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#397337 The Lower League Thread
terriersmad
#397297 2017/18 Barclays Premier League Thread
terriersmad
Agreed on the Ritchie point. Personal view, thought he was slightly unlucky to be booked. It's the excessive force thing. Ritchie stretches to bring a ball down at height - Mané sprints into the challenge. Angles and momentum matter.
As for us, the Reid challenge on Mounié was at least as bad as Mané's, only with far more of an element of WTF to it. I can't work out what he was doing, unless he's intentionally trying to kick an opponent in the face in the most obscure fashion possible. He's behind Mounié, pushes Mounié twice, falls over, then boots Mounié in the face while falling and while Mounié is jumping for the ball. Mané at least had the excuse that he was challenging for the ball - only Winston Reid knows what Winston Reid was doing. God himself is probably scratching his head. Clear unarguable red - and a decision that cost us at least a point. At first, the berk in the middle didn't even blow despite the fact our striker had his head surgically removed from his shoulders. Just summed up a one-eyed performance from Kevin Friend, who spent all of Monday night licking Andy Carroll's arse after he'd clattered half our team and booking ours for having Pablo Zabaleta charge into them from behind. To be fair, we seldom threatened but we weren't exactly threatened by clear-cut chances ourselves until we were undone by a fluke goal and a set-piece. We'd defended very well but certainly didn't do enough to win the game until their goals sparked us into something resembling attacking life.
#394885 The Lower League Thread
terriersmad
He'd lost the plot by 2011. As evidenced by HTFC World's take on his selection after picking the same team two weeks in a row...
#394433 The Lower League Thread
terriersmad
Antony Kay, Danny Drinkwater, Scott Arfield, Joey Gudjonsen, Damien Johnson, Anton Robinson, Tommy Miller, Kevin Kilbane... I'm not convinced he ever really brought in anyone in central midfield who improved upon the regular Jim Goodwin/Michael Collins pairing. Though that was probably because he played those two together week-in, week-out for six months before starting to sign players - worth pointing out that two of those midfielders he signed are Premier League regulars these days
#393668 2017/18 Barclays Premier League Thread
terriersmad
#393664 The Lower League Thread
terriersmad
#393285 2017/18 Barclays Premier League Thread
terriersmad
Other than the fact that Shelvey gave Kachunga a good push in the back - Kachunga made the most of it, but he was entitled to go down. Palmer on Mbemba - seen them given. Nothing like as clear-cut wrong as the penalty that day, or the penalty you got at ours - and neither of those comes close to the foul on Ward inexplicably not given.
Anyway, that was all last season. Chill your beans and enjoy the Premier League. 36 games to go.
#393284 2017/18 Carabao Cup (League Cup)
terriersmad
#392832 2017/18 Barclays Premier League Thread
terriersmad
No, you're not bad defensively. You switched off and were punished by a quality bit of play. There's a difference between being poor defensively and a momentary loss of concentration. Neither are we poor going forward - you sat so deep that the usual interplay of our front four was completely negated. There was simply no room to run in with eight/nine men consistently behind the ball.
Kachunga - should have been booked. No denial there. Red would have been very harsh. Mbemba put his head down and the ball was there to be won. If you watch it, the ball was won by Kachunga's toe. No intent either. Had his leg been straight or contact more severe than a very slight glancing blow, there's more of an argument. I suppose Robson-Kanu's red was upheld by the FA, and there's some argument in saying they're similar, but I'm of the view that the Robson-Kanu red was very, very harsh.
Smith - booking. There didn't look to be a huge difference between this and Ritchie's tackle in the first half. Had Smith made contact then again, might have been different, but certainly a booking.
Mounié - come off it. Only card there was for dangerous play by Perez who launched himself in. Dare I say it, had there been something in it it would have been shown on Match of the Day 2 and the national newspapers would have made comment. I also dare say a charge would have been in the offing by now. Clutching at straws to justify outrage at Shelvey being sent off.
Joselu - booking all day long. He left a foot in and caught Lössl. Not sure why you're criticising the opponent when he was endangered by a poor tackle from your man, who didn't need to leave a foot in with the ball gone. I've been on the end of those. They sting like mad for a few moments.
