Bong

[One Teddy Maybank]

As all know, I am reluctant to say Chris got it wrong but sometimes you need to look at past games against the opposition. In the away match at Bristol, Jamie Murphy probably had his best game of this season against them. So for me what you do is ensure that he is on the pitch.

The Bristol City defence will have remembered that fact and would have been out to stop Murphy, which in turn could well have created spaces for others. Or even, Jamie might have played another blinder, but we will never know.

However, let put all this into perspective.

If at the start of the season someone had said you will get Promoted with 3 games still to play and you can win the League by beating Villa in the last game of the season. You would probably have locked them up in a 1960 style asylum.

Of course. Not sure I agree with the Murphy bit but the logic is certainly there and it was so poor yesterday that it might have worked (nothing else seemingly did).

I'm not sure how wrong Chris has got it anyway, given that he has limited options up front. My biggest criticism, is more recently the wingers have been pushed inside, and that leaves us exposed defensively when we lose possession and also restricts the full-backs option. I always feel we look dangerous when the FB's overlap, and give the opponents a decision to make. That particular option seems to have been lessened lately (just an observation).

For me, having got to this point, it is not enough simply to go up - although I am delighted. Surely the mentality has to be you achieve the first goal and then move on to the second, and there is continual improvement. Whilst I except the emotionally drained bit, as a professional athlete, with the chance of a trophy you surely have to summon up that last bit of energy and give it all.......... perhaps they are all spent, I don't know, but as you have pointed out the movement was limited.

Onwards and upwards to Villa, where I believe we have never won.........

 

[Hampster Gull]

It is hard to be critical of players who have been brilliant. Under normal circumstances those players would get a bollocking for that performance but how can you justify bollocking players who have achieved so much. I think we need to cut the lads some slack here. They had a bad day but it I not the end of the world and they are more than capable of going to Villa and if they play to their potential beating easily, what is after all, only a mid table side with nothing to play for.

Understand the point but we need to park the self congratulatory stuff that we have all been doing and buckle down. Zero benefit in looking backwards on what has been achieved, we can do that in the summer, the next game can enable them to be recognised as the best in the league

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

I watched it a few times, Dunk makes an error, but that error is compounded by Bong being indecisive. All players make errors, it's how the team deals with it. Bong goes to go out, then goes to go back in, then goes to go back out - rendering himself completely ineffective either in the box or closing the cross.

If Bong is decisive and sticks with Brownhill, Kayal can close the ball to prevent the cross and Brownhill probably struggles to score. If Bong commits to closing the ball down instead, than Taylor doesn't get a chance to pick out a cross like he did. They may still score, but bloodyhell, there was still a lot to do after Dunk's initial error, but boy we made it easy thereafter. I'd fancy my chances picking out a cross with that much time.

But if you are a FB having to decide whether to stick or twist and the forward has the run on you, you are struggling. The moment Dunk went for that ball we were in trouble, I really don't agree there was a lot to do, a semi-decent cross and there would always be a chance.

 

[Trigger]

Bong was fine yesterday, one of the better performers, Skalak however was a different matter, very odd decision by CH to start him, Knockaert also, just floated through the match as if he didn't have a care in the world, very lacklustre display from our player of the season, Hemed also appeared to not be able to move faster than a slow walk either.

 

[durrington gull]

We need 2 new FBs next season - Pog is decent enough imo but I'm afraid Bruno is too old - ok as backup though, Bong backup too

 

[NooBHA]

Onwards and upwards to Villa, where I believe we have never won.........

I get to see the title won now. I thought it would have been won yesterday and I wish it had been even though I wasn't at the Amex.

We have a couple of aces up our sleeves next week and that's what makes me think we will still win the league. And remember we have something to prove to someone at Villa so it could be ''bitter sweet'' if we manage it there.

 

[BensGrandad]

I think that if AK had concentrated on his game rather than going off at the awful ref continually he and us would have done better.

 

[Bold Seagull]

But if you are a FB having to decide whether to stick or twist and the forward has the run on you, you are struggling. The moment Dunk went for that ball we were in trouble, I really don't agree there was a lot to do, a semi-decent cross and there would always be a chance.

I'm not really disagreeing with you on the Dunk error and the trouble we were put in. What I would rather see is the FB deciding to stick or twist instantly and committing to that decision. You give yourself a much better chance and in doing neither, it made it all very simple. A poor goal though, caught out in so many positions really, Kayal messes up initially which invites Dunk to make the challenge, we'd pretty much got ourselves into a 4 on 4 as that happened. Hey ho.

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

Is he good enough for the Prem? Woeful today and has had other inconsistent performances this season. Personally think we can do better.

