Tex

[Skaville]

How many times has he looked completely out of his depth, lightweight, ineffective and unable to tackle?
!

This reminds me of Chris Waddle's complaints in All Played Out where he explained that he and John Barnes couldn't do it for England because when they played for the three lions they were expected to track back all the time. 25 years later you have the same problems with the English game. Give the likes of Tex a free reign. Let him hurt people with his sublime skill, touch and range of passing rather than expecting him to be combative with 16 stone centre halves. What would that achieve anyway?

 

[TonyW]

And one of the goals was set up by Elliott Bennet according to the BBC report

That must have been some pass.

 

[durrington gull]

Time to rest JFC.....long term !!!! With Stephens back soon and hopefully Kazenga, we won't need to see JFC for the rest of the season !!!!!

This with bells on!!! - another good result when JFC hasnt played, if JFC was fit then Tex would have been on the bench and we wouldn't have won - JFC needs to be on the bench - no more

 

[The Wizard]

Sublime. Simple as that, must do it again on a more consistent basis though otherwise he won't be in the team. He's young so naturally will be inconsistent so I guess it will come with age.

 

[Eggmundo]

He was good, but when you have the Machine that is Ince behind you, you never need look back and can concentrate on going forwards.

In other words I thought Ince was IMMENSE tonight.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

This with bells on!!! - another good result when JFC hasnt played, if JFC was fit then Tex would have been on the bench and we wouldn't have won - JFC needs to be on the bench - no more

Haven't you learnt any lessons from Barnes or let's get rid of the Welsh weasel (where have those posts gone since Fulham)?
JFC will play again & we'll win. Support the whole team.

 

[LamieRobertson]

He was good, but when you have the Machine that is Ince behind you, you never need look back and can concentrate on going forwards.

In other words I thought Ince was IMMENSE tonight.

Ince recently seems to have added an extra dimension to his game....he looks so much more comfortable on the ball and distribution wise

 

[pottert]

Time to rest JFC.....long term !!!! With Stephens back soon and hopefully Kazenga, we won't need to see JFC for the rest of the season !!!!!

JFC is 20 years old & a product of our youth system.
Tony bloom has invested 30m in a training ground but why has he bothered because any youngster that
The club try to integrate into the first team will never be given a chance to proove themselves until fans are willing to give them a chance.

 

[BrianWade4]

Deserved MOM

Toxteth and Ince good as well

 

[Mellor 3 Ward 4]

Amazing what happens when you play players in their correct positions.

Ince. Holla

Tex

It's not rocket science, and what lots of us have been calling for for months.

 

[Mowgli37]

Utterly sublime tonight. Bullied their defence and scored two crackers. First was a Vicentesque piece of magic and the second was very well taken, the sort we've seen Lampard hoover up for the past two decades.

 

[Soulman]

With Ince and Holla in midfield, O'Grady holding the play up and laying the ball off to feet, then Tex can come into his own. With the previous midfield of Gardner and JFC, he never had the support or back up to run the opposition ragged. A player like Tex puts the opposition on the back foot, if he has a solid midfield.

 

[Quinney]

Tex was fantastic tonight and Ipswich couldn't handle him. JFC has been played out of position for most of the season and looked better against Brentford pushed further forward. Both have plenty to offer, both need to be stronger and more consistent.

 

[Stat Brother]

This reminds me of Chris Waddle's complaints in All Played Out where he explained that he and John Barnes couldn't do it for England because when they played for the three lions they were expected to track back all the time. 25 years later you have the same problems with the English game. Give the likes of Tex a free reign. Let him hurt people with his sublime skill, touch and range of passing rather than expecting him to be combative with 16 stone centre halves. What would that achieve anyway?

Ok, but irrespective of what Tex's role is we've seen him not do it enough times this season to be cautious now.
His range of passing hasn't been obvious this season.
Where as his inability to get his head up and make the pass has been there for all to see.

If CH is his manager and the potential gets realised in this half of the season then fabulous.
But let's not back date it, just to have a dig at one of our actual players.

