This Playing Virgo At All Costs Is Getting Ridiculous

[Mendoza]

Fair enough maybe justify starting him as he scored and we named an unamed team after a fine 1-0 away win.

But we all saw we needed to bring on a striker upfront, so Davies for Virgo would make perfect sense.

To then take off Birchall and put Virgo in centre midfield and Fraser right midfield just took the piss.

Fraser was great, Birchall was good, Virgo not so good, so why the f**k keep him on the pitch? Take him when the time was right, and he wouldnt have been on the pitch to be sent off.

I for one am not too bothered he is suspended for 3 games. We may actually then field our strongest team and stay up.

The new manager wont see him for 3 games, and maybe not a bad thing?

I am not questioning Virgos commitment and effort, but that only gets you so far, probably a centre back, but NOT a midfield, and not a striker

 

[pasty]

I am in total agreement Sir.

 

[Southwick_Seagull]

Yeah but him Fraser and El Abd work really hard so it doesn't matter

(I actually thought El Abd played well tonight though to be fair)

 

[Tony Meolas Loan Spell]

Its what THICKY would have wanted, thats the ONLY reason I can think of.

 

[Ninja Elephant]

Virgo doesn't really have a strong position, he's a good squad player but for me, when everyone is fit, he's not in the strongest team for me.

El-Abd did well and Fraser was fine for me, but he's not going to score goals and he doesn't threaten to create them either. Though he did send in a beautiful cross at Cheltenham for Forsters goal.

 

[Southover Street Seagull]

The other option would have been to take Fraser or El-Abd off and put Davies on and move Virgo into centreback, his proper position. Then depending on who went off put El-Abd in midfield in place of Fraser or replaced El-Abd in central defence with Virgo.
This would have helped with the two big men Northampton had upfront tonight.

 

[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

No one ever confirms or refutes my understanding - which is that Virgo only came back if there was a clause i his contract that he gets to play every game. It sounds implausible, but stranger things....

Does anyone know if this is right? Might explain things.

 

[Spider]

I agree that the substitution was a little unorthodox, but equally whoever it was at the back of H block that was shouting choice comments like "LET'S NOT BOTHER WITH A MIDFIELD" or "JARRETT'S A CENTRAL MIDFIELDER, WHY DON'T WE TAKE HIM OFF AS WELL" was a complete tool.

Talking of tools, anyone who thinks that any football club would give a player a contract that states he has to be played whenever fit really does need to engage their brain a little.

 

[Easy 10]

Virgo as striker with Davies on the bench. Genius.
El Abd struggling in the air against two GINORMOUS strikers throughout the 1st half, while we play our tallest centreback up front. Genius.
Seb on the bench while Birchall plods around doing the usual, ie the square route of f*** all. Genius.

We wasted half the match with that dogs dinner of a lineup, and were lucky to come in only one goal down. Amazing whst can happen when you play a couple of strikers up front and bring on your best winger. FAR more threatening. The fact it took a red card to remove Virgo from central midfield was an absolute BLESSING, and I hope to christ the appeal against that card that White was talking about comes to nothing.

 

[Spider]

Virgo as striker with Davies on the bench. Genius.
El Abd struggling in the air against two GINORMOUS strikers throughout the 1st half, while we play our tallest centreback up front. Genius.
Seb on the bench while Birchall plods around doing the usual, ie the square route of f*** all. Genius.

We wasted half the match with that dogs dinner of a lineup, and were lucky to come in only one goal down. Amazing whst can happen when you play a couple of strikers up front and bring on your best winger. FAR more threatening. The fact it took a red card to remove Virgo from central midfield was an absolute BLESSING, and I hope to christ the appeal against that card that White was talking about comes to nothing.

Can't really disagree more with your post. The management team have made it quite clear as to why Davies was on the bench, he hasn't been well and they didn't feel he was ready for a full match. I think that's perfectly acceptable and his substitution would have worked well if he could hit a cow's backside with a banjo!

As for the defence - I thought they coped very well tonight with Northampton irrespective of how tall their strikers were. We were unlucky to concede today. I haven't seen the replays but it looked like a blunder from Kuipers.

Birchall was fine today, and I still believe that Carole is best used as an impact sub - again Dean White explains that defensively he is quite a liability. When the team is confident is perhaps the time to use him more, but for now I'm quite happy with him coming off the bench.

