Hague Blade
Whatever.
Big like for “the morbid inevitability of it all” - sums it up perfectly. Mistake compounded by another mistake to let them, finally, have a shot on target. But it’s going to be alright as it’s straight at the keeper. Oh....We appeared fairly comfortable overall, last 20 mins aside, but collectively the team look so nervous. Maybe this originates with Ramsdale & permeates through the entire team? This has made the side error prone in the extreme. It’s as if they have accepted as inevitable that at some point someone will make a gaff that leads to a goal. And so it came to pass. Lundstram inexplicably pokes it towards Basham from the edge of our 18, putting him under unnecessary pressure. Bash then sort of stands on it & it comedically squirts to their guy who blasts it at Ramsdale. Said keeper then dives over the ball in slow motion. A joke of a goal. An embarrassment. I actually laughed out loud at the morbid inevitability of it all.
But Jesus Christ our midfield. Absolutely woeful. Dire. I doubt there’s been a worse midfield in EPL history than Lundstram, Fleck & Norwood. Lundstram somehow contrived to miss the sitter of all sitters. It’s as if the bloke doesn’t want to score. Fleck has somehow transformed into a pensioner compared to last season. It’s incredible how dithery, slow & ponderous he’s become. And as for Norwood.... well he looked semi comfortable against a L1 side because that’s now his level. It’s obvious his legs have gone. As evidenced by when he lost it in the centre under a modicum of pressure, then got a yellow in the attempt to retrieve the ball. EPL sides must lick their lips every time they see those 3 lining up against them.
Then there’s Enda Stevens. To me the bloke looks depressed. He managed to get forward more than usual this season but still faffed around & gave the ball away time after time. There was an incident in the 2nd half where he gave it away twice in quick succession & another where he combined with Fleck in comedy fashion to concede possession.
On the plus side Bogle looks to be a player, nice & composed & Burke will terrorise championship defences next season. Brewster though looks mardy. I hope he keeps plugging away & that it clicks at some point as he could combine well with Sharps last hurrah in the championship. Egan, Ampadu, Bash all looked decent but they won’t be immune to the malaise that’s permeated the squad. Christ knows how many Man Utd will put past us with Egan suspended
Overall I can’t help thinking that there’s something badly wrong. Trouble at the mill so to speak. But I’m at a loss as to what it might be other than a combination of poor recruitment, the loss of Henderson & the injury to JOC.
Whoever said Wilder kept Ramsdale in the team in the hope he’d have an easy afternoon and keep a clean sheet to build his confidence is probably right. But now it looks even worse if you leave him out for Man Utd in midweek, and it’s hard to see that one doing much for the poor lad, especially without Egan trying desperately to hold it all together in front of him.