Official Carlisle Post match descussion

[clarkey]

Bennett and Lua Lua were absolute quality today, I just feel for the pair of them because the lack of movement around them and in the box was dire. Some references to lack of final ball but the movement off the ball in the last third was very poor.

Going to have to disagree with you regarding Lua Lua. Thought he did so much good stuff today with ball at his feet, and showed more passing ability than I think weve seen from him before. Also a couple of great balls into the box where, as you say, there wasnt much going on in and around the box.

BUT, for me, the key thing with Kazenga is decision making which hopefully is something that isnt too hard to coach. A couple of occasions where he lashed wildly over from 30 yards testify to this, as well as a couple of times when he tried to take on his man instead of cross or pass. I found his performance quite frustrating today.

 

[Mr M]

Don't like 4-5-1, never have, especially at home. Without Murray we struggle to make it work anyway.

Hartlepool had us worked out (Poyet said in the Argus that they'd known how to play against us) and Carlisle knew how to snuff us out today too. We're not able (or Poyet doesn't want) to change it (i.e. to 4-4-2) when it's not working either. My personal choice is 4-4-2 with two good strikers (Murray and Forster in tandem anyone?) plus two wingers getting the crosses in. Bennett and Lua Lua would work much better that way as they'd be starting out further forward. Navarro and then Crofts/Dicker would hold the central midfield together.

Mind you this is all based on this season's squad (though Forster's gone, I know) which, I am sure, will bear absolutely no relation to what we'll have next season. I have a feeling that this close season will see an unprecedented amount of players leaving and being replaced, after all take out all those we currently have in on loan (eight of them?) and we've got a very threadbare (and mostly shortly out of contract) squad left.

This was only going to be a couple of lines, oh well!

 

[PrestGull]

Going to have to disagree with you regarding Lua Lua. Thought he did so much good stuff today with ball at his feet, and showed more passing ability than I think weve seen from him before. Also a couple of great balls into the box where, as you say, there wasnt much going on in and around the box.

BUT, for me, the key thing with Kazenga is decision making which hopefully is something that isnt too hard to coach. A couple of occasions where he lashed wildly over from 30 yards testify to this, as well as a couple of times when he tried to take on his man instead of cross or pass. I found his performance quite frustrating today.

I completely agree with you, perhaps with his young naivety he got so annoyed crossing to nothing he thought he would try to do the whole thing himself, that is why his actions did not frustrate me. You are right in time, in more pressured games he will need to learn that not everyone of his touches has to lead directly to an attempt or threat on goal and he will occaisonally have to lay off a simple five yard pass and build an attack. In a nothing game like today it was at least a highlight to see him (and Bennett) in attacking action.

 

[sam86]

Hightlights of the day -
1. The sun being out
2. The Gully Girls coming out mid first half wearing short skirts and pink/white Albion tops

 

[clarkey]

Hightlights of the day -
1. The sun being out
2. The Gully Girls coming out mid first half wearing short skirts and pink/white Albion tops

2. b) Gully's Girls walking along our bit of the athletics track pre kick off.

 

[sam86]

Oh, and whilst beach balls work, whoever brought along the black rubber dingy... Oh dear.

 

[Icy Gull]

And another thing ...

Why did Poyet announce that he's ALREADY made his mind up about which players to keep and which to move on? What's the incentive to play well now? You're either safe or going, whether you play well or not.

It does seem odd but he hasn't actually named names has he, so the incentive should still be there assuming that these players do actually want to play for the Albion?

 

[Finchley Seagull]

Going to have to disagree with you regarding Lua Lua. Thought he did so much good stuff today with ball at his feet, and showed more passing ability than I think weve seen from him before. Also a couple of great balls into the box where, as you say, there wasnt much going on in and around the box.

BUT, for me, the key thing with Kazenga is decision making which hopefully is something that isnt too hard to coach. A couple of occasions where he lashed wildly over from 30 yards testify to this, as well as a couple of times when he tried to take on his man instead of cross or pass. I found his performance quite frustrating today.

I think coaching is the key. If we can get Lua Lua permanently in the summer, which is debatable, it is exciting to think what Poyet can do with him. If he gets him to make the right decisions (which as you say should be relatively easy and comes with more experience) then he could turn into a fantastic player. I agree he was frustrating yesterday but I have not known a Brighton player since Zamora that makes me feel something will happen when he gets the ball as much as Lua Lua.

With regards to the strikers, Barnes did okay yesterday but I think we would have won had Murray been playing. I imagine there will be a new strike partner for Murray bought in the summer (I am assuming Gus will play 4-4-2 next year) and maybe another striker as well with Barnes possibly coming in as a fourth option (Holroyd may be loaned out in my view).

 

[Billy the Fish]

We miss Murray and Forster up front big time. Without them we lack a cutting edge and any imagination in and aroud the box. I see the wingers have had a bit of stick on this thread, but I thought they were excellent yesterday, they just had nothing to aim for in the final third.

I hope we don't sign Barnes, his two goals have flattered to deceive. I was watching him alot yesterday and he was making some really poor runs, basically he just runs in a straight line towards the goal which is easier to defend against. Also he could make better choices when he has the ball, which wasn't very often because of his poor runs.

Contrast that to Holdroyd when he came on, who actually does those two things very well, he makes diagonal runs and doesn't get sucked into the channels, and usually makes a decent pass when he had the ball. Holdroyd is actually the better player, he just hasn't scored yet and from what I've seen hasn't got that knack of being in the right place at the right time. Barnes has it and has two goals to his name.

As for yesterday, it was the same as Hartlepool, we tried to walk the ball into the net. With the posession we had we should be tearing Carlisle to pieces, but they just didn't have the skill, movement or guile to open Carlise up.

Two new strikers in the summer please Gus.

 

[pasty]

And another thing ...

Why did Poyet announce that he's ALREADY made his mind up about which players to keep and which to move on? What's the incentive to play well now? You're either safe or going, whether you play well or not.

Totally agree with that one Lush. I said pretty much the same thing before the game.

Yesterday had an end-of-term-can't-arsed feel about it all day. Fans and players both.

 

[Lush]

Did anyone else notice the way the players came onto the pitch before kick off yesterday? They all looked like they were on their way into Double Maths.

 

[C17BHA]

And I thought the ref yesterday was awful....stop, start, and didn't let the game flow.