Most liked posts in thread: Opening Home Game vs Cambridge United Aug 3rd

You keep coming mate because you saw the game exactly how i saw it. Can't disagree with any of your comments.

 

Haha I'm not writing us off. My thoughts purely based on yesterday - not the season ahead. I think it will take time to click but we lacked width so that needs addressing.

Early days and still assessing I suppose. Sunderland, Cardiff, Fulham and others probably feel the same.

 

O'Donnell - 6 - nothing really to do apart from claiming a couple of early crosses, so can't really comment. Distribution was okay. Looked to play out through Palmer and the CB's

Mellor - 7 - attacked well, especially in first half. Did defensive duties okay also
AOC - 6.5 - played well I thought. dealt with what he needed to deal with and some half decent switches in play. Only missed one obvious challenge all game in second half
BRE - 7 - commanding in the air and some strong challenges. got burnt for pace by one of their forwards in first half though.
Henley - 5 - did nothing going forwards, not challenged massively at back

Overall defence was solid. Cambridge didn't really have a sniff. Longridge should come in at LB next week, and maybe Paudie if fit. However AOC did nothing wrong.

Palmer - 6 - he will be a good player for us this season. can keep things ticking over. we need a brute alongside him who can move with the ball though.
Gibson - 6 - Couple of bright moments, and has good feet. Think the stick he's got has been unnecessary as he certainly played no worse than any of the other midfielders. Can beat a man too, although often played too deep I thought in this game to use that ability.
Anderson - 4.5 - Poor and shouldn't start next week if fit. Devine much better when he came on. Devine found himself in really good positions with clever movement a couple of times. Almost created a goal as well.

All the midfielders played too similar a role in the first half, all wanting to pass it about between them and keep it ticking over. We need a boss in their who can move with the ball as well as being dominant.

Doyle - 5 - did nothing. fell over a few times. too slow and not nothing passing ability to play in that role.
Vaughan - 6 - works hard. great moment of magic in first half to hit the bar. should have done better with the chance where he robbed the centre half. he's a handful though, and will score goals
Donaldson - 6 - works hard, also a handful. couple of good positions where he was whiskers away from connecting and scoring.

DVD doesn't work. If we're playing 4312, a proper attacking midfielder is needed. We looked more threatening in a 442, with more chances being created due to more balls going into the box. Surely have to revert to 442 against grimsby. Scannell looked a little slow, but has good feet and will be dangerous if he starts games. He only played a handful of games last season, and yesterday had about 15 mins to change it and we still weren't getting it wide quick enough to him for any real impact to be made, so I think it's pretty harsh to be slating him.

Changes for against grimsby:
442
OD
Mellor POC BRE Longridge
Scannell Palmer ***New signing*** Ismail (Gibson if not fit)
Vaughan Donaldson

 

As above but with Scannell for Gibson and Doyle in the front three

 

...

 

To be fair, thats more than some league 1 clubs manage

 

I keep harking back to Bowyers comments when we played Coventry away saying that's how he likes to set his teams up pace and power up front and out wide, hence the reason for me why he will accomadate Scannell in his natural widel position.
Well know soon only 4 more sleeps as we used to tell the kids awaiting Santa let's hope its Santa who calls on Saturday and leaves us with 3 points .

 

You're probably best heading up Cottingley and going into Bradford via Heaton. Avoid Saltaire the lights are horrendous and can take 20 mins to get from Saltaire to Shipley.

 

No technical difficulties when they took my €50 yesterday. Not a hitch there.

 

Doyle in the hole doesn't work. Gibson shouldnt be starting.

Look at the bench it's weak as. Midfield is utter shi&e.

Sorry Mr Rupp and Mr Rhodes we need to urgently spend some of that 2.5m we got.

 

I’d swap all 3 for 1 decent player

 

The team was crying out for width right from the start, as soon as Scannell belatedly came on, we saw more of an attacking intent, with balls coming into the box. Scannell is too good to be sat on the bench for 75 minutes in this league

 

Mellor - Lumbering and pointless
Henley - Why exactly are we playing right backs at left back, with 2 left backs on the bench
Anderson - Has no right playing professional football. Truly atrocious.
Palmer - Seemed to hold himself back, wayyyy too hesistant
Gibson - Very promising. A lot of good tackling, sublime ball for Vaughan. My MOTM
Doyle - Just get rid, for any money we can get. Idiotic idea to play him in a position which needs agility, passing skills, dribbling.
Vaughan Donaldson, shades of class. We need width and crosses.

