Back from the game

[Loderingo]

Close but no cigar again. Could have had a draw on another day.  Didn't get a good view of the penalty as the goal was in the way. I suppose you have to say their 2nd was a good finish.

The team really gave it their all 2nd half but feel we badly need another striking option.

I also think part of the problem is that we only have one way of playing so we are too predictable.  We could learn a thing or two from Reading about running at defences on the break.  Sometimes our build up play is too slow which allows them to get lots of men back.

Couldn't also help thinking about Johnson Senior's "clubs in the bag" - we could really do with something like the McCombe up front trick to shake things up.

 

[cityexile]

Second game away against a decent side where a point would not have flattered us. 

Close as you say. Only seem to want to consider going two up front when already behind. Ho hum. Last couple of games not playing badly but need to make a bit more of our own luck.

[maxjak]

We have lost every game this season by ONE goal (apart from Brighton 0-2)   This shows how close we are to being a good side, another striking option and better finishing would make all the difference.  Last week we battered Birmingham……this week we conceded an extremely dubious penalty, we are due the change of luck our football deserves…….so watch out Ipswich.

[Roger Red Hat]

27 minutes ago, maxjak said:

We have lost every game this season by ONE goal (apart from Brighton 0-2)   This shows how close we are to being a good side, another striking option and better finishing would make all the difference.  Last week we battered Birmingham……this week we conceded an extremely dubious penalty, we are due the change of luck our football deserves…….so watch out Ipswich.

Far too positive......

[maxjak]

4 minutes ago, Roger Red Hat said:

Far too positive......

Sorry my positivity can be depressing………but having supported City for a long long time……..I really believe that the future is bright, and that given time LJ will take us into the Premiership.  Far too much knee jerking going down!!

[Roger Red Hat]

2 minutes ago, maxjak said:

Sorry my positivity can be depressing………but having supported City for a long long time……..I really believe that the future is bright, and that given time LJ will take us into the Premiership.  Far too much knee jerking going down!!

I've supported City for a long long long time! I don't know if LJ will take us up, I hope he does and I feel the club is much better set up now to succeed.

Agree about the jerks with knees.

[Davefevs]

Was the second going in before it got deflected?  Good move, good strike too.

[Donkeeebles]

3 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

Was the second going in before it got deflected?  Good move, good strike too.

Yes it was

[AshtonGreat]

1 hour ago, maxjak said:

Sorry my positivity can be depressing………but having supported City for a long long time……..I really believe that the future is bright, and that given time LJ will take us into the Premiership.  Far too much knee jerking going down!!

Why do you believe he'll take us to the Premier League? Just curious

[GodEmperor Palpatine]

2 hours ago, cityexile said:

Second game away against a decent side where a point would not have flattered us. 

Close as you say. Only seem to want to consider going two up front when already behind. Ho hum. Last couple of games not playing badly but need to make a bit more of our own luck.

Doesn't help when you're up against the Ref and his assistants to... Wilbraham I genuinely thought was going to be sent off towards the end, he was totally incensed by another baffling decision

[Ivorguy]

If people present genuinely believe the referee was bad, then write to Football League to complain. 

Three thousand emails would force them to take notice when the club itself will presumably lodge a complaint of their own

This is the only way we shall get change to football refereeing, i.e. Introduction of tv and appeals as in cricket and other sports

Don't moan, act

 

 

 

[Donkeeebles]

Reading fans are waxing lyrical on Twitter about how brilliant they are, how brilliant the second goal was and how they're the English equivalent of Barcelona

I didn't see any of that today I'm afraid. I'm forever reading how brilliant our opponents are, well I thought we matched them and deserved at least a point. I don't think  they look as good as Newcastle or Brighton but are obviously a good team so whilst the result is disappointing I'm still positive about this team and the near future

[cidered abroad]

Not a knee jerk reaction. Seen it all before. A bad start to the season and it's a relegation battle all the way.

Or like this season, a brilliant start followed by six defeats one draw and just one win in the last eight. That is 1/6th of the season. Continue like this and we'll be deep in the mire like last season. Don't tell me I'm being pessimistic or stupid. Unless we get a win soon, we could be in for a very rocky ride.

[Malago]

2 hours ago, Ivorguy said:

If people present genuinely believe the referee was bad, then write to Football League to complain. 

