Viking Supporters Co-operative
Viking Chat => Viking Chat => Topic started by: selby on November 10, 2024, 04:20:09 pm
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Easy to think it will be easy after their loss at home yesterday, but a team that has only lost one game in seven away league matches but have only won one five being draws and mostly low scoring games so look to be set up defensively away from home and it suits their players.
So expecting an all action game like yesterday's might be a bit far fetched, and they could well be the sort of team we have difficulty with when stifling the game in midfield.
Carlisle are the latest team to surprise them at home winning yesterday at Salford despite being starved of possession for periods of the game and a result that kept Salford from joining Gillingham on 23 points just outside the play off positions that will not please old sour face Karl Robinson their manager.
What was impressive about our performance yesterday was to me our work rate off the ball, and as a youngish side we are showing team and individual improvement since the start of the season and are playing the game with flair and enthusiasm which is credit to the coaching staff players, and is being transferred to the spectators who are getting behind the team during games.
If nothing else its enjoyable again, only poor refereeing spoiling things quite regularly now, and we have built a club identity again under this management, and we can see confidence and improvement in team work and individual play, being a better side on the front foot.
So there is no need for wholesale changes, Ironside and Sharp the biggest talking point Ironside back scoring goals again Sharp working his socks off being marked tightly and not having a lot of luck, although he ran Salford ragged earlier this season in a cup first round at Salford, with that in mind not an easy decision for the manager who starts.
The rest of the team hopefully injury free will be subject to tactical preferences with those holding the shirt being hard to displace on recent form, who would be a manager? when losing its your fault and when winning how do you keep all the players happy?
Well we need a win as simple as that, play well which we can do, and we will push every team in this division all the way, so now we are looking for more improvement along with consistency which every good team no matter what level has to have.
Has this team reached anywhere near its ceiling, I don't think so, what do you think?
Does anyone think we need to make changes after the last four games?
We do however need to get back to winning games at home, are you confident we can do?
Do you think we can hold on to Kelly and will some other young players attract clubs in the transfer window if they keep their form up?
Lot's on the game next weekend, lots to discuss, Please have your say.
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There’s so much to look forward to in our next fixture selby.
Another full week to rest, recuperate then train. Grant & his team will have done their usual homework on the opposition but more important than that, he will ‘demand more’ from this group simply because they are capable of giving so much more.
We’ve heard that in the players interviews too, Bailey, Mols, Olowu even Patrick Kelly has bought into the fact that this group now needs to go on a run of games that overtakes the teams above & not only has us leading the pack but week on week we look to move further & further from whoever occupies 2nd spot because we don’t ‘just’ want promotion, Grant wants us to go up as Champions.
That mindset will do for me. Now let’s put words into deeds.
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Jon Taylor started a second consecutive game yesterday but was hooked at half time. Not sure if it was injury related or tactical. Still no sign of Adelakun who hasn’t been seen since mid-September. Thankfully Matt Smith has retired.
Need to win this one really, would be nice to get some revenge for last season’s hammering which should be a bit easier without Smith.
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Yes, agree we need to put the words into deeds, without getting too anxious about it.
The intensity we showed in the second half yesterday should set the standard. We have a habit of starting brightly, then stepping off it and allowing the opposition to settle. There are fine margins as it only takes a little period of hesitation to hand over the initiative.
We are improving though bit by bit so as long as we approach the game in the same positive way, we should be fine.
I'd definitely carry on with Hurst, although more quiet in the first half, he looked threatening again in the second.
I don't mind either way whether we start with Ironside or Sharp, I'll leave that to McCanns judgement.
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They have exactly the type of away form that could cause us problems. Aside from Notts County (zero away losses) Salford City have the best unbeaten away record this season (one away loss) but they have this with an astounding five away draws. They have actually only won a single away game in the league this season, and lost zero. They have only conceded eight away goals, the same as leaders Port Vale and the best away record holder Notts County.
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We're certainly having a little blip in our home form. Two draws and one defeat from our last 3 home league games.
We need to put that right next week.
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We're certainly having a little blip in our home form. Two draws and one defeat from our last 3 home league games.
We need to put that right next week.
Five goals in seven attempts at home since the opening day 4-1 win against Accrington three months ago today.
That’s where the problem lies.
