You've missed an Important variable, the other team. The other team play differently according to whether they're at home or away. For example, Charlton at home pushed hard and applied strong pressure on our MF, combined with our competitive MF this made for a very scrappy game but we came away from the second in the league with a point.

Today, MK packed the MF and passed it about to try and get the crowd on Wednesday's back. We sat too deep 1st half and neither team did much. 2nd half we played higher tempo an won it fairly comfortable from team top of the league but unbeaten till today. Job's a good un

So what we need is more confidence to push forward and not sit back.

Just to point out as well in the last 2 games we have had 10 attempts of which 5 were on target and we have scored 4. So just let yourself imagine if we went out and attacked like say Man U did against them of whom we shall not speak, we’d have 5 out of 5 of the top goal scorers.

Suffering, there are a couple of factors that are important, we keep our shape and the tempo we play at to be fair to meggy that is what he is working on. When we play high tempo AND keep our shape we are much more effective.

First half against Charlton, they pressed us so impressively that we just couldn't find any space or time - forward passes were a matter of just hitting and hoping because we didn't have time to do anything else. Second half maybe they tired a bit and we more or less matched them. In the end we sneaked a draw, despite an almost total lack of creativity, thanks to a set-piece goal.
First half against MKD they ran rings around us in midfield playing neat little triangles and finding spaces between our two banks of four. They pulled their wingers into the middle and just outnumbered us there. It didn't help that by playing an unfit JJ we were effectively playing with 10 men. With Jesus and Semedo sitting deep and JJ and Marshall being almost immobile, there was no link between midfield and attack. Second half Jesus and Semedo showed more willingness to chase the ball into their half, putting more pressure on their midfield and Palmer changed the game by providing all the energy that JJ had been lacking. Once we were 11 v 11 it was much harder for them to pass around us so we nullified them. It helped that we scored with all 3 of our attempts on goal. Goals change games and we became much more confident. It's worth saying that, for all their pretty football, MKD hardly had an attempt on goal - ROD making only one save of note. Madine and Palmer have taken the plaudits but Rob Jones was immense. My first proper look at Marshall and, after looking poor on the telly v Charlton I thought he was disappointing again. He looks OK on the ball (and his set-pieces were terrific) but he needs to learn how to be a much better player without it - how to fill in gaps when we're defending and find space when we're attacking. He didn't look like a potential Premiership player, more like, for me, the worst player on the day in a League One team. I'm still not sold on Bennett either but he's worth his place in the side for those awesome throws. Delighted with the result and the second-half performance; looking good even though we're still a work in progress.

Did you see who was jogging back after Palmer instead of chasing him down when he went for the return off Madine?

None other than mr Darren potter!

Thanks for that rivelin very informative. It seems a bit like same old stuff, crap in first half and seeing what they do then come out fighting in the second. Do you think they do this cos they are genuinely scared of losing?

Talking of potter did he do anything to tell us we are missing him??

I think at Charlton GM sent them out to keep a clean sheet at least until their fans got frustrated. That all changed in the third minute with their goal. He then had to change things by bringing on Lowe and change things again when he got injured. Against MKD he again slipped up with the starting line up by playing JJ when he wasn't ready. I think that put us on the back foot. With regard to Harry Potter he looked very comfortable in a passing midfield and was very much part of their domination in the first 40 mins. He was quieter in the second half. He'll be disappointed that although he managed three shots at goal all of them sailed high into the crowd. Thank goodness.

I don't think we'll miss him, pruts and semedo look really good to me compared to our MF last season.

Comment deleted by Site Moderator

OK Bluebells, as you're on here can you explain to me why Rangers fans have got such a problem with Neil Lennon?

Is it cos he's a bit of a nob?

Comment deleted by Site Moderator

So it isn't that then?

I'm wondering why amongst all the northern ireland born RCs who have been associated with Celtic he seems especially hated? Is it because he's a bit uppity and doesn't show due deference to his unionist lords and masters?

...or just that he's a bit of a nob!?

It says on wiki that he once said he'd like to play for a unified Ireland team, like int' Rugby. That's enough to make any unionist worth their salt take up arms, apparently. Nobs.

Thanks izzy, that's the first comment I've heard that attempts to shed some light on this. I think some of those lads in Glasgow need to to chill out and have conjugal relations a bit more, maybe then they'd stop worrying about stuff that really doesn't matter anymore?

Exactly. Oops, I've just seen the face of the Rev. Paisley in my soup - time I went to the Post Office. Ciao!