Dicker- True class

[Teddy Maybank]

Try watching that Simpsons episode where all of Springfield turn out for the soccerball game Mexico v Portugal or somesuch. The ball goes sideways about a dozen time from the kick-off, the crowd get first bored and then riot and the match is abandoned while the stadium crashes and burns. That's about how pathetic it was. Seriously. I challenge anyone who witnessed it to defend such levels of fuckwittery

So you have the same appreciation of football as the average citizen of the U.S.? Hmmmmmm.

How many goals have been scored against our defence in recent games?
How does the football we have been playing in the last month or so compare to recent times?

Nuff said!

 

[Skaville]

I'm talking about today. That was as disgraceful a passage of play as I've seen all season.

So we're two nil up and keep the ball for 30 seconds. What the f*** is the problem? It's not Lawrenson back there, it's Elphick and El Abd.

Perhaps you should go and watch Colchester.

 

[BensGrandad]

At one point THPP was screaming blue murder at Elphick & El-Abd. The ball was in the Albion half and I swear the order of play went as follows:

Elphick to El Abd (parallel to the centre line, in the Albion half)
El Abd back to Elphick (still parallel to the centre line, istill n the Albion half)
Elphick back to El Abd (still parallel to the centre line, still in the Albion half)
El Abd back to Elphick (still parallel to the centre line, still in the Albion half)
Elphick back to the keeper.

One step up the evolutionary ladder from The Mighty Hoof, admittedly, but still a f***ing disgrace.

Brainless idiots the pair of them.

IMHO, like.

With due respect you need to go back to school and start all over again at watching football. This was what so good about our performance today
the fact that the players retained possession even if they didnt appear to be doing anything. All the time we have the ball irrespective of where on the pitch it is, the other side cannot score a goal.

 

[Spider]

They weren't even being threatened by a Tranmere player. That's how pathetic it was.

Read the comments from the guy behind the dugout. That block were equally unimpressed it would appear.

Maybe you had to be there

Funny. I found the fuckwits shouting 'forward' and moaning about Elphick and El-Abd to be the pathetic ones. There was me thinking that

a) we didn't really want to carry on using the 'defenders aimlessly hoof the ball forward' tactic
b)if there is not a short pass on and you are not going to hoof it the sensible thing is to play it amongst your back line whilst you draw players out and try to create some space

The combination of the two seemed to work quite well today, shame there are so many morons in the crowd.

 

[pasty]

At one point THPP was screaming blue murder at Elphick & El-Abd. The ball was in the Albion half and I swear the order of play went as follows:

Elphick to El Abd (parallel to the centre line, in the Albion half)
El Abd back to Elphick (still parallel to the centre line, istill n the Albion half)
Elphick back to El Abd (still parallel to the centre line, still in the Albion half)
El Abd back to Elphick (still parallel to the centre line, still in the Albion half)
Elphick back to the keeper.

One step up the evolutionary ladder from The Mighty Hoof, admittedly, but still a f***ing disgrace.

Brainless idiots the pair of them.

IMHO, like.

f*** me theres nopleasing some people. Not necessarily aimed at THPP, but there were lots of peeps around me in d block today getting seriously pissed off with what you described, yet they were the self same people screeming abuse at El Abd and Elphick for hoofing it in previous games. FFS make your minds up.

Simple fact. If we have possession of the ball, the other team can;t score.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

f*** me theres nopleasing some people. Not necessarily aimed at THPP, but there were lots of peeps around me in d block today getting seriously pissed off with what you described, yet they were the self same people screeming abuse at El Abd and Elphick for hoofing it in previous games. FFS make your minds up.

Simple fact. If we have possession of the ball, the other team can;t score.

Cheers for the 'lots of peeps' comment pasty. Thought that might be the case. A bit worrying that there's other peeps that are happy to settle for that level of seriously stupid defending just because we won against a very poor side.

As I posted up top...

