Porter

[crucialkneeligaman]

Chris is a 110%er but has really made an art form out of missing golden opportunities. His highlighted comment in todays programme is hilarious. In and out performances from some of the lads today, impressive Harry, Jose, not bad Doyle, McMahon, Collins, dire McGinn. George made a great save from the free kick but what was wrong with him, panicky kicking from back passes under little pressure (found stand 3 times) and appalling handling from high balls, they were obviously targeting him second half.
Shame its was only a point but progressing slowly.

 

[s4-blade]

Need a striker in January, thought Mcmoron and collins were dire miself george flapped at all t' crosses. t' only decent player for me was Jose, gutted for him to hit post in t' last minit.

UTB

 

[zablade]

Porter tries his best and unfortunately that's the problem his best is still rank awful.

McGinn was terrible and Murphy worse than that. Doyle was shocking in the first half but to give him some credit he picked it up a little after the break.

Only Baxter and Maguire had decent games throughout.

 

[crucialkneeligaman]

Need a striker in January, thought Mcmoron and collins were dire miself george flapped at all t' crosses. t' only decent player for me was Jose, gutted for him to hit post in t' last minit.

UTB

What baffled me was a couple of the balls he flapped at he virtually appeared to have the ball in his hands under little pressure then dropped it. He is a very bright prospect but he has to improve this part of his game quickly or its going to cost.

 

[Large Mendonca]

I wasn't particularly impressed as Harry let the only Oldham player in the box stroll past him to nod the ball in.

 

[Large Mendonca]

I wasn't particularly impressed as Harry let the only Oldham player in the box stroll past him to nod the ball in.

 

[bartman]

McGinn was terrible and Murphy worse than that. Doyle was shocking in the first half but to give him some credit he picked it up a little after the break.

Only Baxter and Maguire had decent games throughout.

I thought Doyle was very good in the 2nd half and awful in the first. In my opinion, Baxter was our worst player in the first half.- too many fancy flicks instead of doing the basics (like he did so well on the 2nd half). Harry started off the game missing tackles and passing the ball to the opposition but improved as the game progressed as he had to as Collins was poor today

The only player who I thought played consistently well for the whole match was Matt Hill. Solid defensively and tried to get forward. In the 2nd half,one headed clearance he made when Long came flapping towards the edge of the area was outstanding as it looked as if their forward would score.

 

[Harry's Game]

The spine of the team was crap from start to finish today. That's Long, Collins, Doyle and Porter.

Defending Doyle for not being as poor in the second half as he was in the first makes me scratch my head, he's the captain FFS and he needs to start leading from the front.

I am still of the opinion that apart from the useless Carthorse that is Porter the rest of these players are better than bottom half of League one, but a few more performances like the first half today then I will admit I was wrong, and snatch your hand off for a 5th from bottom finish.

 

[pommpey]

Not going anywhere - and that includes upwards, without a decent strikeforce.

Porter has been substandard since we signed him. We got him in July 2011, and he has played sixty odd games for us, with ten fucking goals. That is dogshit return for everyone being so tolerant of him. He's shit, with shit aspects. If Cluff doesn't transfer-list him in a few days time then my arse is a box of Toffos. I hope - upon hopes ... and it won't happen, I know - that bin Liner is lining up some bunce to let Cluffy go shopping in the Jan sales, because football is about goals, and our current line-up of strikers are stinky bobbar.

pommpey

 

[Deadbat]

I agree. The front two were abysmal. 2 cones would have had more movement. We can say they have no service but good strikers make things happen or chase dangers etc.

Porter was bad but Miller was maybe even worse. Not the same player or is he the same player he has been much of his career (Crewe reserves for over a season and barely a goal) and the 5-6 games was a flash in pan.

We need rid of those 2, Taylor, Flynn, Murphy, McFadzean and Ironside. Brandy I would like one last chance but he is close to being bracketed with the rest of them as 'forwards' that can go for me. They don't score and don't create. One of worst scoring records in league. We need to bring 3 or 4 new ones in for the above who have had chance after chance and don't do it or even come to close.

