Back from the Game - Swansea (H)

[Sun Tzu]

Swansea were the same side they have been for a couple of seasons - pretty to watch in areas where it is irrelevant, nothing happening when it matters.

They edged the first half, in aethetic terms if not in chances created. We took the honours after the break.

Thought the second half substitutions made a lot of sense. Rasiak had done a decent job but HRK and Sigardsson gave us a very different threatand with kebe on as well we suddenly had pace right across the front.

An enjoyable game, two teams playing decent football and yet again the Championship is shown to be a division consisting of 20 teams all of the same standard with just a couple adrift at either end.

[Super_horns]

How has your pitch been affected by the rugby?

Ours has been ofcourse (and the weather) meaning neither us or Forest could get any sort of consistent passing game going (ok we're not on the same level as you or Swansea anyway)
leading to a fair bit of longball stuff and complaints from Billy Davies for one.

[John Peel]

Think I must've been watching a different game. Either that or I'm not wearing a pair of RTGs.

Someone said we did well to match them first half F*ck me, we looked like a pub side first side. If hadn't been for a brilliant free kick from the Sig on 45 (who was actually v good today) it would've been boos all round at half time.

Second half was a huge improvement... for about 15 minutes before Swansea resumed normal service. V impressed with them. And it would've been another loss if it wasn't for a brilliant clearance by Boris. And why did we take off both strikers for a winger???! If we can't get a striker on loan/for sale next month, BMc needs to recall Davies asap and put him up front instead of Long. ANYTHING is better than him.

I just wish we could play our next 10 games away from home.

[FiNeRaIn]

+1 John, come away with the feeling of " same old, same old". Another home game and no win. We are crap.

[Sun Tzu]

Someone said we did well to match them first half F*ck me, we looked like a pub side first side. If hadn't been for a brilliant free kick from the Sig on 45 (who was actually v good today) it would've been boos all round at half time..

If it hadn't been for another Sig free kick shaving the outside of the post it would have been a lead at half time though. You noticed that Swansea scored with their one proper attack I assume ?

Second half was a huge improvement... for about 15 minutes before Swansea resumed normal service. V impressed with them. .

They are like plenty of sides we see - play it around in the middle and do nothing beyond that. It's lovely stuff but an impressive side is one that does it's work in the final thrid of the pitch.

And it would've been another loss if it wasn't for a brilliant clearance by Boris. .

It could have been a 6-0 win to us if it wasn;t for a number of things that happened. I never understand why a certain breed of football fans picks on one incident and says ' if it wasn;t for that'. If their keeper hadn;t saved well from Kebe, if Sig hadn't side footed straight at their keeper, if Pearce had a 2 inch longer neck, if Rasiak had given Pearce a call - there's 4 goals for us for a start !!

And why did we take off both strikers for a winger???.

We didn't. We took off Rasiak and Long, moved Sig inside (where he is more comfortable) brought on HRK who plays up front and put kebe on the wong.

If we can't get a striker on loan/for sale next month, BMc needs to recall Davies asap and put him up front instead of Long. ANYTHING is better than him..

We've already got a loan striker lined up.

[floyd__streete]

An enjoyable game

5 out of 10 for me, precious little in terms of goalmouth action.

[FiNeRaIn]

If it hadn't been for another Sig free kick shaving the outside of the post it would have been a lead at half time though. You noticed that Swansea scored with their one proper attack I assume ?

Ughh, wrong. Did you miss federici's save from nathan dyer frist half? Or the header second half that federici did well to land on. They had better chances than us, we never look likely to score from open play. When did sig shave the post, don't remember that one...genuinly..

[Carlos]

I find it funny that people always go on about his "great" passing ability. He came back into the side against Cardiff so he's had roughly 15+ consecutive starts and set up 1 goal. In that period Kebe, Sigur, Mcanuff have all set up more goals than him. Marek is trying to set up poor quality strikers but that isnt affecting our other creative players.

Against Bristol City he set up two one on ones for Rasiak and Sigurdsson. Both didn't score. It's not his fault if people can't score the chances he creates for them!

[Victor Meldrew]

[quote="Sun Tzu"]Swansea were the same side they have been for a couple of seasons - pretty to watch in areas where it is irrelevant, nothing happening when it matters.

Except of course for the goal which was one of the best I have seen at our ground for some time.

[Half Horse]

Overall a fairly entertaining game and probably a fair result. Thought Swansea played some lovely football but needed more of a cutting edge and we played some high tempo stuff but as usual lacked someone with a cool head in front of goal. BM got it right at half time by trying to stifle Britton but should have changed it earlier, even then he looked far and away the best player on the park - always available, comfortable on the ball and occasionally incisive.

Fed - 8 Couple of smart saves and distribution pretty good.

