Bolton were poor and if we had lost that game questions would have been asked.
On their goal difference of -22 which is what most teams have in a relegation situation end of season.
But we played to what we had in front of us.
Wiles scored a great goal and was watched by 5 scouts I was informed yesterday. 1 prem
Great to see ladapo and morris getting a couple.
Hastie looks a good player and if we get ogbene back mmm looks good.
Lindsey played well
Go with same team Sunderland
Nice to see injured players coming back
The difference of course is that it Is their Under 18's who have been losing 5-0 every week and albeit they have only just met each other they fielded a lot of experienced players yesterday and some with a very good pedigree. Bridcutt and Verlinden might have been the best two players on the pitch.
As was said before the game it was a no win situation for us. If we had lost people would have been screaming for Warne to be hung drawn and quartered. Instead we come back from an early setback, win 6-1, and play a lot of good football. What happens? The cynics say that we only did what was expected.
There is a range of opinion of course but as a collective I think we are an incredibly cynical and impatient group. A bloke near me in the West Stand spent 90 minutes moaning yesterday. Non-stop. I wondered whether he might have been one of our regulars in disguise. His most notable complaints were:-
-Wiles is overrated, but you're not allowed to say anything bad about him because he is a local lad.
-We should be getting ten against these, not settling for six.
-Warne is robbing the fans taking our best players off - they should all be playing for ninety minutes.
-Robertson's distribution is awful.
I didn't hear a single positive thing from him all day as he sat through a 6-1 win. Unbelievable. I guess that is just some people for you. It might have been the same bloke who phoned Praise or Grumble complaining that we took our foot off the pedal and it might cost us at the end of the season with goal difference. What about balancing that with giving ourselves the best chance of points on Tuesday? You have to wonder.
It was a game we always should have won but we won it well. The three points are very welcome. There were signs that Morris and Ladapo might be a very strong combination. Hastie is obviously a high class player. Some of our young players are improving every week (I am thinking particularly of Wiles and Olosunde). We picked up no new injuries. Players like Lindsay, Morris and Hastie who haven't had more than a start apiece got valuable minutes into their legs and all three rightly came off bearing in mind we have a tough away game on Tuesday.
All in all, apart from the dodgy first few minutes and sloppy goal conceded, we did a very good job and it couldn't have gone any better.
The shape looked a lot better yesterday. It makes a massive difference when you’ve got your focal point in attack be it Morris or Smith playing centrally instead of doing nothing on the wing.
Hopefully it’s got some confidence into a few of them. Wiles,Morris and Ladapo were all very good. Made a nice change to see us cross the ball as well.
Two changes for me against Sunderland. Barlaser for Crooks. Smith for Lapado. Crooks was ok 1st H but he's not a naturally fit player, not in the game 2nd H. Smith more direct. Need a battler up front there.
Your good judge title is under threat Gwru if you think Smith should play instead of Ladapo after yesterday's performance. I thought Smith's first touch was lacking, he looked short of confidence and the combination of Ladapo and Morris looked to be coming along very well. I can understand your statement of a battler up front but i think Ladapo and Morris have earned the right to start on Tuesday. Crooks divides opinion and i can see why. At times he looks the real deal but then he gives a sloppy pass and leaves you scratching your head. I would pick the same starting eleven if all fit and well.
All that's wrong with Smith his confidence has been knocked with playing him not up front. See how good a judge I am. Same side tues I'm saying we won't get anything.
wasn't there but great result and great to see Ladapo and Morris scoring, do their confidence a power of good, and the whole team... you can only beat what's in front of you, not every team will get that score against them as they start to get better.
Not sure that's how we should judge your judgement on playing the pre season favourites to win the league on their home patch. I think it's a very tough ask to get anything at Sunderland, but i do believe the side that started yesterday earned the right to start on Tuesday.
I'll give you Lapado starting but it's going to be a game for the battlers up there. Change it quick if it's not working. Don't think we've seen the best of Barlaser yet. I'd have him in for Crooks.
How do you think Sicknote Morris and Waste of Money Ladapo looked as a front pair yesterday gwru? I thought for a strike pair playing together for the first time they looked good. Smith must be a hell of a player who is underperforming massively if, as you say, he is better than the two of them put together. I like Smith but for whatever reason he isn't playing well. Sicknote and Waste of Money to start on Tuesday for me.
