..and we will lose a fair few more too. But that doesnt mean that its the end of the world, that players that were last week great are now this week pants. There appears to be a lack of perspective amongst some football supporters. If you want to see a team win every game and defend perfectly, score a hatful of goals etc, then Im afraid you are going to be disappointed. Not many of those teams around, certainly not ones built with a pittance upon quicksand. We werent good enough collectively today over 90 mins. Its that simple. But its a learning process. Game 11 of 46. IMO, Stuart Gray obviously spotted something at half-time and exploited it. Probably, he said to his charges, "these have a toothless attack.. get at em early on and if we get that goal, the games over" Because that was, and always will be my major worry with us. We have found a good shape, and the lads have settled into it well, and we knock it about beautifully. Its a joy to behold. Davey and Robins claimed that was the style they were after but never achieved it in their tenures with any consistency. Hillcroft have managed it already, with no money and a nightmare injury crisis. Im proud that my club now goes away and tries to beat the opposition, rather than stifling them. We will get undone on occasion, but 1 defeat from 6 away speaks volumes. I prefer this new approach to away fixtures. We just need a cutting edge. Its fantastic watching our boys pass pass pass... But boy we have **** all in the key area - the opposing box. And so the 1st goal looks key in all our matches. Im convinced that with a goalscorer we would be top 10 thus far, and would have beaten Leicester, Watford, Birmingham and today, Portsmouth. Keith is working miracles for me, but I do worry that there doesnt seem to be a plan B. The lack of options offensively due to injuries - no RNL, Done, Haynes and until today Davies - is obviously hindering the management, so Im hopeful yet that once they return our goals column will improve. The fact that our 2 options out wide today are the 2 players I never wanted here speaks volumes of our limited choices. I have seen exactly what I expected of RVT. He isnt good enough. And as I said at the time, why are we giving a very green Boro academy forward the experience when we have Jordan Clark?? He may not be ready either, but he is streets ahead of Park IMO especially with regards to nous. So while its a defeat, just our 3rd, and 1st away from Oakwell, we need to focus on the positive things. Anybody who writes today off as sh*te etc, is missing the bigger picture. We werent good enough as a team today, but with a lick of paint, a bit of luck, and a RVT who can finish, we may have got sumat. It was a deserved defeat in the end, but 2-0 flatters Pompey IMO. So lets move on, hope for a fightback tuesday. Im hanging my hopes on injuries though, a bit of a worry that... I refuse to be down, its football, we win some, we lose some... Im still confident, are you??
I agree whitey, we haven't just turned into a bad side after 7 unbeaten. But remember you are talking to a portion of fans that wrote us off after 7 games and wanted hill sacked. Thats not me pointing the finger rather just reminding folk of the state of mind with our last defeat bs middlesborough . The way we have improved as individual and more importantly as a team is testament to the philosophy hill preaches. However I would still like us to pass the ball quicker and have the confidence to try the killer ball instead of reaching the oppositions box and turning round.
I dont think we get enough players into the opponents box, we seem to have decided that we should give the ball to Butterfield 25 yards out and let him shoot, that is our main attacking threat! The way the team is set up means that we can move the ball around well, but unless we can get some bodies into the box, the we are going to struggle to score many goals, I would like us to try and vary the tactics a little, sometimes we need to get the ball forwards a lot quicker, but we dont have any players near to Gray, so he looks poor when the ball goes towards him.
enough chances were created oh for a decent striker Passing was progressive and accurate for the most part but still a lack of quality up front.
The one problem with this summary is the fact that portsmouth looked **** poor and they beat us fairly easily. Another thing the way you write its like you are supporting a team thats suddenly found itself in the top 6 or summat. We are 16th.
Agree with all that Whitey. We are still a working progress. However things are coming together despite injuries, but we are getting on with it rather than complaining. The lack of goals will sort itself out, BUT only if we keep giving our full support.
I may be a bit dim, but how can the fans score goals? Surely only the players on the pitch can do that and then only if we get the chances to score. At the moment we are relying on too many long range efforts.
We have been pretty poor in front of goal so far, but we must not get on the players backs, we need to continue giving them our full support as dismissing them and getting on their backs won't help.
They beat us fairly easily?? Aye, after going 2 darn it was game over, I said as much. But up til that point we were the better side and had 3 close shaves - Butts twice, Vaz Tatie. As for 'writing' like we are top 6, I have no answer for that. Only that I 'type' my thoughts on things, nowt more, nowt less. How you came to that conclusion from my post is your guess and yours alone. Again, as Ive said before, maybe my thoughts get lost in translation. Or, show or quote where I sound like a top 6 supporter... Im positive certainly, but stupid? Nay lad. We are lower mid table, as per, but playing some good stuff without reward.
Agree with that Whitey but I don't think you will convince some who just want an excuse to have a good whinge. If we could get one or two more quality players including a striker we'd be a very good side.
We were much the better side in the first half. After the substitutions at half time our passing was not as good as in the first half, and after Davies came on we seemed to continually lose the ball. Two up front doesn't work.
