| We’re gong to have to play a damn sight better 11:34 - Aug 9 with 1665 views | GlasgowBlue |
If we are going to get anything against Southampton. Lots of lacklustre performances and some hangovers from last season.
Palmer worries me. He has done since his first couple of excellent games for us. He’s a good shot stopper but he’s not the goalkeeper for a McKenna team. Awful in possession. Wish we still Vas. Maybe the relationship between club and player has broken down beyond repair but it’s a shame we can’t rehabilitate Muric. Much better than Palmer.
Ben Johnson has poor discipline imo. Makes too many unnecessary fouls, gives the ball away in dangerous positions and doesn’t look particularly interested. We need to start Young next week.
Leif wasn’t at his best. But I put that down to not being 100% fit.
Greaves and O’Shea were class. Greaves in particular winning everything in the air and making some great tackles. Put Palmer under pressure in the build up to the goal but we had plenty of opportunities to stop the ball coming back. No issues with those two.
Last season we had a midfield problem. We knew this at the end of 2024. 8 months later we have a midfield problem. Matusiwa has had an excellent pre season. He looks quality. But last night he was very sloppy in possession. Could have quite easily had a red card after going in hard whilst on a yellow. I don't have any worries about him though. From what I’ve seen of him pre season he looks a stronger and fitter version of Morsy.
Jack Taylor, however, is a real worry. I know he’s just a placeholder until Cajuste is fit, but Cajuste won’t play 40+ games and Taylor simply isn’t up to the job. There is a reason that he has only started a couple of handful of games in the last 2 seasons. There was no creativity in the midfield, which left Hirst isolated. Cam Humphreys showed more forward thinking creativity in the few minutes he was in than Taylor did all game. We need that creative midfielder signed asap.
Ogbene is obviously some way from being match fit. He had zero pace. A shadow of the player we saw for the ROI against England last year. That pace will return with games but he’s only starting due to the injury “cough” to Omari.
Szmods didn’t have his best game and he hasn’t been great in pre season as a no 10. Chaplin is our best 10 at the moment and should start. I’d rather see Szmods on the left.
Which brings me to Jack Clarke. He’s an enigma. His stats show he was the best left sided attacker in the Championship for two seasons. He shows flashes of that but very rarely. I hope KM persists with him. He’s obviously a confidence player. A league goal will get him going imo.
Not much to say about Hirst. He had no service. He’s had a great pre season. Get the ball to him and he’ll score. More importantly, get the ball to him and he’ll bring our other attackers into the game.
Lots of work to do this week. Both in the training ground and in the transfer market. But on the evidence of last night, we aren’t going to live up to our top billing.
[Post edited 9 Aug 11:38]
|  |
| |  |
| We’re gong to have to play a damn sight better on 11:37 - Aug 9 with 1352 views | BloomBlue |
Are Southampton playing brilliant football (I've not watched them yet)? |  | | |
| We’re gong to have to play a damn sight better on 11:40 - Aug 9 with 1316 views | GlasgowBlue |
| We’re gong to have to play a damn sight better on 11:37 - Aug 9 by BloomBlue |
Are Southampton playing brilliant football (I've not watched them yet)? |
Birmingham didn't play great football. I thought they were average. It's not about the opposition. It's about how we are playing and the players we have at our disposal. We are coming up short as a squad. | |
| |
| We’re gong to have to play a damn sight better on 11:42 - Aug 9 with 1301 views | Herbivore |
I do think people have forgotten just how bad Muric was. He's definitely got better the longer he's been out of the side for sure. I agree that Palmer isn't brilliant but I feel much more confident in us defensively with him in the team that I did with Muric.
Thought quite a few players looked rusty. Half the team didn't play much football last season for a variety of reasons and Matusiwa is new to the team and to English football. Think we did okay to keep going and come away with a point given we were a way off our best.