If we continue to play Vaughan Donaldson its really not hard to work out that we need to play 442 and just cross. They will score plenty.
I'd really hope the Mcburinie money frees us to sign someone with PACE. We badly badly need some speed in the team.

Apart from the sublime ball to Vaughan who hit the bar.
Or the couple of dangerous whipped crosses.

 

He was brought on to run at defenders but it took 10 minutes before someone passed him the ball.

 

One good thing about today -

Bowyer can go home and think about what has to be done.

He wont leave the ground with a flea in his ear or get disturbed on the phone by
I know football Edin

And do what managers do

 

On the razz so will keep it short.
Gibson: Hollywood passes don’t work in L2. Unless you can play them (in which case, you wouldn’t be playing in L2).

 

Just one real point to discuss from yesterday, from me.........Quality !!

Yesterday was quite a letdown, without a doubt ......... from both a Club and Supporters view, OK ?
Much earlier in this thread @Botswana Bantam and myself were very 'surprised' to see the team sheet upon it's release, and we both expressed our views at that time, in terms of personnel and setup.

However, yesterday had little to do with selection or tactics. Nor did it have too much to do with attitude, effort and application. Given the players available for selection, yesterday exposed in a raw and ugly fashion just what many have been saying for weeks ....... Our current squad lacks depth in real quality.
Yesterday was never about a lack of heart or desire. It's much more simple than that - currently City are not good enough to challenge, as yet. And no matter how much this squad gels - It lacks the quality to achieve a top 3 placing.
Here's hoping this is addressed, and quickly, before the current window closes.

 

Disappointed in yesterday, not for lack of effort but in lack of quality.

Thought Vaughan was poor despite his moment of brilliance. Ball was played into feet too much with back to goal and he was bullied off it. Awful effort when he had that clear chance. Pathetic even. Donaldson much better yesterday IMO.

Palmer too deep, not a holding MF, Gibson did OK, Anderson bang average, Doyle not a number 10. Could have done with him 65-70 minutes playing a higher line off bench.

Defence comfortable. Looked organised.

Deflated.

 

O'Donnell - usual self, holds the ball too long and his kicking is dreadful

Mellor - for around 15 mins in the first half he looked half decent, but had no help out wide which lead to easily to defend crosses from deep

Everton - decent debut, but glimpses of being a liability. His hit and hope passes were annoying

A O'C - doesn't do anything really, another hit and hope kinda player, never has his head up

Henley - he was crap

Gibson - probably our best player, tried to make things happen and got involved, but he thinks he's better than he is which Ieads to him trying the Hollywood ball constantly or having a shot

Palmer - needs to learn to pass forward, one for the happy clappers who see someone pass a ball 5 yards and think they're Pirlo, expect better from him

Anderson - jumped into tackles and put himself about but he's simply just not good enough

Doyle - should of been off at half time, he doesn't look interested and was playing in flip flops

Vaughan - love his attitude, but his shooting was very poor

Donaldson - probably had our best chances but we didn't utilise him for his strengths which made him mostly anonymous

Overall, thought we lacked a leader. The midfield looked like they didn't know where they were meant to play, the wing backs had no support. We changed to 4-4-2 and still didn't utilise the wingers. I don't think that was our best eleven and I expect we'll change things for the next game. Very disappointed with the result, feels like a loss.

 

I had hoped (based on reputation) that Palmer would be our set piece 'specialist'. Earlier yesterday I asked if not, then perhaps McCartan ? From yesterdays showing, Palmer is not the man for this job. Not just once, but each time we had a 'dead ball' situation - Palmers 'cross' was either misjudged, or way off it's intended target. Perhaps we should consider McCartan for set pieces, after all ?

For all the defence appeared competent ....... City were playing Cambridge, not Salford or Mansfield etc.

A member posted earlier in the thread - He saw NO Cambridge player he would want at VP. Fair enough. However, there were 2 or 3 City players who Cambridge wouldn't want on their books, too.

Early days, I know. Yet as I stated late August of last season .... Time waits for no-one, and the clock is forever ticking.