The Millwall Debacle

[formerly known as ivan]

14 minutes ago, ashton_fan said:

Yet Bobby Reid is still the League's equal top scorer with 4, more than Tammy had at this stage. Also I can't believe people are writing off Woodrow after only a few minutes on the pitch.

Who is writing of Woodrow? It's the service into him that is gonna be the issue

As for Bobby, great start to the season for him but hardly likely to score 10+ over the season

[Curr Avon]

2 hours ago, RedM said:

Paterson at least looked willing, but nothing was coming off for him. Korey was very poor by his standards, giving the ball away by passing to one of the Millwall players then having to get it back, and winging at the Ref at every opportunity. Joe at least stuck to instruction and stayed out wide, patiently, as only Pack seemed to realise he was there. Frankie again kept us in the game. Other than that everyone was well below par and allowed themselves to be bullied.

Paterson and Bryan had a difficult time on the left flank due to the performance of Conor McLaughlin. The right-back, who joined the Lions from Fleetwood this Summer, literally tackled himself to a standstill. City's pair looked more threatening coming inside, which was ably demonstrated by Bryan's thunderbolt. 

 

[Portland Bill]

1 hour ago, robin_unreliant said:

Me too. I just couldn't face another run like last year's mid-season and with LJ still here was worried nothing would change. 

Went to the Barnsley game and was impressed and thought I had got it wrong. Now feeling relieved that I don't feel obliged to spends hours in the m5 holiday chaos coming up from devon to watch the kind of dross served up today, just because I have a ST.

Got a feeling it might be a long hard season - again.

I was offered 2 free tickets for today, I turned the offer down, I'm more content watching local non league football ( which I did again today) than LJ's dull negative rubbish.

 

 

[Redsi2]

I can't imagine Steve Lansdown will tolerate the sort of season we had last year. Surely Johnson has to get us mid table with better performances than that. If I was SL I wouldn't be giving another transfer window to fill the bench with some more expensive players who fail to perform. 

[brady bunch]

Best summing up of a game I have ever read on OTIB..... WELL DONE OP.

the passing BEHIND the player aaaaaaagggghhhhhh, drives me mad when I see it at under 14 level, i watched well paid professions doing it today, under NO pressure!

[CotswoldRed]

9 hours ago, Curr Avon said:

Paterson and Bryan had a difficult time on the left flank due to the performance of Conor McLaughlin. The right-back, who joined the Lions from Fleetwood this Summer, literally tackled himself to a standstill. City's pair looked more threatening coming inside, which was ably demonstrated by Bryan's thunderbolt. 

 

Pass and move quickly and you haven't got the ball when he gets to you. This was the problem for me - static play and slow decision making. Makes tackling easy. 

[Olé]

Great report @Nibor, agree with it all.

Millwall are a smart well organised team that can get a game by the throat, it was why they kept 3 clean sheets against Premiership teams last season. They obviously watched the Brentford game as yesterday was a continuation of that - push up and pen back our 2 central midfielders who made us tick for 45 minutes vs Birmingham, thus creating such a large space between defence and attack that our new pass and move approach cannot string anything together, and Paterson and Brownhill have to aimlessly tuck in or cut in (nothing inside of them) whilst Diedhiou and Reid become completely isolated up front.

That is now two and a half games of football in a row we have been utterly exposed for a lack of a plan B, and our "well rehearsed" press and attacking football produced versus various non-league teams in pre-season and one half versus Barnsley and Birmingham, has already fallen apart. And yet to think some people consider any alarm bells to be knee jerk before October, despite what we suffered last season. The head coach still appears to have little idea and is tactically beaten all ends up by most managers in this division. A few people told me I was knee jerk for retracting my comments about Birmingham, but as soon as you recognise that the good stuff is the EXCEPTION rather than the rule, you need to call it out. And it seems it was - that 45m at St. Andrews is like a novelty now.