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We’ll win this game handsomely.
You heard it here first.
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We’ll win this game handsomely.
You heard it here first.
I feel a 3-0 coming on.
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We’ll win this game handsomely.
You heard it here first.
I feel a 3-0 coming on.
Didn’t someone post something similar before the Bromley game?
I notice Salford play a 3-4-1-2 system, so will be hard to break down. And it could be made even harder if GM opts for 4-3-3 as we’ll be immediately outnumbered in midfield!
It’s going to be a very different game to the Notts County one, that’s for sure.
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I’d play the same team that finished the game on Saturday. Hurst behind ironside, and Mols and Gibson on wings.
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We’ll win this game handsomely.
You heard it here first.
I feel a 3-0 coming on.
Didn’t someone post something similar before the Bromley game?
I notice Salford play a 3-4-1-2 system, so will be hard to break down. And it could be made even harder if GM opts for 4-3-3 as we’ll be immediately outnumbered in midfield!
It’s going to be a very different game to the Notts County one, that’s for sure.
We're getting to the point where we can adapt and change shape on the pitch without having to make wholesale subs. Of course the key to that is recognising when we need to.
The way we got stronger as the game progressed on Saturday is very encouraging.
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fingers crossed hakeeb doesnt make a dramatic return from long term injury and bite us in the arse!!!!
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We’ll win this game handsomely.
You heard it here first.
UHOH
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I’d play the same team that finished the game on Saturday. Hurst behind ironside, and Mols and Gibson on wings.
we said the same leaving on satdi..
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We’ll win this game handsomely.
You heard it here first.
UHOH
As long as you remember the post & your reaction to it after the game Moncaster, then have the good grace to ‘come back’ & applaud a positive post vs your hesitancy to go ‘as far’ as to contemplate that ‘result’ would happen.
If it doesn’t, then hats off to you.
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Probably crucial we score 1st v Salford. We need to draw them out.
Personally I would start Joe Ironside. He is looking much sharper in his overall game over the last few games.
His hold up play is so important in the way we want to get control and get our creative players on the ball.
Billy Sharp struggles in this area imo. I have always thought Billy will be most effective as an impact sub later in the game. .
Possibly Fleming in for Senior as I think he has the edge in attacking areas over JS
That’s assuming Maxwell isn’t fit to start, if he is then he starts.
Maybe start Hurst instead of Clifton and play Gibson wide.
It does leave us a bit more open in the middle of the park though so GM may start Clifton or Broadbent and change it later in the game as he did v Notts County.
I trust GM and Cliff to make the right call.
If we score 1st fairly early then 3/4 nil. If they score 1st it’s going to be a battle getting the 3 points.
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We are entering the part of the season when the shake out and forming of the division with regard to where teams will be competing later in the season is determined.
The most consistent sides and not necessarily the most gifted or best football teams tend to draw away round about this time in the season, and bad runs of form later in the season as such as Notts County found out last season are much more dangerous to where teams end up as they haven't the games left to get back on track and like we did last season there always seams to be a team that has a great run in and crash into the play off spots.
Also there are teams that set off like a house on fire, and find it hard to keep it up for a full season, and when the weight of expectation builds in the new year fold dramatically, its a long season, all teams will go on good runs of results and will stutter a little also. Getting back on track quickly from the odd set back and confidence, mixed with the players having trust in the management team to lead them is the key to pushing on over a season and a little luck on the injury side of things also helps.
Putting it all together is complicated mentally and physically, plus players need that bit of class more than the teams they compete with, a player with lesser footballing skills at times being the key to success rather than the recognised stars of the team, and that is usually the manager seeing what that player brings to the team.
Personally I am confident we have those things in place that can be controlled, the little bit of luck side is the unknown, and if we carry a bit with us I honestly think we will be a better side in the second half of the season as our young players get experience, I hope so anyway.
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We need to properly go for this and break them down. They obviously intend to defend so an early goal will work wonders
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I think we will be very strong in the 2nd half of the season.
I will be very surprised if we don’t get 46 points from our last 23 games. I am thinking we are capable of 50+
If we get 42+ from the 1st 23 games then a total of 90+ as a final tally I am very confident will be good enough to be Champions.
I seriously don’t see any other team getting 92 points this season.