I agree that Gus seems to have moved the stupider of the players he inherited one step up the footballing evolutionary ladder - as I said further up the thread - by more or less eradicating the brainless hoof (makes you question their previous half dozen managers capabilities though, eh). But, yeah, we'll have to agree to disagree that keeping possession in such a cretinous fashion is of much use going forward.

And don't get me started on Virgo almost giving away a dumb and dumber goal within about a minute of coming on - then turning round and trying to blame his cock-up on anyone else but himself.

 

[mcshane in the 79th]

Dicker made one or two great passes but that was it. He gave the ball away A LOT, got muscled off it numerous times and yet he still gets rave reviews.

I make a point of really watching him every week and I haven't seen anything above an average-to-good performance, yet everyone seems to think he Xavi or something

 

[The Truth]

Dicker made one or two great passes but that was it. He gave the ball away A LOT, got muscled off it numerous times and yet he still gets rave reviews.

I make a point of really watching him every week and I haven't seen anything above an average-to-good performance, yet everyone seems to think he Xavi or something

When judging players, it would help if you considered the standard. Remember Xavi plays for the best team in the world in La liga.

 

[theonesmith]

It appears you missed El-Abd CHARGE forward from centre back then? If Bennett had been awake, he would have played El-Abd in, who would then, surely, have lobbed the keeper with his left foot before doing a moonwalk in front of Block H. Classic scenes.

Just as I was about to post this, you do.

But +1, I thought they played well today. For f*** sake THPP what do you want them to do with it? Play a Glenn Hoddlesque pass? If they could dribble the ball forward and play 50yard inch perfect crosses, they would be in the Premiership. I honestly do not get what point you are trying to make, it only seems like you are carrying out a vendetta against the two hard working, caring lads. Who have kept how many clean sheets now? ...

over, will read the next 2 pages now!

 

[theonesmith]

Right. We've just DICKED on a team, won 3 in a row, and I "only post when we're losing".

Er, hang on. That doesn't work does it?

Oh, you're having a go at me, and then arguing that we should ignore all the weaknesses in the team? Yeah, that makes sense, because of course you've never had a go at me for being unnecessarily negative, have you?

Prick.

+1

THPP is just struggling to back up his points is all mate, so he's turning to abuse.

THPP, going back to a previous post about Tranmere not threatening the players in possession, you seem to be missing the point.

As defender A plays the ball to defender B, the balance of the pitch shifts. Tranmere will move across as a team- partly due to movement of our players into new space, partly to attempt to close down general space. During this shift of balance, this gives an opportunity for a pass to be played. If this opportunity is missed, the ball can be played back to defender A for the balance to shift again.

I hope this concept has now been explained thoroughly enough to you. Not I did not use any bold fonts to enhance words- however, if you would like an emboldened version, feel free to ask.

 

[Sheebo]

No, you didn't.

You didn't have to be there to realise you're being a twat. again.

Still, you'll probably come up with your self-righteous "the cognoscenti is always right" bollocks to back up your argument.

Elphick and El-Abd - outstanding again today, as they have been in the last few weeks. Clearly passing the ball around instead of hoofing it. And what's that now, 5 clean sheets in 6 or something ludicrous?

If you genuinely think moaning about them is justified today then you're a total prick. And yes, that's coming from me.

f*** never thought i'd say it but good post

 

[Rookie]

At one point THPP was screaming blue murder at Elphick & El-Abd. The ball was in the Albion half and I swear the order of play went as follows:

Elphick to El Abd (parallel to the centre line, in the Albion half)
El Abd back to Elphick (still parallel to the centre line, istill n the Albion half)
Elphick back to El Abd (still parallel to the centre line, still in the Albion half)
El Abd back to Elphick (still parallel to the centre line, still in the Albion half)
Elphick back to the keeper.

One step up the evolutionary ladder from The Mighty Hoof, admittedly, but still a f***ing disgrace.

Brainless idiots the pair of them.

IMHO, like.

