I thought we played reasonably well in the 2nd half, lots of pressure, some good chances, we just couldn't get the ball in the back of the net. Fair play to Wimbledon, they dug in, fought for everything and rode their luck at times. I would say though, that once we got going in the 2nd half, we looked a much better team than them. Just one of those days!
A few decisions went against us that didn't help. The ball didn't look anywhere near out for the corner they scored from (albeit, we defended it poorly) and Fred clearly had his shirt pulled when through on goal in the 2nd half. Had he gone down, it would've been a clear red card and probably should've been anyway.
Much as I admire Wimbledon as a club, it's hard to have any affection for their fans. They always have been and still are absolute masters of the dark arts! Almost laughable then, to hear them shouting abuse at Ainsworth and calling us cheats.Their players were more than adept at 'winning' free kicks and time wasting, which I fully understand in their position, so why the chip on their shoulder and blatant hypocrisy?
So another defeat to a side we don't match up well against and one I am growing to hate more and more. We had to keep them out long enough for us to get going but the first goal made it so hard.
Couple of odd things from today. One was JJ and Tyson waving their arms around at the corner for the goal and then both running to Dobbo after it. Did Wimbledon do something that confused our marking? It just seemed odd.
Also I still can't get my head around the booking of their centre forward. Can anyone explain how that happened. It was either an elbow and a sending off or a clash worthy of nothing for me. From my view it could have been either. What law of football makes it a booking?
Finally I thought a few players looked knackered today. Gape, Thompson and Samuel all lacked a bit of zip for me.
@Right_in_the_Middle said:
Also I still can't get my head around the booking of their centre forward. Can anyone explain how that happened. It was either an elbow and a sending off or a clash worthy of nothing for me. From my view it could have been either. What law of football makes it a booking?
Got a good view of that. JJ saw their centre forward backing towards him and about to jump so positioned himself to be in the exact place the elbow was swinging. Definitely don't think it was intentional but could be wrong.
It really was one of those games where if we score first - or equalize early - we go on to win. It was hard to knock the initial lineup, just a lot of off days at the same time.
I would love to see Bayo back for Burton if fit - not as a knee jerk reaction, but because they really had trouble with him in the first matchup. We will definitely be needing some rotation.
@prufrock_91 said:
The lino may have guessed the decision of the corner, but he didn't leave the men unmarked in the box when it was taken.
Spot on.
Please would somebody explain why the AFC crowd collectively despise GA so much. Every fan I have spoken to that supports a club the GA has played for think he is the bees knees & on the evidence I have witnessed, never given anything less than the absolute maximum, regardless of his role within the club. Like many others, I'm starting to feel a revulsion for AFC Wimbledon and am hoping they sink to a lower division. The collective sympathy for their recent historic plight is evaporating faster than a North African rain storm as they selectively forget that the original Dons were quite possibly the founder architects of "The Dark Arts" of the present-day game?
They are a truly horrible bunch of supporters. I think back to the time I sent them a decent donation in their hour of need, when they were shaking their begging bowls. I wish I’d not bothered.
Now I know this is football and they shouldn’t remain deferential for ever, but is there really any need to be such a set of twats?
I’d go as far to say they’re almost making me reconsider my stance on MK Dons.
Fair play to the way their team played yesterday. Packed full of the dark arts, it gave us a taste of what we look like to most clubs when employing our ‘game management’ (a truly dismal phrase). But they put in a serious shift and took their chances.
I know Sean Dyche had lost yesterday when he got stuck into Arsenal’s diving and play acting, but he’s still right. None of us come to watch people running down the clock, falling over when touched etc. It needs sorting and I’d support a clampdown with bookings and sendings off until the message gets through. It’s getting worse every season and referees seem unable or unwilling to take a stand.
