Post by rosskaniuk on Apr 22, 2012 23:29:07 GMT
What a load of complete rubbish from a few about players not interested/not wanting promotion/not giving 100% or whatever other reasons like that are given for Saturday - and I don't even think our players were tired. There was some great battling and tackling from our players yesterday and bodies were being thrown in front of Wimbledon shots. They were gutted to lose But I'm afraid most of it goes on the 2/3 of the pitch we are defending, rather than in the final third up front. (that's not a criticism or Rene). But we just don't relieve the pressure on ourselves enough IMO and put it on the opposition, which we desperately have to do if we're to get these two wins. Even if we do pinch the first goal against Crewe, we don't want to be say defending it for 80 minutes, we want to be playing in their half, so I think we need something different up front.
I've never before criticised Danny as I always thought he did have skills that other lower league players don't as far as first touch, keeping possession, dribbling balance etc, but I've now come to realise the end product is ineffective and he's now started giving the ball away with his passing. I've seen quite a lot of recent games and I can barely recall him beating a full-back on the outside and getting to the byline for a cross or pull back and so many goals, or at least corners, come from that. Look at Bristol Rovers forum and there's a clip of the umpteen times Carayol goes outside past defenders and crosses with his less favoured left foot or cuts inside and shoots (switching between both seems to completely flummox defenders). We haven't got width because Danny cuts inside or stops and looks inside or backwards.
Zebs might not have been the best in front of goal but at least with his drive and step-overs he took on people down the right and made things happen. Perhaps LRT would be better - i haven't seen enough of him though.
Or alternatively at least we can pressure teams by "bullying" them with strength up front - Atieno or perhaps Jarvis - to run the channels or balls down the line. It may not be the prettiest football, but in the cup matches against Blackpool and Coventry I recall Billy Kee and Matt Green (can't remember if Sillsy was in one) - not necessarily the greatest of strikers - just keeping us on the attack all the time by fighting and chasing and forcing full backs to concede throw ins and corners and ensuring we were on top and getting the ball in the box. Even Benyon - not a big bloke - with his harrying could do this. The perfectly good disallowed goal at Oxford just came from a headed flick on, I think by Tai, and Rene was in on the keeper.
But having Rene alone up front, and with limited pace on our right, although I think Morris has been playing some really good football (and winning lots in the air), and Danny stopping on the left just isn't creating chances. Agst Wombles, Southend, result, no goals. Against Oxford our starting system produced one goal from a poor back pass, Barnet one chance and a goal when a defender slipped. nothing against Swindon, (OK Burton we scored and then they were down to 10 men). It also produced no goals against Port Vale, or Accrington until subs came on when we got 3 goals in those two games, and Atieno coming on scored the 2nd at Oxford. So 2 goals in the last 7 games with the usual starting 11, 4 goals in under 4 half games with the subs on (subs also led to the fightback against Bristol). Lathrope could still sit in front of the back four and there's no reason Jarvis or Atieno can't track back to help the full-backs as Zebs used to do. Perhaps put Morris on the left and Atieno right.
I've never before criticised Danny as I always thought he did have skills that other lower league players don't as far as first touch, keeping possession, dribbling balance etc, but I've now come to realise the end product is ineffective and he's now started giving the ball away with his passing. I've seen quite a lot of recent games and I can barely recall him beating a full-back on the outside and getting to the byline for a cross or pull back and so many goals, or at least corners, come from that. Look at Bristol Rovers forum and there's a clip of the umpteen times Carayol goes outside past defenders and crosses with his less favoured left foot or cuts inside and shoots (switching between both seems to completely flummox defenders). We haven't got width because Danny cuts inside or stops and looks inside or backwards.
Zebs might not have been the best in front of goal but at least with his drive and step-overs he took on people down the right and made things happen. Perhaps LRT would be better - i haven't seen enough of him though.
Or alternatively at least we can pressure teams by "bullying" them with strength up front - Atieno or perhaps Jarvis - to run the channels or balls down the line. It may not be the prettiest football, but in the cup matches against Blackpool and Coventry I recall Billy Kee and Matt Green (can't remember if Sillsy was in one) - not necessarily the greatest of strikers - just keeping us on the attack all the time by fighting and chasing and forcing full backs to concede throw ins and corners and ensuring we were on top and getting the ball in the box. Even Benyon - not a big bloke - with his harrying could do this. The perfectly good disallowed goal at Oxford just came from a headed flick on, I think by Tai, and Rene was in on the keeper.
But having Rene alone up front, and with limited pace on our right, although I think Morris has been playing some really good football (and winning lots in the air), and Danny stopping on the left just isn't creating chances. Agst Wombles, Southend, result, no goals. Against Oxford our starting system produced one goal from a poor back pass, Barnet one chance and a goal when a defender slipped. nothing against Swindon, (OK Burton we scored and then they were down to 10 men). It also produced no goals against Port Vale, or Accrington until subs came on when we got 3 goals in those two games, and Atieno coming on scored the 2nd at Oxford. So 2 goals in the last 7 games with the usual starting 11, 4 goals in under 4 half games with the subs on (subs also led to the fightback against Bristol). Lathrope could still sit in front of the back four and there's no reason Jarvis or Atieno can't track back to help the full-backs as Zebs used to do. Perhaps put Morris on the left and Atieno right.
