Familiar Failings: wasteful

[Fat Cigar]

Anyone else feeling fed up? Everyone? Good, I'm not alone. I was on the bus going home slightly stunned at how we managed to lose. I thought it was a really entertaining game. Right from the off Brentford were on the attack at pace. They're a good footballing side. Surprised they've had such an average season so far.

Where is it going wrong? Being honest, familiar failings. Familiar from last season. Tammy had a touch of the Kodjias about him yesterday. Tammy's been great for us, but he had a shocker last night. Should have had a hat-trick. That final chance he had, everyone around me was up cheering assuming it had gone it. I was jumping up and down like a right idiot. Then I stopped and saw the ball trickling wide. Just cannot believe we missed so many chances. This really was a mirror image of our first dozen or so home games last season. Some decent approach play, dominating possession, but woeful finishing. Which then gets punished. Had Hogan worked out where the goal was we would have got stuffed. His finishing was worse than Tammy's!

We're back to the same old problems though. Not clinical or composed enough in front of goal. Our finishing is a real worry. Reid's shooting is appalling. And we know (wonder strike aside) Freeman can't finish for toffee.

I've noticed Tammy's finishing getting progressively worse for a while now. He's still trying and working hard. But, there are exact parallels with Kodjia last year. Too much onus, too much of a burden to bear, on such young shoulders. In Kodjia's case, on someone completely new to English football. And because Tammy's wise beyond his years and made such a great impression, he'll be putting more pressure on himself. I still think he's terrific. His work rate, his commitment, his attitude, is spot on. He just needs to compose himself and get a couple of ugly goals.

A lot of criticism on other threads about Lee Johnson's selection/tactics/substitutions. I think the main thing he did wrong was taking Pack and not Smith for Tomlin. Smith did start to look a little like his old self towards the end. He's been out a long time. It probably takes 10+ matches to get fully up to speed.

I thought Reid had a decent game. Poor finish early on, but his link up play was good, and he's developed his first touch really well. It's great how often you see him receive the ball and spin away from his marker. I like Reid and I think we look better with him in the team. Certainly a lot quicker and more urgent.

Best player of the last 3 games? Matthews. About bloody time. He's a lot quicker than I remember.

What on earth is Lucic on?? Played like a guy without a brain. His goalkeeping looked suicidal. And with our keepers, that's saying something. I'm putting this down to nerves. Can't be doing with keepers who are liabilities. Needs to calm down, quickly. Thought Magnusson's distribution from defence was very poor. He didn't have a good game.

Joe Bryan shouldn't have started. He's had a poor season. But, part of this is down to an identity crisis of not knowing which position he's playing in. And that's down to Johnson's tinkering. Joe is a left wing-back. And we don't play this system. For now, he needs to miss out on a few games. O'Neil needs to come back in. And time for O'Dowda to be given a run. Showed flashes in our opening few games but tended to fizzle out in the second halves.

What yesterday did show was that Tammy can play up front on his own. It's not ideal, and it may only work against mid-table (or lower) sides. Wilbraham offers him more license to roam and takes a defender out of the game, but he's not offering us a goal threat. The fact that Wilbraham is playing so many matches shows you how far we've got to go. We should not be relying on a 37 year old striker if we have play-off ambitions. I think only the most jaundice of City fans still believes we'll make the play-offs. We're way way off.

The reason I'm so gutted about last night as that we played our best football for weeks. Maybe since the second half v Forest? That was October 1st. October 1st!!! And that was only one half of football.

But then I got thinking about something @spudski told me on here which has stuck with me. One of his friends is a Burnley fan and he said they never really played that well most of last season. Didn't do them any harm!

Maybe we/I get too het up on performance. Something we're not good at is winning ugly. Scrapping out a dull 1 or 2-1 win. The thing our next opponents (Preston) are excellent at. I guess you play in your manager's image. Johnson likes attacking football, Reading fans were moaning because under Stam they've been playing turgid football. So turgid that they're currently 3rd.

