A rare chance to watch a match with the rain today.
We needed a win to keep on the coach tails of the runaway leaders and full strength side meant we had great chance.
We looked ok, but a bit vulnerable to good through balls, defence doesn't quite seem right and indeed when they attacked we often had 10 men between goalie and 18 yard line, sometimes getting in each other's way.
Going forward though look more effective, and having 2 effective wingers causes teams all sorts of problems and a lovely pass from Rutter set up James who is surely in the form of his career this season and delivering an end product at last.
We looked relatively comfortable in midfield but Byram and Gray weren't having a comfortable time and if Blackburn hadn't turned back on some attacks we might have faced a bit more danger.
Thought Blackburn were coming into it more at end of first half and that we needed another goal.
Ref didn't seem to be giving anything their way and a penalty shout that commentators thought was a dead cert (I didn't), wasn't given.
Gray who is a fill in at right back, showed why I think he's more valuable further up the pitch with a wonderful instinctive pass to Summerville for us to double our lead.
Thought Summerville was really good today but Rutter was a bit overhyped today, thought he played ok, not great and Piroe very quiet.
Overall dont think we looked anything special, BUT we got the win away from home with a clean sheet and hopefully no injuries.
have to be picking up 3 points in games like this if we want to break into top 2 and that's exactly what we did, can have no complaints today.
If you allow yourself to think forwards though, this team will need a rebuild if promoted. I'm not sure all players would make step up and I for one don't want any of the Marsch players we loaned out coming back.
But first things first, let's do our best to get up and can't ask for much more than what we got today.
Thoughts from today
posted on 9/12/23
comment by Batty (U4664)
posted 1 hour, 34 minutes ago
I think we have a very good squad. Equal to Leicester.
We're the class of this division squad-wise. And for me,
Kamara would do just fine in the Prem. Intelligent player.
If the 49ers think longer term, then they should be adding two or three Prem level players in January. Or at the very least, two or three top level Championship
players who could hold their own in the Prem. Then
we'd have arguably the best squad in this division.
Solid win today, away from home against a tidy side.
Count me as happy.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Batty
posted on 9/12/23
comment by Batty (U4664)
posted 1 hour, 34 minutes ago
I think we have a very good squad. Equal to Leicester.
We're the class of this division squad-wise. And for me,
Kamara would do just fine in the Prem. Intelligent player.
If the 49ers think longer term, then they should be adding two or three Prem level players in January. Or at the very least, two or three top level Championship
players who could hold their own in the Prem. Then
we'd have arguably the best squad in this division.
Solid win today, away from home against a tidy side.
Count me as happy.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Batty
posted on 9/12/23
* computer glitch .. apologies for posting twice
posted on 10/12/23
Well, a long way to go yet and as said above, there’s a number of 6-pointers coming up (must-wins Spanish?😁) but if we do end up in play-offs, we’ll win them👍.
posted on 10/12/23
Didn't think Summerville did much apart from the goal to be honest. Rutter had a hand in both goals.
posted on 10/12/23
It sounded from the commentary that Summerville was quite effectively man-marked by a Blackburn player called Hill yesterday. He sounded quite handy and was mentioned on numerous occasions listening on LUTV.
But he couldn't stop the mighty midget from bagging another beautifully taken goal, flicked nonchalantly with the outside of the boot, cool as a cucumber. Just. fuqqing. beautiful.
Full on again for Sunderland, please. Have never forgiven Porterfield and Stokoe, so let's turn up the dial and smash'em!
posted on 10/12/23
Good solid controlled performance, almost as comfortable as I would like.
posted on 10/12/23
comment by Jaz63 (U8369)
posted 2 hours, 38 minutes ago
It sounded from the commentary that Summerville was quite effectively man-marked by a Blackburn player called Hill yesterday. He sounded quite handy and was mentioned on numerous occasions listening on LUTV.
But he couldn't stop the mighty midget from bagging another beautifully taken goal, flicked nonchalantly with the outside of the boot, cool as a cucumber. Just. fuqqing. beautiful.
Full on again for Sunderland, please. Have never forgiven Porterfield and Stokoe, so let's turn up the dial and smash'em!
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"Full on again for Sunderland, please. Have never forgiven Porterfield and Stokoe"
Hopefully they wont be involved Tuesday
posted on 11/12/23
Great to see you back, Jonty, I have missed your thoughts. This one is contentious:
'I'm not sure all players would make step up '
Do you remember when we got promoted under Bielsa, and everyone said we needed a new striker because Bamford would never cut it at Premier level? A lot of posters are saying the same thing about players like DJ, whose game has improved massively this season. Can he do it in the Premier League? Well, this is the first time we have seen him play for an extended period in his natural position and I am sure there are Premier league teams looking at him, thinking he could do a job for them.
He is ripping this league apart at the moment and is a better player than Harrison was at this level, in terms of his output this season. Harrison is a Premier league player, probably at the right level at the moment. DJ, in my view, is a level above Harrison and, I would suggest, has a higher ceiling, if his progress this season is anything to go by.
As for the rest - Cree and Rutter have the tools to manage at Premier level, but Piroe has yet to really prove himself.
We do make give the ball away quite a lot and rely on our strike force to get us results, and they have been doing this with regularity. In summary, I think our front four could keep us up in the Premier League, given their current form.
Which means that Dyche will be coming in for all of them at the end of the season if we don't get promoted.
posted on 11/12/23
...and I didn't even mention Gnonto and Anthony, both proven in the Premier League, unable to get regular time in our first-team at the moment.