Post by stevek192 on Dec 16, 2018 12:23:28 GMT
With all the events of the last week what a game to have to play against opponents who have pretty well set the league alight this season with a set up that is Premiership class in the Stadium of Light. Certainly it lit my eyes up to what we will probably never have in a Stadium that at present is too big for them but is there for the resurgence that history shows will happen to them.
The decision to end DC's four and a half year tenure has split supporters but surely every supporter is aware deep down that the Owners could not let the situation go on any longer and have probably been over faithful in the time they have given him. Our record since February has been little short of disgusting and I am sure if it had been McGhee, Buckle, Penney or 90% of other Managers the fans would have been crying out for their head. Yes DC has done great things for us but the magic has been missing for a long time now and for me this week had become inevitable and IMO should have ended after the Barnet defeat. For those who say the Owners have let him down - who knows? we know little or nothing about why UWE failed or the problems relating to the Training Ground but on other fronts it seems to me that all Darrell's wishes ie Development Squad,Pitch, backroom staff had been met and a reasonable amount of money made available to him-not a huge amount but reasonable to see signings like Bennett, Craig, Upson, Payne, Rodman, Nichols, Mensah, Matthews, 2 highly rated keepers and overall probably one of the biggest squads we have had in a long time. The fact the squad has turned out to be one of the most unbalanced squads with little pace or Physical presence in a division that is full of quick, physical sides is not down to the Owners but DC. The fact is that EVERY season under DC however successful or unsuccessful has been on the back of a side poorly prepared for the season start and every season needing changes to turn it around. IMO the early finishing of the transfer deadline worked against us but the Manager knew this and let's be honest his continual comments on the Owners were hardly going to build a good working relationship. .in fact the total opposite. they might have been ok if he was setting the world alight on the pitch but with the results we have had it was a disaster waiting to end...and so it has.
This probably had to happen to enable us to now see what the Owners are about. in the coming weeks we will find out far more about them than we would have done had DC remained.
Anyway the game yesterday. I must admit I had the feeling we would get beaten out of sight after last week but it didn't happen and in all honesty like so many games this season we were in the game right till the death but as has regularly happened, we lost. Defeat has become the norm and it is a very difficult situation to get out of and compounded by most of the teams around us finding their feet until we can find the winning formula then our season is going to get worse. Football wise yesterday it wasn't bad and really you couldn't criticise the manager much on Selection or the way the team played. I just don't feel that GC can inspire the players to greater heights maybe somebody else can- we can but hope! the only selection I would really query is why he played a player who hasn't played for a long time out of position. that apart I don't think he could have done much more.
Bonham 6 Not looking the brilliant keeper he looked not so long ago but streets ahead of Smith. Felt he should have done better on both goals and probably a couple of Donny's last week. The likelihood seems to be that Brentford will be selling in January and the probability he will be outside of our price range so we will probably need to sign another keeper but I am sure there are a lot of good goalkeepers around who need regular games. I am not saying that Bonham is not good enough because he definitely is but it does look an unlikely signing.
J. Clarke 5.5 James Clarke for me is a good stand in because he is versatile but first choice anywhere for me he is not. Lacks pace same as most of our defenders and yesterday most of our problems stemmed from that lack of pace and left us completely opened up on too many occasions. Whether he was picked out by the opposition as a weak link or whether it just happened that Sunderland play that way I don't know but most of their penetrating attacks were on James Clarke side and his failure to really close his opponent down. Had a couple of good runs forward.
Lockyer 6 It is very difficult for a centre half once his full back is beaten and he is having to come across and Tom's game yesterday suffered because of this. Overall I felt he had a reasonable game in the circumstances
Craig 5 Unusually he missed an absolute sitter of a chance when he somehow managed to put a completely unchallenged header wide of the post from a couple of yards out early in the game. It really was a golden chance and probably summed up his contribution yesterday. Too easily beaten on the second goal but was not helped by his full back going missing. Very similar to Lockyer in that I feel both players could do with a tall dominating Centre half alongside them- maybe Mayonaise could be this man but will a Manager give him the chance? If somebody was brave enough perhaps even a Broadbent/ Mayonaise partnership although with a relegation battle now in full steam we probably can't take a chance on inexperience.
