Positives & Negatives From Wolves Game

[Coppy]

Positive - The way city played after the change was made on 35mins, I'm not a major Kilkenny fan but I've got no problem with him, I just think the change of the wide men created a better balance in the midfield, Bryan on the left and Wagstaff on the right both offering width and giving their full backs something to think about going backwards towards their own goal, Bryan's delivery and work rate was great!

Negative - Wagstaff starting on the left, clearly not comfortable cutting inside before he had received the ball and becoming a difficult outlet to pick out for either the full back the centre half or the centre midfilder. Jordan Wynter didn't look like a right midfielder he looked better through the middle.

Positive - How city played when they pressed, defended higher, and moved the ball quickly on the deck. Jet's link up play was excellent and he's forming a good partnership with Baldock.

Negative - I don't think this has been pointed out on this forum but Sako who scored a great free kick had the freedom of the left wing, Maloney got closer to him in the second half but couldn't stop him delivering crosses into the box. A lots been said on this forum of the inability of our centre halves because they haven't dealt with balls over the top recently and SOD thinks they defend too deep. For me the full backs should call the line as they have the best view and they should also stop the source of delivery into the box.

Positive - Took my 11 year old cousin to the city for the first time and we watched a good game with a good atmosphere.

Negative - I had the two cans of coke I'd packed confiscated by a steward before I got in the ground.

[Coppy]

That was a longer essay than mine......good read though! I agree with what your saying the other thing to mention is we paid Wolves way too much respect! Can you imagine a Brentford or a Bradford playing at home against us and saying there you go City play out from the back your two centre halves can have it and pick a pass with out being put under much or any pressure? SO'D said it all starts from sitting too deep but sometimes that can stem from talking up your opponents strengths and installing a belief they are better than us.

[EDoubleD]

I think baldock with jet off him isn't effective enough for me. I'd like to see two up, with jet on the right cutting in. Joe Bryan has to start over wags, but think wags might be trying to find his feet. Made a couple of good runs in the second half, but not enough end product. But then jet wasn't getting in the box. And not really were pack, Elliot of wynter, so not sure what he had to aim at other than baldock.

Hopefully sod's seen we need width now, so we'll see more of pack's range of passing. Also hoping Williams can build on the game, as other than the first goal though he was solid. Got caught goal side, and was a definite foul, but he was playing against Doyle, who's played loads of top level games.

[Coppy]

I'm not too concerned about us going forward, scoring goals wasn't the problem last season on wont be a problem this season.

I forgot to mention as a positive how good was the Gun firing the shirts into the crowd at half time? And as a Negative......Walking football at half time.......Really?......who ever had the ball started to run

[slartibartfast]

First time I've come away from (the usual) home loss feeling reasonably upbeat. The way we made them look average in the second half was my posative. If we push on to teams we'll be ok ,I reckon .

[marksy]

Both full backs were absolutely garbage in the first half and marginally better in the second. A player is nothing without consistency and these two are not consistently good players. Cunningham and Moloney need to up their games asap and I think we should be looking at getting in a right back as a priority.

Absolutely agree. The thing is Cunningham was a class act last season. Lets hope things start to improve soon !

[Esmond Million's Bung]

First time I've come away from (the usual) home loss feeling reasonably upbeat. The way we made them look average in the second half was my posative. If we push on to teams we'll be ok ,I reckon .

it seems to me that 2 elements need to come together to kick start our season.

Firstly SOD needs to make sure the defence fully understand the line that he actually wants them to defend before they go onto the pitch and make one of the central defenders responsible for organising it on the pitch.

and secondly stop trying to force square pegs into round holes, play players in their correct positions, GJ, Millen and DMC tried that and all failed.

[Fiale]

Cunningham and Moloney were under pressure fist half due to us shoehorning Kilkenny into the team - When Bryan came on and Wagstaff moved over both Moloney and Cunningham had more cover/protection as well as pushing forward more which took pressure of the whole team.

