Only live in Luton so didn't take me long to get back thankfully. Where to start with that shower of ****?! Reyt, we started alright, passed it about a bit and looked a threat, then we shot ourselves in the foot once again by not marking their big lad from a corner once again. Now seriously, we've conceded 3 goals in a row from corners and in the 15th minute of the game we cannot mark a corner?! Now that's seriously unacceptable at any level of football, not sure who was meant to mark Deeney but that's just not good enough at all. For the rest of the half we looked decent going forward, until some poor finishing by Sinclair and some great saves from Almunia gave them a bit of an unjust 1-0 half time lead. I must say that they could've had 3 more themselves before this point, they skied one 1 on 1, Steele made a cracking save, and their player dived/was fouled when 1 on 1 once again. Think they might have hit bar from a corner aswell but not sure. It wasn't through brilliant play that was gaining them the chances, mainly us pissing about with it at the back time and time again, now where've we heard that before. Keef, we've not got the players to try and pass it like Barca so don't ****ing bother trying to play like them, get the message!! Onto the second half, we hoped we could build on our first half chances and that the back 4 would miraculously sort themselves out for 45 minutes at least. Start of half was pretty average from both teams, no-one really threatening. Then we once again **** about with it at the back, Foster or Crainey this time I think, letting Mark Yeates run in to the box unchallenged from a tight angle, no-one even bothers to close him down so he slots it easily under Steele for a second. Very nearly walked out at this point but though I'd try and get my money's worth at least. Then it was a total capitulation, Mcnulty and Foster making mistake after mistake, it was just embarrassing to watch. Now the third goal was possibly the worst of the bunch. It's actually laughable. They get the ball to the edge of the box, and Crainey bundles him over. Not the worst thing that could happen, we've got plenty back in our own box for this. Watford then cunningley take the free kick quick, and Deeney shoots from the edge of the area and scores. Professional footballers shouldn't ever let them score from that situation, where is the man to just stop them taking it quick, and not only did we not stop the quick free kick, we let Deeney take a shot under no pressure and score. Fourth was a blatent penalty, Mcnulty sliding in and mucking up once again. He took it comfortably. The rest of the second half not mentioned was just wave after wave of Watford attacks, they hit the woodwork at least 3 times and Steele made a cracking couple of saves. Mcnulty got roundly booed every time he touched the ball after this, and I'm afraid to say he deserved everyone of those boos. I joined in too. I've not seen such a gutless, pathetic, inadequate performance in a long time. I can accept players having a bad game but for weeks he's shown nothing and I saw no commitment from him at all today. He didn't win a header, he gave the ball away constantly, they walked through us time and time again. Foster was as bad but at least he put a bit of effort in. Songs for Bobby Hassell were totally justified in my opinion today, if the players and management don't want criticism and other players' names singing then they need to start putting performances on the pitch to justify their place in the team. Songs like 'it's just like watching Rochdale' weren't even apt for today, that's an insult to Rochdale. I'll get onto the individual ratings now: Steele (7) Credit to himself today, not at fault for any goal and saved us on more than one occasion. It's not his fault he's got so much **** ahead of him. Golbourne (4) Wasn't the worst player on the pitch, bit of effort from him but lacking in any sort of quality. McNulty (1) Don't think he can possibly perform any worse than that. Worst thing about it was the lack of effort, just getting the ball and passing it lazily to the opposition every time is not good enough. Foster (3) He mainly gets a 3 as he wasn't quite as bad as helpless as McNulty. Crainey (4) Best player of the back four, but as a collective unit they weren't good enough. His partnership with Foster at the right of the defence was dreadful. Easily taken apart time and time again. Dawson (4) Runs about but not very good, we got ripped apart through the centre of midfield. Greening (5) Fair play to him for trying to get us going but I'm afraid he's just too slow. He slows the tempo every time he gets the ball. It's way too predictable for the opposition to deal with. Buzsaky (3) Rubbish, utter rubbish. Tudgay (4) Pretty anonomous all day until he scored, very much too late by that point. Davies (3) Looked disinterested, no commitment to tackling. Poor. Sinclair (3) He's ****, tries hard but clearly can't finish. Another Oddjob. Safe to say I'm gutted about today's effort, or lack of effort. There's nothing there at the moment and I'm sorry to say I'll be suprised if we don't go down. Watford weren't great but definately deserved their win and it could've been more. Keef's performance was a zero today, he got nothing right at all. The midfield was awfully exposed. McNulty is nowhere near good enough. Sinclair isn't great. Greening is too slow. I can't see why Bobby is not even on the bench?! Keef maybe trying to 'prove the fans wrong,' well Keef, you're team are doing a cracking job of proving us right at the moment. We've said for ages, buy a proper centre half, has he done that? Has he ****! Keep conceding goals like we are doing and we'll be down by February. Remember Keef's phrase 'clean sheets are king.' No doubt he'll be critical of the fans for the chants but he needs to look at himself first. I've backed him all the way since he came, but now I'm starting to doubt that. Lose the next 2 and I think he could be gone, and deservedly so.
Doesn't sound like it was a good day out then.....???!! Seriously though, thanks for your honest assessment. It sounds like it was a total shambles of a performance. The sort you get just before a manger gets the sack.
Decent day except for the the football It was a bit of a rant, not sure if it all made sense but I just needed to get it out. Really was humiliating unfortunately!
Got back an hour ago, going out now so have to be brief. Share many of your thoughts, but have to say Sinclair let us down early on when we could have made an impact, by missing two good chances. Their 1st goal, almost a free header, yet again. McNulty (especially) and Foster both weak. Saw us win with a great performance at Charlton just 6 weeks ago, mid October. What the hell's gone on since then? KH has a huge job on now to stop the rot. It looks pretty grim right now. Must go, a few drinks beckon..............
I honestly think he needs to go this weekend, we just can't afford to keep this poor run going and if we give him more time and lose to the dee dars we'll be waist deep in ****. I feel gutted that after supporting him almost blindly I have now given up.
Good post. Well, not a 'good' post, a f*cking awful one, but you know what I mean. It was Tudgay who let Deeney get the header away for their first goal.
Great, honest post Wellsie - I've been today and the only thing I'd disagree with you about is that you gave McNulty too many points in your ratings. He's quite simply the worst defender I've ever seen in a Reds shirt. He can't head, is too soft in the tackle, very little pace, always looks like he's going to (and normally does) gift the opposition chances and worst of all has no heart or desire when he pulls on the shirt. The problem we have is that we have no nastiness in our team to put fear in to the opposition strikers. Oh, for a Gerry Taggart, Mick McCarthy, Darren Moore type player...
Bang on. Hill is more bothered about players who are decent on the ball (even though McNulty isn't) than people that can actually defend. That will be what costs him his job in my opinion, hard to see a way back for him, McNulty, Wiseman and Done from here.
McNulty Wiseman are his development players for league 1. Hill has bought badly and not even bought a good central defender. All midfield. Then rest Harewood, Edwards , Collins, Mc Nulty, Mido, Silva, Kennedy,Daggers to some extent. Now three more we have to settle in. The new lads have to be given a bit longer to get match fit, but time is running out. At Leicester he wants to play long ball over to three front players and see if we can score. If he plays existing tip tap at back we will get trounced.
It's much worse than that. Watford almost scored from one of OUR corners. It was like watching amateur hour.
That's my point. Keith thinks they are decent though, when they're not. I'd love to see Darren Moore back at Oakwell, but Hill would never entertain a player like that because he doesn't think he's Iniesta.
