The Positive and Negative Thread
Mr Polite 11:54 Tue Mar 20

Other articles by Mr Polite...

Once again we are left upset, annoyed, frustrated and not just more dropped points at home but yet another lack luster display from a team on a downward spiral. That said as always there are both Positive and Negative points to take away from the game. Here they are as I saw them:


Positives:

A point towards catching second place with Reading dropping points. Game in hand and still to play Reading...sadly at home.

On the whole we looked solid in defence again, apart from a great strike Green was un troubled.

The crowd got behind the team, there were some frustrated boo's but as a whole the fans backed the team even when getting nothing in return.

Baldock looked lively once again in the few minutes he was given.


Negatives:

A central defender in midfield, a Goal scorer in midfield, a central midfielder on the wing. Square pegs in round holes. Same mistakes being made game after game after game.

We have no patience at all. A few passes along the midfield and rather than just keep possession and move the ball around we loft a ball either to the striker or into a channel in a blind panic.

IF we're not a long ball team we certainly play a long ball quite a lot, but even the balls that aren't long are not intelligent, it is lazy gain ground football. With the objective to win a throw, a corner or maybe a free kick. Not only is it boring as hell it is not very effective.

A seeming surprise every game at how the opposition set up. I knew how 'boro would play, most on here knew how 'boro would play, even my 11 year old knew how they'd play and yet we set up and play as if we had no idea how they'd play. We insist on flooding the midfeild, the reason behind this is I assume because we know they will flood the midfield too. What our esteem manager doesn't seem to understand it that means we will have 4 defenders looking after 1 striker. If our full backs pushed forward more we would have players to win the midfield battle and allow 2 strikers to occupy their defenders. Football isn't difficult and yet we seem to try and make it as difficult as we possibly can. We have a one trick pony manager who can't change things.

We had a player a couple of years ago that ran around a lot but never really saw the ball and when he did he wasn't very good with it, His name was Kovac - this season he is called Nolan. He has scored 9 goals this season which is great - he has done little else. Some may find that acceptable, I don't.

A couple of times when the ball was played to Coles feet he did well, the number of times when it was fired high to him he did nothing. The intelligent person would see that and play it to his feet more - we fire it high for him to lose or to flick on to nobody.

At 1-0 up we take of one lumbering fool and put on a bigger lumbering fool. We also take of a striker albeit one playing out of position and we put on a slow central midfielder... and play him out of position too. Now if we had held on this negative change to hold on would still have annoyed as we didn't hold on it makes it unforgiveable. Negattivity when you scrap a win is bad enough, but negativity is now costing us a lot of points, how much longer?



Summary:

Playing negative boring football will see us win some games, draw some games and lose some games. Playing positive and try to play attractive football will see us win some games draw some games and lose some games - We are where we are in spite of our tactics not because of them, lets play some decent stauff and even if it doesn't get us more points than now at least we can enjoy what we watch and be proud that we gave it a go. I just worry that our one trick pony manager doesn't have the ability or the balls to do so.


Thanks for reading

Mr Polite

ATHammer 5:15 Wed Mar 21
Re: The Positive and Negative Thread

There aren't any positives so far as I can see. I can accept a tired performance after 2 good rearguard actions with 10 men.
There is no excuse for the toilet that was Doncaster, Watford, Leeds and now Boro. That is a pattern not a blip.
The performances were flat and uninspiring. The long ball was painful to watch, Kevin Nolan running round pointing and shouting at teammates to head the ball was embarrassing.
The only positive I took from last night is that I am missing the next home game.

yoyo_pickles 5:01 Wed Mar 21
Re: The Positive and Negative Thread

Absolute ineffectual garbage last night lads. Non-existent tactics and no creativity. All these home draws could just have easily been defeats with little complaint. Terrible stuff.

Jasnik 4:31 Wed Mar 21
Re: The Positive and Negative Thread

yes I heard you the first time .

Mr Polite 4:26 Wed Mar 21
Re: The Positive and Negative Thread

as opposed to us peppering their goal

Jasnik 4:25 Wed Mar 21
Re: The Positive and Negative Thread

They never got close to our goal , until Carew started passing to the other team.

Mr Polite 4:23 Wed Mar 21
Re: The Positive and Negative Thread

as opposed to our peppering their goal

Jasnik 4:17 Wed Mar 21
Re: The Positive and Negative Thread

They had not had a shot Green had to save .

Wrong subs were made then we struggled.

Mr Polite 4:06 Wed Mar 21
Re: The Positive and Negative Thread

cruising?

hahahahaha

Jasnik 4:01 Wed Mar 21
Re: The Positive and Negative Thread

I thought we were crusing before he made the change .