I was on holiday for our win against Leeds but that sounded by all accounts like a game where we had to scrap and fight. We need to get better at it. Because that's exactly what this league is about. A fight to the bitter end. We so often say that the teams we watch at The Gate aren’t all that. That's most of them. The most canny realise that the pretty football won't get you far in this division. And without top players, it's not even possible.

Which brings me back to where I started. The importance of being clinical. Of taking early chances. Of scoring first. Of closing games out. Sometimes free-flowing football is overrated. At the moment I'd take a few efficient workmanlike 1-0 wins. And someone on the coaching staff please teach our midfielders how to shoot on target.

[1960maaan]

I don't think we played that well, in spells or certain moves , but over the 90 it was strange scrappy game. Lots of mistakes, passing was shocking (why does Joe try and pass through defenders ??) , we looked nervy in possession, and yet created some great chances.

A couple of wins on the bounce maybe will change our luck and we will start picking up points. 

[Jack Dawe]

7 minutes ago, Fat Cigar said:

 And someone on the coaching staff please teach our midfielders how to shoot on target.

 

Good point, mate. spud's stats tell us that we shoot more than anyone, but what those stats don't tell us is what those shots are like? Whether they cause opposing keepers any, or enough, problems. Meanwhile, we humble reglers with no stats and only the shakey evidence of our own eyes know our shooting is far from good enough. And sometimes pathetically inadequate.

If our players need teaching how to shoot, we might be better off looking for some new ones to buy that can strike a ball so that 1. the keeper has to stop it going into the goal and 2. the keeper has a ****ing hard time doing no.1.

[spudski]

Nice post FC...we as fans all seem so frustrated at the moment. And we all see things differently. The joys of football.

This league is about taking your chances and not making individual errors.

Every football forum has fans moaning about their teams performance and how they can do things better.

All the teams, bar a few are much of a muchness.

We are on a poor run of results yes...and we've won games this season playing far worse, and creating less chances. It's a strange old game.

The game we witnessed last night, was a typical Championship game. Very frustrating. Which this league is. Games of small percentages.

I think we were spoilt with the free flowing football of our League 1 Championship winning season. It seemed so easy.

Those feelings still reverberate around our fan base...some expect the same.

The fact is...this League is mental. So tough...so unpredictable. And more frustrating than any other.

More times we will come away scratching our head, wondering what just happened.

But so will the majority of every other fans in this league.

When it's going our way, this forum is pretty much dead. when we get a few poor results, we all go mental. Such fines lines, between 1 goal or not.

Both teams yesterday were pretty much even in ability. A deflected shot was the difference...nothing more, nothing less.

It's often the case in this league. we definitely aren't getting the rub of the green at the moment though.

Better quality of player and finishing is the biggest difference...something we have to stive towards over the coming transfer windows and upcoming games.

In the meantime, it will be a rollercoater ride of emotions.

 

[Mr Popodopolous]

We certainly had some good chances last night, especially that one where we all thought it was in. I don't know whether to be relatively encouraged by performance in defeat or concerned at 2 wins in 10...bit of both probably.

I am worried increasingly about a slide into a relegation scrap...7 points from the drop and more worryingly on a downward trajectory. Preston at home Saturday, well our record vs them in recent times is not great, Wolves away after well our record at Molineux is poor, Ipswich away well our record at Portman Road...something needs to change and quick, steady the ship, settle the nerves.

[robin_unreliant]

Maybe it is fair to say that the margins are fine in a one-off game. Last night I agree we cold have scored two of those chances and won. However you can't ignore the fact that over the last 10 games we are 23rd in the league. That is difficult to put down to just fine margins in the odd game.

[Red-Robbo]

1 hour ago, Fat Cigar said:

Anyone else feeling fed up? Everyone? Good, I'm not alone. I was on the bus going home slightly stunned at how we managed to lose. I thought it was a really entertaining game. Right from the off Brentford were on the attack at pace. They're a good footballing side. Surprised they've had such an average season so far.

