@prufrock_91 - I doubtless missed plenty he did right but clearly remember 3 occasions where he unnecessarily hoofed the ball into touch under the slightest of pressure, including once for a corner, which might well simply have been a miskick. Not slagging him off so much as worrying he lacks composure for his experience.
@Uncle_T - Not excusing Paris's bad attitude which I agree is totally wrong, but how Southwell can get a start ahead of him is incredible. He might be a nice bloke who will give his all, but Dayle just doesn't have the ability at this level.
I thought El Abd played ok and if Stewart gets fit I think they could be a useful pairing.
@HCblue said:
mooneyman I think that, in the system we play, GA is not looking for flair so much as workrate from those "wide" positions...
Ignore him @HCblue, he'll turn anything into a bit of Southwell bashing.
I thought Southwell and Tyson did as much as they could playing in a team that doesn't pass wide. Every single player, whenever they got the ball, lumped it down the middle. The pair of them might as well have been linesmen.
@drcongo said:
I thought Southwell and Tyson did as much as they could playing in a team that doesn't pass wide. Every single player, whenever they got the ball, lumped it down the middle. The pair of them might as well have been linesmen.
Very true. Too early to draw many conclusions against a very niggly side and a weak ref. I thought El-Abd looked better against AFC Wimbledon, Sido good, JJ very good, Bayo managed out the game and the midfield playing to a system that wasn't suited to the forwards or opposition. I had 12th in mind for this season and today we looked like a mid table side. But only one game played and I said we'd never leave Europe and Corbyn would destroy the labour vote. On that basis we're going up for sure.
@HCblue I think you're wrong if Lincoln had used the same approach as us they wouldn't of walked away with a draw and come so close to nicking the win.
I called them dirty which was true but not unorganised or ineffective or dirty without purpose they obviously put a lot of homework into the game before kickoff.
The long ball to Bayo our safety blanket didn't work in the first half because he was marked out of the game by fair means or foul (usually foul) the two markers would take turns in holding, grabbing and pulling the big man enough to prevent the layoffs that are his trademark in fact they were so successful that as Bayo started to blow in the second half they didn't need to man mark him at all.
They were obviously told to impose themselves on our midfield and did so successfully that's why we saw that tackle over the ball and Luke poll axed as well as the lates and trips that only eased off after the ref lost patience and showed a couple of yellows. Our version of the dark arts usually involves "time management" and feigning injury something that they also employed although I did laugh out loud when the lump they had up front started walking off for "treatment" only to remember he needed to sit down and use time up first.
I agree with the others our tactics haven't changed since last season and were far too predictable Tyson and Southwell didn't see enough of the ball and Harriman on the defensive looked exposed although better going forward.
Lincoln looked more likely to get a winner as we flagged id say they looked to have worked harder pre season probably on the back of the return to league football.
So thank god for set pieces and on to our next game
@MindlessDrugHoover Oh yeah - maybe I'm just so numbed to the idea of a defender possibly passing the ball to another in the quarters that I'm not expecting it to happen. I thought he did the solid stuff well (and let's not pretend that Pierre was a Xavi of defence) and that was all we really needed. I thought it was Sido and Harriman that let us down at the back.
Always willing to admit a mistake - just seen the highlights, it is indeed Harriman that puts in the weakest of showings against the striker, Brown could've come out quicker but still.
Also, the real defensive howler (apart from Southwell trying to dribble in his own box) is Lincoln giving O'Nien the whole of Bucks to try the header.
Willing to give their striker credit for a great finish after a lovely through ball, even if thought Harriman might be a little stronger next time. But the other three goals were all a bit soft, to varying degrees, and both sides will hope to do better as the season goes on.
I wonder if these players would be better suited to three at the back with Sido and (when he returns) Stewart as man markers and El-Abd as a sweeper. That switch may also allow a second man up top so Akinfenwa isn't so isolated.
Suprised that there's been no mention yet of the fantastic work Luke did blocking their keeper's view in the run up to the 2nd goal. The keeper took a step to his left as the ball was about to be kicked, allowing JJ to roll it in to the opposite corner.
I thought Lincoln's Sean Raggat was absolutely superb. His running style reminded me of Gordon McQueen. I'm struggling to think of a better centre half perrformance in recent years.
@Wwfc2015_ I think your predictive text is becoming so predictive it's making you look like a parody even from behind my rose-tinted glasses. Anyone who thought we practiced 'dark arts' won't fancy Lincoln this term. The constant encroaching on free-kicks and trying to intimidate the kicker before the ref pulled them back...I mean what was Rhead doing in front of Brown before their free-kick? In fact, I thought they were so busy tarting about not getting back into the wall that the goalkeeper was not watching JJ for our second. Their centre back owned Bayo...with Southwell gamely running but too far away from the striker to help...so it was disappointing that nothing was changed for so long. I forgot Tyson was playing. PCH should have been on earlier in my opinion...but what is going on there? If he does not want not play for GA why come back? Sido was excellent at CB and he usually terrifies me when he's in our own box! Harriman looked good going forward (when he did) but was run ragged in defence. Not sure about El-Abd, but though small he looks hard so I will avoid upsetting him too much. Gape and LON looked good. As Bayo was cancelled out I was worried GA did not change things. Bayo off, 4-4-2 with Freeman on the left PCH right and Tyson and Southwell through the middle? Decent point though as we offered little from open play without an effective Bayo and set-pieces are supposed to the icing on the cake rather than our only source of goals aren't they?
