That nice Mr Lowe says we owe Crewe a thorough beating so that's good enough for me. Thrash them we will........ We have also got that nice Mr Breakspear as the Ref again. Deep joy and red cards all around. COYG
I sincerely hope you will Mr BC. Lets hope we can keep a clean sheet for the first 20 minutes at least this time.
Cooper, Watts, Opoku, Aimson, Fornah, Grant, Edwards, Camara, Mayor, Hardie, Jephcott. Subs McCormick, Wootton, Nouble, Reeves, Telford, Moore, Lewis. Adam Lewis on the bench....will he get a few minutes.
If (IF) we're winning comfortably with 16 to go! Or if we need a goal with 15 to go more likely I expect.
1-0 Jephcott...11 minutes..(Pen)....F/T Why am I a bunch of nerves....just waiting for Crewe to score a second.....phew.....2pts dropped. At 1-1 we looked lost....just no leadership to get us to knuckle down....lucky that Crewe didn't make the most of it. Conor Grant was my MOTM. Only ONE home win today in Div 1.
How words come back to haunt you at times. "Red cards all around" was the prediction with Mr Breakspear in charge and he didn't disappoint. A shed load of yellow cards and a red in a game where there wasn't exactly tackles flying in everywhere. Thought we were a bit unlucky today and their keeper was probably their MOM. We did everything but score the second goal and it wasn't for lack of effort, shots and mainly on target ones at that. On another day we score 3 or 4 easily. As far as the 90 minutes were concerned I thought we had the better of the first half by far and we allowed them back in it in the second by not being so dominant. Our MOM for me was Grant who I thought had his best game for us. Some really decent crosses today and only just missing somebody on the end of a few. Thought Camara was a bit unlucky with his second Red. He didn't exactly hack anyone down and any other Ref might have just given him the benefit of the doubt with a warning rather than producing his cards again. It was however a foul. Camara should have known by that time the Ref would book anyone doing what he did so I suppose it is a bit stupidity as well as a zealous Referee. I think you waiting for them to score a second comes from nervousness that has built up with Argyle over time this season. Have to admit that they always seem to look like they can let another one in. I thought the equaliser came against the run of play a bit. Thought we played well today and it would have been a travesty had we lost.
Can't disagree with any of that sensible. 6 yellow cards in he end for what wasn't a dirty match but I guess a draw was a fair enough result.
The only worry I have with this team is they are nearly men. Not bad but not enough of the killer instinct. They are too nice at times and allow other teams to come back into games before they've killed it off. They sort of nearly make that killer pass and nearly make that killer connection in front of goal or nearly find a rebound in the melee of things. It just doesn't quite come off often enough which is kind of unlucky when you see the rebounds the opposition gets. Actually I do have a second worry at times when they pass it for passing sake around the back line and each thinks they are playing for Barcelona and their team mates are Lionel and chums. You do just wait for that slightly misplaced pass and a panic. Young Cooper has a bit too much trust in his defenders when he plays it out when the receiver is being closed down. Nothing wrong with a big boot at times.
Substitutions should not just be for injuries but for a change of tactics....when was the last time we brought someone on to make a difference.....our substitutions seem to have no purpose and definitely weaken the team. Why do we bring a player on in the last couple of minutes and then play keepy football in the corner....it says to me that although we are the home team all we want to do is make sure we don't lose and not try and win. There is just no leaders and organizers in the team........at least Canavan used to shout a bit.
Fellow 606ers You seem to be more unperturbed than I am. We murdered them in the first half. A second goal didn't come but how did we get from that to being second best in the second half and dropping what looked like a certain 3 points? It's not as if it's the first time that's happened. Ryan Lowe says they tucked their wide players into inside forward type positions in the second half. It's not surprising they changed shape after the mauling the got in the first half but we have to be able to deal with that. Is that all it is though? We were left standing in the cold for several minutes before Crewe came our for the second half. I notice some teams come out early with a coach at half time and do a shortened version of the pre-match warm up. Should we do that to shake them out of the stupor they seem to fall into when the go back into the changing rooms? Is kicking off in the second half an issue? We seem to do OK in the first in most games but at least if we could hold the ball for the first few minutes of the second maybe we could play our way back into it. When the other lot kick off, we don't seem to get the ball back under meaningful control for 15 or 20 minutes and by then the mental tide has changed. It wasn't a dirty game and we weren't any better or any worse them they were. So how we lost the booking count 6 to 1 I really cannot fathom. Mayor's booking was particularly laughable. As far as I could see, he fell over and knocked the Crewe player over on the way down. I wasn't aware falling over had become an offence. Yours, highly frustrated and not a little annoyed NotDistantGreen
When we slip into this malaise....no one on the pitch...or indeed no one off the pitch...seems to know how to shake things up. I keep saying that we just don't seem to have any leaders on the pitch....or indeed any off it... who recognizes that a shake up is necessary. Most teams would bring a sub on who has the ability to change the pattern of play....but all are subs seem to do is replace an injured player or a tired one......they always end up making the team weaker....Telford comes on so late and just seems so lightweight... and Nouble is strong and able to waste time playing keepy ball in the corner...when we really need a goal threat. It seems to me that when the opposition need to up their game...they do it by just running straight through our mid-field...which leaves our defence seemingly unprotected.....Camara can't be expected to be everywhere....and he certainly wont be at Sunderland on Tuesday after that red card. This playing out from the back quite often puts defenders under pressure because they are quite often being shut down....they're be a mighty cock-up soon and they'll get robbed and the ball will be in the net.....the best place to play is in the oppositions half not in our own penalty area. We are desperate for a big hairy blood and spit centre half who can dominate forwards....and of course they don't just grow on trees.....this Janoi Donacien that we are alleged to have offered a modist amount for doesn't fit the bill....until we shore up our defence...or get a coach who can actually coach our defence to be more efficient...means we will always be struggling just above the relegation area. We seem to be proud that we have won more points than anyone else at home....it's obvious why...we've played more home games than anyone else....and to go with that we have the worse away record by far....in fact we have about four away games to make up....so even now in 15th position we are in a false position....remember we have no away wins and only 3pts gained away from Home Park....when that equals out we could well be in a relegation fight...unless we start winning away....but that might depend on this big hairy blood and spit centre half we desperately need.....Canavan was the nearest we had and we've actually managed to sell him for money,,,,,,,.
Some of their fans reckon....he's a weak link....okay going forward....but no good at helping the defence.
