Sarabia

[Hawkguy]

Stupid use of subs which has been a huge problem for GON. He seems very much stuck in the classic game where he HATES to use more than three subs.

You should be using at least 4, if not 5 subs most games. Why would you handicap yourself when you can have a fresh pair of legs come on?

Last night, neither team could hold defensive shape. So we put on a right wing back at left wing back and he looked uncomfortable most of the game.

We created very little when our forwards did get the ball, another argument for any changes.

It has been one of my main criticisms of Gary O'Neil so far. His substitutions rarely make sense. Lots of times we've been pushing and he's taken off a forward for a midfielder, or vice versa.

Earlier this year, Gomes was subbed off after starting many games and then lost his starting spot for a handful of games. Then suddenly gets it back.

I think Gary has done a solid job with what he was given (a team 2 days before a season starts), but you can see his inconsistencies, his passion for the classic game, and his young coach mistakes. They're pretty clear.

Sarabia was a key case of that last night. Coming off a superb performance that took us from 0 points to 3 points in 10 minutes, to being benched in a game against weaker opposition who were prime for the taking.

The biggest problem is the message this sends to any of the other bench players. Even if you run out and win us points - you probably will still not get minutes. How do you motivate your bench after they see something like this?

 

[Perton Wolf]

He brought Doherty on ahead of Sarabia as a winger. No wonder he's fuming.

That was laughably bad, we could all see how it would go (uncomfortable, looking to cut in at all opportunities)

 

[Norwegian Wolf]

He brought Doherty on ahead of Sarabia as a winger. No wonder he's fuming.

I'd be fuming if I was Hugo Bueno as well. He also brought Doherty on against Luton on the left ahead of Bueno and Sarabia.

 

[A3wolf]

I expected Sarabia to start. But to not even give him 20 minutes when we had precious little other creativity on the pitch seems a very strange decision.

To me it has the feel that Sarabia is on his way in Jan. What more can he do in training or on the pitch than what he's recently been doing to justify his inclusion?!

 

[Minimalist]

He brought Doherty on ahead of Sarabia as a winger. No wonder he's fuming.

Not really, he came on as a left wingback. Not a position Sarabia would ever be considered for.
Sarabia possibly should have come on to replace Bellegarde though, when he started running out of steam.

 

[North West Wanderer]

Stupid use of subs which has been a huge problem for GON. He seems very much stuck in the classic game where he HATES to use more than three subs.

You should be using at least 4, if not 5 subs most games. Why would you handicap yourself when you can have a fresh pair of legs come on?

Last night, neither team could hold defensive shape. So we put on a right wing back at left wing back and he looked uncomfortable most of the game.

We created very little when our forwards did get the ball, another argument for any changes.

It has been one of my main criticisms of Gary O'Neil so far. His substitutions rarely make sense. Lots of times we've been pushing and he's taken off a forward for a midfielder, or vice versa.

Earlier this year, Gomes was subbed off after starting many games and then lost his starting spot for a handful of games. Then suddenly gets it back.

I think Gary has done a solid job with what he was given (a team 2 days before a season starts), but you can see his inconsistencies, his passion for the classic game, and his young coach mistakes. They're pretty clear.

Sarabia was a key case of that last night. Coming off a superb performance that took us from 0 points to 3 points in 10 minutes, to being benched in a game against weaker opposition who were prime for the taking.

The biggest problem is the message this sends to any of the other bench players. Even if you run out and win us points - you probably will still not get minutes. How do you motivate your bench after they see something like this?

the game before his subs literally won us the game.

 

[Longford Wolf]

Maybe with Lemina and Gomes both suspended for Saturdays game, GON is holding him back till then.
If Sarabia would have come on and got injured or sent off, GON would be getting pelters

 

[North West Wanderer]

I would have put Sarabia on at the same time as Sasa, purely for the quality of his delivery.

 

[SingYourHeartsOut]

I would have put Sarabia on at the same time as Sasa, purely for the quality of his delivery.

I know I'm not quite on message on this, "he's got a good touch for a big man", "he's won us loads of points", "his goals per minute are amazing", "he needs time to settle in", etc etc, but I don't think Sasa actually adds anything unless it's a siege with balls being loaded into the box.

 

[TheConcourse]

Personally would have put Toti at LB last night after RAN had gone off and brought in Sarabia to enable Bellegarde to get on the ball centrally.

Doherty made no sense. He was awful. Both of our wing backs were to be fair. It never felt like a game that they were going to impact in an attacking sense.

 

[loppers86]

the game before his subs literally won us the game.

his starting selection was literally losing us the game then?

