VERDICT: A team caught between two cultures
BY HUGH SOUTHON
You have to be a cracking side to play that badly and win! Well so they say
Come on now, let’s take the positives from a game that started in shocking style, picked up sufficiently for us to seal the points and then slid downhill so badly, you began to wonder if there was a bottom.
Along the way we discovered that Sam Allardyce will have no compunction on removing anyone from the action, including the club’s record signing Andy Carroll, and that Alex Song is needed back like yesterday.
It was a night when the nerves of tough men were shredded and when you were forced to smile as the Irons faithful sang: “We’re gonna win the league.”
Kevin Nolan demonstrated too that he still has a habit of turning up when most badly needed for the first goal and James Tomkins will be forgiven some pretty awful defending by scoring the winner.
There was much to complain about – particularly defensively – but the simple truth is that at the end of it all I can’t be bothered to do so and will only let a long gasp of relief and declare: “Well done boys.”
There were moments of quality but these were far outweighed by the monumental weaknesses of both teams on the night and I was grateful that most of the opposition movement was in front of our defence rather than through it.
No way will I complain about Valencia’s input after a spell out through injury but there is clearly a problem when AC is up top on his own.
You could almost hear the thought process of the player – “do we lump it to him or play it through.” This was a team caught at times between two cultures.
The answer is clear – we play it through. it’s the only way, It’s put us where we are. There can be no turning back nor do I think there will be with Valencia returned and Diafra Sakho no more than 90 or 180 minutes away.
It’s now more a case of where Andy Carroll fits into all of this. I’m beginning to think the answer is: WITH GREAT DIFFICULTY!
Highly, highly interesting days ahead”