A point away against a team that is likely to be in and around the play offs is not bad. Now for Sunday…..
I think Greaves and O'Shea look worse in the Champ than they did in the Prem. Couple of Lummoxes in the middle. Can anyone explain how we've spent millions on certain positions and gone backwards?
A point is probably a fair result. A rather flat, cautious first half turned into a more entertaining second half, but littered with lapses of concentration and some really questionable decision making. I’m just hoping we can kick off the cobwebs, gel together quickly, and turn these draws into wins. A win to lift spirits against Norwich might just be the kickstart this squad needs to get a bit of momentum and confidence going.
The first 20 mins we were superb, flowing forward and looked a class above. Then as so often the case, a stupid goal lets them into the game.For those who were expecting a win, incl myself, lets remind ourselves it was a draw away against a team who finished 6th last season and are currently 5th. Currently we lack a bit of cohesion, with all the expected changes and necessary rotation. Yes, some players puzzle me like Macateer & Nunez, but that's it. Still early days and in the Nov, December, January maelstrom of games things really sort out clubs. We've lost one game in 7 and no club is storming away with the league. Obviously there are still issues to work on, at both ends of the pitch, but some of the negativity on other forums is crazy. A loss of perspective in the circs. This is the championship and we should know better than expecting us to win comfortably every week. Back it up with a win on Sunday and this looks like a very decent point. Bring on the Canaries! When was last time we beat them?
Before the Budgies come over here crowing, we last beat them on 19th April 2009. That was back when Taylor Swift was still in the UK charts for the first time with 'Love Story', but struggling to overhaul Calvin Harris and Lady Gaga at the top. It was also the start of long-running Hollywood series, Fast & Furious, which was still knocking about in some cinemas. Gordon Brown was the Prime Minister and something called Facebook had just overtaken MySpace and Bebo to become the biggest social media platform. Since then, we've played 14 times - 0 wins, 6 draws, and 8 losses. So yeah, a win is long overdue
What a cheating prem ref we had last night- Any Ipswich say this in a penalty -player should have been sent off. You play tidy football but 2 points to the ref last night.
I think O’Shea is doing pretty well but Greaves is not right. He’s a liability. Always outmuscled hitting the deck and whining to the ref. Only looks to the touchline for Davis when bringing the ball forward. Alone in the penalty box and goes backward.
True should never have been a penalty as the ref completely bottled sending McCrorie off at the end of the 1st half, so shouldn't have been on the pitch to give away the penalty.
We didn’t really deserve it on balance from our performance but it was a gift of a stone wall penalty.
O'Shea is giving away far more chances this season than last. Last night he let Armstrong stroll past him with ease, so easy that I thought the ref had blown for a foul or offside
I think we're being a bit harsh on the defence. Greaves underhit a few passes last night but made some key tackles, including a goal saving intervention at the end. O'Shea's mostly been solid, but he was guilty of letting Armstrong through, as ptc says above. I think he thought it was going out for a goal kick, very odd lapse of concentration and a better finisher would've punished us. Having said that, we've conceded seven goals in seven games which is currently the joint-second best record in the division (although most the teams have played a game more). Our main issue isn't at the back or in midfield, but with our lack of creativity. With the benefit of hindsight, I think McKenna rested too many players last night and acted way too late bringing on the substitutes. We need to move the ball quicker away from home and create space for others. Last night we seemed to have too many 'passengers' up top, with Akpom and McAteer having poor games. Maybe they weren't overly familiar with our set-up, but a couple of strangely subdued performances there. Maybe we rested a few key attacking players because the club is targeting that Norwich game and we really want to win it. But out of Portsmouth, Bristol City, and Norwich - Bristol City have been the better team over the last year or so. Potentially a bit of complacency crept into the decision making there. However, if we beat Norwich and get 7 points out of the last available 9 on the board, we'll have had a really good week.
I am showing my age here, lady Gaga is still strutting her stuff but I go back to derby games in 1960s and saw a win for us in 1965 I think, at Carrot rd. No facebook, no mobiles, a 10 min bike ride to buy Sunday paper to read footie scores, no social media, only comms was a landline, no credit cards, cash for tickets and no security at gates. How times have changed! We are due a resounding home win to lift our spirits and go on a top 6 run of form.
Anyone else remember The Green Un and the scramble to buy it as soon as it was available on Saturday evening to read reports on Town's away games?The days before 24 hr media coverage and live commentary!!
We've always been a team that's conceded goals under McKenna except in his first season, its that risk vs reward. Despite this over the years I thought the CB position was one of our strongest areas. The flanks were a weakness (still are) and we often were overrun in midfield (still are). I appreciate the call for patience and given the scenario we are in that's quite right however my frustration is we've spent tonnes of money and in many ways have regressed. The goal we conceded last night I think would have been less likely to happen in our Champ promotion winning team. Davis got caught high up the pitch and Bristol broke down that side, there was very little cover in a space where Luongo used to sit, both Cajuste and Nunez are more attack minded and more likely to dive in, they dont hold their ground. Plus Greaves doesnt look like he knew what to do, unless its a last ditch block/tackle which he's very good at he looks cumbersome. Then in the corner we miss Burgess winning the headers. Both O'Shea and Greaves are more front foot agressive defenders, they seem to like contact with the striker which sometimes means we win the ball back higher up the pitch but it also means they get caught out of position, because they are intent on winning the ball rather than holding position and defensive space. Woolfenden and Burgess defended the space and held position far better and I felt over about a 3 year period they barely put a foot wrong. I've already seen O'Shea and Greaves make a lot of mistakes already this season, as I said particularly in O'Shea's case even more so than in the PL where I thought defensively he barely put a foot wrong.
And yes it was definitely too many changes. I cant think of a game when McKenna has made wholesale changes and weve had a positive performance. We performed best when he fields a settled team and makes 2/3 changes max a game.
We deffo miss Cam's brave headers, in all quarters of defense. Agree with ptc there, one felt confident at every high kick into the area or corner, he would bang it away and take pressure off.