Kelly 5 Gets caught out too often for me but like the rest of the defenders and in fact the rest of the team we must remember we were playing one of the best sides in this league on there own patch in front of a big crowd and therefore NO PLAYER deserves a mark less than 5 because at the end of the day we contained them for most of the match and probably deserved a bit of luck in the end when again the woodwork denied us an equaliser right at the death. When you are at the bottom luck seems to desert you.
Rodman 6 Took his chance well and for me needs to be given a run in the side. Wins a lot of the ball in the air and can be very direct and pacy.
O. Clarke 6 Battled well and had a few good strong runs but still not convinced on his overall actually wanting the ball and getting into a position to receive it rather than just winning the tackle. I personally feel he is a squad player but there again we don't have anybody else in the squad other than possibly Sinclair who can do a job in there.
Upson 6.5 The best midfielder on view for us yesterday. Gets in where it hurts and always in the thick of things. A good footballer with a fair amount of skill and like Rodman deserves a run in the side and with this we could have a very good player.
Sercombe 5 Very much in and out of the game but as with the other midfielders we must take into account we were playing a very good side and we did really compete in this area for the entire 90 minutes and what many do not take into account is that you put a great emphasis on this area of the pitch when you play with one up front.
Holmes-Dennis 5 Could not understand this decision. Yes I completely agree and predicted that he would make his first start but surely after a long lay off you at least play the man in his proper position! It was ironic that what DC considered a key signing should make his first start in the first game without DC. With this appearance behind him I would definitely start him at left back next week. wentHe did OK but to be honest very little of the general play went down his side so he became a passenger for much of the game.
Jakuiak 7.5 MOM In a lone striker role I thought this was his best game for us and he was a handful for the Sunderland defence with his strong running and hold up play. Given time I think he could become a really good player but not sure we can afford to stick with him long term with the window coming up and our position one from the bottom. I would definitely start him next Saturday but with somebody up front with him possibly a chance for Reilly to show what he can do. Jacubiak set up the goal for Rodman and for me stood out against one of the best defences.
Subs:
Bennett 5 Set up the last ditch chance for Payne but possibly played him a little short with the pass. Came on and buzzed about but his form this season really flatters to deceive. Last season he was played as a winger who comes inside quite a lot whereas now he seems to be employed as a player in the hole and he just isn't looking the same flair player.
Nichols 5 Didn't really get long enough to do anything.
Payne 5.5 Had a reasonable chance with a header and IMO was very unlucky not to equalise in the last minute with a shot from just inside the box that he appeared to do everything right as he stretched to meet what was a slightly over weighted pass and hit it over the advancing keeper and the retreating defender but the ball struck the underside of the bar and came out straight to a defender to clear. Should he have scored? From where we were so far away it was difficult to judge and I will put it down to bloody hard luck. He does not deserve to be a scapegoat for all our shortcomings. He is not really a targetman IMO but maybe alongside a targetman he could do a good job.
Crowd 8 Brilliant turnout in such poor weather conditions and considering our awful run of results and backed the team from beginning to end.
Ref 6 Possibly a 7 but can't be too kind to the men in black! Certainly better than most we have had.
Sunderland 6 A good side who played good football at times without looking outstanding. They had the pace which we lack. We held our own for long periods and therefore I have marked them accordingly. If we had a higher tempo of playing with a bit of pace then we would not be far away from a good side.
GC- To be honest I don't feel it was a great difference to most other games this season. There is a very fine line between success and failure in this division and there is only a certain amount you can do with the players DC has assembled. My feeling is that the quicker we get a new man in the better but whoever it is will struggle to do much to change this current situation until they can bring in their own personnel. I do not think GC is the man to take us forward but without any real knowledge on how our owners work I have no ideal who they will select. Whilst many say they do things on the cheap this IMO is not evident when it comes to the backroom staff where I feel DC had many luxuries so maybe they won't go cheap on the Manager. Interesting times ahead but unlike many I would not be totally against Steve Cotterill as I imagine him to have the sort of knowledge of players available to get in superior to DC but whether they would be beyond our means who really knows what our means is?
