[Archived] Crystal Palace 0 Blackburn Rovers 0

[chris]

Dickov seems a little nervous in front of goal, like he doesn't have faith in himself one on one, he hits every one on one directly at the keeper, they don't even need to try and save it, he's almost targeting the keepers belly, i think keeprs find it predictable. I swear Dickov is thinks "my god I got a chance just kick it hard", where as a top striker try and fool the keepr, and hit one of the corners, or go throught the legs

If it's a poor game and the whole are stuggling then great bring Dickov on let him battle for the team, but if we are creating chances then we need the finishers that maybe doesn't work as hard but are more likely to show a bit of class that wins games.

Edited December 13, 2004 by chris

[Dan Furness]

USA,

First yellow, Tommo running along touch line is brought down by palace player, their legs entangle and Tommo kicks out. Was lucky in my opinion not to get a straight red.

Second yellow.

Neill is badly tackled, bit of a player confrontation.

Tommo meanwhile decides to start a second arguement off the ball, and pretends to nut Palace player. Bit of a handbags do but the refs assistant reports it. Tommo off.

In other words Tommo was a prat there was no need for him to be involved.

I thought it was Fergie who pretended to butt him

then again i must have been more steaming than i thought

[hangthadj]

Hughes should come down like a ton of bricks on Thompson for his crass stupidity in getting sent off on Saturday.

Not only did he deserve both bookings he was lucky also not to be sent off for kicking out at the Crystal Palace player.

He also compounded the error by arguing with the linesman after his second booking, which the FA is bound to punish by increasing the length of his suspension.

The fool has just returned from serious injury and an enforced absence because of a idiotic and needless dismissal is the last thing he needs when he is trying to regain match fitness.

Thompson should be reminded forcefully (and handed a hefty fine) of his obligations to the club, which needs every player available for selection in the fight against relegation.

If Thompson had half a brain he would have realised that.

Add into all that that we have Tugay out for a few weeks and this was Thommo's chance to actually get on the field and maybe put in a full 90 and impress Hughes.

He clearly blew it. Probably the biggest disapontment of all on Saturday.

[RevidgeBlue]

And my man of the match was Flitcroft, who I thought screened the defence superbly throughout. He didn't offer much going forward but that wasn't his job today, his job was to stop Palace creating and he performed it excellently.

"Screened the defence?" Sounds like footballese for Flitcroft's usual trick of standing around doing bugger all.

Still, what do I know? There's only Scotty on this board sufficiently qualified to pass judgement on a player's ability!.

[mjs]

Granted that Flitcroft has limitations, but I wouldn't have thought that standing around doing bugger all is something he could be accused of.

[bellamy11]

And my man of the match was Flitcroft, who I thought screened the defence superbly throughout.  He didn't offer much going forward but that wasn't his job today, his job was to stop Palace creating and he performed it excellently.

"Screened the defence?" Sounds like footballese for Flitcroft's usual trick of standing around doing bugger all.

Still, what do I know? There's only Scotty on this board sufficiently qualified to pass judgement on a player's ability!.

How do you think he played on Saturday then?

[RevidgeBlue]

Don't know, wasn't there. Just going on the last couple of seasons.

The comment from Andy Neilld in the LET was that he looked like a man who hadn't seen any first team action for a while.

[bellamy11]

Don't know, wasn't there. Just going on the last couple of seasons.

The comment from Andy Neilld in the LET was that he looked like a man who hadn't seen any first team action for a while.

Then in the situation of Scotty commenting on how Flitcroft played during the match, sarcastically stating "but what do I know?" doesn't really work in the particular argument.

Flity hasn't been very effective for quite some time now and you know that just as much as the rest of us. What you don't know is how he played on Saturday. The answer being pretty well.

[Scotty]

And my man of the match was Flitcroft, who I thought screened the defence superbly throughout.  He didn't offer much going forward but that wasn't his job today, his job was to stop Palace creating and he performed it excellently.

"Screened the defence?" Sounds like footballese for Flitcroft's usual trick of standing around doing bugger all.

Still, what do I know? There's only Scotty on this board sufficiently qualified to pass judgement on a player's ability!.

I just tell it like I saw it Rev. Unlike others who seem to make their mind up before the game.

