We really do need wingers (or at least one really good winger) and for Rosenior to actually play them rather than accommodating players who can sort of fill in as wingers. Hopefully that will come soon. We really do miss having a Rodri type midfielder. Evident again yesterday. We also miss having a leader, or better still leaders, out on the pitch. As others have said a few posts back, there's literally no one out there doing that. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, it seems that points 2 & 3 will go unaddressed which, imo, is a big mistake. Otherwise, I agree, we are getting closer to being a good side, with good options off the bench.
Alright, it’s only a few minutes worth of highlights, but that looks like a dominant performance in which we conceded to a quick break, before really going for it and asserting ourselves. That said it also looks like we were lucky not to concede a second. So I can understand a bit of cynicism, but for me (based on those few minutes highlights admittedly) against a team who were there or thereabouts last year away from home there’s real signs of us becoming a force to be reckoned with in this division. Glass very much half full here.
I think it’s the style of football people have a problem with. And to be fair, as I’ve posted, until they got the goal and went for the jugular they were so compact and it was a lot of passing around as we just kept trying to play through the middle. It was never really a bad performance though, sharp on the ball and lots of energy, just couldn’t break them down until they finally opened up. Some might say that was due to us tiring them but I wouldn’t agree. They camped 2 banks of 4 in front of their goal and didn’t move, they didn’t break shape and we didn’t stretch them and pull them around at all, we just kept trying to to the eye of the needle stuff through them, so their defence wasn’t particularly getting worked hard. People seem to have decided that possession football is **** and we should just cannonball it into the box, and I suppose they might have a point as we ended up getting the winner doing exactly that
Some lovely football played in that highlights video and Delap is at the heart of lots of it. I know that a high workrate is sometimes an excuse for lack of quality but that's not the case here. He'll run in behind (as shown in the red card incident), drop deep and connect the phases of play, turn his man and run with intent, run the channels. Basically a lot of running. A fully match fit Connolly added to that and we'll give defences plenty to think about.
I agree. If he’s not brought down he probably scores. If that happens, I think we win fairly comfortably. We were well on top at that stage.
Bristol fans showed a lot of class in a Wembley defeat, and i didn't see much crying, 'some' fans show little class in a Wembley victory. The views expressed in my posts are not necessarily mine.
He certainly looks like a bright prospect and if he plays like he has been doing he will have a Premier League career, no doubts about it. We’ve had the debate before about work rate vs goals from strikers, but if he is bringing the likes of Connolly, Tufan and Twine into play, then that’s as good as scoring. He’s a nightmare to defend against, he’s been a good signing so far.
He’s clearly a very good player. Can run in behind or drop deep to receive the ball. Works very hard too. My only criticism of Delap is that he often doesn’t know when to release the ball at the best time. Noticed it first in pre-season but also against Norwich and again yesterday. He’ll hold the ball up brilliantly, turn and drive forward but instead of playing a simple pass to a teammate in space either side of him, he’ll take that extra touch to beat another player and lose the ball.
The thing is I suspect it bleeds into what makes him so good, that aggressive hungry determined nature.
Up there with getting the ball into a dangerous area and then playing it backwards, giving the defence time to get back.
Start every game as though they are 0-1 down and we should see some exciting matches this season. No excuse now for messing around at the back, most of us have had enough of that. This team has the players to score goals so play to their strengths and get the ball to them quicker. He who dares wins.
Tufan shouldn't be dropped after yesterday. Wasn't great at Norwich, but unplayable last week and unlucky not to score yesterday. Can't imagine why anyone would suggest dropping him - last year's second top scorer.and this seasons joint top scorer would be madness.
Again, I don’t get this line of criticism. We played well before they got a man sent off. We created chances but just couldn’t put them away. I’m the first to criticise the performance and I thought we were way off it against Norwich and absolutely shocking against Doncaster. Yesterday’s performance was nothing like that.
Totally agree thought he had a good game yesterday both when he played up front and then after he went deeper. Unlike like many in the side there is snap speed and many times trickery to his movement and passing.
