"Papering over the cracks"

[marcusblackcat]

Every win this season I see "well that papers over the cracks"

How many cracks are there? We are a point from an automatic promotion spot after 10 games (with a game in hand on a few above).

I'm not saying it's been good to watch - it mostly hasn't but there have been a couple of promising games and some promising moments in games.

These cracks:

GK - didn't inspire confidence prior to his penalty save but looks like it's given him a boost

Defence - as good as anyone's in the league - goals conceded 7 in 10 games.

Midfield - Pretty decent with a bit of cover. Nothing massively flash just hard working. Power and Dobson as back up

Up front - Wyke is scoring goals - 4 in 7 starts in the league which is a good % return at any level

We're sitting in a good position and doing OK. It'd be lovely to see slick passing football for 90 minutes every week but that simply doesn't happen at this level.

 

[Mad Dog]

We are going to get a good hiding off someone soon, we are truly shocking to watch. The amount of unforced errors we produce in games is a joke and other than the Portsmouth game haven’t really been punished. We will come unstuck soon enough if these problems aren’t rectified quickly.

 

[Disco down under]

Doesn't sound like we're great. Fortunately I don't think you need to be all that great to get out of this league.

 

[Blyth_bucaneer]

Was never really any fear of big teams in the premier league, was almost universal acceptance of a defeat. Fast forward a few years, fans fearing the mighty Peterborough, the sleeping giant of Pompey and the absolute terror of a tonking by Accrington. What the fcuk has happened man.

 

[Huds0n]

Every win this season I see "well that papers over the cracks"

How many cracks are there? We are a point from an automatic promotion spot after 10 games (with a game in hand on a few above).

I'm not saying it's been good to watch - it mostly hasn't but there have been a couple of promising games and some promising moments in games.

These cracks:

GK - didn't inspire confidence prior to his penalty save but looks like it's given him a boost

Defence - as good as anyone's in the league - goals conceded 7 in 10 games.

Midfield - Pretty decent with a bit of cover. Nothing massively flash just hard working. Power and Dobson as back up

Up front - Wyke is scoring goals - 4 in 7 starts in the league which is a good % return at any level

We're sitting in a good position and doing OK. It'd be lovely to see slick passing football for 90 minutes every week but that simply doesn't happen at this level.

The keeper was at fault for the goal last night, should have been a basic save. Regardless of how much space the defence gave him, it was a pretty basic save for a professional keeper.

Defence has looked solid, granted, but we still need Willis back desperately.

Disagree completely on the midfield. It’s slow, laboured players playing slow, laboured football. We’ve got a collection of central midfielders who are all pretty much the same player. No pace, no creativity, no height, no strength.

Wyke has hit a bit of form, which is good because usually he couldn’t hit a barn door. We managed to sign someone slower than Wyke as his replacement in Graham, and **** knows what has happened to Grigg.

The cracks are massive, 6 points from the last 2 games is of course brilliant. However, in both games we’ve needed a penalty against 10 men to get the wins, as before those incidents we haven’t looked like getting the winner. I’m happy that we’re winning, but still hugely concerned at the manner of performances. I wouldn’t call us lucky, because I believe you make your own luck, but at some points the red cards and penalties aren’t going to come, and I don’t believe we have the quality either on the pitch or in the dugout to get the required points to get promotion.

 

[Evil Jimmy Krankie]

We are going to get a good hiding off someone soon, we are truly shocking to watch. The amount of unforced errors we produce in games is a joke and other than the Portsmouth game haven’t really been punished. We will come unstuck soon enough if these problems aren’t rectified quickly.

Do you ever say anything positive? You must be a proper laugh in your house.

 

[marcusblackcat]

We are going to get a good hiding off someone soon, we are truly shocking to watch. The amount of unforced errors we produce in games is a joke and other than the Portsmouth game haven’t really been punished. We will come unstuck soon enough if these problems aren’t rectified quickly.

1 unforced error last night. 1!

 

[Bigmackem]

The keeper was at fault for the goal last night, should have been a basic save. Regardless of how much space the defence gave him, it was a pretty basic save for a professional keeper.

Defence has looked solid, granted, but we still need Willis back desperately.

Disagree completely on the midfield. It’s slow, laboured players playing slow, laboured football. We’ve got a collection of central midfielders who are all pretty much the same player. No pace, no creativity, no height, no strength.

Wyke has hit a bit of form, which is good because usually he couldn’t hit a barn door. We managed to sign someone slower than Wyke as his replacement in Graham, and **** knows what has happened to Grigg.

