Unlucky not to win but below par refereeing again cost us at least one penalty if not two. Good shift by the lads, can't believe the boos at the end. Mattock was immense today. Glad we didn't sign the carthorse Leon Clarke if today is anything to go by.
Can’t fault the effort, think we look a much more organised unit when Wood plays.
However, really hope our poor transfer window doesn’t bite us, we are desperately short up front, Smith needs help or a rest but we’ve only got Yates with Vassell now needing an op.
I thought it was 2 poor teams today when was the last time one of our forwards scored I like Smith but he didn't have one of his best games no support again. In the second half Crooks tired and Vaulks did nothing there's talk in the papers about him moving on to the blades Cardiff or Italy time to sell. Get Wiles in he is the only player we have with any quality why he wasn't on in the second half I have no idea. Newell And Towell were about as much use as a chocolate poker. Hope we can stop up but on the evidence on today's match no chance.
-- Edited by TH MILLER on Saturday 9th of February 2019 08:34:30 PM
That was the only winnable game we had left in my opinion and we weren't good enough to take the opportunity. The Chairman is beginning to get significant criticism and this will only get worse as the season,with a horrible run-in,slowly slips away.
Wigan were there for the taking. Just our lack of quality showed. We haven't had a Right back or Left winger good enough all season. Jones adequate defending but a championship full back he's got to be able to get forward. Midfield apart from Vaulks were was it. Crooks faded after the 1st 3rd of the game. Ajayi does a job but I want my two best centre backs, him & Robertson playing in defence.
Thought we changed last week. Last we'd seen of Taylor & Forde on the wings. Go back to 3-5-3 tues & stick with it as long as we have Mattock fit. I've said before play Forde Right wing back. Wood he had no forwards running at him today, not sure he can play two games in 3 days. Taylor played ok 1st half but won't meet much a weaker full back. Does Warney trust Ihiekwe? If he does side for tues: Rodak; Ihiekwe Ajayi Robertson; Forde Wiles or Crooks Vaulks Towell Mattock; Taylor Smith that's if the are all fit.
Just read Warne repeated comment
We are not taking our chances
Well Warne sit in where we are sitting and its plain as day why. Smith gets the knock down but no one to take advantage because of your negative formation of 4 5 1
We don't repeat don't have the players to this.
Smith is often up alone no support look at Wigan when we had a corner they put 3 up taking ajayi out of the set piece.
Poor refereeing doesn't excuse **** poor tactics and player acquisition in summer
Warney watch Judd Trump. Couldn't win a argument not so long back. Winning breads winning. Got to be a way to get us winning against enough sides in this league. Championship is so poor this season. Joe Masson free agent, go get him not some German playing in Saudi Arabia.
When you don't win, players who don't play always look better than those who do. Similarly, the tactics you don't employ look better than the tactics you do. I don't know what would have happened if we had played 442 and neither does anyone else. I'd like to be able to go 452 to give us the added attacking edge without having to surrender the midfield! We've played 442 once this season and it was probably our worst performance (at Bolton). Wigan (who also played 451) weren't good but in Windass they had the games most dangerous player. I thought the tactic of getting Ajayi on or around him generally worked well, although someone knocked off in the build up to the goal and Windass demonstrated his quality with the finish. As it was, we did about enough to have won what was a poor game in difficult conditions. I thought Forde and Crooks were the standout performers in the first half but both faded the longer the game went on.
Smiler we must go to a different game. Forde like Taylor & Williams before him may as well be sat with me when they play on the left. I didn't see Forde get one cross in on the left on the outside with his left foot. Shows the class of Vaulks, was some cross with his left foot for our goal. Forde was better when he switched to the right. I haven't written him off. Crooks hope it was lack of fitness at this level, wasn't in the game after the 1st 1/2 hour. I've already said we haven't had a Right back or Left winger good enough for the championship all season.
I think it was ajayi who left Windass to go chase the same man who Forde was around. This left space for Windass who received the ball with time to finish with aplomb. A game i expected, dour stuff with little skill from either team. Crooks looked good for half an hour, good balance, getting forward, wanting the ball etc but faded alarmingly. Forde does what all right sided players would do on the left, wants to come inside on his natural foot. After saying that i thought he had a decent game. We went 4.5.1 and matched them up. Wood on Clarke as expected. Ajayi went deeper in the second half to stop the threat of Windass in and around the box. These are games we have to win but it seems we have not got the quality to win them. Not sure we have the talent of Judd Trump in our midst gwru so we rely on graft, set pieces etc same as we have done just about all season.
