Steve Sidwell

[Icy Gull]

I think Sidwell is getting unfair criticism as CH set out defensively to not lose and catch Wednesday on the counter when they were going forward. As a result he played in a Bridcutt type holding containing role rather than a marauding forward midfielder, which he did effectively. He was obviously playing to instructions and a team game plan.

No excuse for setting up as a counter attacking team when you are at home unless you are playing a top top club. Just IMO, we are supposed to be one to the best teams in the division, we should not go overboard on the respect front, which we did. In fact Wednesday were happy to settle for not conceding in the first half, then realised that we had absolutely nothing to offer and should have gone on to win the game. They were much the better side in the second half, we looked like the away team for most of it. I expected CH to be more disappointed than he was, he doesn't like admitting he makes tactical errors does he?

Sidwell's distribution was terrible btw.

 

[BensGrandad]

I dont think anybody is disputing the tactical error by CH but emphasizing the fact that Sidwell was probably playing to orders and not venturing too far forward.

 

[Triggaaar]

I am a big for of Chris's

Not to mention fan.

 

[Kosh]

No excuse for setting up as a counter attacking team when you are at home unless you are playing a top top club. Just IMO, we are supposed to be one to the best teams in the division, we should not go overboard on the respect front, which we did. In fact Wednesday were happy to settle for not conceding in the first half, then realised that we had absolutely nothing to offer and should have gone on to win the game. They were much the better side in the second half, we looked like the away team for most of it. I expected CH to be more disappointed than he was, he doesn't like admitting he makes tactical errors does he?

Sidwell's distribution was terrible btw.

[MENTION=19]Icy Gull[/MENTION] rocks the thread!

Top stuff, agree with every word. Re Sidwell...

He wasn't alone for sure, but I guess it's a supposed 'calibre' and expectation thing. That and him talking up his quality 'attributes' when he arrived. Personally I'd return him to sender.

#bring back Elvis. Ahem.

Kosh

 

[Kosh]

I've got this awful feeling we'll see Sidwell in the playoffs, if indeed his loan runs that long?!? I also have the feeling that akin you last night, it'll be caution to the fore and similarly 3 or 4 versus an Albion no score.

Attack, attack, attack... Play to win Chris, not to contain.

Sidwell, by his own admission, was awful last night. Thus he quite rightly should be dropped and not played until he can 'dedicate' enough to his performance.

Shocking.

Kosh

 

[Surf's Up]

No excuse for setting up as a counter attacking team when you are at home unless you are playing a top top club. Just IMO, we are supposed to be one to the best teams in the division, we should not go overboard on the respect front, which we did. In fact Wednesday were happy to settle for not conceding in the first half, then realised that we had absolutely nothing to offer and should have gone on to win the game. They were much the better side in the second half, we looked like the away team for most of it. I expected CH to be more disappointed than he was, he doesn't like admitting he makes tactical errors does he?

Sidwell's distribution was terrible btw.

Agree with this - Sidwell was a waste of space for whatever reason and our tactics defied description and it would help if Hewton could occasionally admit he got it wrong. And if Kayal was fit enough for the bench he was fit enough to play, at least in the second half.

 

[Surf's Up]

I dont think anybody is disputing the tactical error by CH but emphasizing the fact that Sidwell was probably playing to orders and not venturing too far forward.

Well, apart from CH, he's probably disputing it!!!

 

[BensGrandad]

Well, apart from CH, he's probably disputing it!!!

He has never admitted to making a mistake yet so why start now.

 

[sussex_guy2k2]

I dont think anybody is disputing the tactical error by CH but emphasizing the fact that Sidwell was probably playing to orders and not venturing too far forward.

And your point would have some validity if Sidwell himself hadn't come out on the radio and admitted to being very disappointed with his own performance.

Basically, we all think Sidwell was rubbish, Sidwell thinks Sidwell was rubbish within the orders he was given, and yet you think he was rubbish because he played to the orders that you think he was given by our manager.

Just to sum up for you - Sidwell knows what instructions he was given and still thinks he was rubbish. This in itself makes both your opinion, and indeed your point, mute and invalid, because even he knows he didn't do enough.

