The Goat was fed Not for the first time this season, I despair at some of the cretins on this board. We've just beaten (comfortably) a team that had lost fewer games than any other in the Championship, away from home and without conceding for the fifth game in a row...and there are STILL people bemoaning the performance.
All this "winning without playing well" stuff is completely bollocks. If you don't concede for 5 straight games, I can assure you it is because we are playing well. You don't get 5 clean sheets just because your keeper is top class (look at Wolves) or because you have the best four individual defenders (which I think most of us agree we don't - although right now I wouldn't swap any of them!), it is a team effort.
Our team is setup to absorb pressure and then break. We operate two very distinct banks of four and then we break with our wingers who are both excellent ball carriers. On this, Jobi McAnuff is the unsung hero of this style. A "subplot" of our style is that you also need to be dangerous from set-pieces. When you're playing a counter-attacking game, you are creating fewer, but hopefully more dangerous chances - so a dead ball specialist is vital so you've got the best chance of capitalising on every chance. In Ian Harte, we have such a specialist - but his lack of pace means that if exposed in a one-on-one situation he is a chink in our considerable defensive armour.
Jobi McAnuff's tireless defensive work ensures that Ian Harte is rarely exposed in such a manner and this has to be recognised. It also reemphasises how our clean sheet run is because we are playing well as a team, not "playing badly and winning" and this is without mentioning the work of our two central midfielders. Their primary role is to break up play and feed the widemen - anything else they do is a bonus and they should be judged as such. Even our forwards go beyond the call of duty by hassling the defence and forcing errors.
It's not Arsenal football and sometimes it can be frustrating to watch. For example, last Friday night I was envious that Burnley's full-backs were joining the attack because it was good to watch, but was I envious at the final whistle? Nope. All I would say is read the above and get some satisfaction out of watching the gameplan unfold because I promise you it is very, very deliberate.
You make a fair point but I presume you didn't go on Saturday?
Those that did go and reported on here seem not to have been ecstatic over the performance and it is fair comment to say that we were not attractive to watch but still won.
Nobody expects us to do an Arsenal-we just want to see a bit more of Kebe taking players on or a decent through-ball from midfield rather than treating the ball like a hot potato and relying on our supreme fitness and determination to get a result.
The fact that our team is fit and determined is to their credit and every player makes the very best of their limited ability (credit to the players and the manager)but that doesn't mean that we fans all find our style attractive to watch.
We come back to the old question of whether we go to football only to see our team win at any cost or do we go to enjoy the style of football that we play and at the same time hope for success.
There are many on here who see it only as a results business (their prerogative) but don't go lecturing the rest of us that we should be grateful and not want anything else but a win as some of us are entertained differently (our prerogative).
I have said from the start of this season that I felt any 3 from about 10 sides could get promotion with very little between those 10 or so sides whereas last season the 3 that went up were the best 3 in terms of success and attractive football and this season they have carried on,with some success,where they left off.
I feel that whoever goes up will need to make massive changes if they are going to stay up-West Ham have Noble and Green,Southampton Lalana and Lambert and we have Kebe and Frederici but beyond those players these 3 teams don't have much more and don't forget that West Ham got relegated with Ba and Parker in their side and are much inferior to that relegated side yet are vying for top spot in this division.
I suppose it could be argued that it doesn't matter as long as we get promoted because our new sugar daddy will splash out loads of dough,Brian will be able to buy better quality players who in turn are capable of playing a better standard of football.
That is what I hope will happen but I would sooner that we were already developing different ways of playing along the way in readiness for a Premier League season.
Unfortunately you can't have everything so I shall have to do what the Goat has said and try to enjoy what we are watching and forget about why I have enjoyed watching football (generally and not just RFC) in the hope that it will change again when our new owner comes up trumps and we have a team ready to compete in the Premier League just like Swansea and Norwich have done this season and the 106 side did in that first year.
Bring on the Millwall for another scrappy typical Championship game with few chances,not much passing football but 3 more points for us.
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