Think there's some overreaction going on, not necessarily from you, but a lot of negativity when ultimately we picked up a result most fans said they'd be happy with before kick off. Given injuries and other stuff going on, it was always going to be a testing opener and no surprise really that we weren't great. We take the point and move on, and we will absolutely get better in the coming weeks. |  |
| |
| We’re gong to have to play a damn sight better on 11:43 - Aug 9 with 1285 views | Herbivore |
| We’re gong to have to play a damn sight better on 11:40 - Aug 9 by GlasgowBlue |
Birmingham didn't play great football. I thought they were average. It's not about the opposition. It's about how we are playing and the players we have at our disposal. We are coming up short as a squad. |
It's one game, played in difficult circumstances. Not sure you can conclude the squad is coming up short on the basis of one game. | |
| |
| We’re gong to have to play a damn sight better on 11:55 - Aug 9 with 1195 views | Wacko |
| We’re gong to have to play a damn sight better on 11:42 - Aug 9 by Herbivore |
I do think people have forgotten just how bad Muric was. He's definitely got better the longer he's been out of the side for sure. I agree that Palmer isn't brilliant but I feel much more confident in us defensively with him in the team that I did with Muric.
Thought quite a few players looked rusty. Half the team didn't play much football last season for a variety of reasons and Matusiwa is new to the team and to English football. Think we did okay to keep going and come away with a point given we were a way off our best.
Think there's some overreaction going on, not necessarily from you, but a lot of negativity when ultimately we picked up a result most fans said they'd be happy with before kick off. Given injuries and other stuff going on, it was always going to be a testing opener and no surprise really that we weren't great. We take the point and move on, and we will absolutely get better in the coming weeks. |
He wasn't that bad, he just made some very high-profile mistakes at a time when we were clearly directed to play out from the back more. Even then, his stats were better than Palmer's last season:
Muric
https://www.premierleague.com/en/players/232917/arijanet-muric/stats
Palmer
https://www.premierleague.com/en/players/112520/alex-palmer/stats
Muric had more clean sheets, conceded fewer goals per game, more passes completed |  |
| |
| We’re gong to have to play a damn sight better on 11:58 - Aug 9 with 1164 views | GlasgowBlue |
| We’re gong to have to play a damn sight better on 11:43 - Aug 9 by Herbivore |
It's one game, played in difficult circumstances. Not sure you can conclude the squad is coming up short on the basis of one game. |
When we have to play AAH as a right winger, flog an unfit Leif Davis on the left, start with Ogbene when he should be slowly rehabilitated back into the team after being out so long and have limited midfield options, then we are definitely coming up short as a squad.
edit. And we are going into the season once again with AAH as back up to Hirst. [Post edited 9 Aug 11:59]
| |
| |
| We’re gong to have to play a damn sight better on 11:59 - Aug 9 with 1151 views | BloomBlue |
| We’re gong to have to play a damn sight better on 11:40 - Aug 9 by GlasgowBlue |
Birmingham didn't play great football. I thought they were average. It's not about the opposition. It's about how we are playing and the players we have at our disposal. We are coming up short as a squad. |
But how do you know Southampton arent in the same situation? | | | |
| We’re gong to have to play a damn sight better on 12:00 - Aug 9 with 1135 views | Herbivore |
| We’re gong to have to play a damn sight better on 11:58 - Aug 9 by GlasgowBlue |
When we have to play AAH as a right winger, flog an unfit Leif Davis on the left, start with Ogbene when he should be slowly rehabilitated back into the team after being out so long and have limited midfield options, then we are definitely coming up short as a squad.
edit. And we are going into the season once again with AAH as back up to Hirst. [Post edited 9 Aug 11:59]
|
The squad is short of depth because of injury and availability, that's different to the squad coming up short. We'll get a few more in to bolster that quality in depth for sure, I don't think there's any real need to worry at this point. | |
| |
Login to get fewer ads
| We’re gong to have to play a damn sight better on 12:01 - Aug 9 with 1130 views | homer_123 |
| We’re gong to have to play a damn sight better on 11:42 - Aug 9 by Herbivore |
I do think people have forgotten just how bad Muric was. He's definitely got better the longer he's been out of the side for sure. I agree that Palmer isn't brilliant but I feel much more confident in us defensively with him in the team that I did with Muric.
