Let's talk about the Wycombe Wanderers game

[Jonathan]

Sadlier is by far our most dangerous attacking player and his omission from the starting line up has been thoroughly confusing. The club should be doing all it can to get him signed up on a new contract.

[DonnyNoel]

Sadlier needs signing up ASAP. At the heart of most of our attacking play (along with Copps and Taylor) this season. Hopefully he hasnt had his head turned already.

[selby]

Just what was needed, a great result even if the performance was not scintillating, and the football on show was far from top draw, just the type of game that we have lost in the last two weeks and this season in particular.
  Wycombe are not the type of team I see as a top six side, playing the same style of football they have always played, and the type of football that has seen them struggle to stay in this division in the last couple of seasons, and will probably do so again next season if they don't fluke going up while they are on a lucky run.
  The referee and the assistants again did not cover themselves in glory, How far has the standard of officials dropped in the last few years?
   The team selection took me by surprise, and yet I expected it really, coming to accept tinkering in the line up, and don't think anyone can criticise the effort, but quality looked poor for the first hour of the game from both sides, then suddenly something sparked us to play a little better, helped by their poor defensive play.
  I cannot see us getting away with the lack of quality football every week when we play the better sides like Portsmouth, but at least we showed we are not a team of shrinking violets, and Wycombe showed you don't have to be a good footballing side to be in the top six.

[DonnyOsmond]

Just what was needed, a great result even if the performance was not scintillating, and the football on show was far from top draw, just the type of game that we have lost in the last two weeks and this season in particular.
  Wycombe are not the type of team I see as a top six side, playing the same style of football they have always played, and the type of football that has seen them struggle to stay in this division in the last couple of seasons, and will probably do so again next season if they don't fluke going up while they are on a lucky run.
  The referee and the assistants again did not cover themselves in glory, How far has the standard of officials dropped in the last few years?
   The team selection took me by surprise, and yet I expected it really, coming to accept tinkering in the line up, and don't think anyone can criticise the effort, but quality looked poor for the first hour of the game from both sides, then suddenly something sparked us to play a little better, helped by their poor defensive play.
  I cannot see us getting away with the lack of quality football every week when we play the better sides like Portsmouth, but at least we showed we are not a team of shrinking violets, and Wycombe showed you don't have to be a good footballing side to be in the top six.

The worst footballing team in the league are top.

[RoversAlias]

A really poor first half from us but better second half.
We don’t look to be playing to any set pattern though and that worries me.
Sads was our best player again so I expect him to be left out (of the starting eleven) next week.
I dont really know what Cole brings to the team and until that last few minutes run into the box which should have resulted in a penalty, he contributed very little.
Halliday was terrific as was big Tom.
Ramsey showed flashes of quality but overall needs to up his game.

Surprised on the negative slant to this today Hound to be honest.

I think our system is clear to see. Sadlier stretches defences from wide, Cole (or whomever plays at #9) troubles the last line and centre halves whilst also contributing in the channels, and our midfield exploits space and creates passing sequences in the middle whilst regularly feeding the ball to the wingers and full backs. If we had one set way of playing it would be very predictable.

Devante Cole had a good game today. He isn't getting many chances in front of goal but he holds it up well, competes very solidly in the physical battle with defenders and he has a good sense about him to turn players one-on-one and get down the channels. I think he had a good game as a centre forward today bar shooting opportunities, and he was very unlucky not to win a penalty. He also nearly laid Ramsey on for a certain goal in that second half too if not for good goalkeeping.

I'm not sure Ramsey could have done much more today either? Lots of energy, lots of composed running on the ball and he nearly scored before half time.

[BillyStubbsTears]

Poor first half but much better second.

Thought Amos did OK and Ennis had a good game. Lokilo looks a prospect, and Cole put in the best shift I’ve seen from him and was unlucky not to get a penalty.

I'd say poor first 25-30 mins. We'd got the measure of them by the last 10-15 mins of the first half and Ennis's goal had been coming.

[drfchound]

A really poor first half from us but better second half.
We don’t look to be playing to any set pattern though and that worries me.
Sads was our best player again so I expect him to be left out (of the starting eleven) next week.
I dont really know what Cole brings to the team and until that last few minutes run into the box which should have resulted in a penalty, he contributed very little.
Halliday was terrific as was big Tom.
Ramsey showed flashes of quality but overall needs to up his game.

Surprised on the negative slant to this today Hound to be honest.

I think our system is clear to see. Sadlier stretches defences from wide, Cole (or whomever plays at #9) troubles the last line and centre halves whilst also contributing in the channels, and our midfield exploits space and creates passing sequences in the middle whilst regularly feeding the ball to the wingers and full backs. If we had one set way of playing it would be very predictable.

