alwaysright, MK had 61% possession whilst playing with only 10 men, last week Crewe had 59% possession and they were very poor, whilst we did win both of these games, when up against better opposition we can't afford to keep giving possession away so easily without conceding goals. Another post above speaks of Kedwell, is he midfield or a striker? if he's a striker then 1 goal from open play in 10 games is very Dennis Oli standard. MA the great tactician, so why shout to the mega slow defenders to push up when against a team with so much pace. I am trying not to be to critical and live up to my grumpy name but at the moment we are just not going to survive without new players.
grumpygit I have seen all of our games and I am well aware of our shortcomings. They still exist. Possession statistics ( unless you are Barcelona ) doesn't always tell the whole story. It wasn't Gills' fault that Crewe were poor. Yes they had 59% of the ball - but virtually all of the meaningful possesssion was that of The Gills - who had proper threat on goal - Crewe had one decent, long distance strike. Once we went 3-0 with 20/25 minutes to play, it was obvious that Allen instructed the players to protect the clean sheet. Gills allowed Crewe to keep the ball for virtually all of the remainder of the game ( hence 59%) - but they went nowhere with it. I suppose I can't blame Allen for wanting to protect the scoreline - even if I felt we could have gone on to make BSG's prediction ( 5-0 ) come true. MKD are far better than Crewe. I would have liked for us to dominate the play after they went to 10 men - but - I will credit MKD's tactics. At 0-2 down they had 'nothing to lose' and 'went for it'. Our winning goal came with 31+6 minutes to play. Our reluctance to attack with any real conviction - especially after the injury to their goalkeeper, can only have been as a result of the orders of Allen - not to throw away another lead. ( hence 61%) Again I was frustrated that we didn't go on to improve our goal difference - but I can see it from the viewpoint of the manager. ** I have always thought that if you kept possession of the ball, the opposition couldn't score ! At least in the two games that we have won we have not resorted to hoofball - actually passing it - reasonably quickly - and creating more goalcsoring opportunities. The fact that the opposition had to hack down our players ( Lee several times last week ) shows that we're doing something right. I will be satisfied ( for this season ) if we can replicate the positive aspects of our last two games - we wont set the division alight - but should be able to finish in mid table.
Has anyone considered that our strike force might be all wrong? I love all our strikers and respect them but that does not make them right for the team. Ked's I've always argued is more a midfield player. Bayo is a good combination but just to slow although his size will cause havoc in a box. Cody is currently not switched on. Moving to the flanks...Weston has pace but is either holding his ground rather than chasing it, he's to weak to push past opposition close down. Charlie Lee is the only top notch if he can avoid a card. Then that leaves us young Bradley Dack...a tall order when the more experienced one's cannot capitalise on a hobbled keeper. Coming away yesterday I think the biggest shock for me was MK were down to ten men and I know that can make teams stronger but when the opposition then have to task a man to take the goal kicks and protect his keeper, it is very worrying we did not take the bit between the teeth and crush them without sympathy. We had a brilliant opening 15 minutes so do we need to start questioning fitness?
alwaysright I hope your right that we can finish mid-table, or anywhere above the relegation zone, unfortunately at the moment we're on target for something like 45/6 points. My concern with the possession stats is that with a spare man we should be able to retain possession and just pass the ball around without necessarily chasing for another goal.
brb I share your concerns about the strikers (though Cody has 3 goals in 10 games and hasn't started them all and also earnt the penalties) but I also worry about a midfield that is being out scored by defenders! before yesterday Dack was the only midfield goal.
Just don't get me started. This is the single-most idiotic tactic I have ever heard of, and yet we (and many other teams) continue to do it. EPL teams do it, it's madness. Why on earth can't 7, 8 or 9 men defend a corner??? And as alwaysright says, leaving all 10 back there is then no outlet. The ball comes straight back immediately. Even if your keeper catches it, he has to hold it and waste time before your team can move forward, allowing the opposition to get back in defensive formation. Most teams who get a corner, leave 2x defenders back. If you leave 1 or 2 strikers up top, they will then leave 2, 3 or 4 back. Simple maths. It is doubly astonishing to hear we had all 10 back at corners when the opposition had only 10 men and an injured keeper to protect. If someone can give me a decent, logical explanation (that makes sense) of why lots of teams defend corners with the whole team back, I'd be delighted.
SirKeefy I'm completely with you on this one. The attacking team is generally down the corner taker and the keeper when taking a corner so why pack the box with your whole team when defending it???? Leave the quickest player forward as an outlet for a quick counter attack at the very least.
Yes we have got the front line wrong, we keep playing Cody! Always and Itstimupnorth are well aware of my thoughts on our "big summer signing" and I am sad to say he performances this season are supporting my view
BSG I would have to agree that Cody's form isn't what I'd like ( & a few thousands of other Gills fans ) - but in the Bradford game I saw some improvement. Was this because of his pairing ( at long last ) with Akinfenwa ? - they showed signs of their previous understanding. Things went downhill after substitutions were made. Cody ( until very recently ) hasn't been starting games - which I'm sure hasn't helped him. Against Crewe Cody made hard work of scoring his goal - but he should be given credit for its' success ! ( not sure if any of the other forwards would have scored that goal ) Against MKD Cody was again not paired up with Bayo - but ( despite an overall indifferent display ), Cody created the 2 penalties. He definitely needs a little more time - and perhaps the correct pairing to give him better service. Unless your name is Messi, as a striker, you are not going to score unless you are given proper service.
He's still got 3 goals in 10 games (not started all of them either), plus the two pens he's earned. He's probably also got an assist or 2 in there as well. So it's not all doom and gloom from Cody. I still reckon he will get 15+ goals this season if he stays fit (and gets fitter?).
