My opinion only of course. 1 up front supported by Tonge. Tonge was the playmaker, the bit of class to unlock the defence. But, our two 'defensive' midfielders were not getting beyond him to support Davies. Tonge isn't an attacking midfielder inthe mould of Butterfield or Vaz Te who can beat a man and put in a shot from 30 yards out, who is a threat on their own. Tonge has a good head and can unlock a defence with a pass, but he needs men beyond him to pass to. So he needed wingers or midfielders to be making runs, but they were behindor on a level with him. We would have been better playing 442, with Tonge in midfield with Digby or Smith. Trust a midfield 2 to do the job defensively and be more threatening in attack. Keith thought differently, that's his job. I don't want him sacked because of that.
Don't think 442 suits us at the minute. The only player that can create anything out of nothing at the minute is Davies, but I think he's wasted out wide. I'd have Gray up front, with Davies playing just behind him: Steele Wiseman Foster McNulty Golbourne Smith Perkins/Tonge/Digby Cotterill Done Davies Gray
imho Hill's trying to get to the end of the season without depleting the bank by replacing players for this season who will be back next - ie Perkins, O'Brien or those who won't, Vaz Te, Drinkwater, and those whose departure may boost the coffers - Butterfield. I fully agree Tonge can't play off a striker - that isn't his game, but unless he went with a front 2 of Gray and Davies then imho he didn't have much other option seeing as Dagnall is shall we say 'finding his feet' at this level... Hill has this season and the summer to work on Golbourne and Dagnall. If we can keep a fit Michael Tonge next season then that is a massive boost and if Butterfield departs it softens the blow somewhat. Hill's made a rod for his own back by turning Vaz Te from someone who'd now be playing in the Portugese 3rd division to a top Championship player - we now expect another Vaz Te to be produced from somewhere - we're going to be disappointed. Quality up front and centrally defensive are priorities imho provided we keep Tonge and Cotterill. The worry is as we limp to the end of the season and as players like Digby are given the opportunity to establish themselves then results and performances will - as they have against Cov & Forest - deteriorate in the short term and that will have an effect on crowds and ST sales for next season. It's down to Rowing et al to come up with imaginative pricing and incentives for ST and matchday tickets to try and keep revenue levels at least as they have been this season. It's unfortunate that at last we have a manager who seems to be able to look long term just as the club is battling with far lower income than recent seasons.
Just seen the Big Match on ITV Player Reds 2-1 Wolves, early 80's. Apparently both teams played 4-3-3. When did we last start a game with 3 forwards? Incredible when you think that Wolves were top of the league with Andy Gray and Wayne Clarke up front. Mind you we did have Banks, Glavin and Ronson in midfield, wish we had 3 like them now. Memories........
I agree re the not spending money part. Hill has already said himself that he woudl rather keep the money for next season. Sadly, we need performances that will enthuse people to part with (probably) a larger sum of money in the summer and I fear for economic and apathetic reason we will lose another 1000 season tickets. By and large we have played well, but we were of a negative mind set in the first half on Saturday. Keef alluded to the reason for this was nervousness at playing at home, which I find hard to accept. Home support, albeit not that vociferous, has been positive of late. The last home game, despite a 3-1 defeat was followed by strong applause IIRC, following a battling performance against another of the divisions cheating sides. The frustration that boiled over at half time stemmed from a total lack of attacking intent in the first half. In the second we upped the tempo, the crowd responded and we got back into it. Had we scored a little earlier I think we would have won the game. I think Keef has experimented a little in the last couple of games, trying to keep it a lot tighter and work on the defensive aspect of our game. I also think we are focusing on the negative of having lost the troika of Butterfield, Drinkwater and Vaz Te, which whilst being a massive blow, has happened and we have to move on and believe in teh players we still have at the club. We murdered Derby in the first half a few weeks ago, without any of those three and if we all, manager, fans and players believe in ourselves and our abaility to win games more than we have in the last three we will do better.
Early 80's team Just thinking about it, after 81/2 season we were middling to relegation fodder (Norman Hunter was sacked in 84 but Bobby Collins kept us up and even flirted with promotion the year after) but we had players of the quality of McCarthy, Banks, Glavin, Parker, Ronson, Barrowclough and Joyce - all of them would walk straight into the team today. But they say that the Championship is of a higher standard than its ever been, what a load of tosh, I would say that the 2nd division was far better back then. Or am I using rose-tinted glasses again?
"27 people taken to hospital after disturbances" At Boro v Newcastle. kin ell, there'd be TV specials and debates in parliament these days. 1 sub an'all btw. Managers these days have it easy.
Normal saturday in Newcastle.... I was there as a student in the mid-70s, people used to say there was a "Newcastle Broon" ward at the Royal Victoria Infrimary.....
Hill's planning for next season - he's looking beyond 90 minutes but that's not how football is these days is it ? And we had Perkins in v Derby - he allows the Tonges & Smiths of this world to play their passing game far more than they can when they have to take up some of his work rate when he's not there.
"Ronson" "Quality" - giore We used to call Ronson "Billy the crab"; he only everwent sideways - a poor, one directional version of Perkins. For the record, I say Keith Hill is the right man. Wiseman is a poor defender though - it appeared to me he was skinned everytime on Saturday, I can't remember him making a defensive tackle or even putting the attacker off enough to prevent a cross.
Have you seen the Big Match? Great through ball from Billy very nearly put Glav in, then he puts Barrowclough away down the left to cross. I know its hard to judge from the highlights of just one game, but I certainly don't remember Billy in the way you suggest, to me he was a good hard working midfielder who won the ball and passed well. One of those players any successful team needs, just like Stumpy in 96/7. Only my opinion though.
Re: Have you seen the Big Match? We also need Smith to find the form he had in his first two games for us. He's not played particularly well for a while now.