-- Edited by smiler on Sunday 15th of September 2019 05:14:11 PM
smiler Smudger though he's been sold down the river by Warney apart other two aren't fit to lace JCH boots. Everybody knows it but you keep the Warney faith.
Give me strength. You like to tell everyone that you look forward and yet every day you bang on about JCH, in your futile attempts to prove that you are the second Guardiola. Bailey-King?
Give me strength. You like to tell everyone that you look forward and yet every day you bang on about JCH, in your futile attempts to prove that you are the second Guardiola. Bailey-King?
smiler Smudger though he's been sold down the river by Warney apart other two aren't fit to lace JCH boots. Everybody knows it but you keep the Warney faith.
Morris started a league game for the second time yesterday and it was his first go for us playing centrally. He looked the part. When Smith came on he played centrally against a team already beaten, and looked a bit lost.
All the strikers have had to try and adapt to play in a different way and Smith is no different. It suits you to because you've decided you like him and you have typically written the others off after 10 minutes, so you are happy to make excuses for Smith.
As for JCH I think in common with a lot of other people I wish you would shut the **** up about him. At the point we released him reason his career stats were 23 goals (a number of them penalties) in 162 appearances. I've asked you before - do you think a long list of managers who didn't pick JCH were all wrong or do you think he himself might have actually been the problem?
You didn't actually say how you thought Ladapo and Morris did yesterday. What did you actually think?
What about Olosunde, who you also wrote off after 45 minutes in a friendly? How do you think he is doing?
I think this is where i differ about Gwru and his ability as a judge to most on here. Jch played 71 times for us and only scored nine times. As Smiler then said a few other managers at MK, Donny and Coventry couldn't get anything out of him. He moves to Bristol Rovers and scores sixteen times in twenty three games. Give Gwru some credit here. He spotted the lad had talent and he is now flourishing. I hope he continues to do it as everybody i know thought he was a great lad. Take a bow Gwru. As for our two (Ladapo and Morris) are not fit to lace his boots, that is where you have gone too far.
Everybody knew he had talent Whiston. But he rarely produced. Down to him. Good if he now is doing. That doesn't mean we were wrong to not offer him a new contract. Its water under the bridge. Why does it have to get mentioned on every flaming thread?
Morris is the best striker at the club, smith looked like a bolton player he was that bad. His job as a striker is to score goals, he doesnt do that. He is rarely in the box at the right time, if he is he never anticipates the cross or pass he looks like a league 2 striker that at his best could play league 1 football if other players around him were a lot better.
I think we have to be careful about saying who is this that and the other. To say Morris is the best striker at the club is open to conjecture. You say Derby that his job is to score goals which is fair enough. Smith's record is better than Morris. Smith has scored 69 goals in 305 appearances. Morris has scored 16 goals in 101 appearances. Morris had a great season for Shrewsbury but he only scored six goals when they finished third. I think Morris will be great for Ladapo who is the natural finisher or is somebody who will get in positions to score. Morris looked very good yesterday imo but i do not see him as a twenty goal a season striker. Smith is better as the lone striker and gives another option off the bench. We look like a side with lots of different options. If the three youngsters Lindsay , Hastie and Wiles can give us the energy and supply from midfield then i think we have a great chance of going close. I still believe we are a bit lightweight and would love to have a holding player like Bridcutt who would help the youngsters develop. Perhaps Barlaser can do the job as i don't think we have seen the best of him yet. Our squad is well up to this standard but they are a developing squad. We still have to be patient as i feel some defeats are still around the corner. we will not be far away at the end of the season.
whiston01 we are thinking the same. Would you give a contract to Morris? Me no he's injury prone. He looked ok Saturday he's better than Vassell so worth him being here this season. Smith all it is with him he's lost confidence cause he's a forward not a winger. He's our best target man up front one of our best players from last season. I'd play him at Sunderland cause you'll need your battlers there. Also agree about Barlaser he will come good. I'd play him in place of Crooks tues'. Also agree Wiles Lindsay Hastie talents every side going anywhere needs them.