Pawson was very inconsistent. I have no idea why Palmer was booked when his attempted block on Lascelles missed the man by a small postcode district. I also don't know why Lascelles was booked (and I have seen that again - it's a foul, but it's not like he led with an arm, it's just a natural movement that catches Mounié, absolutely nothing in it). I also don't know why Gayle wasn't carded for his first half dive.
But after last season, Newcastle really can't complain against officials against us. Three game-changing decisions across the two games were all given to Newcastle incorrectly. It probably cost us a tilt at automatic promotion after the March game. All the decisions were clearly wrong, and not borderline like those in the weekend's clash.
The big reason the game was of poor quality was Benitez. He set up to sit and nullify, dropping men deep behind the ball. When that happens, teams tend to slow up the tempo and look like less of an attacking threat. If you'd set up to attack more, the game would be of a higher quality as players found space in attacking areas more. Unfortunately, the problem isn't that your players aren't good enough - it's simply that your manager isn't brave enough. He's too used to playing that way with genuinely top quality players in attacking areas and can't come up with a plan of attack with players who, on an individual basis, are among the lesser lights. Yet he seems immune from criticism. His comments about not being ready for the season were nothing short of ridiculous. He's the manager. He's the one responsible for getting what he's got ready. If the team isn't ready, it's his fault. He's had a pre-season to sort out the personnel he has and get organised. It isn't the chairman's fault that the team doesn't have an attacking plan. Might be his there isn't the money there for a £15m striker to lead the line (rather than the £12m model deemed 'not good enough'
#392632 2017/18 Barclays Premier League Thread
terriersmad
#392525 2017/18 Barclays Premier League Thread
terriersmad
Myth. Premier League pitches have been standardised this season. We've been told to shorten our pitch and narrow it to a set length and width, and the grass has to be cut to 22mm and no longer.
#392524 2017/18 Barclays Premier League Thread
terriersmad
#391257 2017/18 Barclays Premier League Thread
terriersmad
Liability above the Championship. Banned far too often for completely stupid things. It's not like he's mistimed a tackle when on a booking - none of his red cards are ever for something that are just part and parcel of playing in the centre of the midfield. Were he 18 it'd be almost excusable, based on his age, but he's 25 and hasn't learned.
#391201 2017/18 Barclays Premier League Thread
terriersmad
And I wasn't at the match. Could have got a stream, but I'm superstitious and didn't want to curse them. Sounds like, 43 million dives by Zaha aside, he handled the game pretty well.
#391113 2017/18 Barclays Premier League Thread
terriersmad
#391089 2017/18 Barclays Premier League Thread
terriersmad
#391085 2017/18 Barclays Premier League Thread
terriersmad
Doesn't matter which direction the ball is going in - just matters that he's nearer to the ball than the second-last opponent. Common misconception.
#390819 2017/18 Carabao Cup (League Cup)
terriersmad
#390715 2017/18 Barclays Premier League Thread
terriersmad
Bring it on.
#389917 The Lower League Thread
terriersmad
As wingers go, not the quickest, but physically strong, decent touch (even if his first touch occasionally leads to a second touch that is a tackle), prepared to take people on (by running at them - quite literally barrels through challenges, no real trickery in his wing-play until it comes to stealing a yard), good crosser, good finisher. Obviously no guarantees with any player, but at 24 and for the price you paid, you could make your money back 4-5 times in a year if he shows his quality.
#389797 Pre-Season Thread 2017/18
terriersmad
#389443 Pre-Season Thread 2017/18
terriersmad
#388704 Pre-Season Thread 2017/18
terriersmad
That we looked leggy is no surprise, considering that the team had a double training session this morning. Bright enough first half, great goal from Ince, pegged back due to a tired backpass from Cavare, who looks a long way short of match fitness. I personally thought he was OK, but he seems to be dividing opinion among Town fans. They won it through a soft free-kick that came off the woodwork that we didn't react to, but again it was a makeshift second-half back four. But Hefele got 15 minutes, Smith announced he's back in full training, and I can't say any of the other central defenders did much wrong.
