LC3: Bolton Wanderers 3 West Ham Utd 1 AET (22/09/09)

[smuts]

But against a team who had won one all season? It was the perfect opportunity to build some confidence in our own ranks, but that never really appealed to Curbs.

So if Linda charged down the wing to try and get a third...got dispossessed and we ended up conceding.....what would have happened then?

[Ben]

I have no idea. Got a free kick near edge of their box early in first half..I was thinking here we go Diamante, work the keepr at least...Looked like the two of them were in debate who to take it...Noble then blasts it into the foot of the wall (that didn't seem to even jump!).

I may be reading more into it but seemd like the two of them were bickering all game (diamante seems like a good moan).

Also...we've had some joy from Nobles corners this season, so no problem there...but last night pretty much every corner was played short!!

sounds like di canio and FLJ in earlier times!
while diamante is on the pitch, any freekick with a sight of goal should be his, no questions asked.
no one else has been able to score from them since tevez/nobby. not sure why noble would think he should take them?!

[m-h]

Team line ups that include players who are out injured are a waste of time. As soon as one combes back another goes out, so it wat it is. Agree with DC, we really are not co-ordinated in our attacking play at all. I know a lot of talk about formations, but it seems to me the players don't even get it any more. We rarely run at opposing players and just try to pass it around them. Listened on the radio last night and the commentator made a comment the Diamante is getting frustrated as he is laways looking to get forwards and into advanced positions, but then looks around to find he on his own, so has stop and wait for midfield support. wasn't at the game but would like to know if the summation was correct as it sounds to me like this has been going on since opening day. Surely Zola must see its not working in its present creation !!.

[smuts]

The difference is we done it against Liverpool, where as under Curbishley we done it against everyone.

Again....was this out of neccessity due to injuries to Faubert, Bellamy etc? Who knows?

[smuts]

sounds like di canio and FLJ in earlier times!
while diamante is on the pitch, any freekick with a sight of goal should be his, no questions asked.
no one else has been able to score from them since tevez/nobby. not sure why noble would think he should take them?!

Quite simple really.....the management need to decide who's going to take them, tell the two of them the way it is and that's it.

[Kendal Iron]

sounds like di canio and FLJ in earlier times!
while diamante is on the pitch, any freekick with a sight of goal should be his, no questions asked.
no one else has been able to score from them since tevez/nobby. not sure why noble would think he should take them?!

The free kick was too far to the left of the box for a left footer. Made sense for Noble (or any right footer) to take it.

[Sloop John B]

Miami Hammer... Yeah it's about right and resulted in Diamante dropping deeper and deeper. He doesn't have the pace to beat a player so didn't cause any problems. When he got the ball on the edge of the box he looked dangerous everytime.

Another thing...diamante (left footed) played on the right and Dyer (right footed) on the left...didn't seem to switch. Seems crazy to me, their only option is to come insid ewhere all the other players are. Times last night when there was about 5 players within 10 feet of each other all playing one touch to each other (until a Bolton player smashed it up field).

[stu1]

The difference is we done it against Liverpool, where as under Curbishley we done it against everyone.

Again....was this out of neccessity due to injuries to Faubert, Bellamy etc? Who knows?

When you bring spector on for an attacking player, when drawing against i mid table team, i think that says it all. I remember being at Fulham away and everyone singing "too ****ing negative" pretty much sums up curbishley's football. Decent results but terrible football.

[neilbob]

I think the idea that we played dull football under Curbs in every game is every bit as inaccurate as the idea that we played exciting football under Pards in every game. Football folklore - gotta love it.

[beckton]

When you bring spector on for an attacking player, when drawing against i mid table team, i think that says it all. I remember being at Fulham away and everyone singing "too f***ing negative" pretty much sums up curbishley's football. Decent results but terrible football.

I remember that, it was just before we scored the winner! :lol:

[Hampshire Hammer]

I think the idea that we played dull football under Curbs in every game is every bit as inaccurate as the idea that we played exciting football under Pards in every game. Football folklore - gotta love it.

Saved me typing it

Football is not black and white, sometimes Curbishley's teams played attacking football sometimes Zola's play defensive. Sometimes it is down to tactics or managers instructions, sometimes necessary player selection due to who is available and sometimes just how the team is feeling.