The team I would go with next week
Bonham
Leadbitter Lockyer Craig (Capt) Holmes-Dennis
Bennett Upson Sercombe Rodman
Jacubiak Reilly or Payne
We really do need to win this game and for this reason I very much hope the new man is in place whoever it is! UTG
The decision to end DC's four and a half year tenure has split supporters but surely every supporter is aware deep down that the Owners could not let the situation go on any longer and have probably been over faithful in the time they have given him. Our record since February has been little short of disgusting and I am sure if it had been McGhee, Buckle, Penney or 90% of other Managers the fans would have been crying out for their head. Yes DC has done great things for us but the magic has been missing for a long time now and for me this week had become inevitable and IMO should have ended after the Barnet defeat. For those who say the Owners have let him down - who knows? we know little or nothing about why UWE failed or the problems relating to the Training Ground but on other fronts it seems to me that all Darrell's wishes ie Development Squad,Pitch, backroom staff had been met and a reasonable amount of money made available to him-not a huge amount but reasonable to see signings like Bennett, Craig, Upson, Payne, Rodman, Nichols, Mensah, Matthews, 2 highly rated keepers and overall probably one of the biggest squads we have had in a long time. The fact the squad has turned out to be one of the most unbalanced squads with little pace or Physical presence in a division that is full of quick, physical sides is not down to the Owners but DC. The fact is that EVERY season under DC however successful or unsuccessful has been on the back of a side poorly prepared for the season start and every season needing changes to turn it around. IMO the early finishing of the transfer deadline worked against us but the Manager knew this and let's be honest his continual comments on the Owners were hardly going to build a good working relationship. .in fact the total opposite. they might have been ok if he was setting the world alight on the pitch but with the results we have had it was a disaster waiting to end...and so it has.
This probably had to happen to enable us to now see what the Owners are about. in the coming weeks we will find out far more about them than we would have done had DC remained.
Anyway the game yesterday. I must admit I had the feeling we would get beaten out of sight after last week but it didn't happen and in all honesty like so many games this season we were in the game right till the death but as has regularly happened, we lost. Defeat has become the norm and it is a very difficult situation to get out of and compounded by most of the teams around us finding their feet until we can find the winning formula then our season is going to get worse. Football wise yesterday it wasn't bad and really you couldn't criticise the manager much on Selection or the way the team played. I just don't feel that GC can inspire the players to greater heights maybe somebody else can- we can but hope! the only selection I would really query is why he played a player who hasn't played for a long time out of position. that apart I don't think he could have done much more.
Bonham 6 Not looking the brilliant keeper he looked not so long ago but streets ahead of Smith. Felt he should have done better on both goals and probably a couple of Donny's last week. The likelihood seems to be that Brentford will be selling in January and the probability he will be outside of our price range so we will probably need to sign another keeper but I am sure there are a lot of good goalkeepers around who need regular games. I am not saying that Bonham is not good enough because he definitely is but it does look an unlikely signing.
J. Clarke 5.5 James Clarke for me is a good stand in because he is versatile but first choice anywhere for me he is not. Lacks pace same as most of our defenders and yesterday most of our problems stemmed from that lack of pace and left us completely opened up on too many occasions. Whether he was picked out by the opposition as a weak link or whether it just happened that Sunderland play that way I don't know but most of their penetrating attacks were on James Clarke side and his failure to really close his opponent down. Had a couple of good runs forward.
Lockyer 6 It is very difficult for a centre half once his full back is beaten and he is having to come across and Tom's game yesterday suffered because of this. Overall I felt he had a reasonable game in the circumstances
Craig 5 Unusually he missed an absolute sitter of a chance when he somehow managed to put a completely unchallenged header wide of the post from a couple of yards out early in the game. It really was a golden chance and probably summed up his contribution yesterday. Too easily beaten on the second goal but was not helped by his full back going missing. Very similar to Lockyer in that I feel both players could do with a tall dominating Centre half alongside them- maybe Mayonaise could be this man but will a Manager give him the chance? If somebody was brave enough perhaps even a Broadbent/ Mayonaise partnership although with a relegation battle now in full steam we probably can't take a chance on inexperience.
