Joao Carvalho

[Username]

He was better than Lolley today.

[Alf]

I'm totally with Baddog, 90% of what he did was crap today.

Bar one lovely ball to Lolley down the flank poor passing which is usually his strength, poor control, poor shooting (score that early chance and we're 1-0 up controlling the game), and left us moer vulnerable to their physicality.

Could slap him today. Perfect opportunity for him to step up and AGAIN he flakes it like a total fanny.

No good us having a player who can only turn it on when we're 2-0 up against one of the worst defences in the league with only 10 men, or control games with little to play for like Boro. You can guarentee when we face a big match, or tough opposition, the one man not coming to the part is this lad.

He's got the magic, he's got the touch, but in this league he can't seem to make it count unless everything is in his favour.

Doesn't fit this system, hasn't contributed significantly for around a year now, has shown very little of that Carvalho Grabban link play we saw, would absolutely straight swap him for Oli Burke in a heartbeat. Neither are great, but at least Burke is the type of player what we need.

[Username]

He also played the slide rule ball into Grabban in the first half which Grabban failed to control, and his shot second half was on target but hit the defenders hand in the box.

But let’s single Carv out when Silva, Lolley, Cash, Mir and Adomah were all crap.

[Alf]

He also played the slide rule ball into Grabban in the first half which Grabban failed to control, and his shot second half was on target but hit the defenders hand in the box.

But let’s single Carv out when Silva, Lolley, Cash, Mir and Adomah were all crap.

Silva was way more consistent & did his job.

Lolley was way more dangerous and threatened a decent amount 2nd half in particular.

Cash was fine, had the best shot on goal. Not up to his usual standards, but certainly not poor.

Mir was anonymous as usual, but was only on for a short time.

Adomah crossed in a fair few balls and created a bit of a threat. Not great, but again was only on for a short period.

None of them were as ineffectual as Carvalho in the role they were on the pitch for. All of them did their job best they could, but Carvalho didn't do his. 

Mir is the only one I'd even consider flaking like Carva did, but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt because of said game time. If he'd played another 30-40min the same I'd say the same about him too.

[zicorice]

He also played the slide rule ball into Grabban in the first half which Grabban failed to control, and his shot second half was on target but hit the defenders hand in the box.

But let’s single Carv out when Silva, Lolley, Cash, Mir and Adomah were all crap.

Silva was way more consistent & did his job.

Lolley was way more dangerous and threatened a decent amount 2nd half in particular.

Cash was fine, had the best shot on goal. Not up to his usual standards, but certainly not poor.

Mir was anonymous as usual, but was only on for a short time.

Adomah crossed in a fair few balls and created a bit of a threat. Not great, but again was only on for a short period.

None of them were as ineffectual as Carvalho in the role they were on the pitch for. All of them did their job best they could, but Carvalho didn't do his. 

Mir is the only one I'd even consider flaking like Carva did, but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt because of said game time. If he'd played another 30-40min the same I'd say the same about him too.

Can see where you are coming from normally Alf and like some of your colourful analogies, but much of what you have said here I just didn't see today. Silva was gash today, he struggled physically (understandably) and his pass completion rate must be terrible today. Set pieces poor (not that we'd have won a header in their box today) and he doesn't create, he does always look busy which I totally get makes people like him. Lolley off it today,-especially 2nd half. Adomah zero impact off bench. Semedo made a difference but fluffed his lines when the chance came. Sami had a shocker and Fig got absolutely bossed by a sh1thouse like Madine. 

I felt all contributed less than Carvalho for the 1st 60 mins (subs apart) albeit most of Carvs good work was in 1st 45 mins.  Granted none of the rest cost 13mill, but that's not his fault. 
I worry that he is now Polarizing opinion so much that an off the boil performance becomes "completely sh1t" and for others a good performance becomes "world class".  

I do like watching him play, most of the times he received the ball in 1st half I sat up hoping for a bit of magic (only happened twice admittedly, plus the chance he controlled but then skied), but he also kept possesion well. 2nd half not so much. Probably a 5 or 6 out of 10 at best. But as a collective we were a 5 out of 10 I would say.

