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Seny
at 08:43 10 Mar 2024

Apologies if this is elsewhere, I was struck by Dieng, the master of time wasting and shithousery, not indulging in either in the final part of the game, and getting on with it almost briskly. I’m a football romantic so I like to think it was out of respect for us. Or is that far-fetched?
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What is a number 10?
at 08:00 18 Feb 2024

I get the shorthand of "three number 10s" when describing the three we had playing behind Dykes yesterday. But I'm not sure Chair and Willock really qualify. For all their many strengths, they are both dribblers, they hang on to the ball, sometimes for too long, and lack the peripheral vision, speed of thought and appreciation of angles that mark the real number 10. That actually makes them quite hard to incorporate into a team - imagine being the striker that has to time his run when either of them gets the ball and starts jinking and dummying. Andersen to me looks like the real thing. And we have always loved a proper number 10.
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The Manager
at 16:06 28 Jan 2024

I've been really supportive of most of his decisions, and like the way he does things. But what was that? Playing Willock, who clearly lacks the energy and intensity for a game of such magnitude, ahead of Smith? No high pressing, except once in the second half when their defender duly gave it straight to us? Sticking Willock and Chair on the wings with obvious orders not to roam, which is their (theoretical) strength? Eleven men back for every set piece when we have the fastest player on the pitch at centre forward? Was he playing for a draw? Mystifying, and very poor.
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Sinclair Armstrong: a bright spot.
at 16:08 14 Jan 2024

Terrific today. Finally penny has dropped, he is not a bench player, or an impact sub, or a winger. He is, potentially, a great centre forward, and should have been playing there all season, as first choice. Far too much made of his rawness and lack of composure. He is improving visibly with every game, is beginning to keep control of his temper without losing intensity, manages to get three or four shots on goal in every game (cf Dykes). Patience is required (as those who watched Les Ferdinand's first games for us will recall). Having a player with this much pace and strength is a rare asset, we must not waste it.
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A couple of great moments from Saturday
at 07:45 5 Sep 2023

First, Colback's pass to Dozzell for his goal: made to look very simple and obvious, but hit first time, quickly, perfectly weighted. The kind of pass Wilkins used to make, but someone like Chair (who I love as a player) very rarely does. Gave Dozzell the space and time to set up the shot.

Second, defending a 1-0 away lead with 19 minutes to go, Colback is one of five players inside the oppo box. Fearless, confident finish. These are not things we are used to seeing!
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Cup
at 08:41 7 Aug 2023

Greatly looking forward to our forthcoming cup game when we will be fielding our traditionally under-strength team.
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Routines Never Change
at 09:01 24 May 2023

1. Inelegant
2. Untrue
3. Strange, given that we have a team whose routines clearly need to change.
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Questions for the manager
at 18:32 18 Mar 2023

1. Why did Armstrong not start?
2. What was it about that first half performance that made you think no tactical substitutions were needed?
3. What was it about Iroegbunam and Amos that made you think they could dominate the midfield on their own?
4. The first team back four of this club seems to have disappeared off the face of the earth. Do you think you should explain to the fans what has happened to them?
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Armstrong
at 17:13 18 Mar 2023

Our most effective forward right now, by a distance. Why is he playing 15 minutes?
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name and shame
at 08:35 15 Mar 2023

I'm watching the goals from last night like it's the Zapruder film. Who is the player in the right back position (sort of) who feebly allows the cross to come in for the first goal?
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Whoever next interviews GA...
at 17:16 4 Mar 2023

A simple question: while respecting your desire to keep your cards close to your chest so as not to help the opposition, there is a significant part of the fan base which considers that a significant part of the squad is choosing not to be available for selection, and that those players are either exaggerating or faking injury. This is causing a highly toxic atmosphere. Are they right?
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Tiny speck of positivity
at 13:19 30 Dec 2022

I thought Dickie's passing from the back was very good yesterday.
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Joe Willock
at 13:52 27 Oct 2022

Haven't seen much of him, but caught some of the Newcastle v Tottenham game, and he seems to play in an almost identical style to our Willock? Unusual? (Full disclosure: I could never tell the Morgan twins apart.)
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Tim Iroegbunam
at 23:11 7 Oct 2022

Don’t think I’ve ever seen a player grow in confidence over the course of 90 minutes like this guy tonight. He’s going to be some player.
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Full backs
at 19:26 15 Apr 2022

Take a bow. Terrific. Made a huge difference.
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Pop-up, stop-the-rot XI for Saturday
at 12:30 8 Apr 2022

No oldies!
Four at the back!
Solid defensive cover in midfield!
Pace (ish) and mobility in midfield!
Pace at full back!
Fresh faces untainted by our recent crisis!
High press because no worries about slow defence!
No oldies!

Westwood
Odubajo Dunne Barbet McCullum
Ball Field
Thomas Amos Dozzell
Dykes
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Contractually guaranteed minutes
at 08:38 21 Mar 2022

Do we know, for a fact, that this is a thing? And is it part of the Hendrick/Sanderson deal? I really think Warburton owes it to the fans, given the timing and very depressing decline of our form, to make some kind of comment about it.
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False 9
at 17:11 26 Feb 2022

An unsuccessful experiment, surely? No coincidence that Chair and Willock have had a couple of very poor games. Willock is not physical enough to play the role - all his best work is coming in from wide, in space. Chair looks lost.
I'm no fan of Gray but he at least provided a target for SJ and Hendrick, who are both excellent passers. With a better touch from that SJ through ball, he would have given us an equaliser.
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Back 5
at 15:42 27 Oct 2021

I don't think it's working.
The full backs pushed up so far forward is exposing the weaknesses of our centre backs. Dickie, a really good footballer and intelligent, composed player, is having a slowly-unravelling nervous breakdown in real time. All opposition managers are targetting him, putting their paciest player against him. Yesterday, the number 7 pulled out wide into the space left by Kakay, and Dickie became de facto right back to mark him. He was beaten for pace every time, as he always will be. His confidence is draining by the game. The 7 also marked him when we had the ball at the back, correctly assessing he was an important distributor for us.
I thought our team selection was poor yesterday. (Usual Clive Caveat that I acknowledge Warbs knows quite a lot more than me about football). Very strange not playing a defensive midfielder, in such an important game, when we are so porous in the middle of our back line. Ball, like him or not, is the only midfielder we have who thinks primarily about defending, and takes up good positions to protect the defence. Amos worked really hard yesterday, but that is not his game. Nor, obviously, that of Chair and Willock. We sacrificed so much in trying to squeeze Gray into the team yesterday, and it didn't work. I remain hugely unimpressed by him. True, we kept a clean sheet - but the side didn't look right to me, and Sunderland finished poorly. I am coming to dread our attacks because of the impending counter-attack.
I believe our natural formation to be the so-called Christmas tree: Dykes, Chair, Willock absolved of defensive duties, moving all over the place, able to beat players in attacking positions, also able to score, backed by a tight midfield three - eg Ball, Amos, SJ? - in front of an orthodox back four. Dickie can get back to organising and winning headers, our full backs - probably our quickest players? - can be there to take care of wingers and cover.

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