 

Where is it going wrong? Being honest, familiar failings. Familiar from last season. Tammy had a touch of the Kodjias about him yesterday. Tammy's been great for us, but he had a shocker last night. Should have had a hat-trick. That final chance he had, everyone around me was up cheering assuming it had gone it. I was jumping up and down like a right idiot. Then I stopped and saw the ball trickling wide. Just cannot believe we missed so many chances. This really was a mirror image of our first dozen or so home games last season. Some decent approach play, dominating possession, but woeful finishing. Which then gets punished. Had Hogan worked out where the goal was we would have got stuffed. His finishing was worse than Tammy's!

 

We're back to the same old problems though. Not clinical or composed enough in front of goal. Our finishing is a real worry. Reid's shooting is appalling. And we know (wonder strike aside) Freeman can't finish for toffee.

 

I've noticed Tammy's finishing getting progressively worse for a while now. He's still trying and working hard. But, there are exact parallels with Kodjia last year. Too much onus, too much of a burden to bear, on such young shoulders. In Kodjia's case, on someone completely new to English football. And because Tammy's wise beyond his years and made such a great impression, he'll be putting more pressure on himself. I still think he's terrific. His work rate, his commitment, his attitude, is spot on. He just needs to compose himself and get a couple of ugly goals.

 

A lot of criticism on other threads about Lee Johnson's selection/tactics/substitutions. I think the main thing he did wrong was taking Pack and not Smith for Tomlin. Smith did start to look a little like his old self towards the end. He's been out a long time. It probably takes 10+ matches to get fully up to speed.

 

I thought Reid had a decent game. Poor finish early on, but his link up play was good, and he's developed his first touch really well. It's great how often you see him receive the ball and spin away from his marker. I like Reid and I think we look better with him in the team. Certainly a lot quicker and more urgent.

 

Best player of the last 3 games? Matthews. About bloody time. He's a lot quicker than I remember.

 

What on earth is Lucic on?? Played like a guy without a brain. His goalkeeping looked suicidal. And with our keepers, that's saying something. I'm putting this down to nerves. Can't be doing with keepers who are liabilities. Needs to calm down, quickly. Thought Magnusson's distribution from defence was very poor. He didn't have a good game.

 

Joe Bryan shouldn't have started. He's had a poor season. But, part of this is down to an identity crisis of not knowing which position he's playing in. And that's down to Johnson's tinkering. Joe is a left wing-back. And we don't play this system. For now, he needs to miss out on a few games. O'Neil needs to come back in. And time for O'Dowda to be given a run. Showed flashes in our opening few games but tended to fizzle out in the second halves.

 

What yesterday did show was that Tammy can play up front on his own. It's not ideal, and it may only work against mid-table (or lower) sides. Wilbraham offers him more license to roam and takes a defender out of the game, but he's not offering us a goal threat. The fact that Wilbraham is playing so many matches shows you how far we've got to go. We should not be relying on a 37 year old striker if we have play-off ambitions. I think only the most jaundice of City fans still believes we'll make the play-offs. We're way way off.

 

The reason I'm so gutted about last night as that we played our best football for weeks. Maybe since the second half v Forest? That was October 1st. October 1st!!! And that was only one half of football.

 

But then I got thinking about something @spudski told me on here which has stuck with me. One of his friends is a Burnley fan and he said they never really played that well most of last season. Didn't do them any harm!

 

Maybe we/I get too het up on performance. Something we're not good at is winning ugly. Scrapping out a dull 1 or 2-1 win. The thing our next opponents (Preston) are excellent at. I guess you play in your manager's image. Johnson likes attacking football, Reading fans were moaning because under Stam they've been playing turgid football. So turgid that they're currently 3rd.

 

I was on holiday for our win against Leeds but that sounded by all accounts like a game where we had to scrap and fight. We need to get better at it. Because that's exactly what this league is about. A fight to the bitter end. We so often say that the teams we watch at The Gate aren’t all that. That's most of them. The most canny realise that the pretty football won't get you far in this division. And without top players, it's not even possible.

