Sheffield Wednesday v Bristol City Match Day 23

[bexhill reds]

3 minutes ago, Lez said:

They have.....

Still out of work though?

[Rinkadink]

For some reason this site wouldn't let me post through my VPN so here is what I had for half time;

***Weird, I had Hunt picked out as one of our stand out players for the opening 30 then within the past 15 minutes he turned into an absolute liability, especially going forward. Half time sub?

Clearly the game plan is to soak up the pressure then counter but the likes of poor Weimann and Fammy aren't given the ball as required to execute. Must be really frustrating for them. Bentley looks good, thankfully. So much loose stuff in "midfield" (there hasn't been much there), also with our only corner everyone was jammed so tight and nobody was out wider making space or stretching their defence. 

I guess avoidance of another loss is the overriding theme of today, I would personally prefer a bit more ambition as Wednesday don't look all that creative and potentially there for the taking (as long as we are careful)... I have a fear it may go the way of Bears second half yesterday though, can't take another one of those.***

Post match; watching City is so frustrating, daft penalty to give away (although I do blame the sport itself for allowing this kind of soft crap), I'm not sure if the second half was better or worse. Marginally different. Wednesday weren't that good, we have (most) of the players needed to put a side like that away but it isn't happening. To play the tight, counter football of the first half we lacked the accuracy required in passing upfield and in the second both accuracy and creativity in midfield. There's a lot of pressure on the players IMO.

Weimann, Diedhiou, Bently, Williams, Hunt (barring that 10-15 minute spell) are all plusses for me. CoD, Brownhill, etc... just not doing it. Either we need a big change in our game plans or a clear out to find those that fit or a new manager (dangerous as there have been steady improvements and LJ has shown he's not a one trick pony in the past). At the moment City are in no danger of going down but I can't see a serious Premier League challenge either. Tricky situation.

[Bazooka Joe]

A zombie could outpace Diedhiou.

Our identity?  

The fooken walking dead.

 

 

[Mr Popodopolous]

1 minute ago, Fuber said:

Id argue the football has got worse on the whole across the last 3 barring a couple of bright spells. To think Man Utd was two years ago already. 

Worst part of that is, I cant recall a game since where we played as well as that. 

First half WBA, maybe? 

Id argue that our improved league position is more to do with our increased spending than anything down to LJ personally.

I give him full credit for the FA Cup run season, but since then we've only gone one direction in terms of any kind of entertainment value we once had, and after 4 years of LJ in charge we still dont have the deep lying playmaker we desperately needed then and now, nor an Identity to speak of. 

Fact of the matteris, I reckon that xG stat I pulled up in another thread is starting to bear its teeth a bit. Team are figuring us out. We are far less effective in the margins than people think we are. 

I think 23rd and 16 pts is overegging it a bit but definitely our baseline performances have been outstripped by results.

[REDOXO]

1 minute ago, Highguy said:

 

Just pointing out I’ve put im not a Johnson fan so I’m not going defend him and subs,

Weimann could do with a rest he’s played a lot of minutes this season and he wasn’t really involved today like last few games ,so I’m only guessing he made the subs to try win the game after seeing how poor weds was only LJ knows 

after SL being in the stadium and after watching it himself it be interesting for LJ now

Weimann was involved less because he is the forward that is going to get behind. In order to do that he has to get the ball. We can’t win it and pass it forward. Thus the striker is isolated. 

We could have Messi up there if he can’t get the ball he might as well as have a deck chair  

 

[Mr Popodopolous]

2 minutes ago, bexhill reds said:

Still out of work though?

As he's holding out for PL/the right opportunity.

[pillred]

4 minutes ago, Keith Welch said:

A few of those in our starting 11 today are League One standard players unfortunately.

I really wish him to do well, he scores the odd tap in and header but Diedhou is just not a very good footballer. Not sure he won a single aerial duel today either.

I know others were probably worse today but he is just so frustrating to watch.

Been saying it since the moment he signed for us, but unfortunately there are too many on here willing to overlook his short comings, yes he scores goals occasionally but leaves me frustrated for the most part.

[wendyredredrobin]

270 minutes of utter dross.  Clueless, gutless and of course pointless.

Just wait to see them after they've had their Christmas turkey.  It's not going to get any better.

[J-mat]

3 hours ago, J-mat said:

To be honest, I hope you and Derby and everyone else who's cheated the system (that's what it is) get relegated.

And I happen to have quite a soft spot for Wednesday, grew up fascinated by the team with Hinchcliffe and Booth, Sibon and Carbone.  Used to use Wednesday on the early computer games etc. 

