Agree and disagree. Easily the worst first 45 minutes that I’ve ever seen both home and away. The lack of cohesion and composure was very worrying. At a point like that, we really lack a leader. I don’t actually remember us creating a single chance. Second half was very different. Luca demonstrated that even when he’s not feeling 100%, he’s still miles better than anyone else. We created many chances but lacked composure time and time again. Cosgrove missed 2 good chances which he really should have scored and the game just got away from us. Im a bit worried after today. Have we got a tough enough underbelly to fight for this? Play like that against Bolton and we’ll get absolutely tonked.
After nearly a month and due to no recruitment we made Exeter look like prime Man City that first half due to the lack of any real squad depth.
I am starting to think that the club don’t do their homework on the opposition or they are totally inept at it. It seems that from the off in every game we haven’t a clue what we are doing and the oppositions plan kicks straight in and puts us on the back foot.
I think Collins got it wrong yesterday. He even alluded to it post match. I quite like that honesty for what it’s worth. If we didn’t haven’t a fit ball playing midfielder then why try and play ‘our normal way’. Either play a half fit Luca or change the system and go a lot more direct. Whilst I find the style we play quite dull at times, you cannot argue with his results. Particularly given the quality of player / lack of squad depth. in hindsight, even despite that appalling first half we should have snatched a point and probably all 3 - we had more than enough chances to do so in the second half. it looks like we will have a shot at the play offs, which with all things considered, is acceptable. my concern is as much around the quality of recruitment. We have signed some really poor players and the better ones seem to be drying up. Selling Norwood still really irks me. I think that decision will have cost us a few points come the end of the season. I do think we should focus on a bit more quality and then use the young players as backup. Aidan Marsh for example would have been just as effective as Watters. there is still an outside chance at the top 2. It’s really slim. The play offs is a bit of a lottery. We need a bit more quality through the door in the next 72 hours or so.
I said same about half way through first half. The midfield prior to Luca coming on was just at best ineffective, and at worst terrible. This won’t be popular but I really would’ve gone direct with Cosgrove and Watters up front and Cole on the bench, then if that wasn’t working could’ve switched it around and brought Cole and Luca on and then played through midfield more.
He can have as many plans as he likes, however, no one plans for Sheppard not to be able to make a simple clearance whilst under no pressure, or for Cadden to be heading a cross back into the danger area. I could have picked more, but these we're the two that cost us goals.
Agree about Collins putting his hands up to getting the line up wrong but I have some sympathy as, even with that, you'd still expect those you've selected to turn up and play for the shirt and to recognise where its going wrong and put things right. That first half to me just evidenced really poor attitude and complacency to me. I disagree on Collins' style - when it's played well we look a force. The problem is consistency, we only see it in patches. That was the first interview from Collins that has actually interested me. We only need one tactic - attack. Also give great credit to Exeter, they came to take us on from the go and we had no answer. How Cole was allowed the time and space to curl that second in was criminal - no one even moved towards him.
