Scapegoat of the week Award thread

[creative_username_1]

I've checked the player profiles on the OS and i can't find the two players you've just said!!

[Wimb]

Paul Brayson can't escape blame here.

Also Martyn Booty's mere name in the program must have upset our lineup.

[Royal Ginger]

Harte had a bad day at the office. The lack of pace issue was no worse than it normally was, what we missed today was his usual accuracy in passing and his decent football brain. He'll have better games and still has a big part to play.

That said, he was dreadful and on this occasion deserves his criticism.

If that howler from McCarthy had gone in we may have had another scapegoat.

[bracksroyal10]

Harte getting outpaced by Lennon Shocking!

What about Gorkks getting outmuscled by Defoe?

Agree 100% that was almost as embarrasing as watching Pearce and Gorks clatter into eachother whilst going for the same ball in the capital one match. Gorkks has a bit to offer going forward sometimes but he does worry me when we are pegged back. Majority of his long passes seemed to amount to nothing as well apart from gifting the ball back to Spurs. It was wave after wave of attack at one stage we were just launching long balls to the spurs centre backs almost as if to say unlucky not quite this time but heres the ball again why don't you have another go.

[soggy biscuit]

McAnuff will always be the scapegoat at the stadium of mong

[RoyalBlue]

Fwiw, my verdict on Harte's performance wasn't based on Lennon tearing him a new one, it was his utterly woeful set pieces, which weren't a lot better against Chelsea. He's not in the side for his pace and skill on the ball, if he can't beat the first man with his crosses and free-kicks, he isn't contributing much.

As for the midfield, Walker v McAnuff was just embarassing, such a gulf in class.

Agreed. It was a relief to see Guthrie starting to snatch the ball away from Harte for set pieces.

[Jano]

Surprised at the amount of defence for McAnuffs performance, and also people saying it was because he was tracking back and covering for Harte. I'm going to have to either book in for an eye test or make sure I was at the right game yesterday as I didn't see him tracking back and helping out at all. As far as I could see, although Harte was destroyed for pace on numerous occasions by Lennon and Walker, which isn't exactly a shock, he was left so unprotected he never had a chance.

[RoyalBlue]

Surprised at the amount of defence for McAnuffs performance, and also people saying it was because he was tracking back and covering for Harte. I'm going to have to either book in for an eye test or make sure I was at the right game yesterday as I didn't see him tracking back and helping out at all. As far as I could see, although Harte was destroyed for pace on numerous occasions by Lennon and Walker, which isn't exactly a shock, he was left so unprotected he never had a chance.

Well at least you can get some good deals at the opticians. Sat in the East Stand, at the end we were defending in the first half, I can assure you that McAnuff (or his stunt double) spent a tremendous amount of time back helping cover for Harte.

[Jano]

Surprised at the amount of defence for McAnuffs performance, and also people saying it was because he was tracking back and covering for Harte. I'm going to have to either book in for an eye test or make sure I was at the right game yesterday as I didn't see him tracking back and helping out at all. As far as I could see, although Harte was destroyed for pace on numerous occasions by Lennon and Walker, which isn't exactly a shock, he was left so unprotected he never had a chance.

Well at least you can get some good deals at the opticians. Sat in the East Stand, at the end we were defending in the first half, I can assure you that McAnuff (or his stunt double) spent a tremendous amount of time back helping cover for Harte.

He must have been in my blind spot from the North Stand then. All I saw was Harte and the 15 yard gap between him and Lennon.

[Jano]

All I saw was Harte and the 15 yard gap between him and Lennon.

And still your first thought is not "why the fcuk was Harte not closer to his man", but rather "oh this must be Mcanuffs fault"

Actually it was why the fcuk is Harte even on the pitch when we're playing the team with the quickest wingers in the prem, but nevermind.

[Ian Royal]

Surprised at the amount of defence for McAnuffs performance, and also people saying it was because he was tracking back and covering for Harte. I'm going to have to either book in for an eye test or make sure I was at the right game yesterday as I didn't see him tracking back and helping out at all. As far as I could see, although Harte was destroyed for pace on numerous occasions by Lennon and Walker, which isn't exactly a shock, he was left so unprotected he never had a chance.

McAnuff was also poor when he did manage to get forward in all fairness.

[creative_username_1]

So can i confirm that HArte is the scapegoat of the week award winner.

The sole reason that we lost?

[RockheadRumple]

First goal goes in, the guy behind me is all like "Hurr, Harte has always been rubbish, I don't like Harte."

Third goal goes in, the guy behind is all like "Durr, Gorrks has been rubbish for a really long time now Hurr."


Basically, no one has a clue. Did it occur to anyone that maybe Spurs, particularly Defoe, actually played very very well?

[West Stand Man]

It's seems pretty unanimous that the award this week goes to Harte. Congrats

Unanimity is, like virginity and pregnancy, an absolute. You can't be 'pretty' unanimous any more than you can be a bit 'virgin' or 'slightly' pregnant.

Thus, you are wrong, as I am not scapegoating Harte it is not unanimous.

[PremAddict]

It's quite obvious that Harte needs to contact Lance Armstrong's physician...

[maffff]

or to be sold for glue.

[Caskeys Lovechild]

I'd never really noticed how many total spacktards support this club/post their childish views on HNA before. This is Ian Harte - he has never had pace. His strength is normally reading the game, and not having to catch up like others do - he came up against the fastest pair of wingers in the PREMIER LEAGUE, and you morons will have him sent for glue?? Have you idiots not realised that Spurs, Newcastle, City, United, Liverpool etc, are NOT the competition?

[Caskeys Lovechild]

You know full well, that we are not competing against Spurs et-al - they are therefore NOT the competition. Our first 3 games have been against the European Champions, a team who expect to compete for top 4, and Stoke who are looking odds on for top half this season - it's hardly surprising that Harte has been found lacking.

I am not the one with the loss of grip on reality. I suppose you think we're a bigger club than United, City, and Spurs combined?

[creative_username_1]

Last time in the prem i'm pretty sure we took points of everyone bar Arsenal, so Yes they are the 'competition'

[Snowball]

Really, they play in the same division as us, and Liverpool are battling us for league position, how the fcuk are they not the competition?
I think you need to get in touch with reality.

You know what is meant


Man City
Man Utd
Chelsea
Arsenal

EXPECT six points off us

Newcastle, Spurs, Liverpool (in a normal season), Everton expect at least 4 points off the bottom eight clubs, good chance of 6.

There are arguably three leagues within a league.

The top 4/5

6-8 clubs expecting mid-table safety or hoping they "might" break into the top five/six.

8-10 or so clubs seriously nervous about relegation


Clubs like Reading, Saints, Wigan need to be TRYING to get 3/4/6 points from their rivals-for-relegation
They basically HAVE to get 3 minimum (say 27) then hope they can beat one of the middle group and nick 6 draws = 36 points. Not enough