Gripes and a small compensation
Okay, it's been over a month, but this week's action has given plenty for TDH to talk about.
Today's match at the Bridge was obviously decided by a bad call, the most freakish miss of an offside call that TDH has ever seen. But this is nothing new for Toon fans. Remember all the goal line calls that went against us last year? The football gods haven't been on our side for decades. Was it something Sir Bob said?
Yet TDH is angrier with Big Ham than with Mike Riley. Why did Big Ham decide to play Martins flanked by Duff up front? When Duff played as a striker some months ago, it was out of desperation - not because he was any good in the position. You're facing a Chelski squad without JT, and you don't let loose the bull also known as Viduka? TDH could not understand it.
There's something that gets TDH's goat even more, though: Alan Smith. WHAT IS BIG HAM'S OBSESSION WITH THIS PLAYER? He is a force of entropy in the midfield. He is useless as a striker. He is not the poor man's Paul Scholes, he is the poor man's Francis Jeffers. If that. We need two things in midfield, organization and creativity. Smith has neither.
Oh, how wistfully TDH watched Scottie P today against Manure. And with that match came the small compensation for the Toon's weekly debacle. There went the supposed golden boy, scorer of yet another wondergoal earlier in the week, preparing to strike a gimme penalty. As he stepped up to the spot, TDH couldn't help but ask how many times this player had found himself in that same situation, thanks to his own amateur theatricals inside the six-yard box. He missed. Manure lost. Justice.
Well, TDH can't complain too much, given the splendid supply of fast-paced, trigger-happy football that has come our way so far this week. There are quite a few entertaining teams in the Prem this season, and almost any match is worth a gander. By contrast, Spanish football seems to be played underwater. If only, once in a while, we could win - otherwise TDH will have to be contented with the odd Clint Dempsey goal in a losing cause, which is getting old....
Today's match at the Bridge was obviously decided by a bad call, the most freakish miss of an offside call that TDH has ever seen. But this is nothing new for Toon fans. Remember all the goal line calls that went against us last year? The football gods haven't been on our side for decades. Was it something Sir Bob said?
Yet TDH is angrier with Big Ham than with Mike Riley. Why did Big Ham decide to play Martins flanked by Duff up front? When Duff played as a striker some months ago, it was out of desperation - not because he was any good in the position. You're facing a Chelski squad without JT, and you don't let loose the bull also known as Viduka? TDH could not understand it.
There's something that gets TDH's goat even more, though: Alan Smith. WHAT IS BIG HAM'S OBSESSION WITH THIS PLAYER? He is a force of entropy in the midfield. He is useless as a striker. He is not the poor man's Paul Scholes, he is the poor man's Francis Jeffers. If that. We need two things in midfield, organization and creativity. Smith has neither.
Oh, how wistfully TDH watched Scottie P today against Manure. And with that match came the small compensation for the Toon's weekly debacle. There went the supposed golden boy, scorer of yet another wondergoal earlier in the week, preparing to strike a gimme penalty. As he stepped up to the spot, TDH couldn't help but ask how many times this player had found himself in that same situation, thanks to his own amateur theatricals inside the six-yard box. He missed. Manure lost. Justice.
Well, TDH can't complain too much, given the splendid supply of fast-paced, trigger-happy football that has come our way so far this week. There are quite a few entertaining teams in the Prem this season, and almost any match is worth a gander. By contrast, Spanish football seems to be played underwater. If only, once in a while, we could win - otherwise TDH will have to be contented with the odd Clint Dempsey goal in a losing cause, which is getting old....
posted by Daniel Altman at 2:10 AM
