On Martin's post match interview ... I'm not sure what else he could have said. He didn't lie, but at the same time he's not going to come out and rollick players that ran like geriatrics, were sloppy when they were involved, and should have been made to buy a ticket to watch. He said it hurt and I think that's not so much a team hurt but a personal hurt meaning he was insulted by what some players put out.
Friday is coming far too quickly. It beggars belief that we're that far off match fitness ... WTF were Andy Pandy and then Tate doing before Martin arrived. I can easily see knowing non-player individuals at the Club telling Winter that shit wasn't right and it was time to intervene.
As for square peg / round hole, Martin may not have too many options and he's trying fill gaps by pressing what he sees as talent and adaptability. Sooner or later inexperience in the role is going to get found out and exposed.
Thinking about Downes, Paterson and some of the other acquisitions: the only quality we paid for is Piroe, everybody else arrived on a free having been let go.
Piroe has demonstrated that given the chance and the service he can get the job done - last night, 1 cross, 1 goal ... getting it done.
As for the others .... I can't help but consider it insanely arrogant, the strategy of acquiring as starting players those that were cast offs from clubs inferior to us last season. Who the fuck do we think we are that we know better than clubs that have seen these players close up for 2 seasons or more, know everything that needs to be known about them, and still let them walk away. What message does this send to existing players from last season ... "these rejects from elsewhere are considered better than you". Players, even the dumbest, have more than an once of yoghurt between their ears ... they understand football and can read between the lines and probably have some, though perhaps limited, first hand experience of who these players are by having played against them or from word of mouth.
Laird was a breath of fresh air when he came on. We need a team of Laird's.
Martin needs rope if not to hang himself then to hang the players that aren't getting it done. I expect to see something resembling the real deal when we get back from the first international break in September. That's the point in time when Andy Pandy choked in his first season, stripped off the Potter patina, and showed his true colors. I expect Martin to have kicked ass, taken names, and whipped some shape into the squad by then, and to start what he believes to be his best first XI. It may get really ugly through the rest of August.
Worst case scenario: Toshack offered commentary on last night's game. At least he is in contact with the Club and on good terms. If it does go unexpectedly but dramatically tits up for Martin then we do have a substitute handy.