Brighton Sky Blue
Well-Known Member
We restricted them to very few clear chances (despite Dabo’s horror pass) and their goals came from a great individual finish and at the end when the result wasn’t really in doubt.
As this thread is called the Positivity thread, it occured to me that we should take heart from Reading. I don't know if they have had lots of injuries or what but something has gone drastically wrong for them, and over the last 4 games their results have been worse than ours.
It just proves how quickly things can change, for the worse and for the better.
Prior to our game, Reading took 22 points from 8 games and conceded only 3 goals in those games.
We restricted them to very few clear chances (despite Dabo’s horror pass) and their goals came from a great individual finish and at the end when the result wasn’t really in doubt.
Both goals were conceded in part because Rose was ball watching and didn't close down quick enough. In particular the first goal.
I didn’t say we play that and suddenly problem solved. I did say it would give us more chances to score goals which we really struggle to do either with the box or Friday’s setup. It does tell me though that tightening up when we have a result on the cards would be more prudent. Just as you say we conceded 0.4 fewer per game with that, we scored as many in those 3 as the previous 8 combined.
If you don’t score you don’t win.
And you concede two every game you don’t win
The first arose from Sheaf giving the ball away which he is still quite lapse to doing despite his other strengths.
I'd suggest you re-watch the highlights if you genuinely believe Sheaf is at sole fault for their first goal. Sheaf gave the ball away, yes. But the defending, in particular by Rose, was lazy and poor.
We aren’t good enough to retain the ball for long periods
The old way we looked dangerous and with a bit more composure in front of goal could have got them. We wouldn't have got two playing against Brum playing in that manner if we were still playing now.and conceded 2.25 goals per game compared to 1.85 when playing 1 up front.
I've said repeatedly, I think we'll go two up top when both Godden and Walker are fit but I don't think it will be the magic cure you're making out.
And you concede two every game you don’t win
The old way we looked dangerous and with a bit more composure in front of goal could have got them. We would've have got two playing against Brum in that manner if we were still playing now.
Plus many of those goals have been down to poor ball retention/passing and defending set pieces. We still had that against Brum. A clinical striker would've had two goals before we switched formation so it's not like we kept the clean sheet because we were solid. We kept it largely because Juke had poor finishing (along with one good marosi save)
I 've said in other posts we were clearly in less trouble at the back than in previous games but we're not going to restrict teams to 0 clear cut chances very often in this league.
We will go two up top but it won't be the magic bullet some people think it will be.
I don't think it will be either though I'd think Walker and Godden would be better at converting than Biamou or baka. It's more how well they gel together IMO.
We haven't been able to field our strongest team fully fit yet due to injury and suspension and we were lucky last year that we had that stable team.
On the 'best XI' thread there's a reasonable consensus of what that would be (with some chances depending on the strength of opposition) and we've had at least two missing or playing not fully fit every game thus far.
Hence why I'm suggesting we devote a lot of training time to it so it improves.
Nah, bed wetter...
I assume those bed wetter comments are aimed at me because I think I used them a few days or a few games back.
If so, let me explain myself.
Is our position a worry? Yes
Has MR got everything right? No
Are our players good enough for this league? I think so
Look, I'm not naive enough to think that we're simply going to pick up and finish midtable. I'm sure I said we'd finish top half (or probably better) but that's the romanticism in me. We all knew it was going to be a tough season.
The thing is, and the thing that still astounds me is the lack of confidence in MR in this place. People are happy (and rightly so as its a forum) to throw around tactical discussion comments like they've completed their UEFA A license and that MR, AV and the rest of the coaching staff don't think about the things people talk about on here. Of course they do. They see and work with the players on a daily basis...they known them better (and their capabilities) better than anyone on here.
I've likely seen less minutes of games than a lot on here. But the games I have seen, we've played decent football. We've been turned over only once and not been hammered. If we can cut out the silly mistakes and get a settled 11, I'm confident that we'll make a mid table team. We've had a tough start and the disadvantage of the longer break. There's still lots for MR and the team to work on but I simply don't get the depth of the negativity on here. We knew it was going to be a tough season...and its turning out that way but in my opinion, we'll stay up this season.
