A few thoughts from last night.

[Fat Cigar]

We saw the good and the bad of this season last night. Plus points: under Pemberton and now Johnson, we're scoring goals and coming back from going a goal behind. We're getting more clinical. A little more anyway. I think we only had two shots on target and scored both. That's it!

Overall we were really poor. Giving the ball away has dogged our season and cost us countless goals. What the hell are we doing fannying around deep inside our own half? We’re not good enough for this lovely one touch football when we're at the wrong end of the pitch. First 15 mins of the second half was car crash stuff. Why make it easy for a good side?

Other poor things last night:

Flint's distribution from defence is as subtle as his defending. Continuously hoofing it up field means giving the ball away. It rarely reaches our own.

Bryan is not a left back. He may well have been a good wing-back but he's certainly not a conventional left back. If he's fully fit, I'd expect Golbourne back on Saturday.

Freeman: Freeman, Freeman, Freeman. He has had some good matches this season. Some being the operative word, but I've seen enough and I suspect Johnson has too. He tries but he's simply not good enough at this level. Even during his best performances where he's beating players for fun he keeps hold of the ball too long and we know he's not going to score.

Smith - has looked well below par since returning. He looks rushed and has lost his much needed composure on the ball. We need his wise head, his leading by example.

Tomlin - he had an ok game but the problem (not his) is that he's always one step ahead of the rest. He does things that others rarely try: the cross-field diagonal pass, the flick on, the ball through the centre. Others just aren't on his wavelength.  Kodjia certainly isn't.

Judging by what he says after each match, Johnson clearly knows what our deficiencies are. One thing I've really enjoyed are his post-match comments.  He obviously reads the game well. There are no excuses made. He praises went it's due and is spot on about things we need to work on.

All in all, an irritating game. Had Kodjia scored his one on one when it was 3-2 I fancied our chances to go on and win, but that was our only second half chance. Despite all his goals, I find Kodjia infuriating. Desperately need someone up there with him. He's got a hell of a lot to learn. Releasing the ball quick enough, looking up before shooting.

A lot of work needed in the summer on all areas.

[Phileas Fogg]

Some interesting thoughts there, agree on the most part disagree about Kodjia. I'd say if anyone is close to being on Tomlin's wavelength it's him and that Kodjia was great last night. He harried and made it very difficult for their defence, he took his goal well.

That 1v1 you mentioned wasn't really a 1v1, it was at an angle and he had a defender coming in goal-side, difficult chance.

[Chloe1992]

If we can keep hold of Tomlin and Kodjia, a well planned and executed pre-season will see them both on the same wave length. But agree with PF, don't think they're the light years apart that others do. Kodjia makes the runs, he's just offside for most of them 

[Rudolf Hucker]

Kodjia needs a Tomlin to play him in. He doesn't need hoots from Flint or Baker because that will only ever end with the ball being given away.

[Fat Cigar]

19 minutes ago, Phileas Fogg said:

Some interesting thoughts there, agree on the most part disagree about Kodjia. I'd say if anyone is close to being on Tomlin's wavelength it's him and that Kodjia was great last night. He harried and made it very difficult for their defence, he took his goal well.

That 1v1 you mentioned wasn't really a 1v1, it was at an angle and he had a defender coming in goal-side, difficult chance.

He finishes his one on ones in the same way almost every time: either hammers it straight at the keeper or drags it wide at the near post. His second goal at MK Dons was the type I'd expect from a top player. Lovely finish that. A work in process. As I said though, he needs help up front. 

[Xiled]

Derby pressed our defence extremely well in the second half.  Whatever was said at half-time, they pushed us back and made it very difficult for our back four to distribute.

Flinty's deficiencies were clear to see as he gradually backed away from receiving passes from Bryan, Baker and Matthews.  Too many sideways balls eventually resulted in an error.  Flint was fighting his instinct to kick it high (and long) but didn't really have the support to play an easy short pass through midfield.  He's still one of our most important players and I hope we hold onto him but if other opposition teams adopt a pressing game, we need to find a new outlet for passing through midfield.

Freeman didn't do anything of note for me.  Such a shame after last season when he was a standout player match after match.

I would like to see Wes Burns back in the squad.  Last night we lacked width, we had too few players able to beat the first man and there was no option after Kodjia for a breakaway goal when Derby were pushing us back.

Refreshed by Lee Johnson's honesty and I completely agree with @Fat Cigar that he appears to understand where we are lacking.

[Red-Robbo]

One of the things that drove me mad last night was that we defended several set pieces without a single red shirt left up the field. Where's the out ball? Who's going to take the thing away? It just comes straight back at you!

When we did leave someone out the box it was Tomlin: Perhaps the slowest attacking player and someone whose strength and guile is useful in a goalmouth melee. 