I still hold a grudge against their fans for a brick that came through the supporters coach window and showered me with glass after a pre-season friendly of all things at Plough Lane in the mid-70s
From my memory, we've only really played a flat 442 once, v Barnsley this season. And, although it worked well as it soaks pressure well, it doesn't leave much creativity and insists we whack it hopelessly down the channels.
After Morris' terrific game and goal at Gillingham, I'd have like to see him start with 3 in the middle. Thompson, industrious as he is, isn't much of a forward-thinker, and all Gape really does is constantly try and ping a ball wide, without much success.
@prufrock_91 Thompson was more effective than gape yesterday. Thompson and Morris would have been better starters for me. Morris seemed to find the space that was eluding Dominic when he came on and yet again again st a big team we looked too short in midfield for the goofing.
Prufrock, Morris didn’t score against Gillingham it was El Abd and Tyson; Thompson was our best player by a mile yesterday; Gape, though off form yesterday, has arguably been our most consistent player this season as reflected in another thread.
Apart from that, I agree with everything you said!
Stick Bayo up front when he’s fit again and lump it up top at every opportunity. We haven’t turned into Barcelona since he’s been missing. It’s Plan A for a reason.
@glasshalffull - Ah, you are correct, I was confusing the Tyson strike.
AND, although Thompson was effective in breaking up play yesterday, and Gape has been good this season, we still lost 2-1 because we had no midfielder willing to pick up the ball and play a smart forward pass. In my view, Morris was our best player against the Gills, and was worth another start.
Gape just had a rare poor game yesterday. Thompson was good, as was Morris when he came on, but always a struggle when one of your midfielders has an off day.
I'd love to know whether the ball did actually go out of play for their corner? It's been and gone now, but just for my own curiosity, as it didn't even look close to being out from my vantage point on the terrace. Myself and the bloke stood next to me thought the lino was flagging for what would've been a very harsh penalty against Thompson, as the ball had bounced up onto his arm when tussling with their forward just before. It never crossed my mind that he was flagging for a corner!
@glasshalffull said:
Prufrock, Morris didn’t score against Gillingham it was El Abd and Tyson; Thompson was our best player by a mile yesterday; Gape, though off form yesterday, has arguably been our most consistent player this season as reflected in another thread.
Apart from that, I agree with everything you said!
for me Fred was a million miles better than anyone else on the pitch yesterday
Strange. I don't think I was alone on the terrace in thinking it wasn't even close to crossing the line. Either way, the linesman wasn't responsible for the poor marking.
I thought Thompson was our best player over the 90 mins. Fred was poor in the 1st half for me, but alongside Tyson (and Kashket when he came on) caused plenty of problems in the 2nd half and deserved his goal.
I had a good view with a narrowish angle across the back of the goal and I was certain that it didn't completely cross the line - middle of the ball about level with the outside edge of the line when it was cleared is how I remember it. The linesman wouldn't have been able to see and to be fair to him I thought, until it actually happened, it was going out for a corner.
It shows on the extended highlights and appears from that camera angle that it does cross the line, but it looks like it was at the top of a small bounce at the time which would make it appear differently from the Woodlands and the terrace.
The terrace was very unhappy with the decision - I hope we didn't affect the concentration for the corner.
I think it was a bit of a fortuitous goal for them which strengthened their concentration and resolve.
Shame - but we are not going to win them all. On to Burton.
I was on the terrace and very close to where Thompson booted the ball out for a throw. I am certain it did not cross the line for a corner. For the linesman to give a
corner he would a: have needed to be in line with the goalposts and b: be able to see the ball when both goalposts and Thompson's boot were obstructing his view. It was a guess - and he guessed wrong.
I'm with the others in having lost what at the time was a lot of goodwill towards AFC. I remember when we first played them competitively in the FA Cup, their fans seemed a decent bunch, but since gaining FL status and suddenly finding things a bit harder than just turning up and steamrollering Bishops Stortford or whoever, they have become a pretty moany, entitled bunch.
