Match Report: City out-class divisions best & proud despite defeat

[italian dave]

42 minutes ago, Northern Red said:

'Diedhiou'. It's 'Diedhiou'.

Thank you! As I discovered earlier today, some 'fix' that turns Robbored's old moniker for Kodjia into an automatic correction is still haunting these pages. Is there a similar fix we can apply here mods?!

[pillred]

55 minutes ago, Northern Red said:

'Diedhiou'. It's 'Diedhiou'.

Am I missing something here?

[italian dave]

2 hours ago, BTRFTG said:

Pearson (for it is he come back to haunt us,) tried his best to stretch to meet a ball that was already beyond the post, but, off-balance, it was always a toss up between rows X and Y.

Your comments re Taylor are fair. Yesterday we didn't have enough possession upfront for him to become a pest and other than one decent run down the by-line I, too, struggle to recall anything of note. In which case all 3 subs failed.

As for Didgeridoo, I think it's either opposition fans profess to like him on the basis if he plays they know he'll do little damage, else (and this is my belief,) they see his size and presence and through attribution cannot accept that someone of his stature can be so ineffective. Instead they should take time to assess his movement (he doesn't pull defenders around with his lumbering style;) his aerial ability (good only within his own 6 yard box where players are forced to be static, in open play and with woeful movement he's never at the races with those in motion;) his inability to get the right side of his opponent (attacking by numbers as that's all he sees on the centre-half's back;) and for someone so big just how easily he's bullied in the challenge (count the number of times he falls/trips over else looks pleadingly to the ref to give him a hand.) I'm not so fussed about his touch, or his poor conversion rate. Of the latter the majority of his 'chances' are those 'nearly' moments.  It's not he scuffs or muffs the ball, rather he never quite gets there which means two things,  his movement and anticipation isn't quite up there. I'd have no problem with him being a useful tool to have on the bench to be used sparingly. But he's our record signing and as a striker against his peers in this division he wouldn't make the top twenty on any chart. Perhaps the question to ask the opposition is would you swop your 'X' striker with Didgeridoo, in most cases the answer would be no. In that respect he personifies where we are as a club, he's alright, quite entertaining, but is lacking something to turn us into a dominant force. Nearly, nearly.....

Ha ha: there's certainly something of the apparition about both Pearson and Watkins! Pearson a bad dream, and Marley of course is well known in ghostly circles!

I felt the half chance yesterday was a case of good defending. Why defenders are told to stay up straight and never go to ground. He did just enough that Watkins was always stretching and just underneath the ball. Shame.

Im sure that other fans views are not in your first category. They are serious. And as for the second, I think most fans recognise a big useless lump when they see one and aren't taken in by size and physical presence alone.

Well, at Blackburn the answer was a definite yes! Indeed, that's how the compliment was phrased, " I'd rather have him than our strikers any day of the week" or something along those lines.

Norwich: obvious what the answer will be there, but not really a fair question given they are the most dangerous attacking force in the league. There are a number of outstanding centre backs in the Chamionship at the moment, but it would be like asking us whether we'd swap them for Kalas or Webster.

But what the Norwich fans did say is that he was, and I quote, "a constant threat". There's something there many City fans don't see! Maybe it's significant that it's usually away games we are talking about? But even there I would still give him greater credit movement wise than you do. I would agree he can be static, and gives opponents a yard as a result. He's not alone in that; it's a criticism I'd make of the side generally. But I think he drifts around in a way that keeps defenders occupied, and he's always available. 

To be honest, I'm frustrated more than anything, at times he does indeed look slow and clumsy, other times he has a super touch and is a real handful. Maybe also he has to choose his moments as a lone striker, especially now that he knows he's on for the full ninety minutes most games. 

Wouldnt argue with your 'nearly' description, maybe I just feel it's a bit closer than you do!!

[italian dave]

12 minutes ago, pillred said:

Am I missing something here?

Posters who refer to players by some self-created shorthand or nickname. Robbored used to insist on doing it for Kodjia. BTRFTG has taken it up for Diedhiou, who he constantly refers to as didgeridoo. 

Just seems slightly disrespectful, He's got a name, why not use it. 

[Davefevs]

4 hours ago, italian dave said:

Pack was an interesting one yesterday. I was surprised how far forward he was getting. Normally he'll rarely venture forward any further than where he knows he can get back quick enough to be behind the ball when we lose possession. But he went further forward than that yesterday, and while that contributed to the spells where we had good possession in their half (and to efforts like the one you've mentioned) it meant we were always going to be more stretched when they broke. 

Maybe the plan was for the full backs to sit a bit deeper than usual (normally Pack staying deep gives them the freedom to get forward) but they were both struggling defensively anyway. 

