Antti Heinola returns to LFW with his six talking points from the weekend's home draw with Reading.
I love Polti. I love him because he's not Premir League. He's not immaculate. He's just very, very entertaining. I love his attitude, I love that for someone of his size and shape he sometimes shows remarkable pace, particularly when cutting in from the wing. I love that he showed Anton Ferdinand a clean set of heels towards the end of the game, and left him sitting on his (it has to be said) ample rump. I love that in the second half he tried to trap a through ball 25 yards out and it ended up being a shot that Al Habsi, on a different day, might have spilled. I loved his missed header - that was what end of season are all about.
But most of all, I love the fact that despite his many shortcomings, he has a great understanding with Chery. It's a bizarre match, almost a throwback to the old big-man, little-man combo that was so easy for fans to get their head around that it was often deemed that ALL strike partners must be opposites in that manner. Chery genuinely seems to enjoy playing with him and, actually, even though his feet sometimes fail him, he has an intelligent football brain. He's set up quite a few goals and several decent chances with some lovely chances over the weeks. I know some laugh at him, which seems almost unbearably cruel to me (the contempt fans have for many players these days is a theme I'm hoping to explore a bit with an article on here in the summer, as it goes), but for me, I like him. And he'll get better. Guaranteed.
What's going on down there these days? The hilarious one-punch fight v Birmingham, and now plenty of aggro on Saturday too. I don't mind it - it helps to create a bit of atmosphere that's missing because our hardcore Q-Blockers are so far away from the opposition fans. But where's it all coming from? Have a group of rowdy R's fans made a conscious decision to sit and goad the away fans every week? Or are the away fans just bored and have made a point of picking a fight with the Ellerslie faithful? I don't know, but just seems like from my vantage point I can see that weird phenomenon of whole groups of people in the away end with their faces clearly turned to the right, away from the pitch. To be fair to them, the action in the Ellerslie might well be more interesting.
He's turned me. Not in a sexual way, you understand, but he's won me over. Even at right back. I like him. It took a while, but he's turned into a solidly dependable member of the team. Not saying I'm desperate to have him at right back next season, but he's a good option in the squad and, if we do allow Karl Henry to cap his glorious career with a season or two at Ipswich or Walsall, perhaps Perchy (as I now like to call him) will become our new Karl. Not massively well-liked, but not disliked either, and potentially very useful sometimes. Well done Perchy - you worked hard to find some form.
Vital to our chances next season is this man. The question is, though, with Phillips and Hoilett on their way, will he get the required support from the wide areas so the onus isn't entirely on him to create or score himself. At the moment, he looks like comfortably our best player. Excellent in possession, genuinely dangerous anywhere from about 25 yards out, and he's working a lot harder too. Really enjoy watching him play and hope he keeps that number ten spot next season - perhaps even with the number ten shirt too. I thought on Saturday he had a fine first half and he looked very likely to score, but he seemed crowded out after the break: Reading certainly knew he was our danger man and acted accordingly, continually denying him any space.
The 21-year-old who looks, from the stands, like he's about 35. Bizarre. A hulk of a man, isn't he? None of this skinny bean pole nonsense that's so trendy these days (De Gea, Cech, Courtois) - proper meat on the man. An old school big keeper.
Overall, I thought it was a fine performance from him, certainly could do nothing about the goal. First half I'd question that on two occasions he should have been out quicker to collect a through ball that really should have been his (it almost cost a goal at one stage), but it was nothing horrendous. Second half, I thought he was much better - bit quicker to come out, good handling. Generally felt very comfortable with him there. Difficult to tell on one performance, but I'd still pick Smithies above him, but that could change - and perhaps we've even had interest in Smithies and that's why Ingram is playing a few games. That wouldn't worry me unduly, because Ingram does seem sound. Two good keepers signed this season. Impressive.
A quick word on my beloved Ale. He's not been great in every game. We can't rely on him all season if we want to progress. He's even slower than he used to be. But, and for fuck's sake don't let me be cursing him, it looks like he's got through the season. Even to get this far is incredible. I think some people forget that. Three ACLs and he's played the majority of the season, and put in some man of the match performances, too. On Saturday he wasn't incredible, but he was fine. He, as usual, worked his Argentinean balls off, and played some wonderful passes. Whatever his shortcomings, there is no one else in the squad quite so able to play a first time ball with such accuracy, such timing and such intelligence. A loose ball comes to him and he knows what he'll do before it gets there - there were examples on Saturday, but the best was his assist for Chery v Brentford, which was sublime. Still a lovely player to watch, I hope he gets another season or two - he deserves it.
And, if it's not too greedy, a goal on our last game of the season would be most welcome.
Pictures — Action Images