Everybody Calm Down (1 Viewer)

Brighton Sky Blue

Well-Known Member
Well that was another waste of an afternoon.

Good 20 mins let in a goal and then totally inept. For me the blame lies more with midfield than defence, although there were some defensive mistakes. There first goal, poor touch from Barton lost the ball and couldnt be arsed to run to get it back. Jennings our defensive mid was nowhere to be seen so Wood dives in like a Sunday leaguer gets skinned. 2 defenders go for same ball so they got a shot in. Wood doesnt track back goal to them. Second goal poor marking flick on and Barton loses his man and its goal. Barton is a player that we cant afford to have, he's lightweight and doesnt put the effort in thats required, Jennings does nothing for me, Kilbane is to slow and Baker was again poor. We play slow boring side to side stuff and its crap. The front 2 played okay. Its the midfield that dictate the pace of our play and they were awful today and not for the first time.

Barton wasn't signed to be a tough tackling midfielder-I think there's a few here not catching on to that.
 

Brighton Sky Blue

Well-Known Member
Maybe not win the league but the quality of the goals we have scored show at least some of these players have ability

I don't think there's a problem with us going forward-we just look so brittle at the back that even modest opposition can pick it apart. It's completely expected when we've lost Keogh and Cranie from last year's back line and are still searching for our best back 4; for me that is quite clearly where the problem lies. McGoldrick took his goal excellently today.
 

mark82

Moderator
I don't think there's a problem with us going forward-we just look so brittle at the back that even modest opposition can pick it apart. It's completely expected when we've lost Keogh and Cranie from last year's back line and are still searching for our best back 4; for me that is quite clearly where the problem lies. McGoldrick took his goal excellently today.

Agree. Defence needs sorting quickly. McGoldrick was pretty good throughout. We are missing Fleck, who everyone seems to have forgotten about. Barton has been criticised but he was rushed back from an international.
 

oldskyblue58

CCFC Finance Director
Sorry BSB but going forward is a big problem...... we rarely turn defenders, we certainly do not get forward quickly and cannot sustain any real tempo......... and it isnt the fault of the front two who work their socks off.

the speed or more accurately lack of speed in our attacking play this season (and last) allows opposition to get organised and then break back with pace when our movement breaks down. The opposition move through our light weight leaderless midfield which should be the power to our team and isnt. That exposes the back four quickly and in space. The more that all happens the worse the confidence becomes. The problem is our midfield, be it performance or formation and it is killing the rest of the team.
 

Brighton Sky Blue

Well-Known Member
I agree that Fleck's being missed for sure-but we're still creating and threatening even without him in the team. What's more costly is this porous defence and for the life of me I don't know what Shaw and Carsley are doing in training to address it. They need to decide what their best back 4 is, stick with it, then work intensively with them to get them familiar with each other and perform in a less comedic fashion.
 

Brighton Sky Blue

Well-Known Member
Sorry BSB but going forward is a big problem...... we rarely turn defenders, we certainly do not get forward quickly and cannot sustain any real tempo......... and it isnt the fault of the front two who work their socks off.

the speed or more accurately lack of speed in our attacking play this season (and last) allows opposition to get organised and then break back with pace when our movement breaks down. The opposition move through our light weight leaderless midfield which should be the power to our team and isnt. That exposes the back four quickly and in space. The more that all happens the worse the confidence becomes. The problem is our midfield, be it performance or formation and it is killing the rest of the team.

Not often I disagree with you OSB but whilst we continue to score goals and create chances (Crewe an obvious exception), I don't think our biggest problem's our forward play. We have a seriously disjointed defence that looks like conceding at every attack-and seemingly nothing is being done to address it.
 

james_owen99

New Member
Saw the players leaving the stadium this afternoon there heads were dropped. Some Fans need to learn how to support a team and stop booing! How are we supposed to win with Terrible support from the fans? Lets Boycott the booing!
 

sky_blue_up_north

Well-Known Member
Personal I think we were dire tday. Forget about the stats. What is missing for is the desire to win games, we just don't want enough. We don't have leader on the pitch who can take a game by the scruff of the next. Once Stevenage scored it was game oer for us, the heads dropped I kbew we would lose. Something dramatic needs to change at this club before we become the next Bradford, Luton etc.
 

oldskyblue58

CCFC Finance Director
but look at the two goals today ........ first came from our midfield losing it (barton) then i agree the defence didnt help diving in but they got insufficient cover from midfield........... second goal everyone of the defenders had a man a midfielder (Barton) didnt

The defense gets the ball and most of the time the out ball is a chip down the line or a long punt to the front two ..... why because our midfield hides, doesnt move, doesnt look to find space, cant take a ball on the move, pass slowly deliberately side ways or back..... all at a slow pace and tempo.

