Our subs were head scratching to say the least.

The subs drained the energy from the fans. Arfield, Matondo and Morelos are ‘likely’ players. Gio brought on ‘safe’ players. Strange decision.
 
Laudrup is God said:
Didn’t get the manager’s subs tonight at all Wright has not played well and yet gets brought on and same goes with Kamara.

Arfield Matondo Morelos should have seen the field before those two.

Also don’t think Gio knows his strongest side yet as we lost the midfield battle tonight and maybe even the tie.

If we could’ve got control of the midfield more we win tonight imo because when we pressed them and held the ball they didn’t look to clever.
Click to expand...
Not for the first time I’ll post this but , here goes again, we don’t have a strongest side, we don’t need a strongest side and we don’t want as strongest side!
 
pandager1 said:
I'll need to rewatch the highlights but I feel they created more from open play than us tonight.

Next week will be very tough.
Click to expand...

They did second half. Not first half. Second half.

We were better first half. They were definitely on top second half.

A draw was fair.

Still absolutely everything to play for. 50/50 tie. Same as the EL final. Two very evenly matched sides
 
Quijibo said:
It’s really alarming how much Kamara has regressed. I was all for him coming on…. But he isn’t the same player as he was under Gerrard.

We need to sell him before we damage his worth any further.
Click to expand...
I can't see whatever it is that people have ever seen in him. Nice little turns and shimmies but if you're a midfielder who doesn't score, create, tackle or win headers then what is it he does?
 
theweeman said:
Unsure how you can say we lost the midfield battle. I felt we overpowered them. They scored from a poorly defended corner (Goldson) and a scrappy tap in.

I felt we were the better team overall, and genuinely think we'll qualify.
Click to expand...
There are areas we can improve, but I don't get the OP at all or the first few replies.
Sure, many of us including me don't think Wright was the best option, but Gio obviously did, I don't think it qualifies as baffling though.
Same with Alfie, I'd have liked to see him on, but it wasn't a game where it was obvious any of the first team or subs couldn't be justified.
 
Arminius said:
No. Can’t agree with that. Davis was running on fumes.
Click to expand...
Davis coming off looked correct at the time. Could have been more adventurous and put on Arfield instead but clearly wants 2 sitters in these games which IMO was a mistake not pushing for a winner.
 
BoxToBox said:
I didn’t see it that way, Kamara the right sub for a tiring Davis and he was fine. Wright brought on to run at them and use his pace and European experience. Unfortunately he didn’t really meet that expectation.

Maybe a couple others not 100% fit and not worth the risk on a heavy pitch with a huge run of games coming.
Click to expand...
Yes but didn’t really get that chance.
Was a bit unlucky with an attempted pass which might have been important.
One more on Wright, much, very much, better in the defensive part of the role.
 
They score their first goal from a set piece, we take the lead and its obvious sill have to do some defending but let's bring on kamara and Wright two ball watchers and short to boot. Should have Jack for davis and arfield for tillman.
 
exeterbear said:
I can't see whatever it is that people have ever seen in him. Nice little turns and shimmies but if you're a midfielder who doesn't score, create, tackle or win headers then what is it he does?
Click to expand...

We wouldn’t have made it though against Leipzig without him. Under Gerrard and on, sadly, fewer occasions since Gio came in he retained possession well and was often a very cool head in Europe.
 
I do find quite often with Gio the changes - both subs and tactical - he makes are either 2/10 or 9/10 in terms of impact.

Sadly tonight was another 2/10 showing in that regard.

Wright seems to be the chosen option for him, and I just can't see what he is offering other than effort and some running around.
 
No idea what Wright was doing on the pitch. Matondo or Arfield would have been better options.
 
Caniggit said:
They score their first goal from a set piece, we take the lead and its obvious sill have to do some defending but let's bring on kamara and Wright two ball watchers and short to boot. Should have Jack for davis and arfield for tillman.
Click to expand...
Read that back to yourself…
 
Macky said:
Davis coming off looked correct at the time. Could have been more adventurous and put on Arfield instead but clearly wants 2 sitters in these games which IMO was a mistake not pushing for a winner.
Click to expand...

I’m not disagreeing that maybe Arfield was a more adventurous sub than Kamara. I said that myself in my initial post about the subs. Could easily have slotted Scotty on for Davis.

However, I’m just saying that the change to bring fresh legs into midfield was definitely right.

