PH told Radio Deedah that he'd watched Southend lately. Surprising therefore that in what could be expected to be a fairly physical game he chose to go with two out and out wingers rather than adding a bit more bite in midfield. It looked to me to be a game made for the likes of Josh Scowen. We also missed Sam's experience and that bit of edge he brings to the side in geeing the others up. In a game where Conor was not at his best these selection choices cost us. I'm not on Hecky's case or anything, but I think there are learning points to take from today.
Well he's risked him for 40 minutes so I can't see why he couldn't have started - especially with Fletch or Jacob Marley to bring on for impact later.
So you would have started a player who hasn't trained all week? And Jacob marley was probley best of a bad bunch today imo.
I also thought we missed isgroves pressing and hard work today chapman was poor. As was Connley give me bree anyday
I agree about scowen, said to my son that I though scowen would have played as they knew it was gonna be a physical game. That's the only change I would have made to starting line up though given who was available
I was suprised to see Scowen out on the pitch at half time as I was hoping he would have been brought on at half time. I was then utterly convinced that we were going to bring him on every 5 mins or so.
Interestingly enough my lad said same about the midfield after 5 mins. They passed the ball through us as we were too straight across the middle and neither of our wingers were effective because we couldn't get the ball to them enough. He was calling for Scowan to slot in the middle and push Hourihane behind the forwards. All easier said than done as the question would be one up front or sacrifice a winger. I would have moved Marley wide kept Fletcher up front. We rarely played a ball to the forwards on the floor. Having said that we were2nd to the ball and looked jaded all over. We didn't change it in midfield at all. Just one of those games i think and put behind us and move on.
I think this goes back to the argument that you can't beat having a dominant 'old head' in midfield, somebody to calm, inspire and squeeze that bit extra out of the team. Thing is we have had a such a good run and are on most folks radar now, we are known for a young pacey team, teams will be looking at ways to stop us and lets face it a lot of it will entail getting stuck in and niggling, especially with Hammill who they will have noticed might well respond (not in a good way from our point of view).
The question for other clubs was "how do you beat Barnsley". The genie is out of the lamp now and Hecky needs to look back on that game correct what we got wrong before moving on.