Why Chris?

[trueblue]

The moment Skalak's name was announced I knew we'd get this usual scapegoating. (Good to see Bong getting some action too)

Solly has been comparatively poor in all his starts since his performance as a substitute v Leeds.
He may well have not bothered to play v Norwich.

But no once again Solly is the hero Jiri the villain.

This. March's style is more exciting to watch but he didn't deserve to start after Norwich. Whether most of the time he achieves more than Skalak is debatable. The need some have for scapegoats is pathetic.

 

[goldstone]

I felt the same when we played Norwich.I understood playing Murphy alongside Murray but why did he put Stephens on the bench.****ing crazy.
Today's selection was also baffling playing Skalak instead of March.



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The manager takes a good deal of the blame for both defeats for the reasons stated above. If he was not going to start March yesterday, then second choice had to be Murphy, not Skalak. And incidentally, why not give Rosenior some game time. At least he would have given 100%.

 

[Stat Brother]

The manager takes a good deal of the blame for both defeats for the reasons stated above. If he was not going to start March yesterday, then second choice had to be Murphy, not Skalak. And incidentally, why not give Rosenior some game time. At least he would have given 100%.

Murphy isn't a crosserinerer he all about cutting in.

With Murray and Hemed lumbering around up front, CH had a simple choice the poor form March or dead ball specialist Skalak.

If you want someone to blame for yesterday's debacle it's the same people to blame for last seasons failings.
3 recognised strikers, esp when 2 are cut from the same cloth, isn't going to get the job done.

Luckily this year that just was winning the whole thing, not automatic promotion or a play off place.

 

[OvingdeanSeagull]

Criticizing the selection of Skalak isn't scapegoating, it's a completely fair observation imo. He can't be blamed for the team's performance as a whole, but seriously, when was the last time he did ANYTHING of note? I can't remember the last time he even made a good pass. He's not even close to being up to this level whereas March, whilst admittedly inconsistent, is a far bigger talent who creates far more and will go much further in his career. Murphy too is far superior to Skalak. It's just odd to me how Chris can make such a decision in such an important game, there was no excuse not to go all out attack yesterday

 

[trueblue]

Outside of our central strikers and the class apart Knockaert, Skalak has set up more goals than anyone in the squad.

 

[osgood]

I felt the same when we played Norwich.I understood playing Murphy alongside Murray but why did he put Stephens on the bench.****ing crazy.
Today's selection was also baffling playing Skalak instead of March.



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all of this , and a rest for Bruno after a long season ?

 

[Weststander]

Murphy isn't a crosserinerer he all about cutting in.

With Murray and Hemed lumbering around up front, CH had a simple choice the poor form March or dead ball specialist Skalak.

If you want someone to blame for yesterday's debacle it's the same people to blame for last seasons failings.
3 recognised strikers, esp when 2 are cut from the same cloth, isn't going to get the job done.

Luckily this year that just was winning the whole thing, not automatic promotion or a play off place.

Agree with your comments about the striking options, it's been obvious for a long time. M'boro are going down largely due to a lack of goals. To NOT replicate that, we must buy two top flight quality strikers this summer, at least one with great pace. Even if we play 4-5-1, with injuries, striker options are a must.

 

[Stat Brother]

Agree with your comments about the striking options, it's been obvious for a long time. M'boro are going down largely due to a lack of goals. To NOT replicate that, we must buy two top flight quality strikers this summer, at least one with great pace. Even if we play 4-5-1, with injuries, striker options are a must.

There was a Bruno cross into the box maybe with about 10-15 minutes to go, and Tomer was the only Albion player in the penalty area.

Showing that kind of acumen any neutral watching would have thought City were on their way, as Brighton hoped to save themselves from relegation.

 

[Acker79]

My concern is the number of changes Chris has been making recently. Wigan - Bong, Norwich - Pog, Bristol - Bong. Of course Bong is gonna be below par if he is in and out of the team. Same for Kayal, Hemed, Skalak/March. If this was Ranieri we'd be calling him tinkerman. There doesn't seem to be any sense to the chopping and changing, since we seemed to be trying to play the same way i.e. the changes aren't explained by different approaches.

