Match Day Thread. Peterbro'

Not the first half, but after the goal Peterborough got back into it and we barely had the ball in our half. Think Philpps should have come on earlier.

 

Collins’ inability to see the blatantly obvious unfold in front of him - two games in a row - is very worrying for me. He needs time and will get it, but he really needs to react much quicker.

I sort of gave him a pass on that on Saturday. We didn’t have anything but boys on the bench for him to turn to - in hindsight he probably wished he had taken off Russell earlier.

Tonight we fluked a goal in a second half we were otherwise played off the park. Chasing shadows. Kane and Russell are just not mobile enough to play as a pair. Slow and slower.

So the choice is to either play as a three and not try to have a ten behind two strikers, or at least it not be those two together in the middle sitting deep.

We had Adam Phillips on the bench. I was crying out for him to come on for Russell, and play in a three with Kane and Styles to try and get control of the game in the middle. Even if he didn’t change shape but brought on Phillips and had him or Styles deeper it would have improved things. It certainly wouldn’t have made it worse for us or easier for Peterborough.

He did bugger all other than swap the centre forwards though.

Then the horse bolted, we are 2-1 down very quickly but hardly surprisingly given what had been unfolding - and he then brings Phillips on for Russell. Too little too late.

We are absolutely desperate for Luca Connell to regain his health but all we know is he’s out indefinitely so with that in mind, assuming it’s going to be quite a while, Collins needs to do something else as this is not working. The signs were there for half an hour against Port Vale. A crazy second half covered all shortcomings there, but a poor performance and arguably lucky point at Bristol Rovers, and a 3-1 home defeat to a decent Peterborough side but one who will unlikely have an easier 45 minutes than they had second half tonight for a good while shows just how far away we are from being anything like a top six team.

Play through us, play round us - we aren’t anything like organised enough to deal with that (and if that doesn’t work we’ll just pass the ball straight to you in the final third…).

There was very, very little to take out of that game other than we have signed a very good goalkeeper (poor pass aside) and we’ve got some minutes into two players who appear likely to be first team regulars moving forwards in De Gevigney and Phillips. Other than that, nothing much positive other than a lot of room to improve and plenty of learnings.

 

I'll rise to that challenge.

So we're clear, if Barnsley finish 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th or 6th then I win. And if Barnsley finish in any other position in the league then you win.

The stakes: None of this money to charity ballacks. That's not a bet. We give money to charity all the time. If you win I'll take you out after the final game of the season and buy you every drink. Are you prepared to reciprocate?

 

We haven't thrown them away.

The other team has in both cases simply been better than us by a distance larger than the Sahara and rightfully taken them from us.

 

100% mate, it would be great to meet you in any event.
I just really can’t see it. As I’ve said in previous threads, very much hope I’m wrong but I can see loads of concerning signs. Maybe it’s just frustration after last season (which I am) but the defence alarms me, and it’s not possible to succeed without a solid defence

 

One thing I really liked about Duff is we didn't really sit back on leads like that ( from memory)

 

Well, yes, I can't lose on this bet however it pans out, but I do believe you will be paying.

So we up for that? Shall we bookmark this?

 

definitely mate.

 

This sounds brilliant, because I'm coming along whatever the result, and will drink up the dregs.

 

Good on yer both ! I'll happily underwrite Jay's proposal. (I'm not an insurance man, by the way ).

 

And it would be great to meet Jay, Chef Tyke and Merde Tete, we're all Reds fans

 

Plus in the case of me and @Chef Tyke , relatives who've never actually met!

 

This sounds good. @Jay and @Chef Tyke’s (non) promotion party. Sort of like a camp football based Baby Shower with pints.
Page duly bookmarked. Looking forward to it

 

I can accept defeat by a better team on the night. I don't like it, but I can accept again. For the majority of the game, I thought we were as good a side as them. Sadly, we started to sit back and invited the opposition onto us. No problem with that when you have a settled defence, but we don't as yet. For me, substitutions needed to be done earlier.
Hopefully, we learn and move on.

 

Looks like Mystic Jay's got a free night out coming up

 

he most certainly has! Although the free booze up may need to be the play offs!

 

Err soz, but who is mystic Jay ehh. And can he lend me a tenner, please ?.