McLeish succeeds in killing all expectation
Features, Match Center, Match Reports, News | admin | October 3, 2010 at 7:38 pm
Alex please stop this pretence that Blues are in some way unfortunate or settling down or that the players you are sending out are ever likely to score a goal. Before you go on about Everton playing the same formation and you ‘going like for like’, you should admit that they were bottom of the League and after 45 minutes the only question Blues fans were asking was how come we aren’t below them? We could be after our next shot shy match!
Had Roger Johnson not put through his own net after 54 minutes with no Everton player within 5 yards, then they too would never have found the St Andrews new nets. At the current rate Blues are scoring a new set will not required until 2020. Foster was behind Johnson ready to collect a harmless cross until Johnson’s aberration. The second came in injury time when Everton were actually trying to keep the ball in the corner and realised the Blues defence had packed it in. Cahill had a free header from a cross by Baines.
Blues created nothing in ninety minutes and failed to have a single shot on target. The only chance that fell Blues way was when Jerome dispossessed Distin and ran on only to shoot hopelessly wide.
After the O.G. Blues had a decent shout for a penalty when Carr was sent crashing. The ref, the rotund Mr Dowd was way out of position and the lino hadn’t the courage to make a decision. Another blatant hand ball and a push by the evil Fellaini, which took out two or three were ignored by Fat Phil who basically gives nothing.
Alex has been keen to protect his precious home record and his so called dressing room spirit. Both seem to have disappeared as the players are clearly exasperated with the way things are. Jerome must have fumed as he was subbed after running his whatsits off all afternoon in isolation, and when a support is introduced, he gets subbed.
Carson Yeung cannot be over impressed with the return on his money as Gardner (£3m) is suspended, Michel (£3m) clearly not good enough, Zigic (£6m) no asset at all, and Beausejour (£3m) apparently gets injured without ever getting on the field. It’s a certainty that football managers who waste the owners money don’t last too long regardless of the length of their contacts.
As I write this I am listening to Messers Hanson and Laurence telling us Blues fans that we should ‘get a life’ if we are unhappy with our team. Well gentlemen I would point out that was our 3rd goalless home game out of 4. We have won 2 home games in the last 9 and only one away (against Portsmouth) in 2010. 3 home games against bottom six opposition and a visit to local whipping boys West Brom should, one feels should have realised more than 2 points and one goal. The expectation of better is hardly unreasonable. Also the 19,000 disgruntled Blues fans or so actually paid for and suffered this garbage. When you pay to watch any game, let alone us we might give your remarks some credence.
The number of fans who are bothering to watch this garbage is getting fewer by the week and we have the mighty Blackpool sandwiched between visits to Arsenal and Villa. Not a pleasant outlook.
As for Blues manager I suggest he puts the following up in his office
“There are three types of ball players: those who make things happen, those who watch it happen, and those who wonder what happens.” – Hall of Fame manager Tommy Lasorda
Full time: Blues 0 Everton 2
Blues: Ben Foster, Stephen Carr, Lee Bowyer, Roger Johnson, Liam Ridgewell, Sebastian Larsson, Cameron Jerome (Matt Derbyshire, 80), Barry Ferguson, Scott Dann, Keith Fahey (Nikola Zigic, 70), Alexander Hleb.
Subs not used: Maik Taylor, David Murphy, Kevin Phillips, Michel, Martin Jiranek.
Bookings: None
Goals: None
Everton: Tim Howard, Leighton Baines, Phil Jagielka, Mikel Arteta, Sylvain Distin, Tim Cahill, Phil Neville, Leon Osman, Ayegbeni Yakubu (John Heitinga, 80), Seamus Coleman (Diniyar Bilyaletdinov, 86), Marouane Fellaini.
Subs from: Jan Mucha, Tony Hibbert, Magaye Gueye, Ross Barkley.
Bookings: none
Goals: Johnson (OG 54), Cahill (90 + 3).
Referee: Phil Dowd. (Too fat several strange decisions)
Attendance: 23,138 (away 3,804)
By Alan Watton
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Bang on article. As for Hanson and Lawrence , they haven't got a clue about Blues or their fans , never have , never will. Although if they look closer to ' home ' they'll now see the self titled 'greatest fans in the world ' booing the boys in red off at half time as well. We're criticised for showing ' dissent ' at our pityful displays ( I don't actually boo myself ! )but we've got decades of frustration to moan about! The Liverpool trophy room still creaks with the weight of ( not so distant ) past glories , and they can't take it.
We celebrate if we win the toss!.. and talking of toss-ers , I know he's an easy target , and he looks like a genuine bloke , but let's all agree NOW that we knew within minutes of seeing the hapless Serb ' wombling ' around that it was millions of desperately needed pounds down the drain!
It's hard to get over , when you're on a tight budget ( compared to some ) but get over it we must. But please don't ram it down our throats Alex by continuing to play him ? He should have been subbed 8 mins after coming on!
"Spot On" – not an ounce of attacking inspiration and creative flair, (Hleb aside),just huff and puff and if you set your stall out "not to lose" rather than "let's go win the game" yesterday's result against lowly Everton and further more future results will be no different.
summed it up brillliantly Alex hope you read it How many millions were we gonna spend Mcleish seems only interested in buying midfield players goals were a problem last season …..we got away with it> jerome loan striker never in a million years he is not a clever player (being kind) Phillips is over the hill and Zidig well kevin Francis looked like a world beater compared to him We bought Michel captain of his team guy never given a chance its not midfield players we need its a goal scorer Benitez or zidig ? No contest he couldn't shoot but he made things happen.
Don't wanna be pesemistic but this is looking like a hard relegation battle
A heartfelt article, born I know from the frustration that we all felt after that performance on Saturday. I didn't boo but can understand those that did and they did at least wait until the end of the match. The booing was not about the result, we can put up with losing if the team has put in the effort, but about the performance which was the worst I've seen in a long time. The worrying thing for me is that McLeish doesn't seem to see it, he said it was not a bad performance. Was he watching the same match as me?
The real worry for me, as Alan points out, is where is the next goal coming from? Jerome must be totally peed off, slogging away all on his own and then subbed when we go two up front. We're just going to have to bite the bullet with Zigic, accept he has been an expensive mistake and sell him on. There is no way that he will make the grade as a PL footballer.
However I do think there is a little bit of light at the end of the tunnel. Helb looked like he was finding some form when played in the hole, I think Beausejour will be an asset when properly fit and we have Gardner to come back.
Surely we can't play worse than Saturday, or can we?