God we made hard work of that. Again. DONCASTER we’re terrible, worse than Gillingham. We have to play a direct game when teams pack the defensive shape because we just get bogged down in so much ineffective passing. Great passing stats, **** all to show for it in terms of chances created.
The ref didn’t help today. All that was missing today was finishing. The away atmosphere lately has been the best in years and years.
Not a great game against another team defending deep. We did create more chances and should've scored more. 1-0 win, it's another three points and the gap gets smaller. Plenty of people complaining about the performances last two matches but the result is all that matters. It's nice to see we can get these type of wins now. Very good form since McKenna took over.
Agreed - that’s now six wins and two defeats in eight for McKenna. Following Cook’s sacking, I’m sure many of us were in agreement that it was crucial to prioritise results over performances if we were to close the gap on the play offs. And it was some gap! I’ve only seen the highlights, but looked like if Bonne was sharper and took a couple of chances, the scoreline would’ve looked a lot better. I still think play offs are ultimately going to be beyond reach this season. But if we continue beating the teams we “should” do on paper - which we never looked like doing under Cook and struggled to do so under Lambert - then we might have a chance. MK Dons on the weekend will be an interesting one, and a chance to see how McKenna fares against one of the division’s better coached sides.
Good summary SD. I couldn’t believe we had 17 chances! It didn’t feel like it. if we can draw or win the MK game I’ll believe 6th is a genuine possibility. I said pre Gillingham we could win 9 of the next 10 games giving us 74 points . Apparently we need 77 for an 80% chance of finishing 6th…add in a couple of extra points from the last 5 games and we might just sneak it!
Agree SD, an improvement deffo, loads of possession, a bit more drive and created several chances which should have been buried. I still dont like to see the pretty passing at the back, often dangerously close to Walton who must be pulling his hair out at times! There was an air of confidence about our play, and the team obviously enjoyed the game. As did KM apparently. Chappers was on form, Bonne needs a goal but got into nice positions apart from his offside addiction. Bakinson improved as the game went on, big burly bloke, but awful passing 1st half. Thompson grows into his role, and liked his surging runs. Back 3 sound again, tho Edmundson has the turning circle of my Dad's Suffolk Punch on the farm. But nice to see him, Woolfy and Donacien going forward. Celina was masterly again, pulled players all over the place but should have shot for goal. His boots got tied up at times. Aluko was strong when he came on too late imo. We need him to start against MKD. Not sure about Evans, brief moments but we can look forward to Morsy driving us forward. MKD wont be playing the feeble packed defence game, so more space and gaps to open up hopefully. So, an improved performance but not great. it's the 3pts that matter. Now 9 points from 2nd to 9th. 6 points from 5th to 9th. I would be happy with a draw at MKD, but gotta feeling that with King Morsy back to lead and drive, a more settled team and great form, we could nick it. I would love Bonne to score too, that would be massive confidence boost.
Chances are better than that. On a very crude percentage of the last 20 years that’s about right but if you looked at trends then 74 points or fewer has been the mark over the last decade. We should be targeting 75 there or there abouts.
Why is anyone complaining about that performance? We’re improving week on week. Where before we passed backward far too much we’re now making more of the ball. We’re much more confident to play it around the back. Our passing can continue to improve but the finishing was the only thing to really fault and I’m sure that will be worked on next - first of all you have to create the chances. Those people complaining have forgotten how difficult it is to win any football game. When you don’t take your chances in a match like that you’re risking conceding late on, but we didn’t. Hats off to McKenna. Bobby said he wished he could win every game 1-0!
And with two consecutive 1-0 score predictions being correct, I'm going to take a leaf out of Big Al's book and predict a 1-0 Town win every match for the rest of the season!
And likewise I’m carrying on my 6-0 predictions. If I’m five goals out every game we’ll be in the Championship next season!
