kevrenor said:
Put up or shut up Serious - just what did Hutch and Wilko do to fail in your obviously jaundiced view?
Whoa oh, the "can't have a negative opinion about players on the team" police have struck.......
Wilko - aside from one game this season, has been horridly out of form, and when your captain is out of form, it's going to affect the rest of the team whether you want it to or not. My sneaking suspicion is that it's his knee, but either way, he needs a spell on the bench to either sort the knee out or get it into his head that:
i). Most recent prominent example - Archie's goal last night, look at the replay. Where was the diligent captain and _CENTRE F*CKING BACK_ WHOSE PRIMARY ROLE IS TO DEFEND THE CENTRE OF THE FIELD IN FRONT OF THE GOALIE?? Off in the background having given up the chase when Archie was still 25 yards out, hands on hips. It was left to Porter (the _right_ back) to make a darn decent fist of his chase. Alas it wasn't enough, but both Boogs and Wilko can be blamed for this one. The reason I'm not singling Boogs out is that this is far from the first time this season Wilko has had this happen to him.
ii). His current positional play is terrible. So many times last night (and all this season) I noticed that he was dragging Boogs over and Jedi back because he was in the wrong spot. Seriously, Jedi is doing the work of three players at the moment, and it's starting to affect his primary role (which quite obviously is DM, not CB).
iii). He does not go in for challenges anymore. Three separate occasions last night I noted that he stood off players (Thompson twice and I think it was Hernandez, may have been Fabiano) for a solid 20/30m whilst they ran at him - suckered him in they did. It was the mistake of an Under 8's player, not a full time professional and our captain.
iv). Surely you cannot deny that a captain low on form would not impact the rest of the team. When we concede a goal, and you look to the captain to lift you and inspire you, and he's however-far-behind-he-was where he's supposed to be, hands on hips and a clueless look on his face, then wouldn't you start to feel a bit 'eh' about the whole situation??
Now, as for our mate Hutcho......
i). When we play the ball on the ground, about 60, 70% of our attacking play goes through the CM position, which Hutcho currently occupies. Now, when 95% of the time, he either passes it back, hoofs it high (ineffectually), or does that insufferable "turn-on-the-spot-and-fall-over" thing that the referees no longer fall for (most of the time), then it disrupts the momentum of the entire attack. Essentially, when the crux point of an entire attacking movement is shit at attacking, then won't the attack crumble??
ii). I dunno if he's carrying an injury as well, but he's lost a solid couple of yards of pace since V1. I know that happens with players getting older and all that, but when you have a ready made replacement on the bench who is _hungry_ to get on the field (Gumps, as he showed last night), then why not use him?? All personal off field bullshit aside??
iii). Hutcho's corners and freekicks are _rubbish_. Yes, one led to our goal last night, but guess what?? Theo had 18 or so people infront of him, and the ball suprised him with what I figured was about 0.2 seconds of sight before he moved to save it. CORNERS ARE A SOLID ATTACKING PLATFORM AND MUST BE EXPLOITED. When one whole side of the corner taking option can't get his kick past the first man, or floats it so far over everyone that it goes out, wouldn't you explore another option??
Shall I go on??
P.S. Fair enough Greenpole, but I caught the replay on the hotel Foxtel this morning, hence my actual anger, not 'in ground anger'.