 

[BensGrandad]

And your point would have some validity if Sidwell himself hadn't come out on the radio and admitted to being very disappointed with his own performance.

Basically, we all think Sidwell was rubbish, Sidwell thinks Sidwell was rubbish within the orders he was given, and yet you think he was rubbish because he played to the orders that you think he was given by our manager.

Just to sum up for you - Sidwell knows what instructions he was given and still thinks he was rubbish. This in itself makes both your opinion, and indeed your point, mute and invalid, because even he knows he didn't do enough.

As I have said he possibly thought that he was rubbish compared to what he knows he is capable of. Do you not believe that if CH agreed he would have taken him off and replaced him with Kayal at half time or at some other time. That is why I consider he was doing the job he was told to do,.

 

[sir albion]

Dread to think how much of his wages we pay...Way to rusty and past it.

 

[NooBHA]

Well here's my take on this thread...........I agree with a lot of it and all through the game I was slating Sidwell for lack of movement and not creating the angles that Kayal does for people to pass to him. He stood in same positions waiting for the ball to come to him rather than going looking for the ball; however, what I will say about Sidwell in his only defence. When Sheff wed were really on top in the last 20 minutes and a lot of the others were tiring. He did a lot of chasing and hustly players on the ball which allowed others to get behind the ball and grind out a point which I thought we were going to lose.

I had the benefit of speaking to certain people after the match and Kayal was rested because he is carrying a light injury and they are trying to ensure that is not aggravated and he ends up with a long stint out injured when we are getting to the serious run in to the season. If you look at the two games he was rested. The thing they had in common was the weather conditions. Heavy rain and a heavy pitch to play in. Perhaps that played a part in why Kayal did not feature as well - Just food for thought.

Very few of them played well and if I am honest I thought Stephens was actually worse than Sidwell. He gave the ball away so many times and put us in trouble a lot. And finally, I would also give a lot of credit to Sheff Wed and their manager. Evert time Murphy or knockeart got the ball they had 2 an 3 men on top of them. They had done their homework on Brighton very well.

I think we didn't play well but the opposition contributed to that. A lot of the other results went our way so we are still in and around the promotion area. Kayal got another game rested and all teams near the top except Burnley are dropping points as well, but even they are not winning ealily. They are getting out of jail by virtue or their strikers, so all is not lost. Onwards to the next game I say.

Oh and one final footnote. CH can't come out and say Ooops I got it wrong. Well not in public anyhow because if he does that how do you think they players he aims that at are going to feel. He might think it to himself and he might say it in the dressing room but he would be totally out of order to come out and say it in the press just because people on here want to hear it. He needs all his squad ''on side'' in the final games stating negatives in the press about players will not help that.

 

[Machiavelli]

Well here's my take on this thread...........I agree with a lot of it and all through the game I was slating Sidwell for lack of movement and not creating the angles that Kayal does for people to pass to him. He stood in same positions waiting for the ball to come to him rather than going looking for the ball; however, what I will say about Sidwell in his only defence. When Sheff wed were really on top in the last 20 minutes and a lot of the others were tiring. He did a lot of chasing and hustly players on the ball which allowed others to get behind the ball and grind out a point which I thought we were going to lose.

I had the benefit of speaking to certain people after the match and Kayal was rested because he is carrying a light injury and they are trying to ensure that is not aggravated and he ends up with a long stint out injured when we are getting to the serious run in to the season. If you look at the two games he was rested. The thing they had in common was the weather conditions. Heavy rain and a heavy pitch to play in. Perhaps that played a part in why Kayal did not feature as well - Just food for thought.

Very few of them played well and if I am honest I thought Stephens was actually worse than Sidwell. He gave the ball away so many times and put us in trouble a lot. And finally, I would also give a lot of credit to Sheff Wed and their manager. Evert time Murphy or knockeart got the ball they had 2 an 3 men on top of them. They had done their homework on Brighton very well.

I think we didn't play well but the opposition contributed to that. A lot of the other results went our way so we are still in and around the promotion area. Kayal got another game rested and all teams near the top except Burnley are dropping points as well, but even they are not winning ealily. They are getting out of jail by virtue or their strikers, so all is not lost. Onwards to the next game I say.