[Gol]

Cunningham and Moloney were under pressure fist half due to us shoehorning Kilkenny into the team - When Bryan came on and Wagstaff moved over both Moloney and Cunningham had more cover/protection as well as pushing forward more which took pressure of the whole team.

Agreed though still don't think they had good games. Maloney in particular gave sako too much time which is what cost us.

One positive for me was apart from the free kick which they scored from. I was very impressed with Williams at the back not afraid to put his head or foot in and looked quite composed on the ball.

[Esmond Million's Bung]

Cunningham and Moloney were under pressure fist half due to us shoehorning Kilkenny into the team - When Bryan came on and Wagstaff moved over both Moloney and Cunningham had more cover/protection as well as pushing forward more which took pressure of the whole team.

I can see Killkenny fast becoming SOD's 'Little Lee', playing others out of position just to find a place for him, that's 2 games now.

[OldlandReddies]

Positives are that 1, on what I have seen so far, we have probably made the signing of the season with JET. 2, in Flint we have finally found the dominant center half we have been crying out for over the last 5/6 seasons. 3, we have a manager who is not afraid to change things early when it is clear that the shape of the team is all wrong. 4, after just 4 games SOD looks to building a young side that will at worst finish top 10 this season and hopefully push for promotion next.

Negatives.............we have 1 point after 3 games ? Cant think of any others.

[Esmond Million's Bung]

Positives are that 1, on what I have seen so far, we have probably made the signing of the season with JET. 2, in Flint we have finally found the dominant center half we have been crying out for over the last 5/6 seasons. 3, we have a manager who is not afraid to change things early when it is clear that the shape of the team is all wrong. 4, after just 4 games SOD looks to building a young side that will at worst finish top 10 this season and hopefully push for promotion next.

Negatives.............we have 1 point after 3 games ? Cant think of any others.

I can think of another, 12 league games without a win, it's habit forming.

[Danny P]

Positives are that 1, on what I have seen so far, we have probably made the signing of the season with JET. 2, in Flint we have finally found the dominant center half we have been crying out for over the last 5/6 seasons. 3, we have a manager who is not afraid to change things early when it is clear that the shape of the team is all wrong. 4, after just 4 games SOD looks to building a young side that will at worst finish top 10 this season and hopefully push for promotion next.

Negatives.............we have 1 point after 3 games ? Cant think of any others.

[Fiale]

Agreed though still don't think they had good games. Maloney in particular gave sako too much time which is what cost us.

One positive for me was apart from the free kick which they scored from. I was very impressed with Williams at the back not afraid to put his head or foot in and looked quite composed on the ball.

Yes, thought Williams played well - seeing as it was his first start for us, and was against the best attacking force we will likely see this season he did really well - seen us defend worse against worse teams. He had a bit of pace, good touch, can pass and not afraid to bring the ball forward if there is space to move into.

[Danny P]

Positives are that 1, on what I have seen so far, we have probably made the signing of the season with JET. 2, in Flint we have finally found the dominant center half we have been crying out for over the last 5/6 seasons. 3, we have a manager who is not afraid to change things early when it is clear that the shape of the team is all wrong. 4, after just 4 games SOD looks to building a young side that will at worst finish top 10 this season and hopefully push for promotion next.

Negatives.............we have 1 point after 3 games ? Cant think of any others.

I really don't get the love in with Flint at the moment. He was at fault for at least 2 goals at Sixfields ( more than Fontaine) and at times yesterday looked lost. He doesn't fill me with confidence on the deck but is ok in the air I suppose.

Fielding also fills me with dread, yes he makes good saves but he loves to come off his line for everything and that nearly cost us again today but a shocking miss saved his blushes.

Lots of positives though for me with the main one obviously JET!

I think we'll be fine and a bad start means nothing, remember when GJ was appointed and we lost something like 10 on the bounce and were bottom at Christmas? We had a chance of getting into the playoffs in the last game of the season iirc so it can be done. With baldock and jet up top we won't be short of goals and when our relatively new midfield and defence gets on the same wavelength we will start leaping up the table COYR!

