Tonights First Half

[pdgifford64]

Wheres the campaign?

Its people giving their opinions, that is allowed isnt it?

Certainly. I`ve read a lot of your opinions on Maynard and quite frankly i think you and many others are being unjustifiably harsh. I can give that opinion, can`t i ?

PDG

[dezgimed]

Certainly. I`ve read a lot of your opinions on Maynard and quite frankly i think you and many others are being unjustifiably harsh. I can give that opinion, can`t i ?

PDG

Care to explain why we are being harsh?

And to save time, exclude any of the baby talk about little Nicky being a long way from home.

[Old Dazzler]

what a stupid comment!!! how many promotions was Burnell a key part of? and how many times has Burnell played in the championship?

I think you'll find ZERO is the answer on both

plain stupid comment to make

Its always tricky having to explain a sarcastic comment. What I meant was that Skuse is the same type of player as Burnell, in other words without going into all the detail of why Skuse reminds me of Joe, is that they are both players who have been continually picked by their respective managers to do a certain job in midfield (ie a holding role) and they are both unable to do it (at their respective levels). It is particularly irritating as far as CS is concerned as GJ had always spoken with admiration about players who "affect" the game.

If their is a current player who does not affect the game it is Skuse. The comparison with JB in Danny Wilson's side is compelling. However, as we are talking about performing in a higher league and therefore higher rewards in terms of wages, I will retract the statement.

Cole Skuse is a RICH man's Joe Burnell!

[pdgifford64]

Care to explain why we are being harsh?

And to save time, exclude any of the baby talk about little Nicky being a long way from home.

What baby talk ? Yet again you reply to a post with that arrogant attitude. It`s pretty obvious you just don`t like the guy, so just say that. In fact to save time, don`t bother.

"Stats are stats.

I've watched him in 3 games and he's done very very little and has looked poor. "

"I'm not going to be biased and say he's shit hot just because he's a record signing. Before he arrived I was probably the most optimistic fan on 'ere.

What more do I want? Erm, perhaps he could make some runs, challenge for headers, sprint once in a while. Not seen much of either.

I haven't seen alot of off the ball movement to be honest, the home games in particular he has been very static, hence when the ball does arrive to him, the defender is a step ahead, intercepts and Nicky falls over.Yes 30 goals in 3 games, how clever. "

Just a couple from the same thread. Yes we all see things differently but if the guy you`re describing was on the pitch in the games i`ve seen then we havn`t been to the same games. Just out of curiosity, when you say `..hence when the ball does arrive to him...` is that when its not been hoofed 60 yds up the pitch, i doubt it. Fact is that Maynard has the quality to score goals for us, City just don`t have the quality ( or arn`t providing the quality) to create chances for him.

If we were playing to his strengths and he was wasting 4/5 good chances a game then he`d be open to criticism. As it is he`s missed one gilt edged chance, Blackpool, and has been unlucky with some good saves. Many of the chances he`s having to create himself from nowhere.

Further down in that thread you say that we should reserve judgement until xmas. Pity you couldn`t restrain yourself until then.

PDG

[dezgimed]

What baby talk ? Yet again you reply to a post with that arrogant attitude. It`s pretty obvious you just don`t like the guy, so just say that. In fact to save time, don`t bother.

"Stats are stats.

I've watched him in 3 games and he's done very very little and has looked poor. "

"I'm not going to be biased and say he's shit hot just because he's a record signing. Before he arrived I was probably the most optimistic fan on 'ere.

What more do I want? Erm, perhaps he could make some runs, challenge for headers, sprint once in a while. Not seen much of either.

I haven't seen alot of off the ball movement to be honest, the home games in particular he has been very static, hence when the ball does arrive to him, the defender is a step ahead, intercepts and Nicky falls over.Yes 30 goals in 3 games, how clever. "

Just a couple from the same thread. Yes we all see things differently but if the guy you`re describing was on the pitch in the games i`ve seen then we havn`t been to the same games. Just out of curiosity, when you say `..hence when the ball does arrive to him...` is that when its not been hoofed 60 yds up the pitch, i doubt it. Fact is that Maynard has the quality to score goals for us, City just don`t have the quality ( or arn`t providing the quality) to create chances for him.