The turning point for me was the season after we became fan-owned, when after a game at theirs one of their fans was saying online that he was glad to see us struggling, claimed we were 'spending money we didn't have' and said he hoped we went bust. A nasty thing for any fan of any club to say, but to come from a Wimbledon fan was just staggering.
As for them accusing us of cheating every single time the ref gives a foul in either direction, despite them clearly being just as bad at the dark arts as anyone else - arguably worse - their myopia is right up there with Luton fans. Hope they do go down and suspect they will. Let them enjoy their cup final win and we'll get on with cementing our place in the top ten.
I think a big problem that was created with the demonizing of MK Dons - despite there being obvious reasons to dislike them - is that AFC Wimbledon seem to believe they hold the high ground in everything, now, as some kind of afflicted martyr club. I am not a fan of either, but at some point, it is time to get on with life, especially when you find yourselves a division above Milton Keynes, and can afford to build a stadium at your original home.
Their hatred of GA is the purest evidence for their idiocy. It's like someone hating dolphins. Warning flags go up.
Well said Shev. Also, didn't they massively screw over Kingstonian, taking ownership of their own ground and turning them into tenants? Can't remember the exact details, but seem to recall they pulled a bit of a swift one on a club that had helped them out in their hour of need.
Their ground has to supply one of the worst views of the season as well.
Shallow terrace, of which you only get half. Dugout blocking a bit of the view, hard to see down the lines even as a lanky dastard.
Seating limited to oldies.
My previous great goodwill to Wimbledon has evaporated, there is an underlying nastiness to their fans, the more vocal ones at least, which even Luton fans do not lower themselves to. It's not the usual tribal banter between rivals, it's vicious, graceless and lacking any class.
Luton away is the game I dislike the most, because of the town, ground and fans, but really, Wimbledon away is worse, a shocking ground to be hosting tier three football.
Comments
Hopefully whoever is planning to make us a derisory offer for Gape in January was watching today, and will have a change of heart.
I thought we played reasonably well in the 2nd half, lots of pressure, some good chances, we just couldn't get the ball in the back of the net. Fair play to Wimbledon, they dug in, fought for everything and rode their luck at times. I would say though, that once we got going in the 2nd half, we looked a much better team than them. Just one of those days!
A few decisions went against us that didn't help. The ball didn't look anywhere near out for the corner they scored from (albeit, we defended it poorly) and Fred clearly had his shirt pulled when through on goal in the 2nd half. Had he gone down, it would've been a clear red card and probably should've been anyway.
Much as I admire Wimbledon as a club, it's hard to have any affection for their fans. They always have been and still are absolute masters of the dark arts! Almost laughable then, to hear them shouting abuse at Ainsworth and calling us cheats.Their players were more than adept at 'winning' free kicks and time wasting, which I fully understand in their position, so why the chip on their shoulder and blatant hypocrisy?
So another defeat to a side we don't match up well against and one I am growing to hate more and more. We had to keep them out long enough for us to get going but the first goal made it so hard.
Couple of odd things from today. One was JJ and Tyson waving their arms around at the corner for the goal and then both running to Dobbo after it. Did Wimbledon do something that confused our marking? It just seemed odd.
Also I still can't get my head around the booking of their centre forward. Can anyone explain how that happened. It was either an elbow and a sending off or a clash worthy of nothing for me. From my view it could have been either. What law of football makes it a booking?
Finally I thought a few players looked knackered today. Gape, Thompson and Samuel all lacked a bit of zip for me.
Got a good view of that. JJ saw their centre forward backing towards him and about to jump so positioned himself to be in the exact place the elbow was swinging. Definitely don't think it was intentional but could be wrong.
Corner for their goal looked out of play from where I was sat.
Was bemused that we were calling the limo a c*** for a correct call.
Ah. Again, I wasn’t there today, but I didn’t even realise that Wally Downes has been appointed manager of AFCW.
A Wimbledon player in the height of the Crazy Gang era.
