Our next two fixtures are Blackburn and Stoke. Not famed for their fair play and soft tackles.
If any of Dembele, H&H, Dempsey, Schwarz or Gera get injured then our season could take a serious nosedive.
Am I being sensitive after yesterdays thuggery or does anyone else fear these ruffians?
It's all down to the competence (or otherwise) of the ref, Jim.
Anyway, Sparky's no mug: he'll know all about the rough-house tactics of those teams.
Quote from: Jimpav on September 12, 2010, 08:40:44 AM
Our next two fixtures are Blackburn and Stoke. Not famed for their fair play and soft tackles.
If any of Dembele, H&H, Dempsey, Schwarz or Gera get injured then our season could take a serious nosedive.
Am I being sensitive after yesterdays thuggery or does anyone else fear these ruffians?
Dempsey is a waste of space at the moment so he would be no loss, he needs to have a rest and get back his form, he was dire yesterday, good at falling over and whinging that's all.
Injury is always a fear and we are short in certain positions so you can bet that is where we will have them. But I don't think we were bullied out of the game yesterday and we wont be at Blackburn or Stoke. Tough games (they all are) but we will have players coming back and we have a manager willing to give youth and the reserve squad a chance.
On another day with another ref we would have had Pants sent off and three pens, twenty more fouls for shirt pulling, and they would have at least one other sent off.
But like the time McBride was hurt we will struggle unless Hughes can find a way. But I always am scared of our light squad. We can handle ourselves and I am a lot happier with our squad this year then last year and we managed 178 games and a final in Europe. So?
I think our second half performance should show folks that we're difficult to intimidate. If Arsenal responded the way we did, they wouldn't get mugged as much as they do. In addition to taking over the game, we provided one or two "robust" challenges ourself yesterday. We're not going to be bullied. I think teams will prefer to lull us rather than bully us.
Well that's my fears compounded. Maybe I'm not paranoid so after all.
Stop laughing at me.
Quote from: Jimpav on September 22, 2010, 01:15:01 PM
Well that's my fears compounded. Maybe I'm not paranoid so after all.
Stop laughing at me.
Point well taken, sir. Blackburn spent 90 minutes trying to cripple Dembele, and Stoke went them three minutes better. I'se regusted.
sparky has got a long season ahead of him,MO has got to come out of wherever he is and start showing the dough for january!!! :clap_hands:
How do you think Everton will play it against us this weekend then?
Will they join the general lets kick Fulham campaign and pepper Schwarzer with high balls and hard challenges or d we expect something more civilised from the Toffees?
Given that the can't buy a win at the moment they must be reasonably hopeful.