Three points and big disappointment this evening. A third duff home league showing in a row. We are back to joint top but we should be playing much better than this at the Valley if we want to get some genuine momentum. I am inclined to suggest that we are waiting for the wheels to fall off. It's nowhere near the sort of football you need to get the crowds back even if you are top-of-the-table.
It was the same side sent out again but barring the commitment and alertness of Bradley Wright-Phillips, we looked well below par against a poor Exeter side who played much of the match with only ten men. BWP could have opened the scoring in the third minute again after getting onto a high ball but he lifted it fractionally high and it cleared the bar. After that we let Exeter come at us for a large part of the first half and I think they scored a perfectly good goal. It looked to have crossed the line but the officials thought otherwise. In contrast, our goal, when it came, was largely undeserved. BWP latched onto a through pass to knock the ball past the advancing keeper. Having suffered personal abuse from the scant visiting support, he let them know he had scored and a couple of visitors had to be ejected.
We didn't improve after the break and whilst City never looked like scoring, they had far more ball than they should have. Johnnie Jackson had a second successive quiet game and Waggy looked subdued after his efforts in the week. Paul Hayes' touch today was woeful and he messed up three promising attacks with clumsy footwork.
Stephens and Hollands had better games in the middle but neither imposed themselves the way they should have that was really about it. The back four hard, with Solly my man of the match (if not BWP). Wiggins was guilty of some poor balls he never looked in any real trouble.
Tactically, Powell was better than in the week and he brought on Pritchard, Euell and Hughes, although by then Dale Stephens had stroked home after a good move down the right.
I suppose I shouldn't complain and perhaps I am expecting too much but if we can't settle down and boss a game against a poor side at home, I am concerned that perhaps we are flattering to deceive and that our bubble will, once again, be well and truly burst.
A bright point for me today was Bradley Wright-Phillips. He really is too good for League One and probably for us at the moment. His fifth goal in seven games and he always wants to know. I was particularly impressed with his attitude when he was subbed towards the end. His first thoughts were to wave goodbye to the Devonians who had been mocking him and his family all through the game. A real fighter. I wish we had a few more of those in this side.
It was the same side sent out again but barring the commitment and alertness of Bradley Wright-Phillips, we looked well below par against a poor Exeter side who played much of the match with only ten men. BWP could have opened the scoring in the third minute again after getting onto a high ball but he lifted it fractionally high and it cleared the bar. After that we let Exeter come at us for a large part of the first half and I think they scored a perfectly good goal. It looked to have crossed the line but the officials thought otherwise. In contrast, our goal, when it came, was largely undeserved. BWP latched onto a through pass to knock the ball past the advancing keeper. Having suffered personal abuse from the scant visiting support, he let them know he had scored and a couple of visitors had to be ejected.
We didn't improve after the break and whilst City never looked like scoring, they had far more ball than they should have. Johnnie Jackson had a second successive quiet game and Waggy looked subdued after his efforts in the week. Paul Hayes' touch today was woeful and he messed up three promising attacks with clumsy footwork.
Stephens and Hollands had better games in the middle but neither imposed themselves the way they should have that was really about it. The back four hard, with Solly my man of the match (if not BWP). Wiggins was guilty of some poor balls he never looked in any real trouble.
Tactically, Powell was better than in the week and he brought on Pritchard, Euell and Hughes, although by then Dale Stephens had stroked home after a good move down the right.
I suppose I shouldn't complain and perhaps I am expecting too much but if we can't settle down and boss a game against a poor side at home, I am concerned that perhaps we are flattering to deceive and that our bubble will, once again, be well and truly burst.
A bright point for me today was Bradley Wright-Phillips. He really is too good for League One and probably for us at the moment. His fifth goal in seven games and he always wants to know. I was particularly impressed with his attitude when he was subbed towards the end. His first thoughts were to wave goodbye to the Devonians who had been mocking him and his family all through the game. A real fighter. I wish we had a few more of those in this side.
Oh For heavens sake , we won the game didn't we , we had chances to score 2 or 3 others , we are joint top aren't we.
ReplyDeleteAll that AND we didn't play well
......
"After that we let Exeter come at us for a large part of the first half"
ReplyDeleteErrrr, what match were you watching? They had 10 men in their own half and hardly touched the ball the whole first half...
"After that we let Exeter come at us for a large part of the first half"
ReplyDeleteNot sure how you can come to that conclusion. They hardly touched the ball the whole first half...
The possession was 63-37 in our favour. I thought that we played a good patient game with an absence of hoof ball. Anyway our best performances will be away from home where there isn't the edhy Valley crowd to contend with.
ReplyDeleteWyn - thanks. I looked for the stats after Rob's comment but couldn't find them. It didn't feel like 63% possession although I am guessing the may have had a better first-half. The point I was trying to make was that we should have played far better after the last two home games against poor opposition (with ten men for over 70 minutes). It's precisely this problem that has been our Achilles Heel in recent years.
ReplyDeleteI'm in full sympathy with your report.
ReplyDeleteI have been fully converted to BWP as not only is he scoring, in the last few games his work rate has been great and his laying off of the ball impressive which were not strong points of his in the past.
Jackson was disappointing: not sure whether it's because we cannot really sort out what is his best position (or the general view from our row in the East Stand that he seemed to be suffering from a hangover).
You echoed my own view as I expressed at the game that the standard of football in the last couple of games has been poor. This will not increase the number of fans (and once again we slightly shot ourselves in the foot in respect of the efforts made to encourage new fans in).
If we do not have the all round skill to pass it around on the ground (and more importantly, make incisive attacking moves) then you are right we will be probably soon get found out.
There has to be an effective Plan B to stroking the ball around in circles if we cannot break the opposition down. Perhaps, someone like Paynter (though I do not know him) who is big, can actually get to the long high ball and lay it off would be an option we could try if all else fails).
So under Parkison we played it long too much and under Powell we don't do it enough. Perhaps some people just won't ever be pleased.
ReplyDeleteWhilst Hayes had some unfortunate consecutive touches in the second half, his intelligent linking play stands out in this team but it became evident that this was not sufficient for some of the less patient fans. He will probably be better away from home where our fans are very quick to criticise.
ReplyDeleteI like JJ but he is no winger - and neither is Wagstaff - so we need Wiggins to show a little more confidence in coming forward because he has good quick feet ( reminds me a little of Scott Minto)
Green may give us some more options when he is fit and if he was I would have Wagstaff on the bench to play either wide if necessary or as a support striker (in preference to Jason Euell I think) and then have Evina or Bover + Pritchard and Hughes on the bench with Cort and Sullivan. This would give us pace, width and a bit of difference for a play - i.e. a real plan B
In full agreement with those comments.
ReplyDeleteI would add that the players need to try a simpler pass, rather than constantly trying to thread the ball through a crowd of opposition players. Also nearly every single cross was overhit, so I would suggest a masterclass from Paddy Powell, who was the best crosser of the ball the club has ever had.
Secondly, I would question the level of coaching, as they need to be able to mix up the tactics, especially if plan A is not working. I would especially like to see a forwards coach, as panic seems to set in whenever most get within sight of the penalty area.
It was against a team who sat back for a large part and had to really pick their moments to counter. We had the majority of possesion and played patient, passing football. Yes it wasn't perfect, and yes we would have like to score more, but it seems that from moaning about playing it long all the time, now we are playing a passing game we are moaning there is no plan B and they are never playing it long.
ReplyDeleteIt coudl have been a lot better for sure, but the difference compared to our play in the last few years was huge.