Fulham are good but we didn't help ourselves

[Shaun Taylor]

1 minute ago, shelts said:

Could be to do with money . Thought we might’ve had a couple in . Been in the game a long time . Plenty of talent in the lower leagues but always a gamble 

As that centre half from Oxford showed any promise when he's been given a start

[headhunter]

11 minutes ago, The Swan and Cemetery said:

The team selection did have a hint of trying things out to see what’s needed for the future, ie accepting that 0 points likely, anything more a bonus. If NP expects all his CB’s to be able to deal with all strikers, then testing Vyner was an opportunity to learn.

Didn't NP "test" him up at Birmingham - IIRC wasn't he run ragged by Deeney?

Personally I would have thought our top defender, Kalas, would have been matched up against Mitrovic? As it was Vyner moved to an unfamiliar central role in a 3 with Kalas moving to the right.

[1960maaan]

13 minutes ago, Shaun Taylor said:

Sometimes it can be the best option if you get the right ones in and you may end up signing them in the summer if they impress and they're not wanted at their parent clubs 

Loan to buy, slightly different. I think NP wants to plan for the ling term, so isn't interested in stop gap loans. 

11 minutes ago, Shaun Taylor said:

As that centre half from Oxford showed any promise when he's been given a start

Started well but level dropped off a little, may have been a confidence thing. I think he has looked very promising at times. Good footballing centre back. Massive step up in levels over the last couple of years, so I think he can be allowed a stutter at times.

[The Swan and Cemetery]

5 minutes ago, headhunter said:

Didn't NP "test" him up at Birmingham - IIRC wasn't he run ragged by Deeney?

Personally I would have thought our top defender, Kalas, would have been matched up against Mitrovic? As it was Vyner moved to an unfamiliar central role in a 3 with Kalas moving to the right.

Definitely not saying I agree with the selection/tactics, just the objectives NP has been given maybe more like:

1. Avoid relegation

2. If 1 going to be achieved, develop something sustainable/cheaper, but successful for the future

3. If 1 and 2 achieved, finish as high up this season as possible. 
 

Normally we’d expect 3 to be a more critical priority, I’m not sure it is. And if it isn’t, we may need to get used to odd choices (and performances/results), as he works out who stays/goes in the summer and what we’ll look like in 22/23 (including using this season as some ‘free’ development time for players, both as individuals, see Scott/Benarous, and positionally, see Vyner/Dasilva). And this may include seeing what players are capable of in high pressure environments, that lead directly to negative outcomes in terms of results, but provide insight for the future. 
 

Lots of threads have had comments about why some teams that are smaller/similar sized to us are above us. Most of those teams have been working away at something for a number of years and have taken plenty of steps backward along the way, to ultimately move forward. Whilst SL can be held culpable for appointments over the years that have led us to here, here is where we are and if NP has been asked to fundamentally change things, it maybe very bumpy. 

But equally, it might just be selection/tactical errors by NP, all speculation! 

 

[Davefevs]

9 minutes ago, 1960maaan said:

Loan to buy, slightly different. I think NP wants to plan for the ling term, so isn't interested in stop gap loans. 

Started well but level dropped off a little, may have been a confidence thing. I think he has looked very promising at times. Good footballing centre back. Massive step up in levels over the last couple of years, so I think he can be allowed a stutter at times.

The fact he played him last week, and brought him on for 40 mins yesterday (where he did reasonably well in both boxes) suggests he isn’t far removed from Nige’s thinking.  Think we might see Kalas | Atkinson | Pring next Saturday, Vyner might stay in at RWB.

[Lanterne Rouge]

42 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

I think that was the plan, perm any 2 of Baker, Atkinson and Kalas.  Which we did early season, and we looked solid(er).

Totally agree. We have been a tad lucky with the emergence of Pring too.

[1960maaan]

11 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

The fact he played him last week, and brought him on for 40 mins yesterday (where he did reasonably well in both boxes) suggests he isn’t far removed from Nige’s thinking.  Think we might see Kalas | Atkinson | Pring next Saturday, Vyner might stay in at RWB.

