very much agree, he should have done more for the goal but Coyle is perhaps more culpable, he was marking ****ing Alfie Jones for some reason!
We got so much worse when Pandur, Jones and McLoughlin started to lump it long to nobody. Put us under immense pressure for almost the entire game. Players use more energy off the ball marking, tracking runs, pressing etc. than when they have possession. We let Boro have the ball and dictate the whole game.
I stick to what I said many times. There was nothing wrong with Walters style. He was given a pile of ****e to work with. And then, perhaps his biggest mistake, was that he didn't want to try and just tone it down a bit and try and make a compromise. Players crying because he shouted at them is pathetic. As HT2 and anyone else with a background in pro sport will know the players are getting softer. That goal tonight was another example of what happens when your team is soft to the core.
If Pedro / Bedia are target men then they have to be prepared to make themselves a target. Not sure Bedia suits that role. Mcloughlin is poor at passing around at the back and has the turning circle of a tank -so it becomes whatever is the lesser of two evils
I agree. There was nothing fundamentally wrong with Walter’s style of football. He did seem to tone it down after the Norwich game. It was after that international break when things seemed to get worse. It was probably around then when he started to lose the dressing room and clashed with senior players. Maybe the players themselves took it upon themselves to not carry out his tactics in response to the Norwich game?
On one hand, you can't complain too much if you end up conceding late on when you've hung on that long. It gets more likely the longer it goes on. On the other hand, I'm going to anyway because there's a lot to be frustrated about with that goal. Starting with us attacking and Vaughan playing in Kamara. Kamara seemed to fail to compete for that ball and went down softly looking for a pen he was absolutely never going to get. Twenty seconds later they've ran uncontested down his side of the pitch and scored. We'd defended so well up to that point, that seemed like such a glaring failure. Kamara had shown his usual lack of energy once already too, when he went on that great run down the right and then just seemed to lose interest and swung in a lazy cross whilst off balance which was easily gathered by the keeper. For a player who has had this question mark around him all season it's particularly frustrating to see him continuously giving us reasons to suspect a lack of application. For all the talk of our poor recruitment in the summer, much of which I think is harshly overstated, spending big on him with the work ethic he seems to have looks like the one big mistake to me.
There was nothing wrong with Wally's style except no one - players, staff or supporters - could understand it. Surprisingly teams like Millwall and Stoke have just passed up the opportunity to experience this great style for themselves - as will Plymouth and any other team in English football. The goal we conceded tonight was another example of City players not being willing to do the dark arts side of the game. Kamara (too slow), Coyle or Jones should have chopped the winger's legs before he got anywhere near our penalty area
Said it for ages he gets sucked in right next two his right centre back leaving acres on acres of space for wingers to operate in, but some say he's in the right position defending the width of the box. Seems he's good at defending people getting shouted at though apparently.
Thought we didn’t hold the ball well enough, give the ball away to easy, didn’t have an outlet. When you look at the front three we had two wingers who are not really wingers, Our centre forward you can tell as been a very good player but doesn’t have the legs.Defensively we did very well considering all the pressure but so disappointing to lose at the end.
And they created pretty much **** all. We aren’t going to dominate games with the forwards we have in the side. Every time we had a spell today, first half in particular, Burstow had a terrible touch or Puerta/Slater lost the ball. He’s clearly doing it for a reason the more direct style and we have 2 wins in the last 4 to show for it.
At least we can understand this style. No shots on target at home and defending for 85 minutes. It’s understandably ****.
Pandur's kicking was a big problem again. I know people won't want to hear it but if we want to be able to compete with decent sides like them and not just rely on parking the bus then we are going to need to address that. I hope Rushworth doesn't get recalled before we get chance to use him because supposedly he's the perfect solution to this. Jones stood out to me today, defending well as ever but also he was so switched on to everything, marshalling the back line and ensuring others were as focused as him.
It's got us 7 points from 6 games - a reasonable return considering what went before and the teams we have played. Did you think we'd get a win at Blackburn? Can't say I did and I would have taken a point tonight and we all know Saturday will be a tough game -whatever tactics we employ. For me, Wally would have taken us down without a doubt. I think Selles gives us a chance - not a guarantee - of survival. We need to recruit well in January.
Walter was a terrible manager, no one had a clue what was going on, we spent most of the game getting the ball out of our 3rd of the pitch. The players didn’t understand it, the fans didn’t, it was meant to be a passing game, and we literally bypassed the midfield. The signings have been very poor, but we’ve more chance of staying up with the current manager whatever style we play.
We are starting Burstow who’s an average striker on one wing. Omur on the other. Pedro who’s running on fumes as he’s the only forward with quality on and off the ball. Off the bench we have Kamara who has clearly let the transfer fee get to his head as he has no confidence. Vaughan who works hard but isn’t going to win us points. And Bedia who words fail me, I’d rather have Magennis back
