Playing 4 Centre halves Sam Cosgrove's not very good impersonation of a centre forward. Connell and Craig passing the ball to Pines to do the forward passing. Sitting back every time we score MDG’s lack of any concept of basic defending. What I would like to see. Us play with tempo and pace and come away thinking win or lose that we gave it our all. At least the subs were good this time though cosgrove could have come off after 20 minutes for me.
Yeah would love to see us attacking games and going for the win. If they try and put the effort in it would be nice.
- Darrell Clarke - Sam Cosgrove - 11 back in the box at corners - Goalkeeper being instructed to feign injury so that they can tell the players to go even more uber defensive
We don't sit back after scoring, we're just not good enough to get the ball forward. Every choice going forward is the wrong option. Players dwelling on the ball or choosing the wrong pass. MDG's charge into the area - just take a shot. Connell towards the end, he ended up winning a free kick, but he had miles of space, a pass open out wide, but chose to dribble at the nearest defender instead and got a pretty lucky call. We don't play with tempo and pace because that requires the players to make the correct decisions to move and advance the ball and central midfield seems to be the biggest weakness.
To be fair, and yes it's gamesmanship, but that came yesterday during a phase when we were getting cut open at will. Fair play to Wycombe they were a million miles away from the horrible anti-football team they used to be. Numerous times at 1-1 they had 5v3 breaking forwards at pace. Needed sorting out hence the "injury". Made perfect sense last night.
I wouldn't mind if we ever looked better after the fake injury team talk but we always look even more clueless after it than before
Catch 22 innit. Realistically I think that having made the appointment, they have to give him time but what is extremely alarming is the lack of any discernible pattern of play or style of football. I don't like the constant criticism of the players, although I do agree that he has been left somewhat short by not being given any striking options. I'm not one to advocate knee jerk decisions - I never wanted Collins gone, the last time I wanted a manager to leave was Asbaghi. I just think that surely anyone who has seen all the games this season is hearing alarm bells, do you not think so? Not a great situation is it?
Regarding Sam Cosgrove, maybe Clarke could put a Devaney mask on and send him out under the impression that we are starting two goals down? Seemed to bring the best out of him at Bolton last season.
Yes to be fair Wycombe did catch on to and start copying our time wasting as soon as they went ahead. Sadly we'd been doing it from the referees whistle. At one point I thought our keeper had fallen asleep when taking a goalkick
Have to disagree. Maybe in the 15 mins or so that they had the lead but certainly not most of the second half. I saw a decent high pressing counter attacking team. Certainly not sitting back when level. Not world beaters by any stretch but pleasantly surprised given their recent form at Oakwell.
The decision making does seem to be particularly awful, if there's a wrong option whoever is on the ball takes that option seems to be the way it goes. I was critical in another post about the regimented way football is coached "these days", but I do believe that in this case we need to have the scenarios played out in training, winning the ball in each area, what we expect the players to do and who should be available where, it just seems like they turn up on a match day and play off the cuff - great if you're Cantona or Messi, not so great if you're a league one jobber.
No far too early for that but like the team he needs to improve and improve quickly. Successful teams have a defined plan / plans and defined team with an occasional change. Not no plan and constant changes. Football is a simple game Clarke needs to have that as a mantra