I have noticed those gaps in the last 2 games. First time I have really noticed them and it makes us very easy to play through. I think it is a result of trying to be more direct and stretching the pitch, which I am not against as a variation, but the players need to react to close the lines after the first direct ball. Usually a cantre half takes that organisational responsibility, or a full back. Should be easy to solve on the training ground.
A professional footballer of any standard and position should’ve tapped in his chance not bleeze it ower the bar
I never want us to lose but I’m hoping MB has learned more today than he could from a win. For me Ba shouldn’t even get on the bench and Roberts shouldn’t start. Or at least swap Roberts and Clarke over so they don’t have to predictably cut inside. Ekwah needs time out as well.
It wasnt the Ronny Rosenthal chance but it is a terrible effort. I would expect any player to either get it on target first time or take a touch and pass it in. It was a sitter and needs to be taken. I think we made some poor decisions in their box yesterday. Jobe is in if he opens his body on the six yard line. Instead he plays safe side and looks for Clarke. Clarke himself a couple of times is in but completely fluffs it. Roberts shooting is weak when in. For me we created good chances but the players repeatedly made mistakes in the key moments. That isnt coaching, it is execution. Defensively we were poor mind. Huggins, was too easy to get past I though. ONien was poor for me, and I am a defender of his but I thought yesterday he made poor decisions. Patterson doesnt seem to be commanding his area well enough. Ekwah is a big problem right now though in my opinion and is creating stress for the back line. If I could give Beale one piece of advice today it would be to watch how much control of the game we have when Neil sits and plays the anchor role. Everything is so much better, we play out better, through the press better, and the cover of the back 4 is better. We usually go forward quicker too. Neil is a footballer on a different level to most of our players and he should be in that pivotal role. Would also allow Rigg (my preference) or another player to go in alongside him and have a bit more licence.
Ashamed to say I walked out on 85 mins yesterday only the 2nd time I have ever done it. Although it was a poor performance I couldnt stomach the fact that they might score more. Difference yesterday they took their chances. Its as simple as that. No way were they 3 goals better on performance. In my humble opinion we need to play at least 1 striker preferably 2. We cannot defend so lets attack and hopefully the strikers will do their job WITH A RUN OF GAMES not 5, 10 or 20 mins here and there.
I dont think we'll be seeing Huggins again anytime soon. Time for Cirkin to start earning his wages and stop being on the sidelines with injury after injury
Mate we played okish and it could’ve been a different result if we’d took our chances. But as soon as the second went in the players looked lost. As a team we defended ****e.
Totally agree, Huggins went awol again and Ekwah didn't track his man. All three goals were via our right-back but some are saying Huggins was having a good game before his dreadful injury. Praying Huggins recovers physically and mentally from this awful injury. I'd revert to the Leeds formation, 5 at the back, which seemed to offer us better protection.
Absolutely. Beale said almost exactly what we talked about at the match and walking from the ground. Like he saw the exact issues we did. Mowbray used to pander around this imo. Were SAFC fans singing Mowbray’s name? I thought it was Coventry fans? Any of our fans that were should ge embarrassed and ashamed. I liked him, I didn’t want him sacked. I heard Coventry fans singing it, but if that was SAFC fans the. It’s the most vocal the north stand has ever been! You don’t sing the ex managers’s name at a game as a dig to the new manager (must be 3 months since I heard any of our fans sing Mowbray’s name). Childish and pathetic
The LON business is mad. Im Switzerland with the lad, love his character and commitment, think he’s a solid but not remotely special footballer. You’ve got those who want to blame him for everything, then those who will defend him blind. All 3 had a fault to play in the opener, that’s a fact, and can any one of the defenders of Luke explain what he was trying to do? He was absolutely at least partially responsible. He wouldn’t get a game at Leicester, Leeds or Saints. That’s certain.
It was Coventry fans mate but loads of ours applauded which is just as bad. We lost Tony Mowbray not Pep Guardiola ffs.
I think some of the issue comes from 09 being called out for 99.9% of all goals we concede. He has been responsible for a couple, just the same as Ballard, Hume, Huggins etc have been, but it's very rare to see anyone else mentioned so constantly when we concede
Agree with all that, I rate Huggins but he had an off day. Didn't defend well and got knocked off the ball too easily all game. Shame how it ended for him fingers crossed it's not as bad as it looked. As you say Ekwah lets their player go for their first, completely switches off. He was very poor he either needs dropping or something else needs changing. Agree about trying 3 at the back again it seems to suit us and we need to tighten things up.