It just felt like it was a deliberate ploy to get Pack forward and play a slightly different role?

Missed the first 25 minutes trying to find a stream, so listened on radio...getting a stream as they equalise, and then we go 2-1 up.

I thought they got players (and the ball) behind our midfield yesterday, especially second half.  It was like we either didn’t get in behind the ball, or they found an effective way of doing it.

I had a look at Stats Zone this morning, and the midfield and attack are merged into one. [whole 90]

I thought first half we played a high line effectively, but second half we were 3 units.  The second half Stats Zone isn’t really conclusive to be fair....but I would say Pack is less the 1 in 4141 yesterday than previously.  Looks like that gap between midfield and defence was exposed by Norwich.

Dasilva very high, but our problems were on the other side....and Weimann high and narrow, suggests he offered less cover for Wright than usual.

[BTRFTG]

6 minutes ago, italian dave said:

Posters who refer to players by some self-created shorthand or nickname. Robbored used to insist on doing it for Kodjia. BTRFTG has taken it up for Diedhiou, who he constantly refers to as didgeridoo. 

Just seems slightly disrespectful, He's got a name, why not use it. 

Because players get epithets some of which stick, some don't. Often it's simply the substitution of a vowel at the end of their name, others may be termed 'endearments'. I'm not sure Pele or Gazza complained much. Should our mercurial Smith not have been 'Smudger', Shaun 'The Goat' or Big Wayne 'Chief'? Famara I sometimes refer to as 'Eau Savage', he being a French version of Bas. Clarkson deserved 'The Publican' because he played like one.

We could, as you suggest, refer to players and clubs by their full titles and where would the fun be in that?

[italian dave]

4 minutes ago, BTRFTG said:

Because players get epithets some of which stick, some don't. Often it's simply the substitution of a vowel at the end of their name, others may be termed 'endearments'. I'm not sure Pele or Gazza complained much. Should our mercurial Smith not have been 'Smudger', Shaun 'The Goat' or Big Wayne 'Chief'? Famara I sometimes refer to as 'Eau Savage', he being a French version of Bas. Clarkson deserved 'The Publican' because he played like one.

We could, as you suggest, refer to players and clubs by their full titles and where would the fun be in that?

Endearment I get. But such epithets are also used as a put down, as a term of abuse or disrespect. 

You'll know, of course, that I haven't once suggested we use full titles. 

Tell you what: convice me that you're using didgeridoo as a term of endearment towards Diedhiou and I'll feel much happier next time I read it!

[BTRFTG]

16 minutes ago, italian dave said:

Tell you what: convice me that you're using didgeridoo as a term of endearment towards Diedhiou and I'll feel much happier next time I read it!

Bit like the man himself it's neither end of the spectrum, no insult or plaudit meant. Didge, Diggery I've heard him call all sorts. I'm also not sure how this forum works but as soon as I type the first couple of letters  looks like the forum, not phone, autofills his epithet?

[PooPants]

1 hour ago, BTRFTG said:

Bit like the man himself it's neither end of the spectrum, no insult or plaudit meant. Didge, Diggery I've heard him call all sorts. I'm also not sure how this forum works but as soon as I type the first couple of letters  looks like the forum, not phone, autofills his epithet?

My mates just call him Dave.

[Esmond Million's Bung]

17 hours ago, RedDave said:

Draw might have been fair. If anyone deserved to win it was Norwich.

Generous marking of Pack who could have done more to block two of the goals. 

Thought both our full backs struggled throughout. 

Weimann, Fam, Kalas, Fielding all good. Webster immense. 

Totally agree re Pack and I thought he was incredibly sloppy in the 2nd half constantly giving the ball away and I thought Wright was exposed as a right back all game as well, all of the danger came down his flank, not replacing him for Pisano at halftime was bad enough but not making him one of the triple substitutions was beyond belief for me.

I would have kept all 3 he replaced on, they were all doing well IMHO, I would have replaced Pisano for Wright at half time and Pack for Palmer and Eliasson for Wiemann who was not at his best.

I thought LJ got it wrong personally from half time onwards but as usual never shouldered any of the blame, which I found disappointing, I am more than happy with how things have gone this season with 2 minor disappointments, firstly more than 12 months on still trying to shoehorn Wright into that right back position and secondly having no back up for Diedhiou.

I never expected a play off position this season, I just wanted more consistency and that we appear to have addressed, I believe next season is where we need to push on and a play off position should be the goal.

I know it's a cliche but Birmingham at home is an important game, 3 points however they are achieved are a must for me, with the difficult trip to Preston on the horizon, I just hope that our home defeat to Wolves is not the start of Groundhog Day 2.