After Two Days Away From The Forum...

[Gaffer]

As someone who avoids this forum for two days after a defeat, it has been interesting and somewhat shocking to see the scale of the reaction after the horrendous display at southampton.

Dispite the deeply disappointing result, and more importantly the manner of the defeat, it is important that we retain some perspective on what has been a thoroughly entertaining season. Granted, it's not good for the nerves, but there have been some delightful highs. And some woeful lows.

Anyway, some of the criticism of GJ over the last few days have been harsh to say the least.

1, With the exception of QPR away, saturday was the only other time he got tactics and selection wrong. The other times we have been beaten was down to poor performance of the players, or coming up against a better team on the day. I make that 2 mistakes out of 42. Pretty decent going. The knee jerk reaction of 'we'll go down next year' is plainly stupid.

2, The cry for this mysterious loan striker is a theoretical one. If we would have signed Garner from Carlisle, what's to say he wouldn't have snapped his cruciate here like he has up there? We know there was a formal off for Lita, but he prefered the 'bigger' club at charlton. We know 'one or two others' wanted ridiculous wages to join. Please don't forget that we are a small club in this league and we don't carry the clout of a west brom, watford or wolves.

3, There has been a lot of criticism of GJ's style of play. Think about it for a moment. We are where we are because of this style of play. Man for man our team is nowhere near as skillful as the rest of the top half, and if we were to go toe to toe with them we would lose more than we win. Look at the players and experience saints had and they were 4th bottom. Football just isn't about flowing attacking football, it's about tactics and knowing your limitations. By compacting games and keeping them tight, GJ knows we have an above average chance of winning as we appear fitter than many teams. As 'Tin' pointed out in another thread, GJ has a reputation for flowing football, so he wants us to play, but understands we haven't got the personelle to do so. Think of Liverpool away at Arsenal. They knew they would get beat if they played an open game, so they get men behind the ball and play to their strengths.

4, It isn't all positive! We need to work out tactics and pick a team accordingly. If we want to fire long balls to Adebola and Brooker then that's fine. I don't want that, but if that's the way we're going to go then stop playing wingers, drop LJ and player a battling midfield of Skuse and Elliott. There's no point having Murray, Sproule, Johnson etc if we don't give them the sodding ball. We need to get back to playing players in the right positions. Why GJ decided to switch Sproule to the left wing was beyond me.

5, The harsh realities of football hurts. We must must drop Orr as he is nothing more than a liability. He continually gives goals away, and is beaten easily. A woeful double attempt to clear for saints first goal, coupled up with the Norwich nightmare illustrates this. At this level, effort and 110% is just not enough. We play a formation which gives full backs a lot of the ball, which he continually wastes with his poor crossing and distribution. I thank Orr for his season, but Wilson must be given that role in the run in.

I apologise for the long topic, but a sence of perspective needs to be gathered here. I think the play offs still beckon, but we have every chance of making it if we decide how to play and show a united front to the rest of this league.

City 'Til I Die.

[tin]

Fair play Gaffer. The point about Orr is spot on. He's done well for this club including some crucial goals this season but he is, as you say, a liability.

That's not to say I don't like the bloke as a player or a man. I love the fact he plays with pride and passion for the shirt but tecnhically and positionally he's vulnerable. The time has come for Wilson or Ribeiro to be given a run out in that position for me until the end of the season as both full back positions need attention in the summer.

[sunningdalered]

Quality assessment of the current position. The thing that puzzles me is whats changed over the last, say 10-12 games. We got to where we got to in the league by playing some fantastic (big word I know) one-touch, quick tempo stuff in the first half of the season. Unrecognisable from the football we played at the end of last season in D1 - so much so that when McCombe came back from injury he looked distinctly out of place, because he was still playing last seasons football.

What has happened? I would hate to think it was the arrival of dele that changed our approach to the game - ie we suddenly had a target man to lump the ball towards - because that's unfair to him, but I think thats too simplistic anyway. The form of those players who were supplying ball from wide - sproule, mcindoe, even orr - has dipped dramatically, which must be a factor also. Our midfield has also stopped getting past the attackers and into danger areas, rarely do LJ, ME and CS / NC get into really advanced areas now - preferring to maintain a more middle of the pitch position.

Can we rediscover our early season style of play? - doubtful I think, with the amount of pressure around at this stage of the season. So, as you say, we have to find another way of playing that will get us over the line - and I think thats what GJ is trying to do. Not sure he's got time to pull it off though.

Thank you also for starting a decent thread!

[lugger]

The saints game was bad, very bad and not unlike the QPR game in that they bossed us from the first whistle. We have to take this as part of the learning curve and adjust accordingly. I agree that it will be fitness that will see us through and if you look at the second goal when LJ loses the ball he looks like his legs go! I thought Marv came on and looked decent but the ref clearly didn't like his style and blew up for everything. Saturday should see the emphasis on the decent wing play we had going in the first half of the season as with Brooks and Dele we must be very strong in the air. I would drop Orr for Wilson as I thought he looked exceptional when Orr was suspended. Macca has had a couple of duff games but he knows this is his last chance so won't let it slip by. Still think we are punching above our weight with regard to skill but our attitude has been exceptional for the majority of games and has carried us this far so surely 4 more games isn't too much to ask of the boys!?

[Claverham_Red]

Fair play Gaffer. The point about Orr is spot on. He's done well for this club including some crucial goals this season but he is, as you say, a liability.

That's not to say I don't like the bloke as a player or a man. I love the fact he plays with pride and passion for the shirt but tecnhically and positionally he's vulnerable. The time has come for Wilson or Ribeiro to be given a run out in that position for me until the end of the season as both full back positions need attention in the summer.

My sentiments exactly. I thought Brian Wilson looked pretty tidy indeed at right-back - against Charlton he was superb and looked at home in that position. Like you say, Bradley Orr is a top guy & clearly loves the club, but if we wish to go further I think it'll be without him.

[Gaffer]

My sentiments exactly. I thought Brian Wilson looked pretty tidy indeed at right-back - against Charlton he was superb and looked at home in that position. Like you say, Bradley Orr is a top guy & clearly loves the club, but if we wish to go further I think it'll be without him.

Glad you and Tin are with me there, i know Orr is a popular player but that counts for nothing now. You're only as good as your last game.

Some good responses, sunningdalered makes a good point with regard to Adebola. I take nothing away from the big man, i'm impressed by him. The question we all want to know is...Why has his arrival changed our style of play?

Personally, i believe his strengths make it too easy for our remaining players, especially in defence, to just hit long balls to him. I put it down to nerves and a lack of responsibility, rather than tactics. It is much easier for someone to hit a ball in the general direction of Adebola asking him to make something of it, than to play an 10 yard pass. Much less chance of 'making a mistake' this way. Only Lee Johnson appears to want to continue playing as we have done all season. Because of the direct nature of our approach play, the pace of the side suffers, as the sharp sprinting is deemed irrelevant.

Interesting times at City, saturday's line up will tell us all we need to know about style of play.

[always hoping]

Fair play Gaffer. The point about Orr is spot on. He's done well for this club including some crucial goals this season but he is, as you say, a liability.

That's not to say I don't like the bloke as a player or a man. I love the fact he plays with pride and passion for the shirt but tecnhically and positionally he's vulnerable. The time has come for Wilson or Ribeiro to be given a run out in that position for me until the end of the season as both full back positions need attention in the summer.

Wilson may get the call. Ribeiro has no chance and is more likely to be moved on in the summer.