There’s no poisoned punch in my drinks cabinet, in fact thanks to lockdown there are no drinks left at all!
Being the daft fans most of us are come 2:55pm on Saturday we will be convinced survival is back on and today is the day that everything is gonna click. Tonight I’m going wallow a little bit.
So Ainsworth has given up. Hopefully he will try something different in the remaining games.Why pick Bayo? Bless him, he cannot move more than a few steps. I know Uche needed a rest but try something a bit braver. What about not having a number 9. Cannot be any worse than the rubbish we are seeing. Ainsworth can only play one way. Sadly he has been found out.
@arnos_grove said: @davecz I don’t think you can say that with any certainty unless he’s had the same budget as other teams in this division.
We have scrapped mightily this season but have certainly run out of puff right now.
All I am saying please try something different. Hoofing the ball upfront as quickly as possible clearly doesn’t work . Why not try something different. Can’t be any worse. I know we have not got the same budget but let’s be a little braver with the players we have.
Bright side, we’ve made some money in a world where most clubs our size are struggling to stay afloat, the stadium has been upgraded and on paper we’ll be a stronger side next season.
Not so bright side, we’re playing some terrible football at the moment and this kind of losing is a hard habit to break , oh and I have nightmares about us dropping straight through league one like that space x starship
Another away game, another peculiar starting line up and formation. 4-1-2-2-1. Wasn’t even really a diamond, just horrendous.
Another game our full backs were dreadfully exposed time after time as we are so narrow.
If only the side that ended the game had started it then we might just have got something from it. Their introduction was massively hampered by the weather and the icy pitch so they had little effect.
That game may well have been called off if there were some Tuesdays free between now and the end of the season.
It’s a bloody hard watch at the minute when we look so disorganised and unable to stop waive after waive of attack.
Please, please, please can we go 4-5-1 or 4-4-2 Saturday with proper wingers and proper centre mids. Protect the full backs. Keep it simple.
I’m not sure I can take another 6-0 thrashing from Huddersfield!
Trying to stay positive requires the management and team to give us something positive out on the pitch as well.
Hopefully we can turn that corner sooner rather than later...
It's fine to be amazed at the work GA has done with us, but also to be annoyed at the current state of our game. These things aren't mutually exclusive, and thinking the latter doesn't mean you want him gone.
It's also fine to be annoyed at the way we have seemingly waved a white flag to this half of the season, but be optimistic and hopeful that with a strong league one squad, money earned this season, and a smart ownership, we may be back soon.
I don’t think we’ve waved a white flag. I would’ve done if we’d not signed players in the transfer window.
I just think the enormity of the task has finally dawned on a team that’s really tried its best for months and hasn’t managed to win enough games. Mentally, it must be truly draining to turn up to work knowing virtually everyone you come across is better equipped than you are.
We’re always a bit scruffy to watch, even when playing exciting stuff, but I’m convinced that it’s damaged confidence that is turning scruffy into completely unwatchable right now.
@arnos_grove said:
I don’t think we’ve waved a white flag. I would’ve done if we’d not signed players in the transfer window.
I just think the enormity of the task has finally dawned on a team that’s really tried its best for months and hasn’t managed to win enough games. Mentally, it must be truly draining to turn up to work knowing virtually everyone you come across is better equipped than you are.
We’re always a bit scruffy to watch, even when playing exciting stuff, but I’m convinced that it’s damaged confidence that is turning scruffy into completely unwatchable right now.
Yep, the second half at Brentford seems to have completely knocked the stuffing from us. In the first we were competitive and had scored 2 against one of the best in the league. In the second, they morphed into a Premier League side, whilst we fizzled away into something from League 2, and it looks like we've never recovered.
@Commoner said:
Please, please, please can we go 4-5-1 or 4-4-2 Saturday with proper wingers and proper centre mids. Protect the full backs. Keep it simple.
>
I realise Wednesday have way more expensive players than us, but I thought they attacked well using wingers and got plenty of crosses in - then sat back and spoiled the play well.
I would have thought that playing both McCleary and Horgan could help provide more service for the forwards.
Perhaps it's my age, but playing 442 or 451 with 2 wingers seems so easy and obvious to me, and the fact that Gareth himself used to be an attacking winger I cant believe we dont do it, or at least try
I agree with a lot of the sentiments above, I'm immensely proud of what we've achieved but it doesn't mean we cannot be frustrated when some things look so obvious to fix.
Our approach in away games this season is one that rarely seems to work at any level of football. If you play 4 at the back then there is 6 remaining spots for midfield and attack.
Our success over the last few seasons was built mainly on 3 attackers and 3 ball winners, and occasionally 4 and 2.