People keep defending Porter, Flynn, Murphy, Miller etc but the truth is they are the strikers/wingers/attackers in one of the lowest scoring sides in the football league. It is not all Doyle's fault is it?

People say there is no service or they are in the wrong positions but I do not buy that. They have to make things or drive at players or show some link play. Those above are some of the slowest, most static, least determined players I have ever seen at the Lane. All this they work hard is not really enough. They are in the front line and never look like scoring really or even creating anything. We could swap most of those above for 4 or 5 others from any other club in the whole division and not be any worse. The two lads for Oldham worked hard today and looked a threat. They are probably on nowhere near the wages of any of our lads who simply do not seem 'go get it; with many having been here 2 to 3 seasons and if anything getting worse rather than better.

Not sure how so many keep defending our forward players with such a pitiful return and the talk of systems/tactics and mangers are not really much of a defence for the fact none of them are good enough.

 

[bartman]

The spine of the team was crap from start to finish today. That's Long, Collins, Doyle and Porter.

Defending Doyle for not being as poor in the second half as he was in the first makes me scratch my head, he's the captain FFS and he needs to start leading from the front.

.

you didn't notice how well Doyle played in the 2nd half today ? Won tackles,distributed well and tried to drive the team on. If you think he was poor,how did you rate McGinn today ?

 

[Deadbat]

I thought Doyle was decent 2nd half and one of our better players. McGinn was abysmal. I hear some saying he is good but he is another weak player who lets things pass him by. We lack leaders and people who want to get on the ball. For all the critisicm of Doyle I do not think he ever hides and is still superior to McGinn, Coady, Lappin etc.

Sadly you could even say the same about Porter. Would you feel any more confident with any if our alternative strikers? I wouldnt. They are even worse and at least he may win the odd header.

Not sure what that says about us the fact that by default (as the rest are even worse) Doyle and Porter will remain in the side. Oh...I do. We are really poor.

 

[Silent Blade]

you didn't notice how well Doyle played in the 2nd half today ? Won tackles,distributed well and tried to drive the team on. If you think he was poor,how did you rate McGinn today ?

Yes, McGinn's distribution was bad today but his responsibility is different to Doyle's. Doyle lurks between the defence and midfield and he doesnt run the ball through (or bulldoze) or use skill to go through (that is what McGinn does) the opposition midfield at all. He did pick up more loose balls in the 2nd half than he did for a long time but the Oldham's midfield is definitely not the strongest in the league. When was the last time Doyle won a header when challenged or doesnt get knocked over when he is in a 50:50 physical challenge? Distribution wise, he can play simple sideway passes (but hardly ever uses his right foot when it would be the best option tempo wise) but doesnt often succeed with more difficult forward passes (that is what Baxter and McGinn are better at doing but the latter got it wrong many times today and Clough was furious with him)

 

[United Aren't Back.]

Yes you could take 5 players from any side in league one to replace any of our players in their respective positions and they would look no worse as a team than the shit we watch right now.

 

[Harry's Game]

you didn't notice how well Doyle played in the 2nd half today ? Won tackles,distributed well and tried to drive the team on. If you think he was poor,how did you rate McGinn today ?

I thought he was just as bad if not worse, on the other thread I called their midfield performance laughable.

 

[Liaminho9]

For me today i thought Long didn't have a great game but we all know he's better than he was today. The sane i thought for McGinn, he's been quality a lot of games this season but today he was awful, luckily one bad game shouldn't ruin a players season. Porter isn't good enough, people say he's the only target man we have but he stands at 6 foot 1 inch whereas Taylor stands at 6 foot 2 inches... Why not give him a chance to make that position his own? He's certainly more mobile and he has shown he can hit a decent shot.
I also felt sorry for McMahon today, in the first half he had nobody in front of him, so he didn't dare get forward, as he had nobody to overlap that could cover him.

