creating movement forward is exemplary. Again, ran his arse off in three different formations today for nowt. He so deserves his PL goal
McBurnie 6/10. Should have buried the first shot. Didn't have much else to go on TBH, so poor was the service, once again.
Rodwell 5/10. He's obviously match rusty and his position changed three time as we went 3-5-3 to 3-4-3 to 4-3-3 then to 5-3-2.
Sharp 7.5/10. You can always count on 100% from Billy. He battled for possession, gained ground, chased down and dug out to get us forward. But his action zone is in the box. And when he is on other duties, their defence's job is made easy.
Mousett 6/10. Ran a bit, but he feeds of % chances, doesn't he? And he had nowt. Him and Sharp shouldn't play together. He needs better midfield feed channels and opportunities to light the afterburner and latch onto chances
O'Connell 7/10. Welcome back Jack. Showed much more cohesion and solidity at the back with him on the field
Wilder 7/10. A point is a point. Europe now is lost, but we have regained some impetus in our mission for a good finish.
pommpey
Couple of things:
1. Norwood, and in fact most of the team who play in the positions out wide - learn some crossing skills, eh? With Norwood, as I have said, we have what people would have us believe a prodigious player with gifted feet. Sure, he can pick Baldock and Stevens out on the wing with a 40 yarder, but that is one trick ... where's the rest? Crossing - we have McB in the middle, a 6 foot 4 inch beanpole who feeds off that stuff and is his stock in trade. We have Sharp and McGoldrick who find half a yard or connect in the right places off balls in the box. Corners and balls in from wide are either lofted, too high, overhit or easy meat for the keeper. What happened to 'driven crosses' and smacks to the far post which are dummied, deflected and catch everyone ball watching? Nothing today going in from wide was productive, save for Ossie's pop up for Sharp to nod on. Burnley's defence was not exactly rock solid and I feel that more attention to detail is needed to get the ball hit at pace into the triangle from penalty spot to both posts. That is the action zone.
2. Balls down the wing into channels. Pretty evidently not working. Enda and GB (and Berge) trying to send Billy or McB down wide when they have to chase two players already on the ball is achieving nothing. We did make so much more progress with the 10-15m pass into the feet of McG and then go wide or short to feet to move forward. It was an area today when we surrendered too many possessions. Part of the problem was the lack of movement in midfield for options for people on the ball.
Henderson 6.5/10. No real chance with the goal, it was so close and unexpected. McB did allow Tarkowski a gift to get in front of him, and he knows that.
Baldock 7/10. I have yet to see GB have a really poor game this season. His concentration and fitness is impressive and he did contribute to the wide threat well, if the end product wasn't so good
Basham 7/10. Thought he was doing okay to be honest. Got his head in the fight and made some key interventions and as usual, ran himself out. I can understand if Wilder needed to change the line up, but he moved Bash into MF last year v Weeds and look what happened there
Egan 8/10. Back at his best. Committed and competitive and a sweetly taken strike.
Robinson 7/10. Again, did okay considering. Marshalled Rodriguez well and started to move up as an overload attacker. But he is still 'not JO'C'
Stevens 6/10. He's still on three cylinders
Osborn 8/10. Thought he had a great game TBH. Harried, made space, played neat 1-2s and showed great energy. Fleck might struggle a bit when he is fit again to replace Osborn
Norwood 4.5/10. Becoming the man-to-replace for me. Either put Berger in there or try Lunny. Norwood isn't what we thought he was, and I doubt never will be. There's a reason why clubs jettison him on promotion to the PL
Berge 5/10. Another disappointing performance. A couple of flourishes, but I counted four passes in the second half that were easily read and intercepted. And he still doesn't like 'mixing it up', seemingly a bit nesh.
McGoldrick 8.5/10. For a senior player, his experience in gaining control and creating movement forward is exemplary. Again, ran his arse off in three different formations today for nowt. He so deserves his PL goal
McBurnie 6/10. Should have buried the first shot. Didn't have much else to go on TBH, so poor was the service, once again.
Rodwell 5/10. He's obviously match rusty and his position changed three time as we went 3-5-3 to 3-4-3 to 4-3-3 then to 5-3-2.
Sharp 7.5/10. You can always count on 100% from Billy. He battled for possession, gained ground, chased down and dug out to get us forward. But his action zone is in the box. And when he is on other duties, their defence's job is made easy.
Mousett 6/10. Ran a bit, but he feeds of % chances, doesn't he? And he had nowt. Him and Sharp shouldn't play together. He needs better midfield feed channels and opportunities to light the afterburner and latch onto chances
O'Connell 7/10. Welcome back Jack. Showed much more cohesion and solidity at the back with him on the field
Wilder 7/10. A point is a point. Europe now is lost, but we have regained some impetus in our mission for a good finish.
pommpey
