Chez

likewise, especially as Kane's uncontested headed goal was aided by the fact we had to play AMN there. I guess he's played in so many positions including CB, that you could argue we weren't having to play a guy `out of position' as a result of injuries. Thought they might make a little more of the impact Sulemana and Mara had when they came on. Sulemana was a real threat, getting on the ball in between the lines, being extremely positive and skipping past people. He was impressive and did exactly the kind of things we have wanted to see from him. I've not been impressed at all up until now. He's not done nearly enough or created anything. He certainly did yesterday. Perhaps there is another Mane there after all.

There isnt. Absolute top class individual ability and technique is just not there IMO. We have players that can play in the Prem, so it's not always easy to spot, but the first touch of many players is just not immaculate enough. I'm not talking about mis-controlling the ball, I'm talking about the ability to bring the ball down first time AND the ball being exactly where you'd want it for the second touch to be easy or the right distance in order to allow a first time cross or shot, and to not need to turn back, which happens time after time. ... and the same goes with weight of pass. There are just far too many passes that are just not perfect, preventing a fast break, forcing the receiver to work harder or even to turn back to retain possession, again this happens a lot. ...and there is a lack of pace, and the ability to play at pace. The number of times a decent ball is played, but we don't have that ability to receive the ball at pace or the pace to utilise the opportunity at all, and the player has to turn back to keep possession. There is a recurring theme here... All these little things just add up and not having these attributes/quality hurts us in the end and leads to us just not creating good chances. We really don't create many good clear cut chances at all. You can see our lack of ability when teams press us. We simply can't cope and turn over the ball. I haven't seen us beat the press at all this season. Sadly I see teams beat ours with ease.

It's done now. We've moaned all season and we will moan all summer, but at some point we'll need to think about what is the best path forward (probably to gett us out of the championship).

I've said it on other threads, his display against Newcastle in the first leg of the cup semi was excellent and gave me great hope that we have signed a proper player.

The stats lie a bit. There were a shed load of other Spurs chances, but many shots were blocked well by our defenders. The Kane chance in the second half when we were caught on the break and he shot over the bar is one that I expect him to score nine times out of ten.

not a chance. He earned a fortune from the Sky gig. GB News appearance will be bobbins in comparison.

Oh dear. Isn't that the second time ABK has done that? They always say that onec you've dislocated it, it becomes easy to do many times thereafter. Not sure if thats true or not. All those that have bene recently clamouring for DCC will get their opportunity. Losing ABK is bad news.

I missed both CB injuries. Were they bad?

Acgually, we just need a decent break, but the pockets on these professional tables ain't half tight.

Might want to take another look at Kane's goal. AMN defending was absolutely woeful. He just stands there. He doesn't even try to win the header. Not his position, so I don't expect him to be brilliant, but to say he did really well is stretching things a bit for me.

the game at home against Newcastle in the cup convinced me that he can play and lead the line. He should never have been subbed in that game. Not sure he has hit the heights since, but he's got ability and he could be an important player for us next season.

my word, AMN might as well not have bothered being there. I know he's not a CB, but bloody nora. Make some sort of effort to get your head on it.

we are trying...but simply are not good enough. Can't fault the effort, its the expertise and application that's the issue.

Like Orsic?

Are you predicting he will be another `Mane' for us? He's certainly got the pace.

Maybe I misunderstood your post. You were talking about fitness and then said relying on a guy that had only played U23 football was a risk. I don't regard young players as fitness risks. Old players are fitness risks. Injury prone players are fitness risks. If you were just talking about his lack of experience being a risk, that would be understandable, but as it turns out, not something that has been a problem. His fitness certainly is an issue.

What in earth are you talking about? Did you go to the Brentford away game? How about Brighton at home? Villa away, Forest at home, Lincoln and Grimsby in the cup? Leeds away? Leicester and Wolves at home?

playing Stephens at right back has to be the new low in forum solutions to us being crap.

I think he's saying we controlled possession and passed it rather than hoof it.

wonder how many crosses we put in tonight. Seemed like about 50 and almost every one of them crap.

someone needs to explain the Orsic, Sulemana and Onuachu signings to me. Rennes must have been pissing themselves laughing when we offered £20m for a player that was sat on their bench all season. £20m. Fuck me. Imagine someone offering us £20m for Djenepo. I'm guessing the criteria was something like: "We want someone like Djenepo, only faster. If possible a guy that doesn't tread on the ball quite so often, but don't worry about end product - who needs that when we have Edozie?" And the criteria the scout was working to to bring Orsic in? "We want a winger with no pace or strength, doesn't dribble...basically try to find another Ely." As for Onuachu, he was obviously exactly what Jones specified "big tall guy that is aggressive and plays on the front foot, whatever that means. No, me neither, it just sounds good. Quality? No, we create thousands of chances, so we just need a tap in merchant to take advantage. Nah, we can live without pace, skill and such. Just get me some fucking height."

I'm not sure finishing was the problem at all. We created absolutely nothing - just like at Elland Road. Sulemena had that decent chance on his swinger, but other than that, what did we engineer? You are spot on. A lack of fair. movement, pace and above all quality is our undoing.

Sulemana has had every opportunity, but he simply does not deliver. It's little wonder Rennes didn't play him. Onuachu is a tap in merchant and we create fuck all, so he's a waste of a shirt.

not as though Lavia and Theo made us better. I'm not gonna blame Selles. These players are simply not good enough.

wish he'd had 5 chances. We can't create fuck all. Haven't been able to all season.