For twenty minutes today our midfield was in it then it disappeared

it is like keepers ..... they always look better and more confident with strong center halves in front of them ...... so too a back four that has an active strong midfield in front

How many times have we seen our fullbacks exposed by our left and right midfield (diamond or 442)..... how many times have we seen a midfielder unable to pass to a team mate..... how many times has a midfielder failed to chase back when the ball is lost..... how many times have we seen midfielders lose their man in our box at corners.

We cant ignore the midfield in defending because we attack or defend as a team........ generally we do neither very well because of the big hole in the middle of the team

we need strong midfielders right now and we need a leader......... we have neither............. League 1 is a battle first, good football second ........ we dont seem able to win the battle so that we can maintain our football for 90 minutes
 

Evans020

New Member
Saw the players leaving the stadium this afternoon there heads were dropped. Some Fans need to learn how to support a team and stop booing! How are we supposed to win with Terrible support from the fans? Lets Boycott the booing!

This kind of comment cracks me up..." how are we supposed to win if the fans boo" dear god somebody please shoot me.I'm done
 

oldskyblue58

CCFC Finance Director
never said it was our forwards at fault BSB ....... i said going forward there is a difference..... wasnt blaming the front two at all, they have to create their own chances largely though .... we should attack or defend as a team

We allow too much pressure on the defense because we dont go forward as a unit and if we do we do it through a slow laborious midfield so that if it breaks down it isnt in the opponents box but on the halfway line. The same midfield that is slow and laborious getting back to defend
 
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Brighton Sky Blue

Well-Known Member
How many times have we looked dreadful defending set pieces already? Tinpot teams like Stevenage know they're up against opposition low on confidence and grit-they were there for the sodding taking today.
 

stupot07

Well-Known Member
Barton wasn't signed to be a tough tackling midfielder-I think there's a few here not catching on to that.

But he doesn't work hard enough, and if we seriously see ourselves as promotion hopefuls (I don't btw) then every single player has to fight and work hard. Promotion teams don't have passengers.
 

oldskyblue58

CCFC Finance Director
but we defend set pieces and corners with 11 players .... hard to single out the back 4 in those situations.....

thing that summed up to day for me was my wife turning to me and saying she thought my lads U16 team plays far better football and is better to watch ........ it shouldnt be the case those lads should be learning from the professionals not teaching them!
 

stupot07

Well-Known Member
Not often I disagree with you OSB but whilst we continue to score goals and create chances (Crewe an obvious exception), I don't think our biggest problem's our forward play. We have a seriously disjointed defence that looks like conceding at every attack-and seemingly nothing is being done to address it.

We've scored 5 league goal's in 5 games. We're hardly free scoring, and the vast majority of chances in particular Cody's, he's made for himself rather than the team creating. Of the 5 league goals, 3 have been from outside the box (Barton,Mcgoldrick and baker), 1 from a set piece cross (Cody) 1 from a goalkeepers punt (Elliot). Hardly incisive football.
 

Brighton Sky Blue

Well-Known Member
but we defend set pieces and corners with 11 players .... hard to single out the back 4 in those situations.....

thing that summed up to day for me was my wife turning to me and saying she thought my lads U16 team plays far better football and is better to watch ........ it shouldnt be the case those lads should be learning from the professionals not teaching them!

Of course, OSB, but the point is that defensive organisation seems all over the place and there's an inability amongst the coaching staff to rectify it.
 

Brighton Sky Blue

Well-Known Member
We've scored 5 league goal's in 5 games. We're hardly free scoring, and the vast majority of chances in particular Cody's, he's made for himself rather than the team creating. Of the 5 league goals, 3 have been from outside the box (Barton,Mcgoldrick and baker), 1 from a set piece cross (Cody) 1 from a goalkeepers punt (Elliot). Hardly incisive football.

Not free scoring, no, but creating regularly-and nor am I saying that all is rosy on that front. I'm simply saying that defensively we look a great deal worse and that needs to be addressed more urgently.
 

Brighton Sky Blue

Well-Known Member
'Stature' and 'on paper' is worth the paper it's written on.

