Match Thread Home V Walsall Saturday 4/9/2021 @ 3.00pm

Specifically this quote:
They moved the ball better than we did in the first half – even at 11 v 11 @Fordy117 is their manager wrong as well?

 

Unfortunately that says just how much we rely on Cook as at the moment we have no other outlet, I've only seen the odd cameo of Laverty but from what I've seen he offers little, Cook won't be happy with his finishing today he could have had another hat-trick this afternoon.
What was annoying was our midfield were reluctant to go all the way forward with the ball and if they weren't challenged have a bang, today Walsall second half backed up with two sets of four and allowed us right up to their area why was no one confident enough to go that extra yard or so and invited their defenders on.

 

To be fair he only missed one half chance - the header in the second half - and he was really stretching. Threlkeld behind him was probably better placed to hit the target.

Having watched a couple of games now I feel Cook will continue to be less effective if he's alone up top. He needs a second player up there with him to break the defenders up a bit.

 

He doesn’t watch. He listens on the radio. You can tell he picks up on comments but never identifies key points. His first post was at 1820 and twice he’s referred to poor cross (s) nothing else about the game except they were better at passing the ball???? Only a clown would make such a comment if they actually watched the game.

How long will it take to realise, take away ..,the so and so is shite, we are better than them, but down to actual detail..there is zero to offer and just talks bollox? Today has proved what I suspected all along.

A point gained, better with three of course but goes to prove the Mansfield three points was insurance for days like today.

 

It's no coincidence that Cook's best performances and goals came when Angol was playing too.

 

The move which lead up to Vernam missing with the header was worth the admission fee on its own

 

That does seem to be tha case but why can't someone else play the same role as Angol? Is Angol so unique??

 

When Adams was asked by Raynor what formation we went to after the substitutions he said he didn't know. Then said probably 3 5 3, then said that doesn't add up. I hope he was joking

 

Lovely interplay between Cooke and Gillead

 

As I say, I wouldn't have taken Vernam off either. I didn't understand that one.

But we didn't drop 2 points today because of Adams. He sent out a team that dominated the majority of the game even 11v11, created 6 or 7 quality chances to their one. Theres not much more you can expect of a manager. The final moments in either box cost us.

Its a frustration. But there's much to be optimistic about. There's a lot about this side, and much to work with and build on.

 

I think it's time we all realised Canavan isn't as good as we thought. Strong in the air and a good organiser but painfully slow when the balls on the deck. I believe he has been at least partly to blame in maybe 4 of the goals we have conceded recently. Having said that their number 7 was a handful from the off and had the beating of anyone one on one. We needed to double up on him. He had too much for Threlkeld on his own

 

Poor management by Adams, He seems very negative in his team set up and subs, Bringing a center back off and bringing on a forward with 3 minutes to go was ludicrous along with taking Vernam off was unfathomable, Evans is well past his best and am amazed he gets in the team and could be said as he failed to track back in the box for their goal which he shares some of the fault,
Strong doubts as to whether this team is good enough to go up,

 

Better team or not, it was still a draw. And they managed a draw with one less man for 45mins. Due to our defence switching off on regular occasions, we just have to put our chances away. I thought Vernam had a good game, but that miss was shocking.

 

I thought on today's showing, Finn Cousin-Dawson should be back in the side against Salford.
I didn't think Threlkeld offered enough going forward compared with Finn and in defence there were some dodgy moments. He hasn't returned from injury in good form.

 

Waste of time booking keepers as they never end up being sent off for a second offence and another 3 minutes are wasted..

 

Harsh, thought he had a decent game especially when he’s only just coming back from injury.

 

I hear you but if you take that position then you're going to have to say the same when we draw many other games against 11 men because we all know how it is, teams set up to draw against us and managers have to take risks at times to grab a win when the opposition is set on drawing.

Today was a definite winnable game. They had little pace on the pitch, arguably their best midfielder was sent off, they created little aside from the goal with 11 men, they set up as a strong 4-4-1 after the break. He should have recognised that and pushed more men up the pitch sooner in the match. Today was a learning match for him. If he thinks we did enough to win then we're going to draw many more games.

In my view we won't lose many with Adams in charge unless we play poorly like Orient again because there's structure to the team but there is a danger that we'll draw too many because teams set up to get a point against us at home unlike Morecambe or Plymouth that maybe away teams thought they could beat. This is a different club and away teams think differently. He needs to learn that, quickly.

 

Can someone tell me if we played well.

 

Don't get me wrong, that was 2 points dropped. Jo question. And I'd question a couple of Adams decisions too. But if he routinely sets us up to create several times more chances than the opposition, we can't really complain. Daft as it may sound, we'd perhaps have fared better if they hadn't had a man sent off.

 

How would you compare him to Ridehalgh though?

Ridehalgh seems to know when he needs to get up the pitch and has a good connection with Vernam. I don't see that with Threlkeld and Gilliead. OK, Oscar has just come back from injury but if you watch the goal today and compare it to the much ridiculed "Josh Wright running back and not putting in a challenge goal" then there isn't much difference. A defender needs to make the attacker make a decision further up the pitch really. He just shadowed their lad into the penalty area and was then too far away from him to block the inside pass when it came. It was poor defending.