[Claytons Left Boot]

.... but the guy who CHEATED and tried to get lucas sent off is an absolute disgrace.....

Apparently not - we had a similar sort of discussion on here around 18 months ago. I argued (along with one or two others) that cheating should be dealt with more severely, feeling that it had no place in the game, but was shot down by a clear majority on this Board who thought cheating was a clever way of gaining an unfair advantage.

So well done the lad from Palace. We all take our hats off to you. Well some of us do anyway.

[thenodrog]

I was at the match and fully agree that tommo deserved the first yellow card. But the second one....i am still to figure out what he did wrong to deserve that second yellow. for goodness sake all i saw was that he had a little shove and push with that lanky streak of crap fitz hall......and if that itself is deserved of a yellow card then we might aswell all give up.

what the ###### hell the linesman was doing i also am yet to figure out.

I wonder if any cameras picked up the nature and strength of the 'dig' that Thompson so obviously received just prior to his sending off as it clearly was enough to provoke an immediate reaction. I dont want footy to get allover sterile but the contact appeared deliberatly provocative so surely whats sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander, especially in regard to the Reid / Gronkyaer incident.

All round though its just another reminder (aka Tugay) of the folly of picking up the first booking so irresponsibly and cheaply.

[allan]

Tommo needs to be saved from himself at he moment. He's simply trying too hard to impress and making a complete mess of everything. Came on at Palace and in a very short time he completely missed with a wild tackle that set up a dangerous Palace counter. Then he put in a dreadful cross when well-positioned. Perhaps being completely out-paced up the touchline was the last straw and he flipped. At the moment he looks a liability particularly if he played in the middle as some have suggested.

[tashor]

And my man of the match was Flitcroft, who I thought screened the defence superbly throughout.  He didn't offer much going forward but that wasn't his job today, his job was to stop Palace creating and he performed it excellently.

"Screened the defence?" Sounds like footballese for Flitcroft's usual trick of standing around doing bugger all.

Still, what do I know? There's only Scotty on this board sufficiently qualified to pass judgement on a player's ability!.

I just tell it like I saw it Rev. Unlike others who seem to make their mind up before the game.

Revidge is king, are you listening

On the pitch, snow is glistening

A beautiful sight

At Ewood tonight

Walking in a Scotty wonderland.

Gone away is the BLUE bird

Here to stay is a new bird

He sings us a song

As we go along

Walking in a Scotty wonderland.

On the board we can build a spokesman

Then pretend that he is not a clown

He'll say: Are you worried?

We'll say: No man

But you can be the job

When you're in town.

Later on, we'll conspire

As we dream by the fire

To face unafraid

The games that we've played

Walking in a Scotty wonderland.

On the board we can build a spokesman

And pretend that he is not a clown

We'll have lots of fun with mister spokesman

Until the agitators knock him down.

When it snows, ain't it thrilling

Though your prose gets a grilling

We'll frolic and play, the Rovers way

Walking in a Scotty wonderland.

Walking in a Scotty wonderland

Walking in a Scotty wonderland.

[tcj_jones]

Flitcroft didn't do a lot on saturday, but what he did do he did very effectively. There were glimpses of the player of old and some really crunching tackles. If he could do that throughout the game and not let it drift past him so often he would be so much more effective. But still, definately a more reliable, and defensively assured alternative to Tugay and I would far prefer him in the team.

What was far more important, however, was that he was one of few players that looked like he wanted to win and realised that he needed to earn his place. Be it 10 minutes from the end, but when Thompson got sent off he seemed to take it upon himself to shore things up get stuck in.

[Scotty]

That's the second time in as many weeks that you've penned a song that's mentioned my name Tash. Are you trying to serenade me?

[RevidgeBlue]

Then in the situation of Scotty commenting on how Flitcroft played during the match, sarcastically stating "but what do I know?" doesn't really work in the particular argument.

Flity hasn't been very effective for quite some time now and you know that just as much as the rest of us. What you don't know is how he played on Saturday. The answer being pretty well.

I think my original post went slightly over your head.

My old mate Scotty cast aspersions in jest (or maybe not! ) the other night on my ability to judge the quality of a player. Mine was a feeble and obviously completely unsuccessful attempt to poke fun in return.

