Must say Smudger's sporting a cool haircut. He was quick out of the blocks to score our third goal last night. He was quicker than a Wakefield Whippet. A few more like that and he'll be giving Coventry something to think about.
WOTSISNAME SAID; Posts: 1724 Date: Wed Apr 14 07:41 2021 IP: 89.168.62.126 Any team news ahead of the Coventry game? Permalink - More - Freddie Ladapo who now has11 goals in the English second tier so far, was substituted for Kieran Sadlier with nine minutes left on the clock. There's some talk that Freddie has a groin strain?
Matthew Olosunde was subbed off for Richard Woods in the 46th minute while Michael Ihiekwe and Chiedozie Ogbene were not dressed for action.
Worth mentioning that PW pulled of a master stroke when he threw on three substitutes before the hour mark. Michael Smith, Lewis Wing and Jamie Lindsay each played a part in turning the game on its head.
I'm hoping we've not got too many players in for treatment today.
Come On You Reds!!
__________________ smiler Testimonial Status: Offline Posts: 4057 Date: Wed Apr 14 11:25 2021 IP: 86.139.206.229 Permalink - More - Defensively, not much change needed. No need to rush Icky back.
I think it was a masterstroke from Warne (or a gamble that paid off if you prefer) with the midfield and forward players. All should be fit to play a part, and some key players only got half an hour so will be raring to go. Logic suggests starting with Smith and using Freddie off the bench if fit and if needed.
__________________ wotsisname Vice-Captain Status: Offline Posts: 1724 Date: Thu Apr 15 07:15 2021 IP: 89.168.62.126 Permalink - More - Interesting post match interview with Freddie Ladapo after the QPR game. Freddie was giving nothing away about being taken off just before the end of the match with what looked like a groin strain. He was still smiling and very much upbeat.
Come On You Reds!!
-- Edited by ian on Thursday 15th of April 2021 04:47:37 PM
well that was garbage, credit to Robins tactically he has it right, lots of set plays via free kicks and long throws they look dangerous every time, they leave number 6 outside the box and twice they nearly score we have nobody picking him up. Johanson has been brilliant as well. When they defend they leave two up and we dont seem to know what to do. More worrying for me our players look petrified slow to the loose ball, can't find a red shirt for simple passes, slicing clearances there is no composure. Wiles might as well not be on the pitch, Mentally our players do not seem right for this game
Its Wycombe all over again. The players seem to have frozen. I'm sure they havent been told to be garbage, but that's what that half has been. Second to every second ball, not tracking runners, cant make a simple pass and kicking it up in the air under no pressure. Simple things.
Thank goodness for Viktor. Because of him and him alone we are level and surely we cant be that bad again. Not scapegoating anyone but Olosunde looks like he has never played before, and Ben Wiles is just not in the game. If it was up to me I would put Giles on and move Harding to the right, and I'd be tempted to put Crooks into midfield in place of Wiles and get Freddie on. The main thing though is that the players need to take responsibility and sort it out.
Harding has had a poor game. Giving away too many set pieces for nothing including the one for the goal. It is alright Smiler saying they are not told to play garbage but it is the men in charge that have to get the players up for it, if we lose it then it is two crucial games at home and lost the both, we need a point , ref isn't helping he gives them every foul. Robins is a more experienced manager and to be honest it shows, we still have 15 mins
No complaints about that result. We were totally dominated by Coventry. They never gave us a minute and, but for Victor, would have had a hat full. To be honest, I don't want Coventry to go down and I'd rather we caught Huddersfield or Derby. Disappointing but not the end of the world - or the season!
Some players who we know can be good players have just not done it tonight. Players leaving it for each other, then tackling each other, unable to pass it five yards, poor decision making. This is the same manager and players who were tremendous on Tuesday. The idea that somehow the manager hasnt prepared them tonight makes no sense. Is am sure the players knew the importance of the game. They have to be able to handle that. They are professional footballers. At the end of the day our players didnt play well enough tonight. Coventry were much the better side and you have to give them credit. They deserved their win.
well that is that, the one thing that we didn't need to happen is lose. We have to be careful not to overreact a win on sunday for us and a win for Barnsley and we still have a small chance, however losing at home to wycombe and coventry and in the manner we did does raise some serious questions. The big message tonight for me was that going down costs us £5m and that Tony Stewart has put in an extra £3m of his own money just to keep us a float due to the Scamdemic. If that continues next season which is predicted by many that winter lockdowns are expected due to the country being run by SAGE I think being in League 1 could seriously damage the club long term. I suspect that any money that can be recovered from players sales like Crooks will be just to balance the books, do not expect us to recruit many players. With that situation being made clearer there is no way that we will get new management it is the safest cheapest option to keep what we have, we need to really look at young players and try and drop on a non-league bargain.