Kodj and Freeman have next to no defensive ability and just get in the way as a general rule (Ok Kodj did hook one out the box last night, but that was the exception that proves the rule). If we left them up field, Freeman a few yards out, Kodj nearer the halfway line, they would take three or four opponents with them. 

[Jack Dawe]

It might not be the worst thing in the world that any watching scouts get to see how rudimentary Flint can be under pressure, how ordinary Tomlin can look, how disappointing Korey can be, how poor Joe can be, how erratic Kodj can be. And Baker, too. They (the scouts) will have known or seen how good this lot can be, that's why they are or have been here. They're also getting to see how ordinary they can be, too. We want them all to be good but not so good that they are all sought after and somewhere else next season.

As long as we stay up, that is

[chipdawg]

5 minutes ago, Red-Robbo said:

One of the things that drove me mad last night was that we defended several set pieces without a single red shirt left up the field. Where's the out ball? Who's going to take the thing away? It just comes straight back at you!

When we did leave someone out the box it was Tomlin: Perhaps the slowest attacking player and someone whose strength and guile is useful in a goalmouth melee. 

Kodj and Freeman have next to no defensive ability and just get in the way as a general rule (Ok Kodj did hook one out the box last night, but that was the exception that proves the rule). If we left them up field, Freeman a few yards out, Kodj nearer the halfway line, they would take three or four opponents with them. 

McInnes' City team used to defend corners like that too, which is a somewhat chilling comparison 

[Super]

1 hour ago, Red-Robbo said:

One of the things that drove me mad last night was that we defended several set pieces without a single red shirt left up the field. Where's the out ball? Who's going to take the thing away? It just comes straight back at you!

When we did leave someone out the box it was Tomlin: Perhaps the slowest attacking player and someone whose strength and guile is useful in a goalmouth melee. 

Kodj and Freeman have next to no defensive ability and just get in the way as a general rule (Ok Kodj did hook one out the box last night, but that was the exception that proves the rule). If we left them up field, Freeman a few yards out, Kodj nearer the halfway line, they would take three or four opponents with them. 

That and the million times we passed the ball back to ROD.

[Charliesboots]

1 hour ago, Red-Robbo said:

One of the things that drove me mad last night was that we defended several set pieces without a single red shirt left up the field. Where's the out ball? Who's going to take the thing away? It just comes straight back at you!

When we did leave someone out the box it was Tomlin: Perhaps the slowest attacking player and someone whose strength and guile is useful in a goalmouth melee. 

Kodj and Freeman have next to no defensive ability and just get in the way as a general rule (Ok Kodj did hook one out the box last night, but that was the exception that proves the rule). If we left them up field, Freeman a few yards out, Kodj nearer the halfway line, they would take three or four opponents with them. 

Totally agree and frustratingly it's the majority of games we do this.

I don't understand why Kodjia isn't told to stay in the centre circle when we're defending set pieces and force the opposition to leave two back on him, we can all see that his pace is fantastic if he's let loose (and hopefully onside)

Granted he's not going to always get away from a defender or always win the ball however it takes pressure off and gives time for us to press out. 

[Redtucks]

2 hours ago, Red-Robbo said:

One of the things that drove me mad last night was that we defended several set pieces without a single red shirt left up the field. Where's the out ball? Who's going to take the thing away? It just comes straight back at you!

When we did leave someone out the box it was Tomlin: Perhaps the slowest attacking player and someone whose strength and guile is useful in a goalmouth melee. 

Kodj and Freeman have next to no defensive ability and just get in the way as a general rule (Ok Kodj did hook one out the box last night, but that was the exception that proves the rule). If we left them up field, Freeman a few yards out, Kodj nearer the halfway line, they would take three or four opponents with them. 

I've been saying that all season.

Leave one player up, the opposition will invariably leave two back.

It also stops most clearances coming straight back.

 

 

[Ian M]

Good news from last night, Kodjia sprung the offside trap on at least 2 occasions.

Also that 20 minute spell in the second half where Derby had us pinned in around our area for the large part is, I believe, what Johnson's vision is for our own play. Very Pocchetino-esque.

[robin_unreliant]

3 hours ago, Fat Cigar said:

Bryan is not a left back. He may well have been a good wing-back but he's certainly not a conventional left back.

 

Agree with most of what you say, including Johnson seeming to spot what is wrong. On the above though he stated recently that he sees Joe Bryan as a future Premier League left back. So are we concerned he has got that one wrong???

[Fat Cigar]

25 minutes ago, robin_unreliant said:

Agree with most of what you say, including Johnson seeming to spot what is wrong. On the above though he stated recently that he sees Joe Bryan as a future Premier League left back. So are we concerned he has got that one wrong???

Which is odd because he's said he thinks he could be a good centre-midfielder. I think (at the moment) he's too lightweight as a CM. His crossing's improved, anyway. I'm not even sure Joe knows what his best position is right now.