Half Time table - Top of the league (by some margin)

I think fitness plays a big part, it happens too often to be coincidence.

 

Physical fitness, in being able to perform suitably over 90 minutes, but also mental fitness, to be able to rally oneself/one's teammates so that one bad thing (penalty awarded or not, goal against, and so on) doesn't lead to another (as in the Rochdale match).
It is noteworthy that we have lost all 4 matches in which we trailed at the half, and overall in the 7 matches in which we have trailed at any point, we have only picked up 1 point. This is not promotion-level play.
To be fair though, we are 10-3-1 in the 14 matches in which we've led at the half, and 11-4-1 when we have led at any point. So we can hold on to leads, today notwithstanding.

RCB

 

Typo in my previous post and too late to edit -- We are 11-4-1 when leading at any point.

RCB

Mod Note: I have edited the post accordingly.

 

Great stat this, together with the contrast of the second half stats. Puts good meaning behind some of the transfer activity this window just gone.

Perhaps a good indication of why Stubbs was signed based on the stats coming from his time at Exeter. Together with Clayton who I thought looked the player we’ve badly missed this season, maybe this gives us some of the experienced mentality we need to been able to see a game out.

For me on what I watch, the problem seems to be our ability to consistently be the offensive team for the majority of the game, together with the elephant in the room - taking our chances. If we were able to keep the opposition on the back foot (example like Orient did to us at their place) then take the opportunities that come we would be in a much better state……..

We don’t dominate for 90mins at CF meaning it’s easy for the opposition back line to take possession = challenge

Walker is key to being constantly offensive and we’ve not had a fully fit version of him (and a poor replacement) all season = challenge

Behind Walker (or whoever has been playing that role) our covering CMs have not been dominating enough for 90mins = challenge

The above means we are always susceptible to opposition threat resulting in the many times we’ve thrown away points this season.

For these reasons I do understand some of the signings made this window.

Well, this is the way I see it anyway.

 

4 times this season we've conceded goals that have resulted in dropped points. Only once have we scored in injury time to claim points. And not once have we won a game after going behind.

Whatever the underlying tactical causes, there's a serious lack of character in this squad.

 

Thanks to the green-penned mod

Further to my earlier post, and FB's just above:

Our Home/Away split continues to be dramatic if we look at what we've achieved from winning positions. Away we are a perfect 6-0-0, home we are 5-4-1. We've turned wins into draws against Swindon, Crawley and Mansfield, and a win into a loss against Rochdale. Against those 9 dropped points, we have the win turned into a loss turned into a draw, against Wimbledon, so let's say +1 pt for that. Those 8 dropped points mean we are not challenging for the auto-promotion places now. (By the by, we continue to slide in the running 10-match figures; with yesterday's draw we are now running at a lower-midtable pace; overall we are still above the Ronnie Brown comfort pace, but not by much. Top-3 gets further away by the match, and the playoffs are starting to get dicey.)

We've had quite a few late (75 mins +) goals affecting our results, in all directions:
Barrow (A): 85 to trail, 90+5 to draw level, and 90+8 to lose
Colchester (A): 90+7 to lose
Tranmere (A): 75 to win
Wimbledon (H): 90+5 to draw level
Swindon (H): 90+2 to fall level
Mansfield (H): 90+1 to fall level

Honourable mention: Harrogate (A) 73 to win
Dishonourable mention: Rochdale (H): 63 to fall level and 70 to lose

RCB

 

Does anyone know when the last time was that we came from behind to win a game ? I think it is at least 12 months.

 

I think you're just about right -- I make it last 15th Jan. against Salford -- trailing to a 35th minute goal, and then a late (85th min.) O'Connor winner for 2-1.

RCB