Would I pick him against Mwah? No, but then I wouldn't have started him today either.

[JWJW]

Carv did ok.

Plenty played worse than him, but yes, I agree, certain people want him as their whipping boy and want to jump all over him all the time, only reluctantly giving out praise if they are forced to.

[Paplane]

Carv did ok.

Plenty played worse than him, but yes, I agree, certain people want him as their whipping boy and want to jump all over him all the time, only reluctantly giving out praise if they are forced to.

I really like the lad, and im desperate for him to do well but yesterday was another bad performance after a series of bad performances for about a year now. Other players had bad days yes, bit generally they have been excellent. 

I could also single out Lolleys contribution, or lack of for half or this season. That lads on big money but simply not doing it too.

[Sniffer Dog (Admin)]

He also played the slide rule ball into Grabban in the first half which Grabban failed to control, and his shot second half was on target but hit the defenders hand in the box.

But let’s single Carv out when Silva, Lolley, Cash, Mir and Adomah were all crap.

We need to look at the bigger picture than just yesterday's performance.

Over the majority of games this season Silva, Cash and Lolley have been very good and Mir and Adomah are mostly on the bench. No need for comparisons with Carvalho, they don't add up.

Also Carvalho is no whipping boy. I think criticism over his performances in the second half of last season and so far this season is fair and justified.

[Username]

He also played the slide rule ball into Grabban in the first half which Grabban failed to control, and his shot second half was on target but hit the defenders hand in the box.

But let’s single Carv out when Silva, Lolley, Cash, Mir and Adomah were all crap.

Silva was way more consistent & did his job.

Lolley was way more dangerous and threatened a decent amount 2nd half in particular.

Cash was fine, had the best shot on goal. Not up to his usual standards, but certainly not poor.

Mir was anonymous as usual, but was only on for a short time.

Adomah crossed in a fair few balls and created a bit of a threat. Not great, but again was only on for a short period.

None of them were as ineffectual as Carvalho in the role they were on the pitch for. All of them did their job best they could, but Carvalho didn't do his. 

Mir is the only one I'd even consider flaking like Carva did, but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt because of said game time. If he'd played another 30-40min the same I'd say the same about him too.

As I say, whipping boy, to have formed such a myopic unbalanced view, you can’t conclude anything else.

[Username]

He also played the slide rule ball into Grabban in the first half which Grabban failed to control, and his shot second half was on target but hit the defenders hand in the box.

But let’s single Carv out when Silva, Lolley, Cash, Mir and Adomah were all crap.

We need to look at the bigger picture than just yesterday's performance.

Over the majority of games this season Silva, Cash and Lolley have been very good and Mir and Adomah are mostly on the bench. No need for comparisons with Carvalho, they don't add up.

Also Carvalho is no whipping boy. I think criticism over his performances in the second half of last season and so far this season is fair and justified.

I can’t agree with any single word of that I’m afraid. 

I can understand the bigger picture, I get the frustration with Carv, I’m not here to defend him. 

In terms of your second para Silva and Lolley have not been “very good” over a majority of games this season, far from it. Four games ago most people had written Silva off, and Lolley has largely been ineffective - I’m not saying he’s terrible, I think there are a number of factors at play with him too, it’s just the reality of his season so far. 

To judge Carv on this season is bonkers, he’s clearly still working back to full fitness, he has a manager who isn’t yet clear what he wants to do with him and is playing in a system that doesn’t fully align with his strengths.

[Sniffer Dog (Admin)]

Fair enough mate. I really want the lad to succeed I really do.

However I just don't think he is as good as we first thought he was.

[Username]

That’s probably part of the problem for some too, they thought they were getting the second coming and when he didn’t meet their expectations then they’ve piled in.

It’s evident now on here, that’s he’s being singled out after every game, every performance is being dissected and not even with any balance, his shot yesterday in the second half was the closest we came to scoring and it was only their player stopping it with his hand that stopped Carv from getting an equaliser.

There were worse players on the pitch yesterday and the tactics didn’t help in making the pitch narrower.