Maybe my over optimism for a team and manager who've earnt it is the reason for the bed wetters comment. It just seems like there's such an over-reaction to each dropped point or each conceded goal, as disappointing as it is.
I think something that is a bit understated is that a lot of us would get things off our chest at the game or the way back before getting on here. As it is you're seeing a lot more people reacting to things as they happen and the 8 months now of cabin fever has probably worn a lot of people's patience. Though we have definitely been hammered more than once!
Blackburn and Bournemouth i guess. Maybe Brentford?
My point is I don't feel like we're cannon fodder in this league like some would have you think.
Not really aimed at anyone to be honest. Just a poor parody of those that see anything slightly pessimistic as people wanting to tear the whole thing down.I assume those bed wetter comments are aimed at me because I think I used them a few days or a few games back.
If so, let me explain myself.
Is our position a worry? Yes
Has MR got everything right? No
Are our players good enough for this league? I think so
Look, I'm not naive enough to think that we're simply going to pick up and finish midtable. I'm sure I said we'd finish top half (or probably better) but that's the romanticism in me. We all knew it was going to be a tough season.
The thing is, and the thing that still astounds me is the lack of confidence in MR in this place. People are happy (and rightly so as its a forum) to throw around tactical discussion comments like they've completed their UEFA A license and that MR, AV and the rest of the coaching staff don't think about the things people talk about on here. Of course they do. They see and work with the players on a daily basis...they known them better (and their capabilities) better than anyone on here.
I've likely seen less minutes of games than a lot on here. But the games I have seen, we've played decent football. We've been turned over only once and not been hammered. If we can cut out the silly mistakes and get a settled 11, I'm confident that we'll make a mid table team. We've had a tough start and the disadvantage of the longer break. There's still lots for MR and the team to work on but I simply don't get the depth of the negativity on here. We knew it was going to be a tough season...and its turning out that way but in my opinion, we'll stay up this season.
Maybe my over optimism for a team and manager who've earnt it is the reason for the bed wetters comment. It just seems like there's such an over-reaction to each dropped point or each conceded goal, as disappointing as it is.
Not really aimed at anyone to be honest. Just a poor parody of those that see anything slightly pessimistic as people wanting to tear the whole thing down.
As I’ve said before, the most frustrating thing about Friday was that we’d abandoned something that was so close to working for something that made us worse in a very winnable game. I think it’s entirely reasonable to express dissatisfaction with that.
Blackburn and Bournemouth i guess. Maybe Brentford?
My point is I don't feel like we're cannon fodder in this league like some would have you think.
Because they’ve scored 3 goals from open play all season regularly concede and lost to a poor Wycombe team. If that isn’t a very winnable game then we may as well just chuck the towel in now because we’re only going to 1 or 2 teams as bad as that all season.I'm curious why you amongst others believe it was a 'very winnable game' when if you compare the two squads like for like, Birmingham are actually better than us in almost every position.
We often weren’t hammered last time we went down - we just kept losing
Because they’ve scored 3 goals from open play all season regularly concede and lost to a poor Wycombe team. If that isn’t a very winnable game then we may as well just chuck the towel in now because we’re only going to 1 or 2 teams as bad as that all season.
Fair point. We had Andy Thorn as manager in 2011/2012 though. I know who I would want taking us into the second half of the season.
We kept losing leads, we were pretty competitiveWe often weren’t hammered last time we went down - we just kept losing
We kept losing leads, we were pretty competitive
Russell Slade?
We kept losing leads, we were pretty competitive
Ironically the drew against a promotion chasing Birmingham at the time summed it up. Thorn was a twat and he sent us down
When Dabo is fully fit we will start winning games and finally break into the play off spots
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It can’t as the players aren’t good enough
He will improve us but he’s nowhere near good enough to turn a weak side into one of the best
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