With Simpson clearly not going to play, and Scott completely wasted there, it is the sensible move for Vyner.  
I was really surprised he didn't go that way yesterday. 

[Marina's Rolls Royce]

3 minutes ago, Lanterne Rouge said:

Totally agree. We have been a tad lucky with the emergence of Pring too.

It's just about the only bit of luck we seem to have had if indeed it is luck- Scott and Pring are potentially very impressive players so their emergence into first team players is a natural progression.

Beyond that, lady luck is not really smiling at us much.

[Lanterne Rouge]

1 minute ago, Marina's Rolls Royce said:

It's just about the only bit of luck we seem to have had if indeed it is luck- Scott and Pring are potentially very impressive players so their emergence into first team players is a natural progression.

Beyond that, lady luck is not really smiling at us much.

Defensively it is really the only plus we`ve had now Tanner`s injured - he was looking good IMO.

[Beni71]

10 hours ago, headhunter said:

You have to say that any side conceding 6 has been thrashed and City were despite a bright opening half hour when goals by Antoine Semenyo had twice put them in front. By half time the game was lost with City trailing 5-2 down to goals that were poor defensively and the sheer power of one player - Mitrovic

If you look at the goals the Serbian scored he got the better of whichever City player was nearest to him and why Vyner and not Kalas seemed to be tasked with keeping him in check was another to add to the list of increasingly baffling decisions being taken by Pearson.

I'd advocated Dasilva playing at RWB and whilst on the pitch he wasn't one of the worst performers if he'd made a meal of the challenge that saw him stumble in the penalty area we might have scored from the spot kick to take the lead for the third time.

This latest episode of the FBC PODCAST has Ian & myself reviewing the action and more: https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-ae883-117dd56 [also on Google, Apple & Spotify]

In our view, despite conceding 6 Max should retain the No.1 shirt, HNM & King were VERY poor yesterday, Weimann was VERY quiet,  & O'Dowda is a complete waste of a shirt. 

If there is to be any transfer activity then it must be a defender and defensive midfielder as there remains open ended uncertainty about what part Baker & Williams will play in the remaining 20 matches.

We won't go down as there are others worse than us but next Saturday's Severnside derby really is a must win game.

On the FBC Podcast we remain supportive of Pearson but that support is beginning to wane

@headhunterWont be a popular opinion but we may need Martin for set piece defensive duties on Saturday, was missed yesterday.

Weimann back in the no 10 role to accommodate? 

[shelts]

1 hour ago, Shaun Taylor said:

As that centre half from Oxford showed any promise when he's been given a start

He's tidy and still learning . Little bit weak at times . 

[Davefevs]

1 hour ago, 1960maaan said:

With Simpson clearly not going to play, and Scott completely wasted there, it is the sensible move for Vyner.  
I was really surprised he didn't go that way yesterday. 

I might be in the minority, but I don’t think he’s wasted there.  I think it will benefit him in the long run.  Yesterday in the “10” he got snuffed out for large portions of the game…and it’s a tough position to influence if you can’t get on the ball.  I’d probably rather he played alongside James as a conventional CM than as a 10.

I doubt many agree with me though.

[1960maaan]

1 hour ago, Davefevs said:

I might be in the minority, but I don’t think he’s wasted there.  I think it will benefit him in the long run.  Yesterday in the “10” he got snuffed out for large portions of the game…and it’s a tough position to influence if you can’t get on the ball.  I’d probably rather he played alongside James as a conventional CM than as a 10.

I doubt many agree with me though.

I agree he needs the ball to influence games. I can't remember which game it was, but he was started in CMF and I thought he would be too light weight, I ended up giving him MotM. WB might help his development, but I don't think he's at his best there. He struggled to track runners and with him and Benarous it was too easy to bypass them. All good lessons though . With Semenyo & Weimann ahead of him & James/King either side, it would allow him to drift more. Have a deeper starting point, but able to fill the space when AS & AW make their runs. 

If we can sort the defence, I think there is the bones of a good side there.

[One Team]

Good episode I thought and a fair assessment especially from the host who absolutely nailed my thinking on O’Dowda. 

Audio was loads better as well.