Worst Substitution Ever?

We've just conceded an equaliser and need someone to stem their flow?

Brown on for Bree, oh right, the lad that has not made a tackle all season.

3 minutes later, he fails to make another tackle (he's consistent this fella) and the game is lost.

Genius Danny, just genius.

I'm sure we must have seen worse over the years, but I really can't think of one, can anyone?

 

I understand why he made the substitution. Notts County had started hitting high balls towards Bree from defence and targeting the back post where Bree was taking up a position with their crosses from the right. Rochdale did similar, we brought Brown on and it completely nullified their attack. So, I could see the sense in what Wilson did.

It completely backfired. Brown reverted to type, backed away when the winger ran at him, didn't keep with him when he ran in to the box and allowed his man to score the winner. Shocking defending.

Is Brown the worst player I've seen? No. I've seen him do lots of good things.

Is he the worst player I've seen when a winger is running at him? Yes, by some distance.

The defence, and the midfield to a lesser extent, are going to take a big hammering after this game. It's justified I suppose. But if our forwards and flair players had scored even half their easy chances we would have won the game at a canter.

 

Bringing on a player who makes Scott Wiseman look like Zambrotta can never be a good thing.

 

I thought (hoped?) he had picked up on this with him dropping him of late.

He will probably start on Satdi. Might as well bring Dudgeon back too.

 

None of the goals were anything remotely to do with Bree. Brown was on 3 minutes and basically handed them the game.

Last player I'd bring on would be Brown when there was a fast and tricky left winger operating in that vicinity.

 

I wouldn't have brought Brown on if they had Gary Jones playing LW.

 

Thing is though Jay, if we stop the cross in the first instance then it doesnt matter what Bree does/did. I thought it was the wrong substitution and was shocked when he was hooked off. I actually thought the threat came from the other side in the main, although I think Nyatanga does a reasonable job filling in, he can't be our long term plan in that position.

It was another weird game to watch... sober but we shouldnt be getting beat in the way that we are. I still think we have lots of nice footballers, at times we are too slow in our possession and laboured but we are terrible when we don't have the ball. We are slow to win the ball back and whilst ever that is the case we will always concede.

Having said that I am starting to worry about Cranie. Maybe I have been blinded by the fact that he looks great on the ball as a centre half, but how many headers does he win and how many tackles does he make? Maybe I'm being unfair there, but I am starting to worry that maybe he isnt the player I once thought he was.

I don't think Ive walked away from a game thinking that we lost a game to a team that was worse than us for long periods but miles better than us in the rest of it. In reality it could have been 8 each.

 

I think he has, that's why he dropped him. Bree was struggling, our other option was Brown, we made the substitution. It didn't work. Last time it did. Wilson hoped Brown would cut out the long ball to the winger. He didn't.

I'm no big fan of Brown. He's got some good attributes, but he's ******* hopeless when a winger runs at him. So not much cop, but I understand why the substitution was made.

 

The most consistent thing in our shocking defence for the last 18 months is Captain fantastic Crainie. Championship wages non league performances.

 

In defensive terms, what are his attributes?

 

Strong in the air, rarely if ever gets muscled off the ball, reasonably quick.

 

Wish we could say the same about Crainie.

 

Cranie was poor tonight, but that hasn't been his form for the majority of the season. If he played every game like he did tonight you'd be right to question him, but for me he hasn't, he's been much better.

I also think you're right that a lot of Notts County's attacks were coming from our left. They were knocking balls in to our box and Bree was in there trying to mark a man. That's not his game. It is, however, Brown's game.

 

He rarely gets skinned. He just backs off and allows the player to cross the ball in. Equally as useless I grant you but still.

He's not, he's dropped him. He's not playing him anywhere. He came on as a sub because he was our only option when the defence were clearly having a hard time of it.

 

I'll admit that I've never been a fan of Crainie I just think that any player with any determination will always get the better of him. He got skinned by the big striker for Crawley in the first 10 minutes of the season and he hasn't improved since. Unfortunately he is one of those players that doesn't really have a position that suits him.

 

I have never said he didn't. In fact, if you read my match report, I said he did, so I'm not really sure what you want from me?

I'll go and beat him up if you like, will that do it?