1-1 for me too! Pretty much how I saw the game - when we weren't on top though we were bloody awful. I feel for Dykes, he's really isolated and is given such poor service it's no wonder he looks pony. He wasn't scared to get stuck in with the monsters in Stokes defence though. I've watched his games for Scotland, and he's a completely different player so something's amiss - either our set-up, tactics or he's struggling with settling into the English game (it's a lot different playing in the Championship and playing in the SPL). I hope it'll click for him soon, but we'll probably see the best of him next season - it took Eze over a year to find his feet....
Dykes is too isolated. He was thirty yards away from some of our nearest players tonight. Maybe one idea is to get him to drop deeper puling the central defenders with him. Get the ball into him and get runners going behind into the space that the central defenders have vacated.
Other than Chair, and Amos who ran but hardly scored at will, we don't have a runner that I've seen since Amos got injured. Carroll great with the ball, but doesnt seem to do that, Willock tires too quick, as does Albert. I hope for a new striker and a strong fit, box to box midfielder in January. If only we could put in the simple but effective crosses Stoke managed easily down on our right yesterday. Ball will run but not often into the box, Cameron did well again I thought but he wouldn't last making too many runs.
Less emotional overnight response. A point towards safety against the Stoke Neanderthals who were occasionally bettered in the air by Cameron and Dykes but more so by Dickie without whom we may well have lost. Dykes had the one chance to get us in front but I'm afraid he fluffed his lines. We soaked up enormous pressure for about 25 mins during which I was certain Stoke would score but, thankfully, did not. We then had perhaps 10 mins of applying some pressure ourselves but, typified by Chair's wayward shot, never looked like scoring. A point against the big lunks that are Stoke is probably no bad thing. Were it not for the context of losing to Bees thanks to unbelievably poor ref and inviting Reading into the 'have a pop for free' QPR generosity, not to mention the debacle against Huddersfield etc etc, most of us would have been happy with that point last night. I genuinely don't know whether MW out is best or not. Ultimately I just want to see us win a bit more which should not be too much to ask! If MW has to go for us to achieve that, so be it!
I think Warbs recognised that we absolutely could not afford to lose that game last night. It was an awful watch as a spectacle, but thought Dieng, Dickie and Chair in particular looked very good. Just have to see it as a point gained and move on.
I think you’re right about MW taking a point. I thought Dieng does continue to be good; I didn’t think it was Dickies best game (but I definitely like him as a new CB in the Campionship for us, he will get better - please stop pulling attackers in the box though); Chair was OK for a half, but he’s not our midfield creator yet (still uncertain he will be - but love to be proved wrong). Next game we have to win I’m afraid - pressure piling up.
We were trying that yesterday. Three times Dykes came ( with his defender) for the long ariel ball and nodded it backwards and on..and Chair was running into the space in front...I remember it working perfectly once...and chair getting away. The trouble is everything creative comes from Chair, and he can't do it all. But he is so much a better player than he was at the start of the season... We need someone else creative in midfield. It maybe Willock in the future but it is not Adomeh
It’s just all very average tbh. And, for this season, I’ll accept average if it comes with a safely average mid-table position. But we absolutely must kick-on next season. But I fear we are more precariously positioned than any of us would like to see right now.
Agree, "precariously positioned" is dead right. A damn disappointing season so far. Sorry to be so gloomy, but the inability to score goals is one hell of a worry. The defence has performed well IMHO, but they are being let down by their team mates up front?