Interesting. Thanks for this, and the heavy pitch + Kayal absence now makes sense. That said, it makes CH's comment in The Argus about leaving him out for 'squad rotation' reasons looking somewhat suspect.

 

[NooBHA]

Interesting. Thanks for this, and the heavy pitch + Kayal absence now makes sense. That said, it makes CH's comment in The Argus about leaving him out for 'squad rotation' reasons looking somewhat suspect.

I have added a para to my original post. And I actually did it before I seen your post, so it wasn't in response to this. It was just something I had overlooked

 

[Mellor 3 Ward 4]

Well here's my take on this thread...........I agree with a lot of it and all through the game I was slating Sidwell for lack of movement and not creating the angles that Kayal does for people to pass to him. He stood in same positions waiting for the ball to come to him rather than going looking for the ball; however, what I will say about Sidwell in his only defence. When Sheff wed were really on top in the last 20 minutes and a lot of the others were tiring. He did a lot of chasing and hustly players on the ball which allowed others to get behind the ball and grind out a point which I thought we were going to lose.

I had the benefit of speaking to certain people after the match and Kayal was rested because he is carrying a light injury and they are trying to ensure that is not aggravated and he ends up with a long stint out injured when we are getting to the serious run in to the season. If you look at the two games he was rested. The thing they had in common was the weather conditions. Heavy rain and a heavy pitch to play in. Perhaps that played a part in why Kayal did not feature as well - Just food for thought.

Very few of them played well and if I am honest I thought Stephens was actually worse than Sidwell. He gave the ball away so many times and put us in trouble a lot. And finally, I would also give a lot of credit to Sheff Wed and their manager. Evert time Murphy or knockeart got the ball they had 2 an 3 men on top of them. They had done their homework on Brighton very well.

I think we didn't play well but the opposition contributed to that. A lot of the other results went our way so we are still in and around the promotion area. Kayal got another game rested and all teams near the top except Burnley are dropping points as well, but even they are not winning ealily. They are getting out of jail by virtue or their strikers, so all is not lost. Onwards to the next game I say.

Oh and one final footnote. CH can't come out and say Ooops I got it wrong. Well not in public anyhow because if he does that how do you think they players he aims that at are going to feel. He might think it to himself and he might say it in the dressing room but he would be totally out of order to come out and say it in the press just because people on here want to hear it. He needs all his squad ''on side'' in the final games stating negatives in the press about players will not help that.

Agree with pretty much all of that except the comment about Stephens. He wasn't great, but he was certainly better than Sidwell.

 

[NooBHA]

Agree with pretty much all of that except the comment about Stephens. He wasn't great, but he was certainly better than Sidwell.

Perhaps we just have to disagree. I happen to think that Stephens is one of the most influential player in the side but last night he put the defence in trouble a lot. Whilst Sidwell was unproductive, he wasn't destructive. Especially 2nd half I recall 3 different occasions Stephens put the defence in trouble.

I know I am biased about Murphy but that lad covered an immense amount of ground last night getting back defending as well as getting forward when he could. H was ovemarked most of the game and he struggled a bit but defensively he put in a good nights work

 

[8ace]

Agree with pretty much all of that except the comment about Stephens. He wasn't great, but he was certainly better than Sidwell.

I think Stephens was guilty of trying to play too many risky balls as it was only him that would, Sidwell only wanted to give it simple.

 

[The Wizard]

Rusty & unfit/lacking match practice generally sums up his performance last night, he was lethargic and made no impact. Its so obvious how much drive Kayal gives the team, without him we have none it's as simple as that.

Onwards and upwards anyway, at least we didn't lose.

 

[herecomesaregular]

the fact that CH rested Kayal all game indicates to me that he thinks it's playoffs for us, top two is out of reach, and he's resting Kayal for the playoff games. he knows he's our most important player.

 

[Lifelong Supporter]

I think he wanted Sidwell for a bit more protection for the back 4. I think that bit worked. What did not work was the lack of Kayal to the offensive part of our game. Assuming Kayal plays in the next home game it will be interesting to see how his fitness goes.

I think there needs to be an appreciation that Wednesday were very well organised and it was just did not happen on the night for our widemen, whoever we tried. We drew against a top team, there is no disgrace in that.