Even Bowyer can see it!

Honestly never heard this before!

 

The common denominator .

 

Since Reeves has returned, we've scored 4 goals from open play in 9 league games.

We've scored 8 in 9 total (including 3 penalties).

Before Reeves returned, we'd scored 16 in 9 (including 1 penalty).

Reeves has sucked the life and movement out of our midfield, no it is definitely not all down to him, but watching him on the field of play it looks like a know-all coach stepped into a training session to 'show everyone how it's done' - only without getting it done.

He needs to stop standing around gesticulating, and actually move with the ball (and off it).

 

Palmer was static on Saturday. His movement was non-existent which doesn’t help much when you’re the more advanced one of a two man midfield. It ended needing Taylor to tuck inside a few times leaving him in no mans land and a bit all over the place.

 

Yes I wonder if Bowyer flipped a coin to decide which one of the two he hooked off because IMO Palmer offered nothing.

 

The problem is midfield can't pick a decent pass
to create an opening and that's just as much down
to lack of movement from other players.

The training ground is where you communicate
what is required from midfield and recipients.If
there's no movement then midfield just make
an easy pass so they don't lose possession.

Different opposition demand different tactics,
it's called a game plan.

Do the coaches impress this on the players in
training? When will they start a game on the front
foot? When will they implement the belief that the
next game is winnable rather than spouting what
a "hard game" it will be?

 

Agreed. Last home match it was especially noticeable with Palmer. OD rolled the ball out to him facing his own goal. Palmer didn't even look over his shoulder to see if anything was on, just played it first time back to a defender. On at least one occasion he put BRE under stupid pressure when he was closed down in the left back position. I saw nothing in Palmer before his injury and see nothing still.

 

Palmer and Reeves just isn’t a combination which works. I think one of those with Cooke may work, but together they just tread water and don’t drive on.

I like Pritchard and would like to see him fitted in somewhere.

We don’t have a McCall/Jones-type ball winner.

 

Taking the team from saturday, bin Taylor for Pritchard and Palmer for Cooke and I think it'll perform better

 

Alternatively, replace one of them with McCarten. From the moment he came on he was trying to drive things forward and if we'd had that kind of impact from the start, we just might have got something from the game.

 

We need to drop or rest Reeves. Just think we are far too negative with Reeves in the team.

Cooke and Taylor in the centre or Palmer and Cooke.

Harry on the left if fit.

 

Both affected mentally imo.
Reeves not like he used to be and Palmer isn't a roaming midfielder.
He's a break up and distribute midfielder.
Like i said it pains me to say it but Akpan gives more physically and going forward.
Scored more goals, had more shots.
He was never a defensive midfielder.
I've not seen anything from the other two to suggest they should be in ahead of him.

 

If you want a balance that might actually work then that is a workable option. I'm still not sure what Palmer is or does, people close to Cooke are adamant he's an attacking midfielder but he doesn't get played there, Reeves has been thrown in the deep end after nearly 2 years out. Bowyer in todays T and A bigging up Devitt now to do the business. So now our hopes are pinned on a league 2 journey man who won't be properly match fit for a month or two. Yet Akpan, who could do a job if played gets over looked. One game this season we might actually see a well balanced team on the pitch...

 

Akpan has probably assisted and scored more than Reeves and Palmer combined.

But if no one's moving for the ball then I would say that's more laziness and lack of belief more than anything. You know from a young age to pass and move and find space, and I noticed earlier in the season Reeves would actually be looking for a pass and no one would be moving in front of him, so whether he's disillusioned or not I don't know.


Then when he's passed it to our CB's you'll find there's quite alot of space to run into as Reeves is then marked, but the problem is 1) can you trust a League 2 CB to be a BPD 2) would a League 2 defender have the confidence to push forward, and the answer is usually no. At the moment opposition's know that if they just man mark everyone without the ball, the ball carrier doesn't have the confidence in them to actually push forward with it and then we're stuck with tapping it side to side for 80 minutes.


And I feel sorry for Vaughan as there's countless times where he's made runs and whoever has the ball doesn't have confidence or the vision to make the pass.

When we get forward we could be lethal with our forwards but nobody has the balls to bring it that far up the pitch

 

How many times do we see even average league 2 midfielders run straight through the middle of us, at Crawley it happened regularly, yet our midfield is stagnant, bar the odd run and shot from Chris Taylor. The midfield was clearly going to be a problem since pre season and that scenario hasn't changed.

 

That belief comes from the manager.
The fact he shouted 'slow down' to one of our players who rushed over for a throw in during the last 5 mins at Orient says all i need to know about Bowyer trying not to lose.
That safety first mentality makes the players keep the ball without venturing from safe areas with more of our players in said area.
Go up the pitch you are outnumbered with a greater chance of losing the ball. Surely, surely this apprehension comes from Bowyer. Unless O Donnell is broke from a gambling habit and all the boys are trying to help him get his clean sheet bonuses.

 

Too right. I can see now why Bowyer was so adamant with 352.

I have a feeling if our midfield knew how shit defensively teams were we'd be feasting...then again I don't know how good our midfield really are

 

If anybody can work out what type of midfielders we have, they better let the rest of know. Defensive? Attacking? Box to Box? Tough tackling? I have no idea they all sit back are slow, and moving that ball through the field and passing it to a striker or winger is yet to be seen!