The cracks are massive, 6 points from the last 2 games is of course brilliant. However, in both games we’ve needed a penalty against 10 men to get the wins, as before those incidents we haven’t looked like getting the winner. I’m happy that we’re winning, but still hugely concerned at the manner of performances. I wouldn’t call us lucky, because I believe you make your own luck, but at some points the red cards and penalties aren’t going to come, and I don’t believe we have the quality either on the pitch or in the dugout to get the required points to get promotion.

Are we to blame for players putting in bad tackles and getting sent off , in fairness to the referee in both games he was very close to the incidents and pulled out the red card . We took advantage in both games = 6 points . We have played a lot of the top sides and have lost 1 game and we imploded against Portsmouth causing a lot of our own problems, other games that we have drawn we could have won . Accept we are in EFL1 we have EFL1 players and the standard is EFL1, we are 4 points behind the top side Peterborough with a game in hand , worthy of mention we have already beaten them this season .You’re right you make your own luck , if this makes us a lucky team long may it continue it makes a change .

 

[Sunderpitt]

Red cards and penalties, have been in our favour the last few games that has helped us enormously.

Wyke has scored a few goals and is proving better than I thought he would, long may it continue... The keeper is slightly better than I thought, he could have got a stronger hand to their goal last night, but the main fault were the players who let their scorer wander into our pen area unmarked.

I still do not think Jurassic is helping the team...

So on balance its good to have the points and to be in the table where we are.

I still have huge doubts about our strikers and manager, before I can be optimistic about promotion.

 

[polyphemus]

Do you ever say anything positive? You must be a proper laugh in your house.

There seems to be a type of 'supporter' who is only happy when they can moan.
No doubt Liverpool, last Season, had a hard core who grumbled at their failure to win the FA and League Cup's.
And there must be a few of these types at The SSoL, because some of them somehow always sit close to ME!!!!

The fact that we are a third League team, and one that every other Side in this League wants to beat, passes them by.
Apparently we have 'third level' players.
Really. And I suppose that the likes of Messi have been queuing up to take a pay cut and join us.
It also seems to have passed them by that we have a third level budget.

Personaly I wonder if our habit of changing Manager on a regular basis might be connected to our current plight? But we also have a group who are suggesting, (after each defeat), that we do this yet again.

Can you imaging the unhapiness from this collection of disgruntled souls, were we to be struggling?

 

[marcusblackcat]

Personaly I wonder if our habit of changing Manager on a regular basis might be connected to our current plight? But we also have a group who are suggesting, (after each defeat), that we do this yet again.

Not just after a defeat mate! After a decent draw and a hard fought but unpretty win!!

 

[marcusblackcat]

We are going to get a good hiding off someone soon, we are truly shocking to watch. The amount of unforced errors we produce in games is a joke and other than the Portsmouth game haven’t really been punished. We will come unstuck soon enough if these problems aren’t rectified quickly.

Pick me a game where we were lucky not to get battered?

and by that, I mean a game where the opposition had more chances than we did. You can’t argue saying “they had this chance and that chance” and ignore the fact that we also had similar chances and also failed to score. The argument has to sit on its own.

a large number of our fans said they should’ve scored their chance we gave them last night.

Same fans completely ignore that Wyke should have had at least 2, if not a Hattrick.

 

[sad-eyed prophet]

There seems to be a type of 'supporter' who is only happy when they can moan.
No doubt Liverpool, last Season, had a hard core who grumbled at their failure to win the FA and League Cup's.
And there must be a few of these types at The SSoL, because some of them somehow always sit close to ME!!!!

The fact that we are a third League team, and one that every other Side in this League wants to beat, passes them by.
Apparently we have 'third level' players.
Really. And I suppose that the likes of Messi have been queuing up to take a pay cut and join us.
It also seems to have passed them by that we have a third level budget.

Personaly I wonder if our habit of changing Manager on a regular basis might be connected to our current plight? But we also have a group who are suggesting, (after each defeat), that we do this yet again.

Can you imaging the unhapiness from this collection of disgruntled souls, were we to be struggling?

There is no doubt that changing manager almost season by season over the last 10 years has majorly contributed to our current plight,and it is essential that whoever ends up in charge of this club from here on realises that a longer term approach is required,with sound appointments being made for the right reasons and them being given the time to achieve our objectives,even though the graph of success may not always be without its' dips.
As for this season so far,whilst it's been decent and we are handily placed, I think the main problem is that our play is by and large turgid and uninspiring. In our very first foray into this division,and most of the players,as now,were at their level in the league, I remember performances that were just as turgid, but there was always the feeling that we had it in our locker to click and put the opposition away. There were many times that season when the football wasn't great,but you just knew we were going to win and sometimes to win well. I don't think that same feeling is there this season.....I don't feel that confidence....and we have got a bit lucky. If I was an Ipswich fan I'd be livid with the sending off,and with the penalty.......both were harsh. Now I know that over a season luck largely evens itself out and we've had our share too,but we don't feel convincing,and we need to be if we're to beat the likes of Charlton and Peterborough. I'd like to see the players with a little more freedom,inventiveness,adventure in their play. Charlie is getting goals at long last,but he still looks a bit wooden to me. I'd like to see more mobility in our creative play.

