Bus-Conductor
SC Supporter
- Oct 19, 2004
- 39,837
- 50,713
This is football at it's worst. Once again I find myself revisiting the awayday emotions of Jol's era. A game we should have wrapped up and closed down was thrown away because our manager couldn't react to what was happening in front of him.
Two-nil up away from home with 12 minutes to go. Huddlestone has been awful all game, and Everton are coming at us. Why do we need two strikers on the pitch, or at the very least why has Huddlestone been left lumbering around as Everton walk past him again and again.
Huddlestone in a 442 ? No. Huddlestone in a 442 away from home ? No & No.
Huddlestone completed only 33 passes today (72%). He gave the ball away 13 times. Palacios completed 34 (92%) and it's not as if Huddlestone was trying to make killer passes. Palacios made better ones.
This doesn't detract from some of the good things that come out of this game. Under intense Goodison atmosphere and a team that never lie down and always play with spirit we played by far the better football.
We passed the ball well at times and created some really good chances that we were a little unlucky not to score with. Kranjcar and Lennon were playing really well, Crouch was working his fucking nuts off and Defoe was looking lively. Palacios was also playing really well, covering loads of ground.
Dawson was worrying me, same old same old really. You know he'll give his all, but you can never relax when he's on the premises. He just reads the game a little slower than our other CB's.
Ekotto was showing why some of us still worry about him intensely. Redknapp did make a very good decision to take him off at half time. Bale isn't exactly a solid defender either but at least he couldn't be any worse that Ekotto today, he wasn't on a yellow (yet) and he attacks much better than Ekotto.
BUt having got ourselves a deserved two goal lead and the the team coming under increasing pressure, Redknapp failed to act. This is what management is. This is what separates average from good.
You don't need two strikers on the pitch with 12 minutes to go when you are 2-0 up. Redknapp waited until it 2-2 before reacting and then took off Kranjcar FFS ? It was then the wrong sub and the wrong time.
Defoe's penalty was shit.
The end.
Ratings:
Gomes 7 - decent game. No chance with goals.
Corluka 7 - Thought he played well today. Best game in ages.
Dawson 6.5 - Bit dawsonish today. Gave some silly things away that could have cost and gets caught out up the pitch. Gave it his all as usual though. Usual Dawson stuff really
Bassong 7 - Good game.
Ekotto 4 - poor.
Bale 6.5 - Good going forward. Not exactly tenacious as a FB but did OK.
Lennon 7.5 - On the positive side he put in three or four beautiful crosses but on the negative he completed 11 passes the whole game and needed to get goal side of his man when they had the ball and help Corluka defend much more.
Huddlestone 5 - Was dire today. Wasted the ball more than a quarter of every possession he had. For a guy who's there to pass the ball that is not good enough. He wastes it because he cannot play under pressure. His head doesn't work quick enough.
Palacios 8 - I though he was great today. Covered a shit load of ground and completed more passes than Hudd.
Kranjcar 8 - 24 passes to Lennons 11. Yes, yes he's different type of player but created 7 attempts to Lennons 1 and 1 assist each.
Crouch 8 - I'm loving the big fella. This bloke works his utter nuts down to the bare bollock. 29 passes, many challenges and never ducks away from header. Intelligently uses his head as well and frequently finds a team mate.
I could easily drop him and play Kranjcar instead as a No.10 when Modric is back but it would be a fucker of a decision.
Defoe 6 - I'm sorry but you have to minus a point for that shocking penalty. Not the first time I've seen him miss a vital match winning spot kick either.
(west ham) No excuse for a bloke who earns his living and spends every day practising scoring to kick his kick straight at the fucking keeper. Apart from that he was lively and is really playing well off Crouch.
Fucking furious we didn't win this one. 2 points tossed away.
Two-nil up away from home with 12 minutes to go. Huddlestone has been awful all game, and Everton are coming at us. Why do we need two strikers on the pitch, or at the very least why has Huddlestone been left lumbering around as Everton walk past him again and again.
Huddlestone in a 442 ? No. Huddlestone in a 442 away from home ? No & No.
Huddlestone completed only 33 passes today (72%). He gave the ball away 13 times. Palacios completed 34 (92%) and it's not as if Huddlestone was trying to make killer passes. Palacios made better ones.
This doesn't detract from some of the good things that come out of this game. Under intense Goodison atmosphere and a team that never lie down and always play with spirit we played by far the better football.
We passed the ball well at times and created some really good chances that we were a little unlucky not to score with. Kranjcar and Lennon were playing really well, Crouch was working his fucking nuts off and Defoe was looking lively. Palacios was also playing really well, covering loads of ground.
Dawson was worrying me, same old same old really. You know he'll give his all, but you can never relax when he's on the premises. He just reads the game a little slower than our other CB's.
Ekotto was showing why some of us still worry about him intensely. Redknapp did make a very good decision to take him off at half time. Bale isn't exactly a solid defender either but at least he couldn't be any worse that Ekotto today, he wasn't on a yellow (yet) and he attacks much better than Ekotto.
BUt having got ourselves a deserved two goal lead and the the team coming under increasing pressure, Redknapp failed to act. This is what management is. This is what separates average from good.
You don't need two strikers on the pitch with 12 minutes to go when you are 2-0 up. Redknapp waited until it 2-2 before reacting and then took off Kranjcar FFS ? It was then the wrong sub and the wrong time.
Defoe's penalty was shit.
The end.
Ratings:
Gomes 7 - decent game. No chance with goals.
Corluka 7 - Thought he played well today. Best game in ages.
Dawson 6.5 - Bit dawsonish today. Gave some silly things away that could have cost and gets caught out up the pitch. Gave it his all as usual though. Usual Dawson stuff really
Bassong 7 - Good game.
Ekotto 4 - poor.
Bale 6.5 - Good going forward. Not exactly tenacious as a FB but did OK.
Lennon 7.5 - On the positive side he put in three or four beautiful crosses but on the negative he completed 11 passes the whole game and needed to get goal side of his man when they had the ball and help Corluka defend much more.
Huddlestone 5 - Was dire today. Wasted the ball more than a quarter of every possession he had. For a guy who's there to pass the ball that is not good enough. He wastes it because he cannot play under pressure. His head doesn't work quick enough.
Palacios 8 - I though he was great today. Covered a shit load of ground and completed more passes than Hudd.
Kranjcar 8 - 24 passes to Lennons 11. Yes, yes he's different type of player but created 7 attempts to Lennons 1 and 1 assist each.
Crouch 8 - I'm loving the big fella. This bloke works his utter nuts down to the bare bollock. 29 passes, many challenges and never ducks away from header. Intelligently uses his head as well and frequently finds a team mate.
I could easily drop him and play Kranjcar instead as a No.10 when Modric is back but it would be a fucker of a decision.
Defoe 6 - I'm sorry but you have to minus a point for that shocking penalty. Not the first time I've seen him miss a vital match winning spot kick either.
(west ham) No excuse for a bloke who earns his living and spends every day practising scoring to kick his kick straight at the fucking keeper. Apart from that he was lively and is really playing well off Crouch.
Fucking furious we didn't win this one. 2 points tossed away.
