Newcastle (Away)

[barryj]

Either my logic is off, or yours is. As I read this thread, the issue of whether or not Roberto now gets credit for doing a fine job began with post # 113. -- yours. There you said:

 

Then, several people posted that Martinez does indeed deserve credit -- for finally coming to his senses, starting a few different players, and using substitutes wisely. In short, for doing what quite a few of his TT critics (myself included) said might help. Indeed, it's pretty easy for Roberto's TT critics to give him lots of credit today, as to do so is not much more than saying, "See, we told you Roberto needed to do some things differently." How difficult could it possibly be to credit Martinez when to do so is little more than patting ourselves on the back. Piece of cake, Bob's your uncle.

 

So, I repeat, either your or my thinking is illogical. I concede it might be mine. But now here you say, correctly, that some of us have been moaning that Roberto has not used the deep squad he and we say he has at his disposal. So, yes, we moaners have been urging him to do exactly what he -- finally, finally -- did today. I don't see a lot of "whinging." I see relief, joy even, that Roberto took our perfectly obvious advice.

 

Now, admittedly, had Cleverley not headed in at the final second, and had we moaners then moaned about giving away another two points, or complained that Roberto should have brought on a brilliant, in-form Kone for that dolt Mirallas, etc., then yes, we moaners would be thereby revealed for the utter hypocrites that we are. But it strikes me as odd to criticize the moaners for what appears to be their satisfaction, not their disappointment and whinging, with Roberto's strategy and tactics against Newcastle.

 

Unless I have totally misunderstood lots of stuff.

I'm just pleased we won and got the three points like we should have the last four games. I think we've been playing relatively well just not getting the rub of the green.

 

As for the argument above its completely counterintuitive. He plays the players you've wanted for ages and we sneak a win with nearly the last touch of the ball. As you've sai should that of been 0-0 it would have been RMs fault again!

Edited December 28, 2015 by barryj

[Cornish Steve]

Lukaku - Although he visibly faded at the end of the game it was understandable because he put in an all-action display. Even on a "normal" pitch that would take a lot out of any player but it was a boggy pitch yesterday. I really am blown away by the strides he's making in improving his all-round game and yesterday just boosted that further. His hold up play and use of his body was top notch. I can't remember a time when Collocini got the best of him. He did fail to convert a few chances but only one them really annoyed me. Two were from tight angles that Elliot did well to stop and another he was on the stretch to try and put the rebound in from Mori's saved header. The one that annoyed and frustrated me was the one right at the death that Mbemba got back to block. After he'd megged one defender and was in on goal it was like he thought it was a foregone conclusion that he'd get his shot away and that there was no one else around im (other than the keeper), so he slowed down and that allowed Mbemba to get the block in. If he'd gotten a goal yesterday he'd have been my MOTM for sure because his all-round display was brilliant.

 

That move you mention near the end was frustrating. My son and I were screaming for him to cross the ball to the left, where one of our players was completely open.

[Matt]

He was poor v Leicester and poor when he came on today.

 

Martinez gets lucky when we win and is culpable when we lose/draw, despite dominating? Seems a no win situation.

so 1 poor game deserves being dropped despite being a near constant threat all season?

 

At the moment, that's exactly what's happening with Martinez. We're winning lucky and losing because he's not adapting. Again.