Before anyone gets on the defensive and talks again about knee jerk and one-offs, at about 6pm last night I found myself arguing with @Kid in the Riot and trying to be that self same voice of reason downplaying the evidence of the past 220 odd minutes of football. So I've tried to keep drinking the kool-aid, but am struggling. The only remaining positive is that Bobby Reid, even yesterday, is lightyears ahead of his teammates on stamina, skill and intelligence, while Joe Bryan is complimenting the team nicely where last season he largely struggled. But that's two long term members of the squad the pre-date the coach, who is mainly overseeing a transition to 'scouted' replacements, of the likes of Pisano, who look bang average at best, and conveniently Mark Ashton is permanently MIA now.

I raised the question of KPIs in the week - since a lot of people kept referring to points and position in October. My KPI is visible progress tactically and individually. Apart from Bobby I am just not seeing it. 

[chinapig]

7 minutes ago, Olé said:

Great report @Nibor, agree with it all.

Millwall are a smart well organised team that can get a game by the throat, it was why they kept 3 clean sheets against Premiership teams last season. They obviously watched the Brentford game as yesterday was a continuation of that - push up and pen back our 2 central midfielders who made us tick for 45 minutes vs Birmingham, thus creating such a large space between defence and attack that our new pass and move approach cannot string anything together, and Paterson and Brownhill have to aimlessly tuck in or cut in (nothing inside of them) whilst Diedhiou and Reid become completely isolated up front.

That is now two and a half games of football in a row we have been utterly exposed for a lack of a plan B, and our "well rehearsed" press and attacking football produced versus various non-league teams in pre-season and one half versus Barnsley and Birmingham, has already fallen apart. And yet to think some people consider any alarm bells to be knee jerk before October, despite what we suffered last season. The head coach still appears to have little idea and is tactically beaten all ends up by most managers in this division. A few people told me I was knee jerk for retracting my comments about Birmingham, but as soon as you recognise that the good stuff is the EXCEPTION rather than the rule, you need to call it out. And it seems it was - that 45m at St. Andrews is like a novelty now.

Before anyone gets on the defensive and talks again about knee jerk and one-offs, at about 6pm last night I found myself arguing with @Kid in the Riot and trying to be that self same voice of reason downplaying the evidence of the past 220 odd minutes of football. So I've tried to keep drinking the kool-aid, but am struggling. The only remaining positive is that Bobby Reid, even yesterday, is lightyears ahead of his teammates on stamina, skill and intelligence, while Joe Bryan is complimenting the team nicely where last season he largely struggled. But that's two long term members of the squad the pre-date the coach, who is mainly overseeing a transition to 'scouted' replacements, of the likes of Pisano, who look bang average at best, and conveniently Mark Ashton is permanently MIA now.

I raised the question of KPIs in the week - since a lot of people kept referring to points and position in October. My KPI is visible progress tactically and individually. Apart from Bobby I am just not seeing it. 

There is a conundrum here. I am one of those who is critical of LJ's failure to adapt tactically to the opposition, as evidenced by the last two and a half games. But if he changes personnel and tactics from game to game he is accused of a 'tombola' approach. We fans can't have it both ways.

I note also that he implied that the players got caught up in the emotion of the game (which I took to mean their reaction to 'Wall's physical approach) and didn't stick to the plan.

This may come across as an excuse but may also be true. To be tactically adaptable you need intelligent players capable of adapting and of keeping a cool head under pressure. I don't see a lot of those in the squad but arguably Hegeler is one, yet he was first to be dropped, with a noticeable effect on our style and performance.

[BobBobSuperBob]

30 minutes ago, Olé said:

Great report @Nibor, agree with it all.

Millwall are a smart well organised team that can get a game by the throat, it was why they kept 3 clean sheets against Premiership teams last season. They obviously watched the Brentford game as yesterday was a continuation of that - push up and pen back our 2 central midfielders who made us tick for 45 minutes vs Birmingham, thus creating such a large space between defence and attack that our new pass and move approach cannot string anything together, and Paterson and Brownhill have to aimlessly tuck in or cut in (nothing inside of them) whilst Diedhiou and Reid become completely isolated up front.