If GM gets another decent striker in January as back up to Joe and Billy then we have all bases covered. If there is a stronger squad than ours in league 2 I would like to know who it is.
For a start how many teams outside the Premier League have got 3 Right backs and 3 Left backs who can all do the job without weakening the team.
This has to be the strongest squad we have ever had at this level.
Has to be.
Champions elect imo. The title is ours to lose and we are not even top yet. That’s how I see it anyway.
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I was feeling confident until CR’s prediction
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Campsall:
For a start how many teams outside the Premier League have got 3 Right backs and 3 Left backs who can all do the job without weakening the team.
I don’t think we’ll have 6 full backs come January, Camps. I can see the 2 ex Hull lads ending their stays with us, assuming Maxwell is ok by then. GM will be tweaking, no doubt about that and I agree with an additional striker being added. I can also Yeboah ending his stint and being swapped for someone similar, but a bit more proven.
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I was feeling confident until CR’s prediction
Sorry ;)
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Campsall:
For a start how many teams outside the Premier League have got 3 Right backs and 3 Left backs who can all do the job without weakening the team.
I don’t think we’ll have 6 full backs come January, Camps. I can see the 2 ex Hull lads ending their stays with us, assuming Maxwell is ok by then. GM will be tweaking, no doubt about that and I agree with an additional striker being added. I can also Yeboah ending his stint and being swapped for someone similar, but a bit more proven.
Probably you’re right. Can see Emmanuel going back to Hull and Yeboah to Bristol City definitely.
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Was t Emmanuel signed on a short term contract. I could be wrong and made it up.
Yeboah definitely can go back. Think we have enough to cover both these players.
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There are encouraging signs of greater consistency in recent games. We were up against it at Bradford without getting any reward until the second half, but we kept going and the same thing happened at Barrow where we plugged away and only got what we deserved less than 10 minutes from the end. It took even longer to claw it back against Notts County, but we did not get dispirited.
So far this season we’ve been up and down and less than intense, over-cautious or too deferential to the opposition. We saw this against obvious rivals like Crewe and Chesterfield. Both of them had put up poor performances against sides not as good as Rovers, yet we’ve let them run the games on their terms. We need to play every game with the confidence and belief that we are a top 3 team.
If we do, we should cruise past Salford, rather than going into it worrying that they are difficult to beat away from home. Again, if you are a top team, you shouldn’t fear anyone at home.
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For me it’s Molyneux who needs cover, he had a really good chance but his shot was poor simply from being knackered.
That cover has to be someone quick who could provide an option to play in a front 2 off one of Billy or Joe. Because those two as a front 2 is too slow, which is why it hasn’t worked.
Now that Hurst is playing centrally we only have 2 wingers if Yeboah goes back.
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We just need to get a win, if we play well we have every chance, if we are not on it we need to stick at it and find a way to win if we have the ambition to stay up with the front runners.
Good teams find a way.
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If we beat Kettering, it tops up Grants war chest to either offload some of the loan guys not getting a game and replace with potentially better or pick up a permanent transfer. I think the Kettering game financially is a biggy with regards to the Jan transfer window.
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I’m not sure where we’ve got the idea that Salford are a good defensive team from. They look to have been quite lucky in their last few away games, conceding far more big chances than they have created.
Their pacey tricky wide players who have caused us issues in the past have either moved on, are injured or out of favour. Thank goodness they don’t have Adelakun fit.
In the shape of Stockton and Kouassi their strike force is of the more physical variety (but nothing like Smith). This is an aspect in which McGrath and Olowu have improved and excelled in this season.
I really liked the fluid attacking midfield 3 behind the focal point of Ironside. I’ve rewatched the full second half from the Notts game and that front 4 caused carnage. While we missed chances, I think some of it was down to the fatigue of Hurst and Molyneux late on. If we get at Salford from the start we could see a performance like the first half at Grimsby.
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Really believe this is the start of a winning run. It’s coming.
Wouldn’t at all be surprised to see us top the league at Christmas. Grant seems to like little targets like that, wouldn’t be a shocked if he’s set that goal.
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We all thought this with Bromley. I think this is a hell of a tougher game than it looks on league positions alone. They are very resilient away from home and we have struggled with these types of sides. Add to that curveballs like Taylor and who knows, Adelakun and it could be difficult. Let’s see.
