Top of the JES wrote: ↑Tue Feb 27, 2024 10:04 pm
Did the dirty side of the game really well tonight - defended from the front and took a lot of pressure off, even in the seven added minutes we never really looked like conceding, only downside was El Miz booking now out for two games.
Beckles was outstanding tonight, doing all the ‘dirty’ things like winning header after header etc
I thought Cooper was better to be honest but Beckles was very good.
Hard to separate them TBH, Cooper did very well……..hope they can both stay fit as I’m not sure who would replace either.
Also I thought Jordan Brown was excellent tonight
BoniO wrote: ↑Tue Feb 27, 2024 8:46 pm
Sotiriou never really challenges for the ball in the air. He makes a faint effort to jump for it after the defender has cleared/controlled it. He needs to toughen up a bit and get stuck in.
This is deliberate. He knows he’s not going to out jump guys he’s giving away 5 or 6 inches to, so instead tries to knock them off balance and generally be as awkward as possible.
I thought his hold up play against two lumps was excellent tonight.
Sorry, but I don’t agree. My comment about him not really challenging for the ball is not just about tonight’s performance. Also, Galbraith demonstrates how you can challenge/out jump players who are taller. He did OK tonight and I would have loved him to score but he really could do a lot more to exercise defenders.
BoniO wrote: ↑Tue Feb 06, 2024 10:05 pm
We're short on options up front or Ruel wouldn't be in the starting 11. He's not a League 1 player I'm afraid. I know he's scored a handful of goals this season but only because he's been given so many chances. He misses so many sitters and I'm sure he'd be better if his boots weren't tied together.
Ruel has grown into that lone striker role brilliantly. He doesn't win a lot of those headers but he's learnt to challenge them in a way that we get knockdowns from their centre back because of how he shapes himself, and we create opportunities from pressing on the second ball. Remember that it's not his natural role, but he's doing it miles better than he did last year at a lower level.
He’s also come on massively when playing wide left or as the 10, in terms of his decision making with the ball and pressing without it.
The problem we have now is he’s our only option up top. Hes had hamstring issues a couple of times, has only just come back, and is having to play a full 90 mins of our high pressing game Saturday Tuesday Saturday. Hes an injury waiting to happen.
BoniO wrote: ↑Tue Feb 27, 2024 8:46 pm
Sotiriou never really challenges for the ball in the air. He makes a faint effort to jump for it after the defender has cleared/controlled it. He needs to toughen up a bit and get stuck in.
This is deliberate. He knows he’s not going to out jump guys he’s giving away 5 or 6 inches to, so instead tries to knock them off balance and generally be as awkward as possible.
I thought his hold up play against two lumps was excellent tonight.
Sorry, but I don’t agree. My comment about him not really challenging for the ball is not just about tonight’s performance. Also, Galbraith demonstrates how you can challenge/out jump players who are taller. He did OK tonight and I would have loved him to score but he really could do a lot more to exercise defenders.
I played the game to a reasonable standard but one of my weaknesses was that I could never get up high no matter how hard I tried. I just didn't have that spring in me to take off. In many cases I didn't have to because I stood at just over 6 foot, anyway. In most cases you can't get footballers to leap higher if its not in their physical make up, just the same as you can't get a player that lacks pace to suddenly become fast.
