Square pegs and gung ho tactics

[cidered abroad]

1 hour ago, Major Isewater said:

The closest Danny Wilson got to getting us promoted was his last season where we played more defensively.

The beautiful football gave way to a more pragmatic approach.

LJ treats every match like a cup tie when sometimes shutting up shop would help us inch towards promotion.

He is very much in credit for me but lessons must be learned. And learned quickly.

Modified it Major.

[Davefevs]

15 hours ago, cidered abroad said:

This is not an LJ slag but I ask a couple of questions. 

Why do we need three changes to the side if one player is injured or suspended? Baker out, and so bring in Magnússon, and not move three players, Wright, Smith and Brownhill, to solve the problem. If LJ doesn't trust Mags, then he should have got another central defender in. And moving Smith always weakens our midfield. 

And are we now suffering because we don't have a right back as deputy for Pisano? Too right we are! 

And to the gung-ho tactics. We lose another game because we are unwilling to settle for a point. Wolves and now Bolton. Wolves by leaving Flint up front after we took the lead and at Bolton by going to a back three and having most of the back three and it seems, everyone else in their box for our corner.

Too easy to blame Joe when he'd already got a yellow. I say it's reckless tactics, that are OK in injury time against Man City in a cup game, but just downright naive in league matches.

Time for LJ and his team to rethink tactics and team selection, and otherwise this great opportunity will pass by long before the end of the season. 

Very good post.  I agree, we had several players under par - based on the raised expectation levels they’ve set this season.  It wasn’t a terrible performance, we were always in the game.

The selection points you raise are spot on.  If he doesn’t think Magnússon can cover Baker, then his thought processes around recruitment with Bailey covering Eros were flawed.

Its not a slagging off, it’s a critique.  

The gung-ho point is a difficult one, we’ve probably gained a few points (Hull for example) where he’s gambled, but now we’ve lost a few.  I liked the City side that had become difficult to beat, maybe drew too many, but unbeaten runs breed confidence.  The win one-lose one is not one i’m Comfy with, but maybe that’s just me.

13 hours ago, JoeAman08 said:

Some matchups are different than others. I would have went with Mags. I would go with Mags against Sunderland. Leeds possibly a change. Wish LJ would mix it up a bit more too. Think we struggle against back 3s like Wolves, Bolton and Sheff U. Why not match those teams? He did this against Fulham earlier in the season dropping a striker. Worked a treat. Have to recognise we can play our game against about half the teams in the league. The other half we may need to change a few things. Think teams have figured us out a bit. 

It is a problem Lee needs to think about.  I don’t think matching up is always the way, you end up trying to play a way you’re nit drilled in against a team that is.  However, what we must do if we stick to 4411/442 is identify the strengths we have over 352 and also the weaknesses and make sure the players understand how we can exploit the strengths mire often than be exposed by the weaknesses.  For example we allowed Little to play more advanced, meaning Kent was always starting from deep and on top of Bryan.  Maybe Kent could’ve tried ‘cheating’ and perhaps a Little might’ve dropped deeper as a worry....leaving Bryan more scope to push on.  Positive and Negative reactions to everything where formations are different.  Easy in hindsight too.

3 hours ago, Major Isewater said:

You don't necessarily have to go ' gung ho ' to win a match ,

There is being positive then there is handing the initiative to the opposition .

LJ has , often last season , gone all out and whilst I accept that 3 points are better than 1 , 1 point is better than 0 and a demoralising defeat.

 Earlier in the season we were managing games better .

A stale mate yesterday would have quickly been forgotten about but the point nearer top six consolidation would have immense considering how we played . 

I believe he got it wrong yesterday but he is still learning and we can't win every match .

You’re right, this City team is actually more than capable of grinding out a result, wearing Bolton Down.  Might’ve still ended up 0-0, but it might have been us that created the goal chance through persistence and disciplined approach, based on the fact that on paper we should be the better side.

[Xiled]

4 hours ago, Super said:

He went up for a free kick didnt he?

I thought he was up there for more than that even before we were 1-0 down. No problem with using him for impact (or when we had to eg against QPR at Loftus Road) but when we concede goals because he or other defenders are out of position and we then go behind, it's a real hammer blow. No disrespect to Amoeobi but his goal should not have happened. Defence chasing to catch him.

[Murraysrightplum]

We’ve won a lot of points by LJ going for it.

[Beni71]

I don’t think we were gung ho, anything but. There didn’t appear to be much thinking from the players on the pitch. A number of times, especially second half, we played the ball back to Flint to launch forward. This just played into the hands of Wheater and Beevers.

Very few times did we move the ball quickly and get it wide. I think Johnson said after the QPR game we rarely play to Famaras strengths eg get early crosses in. The one time we did we nearly scored. I also felt sorry for Diony as I only think we played into feet once all the time he was on the pitch. 

I think @Davefevs is right and Kent probably played a little too deep at times and given Bolton only played one up top, we could have been a little more gung ho with our defensive approach. 

That said the players need to take responsibility for their execution of the game plan. 

[reformed_red]

7 hours ago, bs20ciderarmy said:

Honestly can not believe the complete over reaction since Friday, I would rather have a manager that goes gung ho rather than set up not to be beat week in week out so just be careful what you wish for for. 

The moaning since Friday night is rather embarrassing I think people need to literally take a step back and have a reality check.

friday was frustrating we definitely didn’t deserve to lose it, they won it with a great goal we lick our wombs and bring on the next game. It’s like we’re expected to win every game if we don’t Johnson/players are useless.

 

 

 

And you say other fans overreact 

[Fatalist]

1 hour ago, Beni71 said:

I don’t think we were gung ho, anything but. There didn’t appear to be much thinking from the players on the pitch. A number of times, especially second half, we played the ball back to Flint to launch forward. This just played into the hands of Wheater and Beevers.

Very few times did we move the ball quickly and get it wide. I think Johnson said after the QPR game we rarely play to Famaras strengths eg get early crosses in. The one time we did we nearly scored. I also felt sorry for Diony as I only think we played into feet once all the time he was on the pitch. 

I think @Davefevs is right and Kent probably played a little too deep at times and given Bolton only played one up top, we could have been a little more gung ho with our defensive approach. 

That said the players need to take responsibility for their execution of the game plan. 

Surely its better to gamble against a team like Bolton, who we had a chance of beating. Also, if they get 3 points, they aren't going to catch us up. If we must lose, make it to lower teams, not those around us.

Anyway, its hardly "gung-ho" to send your centre backs up for a free kick. We did have men back, but they did nothing

[Beni71]

4 hours ago, Fatalist said:

Surely its better to gamble against a team like Bolton, who we had a chance of beating. Also, if they get 3 points, they aren't going to catch us up. If we must lose, make it to lower teams, not those around us.

Anyway, its hardly "gung-ho" to send your centre backs up for a free kick. We did have men back, but they did nothing

I think we had a very offensive team on the pitch at the end of the Bolton game. My point is that we didn’t execute the game plan. Unless of course the game plan was to go with a long ball.