There were some games where curbs teams played attacking football on the break and times where he clearly thought he would protect what he had near the end of a game. This season we could have done with that mentality at times.

On the whole I prefer the general idea that Zola seems to have of the way the team should play, but the fitness and ability to close off a game seems to be missing.

[stu1]

When you bring spector on for an attacking player, when drawing against i mid table team, i think that says it all. I remember being at Fulham away and everyone singing "too f***ing negative" pretty much sums up curbishley's football. Decent results but terrible football.

I remember that, it was just before we scored the winner! :lol:

Ye and it was possibly the worst goal i have ever seen

[noble art]

Another thing...diamante (left footed) played on the right and Dyer (right footed) on the left...didn't seem to switch. Seems crazy to me, their only option is to come insid ewhere all the other players are. Times last night when there was about 5 players within 10 feet of each other all playing one touch to each other (until a Bolton player smashed it up field).

last season was the same,boa on the right and junior on the left!!..i dont mind aslong as they swap over regular....

[Hammeroid]

Diamante started on the right and then decided to play a free role until Zola reminded him where he was supposed to be. Diamante then drifted in and out of the game for the last 20 minutes of the first half. Did switch wings occasionally and a spell behind Cole as Zola rotated the tactis like a Christmas Tree which is the only formation we didn't try last night. Won us about as many free kicks as they had corners.

[giblet]

we really are not co-ordinated in our attacking play at all

We're not co-ordinated, full stop. And we won't be, until we can have an unchanged first eleven for at least 3 games. Doesn't need to be the best players we have, either.

I doubt if Zola is unaware of this, and is probably very, very pissed off at the moment.

Continuing injuries mean continuing changes in line-up and formation, particularly as we seem to have so many players who are not "nailed on" specialists in particular roles. Unsurprisingly, few of the players are coping well with this, and are looking much worse than they are. Add to that, the severe lateness in securing some players.

Seems to me that we're still in pre-season.

[Ben]

The free kick was too far to the left of the box for a left footer. Made sense for Noble (or any right footer) to take it.

i take it you didnt see his freekick for the reserves or some of the others on youtube which were from the left hand side

[Dannysboy]

Good match last night...End to end stuff. Even though it was a poor turnout the atmosphere was great. I'll be honest i reckon we deserved to win..so many corners, most of them wasted. I was starting to get worried but luckily up popped Super Kev...cracking goal from Cahill...Scunthorpe in the next round please

[Billydinho]

Good match last night...End to end stuff. Even though it was a poor turnout the atmosphere was great. I'll be honest i reckon we deserved to win..so many corners, most of them wasted. I was starting to get worried but luckily up popped Super Kev...cracking goal from Cahill...Scunthorpe in the next round please

That'll be a thriller...

[Chazza]

Chazza

I checked your figures on the OS.

We played 16 league games after the window closed. We won five, lost seven, and drew four. Including defeats at Boro (relegated), Sp*rs (below us in the league at the time), and Bolton (clearly not top five either, and below us).

I'm not sure where you figures came from, but in league games, we picked up 18 points. Nothing like the great finish you make out.

The last time we scored three in a game was Jan 18th.

So we sack/cruicfy/critisize/smack on the bum the players because they arent good enough, but not the manager that said they were, and now cant get them to be?

The stats that I took were from the beginning of January, a month which saw us beat Hull and Fulham and gain draws away at Newcastle and Arsenal. I'm guessing there's a reason why you don't want to consider them results and because of it, a revised update (I was going with league games) would see us with 5 wins, 3 draws and 6 defeats (4 of those being against the top five), totalling 18 points in 16 games. The defeat to Middlesbrough was in the FA Cup. Even going by these updated statistics I wouldn't call that record "not very good" as you have. Looking back over it, I would say it was pretty much what you would of expected from us.

You were explicitly talking about players missing chances, something the manager has no control over. You can moan at him for the tactics, formation, set-up, etc. but not individual decisions made by individiual players over the course of a game.

[Chavs]

Good match last night...End to end stuff. Even though it was a poor turnout the atmosphere was great. I'll be honest i reckon we deserved to win..so many corners, most of them wasted. I was starting to get worried but luckily up popped Super Kev...cracking goal from Cahill...Scunthorpe in the next round please

Hi just to let you know that i think your team,fans,stadium and general area are everything thats wrong with modern day football.

I hope that you all go under.