Post by Red, Red & Red on Aug 5, 2017 21:46:35 GMT
Can anyone translate aussie "we were too busy fighting" from HK post match report on twitter? That was supposed to be football not Boxing. Really he needs to leave the talking to someone else as what he had to say was as baffling as taking Enzio off.
1st half was so bad I wouldn't know where to start. We were awful it was like boys playing a team of men. Only positive was the second half was better. But HK's tactics and substitutions were bizarre, a total mystery, we get a goal back and are looking like we can get back in the game. So why make changes at that point. Surely he can see the defence is struggling why take off Yorwerth. I can just understand the Roberts for cox substitution. But finally he takes off are best attacker Enzio and brings on Lewis. If he had to tinker why didnt he take TV off and bring on Harrold ? Once Enzio went off it just fell apart and we quickly paid for the Yorwerth substitution, game over.
I hope HK learns quickly, otherwise its going to be a long season......
Port Vale won because in a word they were STRONGER than us... clinical & cynical too.
We made a couple of decent chances early on and looked good when we attacked with pace. Enzio's goal was a thing of beauty, it started on our own goaline and I suspect Vale were thinking he'd run out of puff and that is why they stood off him. TV did some tidy work but it was completely wasted without anyone nearby, however there is definitely something to build on and I think Randall is a real asset. We had a great spell in the 2nd half, really uplifting stuff, but it fell apart when Enzio & Roberts were withdrawn.
The subs backfired, we needed speed & flair and I thought Camara & Sanoh had been signed to provide that..?
Despite the result, it was great to be back and I even enjoyed meeting up again with some of you miserable gits. Message to HK: we need to toughen up, mastering the dark arts is part & parcel of life in League two.
Worth saying as a plus side that I thought the atmosphere was pretty good for a home game yesterday, even when we were 2-0 down.
Not that it really counts for much, but I also thought Kewell's post match interview was a lot better than the usual stuff Drummy used to come out with after a defeat. Much more direct with his criticism of the team and where he thinks we went wrong. Let's hope he can put it into practise.
We were simply bullied out of it- Vale were a nasty team who played exactly the same as their manager used to- I'm ashamed that he shares my name!
Fully agree, I thought that Port Vale had done their homework. From the start they put 2 defenders on TV, then spent the rest of the first half trying to rough us up. in the second half there substitution after they went 3-1 up was a lesson in time wasting. They called over a player whilst the intended player to be substituted walked to the furthest corner of the pitch. Then when his number went up he was able to walk slowly accross the pitch.
Whilst there were a lot of possitives to be taken from our 2 nd half performance,we have a lot to learn in dealing with opponents gamesmanship.
HK mentioned that they new of the threat Port Vale were from dead ball situations, why the did we give away stupid free kicks.
Worth saying as a plus side that I thought the atmosphere was pretty good for a home game yesterday, even when we were 2-0 down.
Not that it really counts for much, but I also thought Kewell's post match interview was a lot better than the usual stuff Drummy used to come out with after a defeat. Much more direct with his criticism of the team and where he thinks we went wrong. Let's hope he can put it into practise.
Was he also critical of himself though, taking off our best player, playing Yorwerth in a strange role in front of defence and looking totally lost (the whole midfield looked much more comfortable when Yorwerth replaced by Payne). All for dishing out the (constructive) criticism where it lies but hopefully it will not be done to deflect from him when warranted
Post by scaynes hill red on Aug 6, 2017 11:08:22 GMT
I agree Port Vale niggled away at us thru the first half and we just fell into it just like they planned I suspect thats what H meant by fighting there were lots of little skirmishes going on and the ref did very little to stop it. Two set pieces from stupid fouls given away outside the area did for us. Second hand different attitude and different team ie different result we nearly got back on terms. Then we ball watch and they get an easy breakaway.
