Yet again we don't have enough up front to beat or draw with an ordinary side. Also injuries are taking their toll. No Ebou, Nyambe, CBT, Ozoh, Cashin and so on.

This transfer window is going to be crucial as, in spite of some reasonable approach play, we never looked like scoring.

I do not like having a go at Wilson as he at present seems to be our main attacking threat but his lack of aerial ability when defending cost us another goal. Strange because he often wins headers in the oppo's box.

Not much else to say really other than that our thin squad has been severely tested by all these Xmas etc games. Also my MOM was Elder who did nowt wrong and a lot of what was right.

2 really poor teams. We're down to the bones of our asre players wise. Theyre shattered or injured. Need to regroup and start again. Feel sorry for Warney. Cheers. Terry. UTR

comment by Chicagoram (U22653)
posted 4 minutes ago
Yet again we don't have enough up front to beat or draw with an ordinary side. Also injuries are taking their toll. No Ebou, Nyambe, CBT, Ozoh, Cashin and so on.

This transfer window is going to be crucial as, in spite of some reasonable approach play, we never looked like scoring.

I do not like having a go at Wilson as he at present seems to be our main attacking threat but his lack of aerial ability when defending cost us another goal. Strange because he often wins headers in the oppo's box.

Not much else to say really other than that our thin squad has been severely tested by all these Xmas etc games. Also my MOM was Elder who did nowt wrong and a lot of what was right.
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Spot on Chicago. Happy new Year to you...

Look forward to Vidal's take on things - assuming he survived his lunch.

I wonder if the sugar has dissolved?

Beyond shocking, end of story.

comment by Scouse (U9675)
posted 6 minutes ago
Beyond shocking, end of story.

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The lunch or the football?

Thanks Terry and "back at you" as they say over here.

Yes, also looking forward to Vidal's report. Always good to hear from someone actually at the game.

comment by Chicagoram (U22653)
posted about 3 hours ago
Yet again we don't have enough up front to beat or draw with an ordinary side. Also injuries are taking their toll. No Ebou, Nyambe, CBT, Ozoh, Cashin and so on.

This transfer window is going to be crucial as, in spite of some reasonable approach play, we never looked like scoring.

I do not like having a go at Wilson as he at present seems to be our main attacking threat but his lack of aerial ability when defending cost us another goal. Strange because he often wins headers in the oppo's box.

Not much else to say really other than that our thin squad has been severely tested by all these Xmas etc games. Also my MOM was Elder who did nowt wrong and a lot of what was right.
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Finding quality strikers at this level is difficult. It is obvious we don’t have any. Yates is our best and he’s on loan. Do we look to the lower leagues, look overseas or look to take on an experienced forward past his prime?

I wouldn't be unhappy with a striker but are we creating enough chances for it to be a worthy investment? Feels like we could be after the venom without the fangs. A ball playing defensive MF and a winger that can hold onto the ball and bring others into play would be nice.

SOS Huddz and Dawks.

Or maybe just a little bit more work on breaking defences down. Was impressed with Eustace's Blackburn, against us.

Nothing really fancy just creating overloads and rotating positions n pulling us all over the place.

Scouse was at the game but I catch your drift Chicago 🫢

Evening all. Well, in the end, I went to our game as my other game got called off.
We really should have picked up a point but, yet again, failed to take our chances and give away a soft goal.
Short of unearthing a gem or signing Salah on loan, I don't really see that Warne (or anyone) can do much about it.
Had Adams been playing, I'm sure we'd have got something. We lacked his energy/power combo in midfield.

"Venom without the fangs." I like it and have been thinking for some time that with our current make-up even a striker like Haaland could struggle to score for us. I'm sure PW is well aware of what's needed but whether he can get it is another matter.

Just back.

The contrast in the home and away games was stark. Adams and Ozoh completely dominated in the home fixture, holding off their opposite numbers with ease, but today we had no strength in there, nor did we have the quality to keep the ball in tight areas so we relentlessly surrendered possession in our own half.

Control the midfield and you control the game. Without that, what game are we playing? Our forwards don’t really run the channels and although Yates’ effort was again outstanding he does not hold the ball up reliably enough to get us up the pitch and bring others into the game.

With Osborn on the pitch after half time we did keep hold of it better but on the whole the plan seemed to be the old one of trying to get it out wide and then to get a cross in or win a corner. The odds of scoring that way seem slim to me. Brizzle are no great shakes at all but they had far more patterns in attacking areas, getting the ball into the feet of strikers and playing the ball between defenders to runners. We don’t try that sort of stuff, or not much.

With all fit we were physically powerful, not conceding many and able to get ourselves up the pitch in numbers often enough for goals to come, not by great invention but buying enough tickets in the set piece lottery or other percentage-type play. Without the physical power we are very short of ideas and our wide players are not dynamic enough to worry the opposition too much. The captain had a very poor day today and the midfield, though occasionally tidy, was more often brushed aside.