Gunnar - 7 Struggled early on against Dyer but gave 100%.

Ingi - 7 Nothing special but did his job.

Pearce - 6 Makes me nervous and always seems to head his clearances to the opposition. Bangs it down the channels too often.

Bertrand - 0 Had a bet on him to score first and he let me down badly (yes, I like unlikely bets). Seriously, thought he played well and in reality gets an 8.

Jobi - 6 Desparately hoping that Rodgers leaving is not going to affect his form. Wasn't his usual self today.

Cisse - 7 OK but I expect more from central midfield players.

Marek - 5 I'm afraid to say we need to get rid in the transfer window. He simply doesn't fit into our team which may or may not be his fault. Today, apart from one or two passes, he was a passenger.

Sig - 7 Hits a great dead ball but needs to be more involved and cooler in front of goal.

Raz - 5 Was poor even when he got some service which wasn't that often.

Long - 4 Feel sorry for him. Out of his depth and couldn't trap a bag of cement.

HKR - 7 Though he did alright in a rather unfamiliar (in the first team) role.

Kebe - 8 I love watching this guy, I just wish his end product was better. Should have won it for us but a great save from the keeper.

Jem - Can't judge on 15 mins

I'm beginning to think that unless SJM is prepared to spend a fair bit next month and given his MO I thinks that's unlikely then our realistic target is to be in this division next season.

[The 17 Bus]

feed the goat..he will score....

[weybridgewanderer]

not the best performance, but that is 2 weeks we have come back from behind

we have stopped collapsing when we lose a goal!

[papereyes]

I genuinely thought Sun Tzu had oxf*rd OFF when we'd started so badly this season. shame.

Anyway.

Average

Sig is good. Long wasn't bad. Well not not good.

1-1 was fair but don't dare kid yourself it was any good.

[FiNeRaIn]

Long wasn't bad

LMAO!!!!!!!! Are you for real? He was the worst player on the park. My mum could have collected mareks through ball.

[rabidbee]

Id din't think we created that many chances, to be that honest. I think Rasiak will put at least one home, if you keep creating chances. McAnuff had an uninspired game, and Sig wasn;t creating chances for the strikers. Swansea, on the other hand, created loads of chances, but didn't have the strikers to finish them. They rolled the ball across our 6-yard box three tims in the first half - a more dangerous team would have scored from those chances. You can see why neither team is scoring many goals this year, anyway.

[papereyes]

I think the subtlety of

Well not not good.

may have been missed

Physically, he's a Championship centreforward
Mentally, he's a GAA representative

PS rabidbee - you is well sexy

[Toon Toon Blue army]

Marek - 8 - I thought he looked a million dollars when he was on the ball although he did give away the ball .

I really don't get the love for Marek. I thought he was poor again today. Cisse had been given the job to track Prately and Marek didn't put any pressure on the other 2 centre midfielders. BM should have matched up Swansea earlier but he isn't helped by having Marek putting in a very poor shift. Marek is a quality footballer but to be a championship CM you need to put yourself about more.

I find it funny that people always go on about his "great" passing ability. He came back into the side against Cardiff so he's had roughly 15+ consecutive starts and set up 1 goal. In that period Kebe, Sigur, Mcanuff have all set up more goals than him. Marek is trying to set up poor quality strikers but that isnt affecting our other creative players.

I don't get the people with this opinion. How can you not see his obvious quality? Another example of why he has no assists was that ball he played through to long today, beautifully weighted - long has about as much pace as peter kay and got beat by the keeper. Any half decent striker would have sailed through and slotted it home. Marek is a class act but due to the ineptitude of players he's had around him for two seasons he can't shine. He's a prem player with prem quality who needs prem minded player to read his clever balls. Reading players make the obvious run far too much.

+1

[AthleticoSpizz]

...and there was me thinking that FR was being sarcastic

[FiNeRaIn]

...and there was me thinking that FR was being sarcastic

Marek is a class act. He has bad games - yes, he is by no means untouchable. But if you watch his vision, control and movement he is streets ahead of this league. With better players around him he would be a greater influence. Someone like fulham or wigan should pick him up in january for a million, definitely worth a gamble.

[AthleticoSpizz]

I've watched him use this "vision" many a time passing the ball to the opposition...colour blindness comes to mind.
I've even watched him pass it to neither team

Flashes of brilliance? ....yes

but he was actually signed as a premiership player, so............flashes of brilliance in any division, playing alongside any old turkeys would be the bare arsed minimum to expect from him.

If the likes of Bryn, Howard or Harps were to show such "vision" they would be (rightfully) thrown pelters from the terraces.


However, maybe I am partially sighted to his wonder.


Either way, as you suggest, and for his sake more than ours, I hope he gets the move to a Premier outfit that fulfills his needs sooner rather than later.