Still early days and there will be worse teams than PV i hope On balance I enjoyed the game and there were lots of positives Bully back Randall good Even Lelan had good second half, Enzio good hope he is not injured as the goal threat went when he did, Roberts was ok as was Young in second half Evina seems a good left back too. Glen had nothing to do except take the ball out of the net I woluld like Conns to think more about his distribution may be just pass to Bully! Yorworth worries me with his red mist moments. I think Payne did a good job when he came on our play was better from then on, still not seeing the best of Cox, TV not yet integrated so will wait and see
Generally I think people are right to give more credit to Port Vale than simply dismissing them as a poor team. I was worried when I saw names like Michael Tonge, Danny Pugh, Anthony Kay, Lawrie Wilson etc these are players who are winners and have 100s of Football League victories between them.
In contrast we have good players like Boldewijn and Roberts who make appallingly dumb mistakes in giving away the 2 free kicks. Tonge had the class to punish us, game over.
For sure Vale then defended from 30 mins, dropped back and made us look much better than them, particularly in midfield. But I take only minor comfort from that as they were letting us do it, relying on the game finishing counterattack goal. It came and game over for a second time.
Port Vale gave us a grownup football lesson - be better in both boxes. Unless Kewell learns this quick, his stay will be short, I don't think the Turks will have the patience they showed Drummy.
Good performance - Lelan who finally looked like a footballer and I take back my criticism of him. Enzio is our best player by miles but hopefully won't be called on to do too much defending. Randall, Bully, Young, Evina all looked good but need to do it against teams not surrendering territory.
TV ineffective but I thought the PV number 24 who was detailed to batter him (good scouting from last weeks when Pompey centre backs stood off him) was lucky that Breakspear was letting so many fouls go, one barge looked like a clear penalty to me. TV will learn and adapt better than he showed yesterday. He should have been subbed after 60 as he is not a 90 min footballer but Kewell's stupid decision to have Harrold rather than Camera (weak management to keep senior player happy?) meant TV kept on too long
Generally I think people are right to give more credit to Port Vale than simply dismissing them as a poor team.
They aren't a poor team, they are a strong team... while we were having a lot of success down the flanks I wouldn't have minded seeing MH paired with TV - not one for the purists - but I've read the "art of war" and the quickest route to victory is to disrupt the opposition command & control, we never achieved that even when we were out-playing them.
Generally I think people are right to give more credit to Port Vale than simply dismissing them as a poor team.
They aren't a poor team, they are a strong team... while we were having a lot of success down the flanks I wouldn't have minded seeing MH paired with TV - not one for the purists - but I've read the "art of war" and the quickest route to victory is to disrupt the opposition command & control, we never achieved that even when we were out-playing them.
Enzio certainly disrupted their command and control on their right side, it was complete panic and no.2 was only saved by a poor ref and Harry Kewell taking pity on him. Completely killed the game after that with Lewis looking like a fish out of water much as TV did. Against Portsmouth he was dishing out the punishment but also moving well and laying the ball off, here he looked completely out of his depth and too static, and to bring on Harrold would have meant two lamposts! Also Lewis Young got several decent crosses in and there were one or two others but TV never even tried to get in on them. Would love to know why Camara wasnt in the squad, in some ways hope it was an injury otherwise baffling? Lelan does look marginally better as a centre back reacting to stuff, but it all looked a bit confusing second half as wasnt sure if Lewis Young was also playing at the back as well (felt he dropped deeper second half?) and despite having men in the box for their third goal nobody was anywhere near (including Morris) the player who had a free header on the edge of the 6 yard box.
Think we got the result we deserved sadly. I like seeing TV up front as it reminds me that there is someone slower than me and still breathing about. Weirdest substitution taking Enzio off, half expected to see their manage hug HK for that move, if he wasn't injured then it was a shocking tactical decision. I had opened my mouth too soon as just as I said we hadn't conceded in open play we rectified that. Thought Connolly and Evina had good games and Payne was far better than Yorweth. Definitely going to struggle up front unless we can have a forward that moves quicker than a glacier. We did some nice play in the middle of the park and breaking forward but there was nobody that was going to trouble their defenders at the end of it. Tuesday will be a tough game but hopefully a good day out, been a while since I've been Birmingham.
and as for Lewis, I think Kewell himself had more touches of a ball this afternoon.
Be fair, in order to touch the ball you first have to have it passed to you - something that didn't happen to Lewis who took some good positions wide on the left.........