Admittedly I would prefer to see Pocognoli at left back, and admit that Bong didn't have a very good game, but then Stephens apart, who did? Personally I didn't think he was any better, or worse, than the others.

He actually saw a lot of the ball, but every time he burst forwards along the left wind, there was never an out let for him, No one seemed to want the ball.

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

I'm not really disagreeing with you on the Dunk error and the trouble we were put in. What I would rather see is the FB deciding to stick or twist instantly and committing to that decision. You give yourself a much better chance and in doing neither, it made it all very simple. A poor goal though, caught out in so many positions really, Kayal messes up initially which invites Dunk to make the challenge, we'd pretty much got ourselves into a 4 on 4 as that happened. Hey ho.

Sure. It was all very frustrating.


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[Nixonator]

I thought Bong was one of the better players yesterday FWIW, offered a lot going forward. Wasn't too impressed by Knockaert, Skalak and later March constantly switching wings, think it disrupted our game a little bit.

This. Absolutely ridiculous Bong is being singled out AGAIN when I could name 5-6 possibly more who had worse games. In fact, if we had stuck Bong on left wing we'd have probably had more success with the amount of times he looked dangerous coming forward.

It is a concern though recently how our productiveness seems null or close enough without Knockaert on song. What's also worrying is Dale 'can't be ****ed to play, mind elsewhere' Stephens is showing us just the quality player he is, as I have always maintained, at the tail end of the season where others are on the beach. What an amazing professional he is and one whose value is going up.

 

[luppers]

Bong was fine yesterday, one of the better performers, Skalak however was a different matter, very odd decision by CH to start him, Knockaert also, just floated through the match as if he didn't have a care in the world, very lacklustre display from our player of the season, Hemed also appeared to not be able to move faster than a slow walk either.

Although I could only watch on TV I agree with your comments, out of an very ordinary performance I though Bong was OK, Certainly not due some of the comments on here there were a lot worse performances out there

 

[dingodan]

The truth is, it was our very best players who didn't come up with the goods against BC. Bruno made quite afew mistakes, Kayal also, Knocky didn't get going, Murray also had a pretty poor game.

I'm not sure Bong would be a regular in a Prem starting XI, but there were far more obvious poor performances than his the other night.

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

I think that if AK had concentrated on his game rather than going off at the awful ref continually he and us would have done better.

It was the same at Norwich. AK channelling his efforts into fighting the ref rather than the opposition. I'm hoping this is a temporary blip in attitude.

 

[dazzer6666]

[MENTION=5200]Buzzer[/MENTION] and [MENTION=17103]Mo Gosfield[/MENTION] have called this one for me.

AK was utterly ineffective today and as a team we lumped balls into the box as if we were aiming for lurch at Bristol city CB to head them out. Hemed went missing as he often does against physical centre halfs and Solly's final ball was invariably dreadful. Why the thread singling Bong out? I'm not convinced he will be here next year or is PL standard but we didn't lose because of him yesterday.

If Murray sticks the one away we had in the opening 10 minutes it's a different game.

100% this. We kept sending crosses in. They were either shite, or very well handled by the Bristol CBs if they did happen to beat the first man.

Almost seems like it's sacrilege to criticise AK, but he was gash yesterday, along with a few others. Bong wasn't the worst of them.

 

[casbom]

I think the occasion got to the players, some of them made very uncharacteristic mistakes and looked very lethargic. Murray, Kayal, Knockeart, Hemed, Skalak and Bruno were all off their game. If they are like that next week then we can say goodbye to the title.

 

[Westdene Wonder]

The truth is, it was our very best players who didn't come up with the goods against BC. Bruno made quite afew mistakes, Kayal also, Knocky didn't get going, Murray also had a pretty poor game.

I'm not sure Bong would be a regular in a Prem starting XI, but there were far more obvious poor performances than his the other night.

It has to be accepted that half of the present team will need to be replaced to even avoid relegation next season.

 

[perseus]

Thought kayal was gash but his first game for a while

I think this was a case of getting back up to pace after a long injury and this applies to Bong as well.

Why can't we score or pose a threat from set pieces? Not that the 1978-79 promotion winning squad could either.

 

[GT49er]

It has to be accepted that half of the present team will need to be replaced to even avoid relegation next season.

Well, that ain't going to happen, so we're relegated then. Fine. Don't bother watching next season!

 

[dingodan]

It has to be accepted that half of the present team will need to be replaced to even avoid relegation next season.

I'm not sure that's true, certainly we will need to strengthen. But I very much want every member of this squad to get their chance to prove themselves in the Prem, after all, they've earned it.