Quote from: rutski on October 23, 2010, 10:28:21 AMQuote from: John M on October 23, 2010, 10:18:35 AMQuote from: garyshawsknee on October 23, 2010, 10:16:08 AMYep,the last two seasons could've ended differently if NRC was put in with Milner at the expense of the tiring Petrov. Exactly.Playing a poorer side at home who are after a draw? Play Petrov.Away and think you need more defensive strength? NRC comes in. wasnt the player of the year the season before last stan petrov?Yes, and he's a very good footballer. However that doesn't mean he should be untouchable and guaranteed a place, especially when NRC's energy was needed centrally.
Quote from: John M on October 23, 2010, 10:18:35 AMQuote from: garyshawsknee on October 23, 2010, 10:16:08 AMYep,the last two seasons could've ended differently if NRC was put in with Milner at the expense of the tiring Petrov. Exactly.Playing a poorer side at home who are after a draw? Play Petrov.Away and think you need more defensive strength? NRC comes in. wasnt the player of the year the season before last stan petrov?
Quote from: garyshawsknee on October 23, 2010, 10:16:08 AMYep,the last two seasons could've ended differently if NRC was put in with Milner at the expense of the tiring Petrov. Exactly.Playing a poorer side at home who are after a draw? Play Petrov.Away and think you need more defensive strength? NRC comes in.
Yep,the last two seasons could've ended differently if NRC was put in with Milner at the expense of the tiring Petrov.
Quote from: garyshawsknee on October 23, 2010, 10:16:08 AMYep,the last two seasons could've ended differently if NRC was put in with Milner at the expense of the tiring Petrov.Exactly.Playing a poorer side at home who are after a draw? Play Petrov.Away and think you need more defensive strength? NRC comes in.
our away form last season was astonishing, we took only 2 points less than Chelsea, four points behind Man Utd and ahead of every other team. I think it's a stretch to imagine we would have done better with NRC in for Petrov.
Another example to show just how much MON had lost it towards the end of his tenure. There were games last season that were crying out for NRC to come on and help secure things but he wasn't given a decent enough opportunity, but it was all our fault for applauding him when he warmed up!!
To my mind the reason that Reo Coker is looking better is that we've switched to a different style of play so that his limitations that are only to apparent when he's part of a 4-4-2 are minimised and his strengths are maximised. After he recovered from his injury at the end of last season I don't think it would have made much sense to try to change things just to find a place for him.
Quote from: Chris Smith on October 24, 2010, 09:58:20 AMTo my mind the reason that Reo Coker is looking better is that we've switched to a different style of play so that his limitations that are only to apparent when he's part of a 4-4-2 are minimised and his strengths are maximised. After he recovered from his injury at the end of last season I don't think it would have made much sense to try to change things just to find a place for him.Agreed that we should not have made changes to our general formation to suit NRC, the changes should have made because we faced the same problems game after game and MON did nothing to address that. The argument I make is that when we have a slender lead and come under pressure in the final minutes, the most pointless substitution (and MON's favourite) was Heskey for Carew and maintain 4-4-2 while being over run. Surely take off a non-performing striker (Heskey/Carew - which ever one was on the field) and stiffen up the midfield with somebody like NRC. To me that would have been basic common sense.
MON turned NRC into a player we would have let go for nothing.. Hes looking a very good player at the moment.. lets hope he continues..