If we were playing to his strengths and he was wasting 4/5 good chances a game then he`d be open to criticism. As it is he`s missed one gilt edged chance, Blackpool, and has been unlucky with some good saves. Many of the chances he`s having to create himself from nowhere.

Further down in that thread you say that we should reserve judgement until xmas. Pity you couldn`t restrain yourself until then.

PDG

I don't recall saying give him till Xmas? If I did, that was too generous.

There were a few incidents this evening where the ball was finally played to his feet and he simply just gets outmuscled and falls over, there is no bias there, its just a fact.

I don't have anything against the guy, but as a footballer in our team, his inclusion has contributed very little and I don't think his place is justified. Simple as that. If GJ stuck to his principles, NM wouldnt be in the team at the moment.

We need to learn to adapt to 'his' game quickly, but it may not be worth it. Players like that are passengers in games, just look at Owen, prolific, and Capello isnt interested, there must be a reason...

In my opinion, if we HAD the midfielders to give the strikers service, Brooker and Trundle would do just fine, and their goal scoring records prove that.

[pdgifford64]

I don't recall saying give him till Xmas? If I did, that was too generous.

There were a few incidents this evening where the ball was finally played to his feet and he simply just gets outmuscled and falls over, there is no bias there, its just a fact.

I don't have anything against the guy, but as a footballer in our team, his inclusion has contributed very little and I don't think his place is justified. Simple as that. If GJ stuck to his principles, NM wouldnt be in the team at the moment.

We need to learn to adapt to 'his' game quickly, but it may not be worth it. Players like that are passengers in games, just look at Owen, prolific, and Capello isnt interested, there must be a reason...

In my opinion, if we HAD the midfielders to give the strikers service, Brooker and Trundle would do just fine, and their goal scoring records prove that.

So now your confusing me.

Your not impressed with Maynard but by your own admission the midfield is not creating the service for the strikers.

PDG

[dezgimed]

So now your confusing me.

Your not impressed with Maynard but by your own admission the midfield is not creating the service for the strikers.

PDG

Because his all round game sucks, to be brutally honest, it is non existant.

I believe Trundle and Brooker are just as able to finish IF given the service, therefore it was a mistake to bring NM in.

[pdgifford64]

Because his all round game sucks, to be brutally honest, it is non existant.

I believe Trundle and Brooker are just as able to finish IF given the service, therefore it was a mistake to bring NM in.

Great analysis.

PDG

sorry. deserves more. Brooker, maybe but can`t stay fit for more than a month. Trundle has had his chance and his goal record stinks, impact player at best, still not done enough to warrant a starting slot. Thats my opinion.

PDG

[cityfan]

why did it take us until half time to realise long balls from 40 yards to Maynard don't work when up against Taylor and Ridgewell! Saw GJ having a go at Maynard telling him to get behind them but he had no chance getting on the end of long high balls, he needs balls behind lumps like them on the floor not always aimed at dele so he can flick them on hoping to find someone else, we have to play to his strengths if were going to get our moneys worth imo

Haven't we had the same debate about Trundle??? Two proven goalscorers where the style of play does not suite their game, but we paid a collective £3.25 million for them and yet, NO we don't play to their strength's. Total madness.

If you had a top salesman at work would you give him/her the best prospects because it would offer the company the best chances of converting them> Hmm, yes I think you would. Trundle's goal was total quality last night. One touch and he instinctively knew where the goal was. Goal scorer's do and Trundle has a footballers brain. Maynard is different and not the intelligent player that Trundle is or as clever. However, he needs link play and low crooses from the wings to run onto. If we don't play to his strength's he won't score goals, we won't score goals and we won't get promoted!

Too much lumping in the air to Dele last night and most of which he didn't win. that said we had enough chances second half to win it easily including several justified penalty claims. The ref was shocking.

[Red Head]

Because his all round game sucks, to be brutally honest, it is non existant.

