Stevenage won I know

Some of their tactics though. Dubious dark arts... I couldn't watch that every week. And no it's not sour grapes cos we lost

 

It was the exact game i feared it would be and not for the first time we struggled against a team who are physical and well organised

 

But it wouldn’t work against genuine quality.

 

Imho....yea, they are not blessed with the most talented footballers, so have to work on what they are good at.
They were first to every first and second ball, won virtually every header and smothered us with their press.
I noticed on corners they were very aggressive and didn't give an inch....inpaticular when we had 4 players in a line, waiting for the delivery into the box, they were breaking their bodies to get between our line of players...I've never seen that before....the ref really didn't know what to do and failing that it was both arms around the players they were marking.
He had several words with them but it was pointless as he would have had to book 5 players every corner and no ref would do that.
Stevenage certainly sail on the edge of legal play but their application and sheer desire was something I would love in our players. Not pretty but effective in this division and they have had our number without a doubt this season.
I was looking to our coach to try quicken our play up to beat the aggresive press but I'm afraid our players weren't that efficient to do that.

 

Dark arts are nothing new. Been going on for decades.
Liverpool at home 82.
Alan Shearer a master.
Perhaps we should adopt a couple. It's not only Stevenage. Seen quite a few incidents this season.
One thing we can't ignore. They out outfought us. Created more chances and looked like scoring, far more than we ever did.
Our home fans are looking for results in our favour regardless of performance at the mo. Pretty football, will alone, not encourage em all to buy season tickets next season.

 

Think it was O'keefe who broke clear in the last 10 mins or so and there big number 15 absolutely mullered him, can't remember last time I've seen us be nasty and ruthless, we're far too nice at times.

 

Nothing wrong with how they play, only we seem to be unable to adapt tactics to fit the particular game.

 

Their lad in the middle with the dreadlocks had a great tactic everytime we broke, Ignore the ball and grab whoever was running through the centre. Brilliant with a ref who saw it but did nowt and dint start issuing cards until far too late. Hookys right we've seen it before and their ability to win every ball and out fight all our players was only going to end one way. We seem to be stuck in limbo as we're not greatly physical, not greatly fast and not greatly skillful. We need to decide what we are and go with it.

 

We can never adapt I think Clarke is way out of his depth

 

That comes with having options to how you approach a game, we are very much a one trick pony unfortunately

 

Spot on, generally big physical teams with pace up front do very very well at this level it's not rocket science but we are overcomplicating things trying to bring a style of play to a system that gets easily exposed at this level, we've got things the wrong way around, recruit the best players possible with the budget you have, then apply a system that suits those players, I mean we've spent big money on a number 10 to play him as a striker because we simply won't change from 352 philosophy

 

I’m pondering how much longer I can watch us at home no matter who we play

 

Spot on.

 

I thought O'Keefe was grateful to be brought down because he didn't know what the fcu k to do with it. Could have released Humphry's quite easily. No bo ll ocks.

 

I don't disagree, but they have to work with what they've got....they're here to win or draw, not here to participate in another club's free flowing victory.

 

Totally agree. The apparent devotion to 352 is genuinely doing my head in. It seems to work away from home when we can play more on the break, but at home it just doesn't, particularly given we don't have a genuine ball-carrier in midfield, and nothing up front to speak of. I said to my lads yesterday that if the club doesn't address this by the end of this window I'm done; for this season anyway, as I just can't stand any more miserable afternoons at Oakwell.

 

I've just seen next Saturday's game is a 12:30 kickoff, which is a very early start for me (if I can be bothered).

 

I’m wondering if I can be bothered - and I live fifteen miles away in the same time zone with a season ticket all paid for.

 

Not only was he grateful, he actually conjured that one up by stepping into the path of their player when he could have easily played the ball forward to our player.

 

Hmm and look who it is - Burton who hammered Rovrum yesterday. Bottom of the league means another tricky home game for us.