Three thousand emails would force them to take notice when the club itself will presumably lodge a complaint of their own

This is the only way we shall get change to football refereeing, i.e. Introduction of tv and appeals as in cricket and other sports

Don't moan, act

 

 

 

You could send 3 million texts to the FA and it wouldn't make a blind difference.

[Big C]

9 minutes ago, cidered abroad said:

Not a knee jerk reaction. Seen it all before. A bad start to the season and it's a relegation battle all the way.

Or like this season, a brilliant start followed by six defeats one draw and just one win in the last eight. That is 1/6th of the season. Continue like this and we'll be deep in the mire like last season. Don't tell me I'm being pessimistic or stupid. Unless we get a win soon, we could be in for a very rocky ride.

You're bring pessimistic and stupid  five of our last seven have been away from home three of our next four are at home. Save your pessimism for when we lose those you don't want to peak too soon 

[shelts]

Tbf the referee won't cop the flak it will be his assistant as he gave it, then the ref for not having a good view . Our officials were not the worst I've seen. Reading player conned the ref so all my blame goes to him. 

[Ivorguy]

10 hours ago, Malago said:

You could send 3 million texts to the FA and it wouldn't make a blind difference.

Sorry that is clearly wrong.  Public opinion will always win if it is correct

Change to system of refereeing is inevitable.  It is merely a question of time

[robin_unreliant]

I'm worried that LJ is starting to sound like Cotterill these days. After every defeat he trots out the hard luck story and says we deserved more. As a result no plans to really change anything - just wait for it to start working again.

It was that approach that left us struggling under SC. I can sympathise to an extent - yes under SC we did still play some good football but let in too many soft goals. It is similar now. Missing chances and letting in soft goals ( only less of them). It is easy to look like you are playing some good stuff when the opposition are already two up and sitting back.

We can see the weaknesses in the players but also that LJ is sticking with tactics that aren't getting results. Will he change and get some width and pace in our play or just carry on with his way?

[grifty]

15 hours ago, maxjak said:

We have lost every game this season by ONE goal (apart from Brighton 0-2)   This shows how close we are to being a good side, another striking option and better finishing would make all the difference.  Last week we battered Birmingham……this week we conceded an extremely dubious penalty, we are due the change of luck our football deserves…….so watch out Ipswich.

I agree, theres just one thing that needs to be tweaked, whether its luck in front of goal (Bobby Reids miss today epitomises this for me), new defensive tactic which makes us more solid.

At the moment i expect us to lose 2-1, but dominate the game! 

[Major Isewater]

11 hours ago, Malago said:

You could send 3 million texts to the FA and it wouldn't make a blind difference.

If you sent à pound with each text ...

[Nogbad the Bad]

30 minutes ago, robin_unreliant said:

I'm worried that LJ is starting to sound like Cotterill these days. After every defeat he trots out the hard luck story and says we deserved more. As a result no plans to really change anything - just wait for it to start working again.

It was that approach that left us struggling under SC. I can sympathise to an extent - yes under SC we did still play some good football but let in too many soft goals. It is similar now. Missing chances and letting in soft goals ( only less of them). It is easy to look like you are playing some good stuff when the opposition are already two up and sitting back.

We can see the weaknesses in the players but also that LJ is sticking with tactics that aren't getting results. Will he change and get some width and pace in our play or just carry on with his way?

Several good points in this post.

LJ was known to be stubborn at Barnsley and their fans assured us the epic losing run was only halted when he was forced to change personnel and tactics through injuries. We can make allowances that he is a young manager still learning the game but surely it's important that he shows he's learnt from previous experience and mistakes. Cotts. was certainly also stubborn but he was a very experienced manager who had settled on what he truly believed was the correct formation and tactics through 20 years of experience and was willing to live or die by it - LJ should not be set in his ways at this early stage of his career.

I agree that it's easy to play well when the opposition are 2 up and taking their foot off the pedal. Looking at statistics after the game - number of shots, percentage of possession - can be misleading when the shots are poor and the possession is mostly in areas, and at times in the game, where the opposition are quite content for you to have it.To be successful at this level you need to come out of the blocks from the first minute and take the game to the opposition, not sleep walk through the game until the 2nd half or when an opposition goal brings you to your senses, and for the most part we're not seeing that aggressive determination early enough this season.