I believe Trundle and Brooker are just as able to finish IF given the service, therefore it was a mistake to bring NM in.

I totally agree with you on this, he is way out of his depth at this level. He cannot hold a ball, goes down to easily, it is hard at this moment to see what he brings to the game. People say we do not provide service and we don't play to his strengths - what are his strengths and what service does he want, a ball delivered to him on his right peg on the six yard line? Bas Savage could score from there. I am very dissappointed and I expect GJ is feeling pressure to drop him but I think he will stay with him like he did with LT last year.

[lugger]

The way those Brummies outclassed us in the first half hour I thought they were going to win 0-8 or some other ridiculous scoreline. Credit to Gary Johnson in giving our team what must have been a grenade at half-time as in the second half we could have won the game had all those chances been converted.

I'm normally baffled by your political/militant ramblings but this is exactly what I saw last night. They were brilliant and it was good from us to even hold them to 2 at half time. Second half we can't say we didn't create so would have been nice to see another installment paid off against that 2.25m investment!

[Hamski]

Maybe the players who have the ability to provide quality service (Trundle, Noble) need to be on the pitch with Maynard

[Whale Eye Beef Hooked]

Maynard looked the same to me, a passenger.

How these performances keep Trundle and Brooker benched is beyond me...

You have to give a player a chance, you can t keep changing a player after a couple of dodgy games that will kill his confidence -

Trundle started about 10 games at the start of last season and he was poor cos he wasnt quite fit enough.

Maynard will probably be given a similier run. Give the guy a chance.

[Whale Eye Beef Hooked]

Because his all round game sucks, to be brutally honest, it is non existant.

I believe Trundle and Brooker are just as able to finish IF given the service, therefore it was a mistake to bring NM in.

What a senseless comment. He has hit the woodwork on a couple of occasions, keepers have made great saves against him etc etc, so with a bit more confidence and luck he could have had 4 or 5 goals. Give the guy a chance. Trundle only scored 3 or 4 goals last year with more or less the same team around him so for you to say that He is more able to finish if given the same service is a stupid comment IMO.

It is bound to take him a bit of time to settle in and get used to our system for christ sake give his a chance

[Red Head]

You have to give a player a chance, you can t keep changing a player after a couple of dodgy games that will kill his confidence -

Trundle started about 10 games at the start of last season and he was poor cos he wasnt quite fit enough.

Maynard will probably be given a similier run. Give the guy a chance.

I believe he will be given a chance like LT and GJ will keep faith. But I have to agree that his all round game, on the deck, shielding, bringing other players in, heading, holding, run making, is not up to the mark and it will be increasingly hard for GJ to play him. Seven games in, honeymoon period over, this is the CC and its time to start delivering, lets hope he can against Donny, get some confidence and go on a scoring run.

[bh_red]

Its always tricky having to explain a sarcastic comment. What I meant was that Skuse is the same type of player as Burnell, in other words without going into all the detail of why Skuse reminds me of Joe, is that they are both players who have been continually picked by their respective managers to do a certain job in midfield (ie a holding role) and they are both unable to do it (at their respective levels). It is particularly irritating as far as CS is concerned as GJ had always spoken with admiration about players who "affect" the game.

If their is a current player who does not affect the game it is Skuse. The comparison with JB in Danny Wilson's side is compelling. However, as we are talking about performing in a higher league and therefore higher rewards in terms of wages, I will retract the statement.

Cole Skuse is a RICH man's Joe Burnell!

he did affect the game though in the 2nd half though, he won the ball from Carsley for Trundle to get his goal.

though agree first half he was poor, but the whole team were so it's not really saying too much,

[The Humble Realist]

In my opinion, if we HAD the midfielders to give the strikers service, Brooker and Trundle would do just fine, and their goal scoring records prove that.

Brookers goalscoring record maybe but Trundles?? He's played about 30 games for us and scored about 6 goals.

