We're on a 4 game unbeaten run

We haven't really improved that much apart from the Reading game. We're just playing inferior teams compared to those we played in August and September.

Was Saturday any better than the Charlton game? Not for me.

 

I don't think Reading are a poor side, they currently sit in the play-off spots, and for my money we battered them. I don't think Ipswich away is an easy game, and again, in that second half we destroyed them and were very unlucky not to come away with three points.

In the first couple of months teams like that were hammering us, now we're outplaying them and considering ourselves very unlucky not to take all three points. If that's not improvement, I really don't know what it is.

 

Isn't football a results business also being part of life... I'm pretty much on the fence myself. But Wednesday could have beaten us easily second half. And Donny were so limited in an attacking sense it was like an old school game of attAck and defence on't rec. I'd say it is an error to play in effect 6 defensive players at home to weak teams with another in O'Brien who adds little offensively.

 

Great post BTW Jay. People also should remember what happened when we lost those goals. Red cards, injuries. Which meant we never had a settled team.

 

OK I take into account your youthful exuberance but I still have to take issue with the use of the word ‘brilliant’ because right now we are a million miles away from brilliant. And I haven’t said we have poor players, in fact just the opposite. Our better players had collective off-days on Saturday which didn’t help but the tactics against such a poor Donny side, especially in the second half were awful.

 

Doncaster tried to stop us having chances but a big credit to the team and management we still created so many chances. Thats really good.

Wisemans a big threat going forward actually. On Saturday we could have used him more if we could have switched that ball quicker. O'brien get towards back post pulling there full back in and he would have had a LOT of space. But that would have meant McCourt passing the football to team mates.

 

"But that would have meant McCourt passing the football to team mates. "

McCourt made more telling passes - ie taking Doncaster players out of the game on Saturday than Perkins, Dawson, Fox et al have done all season.

 

McCourt WAS passing to team mates. On numerous occasions it was he who was switching play from left to right.

 

Okay BigLil. I must have been watching someone else lose the ball on the halfway line when he should have passed to TK.

Okay in the final third hold on to the ball but not on the half way line. You don't see Messi do that never mind someone who's played for northern Ireland 13 times.

 

Yup. Proper passes too. 30 or 40 yards to feet, to players in space, setting up an attack. Can't remember when I last saw some of those.

 

For me O`Brien and Wiseman work well together down the right flank, but while ever O`Grady and Paddy are on the left thats where the ball will mainly be played and Job and Wisey will be stood twiddlin their thumbs.

Later in the game when Donny had decided to settle for the point we used both flanks more thus looking more dangerous.

 

To be fair Paddy passed quite a few times into space with the player stationary rather than moving before he clearly thought chuff this. jOBs movement is too poor to create space nothing against Jim there he just doesn't gave the ability at this level to do so. Wiseman is improving I think through playing with Paddy but his movement and final pass or shot is sorely lacking. Again no discredit to him he is improving this part of his game leaps and bounds. The trouble in playing so many defensive players is the clear separation between attack and defensive and a lack of linking. The game on Saturday was a low point for me though my feet were wet which didn't help.

 

Must admit mate, I'm obviously trying to argue that we're getting better, but I do concede we're a long way from brilliant. Paddy is occasionally brilliant, but we're not there as a team.

 

I'm sensing that Paddy could be your new project. I'll bet Bobby and Luke are pleased.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgMgkl-gRxk

 

Love watching him but he needs to learn to do it at the right times.
He should watch the likes of Messi and players like that. They know when to pass and when the attack.

 

Save your condescension for someone else

Your sneering comments cut no ice with me. I treat you with respect when others haven't and don't. It's a pity you can't find it within yourself to reciprocate. You said McCourt didn't pass the ball to team mates when he did. The example you selected did indeed take place, but was not indicative of his performance. He was continually trying to open play up with accurate cross field passes.

 

To be fair if my options were to run with it or pass to TK to hoof to their centre half I think I would run.

 

They beat England last time out...

 

Re: Save your condescension for someone else

Didn't mean to be disrespectful biglil, thats not how its meant.
I honestly have different views on McCourt to you biglil.

He played a good pass to Wiseman. He needs to work harder off the ball and not drop so deep. It wasn't just me because i sit in a different stand to you but i could hear the crowd getting more annoyed with him.