Home V Morecambe 01.01.2020

The lack of movement up front makes us negative not Reeves. Connolly will make the occassional run but its not a run to get in behind - probably because he isn't a striker - but his runs are headless. Why would he play a ball forward when there's nothing on? We started spreading it wide to AOC and at that point, maybe around 20/25 mins, we should have changed shape and played with 2 wide men to create more options.

 

I agree Marshy ........ Reeves is forever looking for an outlet - But coming up against a 'no go zone'. He has no options ahead, so needs to pass back or side ways, and relieve pressure on himself.
The problem is BOWYER, NOT Reeves, Cooke, Vaughan, etc ......

 

Football remains a spectator sport and remains in the entertainment industry. Each Club survives through it's affiliation with it's fans and the support it derives from them, but promotion at all costs is counter productive in my view. I think back to the old days as a kid when football was enjoyable to play and watch. And believe me the old 3rd Division North wasn't always a spectacle to behold and VP was never a bowling green but there was always anticipation and excitement!!. Nowadays, it seems the game is being strangled by systems, often to the detriment of those watching.Progress is important and we need to prosper as a business naturally, but there needs to be a balance imo.

 

The combo of him and Palmer (who offers nothing) is pretty pointless too.

Mainly I think the problem lies with us not having the players to compliment the system that GB wants to play. Whilst I'm not enjoying the football on display I understand why GB is playing this way. I hope that when Donaldson and Devitt return we'll see a more offensive game.

I also think we need someone of the stature of Akpan that can do the job that we all want an Akpan type central midfielder to do. Break up play, win tackles, knock players around and dominate and then pass the ball to Reeves to set up play.

 

Entirely agree
All the game yesterday Reeves was pointing telling players to run into space for an outlet but nothing doing makes him look a poor player countless times when we were breaking there wasnt a player anywhere near the box never mind in it This is such a poor league that as Swindon have proved if you go for it and play attacking football the rewards are there
GB needs to stop fearing losing and start attacking 1-0 wins get you 3 points but so does 3-0 4-2
Take off the shackles and go for it man !!!!!

 

Agree with most of that but not many sides over recent years have found that balance. As someone mentioned in a different thread, I can only remember Bristol City and possibly Wolves finding that balance.

You can play the McCall way, the possession based, tippy tappy football, without end product or the Bowyer way with the defensive structure and the points. Parky probably got closest to the balance but even he was described as a dinosaur.

I think if you want entertainment you invariably don't get success, because goals are going in at both ends unfortunately.

 

This is the problem when you have the whole team back defending all the time - there is never anyone forward enough to take advantage of any breaks we get. Case in point on Sunday about 5 minutes before half time, Connolly got the ball and raced forward but because he's so quick and everyone was back in Mansfield's half, there was nobody up with him in or around the box to capitalise.

 

Seriously, I could do what Reeves was doing yesterday.

Drop deep
Collect ball
Pass less than 5 yards
Pass sideways only.
Look busy.

He was dreadful. Couldn't half turn, didn't shoot, hardly looked up for forward pass, didn't make forward runs. We are more negative with him in the team at this moment.

Watch him closely! He needs to do more and be better.

 

The reverse of that is if you don’t concede you are certain of at least a point and more expansive style leaves you open to conceding more. Of course there is a middle ground I think are midfielders sit to deep they need to press. For away games we seem to have exactly the right players to catch teams on the break with the pace of Connolly and Oteh

 

And a win and a loss will get you more points than playing safe and getting 2 draws.

 

I would just like to thank the couple of gentlemen that came to my aid when I fell down the steps at Valley Parade yesterday, very kind of you, the age of chivelry is not dead, and by the way I'm ok a bit battered and bruised but otherwise I'm fine. Thanks again

 

We have the best home record in the league so we are certainly getting the wins there already

 

Thats a big IF Park
If Morecambe had have put one of there chances away yesterday and "Parked the bus"
we would have struggled
Scoring goals breeds confidence its the name of the game
46 points doesnt get you promotion !!!!!!!

 

Oh come on Bowyer doesn't kick the ball for them,hate to think what the negativity would be like if we'd had a bad run of results

 

Thing is Palmer was even worse. I noticed on more than one occasion he never even looked over his shoulder to see if he had space or if anything was on. He was facing his own goal and played the ball first time back to a defender, sometimes putting the defender under pressure and having to hoof. He was same on Sunday

 

I still believe successful teams are built on good defence I think for instance if with the players we have available at the moment we had played 442 against Mansfield we would have lost that game I see they scored three away yesterday. I think to come away over the Latest period with 8 points with the squad suffering from illness and important players injured is a good haul. As I said in an earlier post I think our central midfield sits to deep and should be pushing up a bit but with Donaldson coming back and hopefully Pritchard who I think we have missed we should do better in that area.

 

EASTER

 

Good post @Dubai bantam but you do realise your wasting your time with Fordy at times I believe he actually wants Bradford City and those who own work on or off the pitch to fail, then he can take great pleasure in saying "I was right".

 

Neither do you !!!.

 

Palmer was awful as well mate. To be fair I would send Palmer back.