That is now two and a half games of football in a row we have been utterly exposed for a lack of a plan B, and our "well rehearsed" press and attacking football produced versus various non-league teams in pre-season and one half versus Barnsley and Birmingham, has already fallen apart. And yet to think some people consider any alarm bells to be knee jerk before October, despite what we suffered last season. The head coach still appears to have little idea and is tactically beaten all ends up by most managers in this division. A few people told me I was knee jerk for retracting my comments about Birmingham, but as soon as you recognise that the good stuff is the EXCEPTION rather than the rule, you need to call it out. And it seems it was - that 45m at St. Andrews is like a novelty now.

Before anyone gets on the defensive and talks again about knee jerk and one-offs, at about 6pm last night I found myself arguing with @Kid in the Riot and trying to be that self same voice of reason downplaying the evidence of the past 220 odd minutes of football. So I've tried to keep drinking the kool-aid, but am struggling. The only remaining positive is that Bobby Reid, even yesterday, is lightyears ahead of his teammates on stamina, skill and intelligence, while Joe Bryan is complimenting the team nicely where last season he largely struggled. But that's two long term members of the squad the pre-date the coach, who is mainly overseeing a transition to 'scouted' replacements, of the likes of Pisano, who look bang average at best, and conveniently Mark Ashton is permanently MIA now.

I raised the question of KPIs in the week - since a lot of people kept referring to points and position in October. My KPI is visible progress tactically and individually. Apart from Bobby I am just not seeing it. 

Very good , explained post as always Ole

For me personally it's becoming more and more apparent that when playing a under prepared or poorish side , or if we get out the blocks early we can get teams on the back foot and impose our press / 'busy bee' ideology / short passing game ,looking good

Against a side who sets up to disrupt this ,or are good enough to press us likewise , we nigh on hit a brick wall , unable to cope with being pressed and / or unable to change our method against a side that set up like Millwall

I said early in LJs reign , the ideology of something like Arsenal is / can be lovely to watch , but to do so you have to e well drilled and recruit technically great players at your level at least , to make it successful -

The reality is that we regularly cannot cope with being pressed ourselves unless we are at the very top of our game and end up giving the ball away , with the seemingly inability to adapt or change our method

As a side who don't fancy out footballing us , Millwall yesterday employed exactly the right tactic , smothered our space in the attacking half and constantly hitting the channels or going over the top to negate our press- 

The better sides in this division may come and 'play' more and that may give us an opportunity to play how we wish , Likewise away from home , we then have to be good enough to execute our game plan and outplay them or beat them tactically

Other sides will do exactly what Millwall did or alternatively outnumber us in the middle of the pitch, as a fair few did last year,  and it is then again we need to be slick and sharp enough to  impose our game successfully or for a successful outcome -

Am I confident we can do this regularly ?

To be honest no , not really

Whats also concerning is that in both halves of the first two games we tailed off badly (Barnsley slightly excusable considering the score line) when opposition managers have spoken and adjusted at half time

And in the last two games , for different reasons we just havnt even looked like coming up with an answer

So we've had two good (first) halves in 4 games of 8 halves

Worrying and a few familiar alarm bells ringing for me personally 

I thought with another transfer window and another full pre season of preparation , we would see some obvious progressions

Still early but I'm seeing more worrying signs than any progressions

I still hope that with LT gone we will see a collective team spirit that gets us through but I'm far from convinced that is the case and think we lack characters and leaders that will lift us when it's all going pear shaped

[spudski]

Yesterday was the first time I've come away from a match in a long time, with an actual physical headache.

The frustration just grew and grew.

I don't think enough emphasis has been discussed on how much the ref influenced the game yesterday. He didn't take control.

Yes Millwall pressed and were physical...but the amount of fouls conceded, balls kicked away and held on to, players standing in front of free kicks, refusing to give ball back, calling back free kicks etc,etc etc.

They completely stopped any flow. City just couldn't get going. It was like watching a rugby league game...stop, start, grapple, grapple. When we did compete, we got penalised unfairly many times.

The ref imo, got sucked into their way. It was like playing against 11 octopus and a pedantic cock womble.

[Rocking Red Cyril]

13 hours ago, cheshire_red said:

Every other report has Patterson having a mare?