Ainsworth (prior to this season) when we are on a bad run will end games 5 and 1 hoping that one of the five creates a moment of magic. More often than not this just results in us being unable to get possession of the football. The attackers then get in each others way, as there are too many of them out there.
Our great comebacks (e.g. Doncaster at home 2019, Southend at home 2020, even Carlisle 2018) all had two ball winners staying on the pitch until the end, winning the ball back and providing the four attackers a chance to do something.
I don't understand the logic this season, in a lot of away games we've started with 5 attackers and one ball winner. Recent away games we've reverted to 4 and 2. Birmingham at home, whilst dire, we actually started with 3 and 3 and got a point!
The other glaringly obvious error we continue to make is being so narrow and not helping our full backs. Obita needed help last night. Brentford away JJ and Grimmer got no support. There are so many more games that we did exactly the same but for whatever reason Ainsworth/Dobbo just do not seem to want to address the issue regularly.
The quality of the opposition this year is such that we probably need to start with three ball winners every away game and two wingers to effectively neutralise teams through the middle and out wide. This will inevitably reduce our attacking options but I just don't see we have any other choice when there is such a large gap in quality. At home we can perhaps risk 4 and 2.
@arnos_grove said:
I don’t think we’ve waved a white flag. I would’ve done if we’d not signed players in the transfer window.
I just think the enormity of the task has finally dawned on a team that’s really tried its best for months and hasn’t managed to win enough games. Mentally, it must be truly draining to turn up to work knowing virtually everyone you come across is better equipped than you are.
We’re always a bit scruffy to watch, even when playing exciting stuff, but I’m convinced that it’s damaged confidence that is turning scruffy into completely unwatchable right now.
It's tough when every game is against a team above in you in the league. When I have coached youth teams it is very hard to build confidence in that scenario. But step by step, point by point we can build back. The cup win versus Preston and the match against Spurs left us on a high but things have turned down since the enforced COVID break.
This team does not surrender. We were still rushing to take throw ins and pushing on when the clock was draining away. It's one thing to feel weighed down with the defeats, but another to wave a white flag. If we were still to be stranded on 16 points the last game of the season, I have every confidence these boys would still go into that game scrapping.
Nothing about this season is down to lack of effort.
Comments
@> @glasshalffull said:
Being the daft fans most of us are come 2:55pm on Saturday we will be convinced survival is back on and today is the day that everything is gonna click. Tonight I’m going wallow a little bit.
That's certainly a step change from we're going to stay up.
But it makes sense. There's no point insisting we're going to stay up when we can't buy a goal right now.
So Ainsworth has given up. Hopefully he will try something different in the remaining games.Why pick Bayo? Bless him, he cannot move more than a few steps. I know Uche needed a rest but try something a bit braver. What about not having a number 9. Cannot be any worse than the rubbish we are seeing. Ainsworth can only play one way. Sadly he has been found out.
Look on the bright side at least Sunderland lost at Shrewsbury!!!!!!!
@davecz i think you just reposted one of your early season posts.
@davecz I don’t think you can say that with any certainty unless he’s had the same budget as other teams in this division.
We have scrapped mightily this season but have certainly run out of puff right now.
Two things that can be true at the same time:
I have thought we were down for quite some time.
I am nothing but proud of this club, this team, and this manager, and will watch every minute of every game that I can.
Short term, for the club I love, I want
24 points
Mid term my hope is
we are not going to do a Yeovil
Anything else, for me, is a bonus.
Will ifollow cover matches on the Rye?
Absobloomingluty @Shev !
All I am saying please try something different. Hoofing the ball upfront as quickly as possible clearly doesn’t work . Why not try something different. Can’t be any worse. I know we have not got the same budget but let’s be a little braver with the players we have.
Bright side, we’ve made some money in a world where most clubs our size are struggling to stay afloat, the stadium has been upgraded and on paper we’ll be a stronger side next season.
Not so bright side, we’re playing some terrible football at the moment and this kind of losing is a hard habit to break , oh and I have nightmares about us dropping straight through league one like that space x starship
Another away game, another peculiar starting line up and formation. 4-1-2-2-1. Wasn’t even really a diamond, just horrendous.
Another game our full backs were dreadfully exposed time after time as we are so narrow.
If only the side that ended the game had started it then we might just have got something from it. Their introduction was massively hampered by the weather and the icy pitch so they had little effect.
That game may well have been called off if there were some Tuesdays free between now and the end of the season.
It’s a bloody hard watch at the minute when we look so disorganised and unable to stop waive after waive of attack.
Please, please, please can we go 4-5-1 or 4-4-2 Saturday with proper wingers and proper centre mids. Protect the full backs. Keep it simple.
I’m not sure I can take another 6-0 thrashing from Huddersfield!
Trying to stay positive requires the management and team to give us something positive out on the pitch as well.
Hopefully we can turn that corner sooner rather than later...
