Thought we played really well - considering lots of new faces in the team. Ipswich are poor and will struggle this season if they play like that. Barnsley will get better as the season progresses. Observations: Pearson - needs time - very athletic- but needs to get his angles right. Jackson - probably ok as a sub but not sure he is up to this standard. Branch - looks excellent going forward but left Pearson exposed at times. Williams - has to win all those important tackles. Bradshaw - jury out - scored one but should have had three or four. Potts - looks powerful going forward - could be good when he's fully up to speed. Oh - and walked back into town with the one and only - mr x
The system was far better suited to the players we have and thought the advanced positions of Potts and Moncur were a constant threat first half. Sorry to have to have a go at the young lad Williams but we need someone better and with an older head in that position. He wants too many touches and time and cost us badly for the second goal but he had been doing it all game. No doubt will be a good player but we need somebody for now. Both centre halves not good enough on that performance and Pearson has no pace so was cruelly exposed by their wing back first half.....lucky for him big Mick switched to a back four second half. Still an unfortunate defeat when you consider they scored with their only 2 efforts on target but it showed the value of experience....they got 3 points they didn't merit due to clinical finishing. I expected the result but the performance was far better than I expected so there is hope....afraid too many players aren't up to the standard though and we badly need experience at the back and in the holding midfield role. Rest of the squad is taking shape nicely and though McCarthy fully deserved MOTM....his link up play with Hammill was first class
Thye've figured out how to play Bradshaw up from on his own, don't punt a high ball to him, slot one through or over the defenders.
One player we very much missed today - Scowen. But I'm sure things that need ironing out will get ironed out. One things for sure - the effort was there. I've watched a few Championship matches on the tele so far this season - and I think we are the most exciting team to watch.
Thought Jackson was the pick of the defence yesterday. Pearson looked slow and got caught out of position a few times. Williams got through a lot of important, unflashy, work. Potts did absolutely nothing until his shot from the left on 70 minutes: prior to that didn't win a tackle, beat a man or win a header (he won his first header shortly after the shot). Team perfomance hugely better than Tuesday night though. I'm with Nudger in feeling very positive about that perfomance. It's a young team who've barely played together. Realisitcally it's going to be tough but I don't see too much to be down about, this team will improve a lot.
I think that might be Nudge's attempt at humour. Branch = Hedges. But, it pretty much fails all humour tests.
They have started with 2 wins and 6 points but surely their luck will run out, and they (Ipswich & Mick Mac) will end up at the wrong end this season, if he hasn't left or been sacked before then. If they are honest they will admit they have been very fortunate to avoid defeat both this time and last season, in fact we tend to do it most times when they visit us. But thats our fault, I don't know why we keep failing to finish them off. As for the promising signs, yes it certainly sounds like we should have had about 4 in the first half and Im hoping that those sort of performances will bring us enough good results & points over the course of the season, compared to other teams who will struggle like Burton, Millwall, Bolton, Brentford etc. Im not expecting us to set this division on fire, but I am hoping it will be enough for about 5th from bottom (or higher up).
I'd be very surprised if he got the sack. He's done a great job keeping them in mid-table the last few seasons with an owner who's lost interest & keeps cutting the budget
We lost. We need 2 leaders on the pitch. We have some good players & some great prospects. A dog pack needs a leader. A football team needs one. Hecky is the brains off the field, but there is zero leadership on the field with roberts gone. I hope we sort it, as there is some great football being played, but we won't win any at this rate. Ipswich did a job on us. Bristol beat us easy as sunday morning.
They went through a bad run of form last season Django, and I chatted with a few Ippy fans on Footymad who said they had had enough of him, and his hoof style which surprised me. Thats when they drew about 6 or 7 games in a row and were looking over their shoulders in the table.
I just can't see Evans getting shut even if the fans turned on him. I think as long as Ipswich finish 21st or higher he'll stay in a job as he'll not want to pay the compensation & he'll not be able to attract any proven managers with a small budget