That was a dreadful game of football. Point though!! I like the look of mccleary. Might have been nice to see if mehmeti could have found a bit of spark from somewhere.
Like a different team defensively compared with with early season. Unfortunately we look the same attacking force from then. Were never going to score tonight.
Quite disappointed with that. Huddersfield looked disjointed and I’d have liked us to try to pass the ball around more. Long clearances to Bayo were not effective tonight so would have liked to see us switch it up. With McCleary and Horgan on the pitch you have two players who can get a yard and deliver good balls in from good positions. Draws away from home are always decent but at home against a side in the bottom half with a young keeper I’d like to have seen us have more of a go.
We just don’t look like scoring. Bayo is kept on because he might create something even if he is playing badly. 6 goals in 13 games is unfortunately not going to keep us in this division. We need to find away to create more and hopefully score more. Could Uche be the answer?
Bayo should have come off around 75.
I suppose it goes against Gareth's grain to take your main striker off when chasing a game though.
For people saying we need a striker - we need to create some decent chances.
Aside from Kashket's half chance on his wrong foot with a covering defender, we were dealing with power play long balls or a couple of bits and pieces breaking in the box surrounded by defenders.
The biggest positive for me was that Thompson, Gape/Wheeler and Adeniran/Horgan were winning most of the balls in the midfield, in a way we simply weren't capable of with the personnel at the start of the season. The problem was there was no creative outlet when they did. Everything going through Bayo and then getting lost. I really hoped we'd moved past 433. It got us promoted but I don't think it will keep us up.
Well, that really was a dire game and incredibly frustrating to watch. Defensively we were good again, but apart from that it was as poor as we've been since the opening couple of games. We looked clueless up front and never looked like scoring until Horgan and GMac came on.
The positive of course is that we got a point. We need to find another way though, rather than just flogging Akinfenwa to the point of exhaustion. We have the players, although clearly Ikpeazu is a huge miss in terms of a focal point to our attack.
Bayo's always worth having out there, if only because he occupies two defenders. But until Horgan and and McCleary came on we never looked like taking advantage of the extra space.
Fred was better tonight but Kashket hardly got in the game did he?
The disappointing thing with Bayo tonight was the few times he got the ball at his feet he'd lose it seemingly weakly within one or two steps. That's not his style.
We really do need Uche back. Just to see if he actually offers anything beyond being a taller stronger Samuel.
Haha! I'm a bit disappointed but that seems almost funny to say that! Held u big club to a draw and we are bemoaning it.... Not our best performance of the he season, but hey, in the light of day, a point against Huddersfield ain't half bad. We are earning the respect we duely deserve in this league.
We've been perfectly creative against Rotherham, Millwall, Watford and Birmingham. We can do it and I expect Gareth will be looking to get a striker in in January - he mentioned wanting one after Reading, but presumably the right one wasn't available. Just got to keep pace - as Burton did in their first season, then they signed Sordell and Woodrow in Jan and they helped them to safety. Still only 13 games in, and when you consider what a write-off some of the early ones were it's incredible that we're this competitive.
Grim old fare but after the start we had in this league, it's important to build competitive confidence, which we certainly have. Hopefully we'll be a bit more adventurous soon but it's a very fine line that we have to tread.
Tonight was a bit too up and under but similar to us, they were a side very good at closing things down.
Like most others, it seems, I have mixed feelings. We clearly are competitive, and I would hate to go down now this season because it feels like we can make a go of it in this division, and that is a remarkable thing to feel after those first few games. I thought we had much the better of the game and just lacked that cutting edge/ quality up front. So much to be glad about. But, as on Saturday, it felt like this game was there for the winning and one hopes that we learn somehow to find that extra one per cent up front so we can create and convert some chances before the teams above us get going too.
I refuse to get disappointed by any draw we get in this league. Yes it wasn’t pretty, yes we didn’t really look like scoring but in the last two games we’ve looked strong defensively and in central midfield (just how good is Thompson?).
The magic formula will happen up front. Probably more by accident than design originally but we’ve got the players there for it to happen
Bayo will come good again but he was lacklustre tonight. Horgan and Mccleary with Fred through the middle? I know he lacks the aerial.prowess perhaps but once he's in the box in a central position...who knows.
I realize we've barely seen him play but I think we're desperately missing Uche. Tonight wasn't pretty but someone faster and more dynamic playing in the central role might have made more of the scraps.