The effort is there but belief is waning, certainly amongst the fans. We are in dire need of forward strength and pace. With additions and with our midfield powerhouse back we are a mid-table team. I don’t think we will ever play pretty football under Warne but we can worry about that in a season or two when have properly re-established ourselves at this level.

Good comments Vidal.

I agree about Yates and it is frustrating watching high balls down the middle or from the flanks aimed in his direction and which he may win once in every twenty against tall, strong defenders. Brown again looked promising when he came on - pacey, strong and aggressive. Just what we need of course but preferably a more experienced version. If we can't get the right man in then I think we will have to use B more.

Certainly if Ozoh and Adams can be added then I agree we should be totally capable of mid-table security.

I feel sorry for Yates, he isn’t a player with the attributes to do much on his own and he is getting zero help. I actually thought Wilson had a good game bar his defensive lapse when it looked as though he just wasn’t aggressive enough. Maybe he thought the ball was drifting out for a goal kick.

comment by 2 Wellies (U6713)
posted about 19 hours ago
I wouldn't be unhappy with a striker but are we creating enough chances for it to be a worthy investment? Feels like we could be after the venom without the fangs. A ball playing defensive MF and a winger that can hold onto the ball and bring others into play would be nice.

SOS Huddz and Dawks.
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A good striker improves midfield by being an outlet when the opposition midfield are swarming all over us. Helps to keep them in their place. Hudz was past it when he returned, occasionally a match winner but ordinary most of the time. Diagonal Dawkins flattered to deceive. Midfielders should be either runners, passers or ratters, preferably all three.

comment by Spart-Ho sempre ragione (U4603)
posted 33 minutes ago
comment by 2 Wellies (U6713)
posted about 19 hours ago
I wouldn't be unhappy with a striker but are we creating enough chances for it to be a worthy investment? Feels like we could be after the venom without the fangs. A ball playing defensive MF and a winger that can hold onto the ball and bring others into play would be nice.

SOS Huddz and Dawks.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
A good striker improves midfield by being an outlet when the opposition midfield are swarming all over us. Helps to keep them in their place. Hudz was past it when he returned, occasionally a match winner but ordinary most of the time. Diagonal Dawkins flattered to deceive. Midfielders should be either runners, passers or ratters, preferably all three.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Is Archie Gemmill available?

The absence of runners in our midfield is very obvious, not just a runner in the Bryson mould who could feed off and run past the striker but a midfielder who can carry the ball. We have no player in that position who can, say, drive 20 yards forwards when there is a bit of space and get the opponents running towards their own goal. This is either because they can’t do it or are told not to for fear of losing possession. My mind goes back to Cheltenham away, a proper nadir of a performance, when Warne said he wanted to avoid the centre of the pitch because that was where Cheltenham’s strength lay. This was Cheltenham who were bottom and were yet to score all season.

comment by lastapostleofvidal (U1491)
Warne said he wanted to avoid the centre of the pitch because that was where Cheltenham’s strength lay.




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Much I as like Warne as a person, this is where he does my nut. He concentrates too much on the opposition (so called) strengths instead of ours.

Bristol City were probably the worst team I've seen us play live all season and we never laid a glove on them.

Defending corners is another example. I’m not one of those who thinks we should always leave a player on the halfway line but when the keeper catches the ball, many teams have a rehearsed strategy of players sprinting into space to launch a counter-attack. We clearly don’t do that - JZ has been told to keep hold of the ball and wait until everybody has resumed their proper positions (including the opposition).

This isn’t a Warne out rant because I think we should stick with him for now but it illustrates a mindset which is largely about what might happen if we take a risk and it comes back to bite us. If we don’t take slight risks like this, and getting more than one or two players into the box when attacking, then we have to be near-perfect in other departments. At our best this season we have been superbly organised out of possession and reasonably efficient in ball retention in midfield. Yesterday we weren’t terrible but against a poorish team we conceded a soft goal and were hussled off the ball too easily. Without any real magic in the side we need maximum efficiency to squeeze out goals, and with the absentees we are below the level needed.

Hitting poor form at the wrong time of the season. We are now flirting with relegation. As Warne has a history of relegation from the Championship to match his promotion from division one this is worrying. A fee home wins wouldn’t come amiss to settle the nerves.

Few

comment by Scouse (U9675)
posted about 3 hours ago
comment by Spart-Ho sempre ragione (U4603)
posted 33 minutes ago
comment by 2 Wellies (U6713)
posted about 19 hours ago
I wouldn't be unhappy with a striker but are we creating enough chances for it to be a worthy investment? Feels like we could be after the venom without the fangs. A ball playing defensive MF and a winger that can hold onto the ball and bring others into play would be nice.

SOS Huddz and Dawks.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
A good striker improves midfield by being an outlet when the opposition midfield are swarming all over us. Helps to keep them in their place. Hudz was past it when he returned, occasionally a match winner but ordinary most of the time. Diagonal Dawkins flattered to deceive. Midfielders should be either runners, passers or ratters, preferably all three.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Is Archie Gemmill available?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
He's 77 but still has a decent turn of pace and no other commitments as far as I know......🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