pommpey
THE FUTURE ... AS IT USED TO BE
- Banned
- #1
Before I read Deadbat's
In honestly, there were some positives from today's game. These were mainly on the pitch, mind.
We are all deeply disappointed and somewhat distraught at our terrible start mind. I did expect us to get roundly tubbed today by an Arsenal team which on paper looks expensive and capable, and Arteta does have them playing a pretty, possessive style. They do rely on one or two players being on their game however and as much as their supporters regale in some sort of glory, they are a billion miles away from Henri, Pires, Bergkamp and other such legends who made Highbury a redoubtable, entertaining venue back in the day.
I thought we made the first 45 minutes difficult for them and played well, but well in the way we would be proud if United were an uppity Div One side in the Cup holding a PL team out for the first half. They pressed and we pressed back from the 5-3-2 and yes, that fucking shirt pull was a red card in anyone's game. It shows again how fucking biased the PL and it's officials actually are, especially as Souness showed, Egan vs Watkins was seriously less clear cut, yet that card was straight out of the pocket and he was gone.
But here's the problem. For an hour I was greatly impressed by the singular actions and energies of Burke, who looked ever likely to trip Arsenal's frail defence up. He does have pace - please name me the last player you saw go past Hector Bellerin as though he wasn't there? Yet our up to recently flawless manager hooks him off and sticks on McB, and the whole fucking system stalls. I honestly don't know what CW tells McB when he comes on. He's a gangly centre forward who has no pace or real skill, he's evidently crap in the tackle and drifts out (again) of the danger area so the previously occupied central two get the chess out and have a couple of rounds. On past form at Swansea, he was definitely a target man, meaning 'go stand on the centre circle and score goals' yet he spent too long out wide left, even when we went to 4-3-1-2. I was disgusted with Wilder's substitution (so was Burke) and fuck me, five minutes later (from a ball he gave away) we are 0-1 down. We seemed to have some control over the game up until then and I'd have taken a 0-0 draw from the Emirates, but why, Wilder? He also hooked Osborn, whilst wasn't achieving much, stuck Fleck on who achieved less. What gives? Then Basham - who can play in midfield - for Sharp, who is (sorry Billy) never in the game?
Anyway:
Ramsdale 5/10: Error prone and unsteady. Watched the first one go in and badly positioned for the second. You might not be Henderson as you attest, but this time last season, he'd let half the goals in you have, son.
Baldock 6/10: Only just. He does what he does, but was frustratingly shit with his crossing. That one on 85 mins - there were three of ours in the box an two Arsenal players in the far end of the 18 yard box on their own and Baldock crossed it straight to them.
Basham 6.5/10: Again, got himself in the right areas most of the time but seemed to want to be the other 50% lacking of every player in every position at times. He still has deft, deceptive and steady skill. Him and Berge in midfield, anyone?
Egan 6.5/10: He is missing Jack so badly. Good to see him back but didn't govern the 18 yard box well
Robinson 6/10: Beaten easily at times and is a bit slow to read the movement.
Stevens 5/10: Pepe came on and did him. The end.
Lundstram 5.5/10: First half he was 'okay', better than he has been. But the second half he seems to be playing in a team on his own and like someone who was transferred in yesterday and not had chance to even meet the players. Why is Wilder playing him?
Berge 7/10: Okay, he is languid and doesn't burst forward, but he is difficult to dispossess (unlike the other two midfielders) and I still think he is better than Norwood
Osborn 5.5/10: He had a lot to do but looks now like he can't cope at this level at times. Bit bemused as to why he was withdrawn
McGoldrick 6/10: Aside from the rather splendid goal, he was largely anonymous at times
Burke 8/10: Thought he had a great game and chased everything, even though there was fuck all for him to get on the end of.
McBurnie 3/10: My faith in him is diminishing
Fleck 3/10: I think he is now done with us. Saw him touch the ball what, five times and each time he is not in any threatening or advantageous position
Sharp 2/10: Not sure he was going to get anything, even with the two up front supported by the No10
International Break next and you know that always galvanises us and we come back winning, don't we Blades? No, we don't, do we?
