Chris Birchall today

[andy jones]

Thought Chris showed real quality today - He always seemed to pick the right ball, and his passing into the corners for Pope and Williamson really pushed their full back back and pulled the centre of their defence wide to create the space for Ben's pace.

 

It was great to see and boy was he pleased with that goal!

[Fosse69]

It takes weeks or even months for a team to gel and show their strengths and weaknesses. The same with players, I always hoped he would hold a place down, but the main thing is to be able to change for impact and cover for injuries. The same goes for Williamson.

[Leicestershire Valiant]

Thought Birchall was immensely influential: taking on and beating his man, then getting in several telling crosses. JMW could learn a lot from him.

[Wereskintandweknowweare]

Thought Birchall was immensely influential: taking on and beating his man, then getting in several telling crosses. JMW could learn a lot from him.

 

We all could to be fair. Invent a relative in a Caribbean country miss the hard work of training to do your job for years. Get back to the club where you were remembered as being a good player for six months. And become a smurf trophy signing.

Good contribution today right place right time for the goal thanks chris never convinced until it's sustained

[Heatwave]

We all could to be fair. Invent a relative in a Caribbean country miss the hard work of training to do your job for years. Get back to the club where you were remembered as being a good player for six months. And become a smurf trophy signing.

Good contribution today right place right time for the goal thanks chris never convinced until it's sustained

 

You're easy to please aren't you? Just give it a rest.

[cheshirevaliant]

Played well today, as they all did. I look forward to more of the same from Birchall.

[cheeky]

We all could to be fair. Invent a relative in a Caribbean country miss the hard work of training to do your job for years. Get back to the club where you were remembered as being a good player for six months. And become a smurf trophy signing.

Good contribution today right place right time for the goal thanks chris never convinced until it's sustained

 

What a weapon!

[Caroline Oakes]

I will say to you as I say to my 7year olds at school. " if you have nothing good/nice to say, it is best to say nothing at all"

[Leicestershire Valiant]

Birchall got in more decent crosses in 45 minutes than JMW has all season. The secret: beat your man, cross the ball and Don`t fanny about.

[cheshirevaliant]

Birchall got in more decent crosses in 45 minutes than JMW has all season. The secret: beat your man, cross the ball and Don`t fanny about.

 

I don't necessarily disagree with your point, but Birchall was helped by playing on the correct wing. JMW won't cross many first time on his right foot, as he doesn't have one (albeit he looks to have improved this area of his game)

[Emile]

Birchall changed the game IMO. A goal and an assist, his passing was fantastic, he tracked back and he put in some fantastic tackles (maybe not).

 

But Yes, take a bow chrissy, and please start him on Sat!

[SourceOfTheTrent]

Yes Birchall played well & Adams' substitutions worked a treat BUT why slate JMW? It just wasn't his type of game with Coventry stifling any supply to him and surrounding him in numbers when he did get it. League football is a squad affair and Jennison brings a lot to the party, eg, his recent contributions at Carlisle and Orient.

We need both Birchall and JMW.

[Bert Llewellyn]

What about JMW on left and CB on the right?

[sandbach_valiant]

Yes Birchall played well & Adams' substitutions worked a treat BUT why slate JMW? It just wasn't his type of game with Coventry stifling any supply to him and surrounding him in numbers when he did get it. League football is a squad affair and Jennison brings a lot to the party, eg, his recent contributions at Carlisle and Orient.

We need both Birchall and JMW.

 

This always gets me to be honest. A lot of people sitting around me seem to have it in for JMW, he's expected to be able to run full-pelt constantly for the whole 90 mins, to be able to beat the three players marking him every time, to reach every pass that goes anywhere near him - regardless of how good it is, and cross at every conceivable opportunity. If he doesn't quite pull any one of these off, he gets slated.

 

People seem to have this ideal of a perfect 'traditional' winger who just runs and crosses, no matter what the situation. Football has moved on from that, it did quite a while a go. Work with what you've got, which is a very good forward/winger who played a huge role last season and hasn't played poorly at all this year either.

 

Also, I didn't really see Birchall beating all that many defenders to cross and he didn't set up a goal. I thought he played very well, but nothing like in the style JMW does. I don't see that there's any room for a direct comparison, especially given that CB has been a CM for years. I could be way off, but I don't even think JMW would have come off at HT if he hadn't been body-checked and injured.

 

Anyway, well played Chris Birchall and I hope he does get more of a chance from now on. But please, can we just praise a player without the need to bash another one.

[fairportnick]

What about JMW on left and CB on the right?

 

Its not rocket science is it?

Few things annoy me more than seeing wingers played on the wrong side(Well that excludes Phil Collins , Mick Hucknall, and carthorse centre backs:D)