Yea we didn’t play the football we have been used to this season but it was never going to be a game for pretty football I actually thought we would be bullied tonight but we dug in and got the win Players will have learned more from tonight’s win than any other this season IMO It’s turning out to be an excellent season
I agree potentially a game we could've slipped up, I usually try to be complimentary to teams that earn the right to play at this level especially the clubs that achieve it with small budgets and are perceived as punching well above their weight, but, Wycombe are just awful and unfortunately for long spells we fell to their level, Wycombe, playing football that belongs to a time long gone do not deserve any plaudits or praise.
They got a decent draw at Preston who have just thumped Boro - it wasn't pretty tonight but it's three points. Think Wycombe struggle with playing 'football' so try and pull teams down to their level. Thought they were very niggly and physical - last season we would have drawn or lost that game. Plus points to take from tonight - we are 10 points clear of the bottom three and have far more points than we did at this time last season. That's progress.......
When have we played pretty football this season? I've definitely missed it if we have. We're playing hoofball, much the same as Wycombe. Absolutely agree we've just won a game we'd have lost in seasons gone by, and that the team are learning about being competitive and winning. Excellent stuff, which has helped lead us to a points tally I'm delighted with. I'd have liked to see us try and play some football tonight though, and back ourselves to beat them that way. I'm happy to see us play percentage football in the short term to get points on the board, but I'd like to see some sort of adaptability in the medium to long term.
We played pretty football under Struber. Got no results. Now we're hoofing it and getting better results. I'm not advocating the return to an idiotic play it out from your own 6 yard box. But our present tactics are to whack it as far as we can up the pitch, and get the second ball when it or where it drops. And go from there. Seems to be working. Results wise. It's not pretty though.
There was nothing pretty about the first few games of this season. It was less direct definitely, but it was very 'functional' football, designed not to lose rather than to win, which I think summarised Struber pretty well. He made us harder to beat, and preferred safety over risk. Everything else I agree with - we're getting results from the style and that's a good thing. Just wondering if we could get results with a bit more control though, if we backed ourselves to play a different way. The gaffer doesn't seem to want to find out, and tonight was probably the best opportunity yet to do so.
I’m not sure what you’re after? Our points tally is good. We’re generally playing okay. Of course we could play better. But we’ve just won instead of being conned into drawing/losing against a rubbish team. I disagree that we’re hoofing it too. Since Ismael has come in Cardiff has been the only game we’ve been poor.
The results are OK. Which is what matters most. I suppose I'm after watching players of ours who I know can play good football (cos I've seen it) win matches by playing good football. I thought we weren't winning matches because our strikers weren't good enough. But we play differently now. And win more. I'd take a win over an honorable defeat any day of the week though. Everyone sees things differently. We aren't as nice to watch. And we do a lot of hoofing. Well we did tonight anyway.
Welcome to the BBS. There's generally a list of slagging off, you work your way through them. Starts with the owners then moves onto the pitch, if its good on the pitch then you pick something to do with the stands or summat.
I don’t get this hoofball suggestion? We clear our lines but it isn’t hoofball, we play some really nice stuff up front and in midfield Wycombe played hoofball...that’s hoofball
Totally agree, mate. I'm truly astonished that some folk honestly believe we play hoofball! Opinions, eh?
60% win ratio for Val so far. Not a person on this BBS would have expected six wins from his first 10 games. I certainly didn't considering we'd won zero in seven prior. The football is certainly more direct. But we've still played good football in the opposition's half and some of the goals we've scored have been wonderful. The Victor one at Derby for example, from back to front, a pleasure to watch. If he gets a result on Saturday, I'm building him a statue.