As for the game, the best team won, they were up for the game, their players were quicker, hungrier and better organised. Robins is a much more experienced and tactically he had us sussed from the first to the last kick. Our tactical changes looked desperate and lacked thought and planning. Ogbene is clearly not fit we have all said it and it is a waste of a change, Ike didn't look himself either. The defence with Wood in it against QPR looked solid changing that was a strange change, however that wasn't the cause of the defeat. We missed Barlasar he gives us more than you think in the middle. Their keeper didn't have to make a save all game and ours pulled off 4 top class saves. There is something the matter at our club and the way the players are prepared, for crucial games against teams around us we struggle to be mentally right. Not for all of them but a large proportion of them, both Coventry games we were not right as examples. I genuinely think we need to look at the sports psychology side of the game and the management need to look at that going forward. I think relegation is 90% certain (10% hope) and upper mid-table next year if I am right about the financial situation. That is not necessarily a bad thing if it allows us to build and prepare for the season after.
Smiler to say it makes no sense to say our manager hasn't prepared us for tonight is a bizarre comment. Of course every manager prepares his team in terms of fitness, tactics and motivation the issue isn't whether he prepared them it is that he didn't do a good job did he? Yes the players themselves have to take their share of the blame but you are overly protective of Warne and his management team, they didn't do a good job Robins did and the result was clear to see. Now that doesnt mean he is useless it means that they have failed in a number of key games and that is an issue that needs to be looked at, everyone can always improve.
It IS the hope that kills you.
That was complete & utter dog 💩
I'd agree that fatigue has to be a factor but even a tired player can make a 5 yard pass. The Viking is number ONE, Blackman may as well get the train home to London.
One more question, what has Kieran Sadlier done wrong to Warnie?
Golden boy Crooks had one good month & seems to start every single game. Sadlier is creative, can score goals & crucially can take a penalty.
Very very disappointed tonight.
We have done well in a number of big games. They dont come bigger than the Wednesday games and we got six points. We beat Derby twice in crunch games. We have played a combined eleven games against Wycombe, Wednesday, Derby, Birmingham, Huddersfield and Coventry and have taken eighteen points from them (W5 D3 L3). Not a bad return. After the Wycombe game we had a Warne And His Team Have To Go thread. On Tuesday night it was all rosy again. Personally I think because we care so much we tend to overreact to both victory and defeat. Beat Birmingham on Sunday and things will look better again. The challenge got harder because of tonight but it isnt over yet. With hindsight Barlaser might have given us some composure on the ball, but having said that he was dreadful against Wycombe which went the same way as tonight. I think it's best not to over analyse it and better to focus on the next (equally big) game.
Two excellent posts by derbymiller. The simple fact is that if you match Rotherham for effort and physicality you will beat them because you will have better players. Birmingham are now a very physical side unfortunately and so to a great extent are Luton. I think losing tonight has probably finished us. This time next week we will probably know our fate. At the final reckoning we will have to conclude that the chairman cannot properly finance Championship football without going into serious debt and we all know he won't be doing that.
-- Edited by splinter on Friday 16th of April 2021 09:24:07 AM
Derby, I get that managers have an important job to do. I'm not over protective of Warne at all. I have been critical of him many times. For example I thought he got it wrong against Wycombe and said so. Tonight I think he picked a side that not too many would have disagreed with too much (although we all have our own preferences) and it turned out that a lot of the players made a lot of basic mistakes. My opinion is that it is a bit simplistic to conclude that this was somehow the fault of the manager. I don't think that it necessarily follows that it was. Personally I just think too many players were below par on the night. Is Warne to blame for that? Not necessarily. We have done well in many big games in recent times. Tonight it wasnt our night. I wouldnt read as much into it as you are.
The thing is we have been this 'good and this 'bad all season. I do get a little befuddled by the refrain that we are clearly as good as...
The table never lies. We were this much behind Coventry all last season and this much ahead of Wycomb and by definition we are considerably lacking Vs the other 21 teams ...more or less.
An example , and there are many , is our lack of financial clout to be able to punt a few million on 4 or 5 players in combined signing on fees and wages. It takes at least this kind of expenditure to get a 50% return in quality season upon season. Thats what the championship level requires.
This doesn't make one a defeatist , but a realist. I can still be passionate and support the team with everything , but facts are very clear...we've been here how many times in the last 10 years ...exactly !
It was a close call regarding the starting 11 , but no one can doubt that we put out as good a side as possible-i would have started Robertson for macdonald, but that's it. Cov simply outplayed us tonight . As for the future, then, I think it's probably carry on as we are , which incidentally is still very good , and hope for a run of form in the last few games that we haven't achieved in the last few seasons at this level , and failing that a very competitive push for promotion next year, which I think is now ,and ,I'm genuinely thankful it is , our (to borrow an ironic, but disastrous new cultural term ) our new normal
-- Edited by ian on Thursday 15th of April 2021 10:42:47 PM
What has Sadlier done wrong? I'll keep asking till someone tells me. Crooks is running on empty & needs a rest. KS is two footed, creative, a goal threat in his own right & crucially can take a penalty, would it be so wrong to start him against Brum?
Yes i keep asking same thing about sadlier
Cant excuse his injury and fitness anymore
Same with clarke. Warne has his favorites and will play them out of position no matter what if he has too.
Warne and his mates must have known coventry tactics. When defending our set pieces and the one attempt at a short pass looked spur of the moment.
Harding looked off the pace so why not play olosonde and giles
Warne was outplayed in his own tactics by someone who taught him.
Unless we have a miracle we are down.
I still stand by my previous post that the club needs to re think its player recruitment policy
