if you were Hughton......

[carteater]

I'd rest a few players:

Stockdale

Bruno - BFG - Dunk - Rosenior

March - Kayal - Stephens - Skalak

Baldock - Hemed​

Subs: Walton, Tomori, Sidwell, Norwood, Murray, Knockaert, Murphy.

 

[Icy Gull]

Akpom will save our season

 

[sir albion]

I'd rest a few players:

Stockdale

Bruno - BFG - Dunk - Rosenior

March - Kayal - Stephens - Skalak

Baldock - Hemed​

Subs: Walton, Tomori, Sidwell, Norwood, Murray, Knockaert, Murphy.

Playing skalak is like playing with 10 men

 

[Behind Enemy Lines]

If I was hughton I'd tell, no, demand, from the team, whoever I pick, to attack right from the kick-off. Don't sit back and soak it up before starting to play. It's Rotherham, the worse team in the league by some distance. We need to take the game to them from the start, passing the ball much better than we did today, and scoring at least twice in the first half.

 

[Colossal Squid]

I had genuinely forgotten Skalak. When was his last start?

 

[Wardy's twin]

I went to Newcastle game and watched Forest game on beamback....

If I were Houghton I would have to be asking myself

Q1)why I am not playing Hemed it was clear very early in second half that Baldock and Murray were struggling so why did we not play him. IF he is not good enough then why did we not buy in January if he is then he should be playing. IMO he should be playing. Same applies to Newcastle game

Q2) Why did I take off Sidwell who was a playing much better than Stephens. Murphy or AK should have gone off for Norwood to come on.

Q3) why am I fixated with 442 when my key components (the wingers) are not playing well at the moment.

Q4) Why was no one watching out for Dunk another unnecessary yellow card which we will rue

 

[Dave the OAP]

I'd go back in time and sign a couple of decent strikers in the transfer window and not pick up the phone to the two loanees
we took inexplicably.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Playing skalak is like playing with 10 men

He's not that good

 

[Dave the OAP]

I went to Newcastle game and watched Forest game on beamback....

If I were Houghton I would have to be asking myself

Q1)why I am not playing Hemed it was clear very early in second half that Baldock and Murray were struggling so why did we not play him. IF he is not good enough then why did we not buy in January if he is then he should be playing. IMO he should be playing. Same applies to Newcastle game

Q2) Why did I take off Sidwell who was a playing much better than Stephens. Murphy or AK should have gone off for Norwood to come on.

Q3) why am I fixated with 442 when my key components (the wingers) are not playing well at the moment.

Q4) Why was no one watching out for Dunk another unnecessary yellow card which we will rue

Warren and the other commentator was getting ratty with solly suggesting he was not committed! Maybe his injury is making him tentative?

 

[Wardy's twin]

Warren and the other commentator was getting ratty with solly suggesting he was not committed! Maybe his injury is making him tentative?

I don't think he will ever tackle anyone ... what we want him to do is what he did against Birmingham, get the ball on the wing and run at them with the OCCASIONAL cut inside to shoot. To me he is less dangerous in the middle.

 

[Weststander]

I'd rest a few players:

Stockdale

Bruno - BFG - Dunk - Rosenior

March - Kayal - Stephens - Skalak

Baldock - Hemed​

Subs: Walton, Tomori, Sidwell, Norwood, Murray, Knockaert, Murphy.

Didn't quite a few fans think Murphy stood out as playing well recently including the Newcastle game, when his midfield colleagues were outclassed?

 

[durrington gull]

I thought Skalak was universally regarded as "not very good" on here (at least he seemed to be last time played)

Hemed for Murray - possibly

Akpom - no idea. Who would he replace - Baldock?

Worrying that Akpom not even considered good enough for the bench!

 

[GloryDays]

At the risk of being flamed to death, I'd suggest that with AK's ratio of not passing and not getting past defenders getting worse that Baldock is actually playing better than him right now.

You're spot on. I was speaking in a more general sense, excluding form to a degree. I also failed to acknowledge Murphy whose actually one of my favoured Albion players (you can flame me now). He's really direct and if I could chose would absolutely start him as well.

 

[tiberious]

id ignore anything on NSC

 

[army ali]

.......how would you lift the team after today's confidence shattering performance and result?

Maybe, just maybe Skalak and Akpom/Hemed to start on Tuesday,,,,2 - 0 to Newcastle!!!!

For me, it starts with our midfield. Something is not clicking for Stephens last few games. He was relatively ineffective against NUFC and just lacks the intensity required in that area. Whether this has something to do with Sdders playing with him, I don't know. The balance is not quite right. Kayal and Stephens works well, as we know - is this the time to bed it in again? I know my answer.

Skalak not up to it I'm afraid unless he has grown some recently! I like him and I know his ball crossing technique is superb but the remainder of his play needs to be addressed. For me, Murphy and Knocky get my vote.

Sort the Central Midfield out - that's the engine room, that's where success will be had.

 

[Seasider78]

For me, it starts with our midfield. Something is not clicking for Stephens last few games. He was relatively ineffective against NUFC and just lacks the intensity required in that area. Whether this has something to do with Sdders playing with him, I don't know. The balance is not quite right. Kayal and Stephens works well, as we know - is this the time to bed it in again? I know my answer.

Skalak not up to it I'm afraid unless he has grown some recently! I like him and I know his ball crossing technique is superb but the remainder of his play needs to be addressed. For me, Murphy and Knocky get my vote.

Sort the Central Midfield out - that's the engine room, that's where success will be had.

Yes Kayal was great with Stephens last season but Kayal has looked well off the pace since his injury and sidwell is playing well. Stick with sidwell for now

 

[Skaville]

I would:

- tear a strip off them first. They need to know that was unacceptable.

- then explain why it's unacceptable- they are far better than that and need to show it. They are undoing all that hard work

- I would point out that they need to stop trying to make it happen quite so much. They've lost their patient build up play and unselfishness. In the final fifteen Murray and Hemed seemed to be doing their best to outdo each other rather than play for each other. Knockaert is close to being dropped if you ask me. Time for them to pull together and work hard for each other.

- finally, I'd make changes. Norwood alongside either Stephens or sidwell so we have more vision in midfield and better set piece delivery. March in for either winger. Hemed for Murray. They have to realise that performances like that have consequences.

 

[NooBHA]

My first port of call would be to get Knockeart to acknowledge that this is a team game and he can't do it all on his own, no matter how good the lad might be

 

[NooBHA]

I would:

- tear a strip off them first. They need to know that was unacceptable.

.

I think that's a ''given'' tonight for sure

 

[BensGrandad]

My first port of call would be to get Knockeart to acknowledge that this is a team game and he can't do it all on his own, no matter how good the lad might be

And at the same time bring back the spirit of togetherness which has carried them through tough times.