Kelly 5 Gets caught out too often for me but like the rest of the defenders and in fact the rest of the team we must remember we were playing one of the best sides in this league on there own patch in front of a big crowd and therefore NO PLAYER deserves a mark less than 5 because at the end of the day we contained them for most of the match and probably deserved a bit of luck in the end when again the woodwork denied us an equaliser right at the death. When you are at the bottom luck seems to desert you.
Rodman 6 Took his chance well and for me needs to be given a run in the side. Wins a lot of the ball in the air and can be very direct and pacy.
O. Clarke 6 Battled well and had a few good strong runs but still not convinced on his overall actually wanting the ball and getting into a position to receive it rather than just winning the tackle. I personally feel he is a squad player but there again we don't have anybody else in the squad other than possibly Sinclair who can do a job in there.
Upson 6.5 The best midfielder on view for us yesterday. Gets in where it hurts and always in the thick of things. A good footballer with a fair amount of skill and like Rodman deserves a run in the side and with this we could have a very good player.
Sercombe 5 Very much in and out of the game but as with the other midfielders we must take into account we were playing a very good side and we did really compete in this area for the entire 90 minutes and what many do not take into account is that you put a great emphasis on this area of the pitch when you play with one up front.
Holmes-Dennis 5 Could not understand this decision. Yes I completely agree and predicted that he would make his first start but surely after a long lay off you at least play the man in his proper position! It was ironic that what DC considered a key signing should make his first start in the first game without DC. With this appearance behind him I would definitely start him at left back next week. wentHe did OK but to be honest very little of the general play went down his side so he became a passenger for much of the game.
Jakuiak 7.5 MOM In a lone striker role I thought this was his best game for us and he was a handful for the Sunderland defence with his strong running and hold up play. Given time I think he could become a really good player but not sure we can afford to stick with him long term with the window coming up and our position one from the bottom. I would definitely start him next Saturday but with somebody up front with him possibly a chance for Reilly to show what he can do. Jacubiak set up the goal for Rodman and for me stood out against one of the best defences.
Subs:
Bennett 5 Set up the last ditch chance for Payne but possibly played him a little short with the pass. Came on and buzzed about but his form this season really flatters to deceive. Last season he was played as a winger who comes inside quite a lot whereas now he seems to be employed as a player in the hole and he just isn't looking the same flair player.
Nichols 5 Didn't really get long enough to do anything.
Payne 5.5 Had a reasonable chance with a header and IMO was very unlucky not to equalise in the last minute with a shot from just inside the box that he appeared to do everything right as he stretched to meet what was a slightly over weighted pass and hit it over the advancing keeper and the retreating defender but the ball struck the underside of the bar and came out straight to a defender to clear. Should he have scored? From where we were so far away it was difficult to judge and I will put it down to bloody hard luck. He does not deserve to be a scapegoat for all our shortcomings. He is not really a targetman IMO but maybe alongside a targetman he could do a good job.
Crowd 8 Brilliant turnout in such poor weather conditions and considering our awful run of results and backed the team from beginning to end.
Ref 6 Possibly a 7 but can't be too kind to the men in black! Certainly better than most we have had.
Sunderland 6 A good side who played good football at times without looking outstanding. They had the pace which we lack. We held our own for long periods and therefore I have marked them accordingly. If we had a higher tempo of playing with a bit of pace then we would not be far away from a good side.
GC- To be honest I don't feel it was a great difference to most other games this season. There is a very fine line between success and failure in this division and there is only a certain amount you can do with the players DC has assembled. My feeling is that the quicker we get a new man in the better but whoever it is will struggle to do much to change this current situation until they can bring in their own personnel. I do not think GC is the man to take us forward but without any real knowledge on how our owners work I have no ideal who they will select. Whilst many say they do things on the cheap this IMO is not evident when it comes to the backroom staff where I feel DC had many luxuries so maybe they won't go cheap on the Manager. Interesting times ahead but unlike many I would not be totally against Steve Cotterill as I imagine him to have the sort of knowledge of players available to get in superior to DC but whether they would be beyond our means who really knows what our means is?
The team I would go with next week
Bonham
Leadbitter Lockyer Craig (Capt) Holmes-Dennis
Bennett Upson Sercombe Rodman
Jacubiak Reilly or Payne
We really do need to win this game and for this reason I very much hope the new man is in place whoever it is! UTG
