Thursday, 18 March 2010

Hollow Parkinson

Another very predictable Thursday press conference with Phil Parkinson. "We need a positive reaction" was the first familiar understatement. "So far this week, training had indicated we'll get that" was the second. We don't have a record of reacting particularly well to any poor display under Phil Parkinson or any of his immediate predecessors for that matter. If we are honest, our side is short of characters and players willing to shoulder the burden of responsibility. I don't understand how training tells us we will get a reaction to a bad performance and humiliating defeat. Perhaps the players are all laughing and joking and getting on with it? Maybe they are all stern faced and crunching into tackles with gritted teeth? Whatever it is, it's a big leap to claiming we are going to bounce back, especially when it's plainly not happened in the past.


Phil then went on to try to show us that he is not taking last weeks trouncing lightly. No Sirree! "Some people won't be playing on Saturday who played against Millwall because I feel there has to be some changes." Yes Phil, there has to be some changes although the wording you use makes it sound like they will be made to appease the fans or the Board rather than your personal view that they are needed. He goes on to say that "there are people out of the team who deserve to play." No Phil, there people in the team last week who don't deserve to play. We have had more than enough changes in recent weeks, all largely to no avail, so I am not convinced there are too many who deserve to play but plenty who don't. The trouble with our current squad is that there doesn't appear to be the hunger to be in the first eleven that many inferior playing squads have. Substitutions have rarely worked for us.


One player who will go straight in is Gary Borrowdale, the 24 year-old former Palace left back who is surplus to requirements at QPR. This comes as no surprise bearing in mind our current shortages and the Board must be credited for putting their hands in their pockets again for the next six games as we try to get the results needed to take the season into extra-time. 


On the basis that Elliot has to play and Richardson holds the right back spot, the options for changes in defence look limited to Llera and Dailly. Neither had good matches at Millwall but we can only afford to drop one and I suspect it will be Llera. In midfield, Reid has hamstring trouble, so Parky will probably rest him anyway as one of the easy options for showing his ruthlessness. Expect Lloyd Sam to return and probably Waggy or Jonjo. The folly of playing Bailey out of position has to have sunk in by now and I expect him to be back in the middle with Semedo. Racon deserves to be dropped and the only question-mark for me is whether we play 4-5-1 or 4-4-2. 


Up front, David Mooney has come in for universal criticism although Akpo did little more against the Lions. I expect Deon Burton to return if fit and Leon MacKenzie might get another chance alongside him with Akpo held in reserve for a substitutes appearance. I am left wondering what Parky will tell us next week.



5 comments:

  1. Unfortunately, i think you'll find McKenzie is crocked Dave!

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  2. Thanks Daggs. I've obviously been watching too much rugby lately, Dr Kish has already pointed out my schoolboy error!

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  3. Llera made far too many mistakes at Millwall, 3 of which led to goals. It was Llera's man who headed the first. For the 3rd goal he passed to Harris who played in Morison. In the build up to the 4th he misjudged the flight of the ball, advanced too far and the ball went over him. It was too reminiscent of the game at Colchester. Our 2 heaviest defeats of the season 3-0 and 4-0. I don't think its a coincidence. Llera was at fault for most of the goals.

    I didn't think Racon deserved to be substituted at Millwall, let alone dropped. He was probably our best player. When he got the ball and played it on the ground in the first half we looked much better. Unfortunately we didn't do enough of that. We played too many long diagonal balls towards 2 ineffective forwards in Sodje and Mooney.

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  4. Fair comment HA. I wasn't at the Millwall game, so my view of Racon is based more on the last few months.

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  5. Obviously the players weren't listening to the press conference...

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