@Last_Quarter said:
Also on their keeper - I've never seen a keeper so poor be so flamboyant with it. Bostwick for them was the best player on the park though.
Bostwick commited the 2 fouls that gave us our goals!
Was always gobbing off to the ref..i expected so much more from Lincoln.Their budget must be up there with all the cash raised from fa cup and good season ticket sales.
I'm puzzled @Wendoverman why you describe El-Abd as small. At a smidgen under 6' and with impressive physique, 'small' conjures up a slightly misleading impression. I suppose it is the contrast with his predecessor.
I'm concerned about suggestions that PCH may be disenchanted. He has always given the impression that Adams Park is his spiritual home, although I seem to recall that there were rumblings of discontent towards the end of last season.
Did someone say they saw Dean Morgan at yesterday's match?
I know we all see things differently but how anyone could have come away from that game thinking Bostwick played well is beyond. He put in a dismal thuggish performance and committed so many fouls that on another day could easily have got sent off
@eric_plant said:
I know we all see things differently but how anyone could have come away from that game thinking Bostwick played well is beyond. He put in a dismal thuggish performance and committed so many fouls that on another day could easily have got sent off
To be honest I didnt realise he'd given away the foul for the first goal. I thought he did an excellent job (particularly second half) of taking the ball back everytime we crossed the half way line and his range of passing brought their wide players into the game the longer it went on. Plus, he won the ball that created their first goal.
Slightly disagree, @eric_plant . One man's thuggish is another man's effectively dogged. He shut down space very well, notably so on one occasion when Saunders beat him and he then chased him down and won the ball back, and put himself about in a way that contributed strongly to our being totally overrun in midfield in the second half. Sure, he gave away free kicks, and I remember commenting during the game that he was skating on thin ice with the level of his aggression, but I think thuggish overstates it rather.
Comments
@prufrock_91 - I doubtless missed plenty he did right but clearly remember 3 occasions where he unnecessarily hoofed the ball into touch under the slightest of pressure, including once for a corner, which might well simply have been a miskick. Not slagging him off so much as worrying he lacks composure for his experience.
@Uncle_T - Not excusing Paris's bad attitude which I agree is totally wrong, but how Southwell can get a start ahead of him is incredible. He might be a nice bloke who will give his all, but Dayle just doesn't have the ability at this level.
I thought El Abd played ok and if Stewart gets fit I think they could be a useful pairing.
@mooneyman I think that, in the system we play, GA is not looking for flair so much as workrate from those "wide" positions...
Ignore him @HCblue, he'll turn anything into a bit of Southwell bashing.
I thought Southwell and Tyson did as much as they could playing in a team that doesn't pass wide. Every single player, whenever they got the ball, lumped it down the middle. The pair of them might as well have been linesmen.
Very true. Too early to draw many conclusions against a very niggly side and a weak ref. I thought El-Abd looked better against AFC Wimbledon, Sido good, JJ very good, Bayo managed out the game and the midfield playing to a system that wasn't suited to the forwards or opposition. I had 12th in mind for this season and today we looked like a mid table side. But only one game played and I said we'd never leave Europe and Corbyn would destroy the labour vote. On that basis we're going up for sure.
@HCblue I think you're wrong if Lincoln had used the same approach as us they wouldn't of walked away with a draw and come so close to nicking the win.
I called them dirty which was true but not unorganised or ineffective or dirty without purpose they obviously put a lot of homework into the game before kickoff.
The long ball to Bayo our safety blanket didn't work in the first half because he was marked out of the game by fair means or foul (usually foul) the two markers would take turns in holding, grabbing and pulling the big man enough to prevent the layoffs that are his trademark in fact they were so successful that as Bayo started to blow in the second half they didn't need to man mark him at all.
They were obviously told to impose themselves on our midfield and did so successfully that's why we saw that tackle over the ball and Luke poll axed as well as the lates and trips that only eased off after the ref lost patience and showed a couple of yellows. Our version of the dark arts usually involves "time management" and feigning injury something that they also employed although I did laugh out loud when the lump they had up front started walking off for "treatment" only to remember he needed to sit down and use time up first.
I agree with the others our tactics haven't changed since last season and were far too predictable Tyson and Southwell didn't see enough of the ball and Harriman on the defensive looked exposed although better going forward.
Lincoln looked more likely to get a winner as we flagged id say they looked to have worked harder pre season probably on the back of the return to league football.
So thank god for set pieces and on to our next game
@MindlessDrugHoover Oh yeah - maybe I'm just so numbed to the idea of a defender possibly passing the ball to another in the quarters that I'm not expecting it to happen. I thought he did the solid stuff well (and let's not pretend that Pierre was a Xavi of defence) and that was all we really needed. I thought it was Sido and Harriman that let us down at the back.