No comfortably the best city on the pitch by a mile. Looked our only real threat to a goal. 

[Red Exile]

20 minutes ago, chinapig said:

There is a conundrum here. I am one of those who is critical of LJ's failure to adapt tactically to the opposition, as evidenced by the last two and a half games. But if he changes personnel and tactics from game to game he is accused of a 'tombola' approach. We fans can't have it both ways.

I note also that he implied that the players got caught up in the emotion of the game (which I took to mean their reaction to 'Wall's physical approach) and didn't stick to the plan.

This may come across as an excuse but may also be true. To be tactically adaptable you need intelligent players capable of adapting and of keeping a cool head under pressure. I don't see a lot of those in the squad but arguably Hegeler is one, yet he was first to be dropped, with a noticeable effect on our style and performance.

I would love us to have a manager capable of changing personnel and tactics from game to game, and within a match, to react to what's happening. It's exactly what is needed at this level.

I sat behind the dug out for the Cardiff home match. It was fascinating to watch Warnock and his grizzled backroom team disecting the game and then making the substitutions which transformed the match...while LJ took sips from his water-bottle and played the role of spectator, watching the game slip away from us.

I don't want to have it both ways. I've concluded that LJ isn't up to it, and so his changes to personnel and tactics appear aimless. He should be managing at a much lower level and trying things out. Over promoted for me I'm afraid. 

[Rocking Red Cyril]

6 minutes ago, spudski said:

Yesterday was the first time I've come away from a match in a long time, with an actual physical headache.

The frustration just grew and grew.

I don't think enough emphasis has been discussed on how much the ref influenced the game yesterday. He didn't take control.

Yes Millwall pressed and were physical...but the amount of fouls conceded, balls kicked away and held on to, players standing in front of free kicks, refusing to give ball back, calling back free kicks etc,etc etc.

They completely stopped any flow. City just couldn't get going. It was like watching a rugby league game...stop, start, grapple, grapple. When we did compete, we got penalised unfairly many times.

The ref imo, got sucked into their way. It was like playing against 11 octopus and a pedantic cock womble.

do you not mean the ref was shit

[chinapig]

1 minute ago, Red Exile said:

I would love us to have a manager capable of changing personnel and tactics from game to game, and within a match, to react to what's happening. It's exactly what is needed at this level.

I sat behind the dug out for the Cardiff home match. It was fascinating to watch Warnock and his grizzled backroom team disecting the game and then making the substitutions which transformed the match...while LJ took sips from his water-bottle and played the role of spectator, watching the game slip away from us.

I don't want to have it both ways. I've concluded that LJ isn't up to it, and so his changes to personnel and tactics appear aimless. He should be managing at a much lower level and trying things out. Over promoted for me I'm afraid. 

Which presumably means you are not one of the tombola tendency who simultaneously complain he is not flexible enough, which was my point.

[Inactive user]

13 hours ago, Robbored said:

Two major factors contributed heavily today's shite game. 1) Millwall's style of niggling tackles and causing the game to become stop/start.

2) The referee's inconsistency and buying into Milwalls methods.

The whole 90mins was just one huge frustration.

Time to move on to Villa now........

Completely agree.  I can't believe the amount of bed wetting going on.  It's early days and the team are still settling in. 

[...]

13 hours ago, Robbored said:

My point was that the tactic of niggling fouls and a stop/start game disrupted City ability to play their usual game............its a familiar style often discussed by pundits during/after such a game.

Did Johnson use this in his post-match bull-shit-o-gramme??

If not, I'll note down what you have said and he can use it for the next shyte home performance.

Cheers,

 

tfj

[...]

1 minute ago, Rednwhiterob said:

Completely agree.  I can't believe the amount of bed wetting going on.  It's early days and the team are still settling in. 

Happy 

 

tfj

[Mr Popodopolous]

@BobBobSuperBob raises an important point there, one I noticed Day 1. Even v Barnsley at 3 up, we tailed off drastically in 2nd half.

Now 3 up, hot day so a drop off to some extent inevitable...no big problem in isolation, but I really hoped LJ would have learnt from that. There was a lesson in that.