Not sure Joe Mason would add anything either. He seems a busted flush to me. Perhaps Warney and co would kick start back his career !!!. Looked a decent prospect for Cardiff in his early years but loaned out to clubs like Bolton (scored hat trick against us), BUrton, and in America. The thing that sets the alarm bells ringing is this season. Loaned out to Portsmouth and back to his old guvnor this season on 31st August. He has played only once for Jackett and sent back to his home club who terminated his contract on 31st Jan. We are desperate but really Joe Mason .
Just wondering in which league Herr Z has been playing in Saudi? I have a name but I'm unable to find him playing in any of the major leagues out there. Maybe I'm wide of the mark as Herr Z is currently 33 years of age and not 30 as reported in the local rags. Herr Z has probably been coaching in Saudi.
-- Edited by wotsisname on Sunday 10th of February 2019 05:59:37 PM
Twenty minutes in yesterday after he beat his man and hit an inch perfect cross field ball to Taylor, I wondered whether the trialist might have been playing in disguise as Anthony Forde. It was one of the better 45 minutes I have seen Forde have for us. If he keeps playing like that I've no problem with Forde keeping his place. His set piece delivery was also very good. As for the trialist, my understanding is that he may not be German although he has played there, but its all a guessing game. I am sorry to be cynical but part of me thinks that anyone willing to join us beyond the transfer window may not be worth having.
*** on millers. We have more stopping up players than any other side in the drop zone. Rodak Mattock Ajayi Robertson Vaulks Smith. Get the formation right we'll be fine.
we are where we are and didnt deserve a win yesterday.
In fact we have only deserved 5 wins in 31. Its called a pattern.
PW is continuing to put the team on the back foot. Long (safe) balls. Percentages and hopeless long throw-ins when the other option is to get it on the deck. Manager after manager bigs themselves up after "surviving" Rotherham's battering tactics. And our management team seem to be taken in by it.
Long said its not the fault of the club, but the way one fights and prepares does grant that team choice. And, the choices have been awful in terms of winning. I think I have seen exactly 5 games where we deserved to win and more than a dozen where it looked like we wouldn't score in a weekend.
PW set his stall out and that's what we have.
I think its reasonable to say that a target of 46 points looks the minimum to stay up. Knowing this, actually thinking about this, letting the penny drop must lead the management to realise this is a target they cant hope to make with current tactics. The Mrs works in philanthropy and at some point, you have to ask the question "give me some money please!). There are people in the team that dont know how to do this and others who are scared. They go on courses to learn the basics of their well-paid jobs.
PW has to send the team out with more aggression and purpose. We need to raise 19 points from 15 games. He aint gonna get it by launching hopeful messages in bottles into a wide open cold sea. Its a shame I have to suggest taking risks when the obvious thing is that we need too.
Some Blade fan said his team let a 3 goal lead slip because he took the forwards off. Another fan bemoaned the idea of replacing a forward with a defender when their team was losing into the final third of the game. The presenter wasnt buying it.
when you dont have a presence up front you cant score.
when you dont have a presence up front you invite the opposition to take ground and you get your backs turned and end up running backwards.
The work rate we go through to lob a ball into the box and get players underneath is more like Rugby than football.
Please grow a pair and go out fighting with some style. That gap has got bigger over the last 3 months (beyond us and Reading), not smaller PW. Wake up please and get two strikers on. If you cant does that then please push the belt and braces another 10 yards up the pitch.
Ian totally agree. I sit high up on the west stand. Couple.of other things stand out.
We never anywhere near Smith for the knock down due to Warne PLAYING ONE UP FRONT MEANS BOTH CB MARK HIM OUT OF THE GAME It's like the German asking why isn't there much German humour, answer could be you killed all the funny people!!!! Then Warne comes.out with blah we don't take our chances blah. Even god is now saying don't you get it!!!
Warne the answer is simple play two UP FRONT but because of your pathetic budget your stupid humanist recruitment policy. injuries and loaning policy Means we have two fit strikers. !!!!!ffs
But then again what would be point as you only play 1 up front.!!!!!!!
Question why didn't you tell ball to sit.down and shut up like you have reportedly told players to do in Jan? Or bring him back like you did Yates?
Ball isn't quality but at least he can finish and probably score more. But no not you Warne.
As for Stewart he built a stadium for sport to be played in and we play rent to play there!!!!. No one has explained why he did that. Yes he saved us. And We are solvent but anyone hoping that fair play makes it a level playing field is grasping at straws.
If We survive it will be down to the fact of.luck and 2 teams imploding and us been better than reading. So Tony needs to spend and spend properly in summer and Warne stop the humanist approach please.
Thought the cross by Forde to Wood who then made a lovely cushioned header to Smith who fired over from six yards was a superb cross. All about opinions isn't it.
