OTF

Hope we don't see a thread like this in a few weeks time for Danny Simpson.

and.. On the left. and... and...

Peter Beardsley isn't management material Tom. Seriously. He isn't I think he's talking as an assistant/trainer.

Shits me a little that they use Chelsea and Manchester United, though the three of them would probably be annoyed to see how they're rated - probably only Enrique would be justified though. To be fair it's a different game playing with much better players - passing so much better and more reliable. Newcastle were pretty poor from the get go, but you can make them a fair bit better by switching the players around.

Not the only one to blame, but clearly the player most at fault in my opinion for both goals. If we had a competent right back they wouldn't have scored either goal. Blaming Barton for the goal is a bit ridiculous. He may have been at fault for turning the ball over, but he's not to blame for the goal being conceded. Otherwise by that logic every goal could be blamed on the person who turned the ball over. When it comes down to it the most important bit is the part in bold. No player is going to always be passing perfectly. As a defender you need to be able to anticipate when your team may potentially lose possession. If you make a run up the pitch you need to ensure that your area (and/or player) is being covered by someone else. Usually for a right fullback that would be the right midfielder, but it is plainly the defenders responsiblity to coordinate with the midfielder to cover the run.

Do you play or have you ever played football yourself? As a right back your primary responsibility is to defend, not to push so high up the pitch that you find some space but leave yourself in a position where you can't (or won't) recover to perfrom your primary duty. The funny thing about possession is that it always comes to an end. Where you are when it comes to an end is all to do with defensive positioning. If Coloccini, Enrique and Williamson had all plowed their way deep up the field into space do you think they would have been doing what they were meant to be doing when the team is in possession? The space that Perch moved into only served to create a ridiculous amount of space for N'Zogbia a player with a vast attacking superiority. Therefore, it's moronic to move into space as James Perch when doing so will create space for Charles N'Zogbia. Perch's failure to defend cost us dearly on two occassions and almost again on a third. If you fail to see that Perch is clearly out of his depth then you're an idiot, or you're just being argumentative for the sake of it. Perch went missing, and we conceded. He pushes so far up the pitch because he feels that doing so will mean that he won't have to actually defend against anyone, because that will show him up as a poor defender. Unfortunately for him pushing up highlights him as a poor crosser and as a fullback with horrible positioning. On top of that the first goal, and another ocassion where someone skipped by him effortlessly on the dribble showed him up as a poor defender. So we saw the trifecta of incompetence for a fullback from Perch - Wasteful crossing, horrible positioning and crap defending.

You're joking or have no idea ChezGiven. Either one. Perch was apparently 'marking' N'Zobgia on the back post for their first. Had an eon to get in position. Didn't help that Williamson backed into them, but Perch still should have had the much shorter N'Zogbia marked out of having a chance at scoring. The second one you see Perch in acres of space on his own making minimal effort to move back even after we'd turned the ball over. No urgency from him whatsoever, N'Zogbia plainly runs into the space that Perch should be filling, but he's not there is he? Why? Because he's a coward who decided that seeing as he can't actually defend he'll push as far up the pitch as possible, then when anything happens at the back hopefully one of the defenders who's actually there trying to do his job will get blamed for it. He almost cost us another goal as well, but thankfully N'Zogbia wasted that chance with an ordinary pass that Tiote got back to clean up.

Wrong thread mate: http://www.toontastic.net/board/index.php?showtopic=482

Just watched MOTD and you see Perch arriving about 5 minutes too late for Charlies 2nd. Mind I think Krul should have saved it. Tough call on Krul IMO, took a deflection off Williamson that lifted it toward the top corner.

The Guthrie decision was baffling. He's always been poor when played in wide positions. Either in the middle or not at all. Routledge was horrible when he came on, but if he was there for the start we at least would have kept our shape and left more space for Enrique and Jonas down the left. I wouldn't mind drafting Ferguson into the side to play at left mid with Jonas switching to the right in front of Ryan Taylor. Jonas would provide more cover for Taylor than Routledge so would help with his defensive frailties. Simpson I think will be fit for the next match, so alternately bring him back in. Ferguson is little bit light on but he's been a decent defender when I've seen him and has good pace and attacking intent.

Guthrie played out of position on the right. Wasn't good but never is when played there (even if the championship he was poor at right mid). Krul didn't have a lot to do really. It was a good header from N'zogbia for their first. For their second he had no chance as a minor deflection off Williamson lifted it well out of his reach. With a semi-decent right back none of those chances would have eventuated.

Unmitigated disaster Perch has been. Never again is too soon.

Take Perch out of our side and they wouldn't have really had any chances. Colo's header was a good one. Needed to be well hit and placed to beat the keeper and their player.

Carroll with the assist.

Colo you beauty!!!

Carroll just had a good chance from a lofted pass from Barton. Unfortunately it was on his right foot.

Perch at it again. What does he need to do to be benched!?

Perch's best pass was a clearance... Finally we're looking lively. Where has this been?

Fantastic left footed cross from Jonas and an easy headed finish from Super Shola!

Good cross from Enrique, pretty poor header from Carroll. Shola warming up, don't think he'll be the answer given there's not much service.

Commentator: "Perch out of position again." Without the slightest indication of any surprise as though calling the sky blue.

Guthrie does look short of match fitness but the 3 major defensive fuckups from Perch have nothing to do with Guthrie.

Can't agree with the comments about Lovenkrands. He's been making decent runs off the ball all game. Not his fault that our players can't feed the ball to him. On the one occassion that they did the refs typically called it offside when it wasn't. Our midfield needs to work a lot harder to get both Carroll and Loverkrands more involved.

It wouldn't have made a difference if n'zogbia was on our side because they don't have a James Perch.

Seriously need to get Perch off. Just almost cost is again. Pushes way too far up the pitch, turns it over then takes the cake by making no effort to hurry back. FFS. Plenty of booing at half time. Commentators saying that N'Zogbia is the difference between the two sides, however that difference is plain and clear James Perch.