[Rocking Red Cyril]

1 hour ago, Olé said:

Great report @Nibor, agree with it all.

Millwall are a smart well organised team that can get a game by the throat, it was why they kept 3 clean sheets against Premiership teams last season. They obviously watched the Brentford game as yesterday was a continuation of that - push up and pen back our 2 central midfielders who made us tick for 45 minutes vs Birmingham, thus creating such a large space between defence and attack that our new pass and move approach cannot string anything together, and Paterson and Brownhill have to aimlessly tuck in or cut in (nothing inside of them) whilst Diedhiou and Reid become completely isolated up front.

That is now two and a half games of football in a row we have been utterly exposed for a lack of a plan B, and our "well rehearsed" press and attacking football produced versus various non-league teams in pre-season and one half versus Barnsley and Birmingham, has already fallen apart. And yet to think some people consider any alarm bells to be knee jerk before October, despite what we suffered last season. The head coach still appears to have little idea and is tactically beaten all ends up by most managers in this division. A few people told me I was knee jerk for retracting my comments about Birmingham, but as soon as you recognise that the good stuff is the EXCEPTION rather than the rule, you need to call it out. And it seems it was - that 45m at St. Andrews is like a novelty now.

Before anyone gets on the defensive and talks again about knee jerk and one-offs, at about 6pm last night I found myself arguing with @Kid in the Riot and trying to be that self same voice of reason downplaying the evidence of the past 220 odd minutes of football. So I've tried to keep drinking the kool-aid, but am struggling. The only remaining positive is that Bobby Reid, even yesterday, is lightyears ahead of his teammates on stamina, skill and intelligence, while Joe Bryan is complimenting the team nicely where last season he largely struggled. But that's two long term members of the squad the pre-date the coach, who is mainly overseeing a transition to 'scouted' replacements, of the likes of Pisano, who look bang average at best, and conveniently Mark Ashton is permanently MIA now.

I raised the question of KPIs in the week - since a lot of people kept referring to points and position in October. My KPI is visible progress tactically and individually. Apart from Bobby I am just not seeing it. 

Felt Reid although well-marked went missing, Bryan went forward well but defended poorly and Pisano is looking a fine signing

[Red Exile]

16 minutes ago, chinapig said:

Which presumably means you are not one of the tombola tendency who simultaneously complain he is not flexible enough, which was my point.

No, indeed. Last summer I read John Foot's very entertaining book "Calico", his history of Italian football, and if I recall rightly shared reflections on it with others on here. Back then I was hopeful that LJ would be exactly the sort of tactically flexible and adept manager that the best Italian sides have had. And  I understood from LJs preseason chats last year that this was precisely the sort of manager he aspired to be.

Sadly he turned out not to know how do it...and it's increasingly looking to me as though he never will...

[foghornred]

Credit to Millwall they made it the game that they wanted to play,unfortunately we could not impose our game on them, its not pretty to watch and if you don't stand up to it you will get beaten.

A goal for us may have changed it a little but a goal for them would have made it worse, so for me that was a great defensive display and we move on after gaining a good point in a game that would have lost last year. COYR  

[Offside]

I agree that the referee didn't help to make yesterday's game a spectacle and that Millwall got their tactics spot on - but the main frustration for me is that City were just plain awful from the first whistle.

[Nibor]

56 minutes ago, chinapig said:

There is a conundrum here. I am one of those who is critical of LJ's failure to adapt tactically to the opposition, as evidenced by the last two and a half games. But if he changes personnel and tactics from game to game he is accused of a 'tombola' approach. We fans can't have it both ways.

I note also that he implied that the players got caught up in the emotion of the game (which I took to mean their reaction to 'Wall's physical approach) and didn't stick to the plan.

This may come across as an excuse but may also be true. To be tactically adaptable you need intelligent players capable of adapting and of keeping a cool head under pressure. I don't see a lot of those in the squad but arguably Hegeler is one, yet he was first to be dropped, with a noticeable effect on our style and performance.

