Beefymcfc wrote:Sounds good, they're through. Who next?
Ajax or Roma, away for some reason. Be better to play Ajax. Roma are well organised & cynical. Ajax will just take us on at football & if they win fair enough.
Beefymcfc wrote:Sounds good, they're through. Who next?
Ted Hughes wrote:Beat them well, but they are sly fuckers.
Callum Humphries is the only other choice unless Kean Bryan moves back there. But he was the best player on the pitch imo, apart from one daft challenge, so we would lose him from midfield.
Maffeo won a lot of stuff there, but he's not a cb & he stretches the oppo when he plays fullback allowing Angelino to get forward other side. Ash Smith Brown just doesn't seem to be quite as clever out wide in that position. Bossaerts isn't good enough.
I think the whole team was less than 50% in football terms today, but they stuck at it, & Iheanacho's injury fucked things up. I don't think it would have gone to pens had he stayed on. Celina would probably have come on & played front mid & played him in.
I like to watch the 'flair' players in games like this & see what they are made of when nothing is going right for the team. Barker & Ambrose for instance ran their balls off. Barker winning balls knocking people about, Ambrose tackling their wide player; Barker even won a few tackles at cb in one instance & sorted the danger out.
It's easy when players of that talent are having a brilliant day, but they show enough on difficult days, to suggest they have a real chance.
Dameerto wrote:From what I saw of Bryan they should play him there again - he was switched on from the first whistle.
twosips wrote:It was an interesting game that. By interesting i mean largely frustrating of course as Schalke were a bunch of bastards.
I was sat on my tod absolutely freezing my arse off so i was totally focused on the game as it was the only thing that was helping me ignore the wind and you could definitely tell that this was a physically strong Schalke. I thought we were a little disappointing to be honest. I'd expect more from most of our players.
We definitely miss Maffeo when he's at right back but you can tell they play him there cos the alternative is basically playing Bossaerts at CB, where he's infinitely more damaging potentially. I thought all things considering Maffeo and Tosin (fuck spelling that last name) were good. Tosin's seventeen - he's a kid and he's totally new to this level and i think he was good today. Not perfect, no, but good. Likewise, considering he's clearly no centre-back Maffeo basically did a very good impression of Mascherano today. He out-muscled some blokes a stone or two heavier than him through sheer determiation and its great to see. Both are very good footballers.
Ambrose looked exactly like a player does when they come back from a 3/4 week injury. Barker was disappointing, as was Pozo. Both have looked quite out of form in the past few games to me, but there was one small moment where Pozo skipped past a challenge and drilled the ball out to Barker who then smashed the cross bar that showed exactly what they're capable of.
I find Pozo's physicality, or lack of it, a little worrying if im being honest. I'm beginning to worry that he doesn't have the bottle for the physical challenges that he'll get at higher levels. He doesn't look like he's ever gonna be a big lad and he gets knocked down really easily. It could simply be that his confidence has been knocked by being used as basically cannon fodder in his first team appearances, either way it'll be interesting to see if he turns it around.
Bryan was neat and tidy, but not exceptional. Ntcham was poor by his standards - did enjoy the fact that he managed to clear the stadium roof, at both ends, with two long range shots. Impressive feat that. Byrne i thought just flitted in and out. Angelino battled as ever and had some good moments.
I was gutted for Kelechi. I don't think its a bottle thing as he looked well up for coming on and his first touch was sublime - two defenders around him and controlled it perfectly and looked incredibly confident. His first bit of football in ages and it was great. He's quick, has exceptional control and a lot of upper body strength; there's just something about him and it stands out. He tried to stay on and he looked fed up when he came off so i wouldn't worry about his attitude. I thought Smith-Brown had a tidy game and Celina was nice and bright when he came on, without really affecting the game.
Really enjoyed the penalty shoot-out. Piss funny listening to the standing fans behind the goal giving the german lads a hard time, especially the young lad in the gimp mask. He properly shit himself and the crowd definitely definitely had an impact there. I actually really like Gunn too. He's fucking massive.
sheblue wrote:What happened kelechi?
twosips wrote:Ah maybe I overlooked Bryan then a bit cos the game was really, really scrappy and it didn't feel like any individual had control at times. I did think he was neat and tidy but maybe i'm doing his (admittedly unglamorous) role a disservice - as he did what he had to do, and he did it well. I do agree that he was the best of the midfield.
Agree regarding Kelechi. He had about three touches and they all screamed potential. It's weird, you can just *tell* when someone has something and he does. Seeing him in person too - he ALWAYS wants the ball. He was calling for it consistently. He looks very fast and darty in person too - bit like Ibe does at Liverpool in that aspect, but with a better football brain.
Pozo was better when he was out on the left, but still not as confident as he has been. He's clearly better when he's facing goal though as opposed to having defenders up his back.
Ted Hughes wrote:twosips wrote:Ah maybe I overlooked Bryan then a bit cos the game was really, really scrappy and it didn't feel like any individual had control at times. I did think he was neat and tidy but maybe i'm doing his (admittedly unglamorous) role a disservice - as he did what he had to do, and he did it well. I do agree that he was the best of the midfield.
Agree regarding Kelechi. He had about three touches and they all screamed potential. It's weird, you can just *tell* when someone has something and he does. Seeing him in person too - he ALWAYS wants the ball. He was calling for it consistently. He looks very fast and darty in person too - bit like Ibe does at Liverpool in that aspect, but with a better football brain.
Pozo was better when he was out on the left, but still not as confident as he has been. He's clearly better when he's facing goal though as opposed to having defenders up his back.
I really think that if Kelechi had been fit/available all season, he could have been playing in the Barca game at some point. I think he's that good & if I had a reputation, I would stake it on him making it (provided there is no weird shit we don't know about).
Ted Hughes wrote:Brandon Barker:" I know it's difficult to make it here, one of the biggest and possibly soon to be the best club in the world."
Not bad coming from a lad who comes from a family of Utd fans..
Nigels Tackle wrote:shocking keeping
http://www.mcfc.co.uk/News/Match-reports/2015/February/Newcastle-U18s-v-City-U18s
Bersant Celina scored twice for City's Under-18s as Jason Wilcox's side recovered from a goal down to win 2-1.
City now move up to third in the Premier League Academy Group A with just two games remaining and a point from the matches against Derby or Bolton will guarantee a place in the national play-offs.
Lewis Suddick nodded the Magpies ahead on 45 minutes at Little Benton, but Celina slotted home a 53rd-minute penalty to level the scores.
Eight minutes later Celina scored his second from a free-kick to secure the points for Wilcox's side.
More to follow...
Return to The Maine Football forum
Users browsing this forum: Majestic-12 [Bot], Nickyboy, nottsblue, stupot and 132 guests