It's great we're promoted, but going from 7 points clear with 3 games to play, looking at the title and a 100+ points tally, we're now not even sure we're going to win the title no additional goals, no additional points. Again, I don't want to say we're choking, but we seem to lack the intensity to finish the season off successfully of late. It's certainly been a few years since we ended the season with a win (the 13/14 season with the win v Forest). Longer if we include play off matches (09/10 was the last time I last match was a win if we include play offs).

 

[OvingdeanSeagull]

Outside of our central strikers and the class apart Knockaert, Skalak has set up more goals than anyone in the squad.

Indeed, he has 5 assists. 3 of which were in the 5-0 vs Norwich (he has his moments), and this was also the last/most recent time he assisted this season. So he's done nothing since October. At the risk of sounding a bit Withdean Wanderer, what exactly does he do?

 

[BensGrandad]

There can be no denying CH made a mistake picking Skalak and in fact all the praise as regards his deadball situations hasnt brought us much this season Others have done better and I think that he will struggle to make the 25 man squad. Is he our equivalent of Norwich Van whats his name who CH bought so had to play him?

 

[Triggaaar]

Today's selection was also baffling playing Skalak instead of March.

Possibly because Baldock was out, and Chris thought crosses for Hemed and Murray were the answer (turns out they weren't) and a fresh Solly against a tiring City could have worked. It's not like we were brilliant in the second half when Solly was on.

 

[sir albion]

The moment Skalak's name was announced I knew we'd get this usual scapegoating. (Good to see Bong getting some action too)

Solly has been comparatively poor in all his starts since his performance as a substitute v Leeds.
He may well have not bothered to play v Norwich.

But no once again Solly is the hero Jiri the villain.

It's because jiri is shite it's that simple

 

[chaileyjem]

we should have started with Solly on the left and Knocky on the right and stretched them and really gone for it.

We were set up like that for all of the 2nd half. 49 minutes of it.

No goals or much else resulted.

 

[symyjym]

They all worked hard yesterday but were not reading from the same page, which will be punished in the Prem.

I think the squad need a break and to reflect on things, but they all need retuning and a disciplined preseason for the task ahead. Playing like yesterday will see us thumped every week. Every cross has to meet the target area so it doesn't matter how good you are with the ball at your feet if the crosses and end product are weak.

After the break there is a serious amount of work to do.

 

[Bold Seagull]

They all worked hard yesterday but were not reading from the same page, which will be punished in the Prem.

I think the squad need a break and to reflect on things, but they all need retuning and a disciplined preseason for the task ahead. Playing like yesterday will see us thumped every week. Every cross has to meet the target area so it doesn't matter how good you are with the ball at your feet if the crosses and end product are weak.

After the break there is a serious amount of work to do.

Actually, I thought a lot of the crosses were pretty decent, we just didn't ever get enough bodies in the box to meet them. I didn't know where Hemed was half the time, Murray was often the only player in there making it so easy for 2 big centre halves to deal with it. Perhaps Hemed was too busy trying to be a no.10, when second half we just needed 2 no.9s going at them from the positions we got in. Agree, a few were apparently doing great impressions of players who might struggle to make the step up.

 

[chaileyjem]

if you want someone to blame for yesterday's debacle it's the same people to blame for last seasons failings.
3 recognised strikers, esp when 2 are cut from the same cloth, isn't going to get the job done.

the job is Done. Honestly.

and those 3 have been astonishing scoring goals left, right and centre.. Can't believe this sort of stuff.

 

[nicko31]

Or maybe it's a bunch of fans that support a club that doesn't have a cabinet full of silverware and are desperate to win one of its biggest trophys in its history.

I question the mindset of those "fans" who don't seem that bothered we could cock up one of our biggest chances ever to bring to the club something we might not get the chance to win again.

Agree never won the 2nd tier in 116 years, huge cock up yesterday. Still 3rd time lucky at Villa

 

[Stat Brother]

the job is Done. Honestly.

and those 3 have been astonishing scoring goals left, right and centre.. Can't believe this sort of stuff.

You best take that up with those who are complaining.

 

[Stat Brother]

It's because jiri is shite it's that simple

Irrespective there's no need to start sharpening pencils before Ring of Fire!