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How did we play first half yesterday? 08:11 - Feb 9 with 3025 viewsFixed_It

Not sure it is as doom and gloom as everyone is making out. Don't get me wrong - the situation isn't great but...
[Post edited 9 Feb 2020 8:11]

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How did we play first half yesterday? on 08:19 - Feb 9 with 2986 viewspeterleeblue

Played well and dominated territory. Created a few half chances and should have gone in at least 1-0 up. The real problem yesterday was when Sunderland stepped up 2nd half we had no answer. They pushed our wing backs back and nullified us. Lambert had no answers to that. I see a lot of Sunderland up here and actually I felt that was quiet a mediocre performance from them and yet ran out comfortable 1-0 winners in the end.

Ipswich are enigma. We look the part are physically at the races but really lack the pace to hurt teams. Worryingly if we had the pace I am not sure Norwood / Keane would have the guile to get on the end of anything. Like most mediocre teams we are lacking in the final third as 1 goal in the last 3 games highlights. There may be a way back to the play offs from here but 3 5 2 simply is not working.

Oh and Kenlock is not a footballer!! Is he?
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How did we play first half yesterday? on 08:24 - Feb 9 with 2951 viewsblueconscience

We may have played well for a half, but football matches consist of 2 halves!!!!

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How did we play first half yesterday? on 08:24 - Feb 9 with 2953 viewssparks

How did we play first half yesterday? on 08:19 - Feb 9 by peterleeblue

Played well and dominated territory. Created a few half chances and should have gone in at least 1-0 up. The real problem yesterday was when Sunderland stepped up 2nd half we had no answer. They pushed our wing backs back and nullified us. Lambert had no answers to that. I see a lot of Sunderland up here and actually I felt that was quiet a mediocre performance from them and yet ran out comfortable 1-0 winners in the end.

Ipswich are enigma. We look the part are physically at the races but really lack the pace to hurt teams. Worryingly if we had the pace I am not sure Norwood / Keane would have the guile to get on the end of anything. Like most mediocre teams we are lacking in the final third as 1 goal in the last 3 games highlights. There may be a way back to the play offs from here but 3 5 2 simply is not working.

Oh and Kenlock is not a footballer!! Is he?


Kenlock was very good indeed first half.

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How did we play first half yesterday? on 08:25 - Feb 9 with 2952 viewsChrisd

How did we play first half yesterday? on 08:24 - Feb 9 by blueconscience

We may have played well for a half, but football matches consist of 2 halves!!!!


And this problem keeps resurfacing time and again and nothing seems to change.

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How did we play first half yesterday? on 08:57 - Feb 9 with 2904 viewsFtnfwest

The game was a bit more wind assisted than we thought tbh although it wasn’t consistent and was swirling around rather than in one direction all the time, by and large we had it with us first half. We played it very well by keeping it on the deck most of the time but now and again playing a ball over the top, but not too high to Norwood/Keane etc (the mistake was not having Jackson on as Keane particularly is fast enough to take advantage).
I was with Sunderland supporting friends below the town fans who, even after an hour of the game openly admitted they’d be delighted with a point.
Sunderland came out second half and had a go but we withstood that quite well for 10 minutes and it was only a bit later into the half that we lost shape and started inviting them on. I did notice wolfy going to right back and wondered what on Earth was going on though I must admit.
Briefly in terms of the players:
Holy - Ok and better than Norris. Came out of his box first half a bit wildly on one occasion but at least committed himself rather than dithered.
Donacien - alright defensively but offers little else.
Wolf - solid in the position he actually plays.
Chambers - sad to say but finished
Wilson - not good enough, no quality. Only adequate as cover maybe.
Kenlock - ditto, gets to a point when he just starts grabbing opposition players to stop them (frequently).
Nolan - good in the first half and not that bad second but you feel this is his level.
Skuse - getting more limited now no question but with better defensive cover could still play this level.
Downes - good, was getting a Bumpy ride from the Sunderland midfield at times but looks more mature now and played through it.
Keane - I think had one or two headed chances but don’t see too much in him, especially when played with Norwood - it’s either one with Jackson in my book.
Norwood - missed a good chance but was overall unlucky I thought, better positionally than Keane but subbed instead of him for some reason.
Earl - strong, quite liked the look of him although he looked like he was going to a fancy dress party.
Huws - didn’t have much time but sauntered around for a bit.
Overall - not the game that’s got us where we are, there have been a number of other far more abject displays than that, but disappointing given the first half performance.
A big problem for me is that the squad that performed so appallingly last season is pretty much intact and despite a few bright spots (players that will probably be sold in the summer) has been allowed to soldier on this season. Even if it still does achieve promotion, it’s not good enough. We need far more of a ‘from scratch’ approach I’m afraid, which may already have been in Lamberts mind anyway.
In terms of him I just don’t see anything there that suggests he really knows what he’s doing though. Certainly nothing that’s innovative or gives us, as others have said, a recognisable style of play. Just seems too much of an old school motivator to me.
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How did we play first half yesterday? on 08:59 - Feb 9 with 2900 viewsMullet