I certainly don't want the tombola selections from last season, we need consistency in at least the back four to have anything to build on.  But you can change quite a bit with the same personnel and nominal shape in how you approach the game tactically.  What was really frustrating to me was the lack of movement.  You beat a pressing side by passing around them and moving quickly - using the space to your advantage and letting the ball move.  You beat a hard working talentless side by applying your quality, getting the better of one on ones and threatening and making them uncomfortable.  We did none of it.  We had players standing still and not looking for the ball from pretty much the first minute yesterday, we missed pass after pass after pass, and we didn't go into any one on ones with confidence.  It doesn't speak well of the team's preparedness going into the game.

I listened to LJ's post match interview last night and it was worrying.  He seemed to think the performance was ok because we had a clean sheet and mentioned bodies on the line three times, constantly emphasising how physical and direct Millwall were.  If he knows that style of game as well as he claimed then why the **** weren't we prepared for it?  We put in an awful performance against a relegation favourite at home with £10m of his signings in the side, I was expecting an acknowledgement that it wasn't aceptable and an apology not a river in Egypt.  Does he really not see it or is he bluffing?  Like many I was never in favour of LJ's appointment and thought he should have gone last season but I'm trying to give him a chance.  He's doing himself no favours right now with interviews like that.

 

[Mr Popodopolous]

Reading through this thread, a few observations. I agree with Nibor's post incidentally.

1. "A lot of money spent" So have a lot of the League. It's a bit of a red herring IMO the way this level is panning out. Especially with parachute payments.

2. Point about Millwall shipping 4 v Ipwsich. That was from 5 shots on target- Ipswich seem to be in a freakishly hot streak...which leads me onto my next point.

3) Ipswich seem to have scored with nearly every shot on target this season while conceding much less than their performances suggest. That can't and won't last, just ridiculous.

4)Brentford...again but the opposite way. Piss poor conversion rate vs conceding lowish shots to goals, that can't last you wouldn't think.

Still think we can get midtable or lower midtable. Don't really see much scope for better, but neither do I think we are one of the worst 3 sides.

Barnsley, Bolton, Burton, Millwall, Forest, maybe Ipswich if their luck goes into reverse. Then there are still sides it's hard to draw a judgement on.

[chinapig]

10 minutes ago, Red Exile said:

No, indeed. Last summer I read John Foot's very entertaining book "Calico", his history of Italian football, and if I recall rightly shared reflections on it with others on here. Back then I was hopeful that LJ would be exactly the sort of tactically flexible and adept manager that the best Italian sides have had. And  I understood from LJs preseason chats last year that this was precisely the sort of manager he aspired to be.

Sadly he turned out not to know how do it...and it's increasingly looking to me as though he never will...

I have had great admiration for Italian coaches over the years, much more intelligent than their English counterparts by and large. Though English players seem to struggle with anything other than basic 4-4-2 unless they have foreign players around them, which doesn't help.

I had the same hope of LJ but I wonder if he has been influenced by the tombola jibes and is now reluctant to adapt? Last season no less a person than Benitez said how LJ could change things during a game. Now he refuses to as showed at Brum and Brentford.

 

[samo II]

35 minutes ago, Red Exile said:

No, indeed. Last summer I read John Foot's very entertaining book "Calico", his history of Italian football, and if I recall rightly shared reflections on it with others on here. Back then I was hopeful that LJ would be exactly the sort of tactically flexible and adept manager that the best Italian sides have had. And  I understood from LJs preseason chats last year that this was precisely the sort of manager he aspired to be.

Sadly he turned out not to know how do it...and it's increasingly looking to me as though he never will...

That is an excellent and insightful book.

Interestingly, one thing it helps point out/illustrate is that the smartest coaches (and by extension teams) realise that while having an identity and style you want to play is all well and good, you first must earn the right to impose that on the game, and being effective at frustrating opposition trying to do the same is something all the best teams do.

This isn't through just the 'dark arts' of fouls and gamesmanship, but the ability to understand how opponents want to play, and actively countering it i.e. they want to play compact and through the centre, so you force them to face you out wide, or if they want to play a short passing game, man-marking to reduce opportunities and then going direct with the ball.