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We all thought this with Bromley. I think this is a hell of a tougher game than it looks on league positions alone. They are very resilient away from home and we have struggled with these types of sides. Add to that curveballs like Taylor and who knows, Adelakun and it could be difficult. Let’s see.
Just saying what I think will happen, not it definitely will.
Bromley got lucky, we’d have won that game 9 times out of 10 with the same performance.
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We keep going into games feeling reasonably confident thinking this is the one when it's going to click. It's not quite happened yet at home as we seem to make scoring goals a little more complicated.
We hear McCann and ourselves talk about being more ruthless in front of goal but how do we become more ruthless? How do you coach that?
I think it's fair to say, we're creating enough chances and opportunities to win games so, irrespective of what colour shirts we play against, is it just the ability to get that ball between the sticks without shanking, slicing, looping , bobbling the ball?
When you think about the four goals that hit the back of the net against Accriington with great simplicity, what's gone wrong?
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We’ve just been through a run of games that on paper were mainly difficult. We’re now starting a run of games that look on paper less difficult.
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We’ve just been through a run of games that on paper were mainly difficult. We’re now starting a run of games that look on paper less difficult.
Like Harrogate, Newport and Bromley :ohmy: :scarf: :scarf:
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We’ve just been through a run of games that on paper were mainly difficult. We’re now starting a run of games that look on paper less difficult.
Like Harrogate, Newport and Bromley :ohmy: :scarf: :scarf:
we have better results against teams in the top half of the table. Why? Probably because they come out and try to attack us. We seem to struggle against teams who are set up to defend first..
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Heading north tomorrow for this one.
We’ve an empty treatment room and are in decent form.
They’ve not got the big fella upfront now.
We 100% need to make a statement and win well.
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I feel we will bang 4 or 5 in on Saturday
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I would like to think we will Upton, it would really help our cause with the goal differences, unlikely though even if we play well 3 goals are more the norm.
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Don’t start piling on the optimism, please! Whenever we start thinking about how many goals we’re going to win by against a TLO club we get a nasty surprise.
I’m going for a fairly even but scrappy and boring game with very little of interest except we win 1-0.
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Don’t start piling on the optimism, please! Whenever we start thinking about how many goals we’re going to win by against a TLO club we get a nasty surprise.
I’m going for a fairly even but scrappy and boring game with very little of interest except we win 1-0.
It won’t be boring. They’ll be plenty of interest & a lot more goals than 1, & that’s before half time.
Time to kick back & light up a cigar, metaphorically speaking.
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There's zero word of why haks is out, anyone know what his injury is?
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Back in a fortnight apparently. Won’t be playing today.
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Will be interesting to see what the attendance drops back to today. Probably in the eyes of some, a 'routine' fixture on what's looking like a dank cool day. I guess 7500 would be good??
Hope we get something to warm us all up!
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Going to be 12 degrees according to google so not too bad. 10 degrees in Bradford now and Donny is always warmer than here. Still taking a scarf though.
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Going to be 12 degrees according to google so not too bad. 10 degrees in Bradford now and Donny is always warmer than here. Still taking a scarf though.
currently charging the car after the run from the north east and it is indeed currently 12 degrees in Woodlands
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A nice Rovers afternoon, home for some tea, bed at 8pm, up at 2am to catch a plane
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Good odds on Jay McGrath to score. It’s coming.
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Will be interesting to see what the attendance drops back to today. Probably in the eyes of some, a 'routine' fixture on what's looking like a dank cool day. I guess 7500 would be good??
Hope we get something to warm us all up!
Think 7500 would be very good.
That would mean only losing about 350 home fans from last week assuming Salford bring an away following of 150
Think Salford isn’t as an attractive fixture by comparison to Notts C. So suspect we may only get 7200 at best. I hope I am wrong and would love to see an 8.000 + gate but I think we need to be top of the league before we get 8.000 home fans turning up on a regular basis.
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Hoping for a big performance from our lads today.
I do think the 1st goal will be decisive in how the game pans out.
We get the 1st goal and I am hopeful we can get 3/4
If they score 1st we have a battle on i suspect but we are still capable of winning of course
These next 4 league games I think could be a marker for how strong we will be in the 2nd half of the season.
