After gradually introducing style to go with results in the last few months we have reverted back to pointless hoofball for the last two matches and have looked a lot poorer as a result. There has been arguments about not being sensible trying to out play our past 2 opponents but personally I think that is crap. Pointless hoofing leads to the opponents gaining control of the ball that much quicker whereas you can actually pass sensibly, retain the ball and still be tight. The most telling thing for me was that we actually looked better when mings came on and made runs. Just don't understand what has happened.
Last night we had very little width which resulted in very few crosses which starved Murphy and McG of chances which meant we didn't carry a goal threat, ok the Midfield was a bit makeshift but to play the whole match without a worthwhile effort on target was poor by any standards, I know Southampton had only one chance but they scored with it. This is the second successive home match weve played where we haven't scored or even looked like scoring and have gone on to lose, as someone said earlier have we been found out? Have teams worked out that if Murphy and McG are starved of service its unlikely anyone else will score? The standard of our passing was woeful especially from midfield just as it was against Derby, hopefully MM will correct this soon enough for Saturdays game at Millwall or at least get some reinforcements in the January window. I didn't expect us to win last night but I did expect a better performance than weve seen over the last 2 matches, dare I say but it reminded me of the bad old days of not so long ago.
Come on lads, it's been two games, against decent teams, and suddenly we're poor again. So the last two games had more long balls than the ones previous, big deal. We haven't been tonked or outplayed by Derby or Southampton and now everybody's venting again. You won't see silky football every week, everyone won't be good every game and we won't score every week.
FieldMarshall, I agree with you - and I don't. Everything you said is true but those last two games were the hardest we've had all season and we lost both by solitary goals, notwithstanding that another official on a different day could have made decisions that might have swung either or both games our way despite our performances not being that great. Or, actually, a bit ****. I don't think we've been found out so much as worn out, especially McG, and neither do I think we played quite as much hoofball as we tell ourselves; rather, I think that we've tuned into looking for it, the way you suddenly notice loads of cars like the one you just bought. That's isn't to say that I think it's okay, because I don't, but if it gets us out of the championship then bring it on. I thought there was a lot of passing around, too, but the problem there was that it wasn't very good... Oh for a Clive Woods, or a Kevin O'Callaghan... now those two could put in a cross!
FieldMarshall, I agree with you - and I don't. Everything you said is true but those last two games were the hardest we've had all season and we lost both by solitary goals, notwithstanding that another official on a different day could have made decisions that might have swung either or both games our way despite our performances not being that great. Or, actually, a bit ****. I don't think we've been found out so much as worn out, especially McG, and neither do I think we played quite as much hoofball as we tell ourselves; rather, I think that we've tuned into looking for it, the way you suddenly notice loads of cars like the one you just bought. That's isn't to say that I think it's okay, because I don't, but if it gets us out of the championship then bring it on. I thought there was a lot of passing around, too, but the problem there was that it wasn't very good... Oh for a Clive Woods, or a Kevin O'Callaghan... now those two could put in a cross!
That could have been phrased better but I did it from my phone and couldn't see where to delete it after posting