 

 

After watching the antics of your fat forward diving around and cheating, I hope even more that you go down. 

Grim. 

[Baldyman]

Just saw the best quote on Facebook! 

“ Get Jexit done !”

[Fuber]

Just now, Mr Popodopolous said:

I think 23rd and 16 pts is overegging it a bit but definitely our baseline performances have been outstripped by results.

Agreed, but the fact it has us that low at all is food for thought. 

Hints at a team that sits back way too much, ergo faces more shots, and is lucky and/clinical with the few oppurtunities we are presented with. 

[Galway Red]

How much did we pay for Palmer? Too much whatever it was, boy, don't we miss Tomlin

[Superjack]

6 minutes ago, Keith Welch said:

A few of those in our starting 11 today are League One standard players unfortunately.

I really wish him to do well, he scores the odd tap in and header but Diedhou is just not a very good footballer. Not sure he won a single aerial duel today either.

I know others were probably worse today but he is just so frustrating to watch.

He was the one player holding the ball up and laying it off. And he won plenty in the air in our own box as usual. 

Christ, I really do wonder if people like you need their eyes or their head examined.

[pillred]

4 minutes ago, Fuber said:

Id argue the football has got worse on the whole across the last 3 barring a couple of bright spells. To think Man Utd was two years ago already. 

Worst part of that is, I cant recall a game since where we played as well as that. 

First half WBA, maybe? 

Id argue that our improved league position is more to do with our increased spending than anything down to LJ personally.

I give him full credit for the FA Cup run season, but since then we've only gone one direction in terms of any kind of entertainment value we once had, and after 4 years of LJ in charge we still dont have the deep lying playmaker we desperately needed then and now, nor an Identity to speak of. 

Fact of the matteris, I reckon that xG stat I pulled up in another thread is starting to bear its teeth a bit. Team are figuring us out. We are far less effective in the margins than people think we are. 

EFL cup run.

[Bedred31]

I’ve criticised LJ repeatedly in the past, but although I’m gutted by the result and the performance, it’s time to be realistic. SL will back LJ in the January window and he’s right to. It’s not LJ’s fault that we sell our best players every summer. Our wage bill is pretty average compared to many of our competitors. Being mid table’s a real achievement in the circumstances. And with any sort of a run, which is entirely possible, we can challenge. I’ve watched City enough in Chmpionship relegation fights. If LJ can be criticised, it’s for being too passive when Ashton and SL succumbed to the temptation of accepting big money offers for our best players. I get the desire to pile into LJ, but Gary Monk, for example, has delivered a lot less at more clubs, yet is still admired. Think we’re just going to have to suck today up, get noisily behind the lads at the Gate and see what happens.

[Fuber]

1 minute ago, pillred said:

EFL cup run.

Correct. Think Ive got a banging headache and forgot the Carabao Cup was a thing. 

[Mr Popodopolous]

Just now, Fuber said:

Agreed, but the fact it has us that low at all is food for thought. 

Hints at a team that sits back way too much, ergo faces more shots, and is lucky and/clinical with the few oppurtunities we are presented with. 

Absolutely. 

Thought so for a while too- can Bentley keep saving at the rate he does, can we keep scoring at the rate we were earlier in the season? Had my doubts!

I think we do have players in the squad and perhaps the squad in general which can then it round, the underlying problems but LJ really needs to go away and think hard.

His philosophy is a weird mismatch at times, showed it again in the substitutions and shape top. 

[WECANDO]

20 minutes ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

Hughton will be after a PL job, quite sure of that.

Back him with signings and he could well be in the top division next season.

[Highguy]

1 minute ago, REDOXO said:

Weimann was involved less because he is the forward that is going to get behind. In order to do that he has to get the ball. We can’t win it and pass it forward. Thus the striker is isolated. 

We could have Messi up there if he can’t get the ball he might as well as have a deck chair  

 

I agree weimann is our out ball but we didn’t start a midfielder. Who can play a pass behind we started forest gump(odowda - as he all does is run with his head down looking at his boots) 
LJ recently said in the championship you need 4 players 6foot so that’s why he didn’t take fam off 

Personally I would left weimann on and taken odowda off today 

[Fuber]

1 minute ago, Bedred31 said:

I’ve criticised LJ repeatedly in the past, but although I’m gutted by the result and the performance, it’s time to be realistic. SL will back LJ in the January window and he’s right to. It’s not LJ’s fault that we sell our best players every summer. Our wage bill is pretty average compared to many of our competitors. Being mid table’s a real achievement in the circumstances. And with any sort of a run, which is entirely possible, we can challenge. I’ve watched City enough in Chmpionship relegation fights. If LJ can be criticised, it’s for being too passive when Ashton and SL succumbed to the temptation of accepting big money offers for our best players. I get the desire to pile into LJ, but Gary Monk, for example, has delivered a lot less at more clubs, yet is still admired. Think we’re just going to have to suck today up, get noisily behind the lads at the Gate and see what happens.

