spud
Well-Known Member
- Sep 2, 2003
- 5,850
- 8,794
Younes Kaboul has hardly played for us in the last two seasons. Since being injured in the first game of last season, he has only just returned to the team. Consequently, I don't expect that we will see him return to be the player who we know until next season. He will have had the arse end of this season, a summer of conditioning, and a full pre-season to get back to his best.
I was alarmed, however, to see something from him on Saturday that I have never seen before in a professional game and which I still can't quite believe.
The passage of play leading to the third West Brom goal started with Kaboul taking the ball upfield. The move broke down and we 'recycled' the ball, starting to build again from the back. I invite you to watch a recording of the goal to see what happened next. As play moved towards the West Brom goal from half way, it passed Kaboul, who was walking - I repeat, walking - in the other direction towards our half. He showed no interest in the play going the other way, and had reached a point about ten yards into their half when the West Brom defender hoofed it clear.
What happened next was that Kaboul who, you may recall, was playing left side in the first half, was about ten yards in front of Chiriches on the right side of the pitch and tried to head the clearance. He achieved a masterful flick-on to Sessegnon, who outpaced Chiriches to score. Chiriches has been criticised for his defending for the goal, but he had got tight to Sessegnon to stop him from doing anything with the clearance. When it suddenly flew over his head he was, through no fault of his own, in a race that he was out of position for and which he couldn't win. The fact that both our fullbacks were awol and there was no cover obviously didn't help.
So Kaboul - our captain - couldn't be arsed to get back in position when he lost the ball, preferring to go for a stroll, and didn't even stroll to the right place. I still can't quite believe what I've seen. I'm not sure whether the fault for this kind of behaviour lies in poor coaching, whether Kaboul hasn't properly recovered from injury and can't run, or whether his attitude (or perhaps the team's collective attitude) is so bad that he can't even be bothered to break into a jog.
I was amazed when not only was he not substituted at half time but that Chiriches was. Chiriches hasn't exactly covered himself in glory recently - although the absence of any defensive help must be getting to him - but at least he looks like he can be bothered. I am, frankly, disgusted with what I have seen, and I can only hope that the manager - whoever he may be - never lets it happen again.
I was alarmed, however, to see something from him on Saturday that I have never seen before in a professional game and which I still can't quite believe.
The passage of play leading to the third West Brom goal started with Kaboul taking the ball upfield. The move broke down and we 'recycled' the ball, starting to build again from the back. I invite you to watch a recording of the goal to see what happened next. As play moved towards the West Brom goal from half way, it passed Kaboul, who was walking - I repeat, walking - in the other direction towards our half. He showed no interest in the play going the other way, and had reached a point about ten yards into their half when the West Brom defender hoofed it clear.
What happened next was that Kaboul who, you may recall, was playing left side in the first half, was about ten yards in front of Chiriches on the right side of the pitch and tried to head the clearance. He achieved a masterful flick-on to Sessegnon, who outpaced Chiriches to score. Chiriches has been criticised for his defending for the goal, but he had got tight to Sessegnon to stop him from doing anything with the clearance. When it suddenly flew over his head he was, through no fault of his own, in a race that he was out of position for and which he couldn't win. The fact that both our fullbacks were awol and there was no cover obviously didn't help.
So Kaboul - our captain - couldn't be arsed to get back in position when he lost the ball, preferring to go for a stroll, and didn't even stroll to the right place. I still can't quite believe what I've seen. I'm not sure whether the fault for this kind of behaviour lies in poor coaching, whether Kaboul hasn't properly recovered from injury and can't run, or whether his attitude (or perhaps the team's collective attitude) is so bad that he can't even be bothered to break into a jog.
I was amazed when not only was he not substituted at half time but that Chiriches was. Chiriches hasn't exactly covered himself in glory recently - although the absence of any defensive help must be getting to him - but at least he looks like he can be bothered. I am, frankly, disgusted with what I have seen, and I can only hope that the manager - whoever he may be - never lets it happen again.