[Esmond Million's Bung]

But its also 2 games where he's subbed him by/at half time....

Pack is a better prospect in that position, he can move into space and pass instead of standing still and giving safe, posy passes along the back line or turning a full circle and passing back to the keeper.

I thought this could be a big season for Kilkenny but so far he's been shite - that may be partly down to the team as a whole, but it doesn't excuse his dreadful passing.

What happened to playing it from the back by the way ? Fielding was lumping it up to JET who can't get off the ground and it was coming straight back, yet he did it all game long. What sort of tactic is that - give 'em the ball and see what they do ? Sort him out SOD - its dire to watch something so simple to put right.

indicating a mistake made twice and both times exacerbated by dropping Wynter and playing players out of position and then playing players out of position just to accommodate him, it dosen't work.

I don't get the Killkenny and 'big season' analogy, there has been little or no evidence to support that theory since his unfortunate arrival here other SOD's quote at the start of the season, but we have to accept SOD is not always going to right

[Aizoon]

Negative - I had the two cans of coke I'd packed confiscated by a steward before I got in the ground.

Cans of coke? I'm amazed you weren't barred for life. Smoke bombs are OK, mind

[WellRedPhil]

I really don't get the love in with Flint at the moment. He was at fault for at least 2 goals at Sixfields ( more than Fontaine) and at times yesterday looked lost. He doesn't fill me with confidence on the deck but is ok in the air I suppose.

Fielding also fills me with dread, yes he makes good saves but he loves to come off his line for everything and that nearly cost us again today but a shocking miss saved his blushes.

Lots of positives though for me with the main one obviously JET!

Very well said. Flint could well turn out to be the ball-winning CB we've been crying out for but he's hardly made a great start to his City career. He was awful against Coventry and I agree that he was shaky at times yesterday. It's early days and of course he could turn out to be a good player for us but it's hard to understand people hyping about him based on the games he's played for us so far.

Fielding hasn't filled me with confidence and hopefully he will grow into the season. His decision making has been poor at times and he does seem prone to errors. having said that he has already made several good saves and was the only City player that was anything other than shite in the first half last week, saving us from even more blushes.

As for Cunningham, he was poor against Coventry and wasn't at his best yesterday but he is a class act. I am confident that he will be one of our better players this year and hopefully he can get back to his best soon. I completely agree that Maloney was again poor yesterday, Sako gave him the run around all game and he struggled to deal with him.

[redsquirrel]

if he has to play kilkenny,perhaps it might be an idea to tie his hands behind his back and gaffer tape his gob shot .

did far more pointing and shouting than anyone else in the time he was on the pitch and someone mentioned elsewhere,when lining up for the goal free kick,he went so far out into no mans land,it was like making sure he had no responsibility in a goal if it happened.

not for me thanks,was impressed with the rest of the match after 35 mins

[GoingUp]

Coppy just referring back to your o.p.the defensive line is always called by the centre backs in my own experience.I can see what your getting at but there's too much distance between each full back and they wouldnt be able to here the shout from their fellow full back in a noisy stadium! As regards to the coke confiscation it always seems a tad strange to me that although you are not allowed to bring drinks in that could be thrown at people, you are able to purchase boiling hot drinks that would probably do a lot more harm to anyone who was in your firing line! Elf and safety is odd at the best of times.

[Coppy]

Coppy just referring back to your o.p.the defensive line is always called by the centre backs in my own experience.I can see what your getting at but there's too much distance between each full back and they wouldnt be able to here the shout from their fellow full back in a noisy stadium!

Your bang on centre halves do set the defensive line but full backs should help and they should be talking all the time. They can see so much in front of them when the plays on the opposite side of the pitch. I reckon were looking at Nicky Shorey because SO'D wants a full back to help out the two young centre halves, get this line right, cover round when he has to and demand the ball off Fielding instead of letting him go long.