Thought quite a few players looked rusty. Half the team didn't play much football last season for a variety of reasons and Matusiwa is new to the team and to English football. Think we did okay to keep going and come away with a point given we were a way off our best.
Think there's some overreaction going on, not necessarily from you, but a lot of negativity when ultimately we picked up a result most fans said they'd be happy with before kick off. Given injuries and other stuff going on, it was always going to be a testing opener and no surprise really that we weren't great. We take the point and move on, and we will absolutely get better in the coming weeks. |
I think Muric isn't a bad keeper. And his potential is much higher than Palmer.
Muris can make some world class saves, no question.
However, two things. He does have, also, an absolute howler in him and I'm not sure that will ever change. Which leads to the most important thing. Confidence. Not Murics confidence but the defences confidence in him.
And that's where and why Palmer gets the nod. We seem a better backline with Palmer between the sticks. |  |
| |
| We’re gong to have to play a damn sight better on 12:02 - Aug 9 with 1122 views | Herbivore |
There are factors that contribute to those stats other than the respective abilities of the keepers. Muric made five errors leading to goals in only 18 appearances. That's shocking. Those errors massively cost us. | |
| |
| We’re gong to have to play a damn sight better on 12:02 - Aug 9 with 1119 views | GlasgowBlue |
| We’re gong to have to play a damn sight better on 11:59 - Aug 9 by BloomBlue |
But how do you know Southampton arent in the same situation? |
At the moment they have far more options from the bench than we do. For example, they have more than one striker who you would confidently give a run of games to if your first choice was injured, | |
| |
| We’re gong to have to play a damn sight better on 12:04 - Aug 9 with 1095 views | seblue78 |
Iin a similar way to us, if anything not such a bad time to play Southampton. They’re also in flux at the moment with key players leaving and new players not yet coming in. That starting 11 is nothing to be particularly concerned about (appreciating that is not the point of the post). | | | |
| We’re gong to have to play a damn sight better on 12:04 - Aug 9 with 1077 views | pointofblue |
| We’re gong to have to play a damn sight better on 12:02 - Aug 9 by Herbivore |
There are factors that contribute to those stats other than the respective abilities of the keepers. Muric made five errors leading to goals in only 18 appearances. That's shocking. Those errors massively cost us. |
And that's whilst we were playing with a degree of confidence. If some of those mistakes hadn't occured we may have maintained some momentum with wins and draws on the board. | |
| |
| We’re gong to have to play a damn sight better on 12:43 - Aug 9 with 962 views | FlittonBlue |
Early doors, but Southampton being bullied by Wrexham... | | | |
| We’re gong to have to play a damn sight better on 12:51 - Aug 9 with 899 views | BloomBlue |
| We’re gong to have to play a damn sight better on 12:02 - Aug 9 by GlasgowBlue |
At the moment they have far more options from the bench than we do. For example, they have more than one striker who you would confidently give a run of games to if your first choice was injured, |
But that's 'on paper', its how those players perform on the pitch.
I'm sure Southampton will have issues with confidence as we did after last season. | | | |
| We’re gong to have to play a damn sight better on 12:51 - Aug 9 with 896 views | FlittonBlue |
| We’re gong to have to play a damn sight better on 12:43 - Aug 9 by FlittonBlue |
Early doors, but Southampton being bullied by Wrexham... |
1-0 Wrexham | | | |
| We’re gong to have to play a damn sight better on 13:01 - Aug 9 with 834 views | burnbudgiesburn |
| We’re gong to have to play a damn sight better on 12:51 - Aug 9 by BloomBlue |
But that's 'on paper', its how those players perform on the pitch.