Devante Cole had a good game today. He isn't getting many chances in front of goal but he holds it up well, competes very solidly in the physical battle with defenders and he has a good sense about him to turn players one-on-one and get down the channels. I think he had a good game as a centre forward today bar shooting opportunities, and he was very unlucky not to win a penalty. He also nearly laid Ramsey on for a certain goal in that second half too if not for good goalkeeping.

I'm not sure Ramsey could have done much more today either? Lots of energy, lots of composed running on the ball and he nearly scored before half time.

Just how I saw it RA.
Until the goal there wasn’t one thing that got me out of my seat in the first half.
I know what the players roles were supposed to be but TBH I didn’t see much of it put into practice until after the break.
I don’t agree that Cole holds the ball up well but to be fair he should hav3 had the pen and that was a good run leading up to it.
I also remember the run and cross that he made to almost create the Ramsey opportunity but other than that, I still don’t think he was worth his place.
I was hoping that Moore would take him off, replace him with Taylor who could have gone wide right, Sads to wide left and Ennis down the middle.
Never mind, Fejiri is available after next Saturdays game.

[ravenrover]

On what grounds should Cole have had a penalty? The defender played the ball as far as I could see

[drfchound]

Clear pen all day raven.
Majority decision by most posters on here.
Where do you sit in the ground?

[selby]

  Playing brilliant football is not the requirement now, a concerted effort to put a long run if wins  together however we achieve them is now the only requirement, something we have not been that good at ever before.

[RoversAlias]

A really poor first half from us but better second half.
We don’t look to be playing to any set pattern though and that worries me.
Sads was our best player again so I expect him to be left out (of the starting eleven) next week.
I dont really know what Cole brings to the team and until that last few minutes run into the box which should have resulted in a penalty, he contributed very little.
Halliday was terrific as was big Tom.
Ramsey showed flashes of quality but overall needs to up his game.

Surprised on the negative slant to this today Hound to be honest.

I think our system is clear to see. Sadlier stretches defences from wide, Cole (or whomever plays at #9) troubles the last line and centre halves whilst also contributing in the channels, and our midfield exploits space and creates passing sequences in the middle whilst regularly feeding the ball to the wingers and full backs. If we had one set way of playing it would be very predictable.

Devante Cole had a good game today. He isn't getting many chances in front of goal but he holds it up well, competes very solidly in the physical battle with defenders and he has a good sense about him to turn players one-on-one and get down the channels. I think he had a good game as a centre forward today bar shooting opportunities, and he was very unlucky not to win a penalty. He also nearly laid Ramsey on for a certain goal in that second half too if not for good goalkeeping.

I'm not sure Ramsey could have done much more today either? Lots of energy, lots of composed running on the ball and he nearly scored before half time.

Just how I saw it RA.
Until the goal there wasn’t one thing that got me out of my seat in the first half.
I know what the players roles were supposed to be but TBH I didn’t see much of it put into practice until after the break.
I don’t agree that Cole holds the ball up well but to be fair he should hav3 had the pen and that was a good run leading up to it.
I also remember the run and cross that he made to almost create the Ramsey opportunity but other than that, I still don’t think he was worth his place.
I was hoping that Moore would take him off, replace him with Taylor who could have gone wide right, Sads to wide left and Ennis down the middle.
Never mind, Fejiri is available after next Saturdays game.

Fair enough Hound, we all see it differently.

I'm enjoying seeing Ennis in that wide forward role, it suits him. His goal return has gone right up since moving there.

[Graham Hirst]

After 40 mins I couldn't see 1goal coming never mind 4, first half poor from both teams, better but not great second half, as said above, couldn't see a pattern of play or formation we were supposed to be playing, think a decent team would have wiped floor with us, game was crying out for copps with his penetrating runs and passes, I'm not a doom and gloom just being honest, and whatever has obviously happened between a certain 3 players and DM, please get sorted as play offs a strong possibility with our full squad all pulling together

[NewDonny]

After 40 mins I couldn't see 1goal coming never mind 4, first half poor from both teams, better but not great second half, as said above, couldn't see a pattern of play or formation we were supposed to be playing, think a decent team would have wiped floor with us, game was crying out for copps with his penetrating runs and passes, I'm not a doom and gloom just being honest, and whatever has obviously happened between a certain 3 players and DM, please get sorted as play offs a strong possibility with our full squad all pulling together

Absolute tosh, why do people exaggerate. Both teams played some pretty good stuff on a very bobbly difficult surface in a strong wind with WW edging it in terms of chances in the first half with us stronger in the second half, referee however was shocking!

[NewDonny]

A really poor first half from us but better second half.
We don’t look to be playing to any set pattern though and that worries me.
Sads was our best player again so I expect him to be left out (of the starting eleven) next week.
I dont really know what Cole brings to the team and until that last few minutes run into the box which should have resulted in a penalty, he contributed very little.
Halliday was terrific as was big Tom.
Ramsey showed flashes of quality but overall needs to up his game.