Being greedy I want 3 points v Salford H, Carlisle A, Fleetwood A, & Cheltenham H
Yes 3 points at Highbury. You heard it here 1st :chair:
We have to do it sometime don’t we. This is the season. :)
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Hoping for a big performance from our lads today.
I do think the 1st goal will be decisive in how the game pans out.
We get the 1st goal and I am hopeful we can get 3/4
If they score 1st we have a battle on i suspect but we are still capable of winning of course
These next 4 league games I think could be a marker for how strong we will be in the 2nd half of the season.
Being greedy I want 3 points v Salford H, Carlisle A, Fleetwood A, & Cheltenham H
Yes 3 points at Highbury. You heard it here 1st :chair:
We have to do it sometime don’t we. This is the season. :)
All runs come to an end mate.
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We keep going into games feeling reasonably confident thinking this is the one when it's going to click. It's not quite happened yet at home as we seem to make scoring goals a little more complicated.
We hear McCann and ourselves talk about being more ruthless in front of goal but how do we become more ruthless? How do you coach that?
I think it's fair to say, we're creating enough chances and opportunities to win games so, irrespective of what colour shirts we play against, is it just the ability to get that ball between the sticks without shanking, slicing, looping , bobbling the ball?
When you think about the four goals that hit the back of the net against Accriington with great simplicity, what's gone wrong?
I think “ruthless” is remaining composed in front of goal. There is tendency to shoot wildly rather than thinking about getting it on target, but not necessarily with 100% power. A ground level shot is less likely to get deflected over the bar and many of our goals come via that route. Easier said than done of course.
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7280 gate with 216 from Salford City.
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They have exactly the type of away form that could cause us problems. Aside from Notts County (zero away losses) Salford City have the best unbeaten away record this season (one away loss) but they have this with an astounding five away draws. They have actually only won a single away game in the league this season, and lost zero. They have only conceded eight away goals, the same as leaders Port Vale and the best away record holder Notts County.
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Difficult to understand why he subs Kelly and Yeboah really needs to work on his speed.
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Another dire performance at home, the normal 4-3-3 formation at home for some reason just does not work. As soon as we go 3 at the back we look a lot better team.
Please can anyone tell me how Yeboah gets in the squad? He is terrible and needs to go back in January.
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+1 on sending Yeboah back to Bristol City. Every time he gets the ball he loses it. That second lot of substitutions cost us our final chance of 3 points.
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Would have liked to see sharp and maxwell on from the start. Gibson and Fleming offer little.
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On the left doesn't seem to be Gibsons position. A good player but think we need someone else there.
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Annoying but we were playing against a side with an exceptional unbeaten record away from home. Just a single defeat so far this season. We hit the post twice and both Gibson and Sharp could easily have put the game out of sight.
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Would have liked to see sharp and maxwell on from the start. Gibson and Fleming offer little.
They were at least as effective as Molyneux and Hurst particularly in the first half.
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Another dire performance at home, the normal 4-3-3 formation at home for some reason just does not work. As soon as we go 3 at the back we look a lot better team.
Please can anyone tell me how Yeboah gets in the squad? He is terrible and needs to go back in January.
When did we go 3 at the back?
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Another dire performance at home, the normal 4-3-3 formation at home for some reason just does not work. As soon as we go 3 at the back we look a lot better team.
Please can anyone tell me how Yeboah gets in the squad? He is terrible and needs to go back in January.
When did we go 3 at the back?
Bailey dropped between Olowu and McGrath after the first lot of subs.
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Another dire performance at home, the normal 4-3-3 formation at home for some reason just does not work. As soon as we go 3 at the back we look a lot better team.
Please can anyone tell me how Yeboah gets in the squad? He is terrible and needs to go back in January.
When did we go 3 at the back?
Ermmm….today. You can’t seriously think he took sterry and Fleming off to go 5 at the back.
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Another dire performance at home, the normal 4-3-3 formation at home for some reason just does not work. As soon as we go 3 at the back we look a lot better team.
Please can anyone tell me how Yeboah gets in the squad? He is terrible and needs to go back in January.
When did we go 3 at the back?
Bailey dropped between Olowu and McGrath after the first lot of subs.
