Right now we are looking more like a playoff team than an automatic promotion team. Plenty of ball to be played still and I do believe we have a good team BUT we need some investment in January as well as keep our current players. We need a new RB, I actually like Cavare a lot and started out as one of our better players but we need someone who can seriously challenge him. Jordan Williams doesn't look ready yet and Brown isn't a RB. Why did we sell McCarthy? Could a loan move for James Bree be an option? Maybe Villa would help pay his wages. We need a winger or two if we are going with 4-4-2 (which we should when Woodrow and Moore are healthy). I thought Isgrove would be perfect for Stendel's system but neither him or Hedges can stay healthy. I would even consider bringing Hammill back for half a season. If we are committed to 4-4-2, we should also bring a decent backup striker in. We seem to not be pressing like we were at the beginning of the season, why is that? Maybe we are fatigued and need some new legs to get is going again. Portsmouth is a massive game, a win would put us right back on track. Thoughts?
I'm not panicking yet, I still think we'll finish in the top six and with a bit of investment I don't believe the top two is out of the question. Getting Kenny back and bringing in a couple of quality players is vital though. January is a massive month and will make or break our early season ambitions.
We have plenty of time to come good. If we don’t go up automatically stern questions will need to be asked.
Trust me, on Saturday's performance alone, we weren't even promotion prospects. However, we can easily be prospects by going back to basics. 1. Work rate - everyone, all over, yes even Moncur 2. Closing down, pressing - whatever you want to call it. We need to ruffle the opposition and deny them time on the ball. Wycombe did it to us brilliantly in the main 3. Pass and move in a forward direction. Keep possession but do something with it in the end. 4. Run the channels and cut down the number of passes before the final ball 5. Open up the space by playing wide. We were so convoluted in middle of the park on Saturday, our play was so easily broken up or smothered. An early wide pass immediately opens up space for runners and reduces proximity defending opportunities 6. Run at defences - they hate it 7. Get in the box and shoot, or twist and turn to draw the pen 8. Adapt play, if it isn't working, change what you're doing 9. Think about speedy dead ball opportunities - free kicks, throw ins etc. Remember can't be offside from a throw-in. 10. Get motivated, get urgent, get tempo, want that second ball We can do all this because we have at various times already but we can't just drift in and out of games as we feel like it and expect to get results. Now, this is where management team must work some magic - in their heads and hearts. Get them thinking, get them focused, get them bonded, get them disciplined, get them energised, get them winning! We can do this. Let's give it to Portsmouth. Head and heart.
Earlier in the season we were, but the OP prefaced his post with 'Right now we are looking more like a playoff team' and I don't think we've met that standard in the last two months. That doesn't mean we won't improve and it doesn't mean we won't make the play-offs or even win automatic promotion, but that's different to the point I was addressing.
We aren’t currently looking like a playoff form team. Earlier in the season we looked like league winners. Overall we deserve to be in the top six, but only just. We need to improve form. The form table shows that for the last six, and ten games overall, we are ninth in the form table. For the last six home games, we are only eighth despite being unbeaten, and for the last six away games, we are thirteenth. Interestingly, Portsmouth’s last six home game form puts them below us. Unfortunately they are top of the away form league... five wins and a draw from their last six away fixtures. https://thefishy.co.uk/formtable.php?table=3 Sharp improvement is required. We really need to win on Saturday, a point might seem more realistic but only maintains that growing gap. A win reduces it a little - but also knocks their confidence going in to the Christmas period, and builds ours.
Yep...we need to get back to sheer hard work.....so far we have been out managed by......donny....shrewsbury....coventry.....plymouth.....charlton (sure ive left someone out). As atac says far too narrow and getting stifiled out...width and pace required those 2 lads up front will do the rest.
Depends if we turn up and play the full ninety . We can muller teams when we turn up and concentrate for the full ninety . My criticism is some players heads go down or lose concentration far too easily. If a player is having a bad game it’s seems an excuse for some of the others to lose concentration or lack confidence . This team for all the stick it’s had is capable of bossing this league . Inconsistency has done for us in games , If they all work hard they’re skills will overcome and earn the right to play the good football they are well capable of imo. Performances as Wycombe and spells in other games where we have been well below par are not acceptable . The Wycombe performance are harder to take when other performances at times have been below the standard they are capable of . If it had been a one off most would understand and get onto next game but no one knows what team is gonna turn up and for how long. Hopefully it’s sorted for these next few games and we show what we are capable of and start challenging again
I don't think that we have given enough credit to Wycombe, who were well prepared and drilled and had a game plan which closed us down and allowed them enough quality ball to get the critical goal. It might have gone the other way, or a draw, but, on balance, they are a good side, worked hard and deserved their win, albeit by the smallest margin. We are bound to be up for the Pompey game and need to do to them what Wycombe did to us. I am sure that Stendel will have them well prepared. 2-1 to the Super Reds.
Not so prepared at Wycombe despite his claims pre match that they knew all abart them and the way they play.
To be fair to Stendal I think he was as surprised as many of us at how ineffective we were. I was surprised they weren't fired up for the second half after a rollicking - maybe that's not how we do things. My slight concern is that Bahre is clearly a fancied Stendal signing but I can't fathom how Mr S wants to use him. Neither can I see what dimension he's adding to the team. He must have something but what is it? Could he be another Martin Bullock? If he's gonna start every game I'd like to see why.
