Shrewsbury Home 29th January

Anyone got any idea when or where we might get some highlights?

 

9 o'clock barbers in town?

 

What colour are you wanting?

 

Double bah-dum-tish!

 

Anyone heard the post match interview with regards to Woods injury ?.

 

DH says he is ok hadn’t played a lot of matches. Think he was buggered lol

 

Had an excellent game, If we can keep him fit will be an asset in our struggle to gain enough points to avoid the drop

 

https://mobile.twitter.com/ryan_walsh58/status/1090373630637338625

 

Thought both Woods and Chicksen in his cameo showed why Wood wasn't playing left back - Woods made some cracking challenges, including one just before he went off that stopped a certain goal. Those who have seen the footage of some of the goals we were conceding with Wood at left back would probably have to assume he wouldn't have been within ten yards of the last man - why? Because he doesn't hold the line, he looks to me like a frustrated winger who hasn't quite mastered the art of defensive discipline. I'd be interested to know if someone looked back at Wood's time as an academy player if he was always a left back - might have been, but I'd be surprised.

Everything Wood did well today was essentially forward-thinking - which was obviously good because he was playing ahead of Woods and Chicksen. I'll give him credit for thinking safety first when Chicksen and Woods overlapped, he covered very well - but a left back he isn't!

I thought Doyle had a poor game aside from the goal, and after reading so much guff about how we needed to play to his 'style', when we got our passing game going, he missed three sitters. His 'work rate' I examined closely; he actually does put a shift in when he's nowhere near the ball - some of his chasing runs were a credit to the guy - but when the ball IS near him, and he's competing for it? Nothing. No fight, no struggle, no chance of actually winning it. Not just aerially, but on the floor. I guess that's why I've got him down as a shirker when some wet their knickers about how hard he tries (lol). Having said that, a forward who scores a good goal and has several other opportunities can't have had that bad of a game?

Regarding tactics, it's becoming apparent that we aren't hoofing because of a tactical choice - the neat, intricate passing moves ONLY come when we're well on top - and not at all if we're constantly getting hammered like against Southend. People went overboard IMO criticising Hopkin for not sticking with those tactics - actually, players like Payne don't seem to be able to come into the game if we're well behind. Doyle can't influence a game at all unless we're on top. Ball ends up running down blind alleys. None of this is tactics, or any form of choice; we either create loads, or we create nothing; and that is made clear when you look at how pathetic our response to going behind has been all season. One point from 17 games?

It's not just NKP who can't perform in a poor team outing - there are five or six of them!

Thankfully the last two games are showing little glimmers of resilience...

 

Here we go, enjoy!

https://www.skysports.com/watch/video/sports/football/teams/bradford-city/11621913/bradford-4-3-shrewsbury

 

Well said, particularly with regards to the Woods / Wood / Chicksen situation

 

But why do we never try to play the ball out from the back?
Caddis, Woods and even O'Connor are all perfectly competent passers. Akpan is an excellent passer. We should be able to move the ball from the back without always hoofing it straight onto the oppo CB's noggin. I don't mind the kick from O'Donnell to the wings sometimes, because that often results in a throw to us high up the pitch. But the repetitive hoof down the middle is just pointless.
It was noticeable on Saturday that we started to control the game from the point that Caddis decided to run with the ball from half way and then lay it off around Burton's box. That kick-started our passing game and we dominated after that.
We have good ball players. Let's use them better by playing our football on the deck.

 

A number of our fans got on my t*ts tonight. Woods had a decent game, although maybe the standing ovation was a little much, but I found the audible moans and groans as Chicksen ran onto the field disrespectful and embarrassing. Same thing when Doyle was walking off.
However, worse than all that, I missed Balls goal because of people passing in front of me on their way out. It was 3-3, we are in the final 2 minutes and attacking their box......FFS where are you going?

 

Totally, totally, totally agree.
Through the legs first goal, free kick at his side of the goal for second and sliced clearance put us in crap position for penalty.

 

I imagine Hopkin is reluctant to let the defenders play out from the back given if I remember rightly we conceded an awful lot of goals from giving the ball away and then failing to stop simple crosses.

Also, given Hopkin's high press tactics, we're benefit an awful lot from defenders losing the ball. He won't want us doing the same.

Just my approximations.

Incidentally, watching the highlights, was it Caddis who played the long diagonal for the first goal? Genuine question, can't work it out and don't remember too clearly? Wasn't a good ball, but a defensive error we punished

 

The ones that annoyed me were those in the Kop and Midland Road who kept hold of the ball when it went out of play after Ball scored. The ref was only going to add the time on and probably a bit more. Given the earlier events we wanted the game to finish there and then!

 

When Ball bags the winner Check out Caddis’s celebration of relief after giving away the pen

Love it

 

Something that struck me while watching the highlights, most of the team that started tonight have scored for City this season- caddis/o'connor/nkp/akpan/lewis o'brien/wood/ball/payne/doyle
Wonder how this compare with previous City teams, 9 out of 11 scoring is pretty impressive.

 

Why don't you stand up when they pass you? FFS moan about anything.