God I hope you are on a wind up again. Since when was keeping possession bad? Wow

 

[Zebedee]

At one point THPP was screaming blue murder at Elphick & El-Abd. The ball was in the Albion half and I swear the order of play went as follows:

Elphick to El Abd (parallel to the centre line, in the Albion half)
El Abd back to Elphick (still parallel to the centre line, istill n the Albion half)
Elphick back to El Abd (still parallel to the centre line, still in the Albion half)
El Abd back to Elphick (still parallel to the centre line, still in the Albion half)
Elphick back to the keeper.

One step up the evolutionary ladder from The Mighty Hoof, admittedly, but still a f***ing disgrace.

Brainless idiots the pair of them.

IMHO, like.

Slightly harsh I think. If nothing else both players are looking far more confident than they were earlier in the season and have been very instrumental in shoring up our defence. A f***ing disgrace? Brainless idiots? I don't think so. A brainless post? Definitely (although I suspect it was indeed a wind-up).

 

[Jim in the West]

At one point THPP was screaming blue murder at Elphick & El-Abd. The ball was in the Albion half and I swear the order of play went as follows:

Elphick to El Abd (parallel to the centre line, in the Albion half)
El Abd back to Elphick (still parallel to the centre line, istill n the Albion half)
Elphick back to El Abd (still parallel to the centre line, still in the Albion half)
El Abd back to Elphick (still parallel to the centre line, still in the Albion half)
Elphick back to the keeper.

One step up the evolutionary ladder from The Mighty Hoof, admittedly, but still a f***ing disgrace.

Brainless idiots the pair of them.

IMHO, like.

If you are serious about this (and I can't quite believe you are), PLEASE go and watch some other team. Palace for example, who showed yesterday that they are pretty good at losing possession every 5 seconds. I went with a couple of Tranmere supporters and they were exceedingly envious of our ability to keep the ball, not panic, wait for the right opening, and play simple passes. This is what we have been waiting for ever since Coppell left. Yesterday's performance (ok, against a fairly poor side) was an absolute revelation, indeed a revolution, and was yet more proof of the transformation under Poyet. At last I can watch an Albion team playing intelligent, considered, and skilfull football. If you can't appreciate it, I suggest you do something else on a Saturday afternoon....

 

[Sergei Gotsmanov]

There are 2 very simple principles to remember in football:

1) you can not score a goal unless you have the ball

2) the opposition can not score if they don't have the ball

Having possession wins games whether it is retaining the ball at the back and making space for the attack of probing in the attacking third.

I despair sometimes. What type of football are people expecting a team just pulling itself clear of the relegation zone in league 1 to play? We were very good yesterday and I loved it when we kept the ball at the back. Some of our best moves were started by retaining the ball and then Tommy giving a short infield ball to the midfield when the gaps opened up. Nice to watch proper football.

 

[dougdeep]

I loved it when we kept the ball at the back. Some of our best moves were started by retaining the ball and then Tommy giving a short infield ball to the midfield when the gaps opened up. Nice to watch proper football.

Spot on. If the oppposition put 10 behind the ball even when they are losing, then it's the best way to draw them out.

 

[Southwick_Seagull]

Anyone who thinks keeping the ball is a bad thing is quite frankly a dick

 

[BALDISBEAUTIFUL]

Well spotted Ninja. Tom Hark you must a wind up merchant or a complete knob!!

 

[Notters]

I thought the way we were keeping the ball was fantastic, simply because Tranmere didn't look to have the energy or desire to try to take it off us. We were basically taking the piss out of them. How anyone can moan about this is beyond me, long may it continue!

 

[Stainsey]

Not only are we playing some delightful football, but the thing that gets me is how relatively little time Poyet has been properly coaching the players. For about the 1st 4 weeks of his time here, the training pitches were waterlogged, and then the next 6 weeks or so snowcovered and frosty. Realistically, he has only been coaching them properly for the last 8 weeks or so, which co-incides with our good run. From memory, I don't think we have lost to any team in the bottom 2/3rds of the division since he arrived and have had some good results against teams in the top 1/3rd second time around. Long may it continue.