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Match day thread: Coventry

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  • The football is one thing, concerning though it is at present. However, to me the worrying thing is the use of a laser pen. These things should be up there with pyro's as dangerous items and banned from (if not the user as well) grounds. The authorities take the use of these things very seriously indeed when aviation and motoring are involved, so the same should apply to football or any event with a crowd. If the perpetrator was throwing stones there would have been action taken so why not in this case? Perhaps I should have put this one under a new thread.

  • Laser pen thread imminent.

  • Was at the game last night; had no idea the Coventry fans were so scummy - that idiot with the laser pen needs a lengthy stadium ban.
    For me, Bloomfield in for Eze was the wrong move - totally devoid of any creativity in the first half. That said, much better second half performance; how the ref didn't give a second penalty for Bayo's shirt getting ripped off him I do not know. Overall, officiating was appalling, especially the linesman at our end in the second half!

  • Just watched the highlights. Goodness, we've been unlucky with penalties this season!

  • @YorkshireWanderer said:
    Was at the game last night; had no idea the Coventry fans were so scummy - that idiot with the laser pen needs a lengthy stadium ban.
    For me, Bloomfield in for Eze was the wrong move - totally devoid of any creativity in the first half. That said, much better second half performance; how the ref didn't give a second penalty for Bayo's shirt getting ripped off him I do not know. Overall, officiating was appalling, especially the linesman at our end in the second half!

    Yep, second game in a row that Bayo has failed to get a pen for a clear shirt-pulling offence. Quick to pull him up for 'diving', but equally these sort of things should be better spotted and penalised.

  • @YorkshireWanderer said:
    Was at the game last night; had no idea the Coventry fans were so scummy - that idiot with the laser pen needs a lengthy stadium ban.
    For me, Bloomfield in for Eze was the wrong move - totally devoid of any creativity in the first half. That said, much better second half performance; how the ref didn't give a second penalty for Bayo's shirt getting ripped off him I do not know. Overall, officiating was appalling, especially the linesman at our end in the second half!

    The way we played in the first half I'm not sure it would have mattered who the third midfielder was...another forward to chase the repeated long balls to nobody would have been more useful!

  • @EssexWanderer said:
    Poor first half, in common with several recent away games. And a noticeably different approach vs at home where we have been playing out from the back more - think it happened once all game last night. Maybe the two are linked.

    That awful pitch didn’t allow for passing football and Coventry played very similar tactics.

  • We seem to have a number of key players who are not out of form but on the other hand are hardly rippIng up trees at the moment. PCH, Gape, CMS, Saunders and Eze upping their form by just a small percentage could transform our season. Add to the mix Harriman and the ever elusive Kashket and their is great hope. But I still pine for a plan B that does not involve Bayo. We are brimming with options and Bayo is a proven one but I’d love to see CMS through the middle even for 20 minutes or so.

  • It's Christmas so I'm trying to look on the bright side but ...

    We played poorly first half that's for sure. Our long ball up the middle to Bayo either didn't get close or we failed to benefit from any second ball. The wide ball behind the full backs also didn't work as Tyson and CMS seemed a little off the pace. As a result the Coventry defence had it too easy and pushed up creating a packed midfield and for me Eze would have been crowded out. Coventry meanwhile did find space out wide and their through balls on the deck caused us a few problems.
    Despite our tactics not working though we only went in at HT 2-1 down due to a misshit (on the reply Brown seems to be beaten by the curve as much as the height as the ball drops) and an injured defender (Stewart is clearly hobbling and can't get across to block the shot).
    Second half we played much better. Our tempo from the off was quicker and Bayo should have had a penalty before the one awarded to Tyson. (Bayo must get really sick of the way opposing defenders can push and shove him without committing a foul yet the slightest contact the other way is adjudged a free kick. I still think he's looking for the shirt he had ripped from his back last week). The Coventry penalty was a long way off but looked a really soft decision - some would say the ref was looking to even things out. As the game got more open we probably could have scored a third to share the points at the end. The PCH header over the bar was the chance that sticks in my mind. Yes Coventry also had chances as we went for a third but that's what can happen.

    All in all my lasting impression from last night is we didn't play well but were unlucky to not get a draw. Roll on Tuesday ...

  • Agree completely. The pitch was hopeless and the mindless booing and demands for the ball to be played on the floor were unwarranted and unhelpful. The first half performance was poor for a variety of reasons, not simply a lack of passing on the deck. Coventry played a direct game too, but just executed it better.

    Similarly, the vocal minority demanding that Eze be brought on didn't do us any favours in my view.

    I think if you pay for a ticket you're entitled to complain if you like, and on rare occasions I've done the same. Nonetheless, it seems that almost every week if we aren't winning around 50-100 people behind the goal get on the team's back. Those folks could really do with some perspective. Performances won't always be perfect and we do sometimes play pretty dreadfully, as we did in the first half last night. But we are in a strong position in the league, boast an impressive goal tally and have for the most part played some attractive football this season.