 

Which brings me back to where I started. The importance of being clinical. Of taking early chances. Of scoring first. Of closing games out. Sometimes free-flowing football is overrated. At the moment I'd take a few efficient workmanlike 1-0 wins. And someone on the coaching staff please teach our midfielders how to shoot on target.

 

 

Have to agree with most of your post, although I thought Brentford were pretty poor and that should have been an easy win for us.

Just have to beg to differ about Hordur. Apart from one near disaster when he gave the ball away in front of goal, I thought he was solid and safe playing effectively for a lot of the second half as the only man back.

As for distribution, if you're looking to him or Flinty to provide inch perfect passes up the pitch, that's not what they do. This isn't the PL, and like most fullbacks in the league lumping it vaguely towards a red shirt is the best you're going to get.

All of which makes it more baffling why Pack was taken off.  He was actually providing the passing that began most of our attacks.

[EnclosureSurge]

I'm not feeling fed up. Here's a couple of reasons why:

- we created more chances for Tammy last night in 90 mins than any collection of 3 games you'd like to choose. Long may it continue, although it probably won't. It was good to see us in front of goal so many times.

- yes they scored, but that back 4 is the best back 4 we have, and it looks like Johnson is finally giving Golbourne playing time, which is the best decision.

- the crowd was half decent, 15,000+ on a miserable run, just before Christmas, not too bad given how low it could have dropped.

- the crowd kept behind the team (from where I was, although I was in the Atyeo - boom, boom), with no getting on anyone's backs despite the frustration (there may have been the opposite near you...)

- despite this awful run, we're still safely mid-table and, while that can change for the worse, there are definitely three worse teams than us, although there needs to be about six or seven, minimum, so we can all agree in May 2017 that we've made progress.

- to go back to it again, we really did create far more in front of goal last night than probably any other game this season (I can't think of one, there may be one game...) Whether that's because Tomlin wasn't playing or not, I don't really know - he certainly added very little when he came on, although he could do with being further up the pitch.

- at last Engvall came on and we might see more of him now; I thought he was excellent against Premiership centre-halves v Hull and think he'll turn out ok.

- don't mean to go on about it, but we really did create a lot of chances last night. Yes, none went in (so should we stick to creating less, and perversely, converting a better ratio?!!), but you can bet your wotsit Tammy won't miss like that again (not the two one-v-ones, he'll knock one of they in next time).

- Come On Me Babs (I realise that's not strictly a reason, but it's either that or the one about creating a "host" of chances again)

A win v Preston and much of this worry and hurt and pain and frustration will be gone. Only till the following defeat (at Steve Bull's Wolf, Boxing Day), but at least we'll all have a Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas everyone.

[shelts]

8 minutes ago, billywedlock said:

Well Tammy not going to be in the Chelsea first team yet until he regains composure in front of goal. At this level to miss two relatively easy chances on Tuesday is not good enough. He is clearly not playing with the youth exuberance ( no care) of early season and you can see the pressure is getting to him. The goals will come back. Too much reliance of goals on young shoulders. But we don't have options. January we have to hope JK will be finally replaced. 

Tammy will never be a first team regular at Stamford Bridge 

[reddoh]

12 hours ago, Fat Cigar said:

Anyone else feeling fed up? Everyone? Good, I'm not alone. I was on the bus going home slightly stunned at how we managed to lose. I thought it was a really entertaining game. Right from the off Brentford were on the attack at pace. They're a good footballing side. Surprised they've had such an average season so far.

 

Where is it going wrong? Being honest, familiar failings. Familiar from last season. Tammy had a touch of the Kodjias about him yesterday. Tammy's been great for us, but he had a shocker last night. Should have had a hat-trick. That final chance he had, everyone around me was up cheering assuming it had gone it. I was jumping up and down like a right idiot. Then I stopped and saw the ball trickling wide. Just cannot believe we missed so many chances. This really was a mirror image of our first dozen or so home games last season. Some decent approach play, dominating possession, but woeful finishing. Which then gets punished. Had Hogan worked out where the goal was we would have got stuffed. His finishing was worse than Tammy's!