 

[Living In a Fantasy World]

Porter was awful, he did nothing today. We've given him a good run in the team and its just not working we don't look a threat with him leading the line.
Mcginn was awful again today nothing from him at all get Coady in now!
Baxter is getting better and better and that goal was wonderful.
Today was very poor, first half performance was one of the worst I've seen, and when we were on top in the second we just didn't look a threat, only from set pieces and that is not good enough to be honest.

 

[Bladesway]

Porter isn't good enough, people say he's the only target man we have but he stands at 6 foot 1 inch whereas Taylor stands at 6 foot 2 inches... Why not give him a chance to make that position his own?

Because there are sticks of piss stronger than Taylor. Come on, just because a bloke is taller doesn't make him a target man. If there was someone better then they would be starting, fact is it says everything about us that there isn't. Marlon came and went, a cast of others have tried and looked woeful and I'm sorry but apart from one flash in Coventry with a game over already Taylor has shown little to nothing.

 

[Baildon Blade]

Porter is shit, end of. I don't believe 'he's the best we've got'. If he is , then we will definitely go down. Unfortunately, talking to Derby fans, Clough is a manager that if your face fits i.e. he likes you, then you are in the team regardless. I think Porter & Doyle are in that category and that worries the hell out of me.

 

[Bladesway]

Porter is shit, end of. I don't believe 'he's the best we've got'. If he is , then we will definitely go down. Unfortunately, talking to Derby fans, Clough is a manager that if your face fits i.e. he likes you, then you are in the team regardless. I think Porter & Doyle are in that category and that worries the hell out of me.

Who is better than him and why?

 

[Foxy]

Porter is shit, end of. I don't believe 'he's the best we've got'. If he is , then we will definitely go down. Unfortunately, talking to Derby fans, Clough is a manager that if your face fits i.e. he likes you, then you are in the team regardless. I think Porter & Doyle are in that category and that worries the hell out of me.

Would that be the same Porter who he outed from Derby?

He's playing because he's the one who offers most overall of all our options, nothing to do with his face.

Still, he can't head balls 12 yards above his head, sprint onto through balls no-where near him and he finishes like a League One player so very few notice when he offers something else to the team.

 

[Baildon Blade]

There must be! Either give a kid a go or Taylor. I'm convinced even Taylor would vastly improve if he had a long run in the team. I watched Porter particularly yesterday because my lad and me disagree so much on him. 5 times he didn't even jump for the ball and 3 of 6 passes put to him on the floor he miscontrolled and the ball ran away. If he doesn't win headers and can't hold the ball up why bother playing him? If we genuinely don't have anyone better then don't play a target man at all.

 

[Sharpestblade]

It's going to be interesting to see where Clough thinks the priorities are in the transfer window. He can't change the whole team in one go. The spine needs sorting out and so do the full backs and wingers! I guess he may have to deal with the areas he can in some cases rather than the areas he wants. It's going to be a long season!

 

[Shalalalafenoughty]

Porter is one of the worst strikers ever seen in a United shirt. The word "striker" hugely flatters him, in fact. Slow, cumbersome, poor first touch, no instinct for goal...the list goes on. Taylor hasn't looked great at all but he hasn't been given much of a chance and he simply can't offer less than Porter. Truth be told, though, we need to sign someone in January to do something about the "goals for" column.

 

[shorehamview]

Porter is a hold-up player who doesn't. I think he is, or perhaps managers see him as an Emile Heskey type of player, in that Heskey at Liverpool used to hold the ball up well for Owen to score. Alas, Porter is doing the non-scoring bit of Heskey's play rather admirably, but none of the laying the ball of for the other chap to score that should accompany it.

So what's the solution? Apart from having him rendered down for glue, I think his future lies elsewhere. Anywhere but with us, frankly.

 

[Linz]

It's going to be interesting to see where Clough thinks the priorities are in the transfer window. He can't change the whole team in one go.

I sit behind the dug out and it's interesting to see the areas picked out for what can only be described as a bollocking during the match.

Midfield as a whole were getting slagged. Murphy kept wandering infield when Clough wanted him on the touchline. McGinn got a slating for being a lazy sod. And I don't think Taylor works hard enough for Clough.