If results were all that mattered, we could have stuck with MM - awful football to watch but it was effective in getting points. Now, I’m not comparing KM to MM because the football is far better (of games I’ve seen, only Gillingham was poor). Whether or not we make the play offs this season, 1 of the most pleasing aspects is that all the players appear to be buying in to KMs strategy but we need a striker to take some of the chances we are creating. Our defence is coping well with the poorer teams in the division but when we play the better teams, we are going to need to score more than 1. I think the MK dons game will really show where we are as a team. Our record against the top 6 is not great this season but if we can get a win, it must give us confidence for the remainder of the season. Not sure when we last won 3 league games in a row but it’s been a while - fingers crossed for Saturday
We don’t just defend well against poorer sides - I think the defence did a good job against Sheffield Wednesday apart from nervy playing out from the back which cost us and that will improve. The whole point of doing that is risk vs reward and it needs time to become natural. Defensively we have been excellent and we’ve looked more balanced with Thompson in. The problem is scoring enough.
Fwiw, I’m quoting someone who I think has number crunched these figures based on the league now and since our win v Doncaster so it should be specific to the here and now.
I doubt it, it would be statistical nonsense. The play off mark is the same for everyone in the league and it won’t change until the final few games unless it was an extraordinary season with a much higher than average number of wins.
Bit late to the show here but I thought it was a very mixed performance, actually similar to many of the weaknesses that were visible under Cook but maybe just a little more solid at the back. The side to me still looks at bit unbalanced and an issue with that starting line up is the forward 3 don't really hold onto the ball for long so there's little sustained pressure. Even though Walton had little to do, I thought he was brilliant, he's very good a reading the game and mopping things up, he takes alot of pressure off the defenders, I struggle to remember a goalkeeper who was last like that for us. I thought Woolfenden and Edmunson had mixed games particularly in possession and again after some superb performances earlier in the season Edmunson doesn't look as comfortable on the left of a 3 at the back. I thought Thompson looked decent although perhaps more of a LB than a wing back. He's an upgrade on what we had particularly in a 4 at the back but so far from what I've seen in this formation I think Coulson would have been the better player The middle of the park looked the weakest area for me, both Bakinson and Evans were guilty of giving the ball away far to easily and lack guile, creativity, we really miss Morsey but we also miss a play maker in there who can link the midfield to the strikers and keep our attacking play up the top end of the pitch for longer. Burns had a quiet game but it looked like Chaplin was occupying alot of the space in which Burns would be and it took away from Burns normal game. I like Chaplin though, he's works hard is tenacious but also has a bit of quality, he reminds me of a deeper lying Norwood. I thought Celina had one of his better games and is so much more effective down that left hand side, my only gripe is off the ball he's so weak and never wins the physical challenges. Bonne had a mixed game and probably should have scored but again at least he's getting in the right positions (many strikers dont), the problem with playing Bonne upfront by himself is the ball doesn't stick, it was a problem under Cook and its still one now which is added to when you have players like Celina and Chaplin who don't hold onto the ball for long periods. It means we have alot of the ball but not in areas to hurt the opposition. Despite Norwood having an awful miss I thought his all round play was far better than Bonne, in terms of his movement and how he occupies defenders, he also did some superb work defensively. McKenna should be lauded for the results he's got so far but there's still alot to be worked on and whilst I'm a fan of him considering tactical changes (unlike Cook's rigidity) I'm not sure why he's changed his forward players so much, I don't think it's helping them plus I appreciate the win at Gillingham was against a very poor team but the formation he played that day with 2 upfront and a player like Aluko in the 10 role who generally keeps the ball better in the final third and can unlock defences with his passing looked far more balanced with the possession being kept far better in forward areas and the team looking more fluid than when we play 1 upfront surrounded by wide forwards and play 2 sitters in midfield.
I agree with much of what you say itfcptc, and prob time to give Bonne a rest. My team for MK Dons would include Norwood if poss. Walton Donacien Wolf Edmunson Burns Morsy Aluko Thompson Chaplin Norwood Celina KM states he likes to rotate his forwards, but they play like strangers at times and dont hold on to the ball. And our forwards are simply not scoring at the moment! Tough call, but for me, we do need Norwood and his bullish nature getting in their faces. That could be a strong middle which we need to dominate, and it has been our weakest area since Morsy's absence. Obviously Aluko to play further forward. Things happen when he is on the pitch.
