Observations From The First Game

[Nick Jansky]

Can’t really draw too many conclusions from the first game of the season. But what is perfectly clear is that the squad has been in decline for a few years now. We have wasted so much money on transfer fees, wages and loans, and not just last summer, and have gone dramatically backwards since Berge and Ndiaye left. So we need to understand where we are and set expectations accordingly.

The blame is collective, and falls on owners past & present, managers, coaches, scouting department. At the moment it’s a club going backwards.

 

[Nick Jansky]

Wasn't until TV cameras showed Phillips in the stand I realised he wasn't on the bench. Hard to think whose place he takes on it. Blaster or Jario would be unlucky to lose a spot on the bench at least

He’s not going to be fit for a few games yet, by which time I expect us to be picking up injuries.

 

[Berkshire Blade]

He’s not going to be fit for a few games yet, by which time I expect us to be picking up injuries.

Probably so especially with two positions he could fit in. Obviously it depends on our financial outlay if it's worth it and I doubt we will ever know that either way

 

[ATL Recs]

Defensively did OK, the rest was very poor though. It's going to be a long season if we don't bring in a left winger, another striker, a big bastard centre midfielder like Vini and another centre half. Lots gets said about Cannon, and most of it is correct, I've seen very few worse professional footballers. Slow, weak, constantly on his heels, loses every foot race going, even when he's 70/30 favourite. No redeeming quality. Midfield is not mobile enough. McGuiness did OK today but last season shows that's the anomaly rather than the norm. O'Hare is too slow and too small, loses most physical duels for the ball even when he should be favourite. Yes, he runs around a lot, but we need more than that.

We only did ok due to cooper and their inability to finish

 

[ATL Recs]

Ffs
Both our CHs were basic at best when composure would have worked in our favour
Some of Tangangas distribution was shocking and the other ones ability to not make positive passes from the halfway line shoed his limitations
Thanks to Cooper we got a point today
Because that was like watching a team with no identity or plan

 

[BazWainwright]

You think one was ineffective ?

Well, he pulled up after eight minutes with a hammy.

So, yeah.

 

[Frank the tank]

Well, he pulled up after eight minutes with a hammy.

So, yeah.

I thought so

 

[Dnblade]

Both sides looked like they were in a pre season mode.
Coops and Mcguiness were the stand outs for us.
Brum better than us up until the final 3rd,but looked there for the taking,but then again so did we.
No Brooks and Hamer on the wide showed,front 2 were ineffective.
Brum had an extra man in midfield,looked like 4231 v our 442.
Our ball retention was poor,hardly tested Beedle's about until late when One and Campbell came on
Take the point though,and move on.

 

[Dave]

View from Turkey many Efes deep.

Cannon would struggle to get a game at Goodwin mid week.
Mcguinness looked solid attacking the ball, same with Tanganga however both poor on distribution.
Donovan is mctee 2.0. will struggle first half of season and grow. Give him time.
Bamford - cant live off scraps
O'Hare isn't Hamer so don't play him at LW when his best attribute is pressing from the front.
Campbell may have just signed a 3 year deal for completing the bleep test but my fucking god he's a lazy bastard. Seen Higdon run around more.
Both full backs fine
Cooper back to his best
Peck and Rothwell no issues with.

Subs wank and offered nowt

Really disappointed not to rub it into the bluenose who as worn the same top for 7 days straight in the hotel resort I am on.

UTB

 

[Bladesman]

 

[Dave]

He's not wrong, both teams wanted to play it forward however we would have both done better as rugby league teams.

 

[BazWainwright]

Wasn't until TV cameras showed Phillips in the stand I realised he wasn't on the bench. Hard to think whose place he takes on it. Blaster or Jario would be unlucky to lose a spot on the bench at least

I am puzzling why Jairo doesn't get a nod for midfield over and above even Peck. The bloke is a higher level quality and over all a better player than either Rothwell or Peck.

Philips had better get ready to roll his sleeves up and start shitting tiffany cufflinks for the badge. His not-so-impressive outings last year, his dismissal against the grunts and then his absence afterwards doesn't fill me with joy and belief he will energise United into a strong winning streak.

Blaster was largely absent when he came on. I do think people have a lot of misplaced faith in the lad.

Our midfield is built and briefed to basically go through the motions and break up play. Birmingham's midfield today had a collective of misfits and whingers and weren't much of a challenge. God knows what we'll do if we face a decent arrangement with positional capability and the ability to hunt us down and dispossess us.

 

[mattbianco1]

Bamford and Cannon... then Campbell were pointless cogs today.

Nothing against any of them players. Its down to Wilders tactics.

They had 2 absolute giant centre backs and we decided to play it in the air constantly.

I remember 1 shot on target... when Bamford was played through on the floor.

Thats on the manager, not the strikers

 

[djbaldken]

Fortunately it unfortunately, depends which way you look at it I only say first 65 minutes as my firestick packed in .
Defensively we were ok. That's all. Just ok. Tanganga was excellent and Mcguiness did what he had to do Sereki and McCallum were also good enough. Although there were a couple of occasions when with the right pass or decision making ,Birmingham should have scored
Mid field was shocking. No creativity at all. Which left Bamford and Cannon with nothing. Although Cannon is proving to be not worth his place.
Apart for an early spell I though Donavan was anonymous too.
Gonna be a long hard season.
We need a solid CH . Whoever it happens to be.
We need a creative midfielder. Will that be Philips? We wait and see.
9th Or 10th I reckon.

 

[ancientblade]

shocking performance lucky not to be on the end of a similar scoreline to last seasons opener we made birmingham look like top 8 contenders and their not 1 point a fantastic result for us

 

[HeCanDoMagic]

On the basis of today's game;

One needs a run in the team.
Burrows over McCallum.
Rothwell improved, he's more effective when we have teams penned in.
All our centre mids are too similar.
We need wingers.
We need creativity.
Cooper back to his best.
Mid table looms.

 

[Kenworthy’s Tash]

That bloke is totally delusional

 

[Bladesman]