Still don't understand why he made those subs

stirlinghammer 12:43 Wed Mar 21
Re: The Positive and Negative Thread

claret - agree mate. i don't blame the players. shocking tactics - obvious to everyone part from BFS.

i think it is disgraceful to blame the fans.

northbankboy68 12:35 Wed Mar 21
Re: The Positive and Negative Thread

Another positive - one game nearer to the end of BFS.

claret on my shirt 12:27 Wed Mar 21
Re: The Positive and Negative Thread

I have no complaint about the effort being put in, i just feel the tactics, the formations and constantly playing players out of position is the issue. The style of football is disgraceful and that comes down to one man and that's BFS. He has one plan and thats kick it long and hard and hope someone gets on the end of it. He has no plan B. If we go up or stay down then we're going to get the same long ball shit next year and i just do not want to watch it.

Mr Polite 12:05 Wed Mar 21
Re: The Positive and Negative Thread

I don't doubt most if not all of the players are trying.

I felt sorry for Cole, i've never been his biggest fan but when the ball is played to his feet he can be tricky, he can create problem at this level. However hitting up to him either at 100mph for him to do nothing but flick on to nobody or lofting it up for with his back to goal with two defenders on him is never going to bring out the best him. Playing him that way just gets the crowd on his back and he doesn't perform.

I felt sorry for Maynard who has a great scoring record, but then comes to a team and either plays as a loan striker having the same problems Cole has or is stuck in Midfeild.

I feel sorry for Baldock who has done nothing wrong and looks one of our most livliest players but is used as a bit part and often out of position.


I feel sorry for Tomkins, he is our best centre back making a real name for himeslf ad he is being played out of position.

I feel sorry for Noble who has been outstanding a lot of the season espeacilly in the games Nolan hasn't played in, Nolan comes straight back in and Nobles play is sacrificed, not for the benefit of the team but the benefit of a poor Nolan.

I feel sorry for Hall who when he played his part he looked very lively, his reward is a loan out while we bring in an unproven lad of the same age from another academy.

BRANDED 11:56 Wed Mar 21
Re: The Positive and Negative Thread

Cole is trying. I'm sure of that. I'm also sure he keeps defenders busy but he really isnt at the races. Its painful to watch but clearly the management still felt it was "less risky" than the alternative. For both's sake I hope he scores a brace next time out.

Bald Git 11:54 Wed Mar 21
Re: The Positive and Negative Thread

What Lilly said

Lily Hammer 11:50 Wed Mar 21
Re: The Positive and Negative Thread

Positives:

The goal shows us that Lady Luck hasn't completely abandonned us. We need a couple more favours from her, sooner rather than later.

The players were making an effort, despite their lack of reward.

The fans were making an effort, despite their lack of reward.

Defensively, we limited them to a few optimistic attempts on goal that missed or were easiy dealt with by Green.

Negatives:

Connected to my first and last positives, the one time they had half a sniff at goal, Lady Luck (the cruel mind-fucking bitch!) surely had a small part to play in that young lad unleashing what will turn out to be, quite possibly, the shot of his life. Great finish. I could almost put it in the positives, if we'd been 2-0 up and won 2-1.

Poor substitution bringing on Carew instead of Baldock, because with the lead, and Boro's commitment to attack, more pace would have been our best way of keeping them on the back foot.

Crowd and players were both so nervous it was painful. The TV commentators mentioned it almost immediately and regularly. It is a problem. It's much much worse at home than away. No finger pointing other than to say there is clearly a visous circle feeding itself.

Summary:

We, as supporters, cannot play for the team, we can only support, if we want to help. I suggest a rebooting of the brain, and getting behid the players, who are trying, despite what some say. So what if they aren't all world class players, we don't have to keep reminding them that s vocally. Big them up, like we used to big up the likes of George Paris, who used to pay above and beyond himself as a result.

BRANDED 11:41 Wed Mar 21
Re: The Positive and Negative Thread

Appreciated.
I honestly didnt see the game quite like you.
In fact my assessment is as I wrote.
Its a strange game. I've seen us go 3 up and lose 4-3 by totally capitulating and being gutless. I didnt feel that way at all last night. I know we are not playing well and in those situations you just want to get through. We almost did last night but for a good save and a wonderful goal.
In the end both the 4-3 and the 1-1 will make me disappointed.
Like you I hope we will player better football soon but I cant find myself criticising the whole time.
Its West Ham.

Mr Polite 11:36 Wed Mar 21
Re: The Positive and Negative Thread

Om Mr Branded


you need better bait.


how's that?

Alex V 11:28 Wed Mar 21
Re: The Positive and Negative Thread

Totally agree P, it's great to see the players get stuck into each other if there's a problem to sort out.

For all that Taylor has lacked in quality and fitness this season, I think you can see he wears his heart on his sleeve out there. I like passionate players with pride.

BRANDED 11:24 Wed Mar 21
Re: The Positive and Negative Thread

Mr Polite 9:18 Wed Mar 21

you are more likely to be my son

be respectful and call me mr branded

Mr Polite 11:22 Wed Mar 21
Re: The Positive and Negative Thread

And V

that is just plain stupid to put yourself through it again.

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