Good to see that you’ve rejoined the Gasroom @Morris_Ital. I remember you leaving but can’t remember when or why.
Hear hear!
Thanks
It's fine to be amazed at the work GA has done with us, but also to be annoyed at the current state of our game. These things aren't mutually exclusive, and thinking the latter doesn't mean you want him gone.
It's also fine to be annoyed at the way we have seemingly waved a white flag to this half of the season, but be optimistic and hopeful that with a strong league one squad, money earned this season, and a smart ownership, we may be back soon.
I don’t think we’ve waved a white flag. I would’ve done if we’d not signed players in the transfer window.
I just think the enormity of the task has finally dawned on a team that’s really tried its best for months and hasn’t managed to win enough games. Mentally, it must be truly draining to turn up to work knowing virtually everyone you come across is better equipped than you are.
We’re always a bit scruffy to watch, even when playing exciting stuff, but I’m convinced that it’s damaged confidence that is turning scruffy into completely unwatchable right now.
POY
Yep, the second half at Brentford seems to have completely knocked the stuffing from us. In the first we were competitive and had scored 2 against one of the best in the league. In the second, they morphed into a Premier League side, whilst we fizzled away into something from League 2, and it looks like we've never recovered.
>
I realise Wednesday have way more expensive players than us, but I thought they attacked well using wingers and got plenty of crosses in - then sat back and spoiled the play well.
I would have thought that playing both McCleary and Horgan could help provide more service for the forwards.
Perhaps it's my age, but playing 442 or 451 with 2 wingers seems so easy and obvious to me, and the fact that Gareth himself used to be an attacking winger I cant believe we dont do it, or at least try
We need to widen the pitch to do that @HolmerBlue
I agree with a lot of the sentiments above, I'm immensely proud of what we've achieved but it doesn't mean we cannot be frustrated when some things look so obvious to fix.
Our approach in away games this season is one that rarely seems to work at any level of football. If you play 4 at the back then there is 6 remaining spots for midfield and attack.
Our success over the last few seasons was built mainly on 3 attackers and 3 ball winners, and occasionally 4 and 2.
Ainsworth (prior to this season) when we are on a bad run will end games 5 and 1 hoping that one of the five creates a moment of magic. More often than not this just results in us being unable to get possession of the football. The attackers then get in each others way, as there are too many of them out there.
Our great comebacks (e.g. Doncaster at home 2019, Southend at home 2020, even Carlisle 2018) all had two ball winners staying on the pitch until the end, winning the ball back and providing the four attackers a chance to do something.
I don't understand the logic this season, in a lot of away games we've started with 5 attackers and one ball winner. Recent away games we've reverted to 4 and 2. Birmingham at home, whilst dire, we actually started with 3 and 3 and got a point!
The other glaringly obvious error we continue to make is being so narrow and not helping our full backs. Obita needed help last night. Brentford away JJ and Grimmer got no support. There are so many more games that we did exactly the same but for whatever reason Ainsworth/Dobbo just do not seem to want to address the issue regularly.
The quality of the opposition this year is such that we probably need to start with three ball winners every away game and two wingers to effectively neutralise teams through the middle and out wide. This will inevitably reduce our attacking options but I just don't see we have any other choice when there is such a large gap in quality. At home we can perhaps risk 4 and 2.
JJ did not play at Brentford, as I don't think anyone can forget McCarthy's horrific performance at left back that day.
People are being too simplistic with their analysis on what's gone wrong.
Take Horgan and Wheeler. You can't just label them as "attackers". Both do a lot of defensive work. Probably too much.
Saying we have five attackers on the pitch gives the impression we're some sort of maniac Keegan esque outfit.
Yes, of course. The point could be made in any number of games, no matter who the full backs were!
...
@arnos_grove said:
I don’t think we’ve waved a white flag. I would’ve done if we’d not signed players in the transfer window.
I just think the enormity of the task has finally dawned on a team that’s really tried its best for months and hasn’t managed to win enough games. Mentally, it must be truly draining to turn up to work knowing virtually everyone you come across is better equipped than you are.
We’re always a bit scruffy to watch, even when playing exciting stuff, but I’m convinced that it’s damaged confidence that is turning scruffy into completely unwatchable right now.
It's tough when every game is against a team above in you in the league. When I have coached youth teams it is very hard to build confidence in that scenario. But step by step, point by point we can build back. The cup win versus Preston and the match against Spurs left us on a high but things have turned down since the enforced COVID break.
This team does not surrender. We were still rushing to take throw ins and pushing on when the clock was draining away. It's one thing to feel weighed down with the defeats, but another to wave a white flag. If we were still to be stranded on 16 points the last game of the season, I have every confidence these boys would still go into that game scrapping.
Nothing about this season is down to lack of effort.