 

[Easy 10]

Can't really disagree more with your post. The management team have made it quite clear as to why Davies was on the bench, he hasn't been well and they didn't feel he was ready for a full match. I think that's perfectly acceptable and his substitution would have worked well if he could hit a cow's backside with a banjo!

As for the defence - I thought they coped very well tonight with Northampton irrespective of how tall their strikers were. We were unlucky to concede today. I haven't seen the replays but it looked like a blunder from Kuipers.

Birchall was fine today, and I still believe that Carole is best used as an impact sub - again Dean White explains that defensively he is quite a liability. When the team is confident is perhaps the time to use him more, but for now I'm quite happy with him coming off the bench.

Davies looked fine to me when he came on. Virgo should only ever be considered an emergency striker, absolutley NOT a starter. If Davies had flagged later on then fair enough take him off, but lets at least START with our strongest lineup and get at them, then make changes later if needs be.

Defensively we were ALL OVER the shop in that first half. How many heart-in-the-mouth moments did we survive by the skin of our teeth ? We were damn lucky not to be at least a couple down by the break. I'm not critising El Abd, he did a job, but time and time again they were pumping the ball into the box, winning it in the air, leaving us at 6's and 7's. Virgo is a shit rightback, a shit striker, a terrible winger and an abysmal midfielder, but he's a pretty decent player in his PROPER position at CB, and he would have been FAR better equipped to deal with their aerial threat than El Abd.

And I'm sorry, but other than putting Forster through at Luton, I've seen very, very little from Birchall to impress. Carole is three times the player.

 

[Hove Lagoonery]

... and we named an unamed team after a fine 1-0 away win.

I don't think that's possible, is it?

 

[Dawsey]

Virgo as striker with Davies on the bench. Genius.
El Abd struggling in the air against two GINORMOUS strikers throughout the 1st half, while we play our tallest centreback up front. Genius.
Seb on the bench while Birchall plods around doing the usual, ie the square route of f*** all. Genius.

We wasted half the match with that dogs dinner of a lineup, and were lucky to come in only one goal down. Amazing whst can happen when you play a couple of strikers up front and bring on your best winger. FAR more threatening. The fact it took a red card to remove Virgo from central midfield was an absolute BLESSING, and I hope to christ the appeal against that card that White was talking about comes to nothing.

Hopefully the appeal will be deemed frivilous and his ban will be increased to FOUR games.

 

[saafend_seagull]

His red card was probably the biggest positive from the game

 

[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

I agree that the substitution was a little unorthodox, but equally whoever it was at the back of H block that was shouting choice comments like "LET'S NOT BOTHER WITH A MIDFIELD" or "JARRETT'S A CENTRAL MIDFIELDER, WHY DON'T WE TAKE HIM OFF AS WELL" was a complete tool.

Talking of tools, anyone who thinks that any football club would give a player a contract that states he has to be played whenever fit really does need to engage their brain a little.

Charming Spider - thank you. I recall reading it on here (I know can't believe everything you read) and at the time I thought it was very odd but I recall the comment was from a reasonable source. Footballer's contracts do sometimes have the strangest things written into them, and some are paid £150,000 a week and some are 'worth' £150m......so it's not beyond all possibility, unlikely as it sounds.

 

[Superphil]

I thought Virgo saved his job on Saturday, but last night has to be the last straw. Get him in the stiffs, find out if he has any talent, and assuming he hasn't, ship him out.

 

[Mendoza]

I don't think that's possible, is it?

it was late, i was emotional and miffed

 

[BensGrandad]

The other option would have been to take Fraser or El-Abd off and put Davies on and move Virgo into centreback, his proper position. Then depending on who went off put El-Abd in midfield in place of Fraser or replaced El-Abd in central defence with Virgo.
This would have helped with the two big men Northampton had upfront tonight.

That would have been my move Virgo to centre back and El Abd just if front of him. Although it has to be said Virgo had a very good first half up front and won virtually everything in the air.

First impressioins are that Davies is not a good enough goalscorer to warrant a place as first choice striker.

The man we are seriously missing was walking along behind the North Stand last night Glen Murray.

 

[Brighton Breezy]

Take Birchall off for Carole.

Take Virgo off for Davies.

It is hardly a RUDDY quiz...

 

[Mendoza]

Take Birchall off for Carole.

Take Virgo off for Davies.

It is hardly a RUDDY quiz...

but that doesnt move around nearly enough players to upset the balance of the team. Does u not no nuffink?