We were second best all over the pitch today. No urgency and zero creativity. I really think Marti doesn't know his best eleven and some selections just don't work. We were lucky to get a point today and should be thankful Frey has found some scoring form. Millwall must be kicking themselves they let that one get away. We need to start winning or it'll be another nervous season. Anyone know how Chair is progressing?...
Apparently we're the only team across the EFL and PL to have played all of their home games in the early slot so far.
That's a good session. I would have liked to have stayed but would have been a total mess after a very long day yesterday. Post match better than actual match today.
Just back and a bit pished, that was awful, Andersen (as been said) would have pissed me off if I watched a council park match. Madsen was only better because I didn't notice him at all. The one and only time we moved the ball at pace we scored yet no one realised that that was the way forward. Field I think I saw in the warm up. Smith has the control of Hezbollah communications. Even the Millwall support was disappointing and mild. Looking for positives, we got a point when we didn't deserve one
I had ham, egg and chips in Spoons before the game and they under-charged me so there was also that. Was surprisingly edible too.
Ok, normal services returned. A boring draw. No attack. Mid table obscurity. Looks like we’re back home for a while. The QPR way. Well, l guess that’s better than thrashing it out in the relegation zone.
Far too slow, every pattern of play is the same ... Nardi to Cook who knocks it out wide to Dunne, who passes back to Cook, who squares it to JCD who passes it out to the left to Paal, who passes it to Field who passes it back to Nardi ... and repeat. So boring and it's like watching Swansea from twelve years ago under Rodgers. I think the honeymoon period is over with El Cif but having said that this graphic shows the difference between Ainsworth and Critchley's tenure compared to Cifuentes who has been in charge for the same amount of games as his predecessors ... Post match drinks were great though please log in to view this image
I think our main problem was that Millwall didnt press us at the back but had 2 rows of 3 players only about 10 - 15 yards apart blocking the midfield. We had good technical players there in Andersen and Madsen but not much pace and we struggled to play through those blocks. Dembele and Saito have a bit of pace over short distances further forward but we weren't able to release them enough, though when we did we were dangerous. I think Madsen and Varane look like good aquisitions but I don't know of any box to box midfield player on our books capable of carrying the ball through that midfield area with both skill and pace. Like a Gerry Francis in his prime and probably with a multi- million price tag.
As always Marti gave an honest description of the game and performance, and makes sense. Unlike the garbage that came out of our previous managers mouths. He appears to know our deficiencies and is working on them, it will just take a little time. And I trust that he will eventually get it right. Rome wasn't built in a day!
Good that we’re picking up points while we’re playing badly and hopefully Marti can sort it out. If we didn’t have Chair coming back I’d be worried but we do and I think that will give the team the lift it needs.
I am quite excited to see Chair and Dembele link up. Seeing how Dembele played for Blackpool and given Frey’s strengths and weaknesses he has to play in the middle. Other than Smyth or maybe Santos there’s no one really suited to playing on the right. The big problem for me yesterday was the midfield. Got to give Madsen time but he doesn’t seem mobile or defensively aware enough to play in a two. Varane I like as an enforcer type but he’s chronically lacking with the ball so despite the signings it’s probably got to be Kamikaze Kolback for now when fit.
The main problem with yesterday’s performance for me was that it was chronically boring and totally predictable. The main excitement was from the jeopardy involved in passing the ball across the back line forever. Makes easy for me to miss the trip down to watch Hull on a Tuesday evening. Mix it up FFS.
It's not too difficult for any opposition to shuffle across as the ball is played across our back line. We were effectively playing 3 across that line but stupidly kept the positional play of a 4, as Paal was moving into midfield. The channels became wider and through balls from Millwall more frequent. Millwall are an ugly team, any hint of a free kick, anywhere on the pitch and they send their giants up for a long ball. We bring everyone back. We should leave Dembele and Saito up the pitch for an out ball. The Danes were poor yesterday, Anderson seems to **** himself when faced with a decision to make and Madsen was pretty non existent. This game wasn't as boring as Sheff wed away but was still ****ing tedious.
Talking elsewhere...I was actually wondering about this "we need a playmaker discussion" Just maybe we played the way we do because we did not have/ believe in, our no9. ( Dykes or Armstrong) "He won't score if I give it to him...so will try myself"....mentality of the support players I am hoping as Frey gets better, as I think he will/ is, then the playmakers will trust him more...and make more chances for him...and as a knock on for themselves Crosses from Smyth/ Saito and the wing backs...passes into the box from Chair and Dembele and the midfield. Maybe we have the pieces...they just need to go for it.
Totally agree about leaving 1 or 2 players up the pitch from opposition corners and free kicks. We did it under Warburton i think.
We are conceding a lot less though, especially at set pieces. I guess that may justify the mentality. I agree a quick release and bodies up when we get position would be nice though.
