What is going on with this side. They win away (with a performance that was admittedly not overly convincing but at least showed some steel) only to capitulate to a hard working but mediocre Sheffield United team. Maybe part of the problem was all the talk of confidence gained was largely irrelevant as one thing or another led to over half the team being different from that which had gained the victory Thursday, but a bigger problem was that the opposition simply came looking for the win more. In the brief flurry of play where we pressed as hard and looked for the ball as much, and won as many second balls as they did we looked like we should have done, a team able to overwhelm a championship side. That flurry was all too brief however, and for most of it we looked a championship side (which isn't to say Sheffield United didn't, just we were as poor, or worse, than they were).
After a European boost and in front of home fans, with the threat of being very bottom of the table looming, you might have thought it was a day for players to step up and be counted. Yet from the very first we were a side of egg shell walking players who looked like they'd allowed the pressure to freeze them rather than inspire and drive them. Parker I am almost convinced must have been injured still so ineffectual was he at gaining anything like control of the midfield (Butt can be forgiven a little having put in such a good and tiring display only 48 hours earlier). Duff....arrrg. Does he want to beat everyone else on the pitch? Is that it? He has the talent and ability to create chances and opportunities but there's no point if when that moment arrives he decides to carry on and try to beat another five players, again. And was he supposed to be alongside Rossi? Was anybody? The defence went from looking almost solid to being flakier and flakier again. Where on Thursday the two full backs being really centre halfs by trade led to their naturally covering round, Carr and Babyaro's ability to do so is questionable (perhaps this is partly due to their more attacking nature but Carr in particular's forward forays rarely lead to anything more than a poor cross). The situation isn't helped by the fact that the central defenders often seem to have no idea where the man they are supposed to be marking are. In mentioning the defence it's worth noting the very high line that they seem to have taken to holding. I noticed last week against Charlton and it was more evident Thursday and today. Already teams are finding the room to run in behind the ragged line, and one can only worry that this will increase as teams notice we're doing it.
It's not just a single performance though. There are very worrying signs, symptomatic through out. And it's difficult to know where all the problems actually lie. A lack of goals is an obvious place to start. Injuries, injuries, injuries. A certain Mr Owen would be an improvement to any side of course, and we've certainly been unlucky with losing his cover---and there is the thing, Owen's cover. With Shearer's retirement he was never "replaced". Ameobi, while he might be half dead and at least giving his all, but he's never been a great forward. In the summer we punted on a striker, but Martins is more of an Owen player. Luque's well documented as not being a big old centre forward, Rossi is a skill player too. There's a lack of creativity coming from midfield at times, but it's exacerbated by needing to play clever football all the time. It was painfully obvious today, for instance, that when we got into a good wide position there was a reluctance to cross because...well, cross to who? The defence is still a shambles. It's probable that we went chasing after what is now Middlesbrough's central defence, shame we didn't get some of it.
I'm not one to criticise management as a rule. Roeder is undoubtedly struggling under an injury burden, but I am beginning to wonder. He seems to at least got over the reluctance to make substitutions until far too late. Yet there is still the chopping and changing every game (not all forced by injury, or tiredness). Then the reluctance to player Luque (who when I came on I thought had his most involved game for us yet, even though he was as ineffectual as everyone else). Most importantly, it is now that Glenn must prove his ability to inspire, which between transfer windows is really one of the main jobs of the manager.
Bah, I'm too disappointed, thinking to disjointedly, to coherently comment properly now. More later, maybe...
(@22:11)
