Lot of Coldplay fans got on the train at Wembley Stadium and fell asleep. So I could have had a less entertaining evening after all……
Medical team didn't want to risk Willock, but he will be available Saturday. Armstrong was selected over Bonne who isn't injured, surely could've had them both on the bench ? Beale says he doesn't want to rush Armstrong but he's getting closer to a Starr although there are plenty of options upfront ! Really ?
At least Beale may finally have woken up to what a broken player Johansen is. A complete vacuum in our centre midfield. It doesn't help that Dozell seems to share his negativity and Chair is so easily muscled out of the game. Our poorest midfield in many years.
Chair needs to see a sports psychologist or similar. He seems to lack the confidence to run at players, which is exactly what we needed someone to do today. I know I would say this, but I'm not being quite so one eyed as normal, but we missed Amos today, as well as the obvious Willock.
Wasn't going to post until tomorrow but drawn like a bee to honey. Had my three adult lads with me today for the first time in ages and with the bookies favouring us, I was hopeful of a win, ot at the very least an exciting spectacle. Silly me! The negatives of tonight are self evident. Dykes inability to score, lack of incisiveness in the middle and a ponderous approach instead of the fast flowing and entertaining football that we're supposed to be associated with. The officiating just plumbed new depths of incompetence. Special mention of the S1hithousery from Blackpool who started time wasting when it was nil all as they came looking for the point and got lucky with just one strike. If PNE is the Darth Vader of the time wasting game, this lot must be the Emporer! Nuff said on that. Perhaps unfair to mention Dykes specifically when Chair was not at his best and Johanssen was not effective in mid field either. The positives: 1. Willock is back for Saturday. 2. Laird looks a reasonable player. 3. Like Paal too. 4. Despite losing by one goal, our defence looks OK. 5. Armstrong. What a unit? Tearing them a new one when he came on and should probably have scored with the header at the death. The atmosphere picked up significantly when he came on too. BUT, I think Beale's nurturing management of him is good and I can see him becoming a QPR talisman at some stage in the future. They'd also needs to earn some of the dark arts. Couple of times, he muscled his way through when he shod probably have gone down under the shirt pulling and taken the free kick. That's about MB nurturing him though and I'm sure he'll come good. Final mention of MB's subs. Roberts for Shodipo had many scratching their heads and both Uncs and Armstrong might have been given more time Obviously a very disappointing evening rounded off by one of the worst offenders at the sh1thousery baiting the QPR fans. I won't stoop to wishing an injury on him but I do not wish him well!
Just home. What I learned today: We are too slow We still faff about too much in our own half Conor Washington is probably a better striker than Dykes (we might find out on Saturday) We are already just a few weeks away from Ramsey-esq chants of “you don’t know what you’re doing” to Mr Beale We could have won today if we had made two plainly obvious subs on or before half time. PNE are no longer the least sporting team.
Right got home. My train was cancelled at last minute and had to rush back and drive in...I got there...but not sure my team did. Few good points. Chair made an unreasonably large number of defensive tackles today, and his defensive duties seemed to take away from his attacking...but he worked bloody hard. Laird looked good for someone who has not been in the squad for more than 24 hours. Armstrong is a force of nature, but he cannot play at that pace for 90 minutes. He is still an impact sub...but hemust have more than 15 minutes Didn't think Dozzell did too bad Now the bad. How dykes missed his chances I will never know. Yes he worked hard up front...but as Terry next to me said, much rather he scored the two gild edge chances than do all that running around. Dickie is no Barbet, his long balls forward were on the whole atrocious Some of the crosses from Paal, Chair, Laird and Dozzell, were not as bad as some of you make out, there just was no one in the right place to receive them. They went to the middle, the forwards were behind. They went to far post , everyone was at the near. Basically no understanding rather than bad crosses. My problem with Beales tactics are mainly with his use of his wing backs.. ..which I don't understand and leaves acres of space for the opposition to run into. At one stage Laird was hanging around the centre line with Dozzell behind him. But he had to take Roberts off...he was definitely running on empty. Shodipo coming on...??? Not sure he even saw the ball Anyway this team will take time. Hang on in there and remember Nottingham Forest last season
Hope your right, Beth. l was not expecting miracles from MB but from what l’m reading, it all sounds very disappointing this early on in the season. As you say, we can only hope the MB & the lads click into place sooner rather than later. Cheers for report.
The 2 main difficulties apart from having no proper goalscorer( although I think Armstrong will come good once trusted to start), are that with Beale wanting to play with such high wing backs we really need to be playing a back 3. Trouble is we only have the Scouse kid until Salter is back and I don't think Beale thinks he's good enough to start. The other is that our midfield has Johansen in it and is captain ! There's no doubt now that he is a spent force, and Dozzell who was decent in the 2nd half just doesn't impose himself on games enough. The dream would be to have Richards, Amos and Willock in a pivot in the midfield. That would be some midfield with Roberts/ Chair and Armstrong ahead of it. Trouble there of course is the injuries, Amos alas is polystyrene man and I doubt we'll ever see him for more than 3 games in a row ever. Richards, we don't know as he's been injured since we got him which doesn't bode well. Willock, the key man has to stay fit all season if we're to do anything, but the kid gloves being used atm suggest that might not be possible. All very frustrating and Beale needs to sort his tactics out rapidly and decide whether he's gonna give Armstrong his chance. After all Beale is in charge of coaching the strikers , so **** knows what he's teaching Dykes. We need a goalscorer in before the window shuts !
Please start with this line up on Saturday Beale ! Dieng Laird Dickie Dunne Paal Field Dozzell Chair Roberts Willock Armstrong
The tactics/instructions were miles apart from Saturday to last night. We pressed further forward against Blackpool and our full backs played much higher, whether that was because we were at home, I do not know. Again we played with 3 left footers across the midfield, like we did in the opener. Field who was one of, if not our best player last season, has to be that central defensive midfielder as he covers the pitch better than johanson. He has played the left of the 3 so far and we are limiting what he's actually best at. Johanson has to be dropped, he's supposed to be doing what Field did last season, but I suspect Beale thinks he's the man to keep the ball moving to feet. That's all well and good but when %90 of your passes are 2 yards to a defender then it's hard to progress up the pitch if you're not going to move for a return! Which brings me to my final point, our movement when in possession is extraordinary?!? Lots of stationary players. Roberts, who believe me, will be one of the fittest players st the club even with a niggle, he trained under Bielsa and his fitness regimes were like nothing I've ever seen was setting an example of moving after a pass, always looking for a return or that run into space. I have been informed that Beale is a very good coach and that's where his talents may lay, managing a team is a different business and one I hope he can get his head around.
