Blues (H) Build-Up & Match Thread 24/2/17

[Paul]

Saiss is a left-sided CB. We need look no further.

I've never understood why this hasn't been brought up before ?

 

[FrankMunro-371]

This is a game we really need to win, and if we play like we did against Chelsea we should be fine. My big concern though is where the goals will come from.

 

[Johnny75]

This is a game we really need to win, and if we play like we did against Chelsea we should be fine. My big concern though is where the goals will come from.

Play like we did against Chelsea and we'll lose or draw at best. We must be better on the ball, until that happens it will be 'give it to Costa' and people have worked that out.

Playing with the same intensity and an actual footballer who can pass the ball forwards would be a great start and if we do I think we'll trounce them.

 

[Dinowolf]

Would like to see Williamson play next to Hause, who is getting better and better, but won't learn anything off Batth.

 

[Deleted Cyber]

The energy and endeavor shown against Chelsea needs to be coupled with more creativity and attacking intent. That said this is the sort of game a scrappy 1 0 win is a tonic

 

[Tony Towner]

The energy and endeavor shown against Chelsea needs to be coupled with more creativity and attacking intent. That said this is the sort of game a scrappy 1 0 win is a tonic

I think Johnny's point and mine on the verdict thread was you can show energy and endeavor against Chelsea. They are better than us, move the ball faster than us and will look to dominate the game. Closing them down and getting in their face was great to see, but isn't required against the likes of Wigan or Burton and even Newcastle who didn't look to take the game to us but sit back. Ultimately as admirably as we played I can't remember Begovic making a proper save. In the last four games we have scored one goal, a penalty.

In summary the elements of the game that make people feel we played well aren't transferable to the majority of Championship games at home.

 

[Deleted Cyber]

I think Johnny's point and mine on the verdict thread was you can show energy and endeavor against Chelsea. They are better than us, move the ball faster than us and will look to dominate the game. Closing them down and getting in their face was great to see, but isn't required against the likes of Wigan or Burton and even Newcastle who didn't look to take the game to us but sit back. Ultimately as admirably as we played I can't remember Begovic making a proper save. In the last four games we have scored one goal, a penalty.

In summary the elements of the game that make people feel we played well aren't transferable to the majority of Championship games at home.

I get that I do. This however is a game of attrition between two sides who are in wretched form in the league.

 

[Tredman]

This is my team, hopefully bright can give us some creativity, plus there's sadly no point in playing dicko or Bod:

Ikeme
Iorfa - Williamson - Hause - Doherty
Price - Swiss
Costa - Bright - Ronan
Weiman

 

[lemonjelly]

Interesting watching Emnes yesterday: I know many on this forum wouldn't want him, but in terms of his movement and goal threat thought he was well ahead of Bod and Dicko

Emnes is fucking useless. Avoid like typhoid.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Emnes is fucking useless. Avoid like typhoid.

:icon_lol:

 

[lemonjelly]

I'd play:
---------------------Ikeme---------------------

Coady----------Williamson-------Hause--------Doherty

-------------Price------Saiss----------------

--------Costa--------Ronan-----Weimann--------

--------------------Bodvarsson---------------------

I expect to see:
---------------------Ikeme---------------------

Coady----------Batth-------Stearman--------Doherty

-------------Edwards------Price----------------

--------Costa--------Saville-----Weimann--------

--------------------Bodvarsson---------------------

 

[Deleted Cyber]

:icon_lol:

Bastard still scored against though eh?

 

[lemonjelly]

Quality giffage as usual DW!

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Bastard still scored against though eh?

Emnes? Not this season, Gallagher (who I do rate) scored at Ewood Park. Top finish as well.

Emnes scored against us in 2009 for Boro in the cup, not sure he has since.

Edit: Thinking about it he scored a pen at the Riverside in the last minute when we lost there under Solbakken.

 

[lemonjelly]

Bastard still scored against though eh?

He's really really shit though. On the outskirts of the vast majority of games. Squad player at best (and that's being generous).
Never ever been close to being a proficient goalscorer.

We have players who pull defenders out of position already, and they don't score. It's who's gonna score that is the issue we need to address.

 

[Deleted Cyber]

Emnes? Not this season, Gallagher (who I do rate) scored at Ewood Park. Top finish as well.

Emnes scored against us in 2009 for Boro in the cup, not sure he has since.

Edit: Thinking about it he scored a pen at the Riverside in the last minute when we lost there under Solbakken.

Middlesbrough I believe? He hadn't scored since forever but then scored agfainst us

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Yeah, two goals, one a pen, nine and four and a bit years ago respectively...I don't really think he has a hex over us. He was Boro's top scorer when he scored the pen in 2012, by a mile as well.

Terrible players do score against us as we aren't very good and haven't been for a very long time.

 

[Deleted Cyber]

He's really really $#@! though. On the outskirts of the vast majority of games. Squad player at best (and that's being generous).
Never ever been close to being a proficient goalscorer.

We have players who pull defenders out of position already, and they don't score. It's who's gonna score that is the issue we need to address.

Guys RVLP le fondre hammil kightly have all scored against us this year and the only one I would cautiously consider is
kites.
Rhodes, Berbatov, woulkd both have been hgher on my list.

 

[Dinowolf]

Don't know why we didn't go for Nugent, but perhaps we tried. Couldn't we have got someone from Lge 1? James Vaughan, Josh Morris etc.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Vaughan scored 0 in 15 for Blues last season and is about as reliable fitness wise as George Ndah, not really the answer.

Scunthorpe are gunning for promotion, now sure, their best player probably would want to join us. But how much do you think they'd be asking for a player like that in the middle of the season given how important he is to them? Way more than he's worth, almost certainly.

As posted on the Chelsea thread:

1) Not that many teams sell strikers (who you'd actually want) in January

2) Strikers who do move tend to want better than what we could offer, which at best was a push for about 10th place

3) Combine points 1 and 2 and who actually moved in January that you think we could have attracted and would actually have been worth the bother

4) Fosun might be minted but they aren't going to get ripped off, the prices mid-season are through the roof

5) 12 games in December and January, we scored 22 goals. We've dried up after the window closed which is unfortunate timing

6) We have to keep an eye on FFP, fees are amortised across the length of a contract of course but we've spent £20m on Costa and Cav alone this season

I'm not saying we *shouldn't* have signed a striker, but it isn't as simple as nipping down to the big striker shop and picking one up. Plus at 10pm on 31st Jan, despite the woes of Dicko and Bod in front of goal, I reckon fewer than 5% of Wolves fans would have been concerned about relegation. We've been cack in two games and lost out despite playing ok against a way better team in two other games since, which has brought it all back into focus.