Cat among the pigeons

So the anti-Wiseman group finally got him out of the team and their next target is McNulty. Whilst Wiseman is not our best central defender, I still believe he is our best right back. Whilst McNulty's form is still not as good as last year, it will return with his match fitness. Together, they are central to the way Keith wants to play football from the back because they allow us to keep the ball by ensuring the ball is passed rather than launched forward aimlessly. I watched last night as Crainie made mistakes last would have got Wiseman lynched on here. Was there any mention.... not a hint. Focus was all upon McNulty, who did not have his best game, but was ahead of Crainie on most counts. I do not want the team to move away from the Keith Hill style and I hope that Keith reverts to Wiseman, Foster, McNulty and Golbourne once he is away from the fan pressure at Oakwell. I hated the Mark Robbins long ball style and the disconnect in the team that his style personified.

Not only did Keith bow to pressure from the anti group in respect of Wiseman, Keith also played a midfield that would have been most BBS contributors choice. Most comments after the Cardiff game thought that the team that finished the game, should start against Burnley. Consequently, the side was once more badly balanced. In a 4-4-2 system, the team needs proper wide players. Neither RNL nor Mellis are the wide players with pace who can be expected to play just inside the touchline. I have seen nothing to convince me that Greening is a better option than Dawson, he is certainly less mobile. Buzsaky played well, but no better than Mellis at his best in the same position. We have needed a left winger ever since Hammill left. Even Vaz Te was not the answer in terms of balance (though his goals more than compensated).

With Davies and Tudgay, we now have a decent strike force and Sinclair offers something different from the bench, particularly away from home. We still lack pace and width however, so how can we deliver the ball to the front two in dangerous positions. They have still scored more than 1 goal in just one game this season. If the forwards had been able to score one more goal in just 10 games, we would have had 15 more points. Admittedly, if we had conceded one less goal in those 10 games, we would have had the same 15 points extra. I make the point only to illustrate that we are failing just as badly at one end of the field as we are at the other. In fact we are failing worse in attack because we are 21st best in the league for goals scored, but 13th best for goals conceded.

 

You hated the team that was more successful and prefer a style of football that has left us in our current predicament.

 

I don't think the fans played any part in Hills decision to drop Wiseman, I think self preservation was the primary reason for him taking that decision. If Hill cared about fans opinions Hassell would be in the squad.

My biggest frustration with Hill is that we have the players to play his style but he ignores them and chooses to play people out of position instead. Its baffling at times.

 

I disliked the style that Mark Robbins played, and it damn near drove me away from the club that I have supported for 45 years. But I never called for him to be sacked... EVER. The club is too important to me to become embroiled in personal vendettas at the expense of it long term stability. I will not even mention the relative budgets of the two last two managers, or the fact the Robbins walked rather than try to manage on what KH accepted. Oops, it must have slipped out.

 

Hill doesn't give a toss what the fans think

 

The owner will not sack Keith unless the fans put him under pressure to do so. Self preservation = keeping the fans happy.

 

You've completely ignored the fact that McNulty is returning from injury

he had a bad game but he's shown enough previously to indicate he'll improve when he gets match sharp.

Wiseman is one of the worst right backs I have witnessed in 30 years of watching us play.

He was hauled off in the Reading game last season after he was visibly crawling up his own arse and I kind of understood the rationale given injuries of playing him as centre half, but he's got progressively worse and found out embarrassingly at times, and listening to Hills interview on BBC, his confidence is low cos he doesnt respond to criticism on the Internet, more substance to the argument - brittle.

In our predicament we need battlers to put their foot/head in and Crainie (& Foster) strikes me as the type you want to be stood alongside in a battle, Wiseman is most definately not.

 

Funny that Hill has three players that played under Robins, signed two more that played under Robins and is trying to bring a third one back to the club. Their budgets must have been poles apart.

 

Re: You've completely ignored the fact that McNulty is returning from injury

Cranie shitted outta quite a few tackles last neet agree on the battling Foster though.

 

I think he does, but he shouldn't.

Football teams are not managed according to committee. It is one person's responsibility, and if he gets it wrong he pays with his job. If I were managing the team, I wouldn't take any notice of an unqualified committee either.

 

Re: You've completely ignored the fact that McNulty is returning from injury

Crainie set up Burnley's best chance of the second period (when they hit the post) with a very poor defensive header. He did a ridiculous back heel that almost cost a goal against Cardiff. He offers very little going forward, whereas Wiseman offers pace. Wiseman's cross made the Barnsley goal against Cardiff.

 

From where I was sat

in the 2nd half at least Crainie didnt look to be backing out of any challenges and he won most of the long balls in the air that Burnley resorted to. What I would say is that he doesnt get forward as much as Stones, but with RNL in front of him, its obvious why.

 

Re: From where I was sat

RNL was on the left side from 30 minutes onwards.

 

Re: You've completely ignored the fact that McNulty is returning from injury

 

One cross

does not make up for countless bad defensive mistakes. Infact the main criticism of Wiseman at right back is he's caught up field out of position too often, Crainie had RNL infront of him last night, who provides only fleeting defensive cover.

Crainie, reads the game well and as you've pointed out conceding goals is costing us so we should shore up first.

 

Re: From where I was sat

not constantly, they (Mellis & RNL) swapped several times.

 

In terms of full backs

I'd put him up there with Paul Gibbs and El Hamouir.

 

Re: One cross

. Infact the main criticism of Wiseman at right back is he's caught up field out of position too often,

LOL and Hassell never ever get caught our of position

 

He doesn't

 

you must be having a ****ing laugh. If i gave him a white sheet of paper and a Black pen Hassell couldnt mark it