The E&S Classic Match Reports

[Tony Towner]

One legitimate screamer, one disallowed because the ref decided he wasn't ready.

The thing is that was an immediately doomed signing as Lee had no idea how to use him. Piped up in October when he was dropped saying "I'm struggling to fit him into a 4-4-2 as he isn't a striker and can't play central midfield". You don't say Col, shame anyone who had seen him play in the previous three years for Newcastle could have told you that before you bought him.

At least we don't make signings like that anymore

 

[lemonjelly]

Actually thinking about it our good friend RoJo had 2-3 absolute stormers when we first signed him. Looked like the bargain of the season!

I seem to recall the fulham game he was the one player who looked like he was struggling. Might be my memory, but he couldn't pass for toffee. Everyone else though looked good, and I was really optimistic for the season when the game finished and we won 2-0. The one concern I had was how to settle RoJo in when I left the ground.

Of course, you may be referring to the prior league and cup games.

 

[YoungWolf]

I think in those opening games (Blackburn, Fulham, Villa and Spurs) we looked like a pretty decent team, and Johnson had brought some organisation. Had Mick been more positive we may have beaten Villa, and we were unlucky not to get anything in the Spurs game, a Berra slip costing us after we had some good efforts. Karl Henry hit the post at 0-0. Then we proceeded to be absolutely horrendous very quickly.

 

[The Bear]

We were crap away at Villa (if that's the 0-0 I'm thinking of that was on the TV?).

 

[MARKakaJIM]

The entire game was shit but there was opportunity to make positive substitutions and try to improve the performance, instead I think Mick took off the two wingers for fullbacks or something similar and ground out the 0-0, nothing like a bit of ambition to build on a tidy start to the season.

 

[Sniffer]

The entire game was shit but there was opportunity to make positive substitutions and try to improve the performance, instead I think Mick took off the two wingers for fullbacks or something similar and ground out the 0-0, nothing like a bit of ambition to build on a tidy start to the season.

But the point took us to the top of the Premier League so it was worth it as a defeat would have put Villa top. How we all basked in the glory of being the top team in English football for those 2 hours or so!

 

[Tyrannosaurus Dan]

I was at that Blackburn game at the start of the season and RoJo was really impressive. Commanded the defence well and won loads of headers. I thought we'd made a great signing at the time!

 

[YoungWolf]

The entire game was shit but there was opportunity to make positive substitutions and try to improve the performance, instead I think Mick took off the two wingers for fullbacks or something similar and ground out the 0-0, nothing like a bit of ambition to build on a tidy start to the season.

This was my point. He took Jarvis and Hunt off for Foley and Elokobi. Villa were there for the taking and we were in good form.

 

[MARKakaJIM]

This was my point. He took Jarvis and Hunt off for Foley and Elokobi. Villa were there for the taking and we were in good form.

Agree entirely, think I said as much on the matchday thread when he did it!

He'd got Kightly, Milijas, Vokes and Hammill on the bench, all options who could've potentially added something going forwards on a day when Wolves had struggled to really create anything, could've gone straight swap on the wingers and see if they had more joy or bought an extra man into midfield with Milijas giving O'Hara more freedom to push on or just thrown Vokes on up top and gone more direct in the hope of forcing something but he just surrendered and choked the game out as a 0-0.

 

[YoungWolf]

Yeah, it was a bit disappointing really but I don't think people grumbled much because 7 points out of 9 was still a very good return

 

[Mixu]

But the point took us to the top of the Premier League so it was worth it as a defeat would have put Villa top. How we all basked in the glory of being the top team in English football for those 2 hours or so!

I had a screenshot of us being top of the Premier League as my cover photo on Facebook for years after that. It went from genuine pride to tragic comedy.