Interesting to compare the levels of fitness between SW players and our own. They were passing and moving at pace we again looked a bit lethargic and slow. Is there a general fitness problem as most of the recent lapses have been at the end of games? Is this the missing 1% difference that LJ talks keeps going on about?
Why do they look more unfit now, than at the start of the season? Hopefully now we have Cotterill we might actually see a winger who can get to the line and put over a half decent cross.
Just been watching the 90 mins on the club site. I didn't notice a big difference in fitness between them. In fact I didn't notice a fag paper between them. They look like two strong teams who cancelled each other out a little. However there are a few things that struck me about our team of strangers…. We do love to blaze the ball over the bar don't we. It brings me back to an earlier point, that he should have the whole squad out, shooting from every distance for two hours every day. Also Bryan is a full-back, not a midfield player. As a full back he looks useful. As a midfield player not so.. Flint gives me the willies sometimes. I had reservations about his level back in League 1 days, and he panics under pressure sometimes. The German goalie looked very shaky, but redeemed himself somewhat with a difficult save in the last 3 minutes. All the same, I really hope he has more quality to offer than was evident at times against SW Djuric looks useful, and could be a serious player next season. It will be interesting to see how he clicks with Taylor. When we are safe it might be an idea to rest Abraham and give the two of them a run out together, so they can develop a working relationship. When we are safe… O'Dowda is OK, but needs to show more desire to get into shooting range. He looks a little toothless. Golbourne looks quite good, but Little is out of his league, and I was indifferent about Brownhill. Looks a lot like Bryan to me, tidy and fussy in midfield but not a threat (while acknowledging that it was Bryan's shot that laid on the equaliser for Abe, it was something of a surprise to see him getting in a shot). Hegeler is class, and Tomlin comes from a different planet But that we already knew Generally we look better than our league record shows, but we do need to work on breaking quickly and in numbers. Matches are won by sides that break and score, not by tic-a-tac playing defenders grouped around their own penalty area, and its this aspect of our play that needs to be addressed in training
Spoke to the wife about this particularly first half. First 10 mins- we don't look like a relation side but you do need points though. 15-25 mins.- we now look like a relegation threatened side. Wednesday are first to every ball.30mins- we are undoubtedly fit,but they are clearly fitter. Yes,we do need to be sharper,been saying so for weeks
Perhaps they are pushing too hard in training or not enough, but there is clearly an improvement required. We get pushed off the ball too easily by most teams so there appears to be a strength and conditioning issue. Not once have I been down the Gate this season and thought we were fitter than the opponents.
Have noticed this. Either we are too honest and stay on our feet, but I think some teams have learned the art of falling over better than others. We have just one in Tomlin. Yes it was a pen last night, but I wonder how many others than Tammy would have got it?
Did we look super fit with SC in the championship?? or could we say we looked fitter under LJ when he saved us from relegation last season!! All a bit of a nonsense if you ask me..............SW could have looked fitter as their confidence at this time is a lot higher than ours
I think it was Billy Bremner who once said it's easy when you're winning, because you're never tired. Hence, the contrary probably applies to us.
lack of confidence drains fitness.. Running to get on the end of a cross to score a goal seems so much easier than defending it!