Bayo can't play two or three games a week. For all that's made of him creating havoc , I thought they handled him well tonight and he got dispossessed easily when the ball was at his feet. I really, really hope Uche is back at the weekend.
Samuel and Kashket - worked well v Millwall then Bayo came on. We seem to tailor our approach to the opposition except for when it comes to Bayo - some games he would better of left on the bench. Not sure how effective he'd be against Derby, haven't looked at them yet. He will be effective in most games simply because of his uniqueness, but not all.
I think Gareth has learned now that being sentimental is not the way to win in the Championship. Bloomfield and Charles started the season but I can't see either now being called upon unless there's an injury crisis (interesting to hear from Phil that Bloomfield is now considered part of the coaching set up). Perhaps it's time to accept that Bayo is not the answer in this division either. Balls just don't stick to him anymore and while his game was never reliant on pace, the way we're playing is.
Bayo does actually have one of the highest xGs in the division - up there with Toney - small sample size but very impressive nonetheless. It just takes him a little while to get fully up to speed. Not saying he's going to be prolific, but he will be vital for us and he's proved he can more than hack it - Huddersfield just did a good job on him tonight and we kept him on too long. But we win or we learn and all that.
I'm sure all 3 of those players will have a role to play this season, it's a squad game.
To be fair, Sarr, Schindler and later Stearman all did a decent job up against the aerial bombardment, especially considering they shipped 4 goals the other day. That's about the only praise I can muster for Huddersfield who were otherwise poor.
I think variation in our attacking play is what will bring more chances and goals, the long ball became very predictable tonight. We managed to strike a good balance at Birmingham but not tonight.
Comments
On the plus side we’re the first team to keep a clean sheet against Huddersfield since September.
That was a dreadful game of football. Point though!! I like the look of mccleary. Might have been nice to see if mehmeti could have found a bit of spark from somewhere.
Like a different team defensively compared with with early season. Unfortunately we look the same attacking force from then. Were never going to score tonight.
Quite disappointed with that. Huddersfield looked disjointed and I’d have liked us to try to pass the ball around more. Long clearances to Bayo were not effective tonight so would have liked to see us switch it up. With McCleary and Horgan on the pitch you have two players who can get a yard and deliver good balls in from good positions. Draws away from home are always decent but at home against a side in the bottom half with a young keeper I’d like to have seen us have more of a go.
We just don’t look like scoring. Bayo is kept on because he might create something even if he is playing badly. 6 goals in 13 games is unfortunately not going to keep us in this division. We need to find away to create more and hopefully score more. Could Uche be the answer?
We'll get it right, no doubt. There was a time when we wondered how we were going to keep the goals out - now look at us.
Last six: DWWLDD - not bad. However, only 4 goals in that run.
Bayo should have come off around 75.
I suppose it goes against Gareth's grain to take your main striker off when chasing a game though.
For people saying we need a striker - we need to create some decent chances.
Aside from Kashket's half chance on his wrong foot with a covering defender, we were dealing with power play long balls or a couple of bits and pieces breaking in the box surrounded by defenders.
That won't live long in the memory... Another point and clean sheet always welcome. Coyb
The biggest positive for me was that Thompson, Gape/Wheeler and Adeniran/Horgan were winning most of the balls in the midfield, in a way we simply weren't capable of with the personnel at the start of the season. The problem was there was no creative outlet when they did. Everything going through Bayo and then getting lost. I really hoped we'd moved past 433. It got us promoted but I don't think it will keep us up.
Well, that really was a dire game and incredibly frustrating to watch. Defensively we were good again, but apart from that it was as poor as we've been since the opening couple of games. We looked clueless up front and never looked like scoring until Horgan and GMac came on.
The positive of course is that we got a point. We need to find another way though, rather than just flogging Akinfenwa to the point of exhaustion. We have the players, although clearly Ikpeazu is a huge miss in terms of a focal point to our attack.
Bayo's always worth having out there, if only because he occupies two defenders. But until Horgan and and McCleary came on we never looked like taking advantage of the extra space.
Fred was better tonight but Kashket hardly got in the game did he?
The disappointing thing with Bayo tonight was the few times he got the ball at his feet he'd lose it seemingly weakly within one or two steps. That's not his style.
We really do need Uche back. Just to see if he actually offers anything beyond being a taller stronger Samuel.
Still, Derby and Rooney next up. That'll be good.