Managing a club who will do whatever it takes not to get relegated.
Please remind me why we shouldn’t expect them to be a bunch of cheating C U next Tuesdays?
It really was one of those games where if we score first - or equalize early - we go on to win. It was hard to knock the initial lineup, just a lot of off days at the same time.
I would love to see Bayo back for Burton if fit - not as a knee jerk reaction, but because they really had trouble with him in the first matchup. We will definitely be needing some rotation.
The lino may have guessed the decision of the corner, but he didn't leave the men unmarked in the box when it was taken.
Spot on.
Please would somebody explain why the AFC crowd collectively despise GA so much. Every fan I have spoken to that supports a club the GA has played for think he is the bees knees & on the evidence I have witnessed, never given anything less than the absolute maximum, regardless of his role within the club. Like many others, I'm starting to feel a revulsion for AFC Wimbledon and am hoping they sink to a lower division. The collective sympathy for their recent historic plight is evaporating faster than a North African rain storm as they selectively forget that the original Dons were quite possibly the founder architects of "The Dark Arts" of the present-day game?
They are a truly horrible bunch of supporters. I think back to the time I sent them a decent donation in their hour of need, when they were shaking their begging bowls. I wish I’d not bothered.
Now I know this is football and they shouldn’t remain deferential for ever, but is there really any need to be such a set of twats?
I’d go as far to say they’re almost making me reconsider my stance on MK Dons.
Fair play to the way their team played yesterday. Packed full of the dark arts, it gave us a taste of what we look like to most clubs when employing our ‘game management’ (a truly dismal phrase). But they put in a serious shift and took their chances.
I know Sean Dyche had lost yesterday when he got stuck into Arsenal’s diving and play acting, but he’s still right. None of us come to watch people running down the clock, falling over when touched etc. It needs sorting and I’d support a clampdown with bookings and sendings off until the message gets through. It’s getting worse every season and referees seem unable or unwilling to take a stand.
I still hold a grudge against their fans for a brick that came through the supporters coach window and showered me with glass after a pre-season friendly of all things at Plough Lane in the mid-70s
From my memory, we've only really played a flat 442 once, v Barnsley this season. And, although it worked well as it soaks pressure well, it doesn't leave much creativity and insists we whack it hopelessly down the channels.
After Morris' terrific game and goal at Gillingham, I'd have like to see him start with 3 in the middle. Thompson, industrious as he is, isn't much of a forward-thinker, and all Gape really does is constantly try and ping a ball wide, without much success.
@prufrock_91 Thompson was more effective than gape yesterday. Thompson and Morris would have been better starters for me. Morris seemed to find the space that was eluding Dominic when he came on and yet again again st a big team we looked too short in midfield for the goofing.
Hoofing.
Prufrock, Morris didn’t score against Gillingham it was El Abd and Tyson; Thompson was our best player by a mile yesterday; Gape, though off form yesterday, has arguably been our most consistent player this season as reflected in another thread.
Apart from that, I agree with everything you said!
Stick Bayo up front when he’s fit again and lump it up top at every opportunity. We haven’t turned into Barcelona since he’s been missing. It’s Plan A for a reason.
@glasshalffull - Ah, you are correct, I was confusing the Tyson strike.
AND, although Thompson was effective in breaking up play yesterday, and Gape has been good this season, we still lost 2-1 because we had no midfielder willing to pick up the ball and play a smart forward pass. In my view, Morris was our best player against the Gills, and was worth another start.
Gape just had a rare poor game yesterday. Thompson was good, as was Morris when he came on, but always a struggle when one of your midfielders has an off day.
