'One of those days'

[The Dolman Pragmatist]

16 hours ago, BITW said:

Team is just completely drained of confidence and we all know that's the hardest thing to turn around . We are so so so predictable to watch at the moment it's infuriating. 

Bryan starting at LB and Golbourne not in the squad (unless he's injured) is an absolute myth. He doesn't look half the player he was two years ago. 

I've got a lot of time for LJ and I still buy in to what we are trying to do long term but he needs results and fast. Unfortunately for him these days fans lose patience and fast! 

Bryan looked the business in the first twenty minutes, but the confidence drained out of him more dramatically than anyone else.  He seems to have a very fragile mentality and his head is the first to drop when things are going against us.

What we lack is LEADERSHIP on the field.  No one is helping the younger players; no one is pointing; no one is shouting; no one is organising.  You have Tomlin niggling away at the other players all the time which can't be good for their morale.  The difference that Wilbraham made when he came on was there for all to see.  He seems to be the only leader at the club.

Tomlin is a real problem.  He was everywhere and nowhere yesterday.  He seemed to have a completely free role and I don't think any of the other players knew what he was doing.  If you give that much freedom to one player means the rest are bound to suffer, especially the youngsters.  At the moment he is looking to me like another Djiekanowski.  Fabulous skills but only an occasional end product, and a negative impact on the morale of the team.

[The Dolman Pragmatist]

16 hours ago, BITW said:

Team is just completely drained of confidence and we all know that's the hardest thing to turn around . We are so so so predictable to watch at the moment it's infuriating. 

Bryan starting at LB and Golbourne not in the squad (unless he's injured) is an absolute myth. He doesn't look half the player he was two years ago. 

I've got a lot of time for LJ and I still buy in to what we are trying to do long term but he needs results and fast. Unfortunately for him these days fans lose patience and fast! 

Bryan looked the business in the first twenty minutes, but the confidence drained out of him more dramatically than anyone else.  He seems to have a very fragile mentality and his head is the first to drop when things are going against us.

What we lack is LEADERSHIP on the field.  No one is helping the younger players; no one is pointing; no one is shouting; no one is organising.  You have Tomlin niggling away at the other players all the time which can't be good for their morale.  The difference that Wilbraham made when he came on was there for all to see.  He seems to be the only leader at the club.

Tomlin is a real problem.  He was everywhere and nowhere yesterday.  He seemed to have a completely free role and I don't think any of the other players knew what he was doing.  If you give that much freedom to one player means the rest are bound to suffer, especially the youngsters.  At the moment he is looking to me like another Djiekanowski.  Fabulous skills but only an occasional end product, and a negative impact on the morale of the team.

[1960maaan]

I agree with a lot on this thread. I went yesterday with the same feelings of old, the old pre double year feelings. That excitement and buzz for each and every game has gone a little. I think we are in danger of going backwards a little, we had momentum, we were getting noticed for the right reasons and all that seems to be fading away. And lets no be coy about this, we are working our way towards a relegation fight !

That said trying to put your finger on why is not straight forward, but this is why managers get paid well.  

When people call for X formation or Y to start, and it doesn't work, you can shrug and say.... we should try Y formation and X should start where LJ get pelters for anything that fails . By the way , I'm not a Johnson apologist , I think he has made some strange  substitutions but when it comes to the starting 11 , we don't have a stand out team that picks itself so I can understand searching for a formation that suits the players we have.

Where I will defend him a little is like yesterday, he set the team up, sent them out and we looked as good as I've seen them for some time. He didn't miss the chances, he didn't leave his man and the players (individually and as a team) are culpable . Tammy would be on 25 if he had taken the chances he should have (not half chances ,guilt edge golden opportunities ), it's time to drop him. I don't care what the clause says, bring him on as sub if need be. If it's play in 75% of games , we have built up credit, leave him out. Play Wilbs (didn't think I'd be saying that at the start of the season), let Engvall have the chance to miss, do something.

If we do something surprising in the window, and buy a starting goal scorer, what happens to Tammy? I think we will be forced into signing experience (if there is someone out there), Oneil impressed me at times yesterday, to be honest no one really looked that poor apart from Joe (and I like him as WB or WM), he ain't a fullback (yet!) . The defense manages to switch off and loose men to often, while individually not looking too bad. It is a team thing and a confidence thing. The defense concede soft goals while the striker miss chance that half the crowd would stick away*  Improve slightly at both ends and one makes up for the other. 

I would like to see a 3 at the back, I'm not sure we have enough defenders with the permanently injured Swede, but I like the look of .......Moore,flint,Mag's  .... it gives options of a solid central 3 with WBs or a 4 with 3 forwards/attacking players. Mathews is looking good, I like SG as FB and the two central defenders pick themselves (even with mistakes they are the few we would all pick...probly  ). Goalkeeper is a problem , I'll leave it at that, though the situation adds to lack of the confidence. Midfield , I like O'Neil and Pack is pretty solid and Bobby looked very good at times yesterday, it's getting the balance right. Tomlin is undoubted class, but also a luxury if you're fighting for points, he is also quality at keeping the ball himself or bringing others into the game. He started holding onto it too long yesterday and getting caught in possession, I put that down to frustration with all around him.  There is no east fix, LJ is the manager for the foreseeable, and we have it within the squad to get out of this run of form, but how? 

All in all, and to sum up, I haven't got a clue what to do (copyright the Sweet 1973)

 

 

 

I can be prone to exaggeration at times