Best Of

...ever

I went for Pattenden, I was disappointed that Back didn’t start today (though I understand it was because he cramped up midweek) - but JP gave a very good committed performance, both on the attacking and defensive side.

Eric, I agree with every word you have written.

I think what it really proves is how people's assessment of a match is often coloured entirely by the result. If Fred's shot had squeezed in towards the end then this place would have a very different vibe and yet the performance itself would have been exactly the same.

There is much to be positive about and I'd say most crucially of all this is not at all a bad time of the season to become very difficult to score against. If that back four stays together between now and the end of the season, and Kone gets back to where he was fitness and form-wise we have a hell of a chance to go up. Ignoring Birmingham who have always been in a league of one this season there is no way I would swap positions or squads with anyone else in the division.

Nearly a round 5000 home fans after having 4000 on Tuesday night.

If nothing else this thread proves just how difficult it is to please everyone. First we had the criticism of Ainsworth ‘hoofball’, now the doubts being expressed about the more ‘controlled’ style under Dodds. My view is that, if it gets us promoted, I don’t care what style we adopt in the next 14 games. We can think about the different requirements needed in the Championship when and if we get there.

Agreed @TheAndyGrahamFanClub . We have not taken as many risks recently as we did before Xmas.

Fred being the prime example currently. That run at the end shows how he can terrify opposition.I want to see him do that as much as possible. Instead he has been ultra safe the last couple of months. McCleary went through the same last season.

I suspect playing the top half of the league might be better for us, at least it may open games up more and we can exploit the space.

One thing that Wigan did exceptionally well yesterday was press. We needed more movement from our front three and they were all quite static. Kone is very good at finding space across the back line and we missed that movement.

Hoping Mansfield can do us a favour and not lose. If they win we will actually finish the weekend better than we started.

The quote I responded to was you having an unnecessary dig at Dodds.

And whilst others brought him up, the mention of Blooms that you took exception to was simply someone placing yesterday's result/performance into context i.e. noting that we struggled to break down many ultra-defensive low block teams at AP under Blooms as well. I didn't interpret that as a criticism of Blooms, rather it was a defence of Dodds

The majority of gasroomers are in full support of the new manager and are certainly not criticising him at all. I think he will see us over the line to the championship and be a tremendous appointment.

Tempo, like playing the ball out from the back, is a legacy of Pep and that dull as fcuk football that City play. A graveyard for flamboyance in favour of process and phases. Coaches see a slow tempo build up and think this is the way to win games. Our superiority in passing showed that yesterday but stats can do one when you don't actually win games (I'm not talking about Wycombe here, it is all football). Largely speaking I struggle to watch Premier League games as balls are passed around and then everyone gets excited when it goes through the lines in the hope there might be an attack.

We have wide players that rarely hit the dead ball line to get a cross in. And again this is not exclusive to us, or current manager, or previous manager. Sadlier and GMac do it when they play.

The problem is that when you play a ponderous tempo game of possession you better have a player to split the defence with a pass and. a player to make a run ready to receive that pass. If everyone is stood around it doesn't make for much of a spectacle.

As I say a wider thought on football and nothing to do with our current coach.