Surprised on the negative slant to this today Hound to be honest.

I think our system is clear to see. Sadlier stretches defences from wide, Cole (or whomever plays at #9) troubles the last line and centre halves whilst also contributing in the channels, and our midfield exploits space and creates passing sequences in the middle whilst regularly feeding the ball to the wingers and full backs. If we had one set way of playing it would be very predictable.

Devante Cole had a good game today. He isn't getting many chances in front of goal but he holds it up well, competes very solidly in the physical battle with defenders and he has a good sense about him to turn players one-on-one and get down the channels. I think he had a good game as a centre forward today bar shooting opportunities, and he was very unlucky not to win a penalty. He also nearly laid Ramsey on for a certain goal in that second half too if not for good goalkeeping.

I'm not sure Ramsey could have done much more today either? Lots of energy, lots of composed running on the ball and he nearly scored before half time.

We ground out a 3-1 home win on a difficult playing surface with strong wind and people on here still moaning, of course it wasn't pretty, of course itwasnt free flowing quality football but it was a win against a very good difficult side to beat.

[drfchound]

A really poor first half from us but better second half.
We don’t look to be playing to any set pattern though and that worries me.
Sads was our best player again so I expect him to be left out (of the starting eleven) next week.
I dont really know what Cole brings to the team and until that last few minutes run into the box which should have resulted in a penalty, he contributed very little.
Halliday was terrific as was big Tom.
Ramsey showed flashes of quality but overall needs to up his game.

Surprised on the negative slant to this today Hound to be honest.

I think our system is clear to see. Sadlier stretches defences from wide, Cole (or whomever plays at #9) troubles the last line and centre halves whilst also contributing in the channels, and our midfield exploits space and creates passing sequences in the middle whilst regularly feeding the ball to the wingers and full backs. If we had one set way of playing it would be very predictable.

Devante Cole had a good game today. He isn't getting many chances in front of goal but he holds it up well, competes very solidly in the physical battle with defenders and he has a good sense about him to turn players one-on-one and get down the channels. I think he had a good game as a centre forward today bar shooting opportunities, and he was very unlucky not to win a penalty. He also nearly laid Ramsey on for a certain goal in that second half too if not for good goalkeeping.

I'm not sure Ramsey could have done much more today either? Lots of energy, lots of composed running on the ball and he nearly scored before half time.

We ground out a 3-1 home win on a difficult playing surface with strong wind and people on here still moaning, of course it wasn't pretty, of course itwasnt free flowing quality football but it was a win against a very good difficult side to beat.

I wasn’t moaning ND, just saying what I had seen on the pitch.
Your post pretty much backs up what I was saying, we ground out a win, it wasn’t free flowing football and I agree that any win is a good win.

[ravenrover]

Clear pen all day raven.
Majority decision by most posters on here.
Where do you sit in the ground?

West inline with edge of penalty area, haven't seen a replay of the tackle so can only comment at what I saw at the time

[bobbymax]

Can I just ask how on earth are Wycombe in the top half of the table, let alone the play-off places?
On a par with the worse teams I've seen this season. Predictable, one-dimensional whingers who threw themselves on the floor at the slightest contact. Take Bayo out of the equation and they had very little.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

Can I just ask how on earth are Wycombe in the top half of the table, let alone the play-off places?
On a par with the worse teams I've seen this season. Predictable, one-dimensional whingers who threw themselves on the floor at the slightest contact. Take Bayo out of the equation and they had very little.

Consistency. Make themselves difficult to beat by doing what they can to stop the opposition playing and nicking a goal.

[ravenrover]

Can I just ask how on earth are Wycombe in the top half of the table, let alone the play-off places?
On a par with the worse teams I've seen this season. Predictable, one-dimensional whingers who threw themselves on the floor at the slightest contact. Take Bayo out of the equation and they had very little.

Think you answered your own question there

[selby]

  My concentration is on the Rovers, I knew we had too much for them if we applied ourselves to combating their style of play, they are miles behind us when it comes to the expansive side of the game, very few of their players would have got in any of our sides this season on ability alone.
   But yesterday was one of the few times this season we have applied ourselves and matched the desire of an inferior footballing side to find a way of beating us, think Fleetwood. Accrington, Wimbledon twice at their ground in cup and league, Shrewsbury and Gillingham just the last two weeks, games I have come away from despairing of our lack of nous, and knowing that those teams and others saw us as an easy team to roll over with lets say tactics that stopped us playing and shoving the rules of the game to their extremes.
  It may well have cost us a top six finish in the long run, but yesterday could be a sign that we are no longer the push overs we have been.