Everyone is talking about Dele as if he doesnt exist, i thought he was our best player tonight, winning as much ball as he could against Ridgewell and Taylor(both good in the air). Trundle scored a great goal tonight but at the end of the day he isnt going to score a goal like that every game and other than that he came no closer to scoring than anyone else. I am not anti-Trundle but u cant say hes going to bang in the goals because he scored from 40 yards out

[dezgimed]

Brookers goalscoring record maybe but Trundles?? He's played about 30 games for us and scored about 6 goals.

Everyone is talking about Dele as if he doesnt exist, i thought he was our best player tonight, winning as much ball as he could against Ridgewell and Taylor(both good in the air). Trundle scored a great goal tonight but at the end of the day he isnt going to score a goal like that every game and other than that he came no closer to scoring than anyone else. I am not anti-Trundle but u cant say hes going to bang in the goals because he scored from 40 yards out

Sorry meant in L1.

[tin]

We need to learn to adapt to 'his' game quickly, but it may not be worth it. Players like that are passengers in games, just look at Owen, prolific, and Capello isnt interested, there must be a reason...

I'm glad you've brought that up. You use Owen as an example but what about Defoe? Fabio's interested in him yet even the commentary said last Saturday that he'd done nothing all game but scored the two goals that won them the game. That's what a natural goalscorer is. I believe that Capello's decision to leave Owen out stems from dispute from their Real Madrid days and nothing more.

I don't know if you can remember Shaun Goater playing for City but he did very little in terms of his overall play but chances were created for him and he took the majority of them. If we create the chances for Maynard, he will take them. There's no use pumping long balls to him with his back to goal. That simply isn't his game. Thread through balls to him or whip in balls from wide areas and we'll all see the best out of him. GJ must've known this from the goals he, or our scouts, would've seen last season.

[NickJ]

If we create the chances for Maynard, he will take them. There's no use pumping long balls to him with his back to goal. That simply isn't his game. Thread through balls to him or whip in balls from wide areas and we'll all see the best out of him. GJ must've known this from the goals he, or our scouts, would've seen last season.

Agreed and thats why we need Noble in the team. He's the only player IMO with the invention and creativity in his game, capable of seeing and executing the early defence-splitting through ball.

[Ron]

You clearly have no idea of tactical awareness fella. The side that took the field for the first 30 mins lined up strictly like this...

----------------Basso------------------------

Orr-------Carey-------Fontaine--------McAllister

----------------Skuse-------------------------------

--------Johnson------Williams-------------------

McIndoe------------------------------Maynard

---------------Adebola--------------------------

I know exactly how they played, but I also have the nouse to appreciate that Johnson is far from stupid enough to play Maynard left and McIndoe right in a 4-5-1, I think the most likely outcome is you see a couple of players out of position and immediately assume Johnson told them to go there.

[Riaz]

I know exactly how they played, but I also have the nouse to appreciate that Johnson is far from stupid enough to play Maynard left and McIndoe right in a 4-5-1, I think the most likely outcome is you see a couple of players out of position and immediately assume Johnson told them to go there.

Out ouf position for 45 minutes???

[Harry]

I know exactly how they played, but I also have the nouse to appreciate that Johnson is far from stupid enough to play Maynard left and McIndoe right in a 4-5-1, I think the most likely outcome is you see a couple of players out of position and immediately assume Johnson told them to go there.

Ha ha....

So you think NM just decided on the spur of the moment to shift himself out to the left, occsasionaly finding himself in a full-back position defending.

You think MM just decided on the spur of the moment to shift himself to the right hand side, knowing full well he's a left winger (who admittedly likes to come inside occasionaly).

Mate - they were being told to play in those positions, in order to allow us to have LJ, CS and GW in the middle of the park, as GJ was scared that Brum would ruin us. As was evident from the 2nd half performance, it was an incorrect tactic to employ.

We all trust GJ and all have faith in him, but that does not mean he is immune from making mistakes, and last night he made a mistake. Fair enough, it happens. But lets not try to fault the players for roaming where they shouldn't!

If anyone was playing out of their position for a full 45 minutes, then I'm sure they'd have been subbed for not adhering to the managers tactics.