We can all debate who that player should have been to replace Davis but hooking him wasn’t wrong :)
 
MightyGersLand! said:
There are areas we can improve, but I don't get the OP at all or the first few replies.
Sure, many of us including me don't think Wright was the best option, but Gio obviously did, I don't think it qualifies as baffling though.
Same with Alfie, I'd have liked to see him on, but it wasn't a game where it was obvious any of the first team or subs couldn't be justified.
Click to expand...
We didn’t have a player who deserved to be replaced through lack of contribution any more than anybody else.
Tactically, wide right was definitely a weakness, could have been a number of players who could have filled the position.
Wright was chosen and it’s easy to see why.
No better or worse attacking than Matondo but, for me, more likely to be aware did the defensive side of the role.
 
Arminius said:
I’m not disagreeing that maybe Arfield was a more adventurous sub than Kamara. I said that myself in my initial post about the subs. Could easily have slotted Scotty on for Davis.

However, I’m just saying that the change to bring fresh legs into midfield was definitely right.

We can all debate who that player should have been to replace Davis but hooking him wasn’t wrong :)
Click to expand...
I agree Davis was looking tired and getting a bit sloppy. I’m happy he started though, so far this season he has looked better than Jack and Kamara.
 
tazzabear said:
We didn’t have a player who deserved to be replaced through lack of contribution any more than anybody else.
Tactically, wide right was definitely a weakness, could have been a number of players who could have filled the position.
Wright was chosen and it’s easy to see why.
No better or worse attacking than Matondo but, for me, more likely to be aware did the defensive side of the role.
Click to expand...
Exactly, except it was obvious Tillman was done, so was easy to see why he came off.
 
Laudrup is God said:
Absolutely nothing.

He needs to know his go to side like every manager does he doesn’t and to say otherwise is laughable
Click to expand...
Then, to make a change to that means a drop off in quality?
What does that do to the confidence of those not favoured by the manager?
I’m only getting a game because *insert player is injured?
I’ll tell you what’s laughable.
People living in the past believing the game isn’t about a squad, still believing in best eleven and crap like that.
 
tazzabear said:
We didn’t have a player who deserved to be replaced through lack of contribution any more than anybody else.
Tactically, wide right was definitely a weakness, could have been a number of players who could have filled the position.
Wright was chosen and it’s easy to see why.
No better or worse attacking than Matondo but, for me, more likely to be aware did the defensive side of the role.
Click to expand...
Disagree massively.

Wright offers zero end product and Matondo has proven he can. Wright can look good at times against poorer opposition but against quality teams he’s always ineffective. I would even have played Arfield ahead of Wright.

Colak was MOTM for me but I would have liked to have seen Alfie for the last 10 mins at least as he offers something different in his hold up play and gives their defenders something different to worry about.
 
This experiment with Kamara playing as an attacking midfielder needs to be brought to an end as well.

An attacking midfielder that hates to have a shot on goal. One rebounded to him at the edge of the box, or may have been a pass. It was lined up for a strike and he fired it out wide left.

He doesn’t look comfortable in that position. I’ve no idea why Gio persists with it
 
Laudrup is God said:
Didn’t get the manager’s subs tonight at all Wright has not played well and yet gets brought on and same goes with Kamara.

Arfield Matondo Morelos should have seen the field before those two.

Also don’t think Gio knows his strongest side yet as we lost the midfield battle tonight and maybe even the tie.

If we could’ve got control of the midfield more we win tonight imo because when we pressed them and held the ball they didn’t look to clever.
Click to expand...
In 10 mins before the subs Davis lost possession 4 times. Can see why he brought Kamara on tbh
 
I kept looking over pitch side and could not understand the logic in Gios subs. I think he messed that up if I'm honest. But what do I know, he's a pro.
 
tazzabear said:
Then, to make a change to that means a drop off in quality?
What does that do to the confidence of those not favoured by the manager?
I’m only getting a game because *insert player is injured?
I’ll tell you what’s laughable.
People living in the past believing the game isn’t about a squad, still believing in best eleven and crap like that.
Click to expand...
Let’s flip that what does it say to guys in better form that two players who really haven’t played well at all this season gets out in a game like that before others?

It can work both ways
 
devilman said:
I've said nearly every game and I'll stick by it. Gio still worries me. I still genuinely think his in game managed is poor to say the least. His use of subs is generally very, very poor but not as bad as his changing things around when they aren't working out.

We played some absolutely great football tonight so he does know how to get things right but I just don't know if it's because he is not quick enough to respond or just doesn't quite know what to do but you could say in quite a few games his decisions have been baffling. Certainly a lot more than you can say his decisions have been bang on.
Click to expand...
He airs on the side of cautious to much for me still especially away from home in Europe.
 