[shelts]

I do feel LJ needs to put someone up top with Tammy but my only fear with that is where does Tomlin play?

Getting a little feeling that our Gaffa is a little stubborn with certain things and this being one of them. Look what happened to Cotts . 

[cityred exile]

8 hours ago, shelts said:

I do feel LJ needs to put someone up top with Tammy but my only fear with that is where does Tomlin play?

Getting a little feeling that our Gaffa is a little stubborn with certain things and this being one of them. Look what happened to Cotts . 

Had 2 UP TOP at Barnsley  FOR 90  MINS ,  RESULT 2  GOALS .

[shelts]

16 minutes ago, cityred exile said:

Had 2 UP TOP at Barnsley  FOR 90  MINS ,  RESULT 2  GOALS .

Thank you kind Sir.  Question answered . 

[Super]

Actually thought in spells we played well especially second half but we need to be at it from the start not after we are behind in games.

[Major Isewater]

1 hour ago, Super said:

Actually thought in spells we played well especially second half but we need to be at it from the start not after we are behind in games.

I believe the remit is to stay in the match as long as possible, managing the game so we don't leave ourselves too open when we attack .

This makes for cautious football and the shackles come off when we are behind.

Going at It from the start is very bold but last season we did this and got beaten too often.

I would prefer to be doing this than going 

balls out  in the lower leagues.

 

[Fatalist]

36 minutes ago, Major Isewater said:

I believe the remit is to stay in the match as long as possible, managing the game so we don't leave ourselves too open when we attack .

This makes for cautious football and the shackles come off when we are behind.

Going at It from the start is very bold but last season we did this and got beaten too often.

I would prefer to be doing this than going 

balls out  in the lower leagues.

 

I agree that this seems to be the plan, but it isn't working. We are depriving ourselves of 50% of potential chances by only starting to attack properly in the second half. How many times have we said at the end,"if only we'd had a few minutes more we would have scored" In any case there are 11 men in a team. Having 2 of them up front is hardly reckless. When we get desperate at the end, we have to be gung-ho - in the attack we scored from at Reading we had 7 men in and around their box, so no surprise the ball fell to O'Neil. With just 1 up, its too easy for defences.

[Major Isewater]

10 minutes ago, Fatalist said:

I agree that this seems to be the plan, but it isn't working. We are depriving ourselves of 50% of potential chances by only starting to attack properly in the second half. How many times have we said at the end,"if only we'd had a few minutes more we would have scored" In any case there are 11 men in a team. Having 2 of them up front is hardly reckless. When we get desperate at the end, we have to be gung-ho - in the attack we scored from at Reading we had 7 men in and around their box, so no surprise the ball fell to O'Neil. With just 1 up, its too easy for defences.

It has been working well enough for us to be disappointed to drop out of the play off zone .

I agree that recent results have been disappointing but overall we are ' close ' with a team that is young and learning this league . 

Do you prefer to lose heavily every game ? Because that is the option as we saw last season .

Supporters were crying out for us to manage games better , now  we are doing it , others  are demanding a more expansive game .

It's a difficult juggling act for LJ .I have n't seen one team so far this year in our league playing differently from us in so much as they manage the game .

The difference is that some clubs have more experienced players  and are more clinical in attack and robust in defence .

 

[The Dolman Pragmatist]

We deserved to be beaten by Brighton, who were a very good side, but we've competed well against Birmingham and Reading away from home, and have come away from both disappointed at not getting points and with a sense of injustice.  I don't think there is much wrong - we just need a little bit of luck to go our way.  Steady as she goes, as far as I'm concerned.  I don't see much wrong at the moment.

[Super]

8 minutes ago, The Dolman Pragmatist said:

We deserved to be beaten by Brighton, who were a very good side, but we've competed well against Birmingham and Reading away from home, and have come away from both disappointed at not getting points and with a sense of injustice.  I don't think there is much wrong - we just need a little bit of luck to go our way.  Steady as she goes, as far as I'm concerned.  I don't see much wrong at the moment.

totally agree, I don't think we are far off. We have a run of games now where i'm pretty confident we'll start picking up points.