It is concerning that we still either don't have the mentality to do this, or the personal to execute this aspect of the game.  I hope we can find it in ourselves to stop sides like Millwall or Brum frustrating us, or Brentford passing us to death, but we need to do it sooner rather than later, as we've not played anyone in form or confident as yet.

Watford will provide an interesting break from the league, but I am concerned about what happens when we play someone like Wolves or Cardiff.

[chinapig]

15 minutes ago, Nibor said:

I certainly don't want the tombola selections from last season, we need consistency in at least the back four to have anything to build on.  But you can change quite a bit with the same personnel and nominal shape in how you approach the game tactically.  What was really frustrating to me was the lack of movement.  You beat a pressing side by passing around them and moving quickly - using the space to your advantage and letting the ball move.  You beat a hard working talentless side by applying your quality, getting the better of one on ones and threatening and making them uncomfortable.  We did none of it.  We had players standing still and not looking for the ball from pretty much the first minute yesterday, we missed pass after pass after pass, and we didn't go into any one on ones with confidence.  It doesn't speak well of the team's preparedness going into the game.

I listened to LJ's post match interview last night and it was worrying.  He seemed to think the performance was ok because we had a clean sheet and mentioned bodies on the line three times, constantly emphasising how physical and direct Millwall were.  If he knows that style of game as well as he claimed then why the **** weren't we prepared for it?  We put in an awful performance against a relegation favourite at home with £10m of his signings in the side, I was expecting an acknowledgement that it wasn't aceptable and an apology not a river in Egypt.  Does he really not see it or is he bluffing?  Like many I was never in favour of LJ's appointment and thought he should have gone last season but I'm trying to give him a chance.  He's doing himself no favours right now with interviews like that.

 

Very well put as usual and I agree with much of what you say. I'd make the following points:

1.  He did in fact imply the players had failed to follow instructions. This can be dismissed as an excuse but could just as well be true.

2. Modern sport is infected with a requirement to relentlessly 'track the positives', one of the effects being post match comments from managers that bear little relation to what we have seen. I'm sure they know perfectly well what they are doing but seem to feel obliged to insult our intelligence by doing it anyway.

[ScottishRed]

35 minutes ago, foghornred said:

Credit to Millwall they made it the game that they wanted to play,unfortunately we could not impose our game on them, its not pretty to watch and if you don't stand up to it you will get beaten.

A goal for us may have changed it a little but a goal for them would have made it worse, so for me that was a great defensive display and we move on after gaining a good point in a game that would have lost last year. COYR  

Am I missing something  here? Millwall have just been promoted, have spent next to nothing in this window, have a very inexperienced coach, we were at home - BUT it was a "good point"?

 

It don't care how horrible they were to watch or how ineffective the referee was, these are games you need to win if you have any plans to stay in this league and frankly they looked the more likely to get three points yesterday.

Yes, it is early days but we are no better than last year, in my opinion we are worse as we don't have a striker who is going to save the bacon regularly.

I sincerely hope I am wrong but our start does not bode well and we have a very difficult run coming up.

Bottom 3 by end of September anyone?

 

 

 

 

[ashton_fan]

As at the start of last season we're short of strikers at the moment, think we'd have been much better with Taylor and Đurić available. The strikers we have are playing too many minutes, Diedhiou is particularly affected not so much Reid. Once at least one of the two are available we'll see an improvement like we did after the January window. I think we should have used Engvall rather that send him out on loan.

[Cowshed]

2 minutes ago, chinapig said:

Very well put as usual and I agree with much of what you say. I'd make the following points:

1.  He did in fact imply the players had failed to follow instructions. This can be dismissed as an excuse but could just as well be true.

2. Modern sport is infected with a requirement to relentlessly 'track the positives', one of the effects being post match comments from managers that bear little relation to what we have seen. I'm sure they know perfectly well what they are doing but seem to feel obliged to insult our intelligence by doing it anyway.

2: Its basic sports psychology. It is not an infection, it is based upon evidence based research and often common sense, even if it does lead to dull homogenised interviews bordering on insulting.

Being negative frequently has little benefit in improving performance. Negatives should be tempered with positives. And on that goes ...