SirKeefy - I'm not usually shy ! - but I thought, on this occasion, I would tone my displeasure with Martin Allen's team selection and tactics. Although Cody isn't (yet) quite what he was - I am sure that Allen's decisions on personnel and play has cost us more points than they should have done. We have adopted a more passing game in our latest two matches. This has been beneficial to Cody - who scored against Crewe and was heavily involved ( in the first half ) against MKD. Any striker needs the right partner/ and or style of play to compliment their natural talents - this hasn't been happening - and it's not Cody's fault.
It seems to me everybody has got a list of excuses to defend Cody, a comfort that so many other players don't receive. While I agree that tactics haven't always been to Cody's liking the choice of strike partner shouldn't be used as an excuse, he frankly isn't good enough to have a team built around him. Simply put would you play Bayo ahead of an inform Keds JUST to make Cody look better? (If the answer is yes then you need to get your head checked (or out of Cody's behind)). I think players should be picked on form not reputation and for me Cody has looked a yard or two off the pace so far this season, and I don't think being hacked down by an overzealous centreback is an achievement
So if I've got you right, Cody 3 goals, Bayo 2 goals, Keds who's played more than anyone 1 goal. Yet Keds is the best of the 3. yer right!
Aren't you forgetting the two penalties fro Saturday? Fair point but Kedwell is a deep lying forward who links up the play between the midfield and forwards so is not expected to score as many goals as an out and out striker, such as Cody
BSG by the time I have expended emotion towards Scally and voiced displeasure with the manager, I have gone too soft to overly complain about individual players. If you wish me to make comment about 'in form' Kedwell - I will. He was brought to the club to play as a main striker. His goals per game ratio is poor. Too often ( other from penalties ) he has shown little ability to shoot straight. ( I know he's not on his own in this matter .) For a long time last season he appeared to be overweight and too slow. but Kedwell has improved. His duties are not primarily as a front man. He often pops up with defensive headers and puts in a lot more work. I have little complaint with what he brings to the team. Cody ( I've already said more detrimental things about him than Kedwell - check my posts - so I am not performing a personal colonic irrigation for Cody ) In fact I have criticised the Brilliant Nelson ( 2nd goal for Coventry ) more than I have criticised Kedwell.- ( before my aforesaid comments in this post ). Cody is not what he was. However he isn't being played to his strengths - nor supported correctly. This is not the fault of Kedwell - because the tactics we employ when Cody & Danny are on the pitch do not compliment each other - in the same way as Cody & Bayo ( as we saw small examples v Bradford ). The hoofball tactics that we have ( disasterously ) used in some of our games has done NO favour to ANY of the players - least of all any of them who were being asked / expected to score goals. In the last two games we have started to pass the ball a LOT more - and surprise, surprise we have scored six goals. Kedwell has played well - and Cody has been a lot more involved . Flanagan was NOT overzealous - he got 'done' by Cody - who looked ineffectual in the second half - probably as much to do with our negative tactics after we went 3-2 up. To be totally honest - if we are going to be negative in any of our games, I would use Akinfenwa. He has the ability to be a nuisance for defenders, can hold up the ball - with the hope that others can join up. I wouldn't be confident to use either Kedwell or McD as a lone front man - although, on the rare occasion that Cody would get the right ball, I would feel more confident that he would score ( Crewe - long ball from Hollands ? ) - whereas Kedwell would find row Z. ---- but those passes have been rare ( real lack of midfield creativity ) --- so I wouldn't want to see McDonald on his own - nor would I want any of the strikers used on their own up front. Tommy Trublu hasn't been a lot of good this season ! ( too much hoofball ) - there you go - not in love with Cody, Kedwell, Bayo, Martin Allen - certainly not Scally.
alwaysright You've put the point beautifully, none of our front men have set the world alight and none are currently better than the other. I'm also colour blind that text should have been black.
Always you know my views on Cody well, and you also know he almost won me over on the short spell he had with us last season, but he simply hasn't cut the mustard so far this season. This is where is gets confusing, he slotted in well last season, using similar tactics as we are this season, so why has he struggled? He seems to be a fox in the box in L2 but less ineffective in L1 and not for the first time. As for Keds, yes he was brought in for as a main striker, by a former manager but that is not his role under MA. Yes everything you say about his shooting is true, but he is better in the air and, dare I say it, a more intelligent player than Cody. Over the last few seasons the team, as a whole, seems to play better when Keds is in the team; he may not be a prolific goal scorer but he is certainly a valuable asset. I have a hunch he may get more goals this season than he did last season
The one test I would like to see in our strike force is Weston. I've said before he has the pace but it is lost on the wing. He get's himself cornered against strong defenders. He needs to play a more free role in the centre where his weaknesses cannot be exploited. There is one game we appeared to do this and can't remember when it was but he scored (maybe last season). Hence why I felt Cody was a strange selection for return, we already had a player that could compete for that role. Then we could have gone in for another winger on the saved budget of Cody. We always want to create the past instead of moving forward and to me it seemed the strangest decision by MA to go against his general policy for last season, bringing in his own, instead of a recreation of Hessy which pleases the supporters. Other options is playing all three in the same game, Keds midfield and Cody and Bayo up front. But if I was the manager I would either be looking for another pace striker or another winger with strength as well has ability. Another thing I don't like is Weston holding his ground, MA needs to let him free and see what happens. I just find it so frustrating watching. I've always been an admirer of Charlie Lee's commitment and mentality but this season it is evident even more...why?...because he is demonstrating what we are lacking in the team for league one.
