I hope our coaches have been addressing this panic in our box situation where the ball usually bounces about before falling to one of the opposition players for a tap in. We’re due a bit of luck where the ball actually falls to one of our lads. I think Patterson should be more aggressive with crosses coming in and if he can’t hold the ball coming in then at least punch it away to one of our players. Otherwise we seem fairly secure at the back.
Constant change at the back hasn't helped. Hopefully this back 4 can stay together for the majority of the season. Thought Cirkin looked close to being back to his best on Boxing Day
I think a lot of this comes down to reading the game and positioning. Everyone thinks if a ball is deflected there’s nothing a defender can do but sometimes you need to gamble, sometimes you need to be closer to your man, the keeper needs to be out quicker etc. I’m not saying there isn’t such thing as luck deflections, of course there is we’ve seen the ball bounce around of a few players before being stabbed home a few times this season. If for arguments sakes we conceded 10 goals inside the box all of which someone prodded home after a deflected shot would you say it’s just bad luck or players not reacting quick enough? You make your own luck a lot of the time. It’s like when people say certain strikers only score tap ins because they’re are “always in the right place at the right time” - they’re there because they’re good at reading the game and react to what’s going on around them it’s not luck.
This match is there to be won today, but we need to go and take it. Attack them and be ruthless. 0-4 O'Nien, Aouchiche, Jobe, Mayenda.
Wait till they come out, studs up, chasing us down then diving when we put a tackle in. A game where we'll see Roberts throw his hands in the air like he's doing the Mexican wave.
How do we fill a Rigg sized hole? Bit of a concern for me. I havent been keen on Adil in his time here. That said, he has earned another shot at it, even if due to injuries. I hope he plays really well and does the business. It would be great if he suddenly flourished and prevented the need for another dip into the tfr market. I did wonder, for a short while, about Alese stepping into the midfield with Jobe and Neil. I like his ability to cover ground and his off ball running is strong. But his passing just isnt at the level and he would be under pressure a lot on the ball. This would be where a talent like Huggins is worth their weight in gold. You know he is good enough to play in there for a handful of games when needed. Do we get a complete surprise and see Aleksic get his chance? Or young Jones? I wouldnt be against either getting a sight at things personally, but overall Adil deserves first chance in the absence of Browne. Good luck to the lad.
Sounds like Aleksic is getting his first start. Adil for Roberts is a possibility as the latter has a tight hammy
