Didnt know what to expect, had hopes but didnt know what to expect.
With no strikers available, Perkins might have been given a chance but Farke stayed with a team full of wingers.
Thought we started ok, with good connection between Gnonto and Summerville, those two seem to bring out best of each other.
Gray did well, but got some minutes under belt, showed some flashes and I believe will improve into a really influential player for us,
Ampadu wasn't anything special, but these are early days, need to get used to this stadium, these fans and this team.
Struijk was labelled as great player in prem but wasn't, he didnt stand out at all in this game except for getting caught out of position again,
Ayling gets caught out of position focussing on Ramsey and Cardiff score with first attack of match.
Defence dont cover themselves with glory and Ayling gets caught out again 2-0.
I like Ayling but defensively naive today.
Great corner from Summerville now we dont have teh comedy duo of Harrison and Aaronson covering mouths and patting their heads and Cooper gets our season underway with a goal, but lands badly and its another one for the treatment table, giving a chance for Cresswell.
Sinisterra looks tricky as per usual but Cardiff had massed ranks and his and Gnonto's and Summerville's dancing around the box couldn't yield anything.
We really missed a target man.
Thought Cresswell looks a little naive coming forwards and this will be the worry for inexperienced players, he needed to be there with Cooper but circumstances dictate he's with Struijk and that was the problem.
Hjelde made way for Byram who offered something going forwards, but from left, as a right footed player always inclined to cut in.
So much mention of Farke's style but what is this style exactly?
Corners seem more effective and we create nerves in opponents with 3 wingers and James dancing around, but otherwise mideifleh looked lightweight and defence disorganised.
I thought our subs were a little too late and would have like to have seen Perkins on earlier.
Poveda can beat a man but then needs to learn to pass, gelhardt just didnt really get into match.
Summerville scores after another effort into box and he reacts teh quickest, he's good at that and it felt like no more than our front line deserved for all their efforts.
So a sum up:
Work in Progress
Bench looks really really light
We need a target man
Farke needs to make big decision about Ayling
I really hope that the comeback doesnt give impression to owners that all is well. This was a team most people think will be relegated, who have really struggled to score goals and suffering a transfer embargo and we really laboured against them.
That's 2 points dropped for me, support Farke in getting inbounds, lets get through cup game and hope Cooper ok.
For anyone expecting to get out of ground at 16:15 for train etc, think again this season with all this added time!
Thoughts from today
posted on 6/8/23
Fair point Earl.
posted on 6/8/23
comment by Batty (U4664)
posted 3 minutes ago
Fair point Earl.
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Won't disagree with Bamford and anyhow your views on him have become legendary on 606
posted on 6/8/23
comment by milkyboy (U12731)
posted 2 hours, 7 minutes ago
comment by Kebablegs (U17699)
posted 1 hour, 8 minutes ago
We have got to sort out this defence. Either with better coaching or different players.
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…. That’s 6 managers if you include Skoobs who couldn’t sort the defence out, so I’m sticking with my original theory that we need different players. It’s largely been individual errors not system issues.
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Agree with this, Struijk for me is a perfect example.
I think he's a distinctly average player at best, but as with any young player who comes into team they're held up as the latest great white hope.
He never really delivered, always seemed to be in pictures of goals scored against, completely out of position.
This isn't meant to be a go at him, but an observation of the quality of player that comes in how fans hype them up and they dont deliver.
Barry Douglas could be seen as similar, we're now going to tear up the league and he's score loads of set pieces, he was really poor for us, and then of course Firpo.
posted on 7/8/23
People blaming Ayling for the first goal. I did too until I realised his position was more right wing than fullback, first half.
I just couldn’t work out the system but I’m pretty certain Ayling was told to play there.
Second half he was much better, as were most of the team.
posted on 7/8/23
Good summary, Batty, I agree with everything you said. We were playing one of our bogey teams, so to come back from two down was a good fightback from us. We have found our fighting spirit - we would have lost that last season.
We have to give credit to Cardiff for their excellent defending. Their goalie was immense and as usual, the referee helped out by denying us at least two solid penalty shouts in my view. Welcome back to the Championship. Remember that season we went forty games without a penalty?
This was a park-the-bus game and we can expect many more of them, but I can see us grabbing a few away wins too with the forward talent we have. I thought we looked better with Cresswell and Byram on the pitch, but they still created a chance down our left.
If the 49ers can't see what we need to win this league, they need a box full of white sticks.
Well done to Farke. In a short period of time, he has the players playing for the badge, and they kept going till the end. Not the best start, but at last, we showed character. The players should feel proud of themselves after that performance.
posted on 7/8/23
comment by Stoopo (U4707)
posted 5 hours, 41 minutes ago
People blaming Ayling for the first goal. I did too until I realised his position was more right wing than fullback, first half.
I just couldn’t work out the system but I’m pretty certain Ayling was told to play there.
Second half he was much better, as were most of the team.
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Do you think a younger pair of legs would have made any difference (talking Drameh here) and also with a better defender in Byram who knew the system in the second half, did it give us better balance?
posted on 7/8/23
One more thought, it was nice to see the maestro back at the ground yesterday, they should sign him up.
posted on 7/8/23
comment by Elsbels - El Mago (U21658)
posted 16 minutes ago
One more thought, it was nice to see the maestro back at the ground yesterday, they should sign him up.
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I was thinking the same when I saw him!
posted on 7/8/23
We could do with an older head in the middle just to calm things down a tad
posted on 7/8/23
comment by Elsbels - El Mago (U21658)
posted 6 hours, 52 minutes ago
comment by Stoopo (U4707)
posted 5 hours, 41 minutes ago
People blaming Ayling for the first goal. I did too until I realised his position was more right wing than fullback, first half.
I just couldn’t work out the system but I’m pretty certain Ayling was told to play there.
Second half he was much better, as were most of the team.
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Do you think a younger pair of legs would have made any difference (talking Drameh here) and also with a better defender in Byram who knew the system in the second half, did it give us better balance?
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Not really because by the look of the set up Ayling was told to play much further forward than he normally plays. The key for me was that if we want to play like that then we have to have three at centre back. Otherwise we are open to the type of attack that got them the first goal.
In the first half Ayling played like a right winger. None of Gnonto, Summerville, Sinestera or James played on that wing. So we had a packed midfield with no width on the right other than Ayling. It was an accident just waiting to happen and the coach has to be responsible for that.
Byram certainly made a huge difference and we saw the best of James then. Also we saw the likes of Sini and Gnonto move wide right at times. This helped Ayling too.
Bottom line is that Ayling isn’t the future but can still cover for right back and centre back. Drameh has to play right back and Byram looks comfy on the left.
If Adams goes then get another DM and surely a striker is going to be the top of the list. In this league I’d be going for Danny Ings or someone like him. Experienced, tough and can find the net.
I expect Adams and at least one of Sini, Gnonto and Summerville to go. Maybe two if we keep hold of Jack.