Not too me.....hence my prediction. What was a surprise was those predicting us trouncing the opposition. Not sure a team under the current management are capable of that but I live in hope but not holding my breath. Point to note though that I was not in attendance as on holidays but expect much of the same this season as we endured last season.
It wasn’t so much the 2 dropped points as the fact it’s painfully obvious to anyone that we can’t make that system work. We’ve struggled for goals whenever we’ve used it, if that’s Ross only way, and he’s stuck on it because it worked in the jock league, then that’s a concern. I’m convinced we have the players to set up a pressing side that attacks and constantly has opponents on the back foot, yet the gaffer continuously fails to find the formula. The overlying thing coming out of there today was ‘we gonna struggle to break teams down again’. Should we be? With McGeady, Watmore? We’ve got to go either 4-4-2 or most likely 4-5-1 and play them as proper wingers and open up CM, it’s clear as day. This isn’t the PL the defence doesn’t need to be clever it needs to be basic, most teams are punting I to the box then hanging back, 5 at the back leaves us a man short going forward every single time. Couple that with the fact he’s shoe horned a midfielder in again, and there wasn’t any obvious shape to the back line regardless. We have to force games, and not just when we go behind as we’ve given the oppo the freedom of the midfield.
We should be on the front foot from the OFF , we have enough talent to do that. Ross has turned 2 regular scorers at this level into statues. One of them ok , but two isn't a coincidence. McGeady carried us last season.
Just back from the match .. as a worried supporter. Mcgeouch was a dynamo in midfield, and in general thought our midfield wasn't too bad. However, Grigg moved like an elephant up front, hume and gooch got in great positions and delivered rubbish crosses every time. But the shocker was our defence .. even worse than last year .. Willis is unfit and he can't pass, Flanagan is a slow snail and can't pass or think. If we had lost 3 nil we couldn't have complained.
Aye it wasn't that bad. It was disappointing to see us looking so disjointed in the first half after building up a modest stock of optimism but we got better as it went along. It helped that Oxford were absolutely ****e. I hope that Ross saw the issues with the formation and adjusts things accordingly because it didn't work. There was lots of good stuff to look back on like Dobson and McGeough playing well together but we need a better formation for what we have.
But we didn’t. Onwards and upwards, balls, aggression and belief all that is needed. Drop the ‘woe is me’ and head but reality. KTF
Willis is worse than Flanagan ! and if Grigg is not the worst striker then name him cos christ we keep signing them, Ross must say just play **** until i bring on Mcgeady and Watmore, we are all over the frigging place man, this is a nightmare happening for us. 33,000 as well.
Thought you weren’t renewing? Or was that just more bullshit? First game and Willis gets slated! ****ing detest “supporters” like you! SUPPORT THE ****ING TEAM INSTEAD OF KICKING THEM PRICK
The three games against decent opposition in pre season saw us fail to score any goals so in reality I wasn't expecting a goal glut yesterday and without the Penalty we would have lost. We are bedding in four new signings who have never played in front of a big and demanding crowd as we have here so they must have been a degree of nerves for them and we played a relatively new system which takes time to adjust to do a lot to deal with for the team. Add to that our usual giving the opposition a goal start and we see all the issues from last season rearing their ugly heads and fans get agitated. It's day one of another long season and JR has to learn quickly about how to manufacture wins when were not playing well. We didn't lose yesterday and several fancied teams did so it's not all doom and gloom. We'll have a better idea of how things are heading by the end of this month so KTF, I know it's frustrating and a tad disappointing but that's what being a fan of this club is all about. Onwards and upwards.
**** start. Ross needs to give his head a shake and soon, so we play to our strengths. or he'll get booed out by Christmas.
The weaknesses are more easily identified, and these should be addressed first, before we can play to our strengths, cart before horse.
In the past Ross has addressed issues, changing formation and players at half time and switching between variants of 442 and 352 from game to game so I expect him to do the same this season. It's something I like about him, he seems to see what we see. A lot of managers are too stubborn to change.
I looked at the team yesterday and to be honest I would have only changed O9 for Gooch. Gooch was one of our better players yesterday in a poor team performance so what do I know. Denver Hume's crossing was poor but at the back who was there to support him nobody. I dont think McGeady is fit. I think unless we change the system to suit Grigg will never fit in. But at the end of the day it is the 1st match of the season. There were only 2 players in that starting 11 yesterday who played for us at Wembley so I am more than happy to give them time to get it right. I think they will.
