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Better team than Play - Offs 2013 ?
- Thread starter chaileyjem
- Start date
Diego Napier
Well-known member
- Mar 27, 2010
- 4,416
Yes, because the manager chose (for whatever reason) to play him bugger all in the months leading up to that game.
Weaker. We were playing much better football this time last year.
Ward (Bridge) - Ward has been great for us, and fit more. But Bridge (this time last year) was better
Andrews (Hammond) - Meh
Stephens/JFC (Bridcutt) - Stephens would be fine, but aren't we expecting JFC? In which case, Bridcutt was a lot better
Orlandi (Orlandi) - Orlandi last year was miles better, as he's just recovering from injury
Lingard (David Lopez) - Meh
Buckley (Buckley) - Buckley was miles better this time last year
Ulloa (Ulloa) - Ulloa was better this time last year
Subs:
Dunk (El-Abd) - Dunk is better
Chicksen/Calde (Painter) - Calde was better
Ince/JFC (Crofts) - Ince vs Crofts (of last year, not this) = similar
March (Vicente) - depends if Vicente was fit or not, I assume he wasn't
CMS (Barnes) - similar - Barnes was good when he came on, I'd expect CMS to be decent too.
Bridcutt is the big difference. Last season his worst games were still 7/10 and the side revolved around him. With him gone there is more emphasis on Andrews being the water carrier and someone else in midfield being the creative passer. At his best Bridcutt was both at once. For this reason alone we are weaker.
- Jun 27, 2012
- 14,002
- Thread starter
- #26
Whats interesting is if the consensus is we are so much weaker this season, how come the difference is only 3 points (75 points last year vs 72) ? Not sure it was really a stronger league last year either.
Derby, QPR, Wigan look stronger than Palace, Watford and Leicester in 2013.
How come the better players didn't translate into more points...
Derby, QPR, Wigan look stronger than Palace, Watford and Leicester in 2013.
How come the better players didn't translate into more points...
MattBackHome
Well-known member
- Jul 7, 2003
- 11,745
Yeah the key missing person for comparison is:
Garcia (Poyet)
And I've far more belief in OG's abilities than GP's. Been thinking lots about our approach, and our record and I reckon we are a MUCH stronger outfit than this time last year - notwithstanding El Punal, who was a freak of nature, gifted from the Gods and sent for us to savour.
Garcia (Poyet)
And I've far more belief in OG's abilities than GP's. Been thinking lots about our approach, and our record and I reckon we are a MUCH stronger outfit than this time last year - notwithstanding El Punal, who was a freak of nature, gifted from the Gods and sent for us to savour.
The team last year didn't really gel until the signing of Ulloa at the end of January. Before that we endured a misfiring CMS up front alone, with a moody Barnes on the left wing. I would argue that the play off team last year player for player was stronger, the key difference this year is that the squad as a whole has had more depth and we have been able to cope with the large number of injuries and at times grind out results.
Weaker for me, but I still can't understand why we didn't play the same team in the 2nd leg vs Palace as we did a couple of months previous when we cruised past them 3-0
Because Gus didn't want us to go up. He wanted to punish Brighton for what they'd done to him.
Machiavelli
Well-known member
He wasn't fit for the second leg and said as much himself (compare this with Upson, who isn't fit, but wants to play and, I'd expect, will play). He played in the game prior to the first leg, against Wolves, and did next to nothing in that. Poyet probably thought it was too much of a gamble to play him in the away fixture and, on this, I think he was right.
The Truth
Banned
Last seasons team couldn't come back from a losing position. This could be the difference in getting us promoted.
sydney
tinky ****in winky
we have done the double over the champs and taken serious point off other top teams....we are unbeaten in 11 games i believe , i think we'll beat derby and then it's up to us to perform on the day.....we beat derby 3-2 on agg 2-0 ,2-1.
Machiavelli
Well-known member
Bridcutt was incredibly efficient in his passing and nothing more. He doesn't have a killer ball in his armoury.
- Jun 27, 2012
- 14,002
- Thread starter
- #35
Going into the play offs We're unbeaten in 8 after that all important point at Blackburn with the last minute Stephens equaliser. LLDDWWDDWW for our last 10
Last season we went LWDDDWDWWW in our last 10.
Derby are WLWLWWWWWD in their last 10... Gulp.
None of this really means much though. Palace had won once in their last 10 going into the play offs last season.
The Truth
Banned
the last 6 games suggests we are both on very equal form. 2 points difference.
Andrews doesn't have a forwards ball in his...................
...ok an exaggeration for comic effect but he goes backwards far more that Bridcutt did.
Perry's Tracksuit Bottoms
King of Sussex
Last season we went into the playoffs following a dull game (and arguably a lacklustre performance) against Wolves. I can't help but think that the euphoria of Saturday is an advantage. And it was gratifying to see Oscar's reaction too. That in itself has to be significant given what we now know about Gus's state of mind this time last year.
We're not discussing how we've been over the whole season, just how we are now vs then. At the start of last season we weren't that good, Ulloa wasn't here etc. At the end of last season we were playing some very good football.
Icy Gull
Back on the rollercoaster
- Jul 5, 2003
- 72,015
In Oscar we have a manager who seems committed to the cause, I got the distinct impression Gus was not up for the playoffs and certainly not the 2nd leg. So dare I suggest we are stronger in the managerial department for this year's playoffs which could be the difference?