He did bring on wingers when it wasn't working, at least. If we are going to play 5-3-2, as much as we need a striker, we need a creative midfielder to play behind the strikers as much or more. Because two isolated strikers aren't going to do much against PL defenses; you need someone capable of driving the team forward. But if we have many more examples like today, where we looked abject until we introduced some width and creativity, the 5-3-2 experiment might (yet again) not last long.
It’s ****ing barmy that he’s started his first home game against a league one side with 5 at the back. It doesn’t work with our current squad, it never has. It never will. (Except maybe against city/Liverpool if we fully park the bus.) It’s absolutely insane and for me a terrible start to NJ’s saints career. We could have really been positive and gone at them tonight. Instead we made them look like PL side. We are in really big trouble ****. I said I would try and be positive
Que Sera Sera First half was dreadful with the second a slight improvement. Not too much to read into at this stage although the lack of urgency seems a worry. Yet again Adam Armstrong looks bang average against a 3rd division side which says a lot I think. My main concern at this stage based on that is HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOFFFFFFFFFF Imagine for a second where we'd be this season had we sold Che in the Summer. Buzzing for QF. Is draw Thursday? UTFS
I thought Adams was, not by the goals, but his hold play and desire ( which seemed to be lacking on others), thought Moi was reasonable too
I agree. We played with no tempo. Our game plan seemed to pass it across the centre back about three times and then hit a long aimless ball. If that is our game plan after have five weeks to work on things that is a concern. Hopefully he has learnt tonight, that Stuey and Edozie must start. If he does not recognize that then I begin to think things look bleak
Just got back, well that was pretty ****ing awful to be honest. If our genius tactical plan to stay in the PL is for Lyanco to lump it forward hoping AA might eventually learn to control it, then we really are ****ed. Oh well the board wanted Luton, they're getting Luton. Edozie looked class again mind.
Or maybe RH was a problem but an issue we ignored until it was too late and then decided to replace with a bloke who was **** at Stoke? Replacing **** with ****.
And tempo is a big part of it. If you're playing at a frenetic pace, sending long balls into space can stretch the defense and generate chances to get forward, as well as open up opportunities to play shorter passes because the defenders have to respect those runs. Especially after you've just taken possession, because opposing fullbacks are likely high up the pitch, making it very difficult for the central defenders to deny the whole range of passing options available (we got beat by a lot of direct counterattacks in the Poch era for that reason, especially when Wanyama wasn't playing). But if you're passing it around the back at length before lumping a high ball to a 5'8" striker, you're going to get sweet **** all. We tried the latter for more than 50 minutes and got what we deserved. You need tempo and you need movement to play direct, and we had neither.
Having slept on it, I think people need to consider that Lincoln were playing a very defensive game last night. Whenever we had the ball (most of the time) they had 11 men behind the ball with a back 5. That's always tough to break down. Jones, like Ralph, likes to employ an aggressive pressing style. Well, it's quite difficult to press against a team who are sitting back letting us have the ball. Once Edozie and Armstrong came on we looked a lot more potent going forward. Stu was coming deep and linking the play between midfield and attack and Edozie was stretching Lincoln by staying wide and running at defenders. So, to summarise: not as bad as some are making out. I agree with the lack of tempo comments, especially in the first half. But we were trying to switch the play, not very successfully I may add. But we won at the end of the day.
Lyanco was trying to switch the play to KWP rather than "lump it forwards". There were far more diagonal balls trying to find KWP than ones lumped to AA. It didn't work very well as the balls weren't very accurate but the right strategy to try and break down a team with 11 men behind the ball.
Another positive. In both games under Jones, we've improved as the game has gone on. It is very unrealistic to expect him to come in and hit the ground running, given our form this season. But his ability to read the game and understand what needs to be done, is promising.
