Back from the game - Derby

[melonhead]

hes not the kind of player who is going to dominate a whole season, but he keeps us ticking along, works their defence well, and pulls their CBs away from alfie

and agreed- he was great in that game

[ZacNaloen]

We just need to be more clinical up front.

Too much fannying around and not putting crosses in from our two wingers in this game.

It's no shock that both alfies goal came from balls across the box and the chaos a good ball causes.

Kebe was particularly guilty of this fannying around.

[melonhead]

tbf tats all he ever does.


entertaining fannying though.....

[SpaghettiHoop]

I quite enjoy some fannying.

[Svlad Cjelli]

I quite enjoy some fannying.

Even if much fannying stops you actually scoring?

[melonhead]

yes tbf.

he scores a few tbf , and often his fannying causes enough panic that someone else scores,
and even when that doesnt happen you get the added bonus of seeing him fall over the ball, or trick himself with one too many step overs.


which is why kebe>>>>mcanuff

[RoyalBlue]

I don't think it is worth it. I think it's extremely unlikely a player will come on and hit a near perfect free kick with his first touch. Fairly good chance he'll need a little bit of in game warm up and a few touches to get the feel of things, before he can strike a dead ball to his best.

And then you're potentially destabilising the whole defence for the crucial last few minutes.

Darren Caskey. 5 May 2001.

1 example, not a defender. But thanks.

Caskey was a midfielder and a freekick specialist, Harte is a defender and (as we are constantly reminded) a freekick specialist of great repute.

Or was Caskey better at freekicks than Harte?

Cureton looked like he'd scored after sliding home a rebound from a Keith Jones shot - but it was strangely ruled out for offside. But it was a rare piece of action in a period where the game had cooled off. Thankfully, the game returned fully to life with twenty minutes left. Reading won a free kick right on the edge of the Bournemouth box. Straight away Caskey whipped off his tracksuit as Reading prepared to take off Keith Jones, who had had a determined game in midfield. The ball was in perfect Caskey territory. The crowd knew that Caskey would be taking it, and we had a sneaky suspicion he'd score from there. Jones went off, Caskey ran over and almost instantly the ball was flying off his boot and into the top of the net. A typical, but fantastic, Caskey free kick. 2-3.

Caskey IN! What a turn around when he came on. Suddenly we had deft touches, vision, subtlety and skill with place kicks. Some of his through balls were sublime-and did you notice how Harper improved as soon as he had Caskey alongside him? I like Keith Jones-an honest hardworking pro if ever there was one but he is not a creator like SuperDaz. Pardew should give Caskey a contract and should be brave enough to build the team around him to compensate for his shortcomings.

As for destabilising the defence, Harte is a specialist defender with great experience. Derby weren't that much of a threat and he should, even with his limited pace, have been able to cope for 10 minutes without too much drama.

[mr_number]

Didn't Martin Butler score from a free kick as well in that game, or am I mistaken?

[Ian Royal]

Essentially my opinion is that bringing on someone specifically for a late free kick is not worth the effort for the potential benefit and potential risk.

You might disagree with that, which is fine.

[SpaceCruiser]

Didn't Martin Butler score from a free kick as well in that game, or am I mistaken?

Yes. The first goal was that goal scored by Butler. We were 3-1 down when Caskey came on. Then Forster scored the equaliser from a corner delivered to the far post.

[FiNeRaIn]

Essentially my opinion is that bringing on someone specifically for a late free kick is not worth the effort for the potential benefit and potential risk.

.

FFS....its not like bringing your gran on at left back

Absolutely minimal risk that late in the game. As we saw from Mills also, its hardly a down grade.

[seahawk10]

If we aren't going to use him in a spot like that then why is he on the bench? That was the perfect spot to bring him in.

[Ian Royal]

If we aren't going to use him in a spot like that then why is he on the bench? That was the perfect spot to bring him in.

Because he covers centre back and fullback in case of injury. People seem to forget he's a defender sometimes. It's not particle physics.

[West Stand Man]

We just need to be more clinical up front.

Just remind me, did we or did we not score 2 goals against a team that is riding high in the league?

Teams don't always score every chance they get you know.

[SpaceCruiser]

We just need to be more clinical up front.

Just remind me, did we or did we not score 2 goals against a team that is riding high in the league?

Teams don't always score every chance they get you know.

Normally, I'd agree. But Derby didn't impress me. Their goals were fluky tap-ins from set pieces. Prior to their first goal, we were hammering them and could have scored, but couldn't seem to find the net. It seems to me that we need to concede a goal before we can score. Can we not do that, please?

[West Stand Man]

Mills is a liability. Harte needs to come back in asap, or we need someone else.

Mills has energy and a half decent dead ball, but his positional play is terrible, my 8 year old can read the game better, and his passing is shocking. Unless of course he's intending to over hit, under hit or pass the ball out of play in which case he's doing a top job.

In fact, if I was Harte, I'd be seriously worried because if your only competition is playing that sh!t and you're still not getting a game, then I'd be worried.

Give it a rest and find something else to talk about. You must be the most tedious idiot. What is now really worrying is that you have reproduced and brought another potential tedious idiot into this world - god help the poor kid.

[Royal Rother]

Completely unnecessary.

[West Stand Man]

:roll: Completely unnecessary.

.. but satisfying.

[SpaceCruiser]

:roll: Completely unnecessary.

Why? Come on, this is the team board, there are too many negative people on here. I applaud the WSM for his attack.