Has everyone decided they like Matt Hill now by the way?

 

[Guesty]

you didn't notice how well Doyle played in the 2nd half today ? Won tackles,distributed well and tried to drive the team on. If you think he was poor,how did you rate McGinn today ?

Doyle was much better second half. He had to be though, he dire square ball moments after their goal led directly to White's injury! Second half he was like a different player, rarely giving it away. McGinn on the other hand was woeful, poor on the ball but even worse of it, I've never seen a player nesh so many 50/50s.

Linz, the lads behind me have certainly stopped blaming Matt Hill for everything! I've always liked his defensive work and he's probably been our best player overall under Clough.

 

[Bladesman]

I sit behind the dug out and it's interesting to see the areas picked out for what can only be described as a bollocking during the match.

Midfield as a whole were getting slagged. Murphy kept wandering infield when Clough wanted him on the touchline. McGinn got a slating for being a lazy sod. And I don't think Taylor works hard enough for Clough.

Has everyone decided they like Matt Hill now by the way?

Yep Hill is good for now.

 

[Latters]

On the subject of strikers, I thought Miller was the worst player on the pitch yesterday. Granted, this isn't wholly his fault as he found himself on the wing for a fair spell and he certainly isn't a winger. He doesn't have the pace, skill or crossing ability to play out wide. He is a box player, a finisher, a poacher. Definitely not a winger.

Some of his poor performance was his fault though. There were at least three 50:50 or even 60:40 in his favour situations where he absolutely shit himself and completely bottled it, allowing their player to come away with the ball unchallenged. The much maligned Porter and Doyle both went crunching into similar challenges and came out with the ball. I don't know if it because of Miller's injury, or if he is just soft as shit, but either way he doesn't have the ability to coast through a game at 50% effort or determination. He isn't good enough to do this, so if he is to remain in the team, he needs to get his attitude sorted.

I much prefer Taylor to Miller or Porter at the moment and can't see why he isn't getting a run in the side. He looks like a player willing to put the effort in and who things would come good for with a spell in the team. I would even be tempted by a forward line of Murphy and Taylor with Baxter in just behind.

 

[sitwell]

I sit behind the dug out and it's interesting to see the areas picked out for what can only be described as a bollocking during the match.

Midfield as a whole were getting slagged. Murphy kept wandering infield when Clough wanted him on the touchline. McGinn got a slating for being a lazy sod. And I don't think Taylor works hard enough for Clough.

Has everyone decided they like Matt Hill now by the way?

Bloody hell no ,he is not a footballer. His positional sense is unbelievable ,once caught asleep 10 yards behind the back line yesterday. He cannot kick a ball straight ,he wins the odd header which goes nowhere near it was intended to. That is Matt Hill

 

[Bladesman]

On the subject of strikers, I thought Miller was the worst player on the pitch yesterday. Granted, this isn't wholly his fault as he found himself on the wing for a fair spell and he certainly isn't a winger. He doesn't have the pace, skill or crossing ability to play out wide. He is a box player, a finisher, a poacher. Definitely not a winger.

Some of his poor performance was his fault though. There were at least three 50:50 or even 60:40 in his favour situations where he absolutely shit himself and completely bottled it, allowing their player to come away with the ball unchallenged. The much maligned Porter and Doyle both went crunching into similar challenges and came out with the ball. I don't know if it because of Miller's injury, or if he is just soft as shit, but either way he doesn't have the ability to coast through a game at 50% effort or determination. He isn't good enough to do this, so if he is to remain in the team, he needs to get his attitude sorted.

I much prefer Taylor to Miller or Porter at the moment and can't see why he isn't getting a run in the side. He looks like a player willing to put the effort in and who things would come good for with a spell in the team. I would even be tempted by a forward line of Murphy and Taylor with Baxter in just behind.

We just need strikers that score.

Miller will score more so than the rest of the strikers we have but I can give him benefit of the doubt slightly. Purely because of who he has to play alongside but I agree a winger he is not.