I'd love to know whether the ball did actually go out of play for their corner? It's been and gone now, but just for my own curiosity, as it didn't even look close to being out from my vantage point on the terrace. Myself and the bloke stood next to me thought the lino was flagging for what would've been a very harsh penalty against Thompson, as the ball had bounced up onto his arm when tussling with their forward just before. It never crossed my mind that he was flagging for a corner!
for me Fred was a million miles better than anyone else on the pitch yesterday
I was sat side on in the Woodlands and it looked all the way over the line
Agree that the lino May have guessed though
Strange. I don't think I was alone on the terrace in thinking it wasn't even close to crossing the line. Either way, the linesman wasn't responsible for the poor marking.
I thought Thompson was our best player over the 90 mins. Fred was poor in the 1st half for me, but alongside Tyson (and Kashket when he came on) caused plenty of problems in the 2nd half and deserved his goal.
I had a good view with a narrowish angle across the back of the goal and I was certain that it didn't completely cross the line - middle of the ball about level with the outside edge of the line when it was cleared is how I remember it. The linesman wouldn't have been able to see and to be fair to him I thought, until it actually happened, it was going out for a corner.
It shows on the extended highlights and appears from that camera angle that it does cross the line, but it looks like it was at the top of a small bounce at the time which would make it appear differently from the Woodlands and the terrace.
The terrace was very unhappy with the decision - I hope we didn't affect the concentration for the corner.
I think it was a bit of a fortuitous goal for them which strengthened their concentration and resolve.
Shame - but we are not going to win them all. On to Burton.
I was on the terrace and very close to where Thompson booted the ball out for a throw. I am certain it did not cross the line for a corner. For the linesman to give a
corner he would a: have needed to be in line with the goalposts and b: be able to see the ball when both goalposts and Thompson's boot were obstructing his view. It was a guess - and he guessed wrong.
I'm with the others in having lost what at the time was a lot of goodwill towards AFC. I remember when we first played them competitively in the FA Cup, their fans seemed a decent bunch, but since gaining FL status and suddenly finding things a bit harder than just turning up and steamrollering Bishops Stortford or whoever, they have become a pretty moany, entitled bunch.
The turning point for me was the season after we became fan-owned, when after a game at theirs one of their fans was saying online that he was glad to see us struggling, claimed we were 'spending money we didn't have' and said he hoped we went bust. A nasty thing for any fan of any club to say, but to come from a Wimbledon fan was just staggering.
As for them accusing us of cheating every single time the ref gives a foul in either direction, despite them clearly being just as bad at the dark arts as anyone else - arguably worse - their myopia is right up there with Luton fans. Hope they do go down and suspect they will. Let them enjoy their cup final win and we'll get on with cementing our place in the top ten.
I think a big problem that was created with the demonizing of MK Dons - despite there being obvious reasons to dislike them - is that AFC Wimbledon seem to believe they hold the high ground in everything, now, as some kind of afflicted martyr club. I am not a fan of either, but at some point, it is time to get on with life, especially when you find yourselves a division above Milton Keynes, and can afford to build a stadium at your original home.
Their hatred of GA is the purest evidence for their idiocy. It's like someone hating dolphins. Warning flags go up.
Well said Shev. Also, didn't they massively screw over Kingstonian, taking ownership of their own ground and turning them into tenants? Can't remember the exact details, but seem to recall they pulled a bit of a swift one on a club that had helped them out in their hour of need.
Having spent ten years compiling Opposition Views I can confirm that they have a disproportionate number of knobs.
Their ground has to supply one of the worst views of the season as well.
Shallow terrace, of which you only get half. Dugout blocking a bit of the view, hard to see down the lines even as a lanky dastard.
Seating limited to oldies.
Dreadful.
Agreed @Malone - it would feel especially good to win there at the end of this season and then not play them for a while.
My previous great goodwill to Wimbledon has evaporated, there is an underlying nastiness to their fans, the more vocal ones at least, which even Luton fans do not lower themselves to. It's not the usual tribal banter between rivals, it's vicious, graceless and lacking any class.
Luton away is the game I dislike the most, because of the town, ground and fans, but really, Wimbledon away is worse, a shocking ground to be hosting tier three football.