Thoughts on today's performance..

Tyke_80 · Oct 12, 2014

Williams looked good but his touch was off and made him lunge into tackles. Looked quick off the mark but got caught up. Looks good though

Jay · Oct 12, 2014

EastStander said: ↑

What was with all the slipping from all the players?!
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Dew began to settle as it cooled, made the pitch slippy. The boots the players had chosen for a warm afternoon no longer did the job in the second half when the dew formed. Sad and boring but true.

EastStander said: ↑

First half we were poor
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Really can't agree with that. First 2 minutes we were, and we didn't hit the heights of the second half, but we produced plenty of chances and their keeper pulled off a few terrific saves.

dreamboy3000 · Oct 12, 2014

Red Rain said: ↑

The next bit is not going to be popular with most, but I will say it anyway. We are weak in the centre when Hourihane plays there. There is no doubt that Hourihane has magic in his left foot, but other aspects of his game are not up to that standard. His running and covering when the team is not in possession it not up to scratch, he is weak and he does not tackle well. Those who fear that he will be snatched away from us in January are mistaken. He needs at least 2 years at this level so Danny can knock him into shape.
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He's our top scorer. He's also set up more goals than anyone else including three of our last four over our last two games. One of which set up the three points at Rochdale and another the equaliser today. If he carries on the way he's playing the only way he won't win the POTS award is if he's gone in two months time.

Gordon Owen · Oct 13, 2014

Red Rain said: ↑

I do not want to disagree in order to be awkward, I simply wish to provoke discussion and I know that you will not object to the introduction of some controversy.

With Winnall and Cole up front, a long ball has the same effect as kicking it against a wall. Without the big/strong target man that we all agree that we need, we are forced to build from the back. In that regard, the back four chosen by Danny has its limitations. Cranie has to play down the centre, not because he is currently right to play beside Ramage, but because he is comfortable with the ball at his feet. He did not look comfortable today and I suspect he was carrying an injury. Nyatanga and not Cranie was the ball winner at defensive set pieces. The two full back are also required to start attacks, and neither looked totally comfortable in this role to me. That is not to say that Bree does not have a great future, he clearly does, and I much prefer him to Brown, but he is still developing. Nyatanga is no left back though in my opinion (I am well aware of his contribution to the second goal). I know other posters will think me a fool, but I much prefer Dudgeon, who does look comfortable with the ball at his feet.

Midfield started in the normal 4-4-2 formation, but switched to a diamond after Bradford strolled through us for their goal, and looked likely to do so again. They reverted to 4-4-2 when Williams left the field and Bree moved forward to allow Brown to play full back. The diamond was by far the most effective system, but it is interesting to reflect on why it was necessary to change. The flat midfield four leaves the team with a weak centre, where every team seems to attack us. The next bit is not going to be popular with most, but I will say it anyway. We are weak in the centre when Hourihane plays there. There is no doubt that Hourihane has magic in his left foot, but other aspects of his game are not up to that standard. His running and covering when the team is not in possession it not up to scratch, he is weak and he does not tackle well. Those who fear that he will be snatched away from us in January are mistaken. He needs at least 2 years at this level so Danny can knock him into shape. My heroes from the midfield four were Williams and Bailey, Williams because of his potential to run at retreating defences with ball at feet, and Bailey because he was the rock around which the team recovered and eventually came out on top.

Neither of the front two like the ball in the air. As I remarked above, this leaves the team only able to construct attacking moves by playing the ball short to Bree, Cranie and Nyatanga. When these players were marked by Bradford attackers, and the keeper was forced to kick long, the ball came straight back at us. It is pointless to close our eyes to this shortcoming because other teams will exploit this failing better than Bradford were able to.

As usual, the euphoria that has greeted this win is out of all proportion. Those who have greeted this performance as the turning of a corner are wrong. There will be many month yet when teams will exploit the weaknesses listed better than Bradford did. The team still need time to settle, and time to grow. We still need some players for certain positions and there is the prospect of losing some gems in January and having to reconstruct again with 4 or 5 new faces. As Winston Churchill remarked in one of his war speeches, this is not the end, it is not even the beginning of the end, but it is the end of the beginning.
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What level you played football at? Genuine question

Gordon Owen · Oct 13, 2014

Jay said: ↑

Dew began to settle as it cooled, made the pitch slippy. The boots the players had chosen for a warm afternoon no longer did the job in the second half when the dew formed. Sad and boring but true.

Really can't agree with that. First 2 minutes we were, and we didn't hit the heights of the second half, but we produced plenty of chances and their keeper pulled off a few terrific saves.
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Absolutely spot on, for 89 minutes we were magnificent against supposedly one of the better teams in the division, they were dog ****.

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