 

[North West Wanderer]

I know I'm not quite on message on this, "he's got a good touch for a big man", "he's won us loads of points", "his goals per minute are amazing", "he needs time to settle in", etc etc, but I don't think Sasa actually adds anything unless it's a siege with balls being loaded into the box.

he’s got a decent touch but he can’t play our system under GON, he’s a plan B and nothing more.

 

[WeAreTheWolvesII]

Not really, he came on as a left wingback. Not a position Sarabia would ever be considered for.
Sarabia possibly should have come on to replace Bellegarde though, when he started running out of steam.

We were playing a back four IMO.

I noticed when the paper was handed to Kilman late on that he then shouted we were changing to a back five.

I had it as a 4-4-2 really, with Doherty LM. It was baffling and I believe it cost us any control throughout as we had zero attacking threat or counter-attacking ability down the whole left side.

 

[Minimalist]

We were playing a back four IMO.

I noticed when the paper was handed to Kilman late on that he then shouted we were changing to a back five.

I had it as a 4-4-2 really, with Doherty LM. It was baffling and I believe it cost us any control throughout as we had zero attacking threat or counter-attacking ability down the whole left side.

I’m not so sure.
I think it was the usual hybrid system with RAN and Toti.
But once RAN had to go off it was a more usual back 3/5,

 

[SingYourHeartsOut]

We were playing a back four IMO.

I noticed when the paper was handed to Kilman late on that he then shouted we were changing to a back five.

I had it as a 4-4-2 really, with Doherty LM. It was baffling and I believe it cost us any control throughout as we had zero attacking threat or counter-attacking ability down the whole left side.

I'm mystified by people who keep talking about not going away from a 5 atb. RAN does no more defensively in games last night and Sheff U than you'd expect an out and out wide player to do. It's not like he even drops back outside Toti when we lose possession and it's an attacking 442 and a defensive 532. That's what made the decision to put Doc on inexplicable to me. He did end up playing some sort of LB role though and Toti did that strange thing where he goes off and plays in midfield!

 

[WickedWolfie]

He brought Doherty on ahead of Sarabia as a winger. No wonder he's fuming.

Doc, except for the one chance taken off his toe, was utterly and completely ineffective. So bloody slow that he was no outlet whatsoever.

 

[Wellington Wolf]

Some thoughts. RAN isn't used purely as a winger and my naive eye seems to think GON is using a system (well) that can morph from our traditional 5 at the back to 4 and RAN and Toti are great players to allow this. From what I have seen from Sarabia he wouldn't work in that role.

I've heard (not itk) that Sarabia's attitude here has been awful. Never wanted to come, agent led move/favour etc etc.

But....After what he did against Spurs I think he deserved to come on last night. I thought Bellegarde was our main creativity (whom we didn't pick out enough,) and would have sent Sarabia on when he tired

 

[Oh When the Wolves]

So strange Doherty came on instead of him

Then even stranger we didn’t take Doherty off for him!

 

[Mile End Wanderer]

Should of started the game. 343 was needed for the points oh well. Could not of done any worse than Sasa when he was introduced either **** subs

 

[Oh When the Wolves]

Not really, he came on as a left wingback. Not a position Sarabia would ever be considered for.
Sarabia possibly should have come on to replace Bellegarde though, when he started running out of steam.

It was a back 4

 

[Wellington Wolf]

Not really, he came on as a left wingback. Not a position Sarabia would ever be considered for.
Sarabia possibly should have come on to replace Bellegarde though, when he started running out of ste

I’m not so sure.
I think it was the usual hybrid system with RAN and Toti.
But once RAN had to go off it was a more usual back 3/5,

Not often I say this, but someone who was watching the game as me! Exactly how I saw it

 

[North West Wanderer]

his starting selection was literally losing us the game then?

Lots in common with the Primark Mourinho then.

 

[Hawkguy]

the game before his subs literally won us the game.

Your point? If you think the week before's success were anything but lucky after the subs, I'm utterly shocked. We deserved to win that game all game, IMO. He didn't sub in Sarabia expecting to win the game. I can tell you that with 100% confidence.

 

[loppers86]

Lots in common with the Primark Mourinho then.

primark mourinho or harrods GON?

Do you mean the man who was with us for just 6 months but in that time laid the foundations for a soon-to-be-journeyman like GON to avoid relegation at a canter?

 

[SingYourHeartsOut]

Lots in common with the Primark Mourinho then.

Lopetegui was actually the only manager I've seen who would deliberately not start his best XI so we could win games in the last 30 minutes. Great as Gary has done, we have 15 points from his first 13 games, 2 less than Lopetegui got. Still I know Lopetegui had a break to work with, Neves, Nunes and less regular VAR shaftings! Best we all give this pointless argument a rest and judge things as they are now. The Doc for RAN change still baffles me.

