17 Oct 2022 06:32:09
Strong performance yesterday. Pleased for the players and the manager. If we can reproduce performances like that against all opponents, the points will come.
In terms of the Jesse and Orta recruitment combination. Seems to me that they have got a lot right, the yanks, the Dane, the Colombian, even the little Italian, we hope!
Reading all the criticisms yesterday about the players on the pitch, Rodrigo, Bamford added to the normal criticism about Firpo, Jesse can fairly say, didn't come with me!
So definitely a good base! Seems to be making Struick work at left back albeit with targeted support. So forwards! Can he get Bamford scoring again regularly or replace him with someone who can? Don't think Joffy has had the start to the season that many hoped. Willy could be the solution, but perhaps playing with Bamford. Summerville and Bamford also seem to like playing together!
Maybe it's the Spanish weather and the great cheap wine, but I still think we won't be involved in the end of season relegation struggle! Big week coming up I suspect!
17 Oct 2022 08:19:01
We are generally playing well enough but it doesn't matter who you're playing against if you can't score more than you concede. We played Arsenal off the pitch. We could do that against leicester, Fulham Forest et Al but if you don't score enough the result will be just the same. When we've been doing well as team and comfortable in the top tier we have had goal scorers. Whether it was John Charles, Clarke abd Jones, Lee Chapman, Viduka. Jimmy Floyd also. Even in the lower division's getting promoted We had Bechio and Beckford. At the moment we have no player who you could be confident that would score on a regular basis. Bamford had his purple patch last season but before and since he hasn't shown that sort of ability. Hope he comes good but I'm not sure he's that type of player.
17 Oct 2022 08:22:41
Agree with all of that, but still think BamBam is a very talented player with a lot to offer. We buy a striker, and can see him dropping back a bit and still being a big player for us.
17 Oct 2022 09:06:22
No doubt Bamford is a very talented player and we play much better when he is in the team. Unfortunately, apart from his purple patch in his last full season, (no coincidence we finished 9th) he is a bit goal shy. Even under Bielsa our conversion rate wasn't great but it didn't need to be with the number of chances we created.
17 Oct 2022 09:51:24
Agree more with Hess. Even with his purple patch he needed a lot of chances to get his tally. I love Bamford, he seems a great guy but we need somebody who can hit the net on a regular basis and he is not that player.
17 Oct 2022 10:45:39
Don’t think summ or green or geld the answer. Not good enough.
17 Oct 2022 11:20:12
Agree Hess, although still think we need to keep having a Ford minutes as we look a better side with him I it than out of it atm.
Aus - none of those you mentioned are CFs. Joffy plays better behind the CF, as does Greenwood. Summerville is a winger. It's apples and oranges.
17 Oct 2022 11:44:58
The thing that concerns me about the performance is, we did really well no doubt about it. Best performance since Chelsea maybe? But teams who come to play i.e Chelsea and Arsenal we play our game and it can work. Teams who come to frustrate and not allow us to play openly, which is practically all the teams not in the top 6 we really struggle against. A bit like the Chelsea game, I feel this is a false dawn.
2 big games up now and of course win both and you start to look up. Lose both and we are bottom 3.