I'm sure Southampton will have issues with confidence as we did after last season. |
Something people are overlooking I think. It'll take a few games to get the lack of confidence from losing a lot of games out of our system. | | | |
| We’re gong to have to play a damn sight better on 13:03 - Aug 9 with 819 views | Herbivore |
| We’re gong to have to play a damn sight better on 12:51 - Aug 9 by FlittonBlue |
1-0 Wrexham |
Could easily be 2 or 3 as well. Saints have had a couple of chances too but they look a shambles at the back. Edwards can't cope with Moore and they are leaving so much space. Their passing is slow which is enabling Wrexham to win it high and break on them. If this Saints turn up next week, I'm not overly concerned. | |
| |
| We’re gong to have to play a damn sight better on 13:03 - Aug 9 with 818 views | billlm |
| We’re gong to have to play a damn sight better on 12:02 - Aug 9 by Herbivore |
There are factors that contribute to those stats other than the respective abilities of the keepers. Muric made five errors leading to goals in only 18 appearances. That's shocking. Those errors massively cost us. |
We would have gone down with or without we were an up graded championship team, had no chance from the KO against Liverpool,
Then as the injuries amounted the confidence drained, |  | | |
| We’re gong to have to play a damn sight better on 13:07 - Aug 9 with 802 views | Churchman |
| We’re gong to have to play a damn sight better on 12:02 - Aug 9 by Herbivore |
There are factors that contribute to those stats other than the respective abilities of the keepers. Muric made five errors leading to goals in only 18 appearances. That's shocking. Those errors massively cost us. |
I think it’s easy and dangerous to over scrutinise. Everything Muric did was under the microscope, including one or two wanting him out after his first game (Man City away). Palmer? Free pass. I can’t remember which game, but it was an early one where he Bryan Gunn air kicked. Could and should have been a goal and repeated as often as BGs howler (on a rubbish pitch), but nope, all forgotten along with his other not so good moments. Same with Walton.
People forget with zero midfield and a rubbish team relatively defending for their lives 70+ minutes, keepers are exposed. Hladky, who was getting found out big time second half of the promotion season, would have done no better, not least because he was a poorer keeper. Made the odd good save and great with his feet, he didn’t command his area as well as Walton or palmer come to that. But then with a dominant team he didn’t have to.
Did Palmer make many mistakes last night? Not seen it bar the goal which wasn’t just down to him so cannot comment. On the basis that he was ok, leave him in. Leave the defence alone too if at all possible.
Decent teams at any level are built on solid defence that knows where each other are. Pairings. Worry about midfield, finding another forward and ship out people who want to go - and replace them if necessary and if the money is there.
Lots to do and in all honesty, top six would be a result this season for me, given we are clearly building a complete new team and are behind the curve with it. I’d like to here Ashton’s comments/rationale on this.
Keep the faith and let them get on with it, preferably without endless criticism and abuse from the wet bedsheet cadre. |  | | |
| We’re gong to have to play a damn sight better on 13:30 - Aug 9 with 737 views | FoghornGleghorn |
| We’re gong to have to play a damn sight better on 13:07 - Aug 9 by Churchman |
I think it’s easy and dangerous to over scrutinise. Everything Muric did was under the microscope, including one or two wanting him out after his first game (Man City away). Palmer? Free pass. I can’t remember which game, but it was an early one where he Bryan Gunn air kicked. Could and should have been a goal and repeated as often as BGs howler (on a rubbish pitch), but nope, all forgotten along with his other not so good moments. Same with Walton.
People forget with zero midfield and a rubbish team relatively defending for their lives 70+ minutes, keepers are exposed. Hladky, who was getting found out big time second half of the promotion season, would have done no better, not least because he was a poorer keeper. Made the odd good save and great with his feet, he didn’t command his area as well as Walton or palmer come to that. But then with a dominant team he didn’t have to.
Did Palmer make many mistakes last night? Not seen it bar the goal which wasn’t just down to him so cannot comment. On the basis that he was ok, leave him in. Leave the defence alone too if at all possible.
Decent teams at any level are built on solid defence that knows where each other are. Pairings. Worry about midfield, finding another forward and ship out people who want to go - and replace them if necessary and if the money is there.
