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Doom and Gloom

Posted: Mon Nov 13, 2017 2:33 pm
by Kernow Yellow
Anyone care to comment on any of our last three matches?

All I've read elsewhere is doom and gloom, with calls for the manager's head and talk of relegation. But then I look at the table, and see that we're tenth, just three points off the play-offs. Several points better off than last season (when there was no question of doubting the manager). It's a bit early to be panicking isn't it?

Re: Doom and Gloom

Posted: Mon Nov 13, 2017 4:12 pm
by Werthers Original
Although we were pretty hopeless on Saturday. We looked good for part of the first half, only lost narrowly, and were in the game right to the end, but the players seemed to accept defeat very easily. Many of our summer signings were either absent or poor. We don't seem to have a plan B, or to be 'up for it'. So yes I am a bit worried, but not panicking.

Re: Doom and Gloom

Posted: Mon Nov 13, 2017 4:27 pm
by slappy
Our whole game plan seemed to rely on passing the ball around the back four and without ever really trying to move the ball forward. Even when the ball did get forward, there were no strikers in the middle to even play a ball onto. So it seemed our only chances were rare corners where the aim seemed to be to get it to someone on the other side of the goal.

Re: Doom and Gloom

Posted: Mon Nov 13, 2017 4:54 pm
by Radley Rambler
We look very much like the team of early Appleton days i.e. pass it around nicely but with minimal penetrative edge. I remember the Luton boss saying about that team (after they'd beaten us 2-0 at their place) that it's easy to play Oxford, let them play it around the park until they get within 30 yards of your goal and then put in the tackle and hit them on the break. With Nelson out, teams with a nippy striker will relish hitting us on the break as Moushino and Martin whilst good in the air and reasonably solid in the tackle don't have pace or a turning circle to speak of.

We look impotent up front and there's often no-one in the box. Wes took his chance very well on Saturday or it could have looked a lot worse - he must be getting sorely frustrated with chasing lost causes with no back-up. Why oh why do we play our wingers on the 'wrong wings' - we were devoid of width on Saturday except for Silva who put in a few nice crosses. I'm ok with Hall and Henry playing on the wrong wings for some of the game to mix it up but surely to goodness not for the whole game.

Still......we are tenth and if we'd won on Saturday would have been 6th albeit having played more games than several other teams. It is only a decade since we were losing to Droylesdon and Hayes after all so time for a bit of perspective.

Re: Doom and Gloom

Posted: Mon Nov 13, 2017 9:48 pm
by Werthers Original
We've been unlucky with injuries, but also some players just seem to disappear for ages - where is Gino? Williamson? Ribeiro? I haven't heard much about them being injured, Gino was meant to be fit to go on international duty. Poor communication from the club I guess.

Re: Doom and Gloom

Posted: Mon Nov 13, 2017 10:21 pm
by ty cobb
Agree we are in a better position than recent seasons, however, after 2 seasons of real progress we seem to be moving backwards. There have been little signings of potential, Peps all seem to be injured and/or not very good.

I said it last year - we missed a real opportunity to sneak into the play offs with what was a much better team than we have this season.

We are frustratingly consistently inconsistent.

Re: Doom and Gloom

Posted: Tue Nov 14, 2017 1:34 pm
by Dr Bob
We have now, three times in two games, conceded a goal straight after scoring. It was bad enough when we could not see out games from winning positions, but not being able to defend after scoring is worrying. Where is the mental strength of players? And how bad could it be without our captain? On Saturday, did Mousinho get the armband? Any indication that he will be taking over now? Any rumours on whether that CB we signed from Celtic will be recalled from loan?

Lots of questions and no answers - I hope this is not the way Pep feels.

Re: Doom and Gloom

Posted: Tue Nov 14, 2017 1:51 pm
by OtmoorYellow
We have been very poor of late, but then we were excellent earlier in the season. These are simply the signs of a new manager implementing new ideas. This will be an up and down season for sure, as are most seasons, but even more so on change of manager. Add into that the injuries, which we've been incredibly unlucky with.

I'm not convinced by some of PCs signings. Riccardinho has great control and passing, but positionally he is all over the place and he is small and that never helps being a defender. Tiendalli looks past it, and we look much better with a fit Ribeiro at right back. I would prefer Canice Carroll to Tiendalli. Xemi I think will improve, as he is strong on the ball, but he is slow. On the flip side, Jack Payne is more than decent.

We seem to have imbalance in the side. PC doesn't play Hall on the left and Henry on the right, which works best going forwards, because defensively Hall doesn't participate and having both him and Riccardinho on the left is very lightweight. Ledson is off form and could do with a spell on the bench and I don't understand why Ruffels was dropped. However, our central midfielders are all much of a muchness, so swapping one for another isn't going to change much.

I also really dislike playing a lone striker. Maybe I'm just old fashioned, but I like to see 2 up top with one in behind. To play a lone striker you need a big strong centre forward, which maybe fits Obika, but Wes is playing well given the poor service he is receiving so it wouldn't be sensible to drop him, which leads us back to playing two up top.

Its not an easy team selection with the players we have fit at present.

Re: Doom and Gloom

Posted: Tue Nov 14, 2017 4:36 pm
by Old Abingdonian
I tend to agree with OY - nothing is consistent apart from the inconsistency.

It was the lack of fight and bite on Saturday which was a concern. That said, Northampton were much better organised than I expected and had a bit of luck. If you look at their goals, the first came from a poorly directed header from Henry after their corner failed to clear the front man. Their second resulted from Ledson's error, aggravated by the fact that Martin - who should have done better - had been on the pitch two minutes.

I agree with RR about the Luton manager's comment, perhaps because I feel our build-up play is just a bit too intricate for the quality of the players. Apart from Payne, our players too often just fail to control a ball or get into the right position so that the move breaks down. I lost count of how many times we nearly sprung the Northampton offside trap.

I thought Tiendalli was OK, actually - he took up some decent positions going forward.

Re: Doom and Gloom

Posted: Thu Nov 16, 2017 2:57 pm
by ty cobb
Well with Hall out for 4 months it is certainly a gloomy season. I think given the injury list, a new manager and a number of players who haven't played in the UK before I would be quite happy with a season of consolidation at this point and be ready to push on next season.

If Thomas gets injured I think we'll be fu*ked.

I also think Tiendalli is becoming a bit of scapegoat, he has been out injured for ages, not played much competitive football in the last couple of seasons and has been in and out the team. Give him a run of games and then judge - sometimes supporters should support.

Re: Doom and Gloom

Posted: Sun Nov 19, 2017 10:13 am
by SmileyMan
Nothing to see here, move along!

Okay, Plymouth were pretty woeful and going a man and goal down so early pretty much sealed their fate, but you still have to beat what's in front of you, so credit to the team for a nice solid victory and a healthy jump back up the table thanks to the goal difference and a couple of stumbles by our rivals.