Firstly, to dispel any misunderstandings, there is right now no other manager I would rather have at the helm. But.... We had been gifted a 1-man advantage and managed to go 1-0 up. We were looking comfortable and Wolves could only huff and puff. The game was won and 3 points were ours. Yes, the game was slow but SO WHAT? WHY keep Flint up front whilst 1-0 up against a team with 10 men? The game was won. Did you think we could possibly get a few more and stuff them 3 or 4 nil? We had no need to commit men forward against a side top of the league and who’s specialty is hitting teams on the break. Again, only my opinion and I’m delighted to be 3rd - just please LEARN from this - your first mistake this season Lee imho. Bring on the Villa !!!!!
I don’t blame him keeping Flint up front. With Wolves being as they are you can’t defend a 1-0 lead. We was dominating at that point so why not go for one or two more? Fielding should of done what he tends to do and stay back, or gift Wolves a goal and stay at 11 v 10 players we was on top. At that point they could only rely on break away chances and they were not that often. At one point they broke away and only one player was up surrounded by 5 red shirts they was not charging forward to help. Pack I thought from where I was sat was being stopped from just booting it away. And to me Steele just don’t command the area. Gutted it ended like that but struggling to remember a game against Wolves that didn’t have a 90 minute goal.
Great game of football by both sides. We go again at villa see you there. The football is fantastic at present. Luke Steele can now show his class as he will have three league games and the three cup games.
either way FF will only miss 1 League game v Villa, as LJ has already said Steele will play in the 2 cup games. So if it is 3 games then he was already ruled out of 2, pretty sure a 3 game ban on a red card is for any 3 domestic games and not specifically league games??
Here it is Rod is correct How many matches does a player miss after a red card? If a player is sent off for a professional foul (eg holding an opponent back when they’re through on goal) or a second bookable offence they will be handed a one-match ban.
No blame for LJ from me. He nailed it tactically after the break, we went 1-0 up and we were so in control of the game we looked like we could get 2 or 3. At that point it makes perfect sense to keep Flint up top until we get the second and then settle down. As it happened, we made a mistake, Maggy left the gap and they punished us. Obviously Frankie shouldn't have brought the guy down on reflection, we'd have been better off 1-1 with 11 v 10, but it was an instinctive move which you can't really blame him for. As it happened we caused our own undoing by poor decision making on the pitch. Not too worried, it's a gut wrencher but if you're going to do it it might as well be against top of the league. As long as we fully recover then not a problem as far as I'm concerned. Only thing is that this game was crying out for Diedhiou or Djuric, thankfully they are back soon.
I have to agree with the OP, the tactic worked and got us a goal, Flint should have been put straight back in to his position, we didn't need to go after the game at that point, they would have had to come at us, we should have been playing on the break not them! The depth of our squad showed tonight, we badly need reinforcements as we are back to having very little in options from the bench and these boys have been running their hearts out. Many of them were running on reserve tonight. The Villa game will be very difficult now.
Any other situation I'd agree banksy, but we were playing Wolves. Their team is batsh*t insane for the Championship and sitting back on 1-0, even against 10 men, would have been asking for trouble. We just got caught out. If that pass hadn't been so pinpoint accurate, or if Maggy hadn't made that mistake, it's a completely different game, and I'd have fancied us to score another 1 or 2 with Flint up top.
Thats exactly the reason why I think we ****ed up! this shows how we have been left woefully short at the back on the goal, Bradley Wright is miles too far back, Flint organises that back line and if he was there that simply wouldn't have happened. you can't throw this sort of caution to the wind against such a quality side. We should have sat back in and got at them in the same manner that was so effective first half. Mags has switched off and has very little pace.. its done now though.. We move on.
I see what you're saying mate, the back line in that photo is appalling. But if our defence really needs Flint just to keep shape then that shows how fragile our defence really is. We're essentially saying the same thing, we had to combat their quality, just disagreeing on whether we needed to keep at it or sit back. At the end of the day we'll never know what was best. If Maggy holds position there then there is no issue, it's just poor concentration.
Mags has tucked in due to playing 3 back there, he's not a great thinker. the one thing we have had this year that has made all the difference has been a solid back 4, but putting Flint up front to find a goal was genius, it worked! Drop him back in and go back to what is proven and worked well in the first half, we have actually invited them to play us on the break with fresh legs.. It was suicide.
However you view it, I think we played well when we weren't making mistakes and it's definitely less worrying than if we were flat out playing poorly. We really do have the makings of a real team coming together with some genuine quality. Joe Bryan and Korey Smith are absolutely in their prime now, Smith was just immense yet again today, I almost feel like we really on him, he's got such insane workrate. It's easy to forget Josh Brownhill is only 22, and Reid and Paterson still have more to come I think despite them being on fire. Then there are the likes of Magnusson and O'Dowda who definitely need coaching but will one day become very decent players, and Eliasson who is yet to show his promise but by all accounts could be an absolute gem in the future. We just narrowly lost to the runaway league leaders in a game we should have won. There are still many positives
Wouldn't disagree with you.. doesn't change the fact LJ got that bit wrong tonight. He does however have limited options. and a very tired squad. this semi final may do us more harm than good when viewed with hindsight in a month or so time
I don't blame LJ for that whatsoever, had we got the 2nd who would have moaned? 1.0 at that stage of the game wasn't enough...I could see why he left Flint up front..Of course only my opinion. Not saying you're wrong Banksy as it turned out!!! I thought we played our best football, 11 v 11.....thought we lost our formation when they went down to 10. When Fielding was sent off, that totally changed it and they looked very dangerous.. We came up against a very good side tonight, no complaints from me.....the manager and team have done brilliant.... We have half dozen games that will test us for sure....will be plenty of ups and downs.....we move on!!
Mostly agree with this. The only thing I would say in very slight disagreement is about the Villa game ; I think Steele is a very good replacement for Frankie. Pack was not carded and we suffered no new injuries. I don’t think the Villa game will be any more of a challenge than it was this morning.
I still think some of our football is the best I've seen our club produce, better than that Cardiff drivel the other night that's for sure..If we're gonna lose, playing like that is not so bad.. I think just a couple of signings to give backup giving a few more options for LJ and I think we could be the real deal.. 2nd would be brill but a playoff place would still be a great achievement IMO..
You know I like you but it’s all hindsight. If Fielding got out the way and stayed on the field they would of been 1-1, still with 11 v 10. We would of still had our best player imo on the pitch in Pato. Still could of gone at them with Flint up front. If they missed the free kick we would still be 1-0 and 10 v 10 and held on we would be saying Frankie took one for the good. If Steele actually came out and palmed the cross away it would of been 1-1 and saying great we got a draw. Or if Pack either booted it when he had a chance or fell over himself we might of had the freekick. It’s all hindsight, we move on gutted but we move on.
Hindsight is how you learn! Lets not be scared to assess what (in my opinion only) was the major flaw in the decisions made around that game changing moment because it falls on LJ, he has done more than enough good things to make a few mistakes this season and I am not berating him or asking for him to be removed etc, like the more histrionic of our fans, I just think that wouldn't have happened had we pulled Flint back in. playing Flint up top against any team is a 'chasing' tactic and it has worked for us, but we weren't chasing the game, they were. The tiredness is there for all to see in the players and playing 3 at the back against a very dangerous side who had fresher players coming back in to the side meant our midfield was given even more work to do on breakdowns. We didn't need to be 2-0 up against 10 men, we were controlling the game to that point, we haven't panicked like that against any other side playing 11 men this season, there was no need to do it yesterday. But thank you for your input...
