> > > > (disclaimer: I haven't watched any of this back or seen replays so some > details may be wrong) > > For 45 minutes this was ambling to a pretty uninspiring 0 - 0 draw between 2 > fairly hopeless teams struggling to get the basics right. I'd argue that > Leeds were the better team in that period; more solid, better shape and even > one or two sights of goal (Peltier cutting in from the wing, beating a man > and hitting a left foot shot from the edge of the box that forced the keeper > to a save low down by the post, anyone?) > > Then in the 46th minute, there's a clattering tackle on Austin, the ball > looks to have run out of play, the left back hoofs it down the line...a > couple of touches and the forward is in the box one on one with our > keeper...and it's 1 - 0 to them. First time anywhere near our box. > > On the way back to the restart the ref books a Bolton fella...no idea > why...could be bad language, could be that tackle on Austin. > > All around us at half everyone was convinced that we'd get a couple attacking > the Kop and it would all be put to rights. The first ten minutes of the > second half destroyed that, goals 2 & 3 went in from what can only be > described as elementary mistakes and uninterested defending...balls floated > onto the penalty spot, no challenges, two goals...you do feel that Pearce > would have dealt with them. Then the fourth was a cross from the left and one > of their smaller players bundled it over the line - don't know if he used his > foot, his knee, his hand or his knob end...didn't matter really because what > he had showed was a determination to get on the end of the cross that was > simply lacking in our defence. > > At this point...about 70 minutes gone and 0 - 4 down I reckon about 7 or 8 > thousand people got up and walked out. Never seen that before at ER. > > They scored another...aesthetically it was the kind I love to watch going > in...bullet drive from about fifteen yards, rising all the time, crashes > against the underside of the bar and in. Shame in was at our end really. > > We scored a decent goal...good cross from Ross on the right...pacey ball > swinging in to the far post...leaving the keeper nowhere...Smith a diving > header a la Kelly. Utterly meaningless. > > BMcD needs his head looking at if he thinks Kebe or Stewart have anything to > offer this team. Kebe had one good half, Stewart can't even match that rate. > Kebe is "windy" - years since I've heard that one - doesn't get in where it > hurts, and mainly does fuck all with the ball when he has it. Stewart does > not do as much wrong...mainly because he hardly does fuck all. You can go > fifteen minutes during a game and totally forget he's out there. The apparent > insistence that Kebe is better than Byram is one of the main reasons BMcD is > losing this crowd. > > And even then he won't fully admit the mistakes - at half time he brings > Byram on, not for Kebe but for Peltier...so we lose a specialist defender. > Even if Peltier did have a bad half (and he was by no means the worst) he > spent the whole 45 mins with no cover from Kebe...so now it was Byram's turn. > It took another 15 minutes and two more goals before the two least effective > wingers in the history of this club to be hauled off...to the biggest cheer > of the day. > > For Tues we need Pearce back for Wootton; Peltier at RBack; Byram at R > Midfield...with Austin and Murphy in the middle...and Mowatt...although you > probably wouldn't argue with any one from Brown, Tonge or Pugh...because they > are all more useful than Stewart. > > Up front we offered little, but McCormack is an obvious start and I liked > what I saw of Mr Wickham. Good feet, good brain and a big strong > presence...now he needs some service. > > People...this was a truly shocking half of football...a capitulation...and > would spell the end for most managers. I've defended him before and I stand > by the arguments about constant change serving no good...but sweet Jesus that > was awful and something needs to be done and if that means BMcD's head, then > I couldn't argue against it really. > > I'm not going to do any player points stuff - they were most all dire - I > thought Murphy put in a proper shift and at least never stopped running and > never let his head go down...Byram had as good a second half as anyone in > that debacle...but otherwise dreadful. > > > (Rich in reply to your email about no-one sending anything to the list after > this drubbing…I suspect it is because we were all drinking to forget…I was)
_______________________________________________ Leedslist mailing list Info and options: http://mailman.greennet.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/leedslist To unsubscribe, email [email protected] John 'Grampa' Sykes Rest In Peace old lad 28th Oct 1938 - 12 Nov 2013 MARCHING ON TOGETHER
