MDF & Trivia Luton Town v Newport County 09/08/22
Aug 10, 2022 17:26:55 GMT
Post by proudhattersince74 on Aug 10, 2022 17:26:55 GMT
I have always gone to this and the 'lesser' cup matches when in the Conference/L2/L1 so that I can see exactly what we have bubbling under the surface for the inevitable occasions that the A-teamers are crocked or suspended. That was the first time I've come away from these cup extravaganzas thinking that we could be in trouble if the absences are in vital positions.
TBH, I thought my previous comments about Isted being bloody unlucky falling foul of the 'loan keepers must play' rule may have been a tad too blinkered but, after witnessing Macey's alleged performance last night, I think I was right to suggest that Isted should be our bench GK. A mate texted at midnight last night that, expletive omitted, Macey only had four saves to make and only made one! Hard to blame him for everything when the defence was nigh on invisible at times but he is employed to stop the sodding ball from rustling the net and he didn't do that. Compare that the the ball-handling and the confidence that our defence immediately had whenever Isted filled in for Shea and the Villa loanee (whose name escapes me ATM) and there is a massive gulf between what the GKs can offer the team.
Some other pluses: Burke (100% win rate), Watson (energy to make himself available all the time), Pereira (the attacking one), Thorpe (three almost Beckham-esque curling crosses to fantastic positions but no reward because we had nobody attacking the near post), CMG (only because of the goal - incredible that he can Exocet a shot as he did but constantly underhit 5-10 yard passes to team mates that cost possession and/or caused risky desperate stretches.
Plenty of minuses: Muskwe (looked lost and bewildered at times), Berry (very unusual), Pereira (the defending one - not in his effort level but he was, quite simply, not attuned to defending as deep as NJ expected), Macey (shocker), Woodrow (shocker squared).
I don't really care that a lot of Championship clubs lost to lower league clubs as well - I do care that the application of some of our players, for once, fell very short of the required levels ... especially when some of them may have been thinking about knocking on NJ's door about being given a chance in the Championship.
Despite the above disappointment about the performance and result, I was almost as disappointed to hear that the squad harmony experienced in our climb up the EFL has been somewhat 'disputed'. It only need one Billy Big B0ll0x player to undermine the others. With our budget and ability levels compared to other clubs in this division, we need to play as a team that is greater than the sum of the parts ... one player believing he is worth more than the others ain't going to fit in.
TBH, I thought my previous comments about Isted being bloody unlucky falling foul of the 'loan keepers must play' rule may have been a tad too blinkered but, after witnessing Macey's alleged performance last night, I think I was right to suggest that Isted should be our bench GK. A mate texted at midnight last night that, expletive omitted, Macey only had four saves to make and only made one! Hard to blame him for everything when the defence was nigh on invisible at times but he is employed to stop the sodding ball from rustling the net and he didn't do that. Compare that the the ball-handling and the confidence that our defence immediately had whenever Isted filled in for Shea and the Villa loanee (whose name escapes me ATM) and there is a massive gulf between what the GKs can offer the team.
Some other pluses: Burke (100% win rate), Watson (energy to make himself available all the time), Pereira (the attacking one), Thorpe (three almost Beckham-esque curling crosses to fantastic positions but no reward because we had nobody attacking the near post), CMG (only because of the goal - incredible that he can Exocet a shot as he did but constantly underhit 5-10 yard passes to team mates that cost possession and/or caused risky desperate stretches.
Plenty of minuses: Muskwe (looked lost and bewildered at times), Berry (very unusual), Pereira (the defending one - not in his effort level but he was, quite simply, not attuned to defending as deep as NJ expected), Macey (shocker), Woodrow (shocker squared).
I don't really care that a lot of Championship clubs lost to lower league clubs as well - I do care that the application of some of our players, for once, fell very short of the required levels ... especially when some of them may have been thinking about knocking on NJ's door about being given a chance in the Championship.
Despite the above disappointment about the performance and result, I was almost as disappointed to hear that the squad harmony experienced in our climb up the EFL has been somewhat 'disputed'. It only need one Billy Big B0ll0x player to undermine the others. With our budget and ability levels compared to other clubs in this division, we need to play as a team that is greater than the sum of the parts ... one player believing he is worth more than the others ain't going to fit in.