Btw Stevenage haven't lost in 11 league games where as we havent won in 11 league games.

That's the here and now-I don't think that even allowing for sky blue tinted glasses it's unreasonable to deem them a smaller club.
 

skybluedaze

New Member
We were not shit. We were the better team. We had 61% possession. We had 16 shots on goal, 10 on target. We scored 3 perfectly good goals. They scored only one which should have stood. We were let down by poor refereeing and a very poor defence. The only place Stevenage were better than us was in defence. It's not the end of the world, when we get a new manager he could turn these performances into wins. Keep your chins up and, for fucks sake, get behind the team and stop booing.

Good post. The Linesman made a shocking decision disallowing Elliots perfectly good goal. How late did he raise his flag? Idiot. That stands and we win. McGoldrick played well and is a positive. He showed desire, determination and scored a cracking goal. Credit to Stevanage, they did what they do best. Defend effectively and then hit on the break. Luke Freeman is a nightmare. He takes the ball forward so quickly and is hard to dispossess. We might get better results if we adopted a similar sort of style.
 

Paxman II

Well-Known Member
We need strong leadership in the middle of the park.....someone with the authority such as Dennis Wise demonstrated when he was here.

Then we need a strong manager who will galvanise these players, give them direction, beleif, purpose and guile with a format that works for the players we have and build their confidence....someone like Denis Wise.

I did not particularly want Dennis Wise tbh as he could easily be a disaster as much as a winner but looking at what we have now i don't think he could possibly be a disaster and may prove the catalyist.

Alternate to him I see Billy Davies as a fast talking, demanding individual with high goals and certainly good at getting the best out of players. Just thinking of these two makes me ask which would be better? For that matter Blackwell could be added to that list.
 

oldskyblue58

CCFC Finance Director
Of course, OSB, but the point is that defensive organisation seems all over the place and there's an inability amongst the coaching staff to rectify it.

wouldnt disagree ...... but to my mind a decent team defends from the front back....... and defensive organisation is about organising the whole team so that any weakness is covered by the team not left exposed and open to being booed.............. clearly there is no clear direction from the management set up or it isnt being taken in by the players and understood. RS is on a hiding to nothing really because he isnt going to change the seasons of disorganisation that have been covered by the likes of Keogh or Crainie (both made big mistakes though) in 4 or 5 games.

Failure and disorganisation have become systemic at CCFC
 

Brighton Sky Blue

Well-Known Member
wouldnt disagree ...... but to my mind a decent team defends from the front back....... and defensive organisation is about organising the whole team so that any weakness is covered by the team not left exposed and open to being booed.............. clearly there is no clear direction from the management set up or it isnt being taken in by the players and understood. RS is on a hiding to nothing really because he isnt going to change the seasons of did organisation that have been covered by the likes of Keogh or Crainie (both made big mistakes though) in 4 or 5 games.

Failure and disorganisation have become systemic at CCFC

More inclined to agree with this-both Shaw and Carsley are rookies in the managerial department, and Oggy is but a 'keeping coach. Those of us calling for an upcoming manager would do well to see what's going on with the current novices...
 

skybluedaze

New Member
No but he wasn't signed to be a lazy arse who couldn't give a shit either. Perhaps Preston knew what they were doing.

I knew someone would mention Bartons lack of interest in the tackling department and rightly so. He pulled out of most challenges, but i think he's just scared of something happening to his leg again. No suprise really. I thought that might be the case with him. He has been brought in to be a creative player though. Maybe he's been given license to look after himself in that way and just look to pick up the ball and distribute it effectively. He didn't do much of that either. I can see the potential though, but it's like having 10 men defensively, which means the rest of the lads have to work that little bit harder with him in the side.
 

Brighton Sky Blue

Well-Known Member
wouldnt disagree ...... but to my mind a decent team defends from the front back....... and defensive organisation is about organising the whole team so that any weakness is covered by the team not left exposed and open to being booed.............. clearly there is no clear direction from the management set up or it isnt being taken in by the players and understood. RS is on a hiding to nothing really because he isnt going to change the seasons of did organisation that have been covered by the likes of Keogh or Crainie (both made big mistakes though) in 4 or 5 games.

Failure and disorganisation have become systemic at CCFC

More inclined to agree with this-both Shaw and Carsley are rookies in the managerial department, and Oggy is but a 'keeping coach. Those of us calling for an upcoming manager would do well to see what's going on with the current novices...
 

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