The sour note of the game was the 'fan' sat next to me. With stands being closed I was in the family stand - completing the set of stands I've watched Town in in this stadium. The guy next to me was swearing like mad, so I asked him to moderate his language. He waited five minutes then, charmingly, said, "If you tell me not to fucking swear again, I'll fucking knock you out, you fucking boring cunt." Family area. Kids all round.
#388457 Kit Thread 2017/18
terriersmad
#388442 Pre-Season Thread 2017/18
terriersmad
Makes sense to me. It means that with 3 weeks to go the whole squad has got a full 90 minutes under its belt, which is more important than any result. That we beat decent sides is another bonus, particularly given how makeshift our defence was v Girona - Hudson and Cranie wouldn't be my first choice central pairing, for all their Championship experience, I wouldn't have holding midfielder Regan Booty at right-back or forward Harry Bunn at left-back! The defence I anticipate starting at Palace was largely untroubled, from the highlights Barnsley put up, at Oakwell, with Tommy Smith to come back in at right-back when fit. Equally, I don't think Collin Quaner will be starting on the wing v Palace (though he's a great option to have on the bench - an ungainly, physical handful who can change a game, and who but for Barnsley keeper Adam Davies would have scored about three times as many goals for us).
#387994 Pre-Season Thread 2017/18
terriersmad
#387736 Pre-Season Thread 2017/18
terriersmad
He was played through very well by Jack Payne. Shame he plays for us
Pre-season going well so far, other than a worrying number of players not featuring. Wins against Accrington and Bury, defeat to Sandhausen, but it's all about the fitness at the moment. Quite a few kids are getting game time, which is good - Ryan Schofield, Jordan Williams, Danny Kane and Rarmani Edmonds-Green have all got good game time. The defeat to Sandhausen is no real concern - individual errors meant we conceded 3, but the players who made those errors won't be in the first team come 12 August (Scannell is at right-back at the moment, and Cranie is very much a squad player this season, at least he will be when we have more than Schindler fit). Add to that, we'd played 48 hours before, trained 3 times between times and flown out to Germany! Ince has started well, as has Mounié. Four more games to go, and looking forward to next Wednesday when we face Udinese at home.
Still, it is a little worrying that Tommy Smith and Michael Hefele have yet to feature in pre-season, and that Zanka has been in and out. It's meant that only Schindler of our first-choice central defenders has got good match practice under his belt. Aaron Mooy remains on leave following the Confederations Cup, while Stankovic is still out with his ACL injury. Wells has also come back with a knock.
Barnsley away on Sunday should be a good test before three European top-flight sides in our last three friendlies - Udinese at home, followed by Stuttgart and Torino on our Austrian camp.
#386822 The Lower League Thread
terriersmad
Oscar Gobern! Blast from the past. Last spotted getting released to QPR for a year before doing his ACL on loan at Chesterfield.
Novak would be a good one for you. Only really stalled properly last season - proven League One pedigree, bangs in 15 goals a season, still only 28 (I think - may be a year out either way). Ollie Watkins will end up either top end Championship or bottom end Premier League if he moves this summer, from what I've heard of the lad. Only seen him in the League Two play-off final, so this might be overstating his potential.
I'm considering it, but very much depends if I can be arsed. Pre-season friendlies aren't really my thing unless I really do have nothing better to do and we're playing someone we're unlikely to be playing in the near future. I toyed with Accrington the other night but left it a bit late to set off for a 7 o'clock kick off, and I've done Barnsley too many times to be interested in going there. We also have three friendlies in Germany and Austria which are a bit far to watch a casual fitness exercise, plus a home friendly with Udinese, which is on at a daft time but I'll probably go because we're unlikely to face them again this decade.
#386789 The Lower League Thread
terriersmad
Signing Lee Novak apparently. Gigg Lane really is turning into a retirement home for our 2012 promotion side - and they'll probably turn us over on Sunday
#385457 2017/18 Barclays Premier League Thread
terriersmad
Wagner turned Van La Parra into one of the most dangerous and hardworking wingers in the division - if he can do that with VLP, he can do it with anyone. Ince has more end product even without Wagner's input. He is only 25, and his Championship record is ridiculously good - almost 50 goals in 5 years is more than any other winger at that level. We'll see. He'll be hungry to prove himself and that'll count in our favour.