    It is worth watching the post match interview with @bluntphil. To me Gareth's tone and body language suggests he is getting a bit pissed off with the attitude of some supporters. Although I'm sure he'd accept that people are entitled to express their frustrations, I don't blame him for feeling some of the jeering directed his way is unfair. Hopefully he recognises it is just a small group of plonkers as we really can't afford for him to get fed-up and feel he might be better appreciated elsewhere.

  • Well said @Glenactico. Gareth complements the actual number of travellers but stops short of praising the vocal support like he often does. Don't remember too many of the players clapping the fans at the end, and no tweets either.

  • How the hell was the "foul" by Luke a penalty? The FL should look at it and ban the diver for 2 games.

  • @robin said:
    How the hell was the "foul" by Luke a penalty? The FL should look at it and ban the diver for 2 games.

    No ban the ref from ever officiating again

  • Here is the audio of the interview that @Glenactico refers to. Obviously, no body language available on this:

    https://philcatchpole.com/2017/12/23/coventry-city-3-2-wycombe-wanderers/

    Our commentary position was at the other end of the soul vacuum that is the Ricoh Arena, so I didn't pick up on any booing from the fans on the HT whistle or at any other juncture. I did see the jubilation when JJ smashed home the penalty though which is why I made sure the travelling support was included in the interview.

    Nearly 700 turning up through tricky travel conditions on the Friday night before Christmas is a tremendous turn out and if fans want to boo then that it is very much their prerogative. Everyone sees things a bit differently and that is why we all love and talk about the game at length.

    As @Glenactico points out, I'm sure Gaz recognises that fans are entitled to their opinions and I got the sense that his game plan was set out to deal with the conditions and it certainly wasn't pretty, but neither were Coventry.

    The home side got a bit of luck and the margins were very fine. I left the ground thinking that the game could have gone either way and given the meagre defence of Coventry and their home form, coupled with the injuries to El Abd and Stewart, Wycombe were still very much in contention throughout.

    I think immediately after the game, Gaz was frustrated with the things that went against the team and I'm sure fans booing would have compounded that.

    It's part of the job and I seem to remember that even Martin O'Neill had to deal with disgruntled fans during his reign at Adams Park.

    Happy Christmas!

  • Well said @bluntphil and merry Christmas to you too!

  • Their first goal was an absolute fluke, and Stewart's injury clearly contributed to their second. Both penalties look incredibly soft, but Coventry's was definitely an act of appeasement.

    All in all, we can probably feel a bit hard done by, but I appreciate it's easy to say that having not spent last night sitting thru a poor performance.

    Our inability to beat the teams immediately around us, coupled with our poor away form is troubling, and may well make the difference between 3rd and 8th. I worry that if we miss the play-offs again Ainsworth nay well be tempted by pastures new...

  • @Glenactico : what you write is plain wrong. There was no mindless booing but plenty of thoroughly justified negativity. The limited gameplan was one thing but the execrable execution in the first half was really, really bad. There is no group of 50-100 terrace-dwellers such as you describe. It is a figment of your imagination and everything you say about them subsequently is, thus, untrue. Similarly, there has been no booing directed Gareth's way.

    Honestly, I'm getting pretty tired of these men of straw posts belittling or criticising the presumed attitudes of unknown fellow fans. Yesterday was a rotten, rotten first half and it was perfectly reasonable of the crowd to wish to see better, more ambitious play.

  • @Glenactico said:
    It is worth watching the post match interview with bluntphil. To me Gareth's tone and body language suggests he is getting a bit pissed off with the attitude of some supporters. Although I'm sure he'd accept that people are entitled to express their frustrations, I don't blame him for feeling some of the jeering directed his way is unfair. Hopefully he recognises it is just a small group of plonkers as we really can't afford for him to get fed-up and feel he might be better appreciated elsewhere.

    I agree with everything you’ve said Glenactico, the usual suspects on the ‘fans’ Facebook page (who I suspect are the same culprits that you refer to) need to get real.
    This is League 2, no one plays like Barcelona or Manchester City especially on a pitch like that. We had a bad night, could still have come away with a point and we’re in a decent position with 2 home games to come.
    I’m not expecting blind allegiance (although plenty of other clubs have fans like that) but why can’t supporters just support?

  • edited December 2017

    wow @HCblue , after seemingly your entire history of posting on here being a "let's all hug each other, everyone does their best" demeanour, that even makes Chris seem opinionated , that's quite an outburst.

    @Glenactico must really have got to you there!

    I wasn't there i'll admit (which often, especially in the "gang's" opinion means you lose the right to any sort of comment), but one quick scroll through the FB page quickly filled me in.

    Why are some fans so obsessed with their manager coming over and "clapping them". Surely the players doing that is enough.

