Guest Post by Rugby Irons
We all bring a different view to games we watch and then we generally all disagree. However the recent poor showings have unified our views. So,what is it we don’t like? Well here’s my view as if I were our Manager.
Well the problem of injuries still besets us. So I have brought in the best alternative with Gary Lewin. No sooner as he arrives the list goes up. I had hoped that by taking the whole squad away to concentrate on the team, rather than chasing the mighty dollar, I could get the team to shape up as I wanted them to. In reality I ended up with most of the stars absent, those fit ones left and the youths, to make up the numbers. So my master plan went out of the window. Even the fitness wasn’t a huge improvement. But then to make any plan to work you have everyone on board. Cue your star injured centre forward on the lash in Spain. Nice.
So it’s down to the preseason games and with the youths given their chance (presumably to ensure no more injuries) and they certainly took it. Those who doubted these players would be enjoying their humble pie but again they are short of what the owners want and lack experience. Spurs, Everton and Saints, the other teams around us have blooded kids and done well from it but I’m not sure the owners want to risk it.
The results went against the team but at this point this is where I worry. I couldn’t see what the plan was. What had the team been working on in the last three weeks? We lacked any cohesion. If the point of having Hernandez is to get a overflowing front line to supply passes into him to score, with the others adding to the goal tally, then we are miles off. We hardly had a shot and Martinez scored off his only shot. You can make all the injury excuses you like but Carroll and Sakho just can’t be considered.
Against Altona, we were a shambles. Reid should be ashamed he let the team down and made it a farce. The standard of crossing was abysmal and in terms of a shape it wasn’t there again. You look at the defence and they don’t look a unit at all.
So you go up against Citeh and every alarm bell is ringing. Now for SB he is on a hiding to nothing before a ball is kicked and he wasted the opportunity to give us hope. This isn’t about the second gear dominance of the game or the goals, but the wholly negative performance. Let’s be clear if you go 4-5-1 then you are defending. No problem with that if you can counter. We can’t.
So the strict line of five across the middle stood and watched Toure and DeBruyne split them as the Citeh had five players behind our midfield, attacking our back line. You just can’t leave it if it isn’t working but SB stuck with it. Changing players didn’t do anything. Why didn’t SB just push up the back line ten yards and defend from the 30 not the 18yard box? He put Rice on as a holding player, fair enough, and then press them back a bit. We had lost the game but he could have looked at his attack instead of his leaky defence. Ninety minutes of negative play and just one tame shot on target all game.
That’s not good form. Now don’t be fooled into arguing it was against Citeh.This should have been about what we were about. For me this has been a disastrous preseason because we haven’t progressed and with a week to go we are in a poor place. Players coming back will now be rushed into action and the ever rotating injuries will continue.
So what do I think of the squad with a week to go:
Hart : For all his noise his feet aren’t good enough. Playing out from our backline is a recipe for disaster and in his first game he now knows why Adrian was told to pack it in and Hart must be the same.
Adrian: Proved his point with strong performances and looks the part to me.
Byram: Just not big enough and doesn’t create or do enough.
Zabaleta: Looks slow and heavy but his experience makes the difference. He has still impressed.
Cresswell: Looks way off the pace now. Can hardly cross a ball enough times and being totally one footed makes him weaker. Also not strong enough.
Arthur: Looks more than just a defender but creates and crosses and has right attitude.
Fonte: Way below the standard required playing for us. He just isn’t quick or alert enough.
Ginge: He is what he is but you get a 100% of it.
Reid: If he strops all the time his play suffers.He should be the leader at the back but he’s not at it.
Burke: Did enough to be kept and developed . His shipping out shows a weakness in the club policy.
Oxford: Why isn’t he being promoted from within. Hope Germany is a positive and not a cover up.
Rice: He’s 17 and if anyone needed loaning out it was him. He is behind the others in development terms. He hasn’t played at centre half, or much at least, just thrown in as a make weight midfielder, which he has taken too.The beauty of being young and fearless.
Ogbonna: Concentration levels not there since coming back but this will improve.
Noble: Becoming Kevin Nolan, which just isn’t fair on him. Needs to be the Noble of old.
Cullen: Has done everything required and still gets shipped out. Ridiculous.
Obiang: Has been quiet but effective. I expect him to step up immediately once we start for real.
Eddy: Hasnt impressed but hasn’t had the quality around him. Will improve because he is getting games.
Koyoute. Massive loss. The real engine. Difficult to do preseason without your two best players.
Lanzini: Same as Cheikh. He will be pivotal. Needs to be protected. We have limited creativity without him.
Arnie: Has really impressed. Like Ant but the other side. Needs to up his crossing quality though.
Ant: Really need him back. His presence alone makes a difference.
Snod : He just doesn’t have it. His luck has run out and nothing goes his way. It happens.
Ayew: His work rate created things and is always lively.
Carroll: Wasted talent of his own choosing. Leave him on the beach.
Sakho: Who knows, but of late another waster.
Holland: Looked good and positive.
Martinez : To score from what he has had as service is remarkable enough. Looks a good prospect and as our second striker he will do us ok.
Hernandez: His record and quality will keep us up at least if we get him the ball.
So on paper, and fit, we look good . On the injury table we look weak all over. Without a style and pattern to get balls into their box,for the front line, you then have to worry about what defence we put out. I don’t normally do the player prediction because it’s more about how the players respond to the role they are put in. We need to be stronger at the back and lining up on the 30 yard one not 18.
If we are going one holder, two central and two wide then we must press on and push them back. With one up they must be getting the ball in the final 20 yards not on the half way line. And this is where I take issue with Slaven. Stop being so cagey. Look at your (fit) squad and its an offensive team, even if it’s a counter attacking set up we have to take a positive attitude. If you go positive we will be right behind you. Be Slaven not Sam.
And so to conclude, if the plan is to keep the ball on the floor and play counter football then the players are there to do it. But and it’s a big but , you have to be positive, especially at home. We could be in trouble by the time our first home game comes, equally we could be top of the League. All things are always possible watching West Ham. So as many of you say, preseason doesn’t matter, and of course they are right. So with a week to go I’m more worried by the injury list and attitude than recent results. I bet £10 for us to win the league. Well you have to, absolutely nothing is ever certain. I look forward to your comments and keeping the faith. Long live the Boleyn.