Underwhelming team selection. Poor tactics. Let's hope it's not the shape of things to come. Though the Oldham lads seemed quite convinced. Why you don't go all out to entertain at home in a meaningless game. Mental.
Still think he's worth a spot in our side. Wingers would help him, and Hourihane, and Winnall. Wingers please, LJ.
He's not looked much, if at all better, never mind streets ahead of Bailey. But, opinions will differ.
Yep. Only reason I'm doing it. I could stay in Bradford, get a lift to the game (10 minute journey). But I'm going to pay for a train over to Barnsley, meet [MENTION=7244]bossman[/MENTION], get pissed, pay for an hotel, sleep a few hours, then walk 24 miles, for a free ticket. I'm tight like that. *We're not getting free tickets.
At times it was played like a friendly but then there were a few confrontations that suggested the players did care. I felt it was risky to go with 3 academy lads in the back 4 & a rusty Digby who's been injured for a couple of months in front of them & it showed. Cowgill started ok for the first 10-15 mins but then completely ****ed up a clearance & Peterborough took full advantage. It completely shook him & he looked very nervous until half time. Peterborough should've probably made it 2 when Cowgill made another mistake but they wasted the chance. We should've equalised when Alnwick came out for a ball he shouldn't have & Hourihane was goal side of the keeper but snatched at the chance & put it wide. Not much good football played by either side, can't remember many if any good chances created by us or Peterborough except one Lalkovic put wide after good play from him & Scowen. Fully deserved 2nd booking, such a silly foul to make when already on a booking. I think Johnson was a bit unlucky with Smith getting injured as I imagine that he intended for Digby to only get an hour or so after coming back from injury & he probably intended to move Holgate to centre back with Bree replacing Cowgill so he could have a look at Bree & Holgate at centre back but the Smith injury meant he couldn't bring Oates on for one of our midfielders which would've been useful when we were against 10 men. Good reactions from Berry, can't remember who flicked it on, (Winnall?) but whoever it was did well. Ratings: Davies 6 Holgate 6 Cowgill 3 Nyatanga 6 Smith 7 Scowen 7 Berry 7 Digby 5 Hourihane 6 Lalkovic 6 Winnall 6 Subs: Bree 5 John 6 Pearson 6 Felt like a pre-season friendly but the late goal & seeing several youngsters get game time made it worthwhile. I was edging towards Scowen for man of the match but Berry's goal meant he deserved it. Hard to read too much into it. Digby & Bree looked rusty as you'd expect after longish injuries, Cowgill looked poor but I think it was more nerves than ability. Lalkovic provided a couple of decent moments but hasn't got a footballing brain, Berry, Winnall & Scowen grafted, Hourihane average but put in a few good set pieces, Davies had little to do
I'm not accusing you or anyone of doing it for free tickets. I'd say you deserve them after walking all that way. Respect to all of you doing it & I hope you raise loads but a lad I know that's doing it told me he's getting a free ticket? I hope he's taking his wallet if he's got the wrong end of the stick!
Very much a typical end of season fair. I'd forgotten about such matches, it seems ages since we played in one! Pleased for Cowgill that he got over his error and showed more of what he's capable as the game progressed. Good to see Berry back and scoring, also pleasing to see Bree get some game time, too. Just don't be afraid to shoot, lads. Oh, and I was able to put a face to a name today. I now know what thereev looks like and where he sits in the West Stand.
Bit of a non entity. A draw was a fair result all round. They didn't create lots, neither did we. Berry was very neat and tidy today. Deserved man of the match and glad he got a goal. Also thought young George Smith was really good. Best I've seen him play. Again width let us down. Scowen not a winger and Lalkovic was really poor for me. Got into some good positions out wide but came to nothing. Easy to be negative after a number of games without a win. But the way some people talk it's as if all Lee Johnson has to do so is click his fingers, tell them to attack and all of a sudden we'll be playing like Barcelona. Generally how you've played all season is a good reflection of the ability of your team, that performance was similar to dozens of others I've seen this year.
It was generally dull because we lack creativity or drive. It wasn't dull when the ball went on the ground near Cowgill - more like a horror movie cos you were on the edge of your seat wondering what might happen next. If, of those who played, it was a head count of who is up to it next season, then tick goalie, Holgate as centre back, Nyatanga, Hourihane if we've got someone to do his donkey work, Scowen, and Winnall. The rest aren't up to it, though Berry deserved mom today.
Summary - dull, dull, dull, dull, dull It's good to see that the majority of posters saw today the same way I did - super dull. Ditching the loan players and giving a couple of the young uns a chance was the right idea, and I'm not going to judge any of the players on today's showing. Cowgill had a poor debut, but I'm sure he'll learn and it'll benefit him to have played. Digby needs to get himself much fitter and sharper, and be encouraged to play forwards, but I still think there's a good player in him. The ball only forward pass he made today was quality, and resulted in the open net chance. Lee Johnson will probably argue that he can only work with what he's got, and he would have a point. We don't have much pace, we don't have any wingers, so he has to play (IMO) our best central midfielder wide, having tried unsuccessfully to play our best striker wide. But, his interviews have intimated that now the play off 'race' is over we'll see what he's all about. I wish he hadn't said that at all, because all I've seen tactically in the home games since he arrived is low risk, safety-first football, with the exception of the 2nd half of the Walsall game when he made a positive switch. Today, with nothing to play for, to see them play that way, I just cannot comprehend at all. We're massively missing pace and directness in the wide areas, and we need to work out whether any of the central midfield players can be coached to play and move forwards more regularly and at a quicker pace. Whilst I rate all of Berry, Bailey, Hourihane and Scowen individually, none of them play forwards often enough, and it means most of our football is in front of 8-9 of the opposition players. Add a reluctance to shoot and just one striker, and we're not going to have many efforts at goal, let alone score many. Like I say, hopefully this is just Johnson doing what he can with what he has, rather than his game plan. On the plus side, at least Jabo wasn't selected as the lone front man, which I'm hoping means we're not signing him to do that job next season. Let's hope the start of next season sees a change in approach. I'd genuinely rather finish 7th being entertained next season than 2nd playing this way.
So of all those who played only Davies holgate nyatanga hourihane scowen and winnal looked good enough even though you think berry was motm?