 

[Smug in Boots]

All L1 teams are full of cracks ...

... Lincoln were top of the league but were battered at home last night.

We've only lost one game, despite playing the top teams, have MK Dons at home next and what looks like a good December.

I expect us to be top two by the end of the year.

 

[Brian Storm]

Nobody goes up without winning ugly, we're winning ugly and in a good position so I don't see the problem personally

 

[Mackem74]

We are going to get a good hiding off someone soon, we are truly shocking to watch. The amount of unforced errors we produce in games is a joke and other than the Portsmouth game haven’t really been punished. We will come unstuck soon enough if these problems aren’t rectified quickly.

Dont talk rubbish. Ipswich played 'well' last night and had one chance and one other effort. We are competitive in every game and have not been dominated by another team to suggest a hammering.
If you are going to be negative at least back it up with some evidence

 

[Bigmackem]

All L1 teams are full of cracks ...

... Lincoln were top of the league but were battered at home last night.

We've only lost one game, despite playing the top teams, have MK Dons at home next and what looks like a good December.

I expect us to be top two by the end of the year.

Nice to have some positivity from some posters , their are some doom mongers who even when we win still moan . 1 loss in 10 is a good return , important we keep on the 2 points per game level , drop below that and our promotion ambitions will recede . Drop our level and the doom mongers will be crowding round with their pitchforks at the ready . All in all we are used to better players , better sides but we are where we are , the current side though not as talented are hard working and honest and are trying their best .

 

[Mackem74]

Every win this season I see "well that papers over the cracks"

How many cracks are there? We are a point from an automatic promotion spot after 10 games (with a game in hand on a few above).

I'm not saying it's been good to watch - it mostly hasn't but there have been a couple of promising games and some promising moments in games.

These cracks:

GK - didn't inspire confidence prior to his penalty save but looks like it's given him a boost

Defence - as good as anyone's in the league - goals conceded 7 in 10 games.

Midfield - Pretty decent with a bit of cover. Nothing massively flash just hard working. Power and Dobson as back up

Up front - Wyke is scoring goals - 4 in 7 starts in the league which is a good % return at any level

We're sitting in a good position and doing OK. It'd be lovely to see slick passing football for 90 minutes every week but that simply doesn't happen at this level.

Burge is horrendous. He should have saved that last night and generally is a car crash waiting to happen. Matthew's must be truly awful if he cant get in ahead of him

 

[Montysoptician]

We have top half League 1 players playing in League 1, I don’t expect us to waltz through games and any win is going to be hard fought.

In every game we play, the opposition manager has done his homework and set his side up to get something out of the game, opposition players are not going to roll over and let us play the way we want to, so we have to win our battles before we can strut our stuff.

My concern is about our lack of pace and 20 goals per season player, but our three at the back and wingbacks go some way to compensate for the lack of pace and I reckon the strength in depth of our squad will see us through the fixture congestion of a shortened season.

We are just ahead of our points target despite playing Peterborough, Oxford, Portsmouth, Charlton and Ipswich who most people expect to be up there at the end of the season so I feel quietly confident we will have a decent season

 

[Smug in Boots]

We have top half League 1 players playing in League 1, I don’t expect us to waltz through games and any win is going to be hard fought. In every game we play, the opposition manager has done his homework and set his side up to get something out of the game, opposition players are not going to roll over and let us play the way we want to, so we have to win our battles before we can strut our stuff. My concern is about our lack of pace and 20 goals per season player, but our three at the back and wingbacks go some way to compensate for the lack of pace and I reckon the strength in depth of our squad will see us through the fixture congestion of a shortened season.
We are just ahead of our points target despite playing Peterborough, Oxford, Portsmouth, Charlton and Ipswich who most people expect to be up there at the end of the season so I feel quietly confident we will have a decent season

Quite right mate, plenty of doom was mongered before we even kicked off.

Before Christmas we have 5 home games we should realistically expect points from and nothing to be frightened of away. No doubt pessimists might say 'yes the easier games mean nothing, that's where we'll mess up'. Fair enough, people are entitled to always look on the black side.

• MK Dons - H
• Doncaster Rovers - A
• Fleetwood Town - A
• Burton - H
• Wigan - H
• Lincoln - A
• Wimbledon - H
• Shrewsbury - A
• Blackpool - H

I think we'll see Sanderson and McFadzean pushing for places and they have experience, pace and strength.

The squad is certainly better with them there.