All this earning the right to play bollocks

Surely it goes without saying that every player, for 90 minutes of every match they ever play, should be "earning the right to play".

That doesn't mean you segment games out in specific periods during which you are "earning the right to play" and then "passing the ball". I don't think I've ever heard anything more ridiculous from a football manager.

It's called working and tackling, and you should do that for 90 minutes, as well as, at the same time, at least TRYING to play some football and pass the ball.

It's got f**k all to do with "pretty football". It's cal;led effective football and playing to your strengths.

If we had Iwan Roberts, John Fashanu, John Hartson or Chris Sutton up front alongside someone like Earnshaw, Hucks or Bellamy, then fine, bang it up there and win the flick on or hold it up. Long ball can be effective with the right players.

Invariably, however, long ball teams also have goalscoring midfielders who make runs from deep to latch on to the balls the striker is holding up (Nolan at Bolton, Gerrard at Liverpool to stretch a "long ball" point).

However, we have:

1) No tall striker
2) No goalscoring midfielder making runs from deep

This is so elementary yet Worthy doesn't apparently see it. We still bang the ball aimlessly towards Earnie and Leon.

In the brief periods against Leicester when we passed the ball (aftere the crowd started chanting HOOF and booing hoofs) we scored and looked quite good.

So, Nigel, a short lesson in football:

1) You can work, tackle and run AND try to pass the ball at the same time. Don't insult our intelligence.
2) If you're going to play long ball, buy a tall striker and do it well
3) If you're going to buy a tall striker, buy a f**king right winger who can supply crosses to said striker
4) If you've got the highest coaching badge going then all I can say is where do you apply because if you've got it any f**king t**t who's played Sunday football for 5 years or more could get it.

Posted By: duke of york, Apr 9, 09:52:26