Laudrup is God said:
Didn’t get the manager’s subs tonight at all Wright has not played well and yet gets brought on and same goes with Kamara.

Arfield Matondo Morelos should have seen the field before those two.

Also don’t think Gio knows his strongest side yet as we lost the midfield battle tonight and maybe even the tie.

If we could’ve got control of the midfield more we win tonight imo because when we pressed them and held the ball they didn’t look to clever.
Click to expand...
Kamara I could understand, we were being swamped in midfield. I'dve changed changed Colak for Alfie, mainly so the ball would stick and we could then bring players into the game in the opposition half.
 
It’s an embarrassment that we’re trying to qualify for the Champions League and we’re bringing on Scott Wright. How that boy gets to wear a blue jersey is beyond me.
 
Kamara coming on for Davis wasn't a surprise, Davis was tiring.

However Wright coming on for Tillman did seem the wrong move as we completely lost the midfield when Lawrence went up against Sangare in there. While Tillman did a good job it was certainly a challenge for him, Lawrence was overpowered in there.

Not sure what the solution would have been but even moving Lundstram further forward with Jack slotting in might have been a possible shout.

That defence is certainly there to be got at however, we aren't out of the tie by any stretch of the imagination. 2 poor goals were conceded tonight, both from set pieces. If we get that part right next week then we've got a great chance of making it through the tie.
 
Coisty09 said:
Alfredo and Arfield offer something different and could easily have led us to a 3-2 tonight If they have come on for the last 15 minutes.
Energy had gone and those two would have given us a boost at an important time in the match.
Click to expand...
Was about to say the same thing, was shouting like a maniac for this at the time.

I can understand the reasoning slightly for the changes he did make, but why Morelos and Arfield (for Lawrence) were not on, especially straight after they scored their second, was criminal.

80 minutes in, the crowd has went a bit nervous, the midfield is struggling and in need of a bit of energy. Bringing Morelos on would have given everyone a lift and gave their tiring defence something new to think about, and Arfield would have added a bit of drive. I really don’t know why Gio never went for it. His lack of subs were baffling in the first leg of the USG game as well. He often seems to see things differently from what is glaring to a lot of us.

Colak has done really well, but Morelos has to start against PSV away, as we need to ball to stick up front.

A draw was a fair result tonight, two evenly matched teams. At least we still have a decent chance of going through.
 
Goggs21 said:
Scott wright was not the reason we drew tonight
They were allowed all the time and space in the world
They are no mugs so they used it
We are not out of this, but we have to set up to create chances
Colak is a penalty box player……how many chances did he get….one and he scored
The goals we lost were shocking at this level….every bit as bad as our second at this level
Click to expand...
Good point. Wright was brutal when he came on and we'd all rather have seen Matondo or Arfield but we lost 2 goals from corners that our centre half failed to clear.
 
Delboy Trotter said:
This experiment with Kamara playing as an attacking midfielder needs to be brought to an end as well.

An attacking midfielder that hates to have a shot on goal. One rebounded to him at the edge of the box, or may have been a pass. It was lined up for a strike and he fired it out wide left.

He doesn’t look comfortable in that position. I’ve no idea why Gio persists with it
Click to expand...
he seems to like playing players out of position for some reason

kamara was like a man down when he came on and should be sold so we can get a proper attacking mid in his value is only going to go down

he doesnt fit gio's system and has regressed something awful since gerrard left
 
Funny how people have different opinions. I thought Gio got the subs right. Wright isn’t great but he can keep fullbacks from pushing on so the ball stays away from our goal.
Kamara is more secure in possession than Kamara and Colak had his best game for us so far.
Those who point to our European away form forget that each time we lost we played a certain way to keep the tie alive and then completed the job at Ibrox.
I expect to see a slightly different approach next week.
The tie was a genuine 50/50 before kick off and it still is now.
 
Made absolutely no sense, especially after scoring. With almost his first participation in play Wright manages to turn a promising opportunity into a counter attack for PSV with that ball he fired at Colak's feet.

We were lucky to get in front and the subs completely killed us. That's on the gaffer.
 
I thought he took the right 2 players off, both Davis and Tillman had run their race. At the time I was saying it should be Jack and Arfield coming on.

Morelos seemed an obvious one for Colak in the last 15 minutes, if he was fit enough for the bench surely that was the time to get him on.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Latest posts

Back
Top