 

[North West Wanderer]

Your point? If you think the week before's success were anything but lucky after the subs, I'm utterly shocked. We deserved to win that game all game, IMO. He didn't sub in Sarabia expecting to win the game. I can tell you that with 100% confidence.

But we didn’t score until the subs came on, and were directly involved or responsible for both games.
i’m shocked you can’t see this. Sometimes Ingenuinely think you don’t get football.

This was your opening line - Stupid use of subs which has been a huge problem for GON.

But this was anything but stupid use of subs and it clearly isn’t a huge problem.
He could get better for sure, but I’m calling this out as nonsense, because well….

 

[North West Wanderer]

Lopetegui was actually the only manager I've seen who would deliberately not start his best XI so we could win games in the last 30 minutes. Great as Gary has done, we have 15 points from his first 13 games, 2 less than Lopetegui got. Still I know Lopetegui had a break to work with, Neves, Nunes and less regular VAR shaftings! Best we all give this pointless argument a rest and judge things as they are now. The Doc for RAN change still baffles me.

oh for sure, there’s some posters stuck in the past for some reason, and while i rate Looetegiu as a coach i don’t as a man. He as you said had a squad of more integrated and talented players to work with so side by side and not even considering the var debacle there’s little between them.

Lop at times made great subs to see games out, Toti particularly, but it didn’t work all the time clearly.

I’m not sure why Bueno didn’t come on. lost so much doing that.

 

[North West Wanderer]

primark mourinho or harrods GON?

Do you mean the man who was with us for just 6 months but in that time laid the foundations for a soon-to-be-journeyman like GON to avoid relegation at a canter?

What foundations? genuinely intrigued!

we lost that many players that it’s impossible to credit Lopetegiu with anything!!!

 

[loppers86]

What foundations? genuinely intrigued!

we lost that many players that it’s impossible to credit Lopetegiu with anything!!!

you honestly don’t know what foundations?

 

[North West Wanderer]

you honestly don’t know what foundations?

what foundations did he leave us with?

Players? Nope
Staff? Nope
Engaged remaining players? Nope

I look forward to hearing this.

 

[loppers86]

being in the premier league?

 

[Hawkguy]

But we didn’t score until the subs came on, and were directly involved or responsible for both games.
i’m shocked you can’t see this. Sometimes Ingenuinely think you don’t get football.

This was your opening line - Stupid use of subs which has been a huge problem for GON.

But this was anything but stupid use of subs and it clearly isn’t a huge problem.
He could get better for sure, but I’m calling this out as nonsense, because well….

I also think you know nothing about soccer sometimes, so I guess we're equal.

 

[Wednesbury Wolf]

I also think you know nothing about soccer sometimes, so I guess we're equal.

Soccer

 

[Hawkguy]

Soccer

We got it from England!

 

[Wednesbury Wolf]

We got it from England!

Yes I know it originated here but nobody calls football here anything else than football.

 

[Hawkguy]

Yes I know it originated here but nobody calls football here anything else than football.

I mean you had a show on TV called Soccer AM until 6 months ago.

But I know most don't call it soccer it there. I go back and forth, I don't stop and think while I'm typing. Sometimes it comes out football, sometimes soccer. Usually during American Football season, I end up saying soccer more by default.

 

[Wednesbury Wolf]

I mean you had a show on TV called Soccer AM until 6 months ago.

But I know most don't call it soccer it there. I go back and forth, I don't stop and think while I'm typing. Sometimes it comes out football, sometimes soccer. Usually during American Football season, I end up saying soccer more by default.

You are forgiven

 

[OLDGOLD]

I mean you had a show on TV called Soccer AM until 6 months ago.

But I know most don't call it soccer it there. I go back and forth, I don't stop and think while I'm typing. Sometimes it comes out football, sometimes soccer. Usually during American Football season, I end up saying soccer more by default.

May I suggest a cold bath and sitting in the naughty corner with your Michael Salisbury voodoo doll?

 

[Saltyjim]

Doc used to be effective on the left back in the day, but on Monday every time the ball was passed out to him by Toti he just came back on his right and it meant we had no outlet down that side of the pitch. Still got some intelligence about himself when timing runs into the box and he nearly got on the end of a couple of chances, but we lost out the option of having a left footed left back bu not putting Hugo on. As for Sarabia, I would have brought him on instead of Bellegarde.

 

[Hawkguy]

May I suggest a cold bath and sitting in the naughty corner with your Michael Salisbury voodoo doll?

I need a cold bath every time I think about you, baby.