Just call me the Alan Partridge of cutting and witty repartee.

Edited December 14, 2004 by RevidgeBlue

[Tony Diamond Inc]

Tommo needs to be saved from himself at he moment. He's simply trying too hard to impress and making a complete mess of everything. Came on at Palace and in a very short time he completely missed with a wild tackle that set up a dangerous Palace counter. Then he put in a dreadful cross when well-positioned. Perhaps being completely out-paced up the touchline was the last straw and he flipped. At the moment he looks a liability particularly if he played in the middle as some have suggested.

Exactly my impression of Thommo at the moment. We currently need a saviour, and it would seem that he has taken it upon himself to be that man. The problem being he IS trying too hard.

He was effective against Citeh, awsome against Brum, but then came the one man team bit.

It looks to me like a good player believing he is great.

[bellamy11]

Then in the situation of Scotty commenting on how Flitcroft played during the match, sarcastically stating "but what do I know?" doesn't really work in the particular argument.

Flity hasn't been very effective for quite some time now and you know that just as much as the rest of us. What you don't know is how he played on Saturday. The answer being pretty well.

I think my original post went slightly over your head.

My old mate Scotty cast aspersions in jest (or maybe not! ) the other night on my ability to judge the quality of a player. Mine was a feeble and obviously completely unsuccessful attempt to poke fun in return.

Just call me the Alan Partridge of cutting and witty repartee.

Ah. I see. It all makes sense now

"You've got a lot of issues."

"Yeah, of 'What Car?' magazine!"

[Blue blood]

There's no question that we're improving but are we improving fast enough? As has already been said a draw is a decent result but considering the mess we're in it is not going to be enough. The it's ok mentality is what will send us down.

Another worrying assumption is that Hughes will put it right with a couple of magical signings in January. That might not happen. All sorts of problems such as funds, injuries and other clubs interests could well and truely mess up Hughes plans. Whilst the odd player should aid our push ofr survival, the majority of the team has to be from what we've got. Therefore, the players that we have at least 9 have to be performing at their best, and perhaps beyond that, for us to stay up. Whether we actually have that consistency in the squad will be a big factor.

There were some positives from what I've read and seen from the highlights, namely:

We're creating chances. Ok, we couldn't hit the target to save our life but we're actually creating chances, something that we weren't doing before.

Flitty might still be decent. Too early to say but if he is getting back to his best or anywhere near, I'd much rather have him in the team than Tugay, who gets silly bookings and is too inconsistent. I've said before a younger Flitty would be the ideal partner for Ferguson, if the older Flitty can do it that's one more position we don't have to worry about till summer.

A clean sheet. Like penalties as a Rovers fan I'd forgotten what they were. Defensively we're looking a lot more solid, one of the key problems we've had this season. Todd, Short, Neil and Nissa so far have all looked decent and whilst we're not great at defending we've improved to the stage where we can hold our own.

The negatives:

We aren't killing off games. Ok our defense is looking a lot more solid and we're dominating games but we lack the killer instinct that will keep us up. Even if our defence is getting better, as we're not taking our chances this becomes largely as question of getting draws, or narrow defeats rather than drubbings. ALL the team need to do a bit more shooting practice.

We lack a top quality striker. Every team needs a striker who'll regularly bang in the goals we haven't got one. I'd argue that none of our strikers would start in any other premiership team. This is the most important area to address to me in the transfer window. We've too many promising or decent strikers and no one dependable enough. Dickov's a great work ethic but can't finish. Like others have said we should try another combination. I'd gamble on a Stead Jansen partnership. Ok its a gamble but a Dickov - whoever partnership is clearly not working. If one of them refinds their form it could be the key to our survival.

Ill discipline - again this has potentially cost us a fair few points which come May could prove to be the difference. Tommo, Tugay, Boothroyd and Reid should be ashamed of their actions and I'd like to see a much harsher punishment for their stupidity.

[Blueboy Downunder]

a bit more shooting practice.....

stunning saves from goalkeepers, goal line clearances etc etc

i don't think so much that it is shooting practice that we need, as i believe that the lads are throwing everything and the kitchen sink to try and score a goal.....we just need that bit of luck which on saturday (for one reason or another) we did not get.