As i don't get to many games nowadays, i always like to read fellow fans reports on here of games i miss. So think it only fair i publish my thoughts on the games i do get to, so those who couldn't can have as many reports as possible to read. Anyhow, here are my thoughts :- 1st half A beautiful summers day in a nice little ground with unobstructed views, set up perfectly the first game of the season when optimism is at its highest for all. The Reds lined up 3-4-1-2 and scored from their very first attack :- hourihane did well to win the ball on the edge of our box and released crowley, who then ran virtually the length of the pitch before releasing wilkinson who feigned a couple of times before planting a shot low to the keepers left - a perfect start! We seemed to have the tactics of sitting deep then hitting on the counter attack. For the first 20 minutes or so, this worked reasonably well. we broke as a team and created some fair chances with a few crosses. Also winnall had a great chance one-on-one with the keeper but hit a weak shot with the inside of his right boot straight into the keepers arms. As well as roberts (i think) having a header just wide from a hourihane free kick. After this we faded badly and allowed chesterfield more and more possession and they released our wing-backs were exposed and kept doubling up on them, creating quite a few dangerous moments. Our defence however was superb and repelled virtually everything. The only clear cut chances i can remember davies having to save was a far post header he did well to block on the line and and an even better save with his feet from a yard out, very close to half time. On the whole it was a 50/50 1st half and i felt chesterfield deserved to be level and we were lucky to be in front. 2cd half Unfortunately chesterfield started the 2cd half as they finished the 1st and soon equalised with a fair finish from just inside the area by o'shea We were sitting more and more deeper and their midfield was totally running the show. LJ decided to change it with 2 subs and moved scowen into midfield, but strangely not central midfield were 'bite' was needed, but into the attacking midfield role crowley had been in. With both pearson and hourihane been very poor with regard to stopping the flow of attacks this imo was a bad move by LJ and contributed to us losing the game. We had a couple of rare chances with mawson hitting the side of the post from a cut-back header from a cross and scowen been just not tall enough to connect properly with another cross and his header going wide. Other than that, it was inevitable that Chesterfield would eventually go in front and they did so from a scramble from a corner(i think) where ebanks-blake was free to turn and make it 2-1. Almost immediately it was 3-1 and game over as a poor header from williams gave morsy time on the edge of the box to curl a fine finish in off the post to davies left side. It was sad to see that even with 20 minutes or so left of the game, it was clear that the reds heads dropped and had no fighting spirit to try to get themselves back into the game with a grandstand finish. The only chances i can remember after going 3-1 down were a very poor fk from hourihane on the edge of the box, that flew miles over the bar and the same player hitting a weak daisy cutter straight into the arms of their keeper, whereas chesterfield looked dangerous every time they attacked and could have had a couple more by ft. Overall There were some positives to be had in the game, especially the first 20 mins or so, but the way we faded 1st half and seemingly gave in second half was very worrying to see. We played football from the back throughout which was pleasing to see, but with a couple of players off form and a very significant square peg-round hole at rwb, which chesterfield quickly figured out and exploited throughout, i think we got what we deserved. As chesterfield came into the game more and exploited our lack of numbers wide, it seemed obvious to me that lj had to change formation and personel to counter this, but he didnt and thats the reason imo we lost. It would be ridiculous for anyone to judge the team on just one game though - but here i go! Based on what i saw i think we are 3/4 players short of a genuine promotion chance. without those i think we will finish around the top half perhaps flirting with the play offs as thats where we finished last season and certainly some of the new players are an improvement on what we had. Player ratings davies - 6 - made a couple good saves first half, looked calm and in control. cant be faulted for any of the goals. lch - nyatanga - 6 - played reasonably well, as usual ch - mawson - 7 - great game, read the game well solid in the air and had the ability to play the ball out of defence as well as run with it. rch - roberts - 8 - MOM - same as mawson but even better and an long throw that has to be seen to be believed! lwb - smith - 6 - did fairly well, some good crosses, but was woefully outnumbered due to lack of help when defending against 2 of their players. lcm - hourihane -4 - was poor and didnt look fit to me, surprised he started after his pre-season injury and even more surprised he finished instead of crawly. Is undoubtably our most creative player though, just a 'bad day at the office' rcm - pearson - 4 - didnt get close to their midfield at all and when he did get the ball seemed able to only go backwards/sidewards rwb - scowen - 5- tried his hardest in an unfamiliar role, but as chesterfield had a very good left winger and also kept doubling up against him, i actually felt sorry for him. was rightly moved into midfield 2cd half, but again an unfamiliar am role instead of cm! am - crowley - 7 - those first 20 mins or so this lad was outstanding. some of his skills had to be seen to be believed and our fans quickly realised this, as a buzz went up every time he got the ball. what was also good to see was that even though he got clobbered a few times, it never stopped him wanting the ball. as he is lightweight and teams will quickly recognise him as the dangerman and will try to 'take him out', it seems it doesnt faze him though. just a shame hes not our player! lcf - wilkinson - 6- took his goal well and linked up also well. did seem a bit shy in actually tracking back and making a real effort to win back possession though, seemed to just make it look as if he was. rcf - winnall - 5- should have scored with his one and only chance, starved of service though. tried throughout. rwb - williams (for crowley) 5 - gave away the 3rd goal, but didnt let it affect him. suffered like scowen for been outnumbered though. lcf - watkins (for wilkinson) 5 - nothing special. was prepared to run with the ball, but didnt seem prepared to pass it and just kept running into trouble. lwb rothwell (for smith) n/a not on long enough for a mark.
Fair reflection. Although id say heads dropped after the equalizer. Only one winner after that Dont really seem to have that kind of player who issues the rallying calls or leads by example in the trenches. A player in the mould of a ramage a hassell a foster even a brian howard would have lead to a different result.
From yours and other pre season reports and from what I saw of Pearson the back end of last season it looks like to me that Jonners has turned him into a negative player, rather than the one that wants to move forward and play the ball forward like the player we saw when he first arrived. They always talk of improving young players, but at times can ruin them as well.