 

We're back to the same old problems though. Not clinical or composed enough in front of goal. Our finishing is a real worry. Reid's shooting is appalling. And we know (wonder strike aside) Freeman can't finish for toffee.

 

I've noticed Tammy's finishing getting progressively worse for a while now. He's still trying and working hard. But, there are exact parallels with Kodjia last year. Too much onus, too much of a burden to bear, on such young shoulders. In Kodjia's case, on someone completely new to English football. And because Tammy's wise beyond his years and made such a great impression, he'll be putting more pressure on himself. I still think he's terrific. His work rate, his commitment, his attitude, is spot on. He just needs to compose himself and get a couple of ugly goals.

 

A lot of criticism on other threads about Lee Johnson's selection/tactics/substitutions. I think the main thing he did wrong was taking Pack and not Smith for Tomlin. Smith did start to look a little like his old self towards the end. He's been out a long time. It probably takes 10+ matches to get fully up to speed.

 

I thought Reid had a decent game. Poor finish early on, but his link up play was good, and he's developed his first touch really well. It's great how often you see him receive the ball and spin away from his marker. I like Reid and I think we look better with him in the team. Certainly a lot quicker and more urgent.

 

Best player of the last 3 games? Matthews. About bloody time. He's a lot quicker than I remember.

 

What on earth is Lucic on?? Played like a guy without a brain. His goalkeeping looked suicidal. And with our keepers, that's saying something. I'm putting this down to nerves. Can't be doing with keepers who are liabilities. Needs to calm down, quickly. Thought Magnusson's distribution from defence was very poor. He didn't have a good game.

 

Joe Bryan shouldn't have started. He's had a poor season. But, part of this is down to an identity crisis of not knowing which position he's playing in. And that's down to Johnson's tinkering. Joe is a left wing-back. And we don't play this system. For now, he needs to miss out on a few games. O'Neil needs to come back in. And time for O'Dowda to be given a run. Showed flashes in our opening few games but tended to fizzle out in the second halves.

 

What yesterday did show was that Tammy can play up front on his own. It's not ideal, and it may only work against mid-table (or lower) sides. Wilbraham offers him more license to roam and takes a defender out of the game, but he's not offering us a goal threat. The fact that Wilbraham is playing so many matches shows you how far we've got to go. We should not be relying on a 37 year old striker if we have play-off ambitions. I think only the most jaundice of City fans still believes we'll make the play-offs. We're way way off.

 

The reason I'm so gutted about last night as that we played our best football for weeks. Maybe since the second half v Forest? That was October 1st. October 1st!!! And that was only one half of football.

 

But then I got thinking about something @spudski told me on here which has stuck with me. One of his friends is a Burnley fan and he said they never really played that well most of last season. Didn't do them any harm!

 

Maybe we/I get too het up on performance. Something we're not good at is winning ugly. Scrapping out a dull 1 or 2-1 win. The thing our next opponents (Preston) are excellent at. I guess you play in your manager's image. Johnson likes attacking football, Reading fans were moaning because under Stam they've been playing turgid football. So turgid that they're currently 3rd.

 

I was on holiday for our win against Leeds but that sounded by all accounts like a game where we had to scrap and fight. We need to get better at it. Because that's exactly what this league is about. A fight to the bitter end. We so often say that the teams we watch at The Gate aren’t all that. That's most of them. The most canny realise that the pretty football won't get you far in this division. And without top players, it's not even possible.

 

Which brings me back to where I started. The importance of being clinical. Of taking early chances. Of scoring first. Of closing games out. Sometimes free-flowing football is overrated. At the moment I'd take a few efficient workmanlike 1-0 wins. And someone on the coaching staff please teach our midfielders how to shoot on target.

 

nice post but when as a fan at the game don't shout shoot , shout shoot on target.

[Davefevs]

Much to agree with here.

Anyone think we played better when we got a bit more physical with them?  We were too nice for parts of the game.