No Width, No Pace, No Idea

10 new players in the squad and it's the first game, how about we give him a chance to put it right. Happy clapper I might come across but this mentality does my head in, not always as simple as put 11 men on a pitch and go bury a team, especially when they haven't had that many minutes together.

 

Trevor is right about no pace and width though. 3 summer months to sort this out, and we are still lacking both

 

To be fair it is simple not to play Doyle behind Vaughan and Donaldson. Why on earth did he think that would work? Are we really that devoid of options.

 

But we do, we have Scannell and Zeli waiting to come in. The pace is there just with Zeli not available maybe GB thought it was the way to go?

I saw it posted in another thread, but we won our first game last season. Not really an indicator for results and performances for the remainder of the season is it?

 

I don't like Doyle RT but the Liverpool game gave me an idea it could happen.

 

@trevor I agree with you..

 

I am not as crestfallen as some fans today. I think I was one of the few fans who thought we wouldn't steamroller Cambridge.

You rightly say we have Scannell, however, if he was fully fit, a mistake not starting him, surely?. We have been crying out for a left winger for 12 months or so, since Robinson was arrested. No idea why 3 managers have failed to rectify this

 

It was crying out for width if not we need a number 10 to play behind front two not Doyle

 

Enough to build on for the first game of the season. We did the basics right and lacked a little bit of luck to get the ball in the net. Definitely one or two players short but we never looked like losing and had chances to win the game. Doyle was the worst player on the pitch for us by a mile, the best thing he did was get substituted.

 

Despite the formation we created 22 shooting opportunities.

I think once we settle on 4-4-2 with two wingers and two decent CM's we will be a real force to be reckoned with.

Don't be so downhearted so quickly. There is a long way to go yet.

 

Suspect tactics today, Donaldson is a good target man so play to his strengths and get it to him in the box ...performance a bit all over the place and disjointed and not keen on passing out from the back esp when centre midfield appears bang average and we lack width, pointless.

 

I disagree about passing out from back. I much prefer to see this than just lumping up front

 

Two banks of four lads, it's elementary even if it isn't your first choice tactic, it's a solid backup and every squad should have players to fill those positions.

For instance when the opposition goes a man down and you want to put pressure on them for the remaining half hour....

 

It always takes time to figure out the way forward with a team. It took Conte a while to figure it out at Chelsea (got hammered 4-0 by Arsenal in this time) and eventually switched to 3 at the back and won the league.

The first few games of a season are a chance for everyone to get up to match fitness and GB to figure out his best XI and tactics. I’m sure he has a few different ideas in mind and now he just needs to settle on one. A lot of drama on here and I don’t really see why, did people expect us to win 5-0 or something.

 

Exactly. Scunthorpe lost today but I still fully expect them to finish in the top 7, Grimsby won but I don't think they'll finish anywhere near the playoffs. People are reading far too much into one game.

 

Playing the system today relies on full backs providing the width and the pace to get balls into the box after a slow start I thought Mellor did it beautifuly up to half time. Henley for me was poor don’t think he got a cross In all match. Second half Mellor was hardly able to get forward at all and that’s when Scannell should have come on and maybe wood for Gibson. A natural leftfooter.

 

Pinning our hopes on Zeshi Isheamale?

 

I didn't expect us to draw 0-0 at home against one of the lesser teams in the division who played a large part of the game with 10 men. Maybe my demands are higher than others.

 

Totally agree. What he sees in Anderson god only knows. Marty P I think is a good player but played so far back he wasn’t really influential. Need width and more quicker midfielders. Gibson should be playing wider imo. I know first game and all that and a few to come back but let’s try not to play catch up early doors