I went into detail somewhere further down the board, but that first half was as good as anything for weeks.

People can take that as they choose.

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How did we play first half yesterday? on 09:33 - Feb 9 with 2754 viewstextbackup

We lost, again, to a team in top 8

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How did we play first half yesterday? on 09:36 - Feb 9 with 2738 viewssparks

How did we play first half yesterday? on 09:33 - Feb 9 by textbackup

We lost, again, to a team in top 8


We lost, away, to a big club in fantastic form, by a single goal.

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How did we play first half yesterday? on 09:37 - Feb 9 with 2734 viewsBackToRussia

The real worry is why we are unable to sustain good play for more than a half. Even when we win, you've no certainty that that momentum will be carried forward.

Does Lambert show them a sad movie in the half time break or something?

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How did we play first half yesterday? on 09:43 - Feb 9 with 2701 viewstextbackup

How did we play first half yesterday? on 09:36 - Feb 9 by sparks

We lost, away, to a big club in fantastic form, by a single goal.


I mean, you’re not worried about how sht we’ve been? Dropped out of playoffs?
Hope you clapped the players loudly yesterday

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How did we play first half yesterday? on 09:45 - Feb 9 with 2691 viewssparks

How did we play first half yesterday? on 09:43 - Feb 9 by textbackup

I mean, you’re not worried about how sht we’ve been? Dropped out of playoffs?
Hope you clapped the players loudly yesterday


Yes. That's precisely what I said....

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How did we play first half yesterday? on 09:49 - Feb 9 with 2665 viewsHerbivore

How did we play first half yesterday? on 09:43 - Feb 9 by textbackup

I mean, you’re not worried about how sht we’ve been? Dropped out of playoffs?
Hope you clapped the players loudly yesterday


Were Bournemouth playing yesterday?

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How did we play first half yesterday? on 09:52 - Feb 9 with 2659 viewsHarry_Palmer

How did we play first half yesterday? on 09:36 - Feb 9 by sparks

We lost, away, to a big club in fantastic form, by a single goal.


Nice try, but there really is no way to put a positive spin on yesterday or indeed our current form.

We have just lost 3 on the bounce, all against promotion rivals and gone from 1st to 7th in the league. We conceded 6 goals in those games and scored 1 fortuitous penalty whilst otherwise offering next to zero goal threat. Very poor.
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How did we play first half yesterday? on 09:54 - Feb 9 with 2640 viewsr2d2

You dont win games playing ok in one half.
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How did we play first half yesterday? on 10:06 - Feb 9 with 2597 viewssparks

How did we play first half yesterday? on 09:52 - Feb 9 by Harry_Palmer

Nice try, but there really is no way to put a positive spin on yesterday or indeed our current form.

We have just lost 3 on the bounce, all against promotion rivals and gone from 1st to 7th in the league. We conceded 6 goals in those games and scored 1 fortuitous penalty whilst otherwise offering next to zero goal threat. Very poor.


Its not a "positive spin". Its a fact. We could be top of the league and in great form- and an away defeat by a goal, in a broadly even game, to Sunderland in their current form, would not be something to get upset about.

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How did we play first half yesterday? on 10:08 - Feb 9 with 2578 viewstextbackup

How did we play first half yesterday? on 09:45 - Feb 9 by sparks

Yes. That's precisely what I said....


