Re: How can we get ourselves out of this desperate mess ?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
jon1959
I didn't think Bagan had played any league games this season? Maybe I'm wrong but a combination of injury and loss of form (and maybe confidence) means he has been kept away from the match squad - and hasn't looked that convincing in his occasional u21 games. Last season he played over half the league games and scored 3. Rather than write him off the priority should be to get him back to the standards he set last year and then push on. He was iffy defensively, but as a young and inexperienced player that is to be expected. With more games and good coaching he may become the player we hoped he would. The jury is surely still out?
I agree about Simpson. Very strange signing. He might improve as a centre back - but probably won't get the opportunity. I would rather see Benjamin (or Denham when he is fit and has stopped growing!) before him. He should not be played as a left back again
Simpson is a left sided centreback and they’re supposed to be like gold dust in the modern game. This makes his weak tackle that cost us at Hull even more inexcusable.
As for the question in the thread title, we’ve got more of an attacking physical presence now, so we seem better equipped to play more of a direct game, but I still don’t think we’ve got a squad suited to that approach overall.
For me, we look like a squad that is feeling sorry for itself - I still think failing to beat a Blackpool side that we were much better than on the day had a big effect on the squad’s belief and blowing what was virtually a two against the keeper chance against Millwall courtesy of poor play by the man regarded as our best attacker must have got them wondering where the next goal was coming from (a feeling only exacerbated by the penalty miss on Saturday).
Our problem is mainly a mental one - I’m not convinced a few sessions with a sports psychologist would make a difference, but it must be worth a try.
Re: How can we get ourselves out of this desperate mess ?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Pedro de la Rosa
Agreed. We also had a winger playing there in Nkounkou, and we couldn't score then. While he couldn't defend, you'd have think that would have helped. We've got bigger issues than a left back.
I actually don't think Simpson was that bad against Hull. He looks like a centre back playing left back, and the goal was his fault (which I realise is quite a big issue) but he wasn't awful. Our issue stems from the fact that nobody in the team scores, and is capable of scoring. God knows how you solve it but lumping it into the box vs Hull was the first time I've enjoyed a spell in a game in a long time, at least we did something.
I’d also say you should allow some leeway with Simpson because he’s not a full back and it’s an indictment of previous managers and the coaching staff that we’ve got ourselves in such a mess that he was viewed as our best option in the position at the moment.
As for lumping the ball, I thought it made us look as bereft as we do when we try and play a more considered style. Lumping it or passing it, our delivery into the penalty area from set pieces and open play was dreadful on Saturday, as it is in most games we play. The one opportunity came when Ojo knocked a so so cross over and Kaba got an assist from a Hull centreback.
Re: How can we get ourselves out of this desperate mess ?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
the other bob wilson
Simpson is a left sided centreback and they’re supposed to be like gold dust in the modern game. This makes his weak tackle that cost us at Hull even more inexcusable.
The guy cut inside though so I'm not sure how much this is a left footed thing or a positional intelligence thing.
Re: How can we get ourselves out of this desperate mess ?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Divine Wright
The guy cut inside though so I'm not sure how much this is a left footed thing or a positional intelligence thing.
I’m just talking about a centreback putting in a tackle like that, it was the tackle of a slight winger caught in wrong place.
Re: How can we get ourselves out of this desperate mess ?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
2b2bdoo
I feel like we just have to hope something click and someone comes into form/confidence. Someone like Ojo/Philogene getting a goal or two and some confidence would really help.
I’m surprised by the manager choices so far, I’d like to see more of Davies.
The manager needs to be a bit more creative when picking his team. We let Nkounko go back early when he could have pushed him forward to left midfield. Admittedly he was hopeless at defending but he was very quick and had an excellent left foot shot.
Much better option than Ralls.
We also need to fit Davies into the team. We are becoming very predictable in the players we pick
Re: How can we get ourselves out of this desperate mess ?
After some great contributions my current conclusion to how we can get out of this impending relegation is quite simply , with this squad , we can't
It's league 1 next season
Re: How can we get ourselves out of this desperate mess ?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
DubaiDai
The manager needs to be a bit more creative when picking his team. We let Nkounko go back early when he could have pushed him forward to left midfield. Admittedly he was hopeless at defending but he was very quick and had an excellent left foot shot.
Much better option than Ralls.
We also need to fit Davies into the team. We are becoming very predictable in the players we pick
I wonder if that was partly a wage issue as well, doubt he was on a small wage. Left back is a problem though.
I guess he thinks Sawyers is going to give us more creativity when he gets sharper, I can see why he thinks it but I don’t think it will happen. I’m surprised Rino has been pushed out, I thought he may have come in more.
Re: How can we get ourselves out of this desperate mess ?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
the other bob wilson
I’d also say you should allow some leeway with Simpson because he’s not a full back and it’s an indictment of previous managers and the coaching staff that we’ve got ourselves in such a mess that he was viewed as our best option in the position at the moment.
As for lumping the ball, I thought it made us look as bereft as we do when we try and play a more considered style. Lumping it or passing it, our delivery into the penalty area from set pieces and open play was dreadful on Saturday, as it is in most games we play. The one opportunity came when Ojo knocked a so so cross over and Kaba got an assist from a Hull centreback.
Our set pieces and crossing was abysmal. The two short corners that didn’t beat the bloke stopping the short one in the first half was criminal. We are useless but it should be looked at.
I’d be half tempted to play Ralls as he used to be a half decent corner taker. We need to find a way to get numbers in the box and have a coherent plan of how to score. At the moment I’d settle for semi organised chaos but we’ve lost our get out of jail free card of being excellent at set piece. Even when we were dire last season, Flint and Moore etc got us out of trouble. We are in deep trouble though, we desperately needed that pen to go in.
Re: How can we get ourselves out of this desperate mess ?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Divine Wright
The guy cut inside though so I'm not sure how much this is a left footed thing or a positional intelligence thing.
He’s a centre back playing there. That doesn’t happen when you’re in the middle as much. Granted, Simpson isn’t very good but he was nowhere near as bad as it’s being made out. He’s a crap signing but we didn’t lose on Saturday solely because of him. I’d sign a centre mid instead of a left back if we could.
