17 Mar 2024 20:45:05
Good evening fellow Reds, just a couple of comments on the Luton game.
First of all, a very old fashioned Edwardian Stadium with a very modern turbo charged and rabid set of fans. I found I couldn't see anything of the ball due to the low stand roof when the ball was in the air. I completely lost sight of Murillos effort from his own half and could only follow it by their goal keepers back pedalling until it dropped into my field of vision when he tipped it over.
Secondly, ( and I'll get my tin hat on here) I don't go along with the general gloom and despondency on here. Sure, it was a frustrating loss of 2 points but I can't go along with blaming Nunos subs in the circumstances. We were comfortable but they were dominating before the subs were made. People think 3 centre backs is a defensive measure but in fact it can be used offensively as a platform to attack or counter attack freeing up wingbacks for example. I think it was changed because of the expected aerial barrage. Just unlucky with the goal. The coach would have expected his big lads like Boly, Sanghere, Yeats, Felipe, Sels etc to be able to defend a corner. Felipe just lost track of the cross and ended up losing his man for the header which caused all the chaos in our box leading to their equaliser.
Lastly, I think Sanghere ( and Yeats) did very well, especially considering Sangheres injury lay off. They got through a lot of destructive work and, apart from the first 15 mins got on top and contained Barclay and Doughty very well. Incidentally, Sanghere is routinely berated for costing us £32 million, Barclay would probably sell for double that atm now he's put his demons behind him. A class act.
Of course, we don't know what's going to happen tomorrow but we should remain n optimistic. 5 out of our last 9 games are at home and our run in is much much easier than Luton's, who's thin squad is running out off numbers with injuries mounting. Plus Everton have some pain to come
Plus, we actually had a VAR decision go for us yesterday and a ref who actually looked at it!
????????????. Is our luck changing at last?
17 Mar 2024 21:58:26
I'm going to get you in trouble now stokey great post mate.
17 Mar 2024 22:11:26
We started badly first 15 mins and allowed barkley 3 attempts at goal
Then we took charge and got a goal
Weveere in charge till 80 minutes
Then it was decided to shut up. shop and invite trouble
Watched the whole game.
17 Mar 2024 23:02:56
The only main player we had to mark 79, barkley couldn't bank on anyone doing it. Ok pun there but it's not just the defence it's the pathetic attacking, from midfield onwards. No heart. Actually I'd give mgw it. But for some reason he ain't got to pair.
17 Mar 2024 23:10:01
Just trying to put myself in Nunos shoes. One nil up, 20 to go, Woody not fully fit due to long injury lay off, what subs, if any should I make? …
Dominquez for MGW who’s given it all and looks like he’s running through tackle? A like for like substitution except Dominquez is full of energy. Reasonable change
CHO for Origi, like for like against a tiring defence who got the runaround second half v Bournemouth on Wednesday whilst we were putting our feet up? Reasonable change
Woody for 18 year old Ribeiro? Or would we put the veteran Felipe on to meet the increasingly desperate and expected aerial assault, weather the storm and hit them on the break to apply the coup de grace?
Reasonable change, just unlucky.
But it’s why Prem coaches get paid the big bucks my friends. You pays your money and takes your choice. On another day it works, on Saturday it didn’t.
Was it Napoleon who said he’d rather have a lucky General than a good one?
18 Mar 2024 10:11:43
You can play with extra midfielders stokey and press higher up the pitch
By bringing on fillipe we invited trouble to our own area and when you give fouls away around the area its only a matter of time
That change to three defenders cost the game and put us under pressure.
18 Mar 2024 10:42:31
Thanks for your view StokeyRed, never been to Luton, but don't you have to go threw someone's back garden to get to your seat?.
There was no surprises how they was going to play, they will play the same in there next game, I thought we ran out of ideas and energy in last ten minutes, also Woods going down with no one near him, it's happened before with our players, is it the training?.
18 Mar 2024 11:55:19
DTP mate, I completely respect your point of view on the subs and you could well be entirely right. Guess we’ll never know.
I was just trying to put myself neutrally in the shoes of Nuno ( an orthodox defensive coach and protege of Jose Morinho) and work out why he took the decisions he took. It could have worked but as Cloughie said it only takes a second to score a goal and that’s what happened.
Once in a generation an UN orthodox genius of a coach appears and makes apparently unorthodox decisions. The romantic side of me thinks Cloughie would have kept the same system brought Ribeiro on for Wood, straight swap, with the instruction “ Look, young man, we are one nil up with 20 minutes to go. Get on there and make a bloody nuisance of yourself “
??.