  • @Malone said:

    Why are some fans so obsessed with their manager coming over and "clapping them". Surely the players doing that is enough.

    Because people are looking for any excuse to be critical.

  • Don't give a stuff about the FB page. No idea what goes on or is said there. Fed up with lazy characterisations, inaccurate generalisations and the invention of fictional fan groups here. It's very clearly possible both to support the team and be dissatisfied with the team's performance from time to time.

  • @HCblue If you didn't hear the booing from the Wycombe fans - not all but at least some - then you couldn't have been at the game.
    Also the chanting for Eze Eze for much of the second half. Not sure what he contributed when he did come on - it wasn't his kind of game and the pitch was terrible for close control.
    Disagree with @Glenactico opinion if you like but factually he was spot on.

  • @HCblue said:
    Don't give a stuff about the FB page. No idea what goes on or is said there. Fed up with lazy characterisations, inaccurate generalisations and the invention of fictional fan groups here. It's very clearly possible both to support the team and be dissatisfied with the team's performance from time to time.

    I agree that there’s nothing wrong with constructive and intelligent criticism but sarcastically cheering when we passed the ball or booing a substitution is not in the least bit helpful. As you don’t read the FB page you won’t be aware of some of the uncalled for abuse of players and manager and I suspect (but obviously have no proof) that the same people may be responsible.

  • edited December 2017

    There was a measure of booing at times. It was not mindless nor wholly unwarranted. First time this season I've heard such a thing and I've missed few games. The cheering of the five or so successive completed passes toward the end of the first half was a humourous recognition of the awfulness of the play to that point just as calling for Eze was a reasonable means of expressing the wish for more cohesive, positive football. This, as well as the plainly wrong assertion of the existence of a group of regular terrace boo boys, allows me to stand by my original position.

  • @HCblue said:
    There was a measure of booing at times. It was not mindless nor wholly unwarranted. First time this season I've heard such a thing and I've missed few games. The cheering of the five or so successive completed passes toward the end of the first half was a humourous recognition of the awfulness of the play to that point just as calling for Eze was a reasonable means of expressing the wish for more cohesive, positive football. This, as well as the plainly wrong assertion of a group of regular terrace boo boys, allows me to stand by my original position.

    I don't disagree with you that supporters are entitled to express their disatisfaction and if some choose to boo, jeer, or ironically cheer passes that is up to them. Nonetheless I think those who choose to do so based on 45 mins of shit football when we are 4th in the table are pretty foolish.

  • 'There was a measure of booing at times'
    'A humourous recognition of the awfulness'

    With fans like that who needs enemies. Anyone contributing to either is a moron.
    Please leave this club to those who can contribute something positive.

  • Probably the same ‘fans’ who think the ‘time wasting b’stards’ song is worth anything.

  • Are these the sort of positive contributions you're looking for, @Right_in_the_Middle? From the last 23 days:

    "I have never been more angry watching Wycombe than I was that day against Notts County. The whole season was a horrible watch with players that were much better than they were allowed to play."

    "Our biggest weakness is defending the big loopy cross to the back post and deciding whether it's the keeper or the defenders who are at fault is much like the chicken and egg debate for me. Jamal Blackman would solve this problem but then again so would Aaron Pierre for me."

    "The mere mention of that mans name makes me angry all over again."

    "Pretty much spot on. I don't have much time for most of the referees I see at professional matches. Hate is probably too strong but I certainly don't rate them very highly at ref's or as people."

    "That story still makes me angry. Wonder if the liar journalist will be in attendance tomorrow night?"

    "Another case of the feed me mentality of the youth? Why can't I comment about how poor the atmosphere is without it being reversed on being up to me to resolve it?

    Anything else you want me to fix while we are about it so you can just turn up and have everything you need?"

    "People criticise things all the time that they have no ability or inclination to help with. I can't do anything about the Government sleeping walking us in to a bad Brexit deal. I can't help the amount of roadwork's I have on my way to work or the poor service I get on the trains."

    "Moron" is a term you've used here more than once recently, @Right_in_the_Middle. Perhaps leave this forum to those who can contribute something positive and who have an at least somewhat developed sense of nuance.

  • Goodness me, things have become stroppy on here.
    I don’t wish to sound like some modern day Henry Kissinger (God forbid!) but as it’s Christmas can’t we just bury the hatchets for a while and get behind the team we’re all supposed to support? In the spirit of goodwill I’ll even forgive Oakwood Exile for his/her personal attack on me! Happy Christmas!!

  • I'm with @HCblue I'm sure it did not happen and if it did no one was involved in
    it and anything on Facebook I did not see makes it doubly probably not true and I see no point in anyone bringing it up. Not that it even happened. And if GA does not clap true fans they have every right to put racial slurs on social media. Not that they did or ever would. Let that be an end to it! Merry Christmas!

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