Frustration

[chrislcfc18]

Wigan were much better than I thought they would be, they certainly played better today than they did at their place earlier in the season. They won all the loose balls in midfield, battled for everything, never allowed our players to settle on the ball, and looked very dangerous from set pieces. Reminded me of MON's early Premiership years.

The only reason Wigan looked anything near good or competitive wa because our players wern't competing enough.

Is that why they're second in the table then, because their opponents all have a bad game against them?

Or do their opponents all have a bad game because Wigan don't allow them to play? Our players are used to having more time on the ball than Wigan gave them, and it showed just how slow some of our players are. I'm just glad Nalis didn't play, he wouldn't have got a kick today.


When we first got into the Premiership we did to Premiership teams what Wigan did to us today. We always moaned because we were never given credit for it, if we won it was always said that it was because our opponents had an off day, but so many of them had an off day because we didn't let them play.

So I think we should give Wigan credit for the way they played. They don't have a great deal of quality, but they're well organised, they work hard, and they know what they're supposed to do. That can be enough to get you promoted in this league.

The fact that we were generally pretty awful today, and that Wigan only won 2-0 - through 2 goals that shouldn't have been - tells me that the difference between us and them isn't that great and none of the teams in this league are that great. Like you said, being well organised and knowing what you're supposed to do can get you up there - Wigan are there only because of the lack of quality and consistancy in the rest of the league.

Ipswich and Sunderland deserve to go up, not Wigan. I can't explain why Wigan are where they are, but if the referees are like that with them every week then it must go someway to explaining it. Ipswich were a better side when they played us here, as were Sunderland.

2 strikers who have scored something like 43 goals between them would be one explanation.

The fact is playing the long ball is getting too predictable. Relying on flick-on's is more hopeful than skill. granted, we havent got a player who can produce that bit of magic when we really need it but maybe practising pass and move skills, 3 or 4 touch matches in training. The only time i think that kicking the ball upfield and hoping your own player gets it is when your desperately clearing out of your own box whether that be upfield or row Z of the stand.

When Levein first arrived we used the wings a hell of alot and put no end of crosses in to the box but that doesnt seem to happen as often now.

no crosses coming in might be to do with the fact Tiatto doesn't play where he's meant to

First half he was doing well down the left. Second half? Yes maybe your right there were a couple of times when the only person down the left was Maybury. But i also think that Tiatto was trying to help out Gudjonson who wasnt having the best of games in the centre. Mind you i guess he had dropped his head quite a bit when McCarthy had a right go at him in first half and Dublin had to console him.

 

[homer]

Tiatto had a mare, but he was feckin Zidane compared to that useless feckin lump up front

Without doubt, ladies and gents, the worst player I have seen in a Leicester City shirt. He is without equal


As for today, I'm afraid Levein f*cked up royal

It was crying out for Dion up front instead of De Lump. Should have happened at half time, bringing Kenton on at RB and shifting McCarthy over to centre half
When he did finally push him up front, he took off Gillespie, and then Tiatto - meaning we had no width at all. How the f*ck were we supposed to feed a front three with no fecker playing out wide ?

Dreadful, truly dreadful

A pitiful day all round

Dion, Gillespie and Maybury the only ones deserving of their wages today

 

[pipes]

Dion, Gillespie and Maybury the only ones deserving of their wages today

Walker made a good save second half... and i thought Connolly was good when he got the ball, just hardly ever got it...

 

[Rich Pickings]

Remember Eric Morecambe playing all the right notes but in the wrong order, Levein has the same affliction. He has the right players but plays them in the wrong positions.
Maybury is a right back and plays left, Mc Cartney is a great centre half yey CL insists on playing him at right back.Why pay loan players and have them sitting on their arses warming the bench? Use em or lose em.

 

[Steven]

Remember Eric Morecambe playing all the right notes but in the wrong order, Levein has the same affliction. He has the right players but plays them in the wrong positions.
Maybury is a right back and plays left, Mc Cartney is a great centre half yey CL insists on playing him at right back.Why pay loan players and have them sitting on their arses warming the bench? Use em or lose em.

This gets post with the most sense award. ;-) :mrgreen:

 

[Leigh]

Also, I think MDV didn't come off as he would of been booed by the crowd which could have severly harmed his confidence

I have a feeling that if MDV starts on Tuesday he'll get booed onto the pitch, just as Blake used to be.

I'm still fully behind Levein but there were several things that he did (or didn't do) today that really irritated me. The first is obviously not taking MDV off. Secondly our bench was a joke, who on there was going to come on and inject some pace, passion, etc. I know it was a hard game and the kids shouldn't be thrown into those situations but when I heard the bench my heart sank because there was no-one on there who could change a game.

Thridly, and most importantly, our joke of a left side. Tiatto has been playing badly since Christmas and today was no different, however even before that his weaknesses on the left were apparent:
1. He spends 90% of his time not on the left at all but in the middle of the pitch.
2. He never puts crosses in. Never ever, our most dangerous bit of play on the left in the first half was when Gillespie was over there and he took the ball into the box.
Today he was probably lucky not to be sent off, and needed to come off so I'm not sure about some of the crowd's reaction to him being subbed however we needed a left sided player on the pitch from the start. I like Maybury but he doesn't get forward much on the left and the amount of times he got beaten by a player today I couldn't count.
I don't understand why Stewart isn't playing, let alone in the squad, he is what we're lacking of that side of the pitch and if he isn't in the squad at least against Cardiff I'm going to be very annoyed.

 

[Ox Fox]

Oh dear, one step forward and all that.

We're not going to get anywhere this season, next season or ever unless Levein can somehow find a couple of players with a bit of pace and/or guile. Opposition defences must look forward so much to playing us at the moment, the front two yesterday were so toothless they almost made me wish for the days of Ormondroyd and Phil Gee!

The 'hot potato' passing syndrome is back, there's no width and none of the midfield seem prepared to make any kind of forward run to try and open up the opposition defence. No-one is capable of taking the ball and running with it for more than 2 seconds other than Gillespie. The kind of player we desperately need in midfield is Kavannah, I thought he was the best player on the pitch by a country mile and just showed up what a mind numbling inept player Gudjonson is.

The lack of organisation, tactics and formation also worry me, at times it looked like a bunch of school kids playing, the midfield all just chase after the ball and when they've got it there's no one left to pass to because they're all within six feet of one another. Williams was like a headless chicken yesterday, what exactly was his role supposed to be?

Levein really has got a lot to do in the close season, let's hope he can take the blinkers off regarding MDV.

 

[highland fox]

Wigan are a good Championship side bu unless they have lots to spend they will definately come straight back down again,if they go up.They have a good starting Eleven but no back-up,hence their slump when they had a few injuries.IMO Sunderland are the best team in the League,I said it six months ago and stand by it.We will get nothing next week unless we play extremely well.I think yesterday showed that Hughes is a must start player for us.