So to sum it up. We lost

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How did we play first half yesterday? on 10:11 - Feb 9 with 2560 viewstextbackup

How did we play first half yesterday? on 09:49 - Feb 9 by Herbivore

Were Bournemouth playing yesterday?


I don’t know what this means

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How did we play first half yesterday? on 10:18 - Feb 9 with 2541 viewsunstableblue

I have to say I though we wouldn’t even turn up yesterday and would be soundly beaten. So there are some positives.

65% possession and 9 shots at one point in the first half is something that should get some merit. And the hope has to be that the team go into Tuesday and Saturday with heads mot too low and can build on some of the positives, such as our wing back stand ins. 6 points from the next two would be a real boost.

But we didn’t convert* chances and possession AGAIN, we lost, and our position in the table looks worrying.

By all accounts the local Sunderland press was waxing lyrical about us, and we did create chances second half.

* There is something wrong with our attack - Lambert needs to impart some knowledge, methods and technique in how we play in the final third ASAP - you know the word I want to use. We’re not stretching teams effectively to force the easy chances. Norwood will score given the right service. We need a Bishop or a Dobra or a KVY in the team urgently.

One thing I would suggest to the board is this - Lambert will be here to the end of season, we are getting occasional entertaining performances / halves, we know the shortcomings, but with the run in now underway, we need to back the boys with everything we’ve got... if it’s play-offs then so be it, but the lads need to feel we’re onboard. And we just won’t even have a chance if the fans turn and start booing them (the manager) off... it’s fine margins.

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How did we play first half yesterday? on 10:19 - Feb 9 with 2535 viewshaynes_toe1

For me, Sunderland were really poor and sloppy first half. We started with the right tempo and energy but despite dominating the entire half we only really created 'half' chances rather than clear goalscoring opportunities.

There was no way Sunderland would come out so badly again in the second half, they upped it a little and we couldn't cope.

We can't cope against any team who has a little bit of quality. That's why our record is terrible against the top 8.

I put it down to the fact we only beat the rest of the teams due to our individual quality - in spite of our manager not knowing how to set us up, not instilling a playing style and not adapting to different opponents.

When we come up against teams who also have a bit of individual quality their manager is typically better than ours so the rest of their team around the quality one or two players tend to perform at a higher level.
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How did we play first half yesterday? on 10:32 - Feb 9 with 2496 viewsDarth_Koont

We played well/Sunderland were anonymous and then that was reversed in the second half.

So I'm not sure how much of that was down to us or them. But given our record against the top teams it seems to lean towards us being good only when the opposition isn't. In each of the last three games against better sides we haven't looked able to compete when they've raised the tempo and put us under pressure.

I think that's still down to our excessive rotation of players and formation as much as anything. The opposition look like teams that have been forged through playing time together. We still look like we're trying to work things out - especially when games get tighter.

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How did we play first half yesterday? on 10:32 - Feb 9 with 2495 viewsHarry_Palmer

How did we play first half yesterday? on 10:19 - Feb 9 by haynes_toe1

For me, Sunderland were really poor and sloppy first half. We started with the right tempo and energy but despite dominating the entire half we only really created 'half' chances rather than clear goalscoring opportunities.

There was no way Sunderland would come out so badly again in the second half, they upped it a little and we couldn't cope.

We can't cope against any team who has a little bit of quality. That's why our record is terrible against the top 8.

I put it down to the fact we only beat the rest of the teams due to our individual quality - in spite of our manager not knowing how to set us up, not instilling a playing style and not adapting to different opponents.

When we come up against teams who also have a bit of individual quality their manager is typically better than ours so the rest of their team around the quality one or two players tend to perform at a higher level.


Yep, that's pretty much it.
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How did we play first half yesterday? on 10:37 - Feb 9 with 2486 viewsHarry_Palmer

How did we play first half yesterday? on 10:06 - Feb 9 by sparks

Its not a "positive spin". Its a fact. We could be top of the league and in great form- and an away defeat by a goal, in a broadly even game, to Sunderland in their current form, would not be something to get upset about.


If I wanted to be pedantic I could point out that Sunderland lost to Portsmouth last week so they aren't exactly in 'fantastic' form.

Regardless, the bottom line is that we lost, again, and we are dropping like a stone. There is much to get upset about.
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