Lots to do and in all honesty, top six would be a result this season for me, given we are clearly building a complete new team and are behind the curve with it. I’d like to here Ashton’s comments/rationale on this.
Keep the faith and let them get on with it, preferably without endless criticism and abuse from the wet bedsheet cadre. |
"Palmer? Free pass. I can’t remember which game, but it was an early one where he Bryan Gunn air kicked. Could and should have been a goal and repeated as often as BGs howler (on a rubbish pitch), but nope, all forgotten along with his other not so good moments."
The thing is, it could and should have been a goal, but it was not a goal. Similar to the one against Wolves, where he let the ball run under his foot, but he somehow still stopped it.
A keeper that makes mistakes that nearly lead to goals and yet still has the confidence of his defence just plain isn't as much of a problem as a keeper who consistently makes critical mistakes that definitely do lead to goals and visibly unsettles the team. It's not a "free pass", it's just a simple matter of who's the bigger impediment.
Muric did perhaps get an unduly hard run of it early on, but that might be because on his debut we'd just taken the lead at the Etihad against all the odds, and he burst that bubble by immediately single-handedly giving away two goals, including by trying to out-dribble a Brazilian winger.
He cost us more than he gained us last year, and despite this miraculously high ceiling he supposedly has, nobody other than some team in Turkey wants to take a punt on him.
btw, Palmer was fine last night, he didn't really have a great deal to do. People seem to be saying he messed up his clearance for the goal, but it just got headed back is all. It's not like he Muric'd. [Post edited 9 Aug 13:31]
| | | |
| We’re gong to have to play a damn sight better on 16:17 - Aug 9 with 562 views | ottovonbismark |
Thanks for that information, pretty revealing eh? But Muric was to blame for everything last season. | | | |
| We’re gong to have to play a damn sight better on 16:32 - Aug 9 with 490 views | DJR |
There's lies, damned lies and statistics.
I only missed one league game last season and there is no question in my mind that Palmer was a much safer pair of hands than Muric. My three friends who went to roughly the same number of games all agree.
As it is, it is not clear to me that the statistics prove anything, apart from the fact that we played better as a team before Christmas than we did after Christmas. The fact that we didn't do so well after Christmas I put down to things like injuries and our not being an unknown quantity when we faced opponents for the second time.
And because we hit it long relatively much more after Christmas (in my view due to the additional pressure we faced), it is inevitable that Palmer's pass completion percentage was lower than Muric's. [Post edited 9 Aug 16:38]
|  | | |
| We’re gong to have to play a damn sight better on 17:38 - Aug 9 with 322 views | longtimefan |
| We’re gong to have to play a damn sight better on 16:32 - Aug 9 by DJR |
There's lies, damned lies and statistics.
I only missed one league game last season and there is no question in my mind that Palmer was a much safer pair of hands than Muric. My three friends who went to roughly the same number of games all agree.
As it is, it is not clear to me that the statistics prove anything, apart from the fact that we played better as a team before Christmas than we did after Christmas. The fact that we didn't do so well after Christmas I put down to things like injuries and our not being an unknown quantity when we faced opponents for the second time.
And because we hit it long relatively much more after Christmas (in my view due to the additional pressure we faced), it is inevitable that Palmer's pass completion percentage was lower than Muric's. [Post edited 9 Aug 16:38]
|
Palmer got away with a poor short pass versus Bournemouth with all but no mention made of it. It was one that Maurice would have been slaughtered for but Palmer was saved by O’Shea clearing off the line | | | |
| We’re gong to have to play a damn sight better on 17:42 - Aug 9 with 291 views | J2BLUE |
Last night will tell us nothing about how this season will go. I understand it's all we have to talk about and it will be analysed to death but people are reading far too much into it. [Post edited 9 Aug 17:50]
|  |
| |
| |
By continuing to use the site, you agree to our use of cookies and to abide by our Terms and Conditions.
