Shitenham

Anything yellow and blue
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Kairdiff Exile
Mid-life Crisis
Posts: 707
Joined: Mon Jun 17, 2013 3:59 pm

Shitenham

Post by Kairdiff Exile »

First game of the season for me, yesterday, and what a disappointment it was. Such a good opportunity to settle ourselves and get an away win in front of a packed house, a vocal travelling support and against a very very average Cheltenham side. And for 45 mins, it looked on - we had them on toast in the first half, and only two worldies from their 'keeper meant we weren't out of sight at the break. At half-time, I was saying we'd win it comfortably.

And then... we just didn't turn up for the second half. Long hopeful balls which their centre-halves could have dealt with all night if necessary. Passing patiently along our back line when we needed to get forward. Lack of midfield movement. Woeful set pieces. Complete panic. What happened?

Taylor is a great striker but looked isolated (not for the first time this season, by all accounts). Herbie Kane had two good ten-minute spells but otherwise looked distinctly non-league. Neither full-back looked especially confident. Henry was excellent but his performance covered a multitude of sins for us. Sykes worked incredibly hard, but again was perhaps covering up others' deficiencies in having to do so.

No need to sound the alarm bells yet - we were doing far worse at the equivalent point last season - but there's a definite feeling that we haven't settled yet and there are still gaps in either the squad or the plan.
OtmoorYellow
Puberty
Posts: 444
Joined: Thu Aug 03, 2017 1:35 pm

Re: Shitenham

Post by OtmoorYellow »

Despite what Robbo says, it was the same old problems from each of our other defeats this season. We don't last past 60 minutes and as soon as teams close us down from the front, we are left with no plan B. We are very one dimensional at present.

The scoreline could have been worse as JS had to made a number of saves as well.

Our crossing into the box was woeful. Either hitting the first man, or hugely over hit, or too near the keeper. Blimey, when I played many moons ago, I could get the ball in far more accurately, so why can't these pros?

For me Whyte was missing for much of the first half and only focussed when it was too late. Sykes and Henry were the only real outlets, and so the only players (along with JS) who could claim they earned their corn.

Our back line looks very fragile against pretty much any attack, and particularly against players running directly at us with the ball. We back off and back off and suddenly they are in a shooting or assisting position.

I'm not impressed with Herbie Kane at all. He looks unfit, and is a distinctly sideways player. His passing accuracy over more than 10m is shocking for a supposedly Championship midfielder. I hope CamBran is fit again very soon, because Kane is a very poor imitation indeed.

Now Winsodall is unfit again, not that he was any use when fit, and Agyei, much as I like him when in form, seems very reluctant to attack players and seems hugely down on confidence, which has previously been one of his strengths. So we have a lone poacher up top who is getting no service whatsoever. God help us if he gets injured as well.

The 5-2-3-1 system that Robbo favours only works if we keep possession, but it is no use if the dominating possession is in our own half and we lose possession as soon as we pass the half way line. It is too easy for defending sides just to put everyone behind the ball and cut out inaccurate passing.

Robbo had a bit of a go at fans for being impatient yesterday, but when we try his system and it fails again, we have to have an alternative.

It would maybe hurt a little less if the opposition were likely promotion contenders, but they weren't. The Mock Robins will end up as relegation fodder I think, and that we we so feeble against them is a worry.
Kernow Yellow
Grumpy old git
Posts: 3075
Joined: Thu May 11, 2006 5:16 pm

Re: Shitenham

Post by Kernow Yellow »

I'd normally try and get to Cheltenham, my second-nearest L1 ground this season. But on a September Saturday that's still a 7 hour round trip driving (no trains available without a stopover), and the price of a ticket made my mind up. £26 for (non-league standard) Whaddon Road? Ridiculous. I honestly can't remember when I last paid that much for a football match (apart from Wembley visits). I know it's the same for Hillsborough in a couple of weeks, but that's a much more attractive proposition. Though I'll probably give that a swerve too, not just as it's a very long way from Cornwall, but Saturday's performance sounds very similar to what I witnessed at Plough Lane a fortnight ago.

I know we've got more points on the board than at a similar stage last season, but with the calibre of opposition we've come up against I can't help thinking we're still well short of where we could and should be - especially knowing what high quality football we're capable of playing - cf Charlton (h). Maybe a couple of home games will get us back on track...
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