However, Bedred, he's hardly the only manager it happens to. Can only look at Brentford, Preston, Norwich, Birmingham as examples. None of them exactly crumbled, the latter two barely spent anything to replace what was lost. Just scouted well or promoted from their academy. 

[Fuber]

2 minutes ago, WECANDO said:

Back him with signings and he could well be in the top division next season.

Disagree, think we're some distance off and this squad needs a bit of clearout as is between the U23s and a handful of the first team. 

Could name 7 off the top of my head that need shipping. 

[glen humphries]

Special mention for jack hunt today, he managed to give the ball away 5 times on the trot late in the first half , fair play that takes sum doing 

[Mr Popodopolous]

8 minutes ago, Fuber said:

However, Bedred, he's hardly the only manager it happens to. Can only look at Brentford, Preston, Norwich, Birmingham as examples. None of them exactly crumbled, the latter two barely spent anything to replace what was lost. Just scouted well or promoted from their academy. 

Norwich, agree and disagree on.

Read that they had a wage bill of £45-50m last season. Unsure how much of that was promotion bonuses!

That said, they used their academy to excellent effect, Pukki and Buendia two fine examples of not a lot in fees too.

Another good one is Sheffield United last year I reckon. Sold Brooks, brought Egan. Loaned in Henderson, Dowell, Madine and Hogan. Possibly had one or two other loans, sold one or two to to balance it- all that with an ownership dispute between the two owners. Wilder!

Birmingham? Kinda forced on them a bit, falling foul of FFP would've had an impact on their thinking. 

[steviestevieneville]

33 minutes ago, Gillies Downs Leeds said:

Would hate to see our pass completion rate today. It has been Western league standard at best!!! I don't really know what our identity is anymore, can anybody else explain what it is?

We haven’t got one no matter what LJ tells us. Brentford, that’s a identity. Ours is fake ID 

[Slippin cider]

One shot on target in 90 mins !.... 

Moore our best player today 

[Keith Welch]

Just now, Superjack said:

He was the one player holding the ball up and laying it off. And he won plenty in the air in our own box as usual. 

Christ, I really do wonder if people like you need their eyes or their head examined.

His quality on the ball, if he does actually get it under control, is really poor. Often gives the ball away.

I seriously challenge you to go back through the game and find me one occasion where the defender didn't easily beat him in the air. 

We will never achieve anything with him as our centre forward, just simply is not good enough.

His hold up play is nowhere near good enough to justify his lack of pace, technique or football intelligence.

Afobe was far far more effective.

[Lez]

1 minute ago, Keith Welch said:

His quality on the ball, if he does actually get it under control, is really poor. Often gives the ball away.

I seriously challenge you to go back through the game and find me one occasion where the defender didn't easily beat him in the air. 

We will never achieve anything with him as our centre forward, just simply is not good enough.

His hold up play is nowhere near good enough to justify his lack of pace, technique or football intelligence.

Afobe was far far more effective.

Dont think he was bad today just no service or support.....saying that not sure why we signed him in the first place.

[REDOXO]

7 minutes ago, Highguy said:

I agree weimann is our out ball but we didn’t start a midfielder. Who can play a pass behind we started forest gump(odowda - as he all does is run with his head down looking at his boots) 
LJ recently said in the championship you need 4 players 6foot so that’s why he didn’t take fam off 

Personally I would left weimann on and taken odowda off today 

I agree with all of that. O’Dowda doesn't get his head up. At the moment he offers nothing either In attack midfield or defense. 
 

Palmer looks like a man that poses near a football with nice hair      
 

We are terrible in midfield  can’t win it or play it and right now the best midfielder we have plays for Lincoln!!

The decision to let Taylor go looks dreadful Bannon never got touched  Korey Smith V Barry Bannon LMFAO

 

 

 

[Dan Robin]

Today I'd save Bentley (MOTM), Moore, Williams, Diédhious and Eliasson (at least he got some free kicks).

Maybe with Nagy or Massengo on the pitch instead of Palmer...

[Mr Popodopolous]

13 minutes ago, WECANDO said:

Back him with signings and he could well be in the top division next season.

Well I'm unconvinced we'd get him while a Championship club but don't ask, don't get!