Baily went CB, Olowu went RB, Maxwell went LB
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Is that not 3 at the back
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Is that not 3 at the back
MagrathIs that not 3 at the back
Mcgrath was the other CB
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I don’t like criticising pro players but Yeboah looks very low on confidence and as a result looks lost when he gets the ball.
He just never looks like beating his man or finding a telling pass.
Hurst offers ten times as much confidence and application.
We lost a lot of our attacking effectiveness when Hurst went off.
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I don't think any of our players looked capable of beating a man today.
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Agree on Yeboah. He must do something in training. There said he was lightening quick but doesn’t seem to know how to use it.
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I’d drive him back to Brighton myself !
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I’d drive him back to Brighton myself !
Will he have to make his own way to Bristol from there lol!
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Yeboah was only on the pitch for 10 minutes, so it's harsh to single him out as the problem today.
The team performance was distinctly average.
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That’s a fair shout Filo ! I’ll get my coat…..
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I don’t like criticising pro players but Yeboah looks very low on confidence and as a result looks lost when he gets the ball.
He just never looks like beating his man or finding a telling pass.
Hurst offers ten times as much confidence and application.
We lost a lot of our attacking effectiveness when Hurst went off.
But he looked lost when he got the ball in preseason too. Maybe he is just lost when he gets it.
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Yeboah just hasn't done it much when he's had the chance. Surely he'll go back in January. We probably need another wide player/striker.
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Long time Blade and Rovers supporter here. Stuck it on about half way through the first half. I was hoping Billy would get on, and he did what Billy does, again. Gutted that the second attempt, only minutes after his goal, didn't sneak in the correct side of the post.
Haven't seen Rovers away in a good while so just booked train and ticket for next Saturday. Rovers looking so much better than in the recent past and the table looks well right now. I've a feeling there's more to come from your lads yet.
t
I think the ickets are down to about the last 50 now, if anyone is interested in how that's going for Carlisle.
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,Over the piece we did enough to win the game, and like in a few other games, the play off game last season one of them, we hit the brick wall, another one that slipped away.
Now after the last two games there is a lot on the game next week, and we are causing pressure to build on ourselves.
Part of the problem is other sides know they can disrupt our playing rhythm, at our best we are fluid quick and skilful with the ball, and dangerous going forward.
Our weakness we are a bit soft and can be bullied in midfield, we don't mix it in mid field with a player like Wellens who could play and dish it out a bit, Lund bossed that part of the game cleverly while some of their other players attracted our supporters anger with more obvious fouls.
We also let a player run straight at us centrally again and score, while at the other end anything like that was countered by the tactical foul and time wasting.
There are facets of the game we need to learn quickly, easy on the eye is not the be all and end all although admirable, and we need to start to find a way of winning games other than playing teams off the field.
Having said all that, a bit of luck in front of goal, and better stronger referee's would also help
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I don’t like criticising pro players but Yeboah looks very low on confidence and as a result looks lost when he gets the ball.
He just never looks like beating his man or finding a telling pass.
Hurst offers ten times as much confidence and application.
We lost a lot of our attacking effectiveness when Hurst went off.
Very politely put hound.
Yeboah was awful today and I’ve yet to see what he has to offer.
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,Over the piece we did enough to win the game, and like in a few other games, the play off game last season one of them, we hit the brick wall, another one that slipped away.
Now after the last two games there is a lot on the game next week, and we are causing pressure to build on ourselves.
Part of the problem is other sides know they can disrupt our playing rhythm, at our best we are fluid quick and skilful with the ball, and dangerous going forward.
Our weakness we are a bit soft and can be bullied in midfield, we don't mix it in mid field with a player like Wellens who could play and dish it out a bit, Lund bossed that part of the game cleverly while some of their other players attracted our supporters anger with more obvious fouls.
We also let a player run straight at us centrally again and score, while at the other end anything like that was countered by the tactical foul and time wasting.
There are facets of the game we need to learn quickly, easy on the eye is not the be all and end all although admirable, and we need to start to find a way of winning games other than playing teams off the field.
Having said all that, a bit of luck in front of goal, and better stronger referee's would also help
Agree with most of that but we are far from dangerous going forward. Getting into the zone we can do fine, then all decision making and composure goes to pot.
Today like a lot of games we started well then once they began causing a bit of a ruckus and chaos we dropped to their level and couldn’t stay composed.