Thetownend.com

Bloke next to me was going absolutely apoplectic at King.

Certainly not to balme today though. Players were entirely to blame for a gutless performance.

Not really, same lineup and same formation as the last few games which we've done well in. The players let themselves down, the management down and most of all they let the fans down.

Same Duke schoolboy error.
Same not a  left full back.
Same limitations shown up by decent player attacking him.
Same result.

Blame King for picking Duke out of position.
Blame King for not replacing him with the left sided defender off the bench.
Blame King for not having the only natural left sided defender on the bench.

When will he ever learn??

1. Oh come on, Duke really is developing into a left back through and through.
2. You don't put a defender on at 2-0 down, moron.
3. Dukes form warrants his place.

King obviously didn' t take my advice and  cast the metallic Coke bottle into Mount Doom..........ergo he is to blame for today.

Try watching some proper football - you might learn what a real left back looks like. :wink:

Do they all look the same then?

No

Some are big.
Some are little.
They have a left foot and can use it.
They think like a defender.
They are good at playing in defence on the left side.

But we're in league 1!

Lets face it. Nicho is (allegedly) out the team for his poor attitude towards everything. We cant bring anybody else in. What do you suggest King does (realistically!)

He tried 3-5-2
He tried 4-5-1

It seems the despised 4-4-2 system works best. But NO! We lose one game in seven and its all Kings fault?!
Even though it was the same team? The same players!

They are the ones to blame for lack of effort.

Never praise a Swindon player, you will only be knocked back down again!

I understand Santini's point, but Duke has been playing very well of late and last time Nicho was in the team he was shite.

The insistance of some that Nicholas is great is starting to get on my tits. He did pretty well in half a season, but still had glaring faults in his game, ie positioning and distribution.

I dont see how king can be blamed. Too many decent players below par yesterday

That's two games running that a lack of defensive awareness from Duke mistake has led directly to an opposition goal.

Against Donny he couldn't make his mind up what to do with the ball. A real defender would have resorted to the old adage "If in doubt put it out".

In the same game he was done persistently by the same 1-2 move between their winger and rigth sided midfielder. That's why most of Donny's attacks came down their right.

It's interesting to note that during the week Mick Harford had the defence, in general, and Duke, in particular, working on defending just such ploys.

Duke doesn't think like a defender. Duke doesn't act like a defender. The fact is, if he lives to be a thousand David Duke will never be a defender.

I simply believe that David Duke brings more to the team than Andy Nicholas.

Don't think you can single Duke out yesterday, everyone was mutually poor. Sean O'Hanlon was not 'thinking' like a centre half yesterday. No-one gets on his case.

The insistance of some that Duke is a full back is starting to get on my tits. He has done pretty well in some games but still has glaring faults ie positioning and distribution and bottling tackles and being clueless as a defender and giving chances away every game and making shocking mistakes because he is not a left back really :D  :wink:  :D

Just to add this to the debate.....we know King is not a master tactician, but I was rather hoping Harford may have sorted this kind of shit out.....its not rocket science.

 From SOD's post match spiel

   "They had a left winger playing at left back and that was an area we thought Wade could exploit. I didn't think he would do it so quick.

  They did the same at Dean Court.

It worked both ways at Dean Court, Igoe shredded them down the right. Doesn't help the full backs when the wingers fail to turn up.

Judging by the bit in the Adver, I daresay that King and Harford had been on to Daisy about the need for concentration on defending......unfortunately in a very even league like ours its these small failings which make the difference between successful teams and the others.

Everyone's moaning about Duke which is fair enough, but what the F H was Evans doing???  He should have been able to deal with what was, let's face it, a pretty weak shot!

I thought it was a sort of hooked cross to be honest.

What, to the BM players on the half way line?

I was thinking about the 1st goal.

So was I pops

i dont understand evans, he did a similar thing away at brentford and a fewmore that i cant remember properly.

Sarfend

Well the goal I saw he cut in from the right and squared it across the goal but sort of hooked it and it went in.I was sober as well.

Reg,

You can rest assured that Harford is already on the case.

Training during the early part of this week concentrated almost solely on Duke learning to defend against opposition 1-2s.

Yesterday Harford's post match analysis to the players included an in depth assessment of all of Duke's defensive mistakes during the match.

King may not be prepared to admit Duke's failings but Harford has already made his views clear.

How do you know this Big Stan?

Most of what you've said there is a little harsh on the Duke we have seen of late (well before Donny and B'muff anyway) but there is a element of truth to it in general. I've not been his biggest fan in the past but he's won me over since the whole booing thing.

Frankly, i'd rather we still had Sol Davis than both of them

bigstan seems very well informed........

You wouldn't believe some of the things I've heard in the players' lounge.

Anybody who knows anything about defending can see the problem.
Its been going on too long. When will pig-headed King accept the obvious???

I rest my case. 8)

Big Stan, I've said it before and I'll say say it again - ARE YOU SEAN O'HANLON?????

I agree with Piemonte on this one, a lot of people seem to be hailing Nicho as the full back saviour.  When in truth he hasn't looked half the player he was last year.  Dukey on the other hand has probably been the most improved player of the campaign.  And whilst i agree that he isn't and probably never wil be a decent full back he can only play in the postion that his manager selects him to play.  Lets give Mick a while to see what his plan of action is.

When have you seen him?  He came back too soon at Kings insistence and hasnt played since apart from bit parts and late substitutions - if a run in the team worked wonders for Dukey (and Grant Smith) why not with someone who is a better player than both!

No, I'm not. But I know a man who is.

Has to be the 'best' award ever!! You're a shit player an we feel sorry for you!!