Haha! I'm a bit disappointed but that seems almost funny to say that! Held u big club to a draw and we are bemoaning it.... Not our best performance of the he season, but hey, in the light of day, a point against Huddersfield ain't half bad. We are earning the respect we duely deserve in this league.
We've been perfectly creative against Rotherham, Millwall, Watford and Birmingham. We can do it and I expect Gareth will be looking to get a striker in in January - he mentioned wanting one after Reading, but presumably the right one wasn't available. Just got to keep pace - as Burton did in their first season, then they signed Sordell and Woodrow in Jan and they helped them to safety. Still only 13 games in, and when you consider what a write-off some of the early ones were it's incredible that we're this competitive.
Grim old fare but after the start we had in this league, it's important to build competitive confidence, which we certainly have. Hopefully we'll be a bit more adventurous soon but it's a very fine line that we have to tread.
Tonight was a bit too up and under but similar to us, they were a side very good at closing things down.
Like most others, it seems, I have mixed feelings. We clearly are competitive, and I would hate to go down now this season because it feels like we can make a go of it in this division, and that is a remarkable thing to feel after those first few games. I thought we had much the better of the game and just lacked that cutting edge/ quality up front. So much to be glad about. But, as on Saturday, it felt like this game was there for the winning and one hopes that we learn somehow to find that extra one per cent up front so we can create and convert some chances before the teams above us get going too.
We just really needed that win so we don't start needing 2 wins to even equal the next team outside of the relegation zone.
Oh well - at least the games are coming quickly and another chance is always there.
13 games in I don't think we've come close to working out what our best attacking lineup is
I refuse to get disappointed by any draw we get in this league. Yes it wasn’t pretty, yes we didn’t really look like scoring but in the last two games we’ve looked strong defensively and in central midfield (just how good is Thompson?).
The magic formula will happen up front. Probably more by accident than design originally but we’ve got the players there for it to happen
Bayo will come good again but he was lacklustre tonight. Horgan and Mccleary with Fred through the middle? I know he lacks the aerial.prowess perhaps but once he's in the box in a central position...who knows.
We don't have or necessarily need one
Continue that form and we might stay up.
Hang on, if Coventry lose by 3+ tomorrow then we're out of the bottom three.
I realize we've barely seen him play but I think we're desperately missing Uche. Tonight wasn't pretty but someone faster and more dynamic playing in the central role might have made more of the scraps.
Bayo can't play two or three games a week. For all that's made of him creating havoc , I thought they handled him well tonight and he got dispossessed easily when the ball was at his feet. I really, really hope Uche is back at the weekend.
He was in a protective boot the other day, I think that would be very optimistic
We play weekend-midweek for the next three weeks now.
Bayo managed 3 starts in a row recently but was rested for the fourth game.
Therefore in the next game or two we'll have to try something different and either go with Samuel or give the Wheeler experiment another go.
Alternatively play on the break with Kashket as main striker which could need Wheeler in support for anything over ground level.
Samuel and Kashket - worked well v Millwall then Bayo came on. We seem to tailor our approach to the opposition except for when it comes to Bayo - some games he would better of left on the bench. Not sure how effective he'd be against Derby, haven't looked at them yet. He will be effective in most games simply because of his uniqueness, but not all.
I think Gareth has learned now that being sentimental is not the way to win in the Championship. Bloomfield and Charles started the season but I can't see either now being called upon unless there's an injury crisis (interesting to hear from Phil that Bloomfield is now considered part of the coaching set up). Perhaps it's time to accept that Bayo is not the answer in this division either. Balls just don't stick to him anymore and while his game was never reliant on pace, the way we're playing is.
Bayo does actually have one of the highest xGs in the division - up there with Toney - small sample size but very impressive nonetheless. It just takes him a little while to get fully up to speed. Not saying he's going to be prolific, but he will be vital for us and he's proved he can more than hack it - Huddersfield just did a good job on him tonight and we kept him on too long. But we win or we learn and all that.
I'm sure all 3 of those players will have a role to play this season, it's a squad game.
To be fair, Sarr, Schindler and later Stearman all did a decent job up against the aerial bombardment, especially considering they shipped 4 goals the other day. That's about the only praise I can muster for Huddersfield who were otherwise poor.
I think variation in our attacking play is what will bring more chances and goals, the long ball became very predictable tonight. We managed to strike a good balance at Birmingham but not tonight.