I thought Sido was exceptional. Winning nearly all his headers and using his extra bit of pace to good effect.
I do hope when Stewart returns that Sido is preferred to Harriman at RB.
Theatre yes, Prufrock no. Sido was imperious today (like end of last season). He is much steadier at c back than f back though.
Always willing to admit a mistake - just seen the highlights, it is indeed Harriman that puts in the weakest of showings against the striker, Brown could've come out quicker but still.
Also, the real defensive howler (apart from Southwell trying to dribble in his own box) is Lincoln giving O'Nien the whole of Bucks to try the header.
Willing to give their striker credit for a great finish after a lovely through ball, even if thought Harriman might be a little stronger next time. But the other three goals were all a bit soft, to varying degrees, and both sides will hope to do better as the season goes on.
I think it's Gape not Southwell @prufrock_91
Nope. Southwell on the highlights on Sky.
I wonder if these players would be better suited to three at the back with Sido and (when he returns) Stewart as man markers and El-Abd as a sweeper. That switch may also allow a second man up top so Akinfenwa isn't so isolated.
Suprised that there's been no mention yet of the fantastic work Luke did blocking their keeper's view in the run up to the 2nd goal. The keeper took a step to his left as the ball was about to be kicked, allowing JJ to roll it in to the opposite corner.
Also on their keeper - I've never seen a keeper so poor be so flamboyant with it. Bostwick for them was the best player on the park though.
Interesting idea @FallenFlyer. I'm inclined to agree that a 532 might be worth us exploring.
I thought Lincoln's Sean Raggat was absolutely superb. His running style reminded me of Gordon McQueen. I'm struggling to think of a better centre half perrformance in recent years.
Hear hear. I'd like to see Harriman on the right of a 4-4-2. I realise it's very unlikely to happen.
@Wwfc2015_ I think your predictive text is becoming so predictive it's making you look like a parody even from behind my rose-tinted glasses. Anyone who thought we practiced 'dark arts' won't fancy Lincoln this term. The constant encroaching on free-kicks and trying to intimidate the kicker before the ref pulled them back...I mean what was Rhead doing in front of Brown before their free-kick? In fact, I thought they were so busy tarting about not getting back into the wall that the goalkeeper was not watching JJ for our second. Their centre back owned Bayo...with Southwell gamely running but too far away from the striker to help...so it was disappointing that nothing was changed for so long. I forgot Tyson was playing. PCH should have been on earlier in my opinion...but what is going on there? If he does not want not play for GA why come back? Sido was excellent at CB and he usually terrifies me when he's in our own box! Harriman looked good going forward (when he did) but was run ragged in defence. Not sure about El-Abd, but though small he looks hard so I will avoid upsetting him too much. Gape and LON looked good. As Bayo was cancelled out I was worried GA did not change things. Bayo off, 4-4-2 with Freeman on the left PCH right and Tyson and Southwell through the middle? Decent point though as we offered little from open play without an effective Bayo and set-pieces are supposed to the icing on the cake rather than our only source of goals aren't they?
Bostwick commited the 2 fouls that gave us our goals!
Was always gobbing off to the ref..i expected so much more from Lincoln.Their budget must be up there with all the cash raised from fa cup and good season ticket sales.
@Wendoverman yep.. what was their rhead upto in their free kick..most certsinly he would have been offside and obstructing gk vision.
@Wendoverman What happened with PCH? Did he throw a strop at Ainsworth?
Never mind, did it the old fashioned way and re-read the thread!
I'm puzzled @Wendoverman why you describe El-Abd as small. At a smidgen under 6' and with impressive physique, 'small' conjures up a slightly misleading impression. I suppose it is the contrast with his predecessor.
I'm concerned about suggestions that PCH may be disenchanted. He has always given the impression that Adams Park is his spiritual home, although I seem to recall that there were rumblings of discontent towards the end of last season.
Did someone say they saw Dean Morgan at yesterday's match?
PCH has a bad attitude but tbh Southwell isn't good enough for the Football League so I can see his point but he needs to do it in the right way !!
I know we all see things differently but how anyone could have come away from that game thinking Bostwick played well is beyond. He put in a dismal thuggish performance and committed so many fouls that on another day could easily have got sent off
To be honest I didnt realise he'd given away the foul for the first goal. I thought he did an excellent job (particularly second half) of taking the ball back everytime we crossed the half way line and his range of passing brought their wide players into the game the longer it went on. Plus, he won the ball that created their first goal.
Slightly disagree, @eric_plant . One man's thuggish is another man's effectively dogged. He shut down space very well, notably so on one occasion when Saunders beat him and he then chased him down and won the ball back, and put himself about in a way that contributed strongly to our being totally overrun in midfield in the second half. Sure, he gave away free kicks, and I remember commenting during the game that he was skating on thin ice with the level of his aggression, but I think thuggish overstates it rather.
He played the referee very well, and it gets no better with Gavin Ward the visitor on Tuesday evening.