A few nice moves and looked decent until their first just before half time. Pinnock own goal looked fantastic from my angle.
I thought for a friendly, it was an entertaining game. We started well with our pressing game, got 2-0 up pretty quickly and could have had a couple more. Then West Brom got more into the game, especially either side of half time. Individual errors on our part didn't help, either. However, as the game wore on, we forced their goalie into two or three excellent saves, in particular the one from Brad Potts. Impressed with Mowatt & Moore tonight. It's work in progress, but enjoyable nevertheless. Still only a friendly, though.
Seemed to press well first 1/2 hour, then decended into aimless wandering for the second half. I’m guessing Walton was supposed to be rolling the ball to Pinnock as he persisted with the tactic in the second half after nearly gifting them a goal in the first, leading to the inevitable. Walton looked shakey, Cavare meh. Mowatt was stand out performer for me. Tactics wise, West Brom switched to a pressing game which looked better than ours was in the first half and started hitting the ball more direct, looks like a good way to play against us, although I feel our “press” was subbed at half time.
I thought that was a good work out from which Daniel should learn a good deal. Happy that West Brom fielded a squad that contained most of their first choice players and we played against individuals who had finished the Prem season well under big Darren. For 25-ish minutes (can't be overly accurate on this as the scoreboard clock got stuck on 10:01 for a few minutes and then sputtered out completely) we looked really good, had them on the rocks and they actually looked fairly rattled. We could/should have been 3-0 or 4-0 if Moore and/or Bradshaw taken chanced from crosses from the left at 2-0. After that and prompted by 2-3 instances of the keeper pissing about with it at the back West Brom came back into it, without ever being too threatening until getting a strike from a header on the stroke of half-time. It just seemed so 'us' to concede with the last action of the half and then come out and concede again straight after the break with a Pinnock ****-up. The third was a Cavare own-goal and West Brom were then well on top. However, to our credit we battled on and got ourselves a number of chances, Potts going close with a shot and Moore should have done better with the last kick of the game. Well trodden paths I know but Daniel will have picked up the need to convert when on top and cut out the fannying and errors at the back. Better he gets that from today and has a week and a half to work on it before it matters. Get the team doing the first 25 minutes for 90 and we'll be sorted. Overall an enjoyable friendly from which I think we can build and learn.
Liked the new kit from afar, haven't seen it close up. Moore's goal was excellent, great cross and header. There were a few other good crosses too and a couple of good shots. We attacked with purpose and pace at times, but defended with fear and uncertainty - Lindsay being the exception who played very well. Mowatt looked very neat and tidy on the ball, but I don't think him and Potts make a very good partnership, they were easily bypassed. Difficult to judge as we were playing a group of players much better than we'll face this season in a match where neither side were giving it everything they've got. That being said, we caused them a lot of problems at different stages of the game, but also looked capable of capitulation at the back.
For 65 minutes, yes. Then Thiam and Isgrove were withdrawn, replaced by Moncur and Adeboyejo, at which point we became much narrower. 3 upfront, Moore in the middle with Adeboyejo and Bradshaw at either side of him, and 3 in central midfield, Moncor ahead of Potts and Mowatt, then Bird and McGeehan.
Also I noticed especially in the second half we played a very high defensive line at times- I assume to shrink the space in midfield between our defenders and midfield. Can’t remember last time we had so many offsides with our defenders with their hands in the air. Probably one of the reasons they started hitting that lad on the right with long balls to turn us around.
I'm surprised noone has mentioned Isgrove. I'm not the lads biggest fan but his woorkrate and effort last night was immense I thought. Ps did anyone else think he's shrunk a few inches over the summer?
