So far this season, the team who scores first in our games have gone on to win. We have had 1 draw which was 0-0. Game 1 vs Exeter: ............. Exeter scored 1st and won 2-1. Game 2 vs Watford: .......... Watford scored 1st and won 3-1. Game 3 vs Scunthorpe: ..... This game ended 0-0. Game 4 vs Newport: .......... Newport scored 1st and won 1-0. Game 5 vs York: ................. We scored 1st and won 3-2 Game 6 vs Northampton: ... We scored 1st and won 1-0. Game 7 vs City: .................. City scored 1st and won 2-1. Game 8 vs Plymouth: ......... Plymouth scored 1st and won. The 2 games we have won so far, we have scored very early. Clarkson after 3 mins vs York and Lockyer after 2 mins vs Northampton. Our League home form: Won 2, Drew 1 and Lost 0. Scored 4 and Conceded 2. Our League away form: Won 0, Drew 0 and Lost 3. Scored 1 (vs Exeter 1st game of the season - over a month ago) and Conceded 4. Why is our home and away form so very different? At home: We set out to attack from kick off and try get that early goal. We then go defensive to soak up the pressure as the opposition tries to get back in the game. We hang on to keep the lead and play counter attacking football in hope we get another goal. We didnt get that break through vs Scunthorpe so sat back playing the defensive game, defended well, played counter attack and just hung on. Away: We are way too defensive. We dont attack from the kick off. Ward likes his men to sit back to soak up the expected home sides pressure so we play counter attack. We invite the pressure but unfortunately we dont have the ability to play counter attacking football as we have no pace, no final quality and no flair. So the pressure builds from the home side and we buckle and just dont have enough about us to get back into the game. Our home form is good. We go after the early goal and rather do our best to look after the lead and win 1-0 than try and dominate like we did last season under Ward. We do go too defensive and invite pressure. Our away form is poor. We would rather try and draw 0-0 so we dont lose than rather go for a win. We go ultra defensive from the start and invite too much pressure on us. This means there is no possession, no link up play from defense to midfield and midfield to up front as the long ball is applied to take some pressure off the back line. However the ball keeps coming back as were inviting more pressure as we are unable to keep the ball up front. So we struggle and therefore concede. Once we do conceded, we dont have the quality to get that goal back. We do make it hard for ourselves. Clearly we are too defensive home and way too defensive away from home in my opinion. What do you all think??
We're too defensive because we don't score enough goals. If we score first we hang on and defend like mad. I don't think it's really a home v away thing and with our current lack of threat up front I can't really blame us for going defensive. Let's remember that we were shipping goals for fun last season and teams like York were rolling us over. It's inevitable that Ward wants to concentrate on steadying the ship and stop us leaking goals and with our strikers failing to trouble the opposition then I'm certainly not blaming him for his tactics. When Brunt, Harrold and Clarkson start to click, or a loan striker starts pinging them in, then I think we'll do fine, both home and away.
do you think we have enough goals in brunt, harrold and clarkson when they are match fit? who do you think our top scorer will be at the moment and how many goals do you think they each will get?
Bloody hell, you're a bit demanding ain't you No, not enough goals from those three, although we keep saying that Richard is due a breakthrough season, so he needs to get 15 this season. Brunt will be top scorer with 16. Harrold 12, Clarky 10. That's why we need a good young loanee and for the likes of Harrison, Santos and JJOT to start weighing in with some from midfield.
After two successive losses against West Country rivals, the very last thing I want to be is serious!
we also to exeter - west country rival. newport local rival. we aint that good against local rivals are we!!