 

[BBassic]

When he scored his first me and my mates were going "Oh, here he goes again, trying to take them all on...OOOOH WHAT A GOAL!"

 

[Withdean11]

With Ince and Holla in midfield, O'Grady holding the play up and laying the ball off to feet, then Tex can come into his own. With the previous midfield of Gardner and JFC, he never had the support or back up to run the opposition ragged. A player like Tex puts the opposition on the back foot, if he has a solid midfield.

Was just about to post exactly that.

No surprise that in Tex's first couple of games for us, where he looked fantastic, (2 goals at Leeds) he played in front of Ince and Holla. When he was bullied out of the game, he played in front of JFC and Gardner.

Stupidity from Hyypia.

 

[spring hall convert]

A note of caution RE Texiera. Ipswich's strict 4-4-2 played into his hands and gave him room to operate in front of the back 4. As we've seen throughout this season he struggles to impose himself in games where teams have a player in front of the back 4 tasked with stopping him.

However, two things about last night I'd like to see continue that will benefit him, a more physical presence from O'Grady ensured the centre backs couldn't push up too much giving him even more room. Also Hughton doesn't seem to be so worried about Tex contributing defensively, which certainly at home and with 2 more defensively minded players behind him is wise.

 

[jackanada]

A note of caution RE Texiera. Ipswich's strict 4-4-2 played into his hands and gave him room to operate in front of the back 4. As we've seen throughout this season he struggles to impose himself in games where teams have a player in front of the back 4 tasked with stopping him.

However, two things about last night I'd like to see continue that will benefit him, a more physical presence from O'Grady ensured the centre backs couldn't push up too much giving him even more room. Also Hughton doesn't seem to be so worried about Tex contributing defensively, which certainly at home and with 2 more defensively minded players behind him is wise.

Good points. He is a small lightweight player so some of the beasts of the championship will simply hold him still if he's pushed up against them rather than being given licence to roam. Similarly in defence you can't expect too many crunching tackles or him to push players off the ball, but he can pester them and cut off some angles of pass.
I thought he did a reasonable amount defensively, and even slid into a couple of 50/50 challenges. There was one he bottled in the first minute, but then many larger and harder men than him would have bottled that one and if he had gone through with it I would not have been surprised if he was out for the rest of the season.

 

[spring hall convert]

Good points. He is a small lightweight player so some of the beasts of the championship will simply hold him still if he's pushed up against them rather than being given licence to roam. Similarly in defence you can't expect too many crunching tackles or him to push players off the ball, but he can pester them and cut off some angles of pass.
I thought he did a reasonable amount defensively, and even slid into a couple of 50/50 challenges. There was one he bottled in the first minute, but then many larger and harder men than him would have bottled that one and if he had gone through with it I would not have been surprised if he was out for the rest of the season.

Personally I'd like to see him pester and cut off angles but I really don't think it's in our interests to have him flying into tackles. He's a fragile player and we need to protect him, in return for that protection he needs to deliver more performances like last night.

The misuse of Tex was typical of Hyypia's refusal to acknowledge that all players have strengths and weaknesses. There's not point asking a lightweight player to get involved in a pysical battle. Either play someone else or ensure there is adequate cover.

 

[brightonrock]

He was excellent, can't it just be that, rather than an excuse to stick the boot in on another one of our players? JFC, if anything, has kept Ince/Holla out of the team - as Sami was playing him out of position in the deep protecting role in front of the back 4, where he was expected to break up play. And people wonder why he's not been at his best? Teixeira has also had plenty of games where he's flattered to deceive and been frustrating, a fact that's been conveniently forgotten by the few who desperately want to slag off JFC at any and every opportunity. Tex operated very well last night because there was so much room between the lines of Ipswich's rigid 442. In the 4231 Hughton appears to favour, I like Tex or JFC as the no10 - both are very aware of space and link up play well, both have a decent shot on them - and both should be excused for occasionally being bullied by blokes 10 years older and 4 stone heavier than them.