We can't afford to come away from the Fulham game empty handed. If we do, we'll be relegated by Xmas.
pommpey
In honestly, there were some positives from today's game. These were mainly on the pitch, mind.
We are all deeply disappointed and somewhat distraught at our terrible start mind. I did expect us to get roundly tubbed today by an Arsenal team which on paper looks expensive and capable, and Arteta does have them playing a pretty, possessive style. They do rely on one or two players being on their game however and as much as their supporters regale in some sort of glory, they are a billion miles away from Henri, Pires, Bergkamp and other such legends who made Highbury a redoubtable, entertaining venue back in the day.
I thought we made the first 45 minutes difficult for them and played well, but well in the way we would be proud if United were an uppity Div One side in the Cup holding a PL team out for the first half. They pressed and we pressed back from the 5-3-2 and yes, that fucking shirt pull was a red card in anyone's game. It shows again how fucking biased the PL and it's officials actually are, especially as Souness showed, Egan vs Watkins was seriously less clear cut, yet that card was straight out of the pocket and he was gone.
But here's the problem. For an hour I was greatly impressed by the singular actions and energies of Burke, who looked ever likely to trip Arsenal's frail defence up. He does have pace - please name me the last player you saw go past Hector Bellerin as though he wasn't there? Yet our up to recently flawless manager hooks him off and sticks on McB, and the whole fucking system stalls. I honestly don't know what CW tells McB when he comes on. He's a gangly centre forward who has no pace or real skill, he's evidently crap in the tackle and drifts out (again) of the danger area so the previously occupied central two get the chess out and have a couple of rounds. On past form at Swansea, he was definitely a target man, meaning 'go stand on the centre circle and score goals' yet he spent too long out wide left, even when we went to 4-3-1-2. I was disgusted with Wilder's substitution (so was Burke) and fuck me, five minutes later (from a ball he gave away) we are 0-1 down. We seemed to have some control over the game up until then and I'd have taken a 0-0 draw from the Emirates, but why, Wilder? He also hooked Osborn, whilst wasn't achieving much, stuck Fleck on who achieved less. What gives? Then Basham - who can play in midfield - for Sharp, who is (sorry Billy) never in the game?
Anyway:
Ramsdale 5/10: Error prone and unsteady. Watched the first one go in and badly positioned for the second. You might not be Henderson as you attest, but this time last season, he'd let half the goals in you have, son.
Baldock 6/10: Only just. He does what he does, but was frustratingly shit with his crossing. That one on 85 mins - there were three of ours in the box an two Arsenal players in the far end of the 18 yard box on their own and Baldock crossed it straight to them.
Basham 6.5/10: Again, got himself in the right areas most of the time but seemed to want to be the other 50% lacking of every player in every position at times. He still has deft, deceptive and steady skill. Him and Berge in midfield, anyone?
Egan 6.5/10: He is missing Jack so badly. Good to see him back but didn't govern the 18 yard box well
Robinson 6/10: Beaten easily at times and is a bit slow to read the movement.
Stevens 5/10: Pepe came on and did him. The end.
Lundstram 5.5/10: First half he was 'okay', better than he has been. But the second half he seems to be playing in a team on his own and like someone who was transferred in yesterday and not had chance to even meet the players. Why is Wilder playing him?
Berge 7/10: Okay, he is languid and doesn't burst forward, but he is difficult to dispossess (unlike the other two midfielders) and I still think he is better than Norwood
Osborn 5.5/10: He had a lot to do but looks now like he can't cope at this level at times. Bit bemused as to why he was withdrawn
McGoldrick 6/10: Aside from the rather splendid goal, he was largely anonymous at times
Burke 8/10: Thought he had a great game and chased everything, even though there was fuck all for him to get on the end of.
McBurnie 3/10: My faith in him is diminishing
Fleck 3/10: I think he is now done with us. Saw him touch the ball what, five times and each time he is not in any threatening or advantageous position
Sharp 2/10: Not sure he was going to get anything, even with the two up front supported by the No10
International Break next and you know that always galvanises us and we come back winning, don't we Blades? No, we don't, do we?
We can't afford to come away from the Fulham game empty handed. If we do, we'll be relegated by Xmas.
pommpey