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U's go into the Lion's Den to do battle 10:04 - Nov 21 with 980 viewsdurham_exile

TH takes his charges to take on Neil (Chopper) Harris' Millwall team at the New Den this afternoon.

With the first Seasonal weather affecting parts of the country today (there is a light covering of snow in Durham) the match will not be for the faint hearted. Both the Den and the New Den have often been a source of difficult results for the U's over the years, but today offers a glimmer of hope. Millwall's home form has not been imperious this season and there are chinks in the gladiatorial armour which the U's must exploit, if they are to avoid a mauling in London.

TH must manage again without both Ambrose and Garvan whilst although Richard Brindley, Kane Vincent-Young and Alex Wynter have resumed training they are perhaps two weeks away from a return (and they have been very much missed).

TH has already started the psychological war by praising the Millwall fans (apparently for their voracious support) and warning of the strength of Millwall's ex Championship stars. However he must believe the U's are capable of a result today, especially with Gavin Massey back in the attack.The U's must travel without fear and look to achieve a positive outcome.

TH must decide whether to employ Chris Porter and Macauley Bonne or stick with Callum Harriott (who looks increasingly to be recalled to struggling Charlton Athletic in January - but why when they are surely doomed to relegation from the championship this season) and Marvin Sordell who has ability but fails to convert the number of chances that he creates .

If Porter is utilised he must not be isolated in a 4,5,1 but requires support from the U's wide players.

Suggest a 4,2,3,1:

Jones

Edwards Eastman Elokobi Briggs

Gilbey Moncur

Harriott Sordell Massey

Porter

Subs:

Parish Kent Curtis Sembie-Ferris Bonne Wright Lapslie

Safe journey to the travelling faithful, enjoy the game and let us hope that it is only the U's fans roaring at 4.50pm.

Up the U's



Durham_exile

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U's go into the Lion's Den to do battle on 15:20 - Nov 21 with 942 viewsdurham_exile

Situation normal

Come on the U's

Durham_exile

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U's go into the Lion's Den to do battle on 15:27 - Nov 21 with 939 viewsdurham_exile

U's go into the Lion's Den to do battle on 15:20 - Nov 21 by durham_exile

Situation normal

Come on the U's


Marvin Sordell simply does not convert enough chances into goals

Come on the U's

Durham_exile

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U's go into the Lion's Den to do battle on 15:46 - Nov 21 with 932 viewsBarsidepete

U's go into the Lion's Den to do battle on 15:27 - Nov 21 by durham_exile

Marvin Sordell simply does not convert enough chances into goals

Come on the U's


He can show flashes of brilliance. All to play for. I'll take a draw and move on. You don't win scoring any goals. Nick a point or surprise fans with 3.

Lots of game ahead.

Poll: In Daniel's PL, Sector4 is top, I'm 2nd or 3rd depending on the update

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U's go into the Lion's Den to do battle on 15:46 - Nov 21 with 930 viewsdurham_exile

It's going to be a long hard winter.

Humes must go and before we are back in the bottom four and cast adrift.

Durham_exile

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U's go into the Lion's Den to do battle on 16:04 - Nov 21 with 920 viewsBarsidepete

U's go into the Lion's Den to do battle on 15:46 - Nov 21 by durham_exile

It's going to be a long hard winter.

Humes must go and before we are back in the bottom four and cast adrift.


It's the crap we put up with year after year. As my predictions have not been good all season, I had Millwall winning in both Daniel's and MFB's league. I was certain that would be good luck as being wrong would be excellent.

But here we go again. Show some fight, U's.

Poll: In Daniel's PL, Sector4 is top, I'm 2nd or 3rd depending on the update

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U's go into the Lion's Den to do battle on 16:41 - Nov 21 with 912 viewsdurham_exile

The worst defence in the Football League

Simply shocking

Up the U's

Humes OUT

Durham_exile

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U's go into the Lion's Den to do battle on 16:43 - Nov 21 with 911 viewsdurham_exile

U's go into the Lion's Den to do battle on 16:04 - Nov 21 by Barsidepete

It's the crap we put up with year after year. As my predictions have not been good all season, I had Millwall winning in both Daniel's and MFB's league. I was certain that would be good luck as being wrong would be excellent.

But here we go again. Show some fight, U's.


No Pete it's because you knew that they would lose today!

Very disappointing result again!

Durham_exile

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U's go into the Lion's Den to do battle on 16:54 - Nov 21 with 903 viewsdurham_exile

Disgraceful result - nothing more to say.

No fight, no ideas, slipping further down the table.

Humes must go.

Up the U's

Durham_exile

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U's go into the Lion's Den to do battle on 16:55 - Nov 21 with 901 viewsBarsidepete

U's go into the Lion's Den to do battle on 16:43 - Nov 21 by durham_exile

No Pete it's because you knew that they would lose today!

Very disappointing result again!


No Pete. I hoped my form would continue to suck to high hell in the PL. I don't know. We talk about getting a striker, but leaking so many goals lately, how about a back line. I'll take 1-nils, 0-0's.

Poll: In Daniel's PL, Sector4 is top, I'm 2nd or 3rd depending on the update

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U's go into the Lion's Den to do battle on 17:10 - Nov 21 with 885 viewsthrillseeker

U's go into the Lion's Den to do battle on 16:54 - Nov 21 by durham_exile

Disgraceful result - nothing more to say.

No fight, no ideas, slipping further down the table.

Humes must go.

Up the U's


Couldn't agree more

I hate Humes

Humes OUT
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U's go into the Lion's Den to do battle on 17:58 - Nov 21 with 857 viewsBarsidepete

U's go into the Lion's Den to do battle on 17:10 - Nov 21 by thrillseeker

Couldn't agree more

I hate Humes

Humes OUT


No one thought we'd win at the den, based on predictions ... this is one you wipe off your sleeve and move on.

Poll: In Daniel's PL, Sector4 is top, I'm 2nd or 3rd depending on the update

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U's go into the Lion's Den to do battle on 11:49 - Nov 22 with 679 viewsjonestones

Quote from millwall's manager. Thought it was poinient!

""Sometimes, when a team comes and doesn't defend very well against you, you've still got to have the ability and the confidence to stick the ball in the back of the net."
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U's go into the Lion's Den to do battle on 12:34 - Nov 22 with 667 viewsnoah4x4

Many will inevitably disagree, but overall, I reckon that we didn’t play that badly, but certain individuals, notably Elokobi, were awful. His was the worst defensive performance I have ever seen by a U’s player in fifteen years.

But with seven defenders side-lined by injury or illness, I am not sure what else Tony Humes could have done as regards the selection of the back four. We didn’t have a senior defender on the bench. My choice (if fit) would be KVY; Kent; Eastmond and Briggs hence at least three players that can play controlled on the deck football out of defence. But put Eastmond and Elokobi together and the best one can expect is hoof or head and the ball hence likely to come straight back at them if it doesn’t find a U’s player.

Millwall started by conspicuously attacking down the flanks, notably intending to trouble the inexperienced Olefumi. But unlike at Wigan (where Sembi-Ferris offered no cover), Bonne and Harriott did a decent defensive shift to assist and protect both Olefumi and Edwards. But what was Massey doing playing so deep and central? I am not sure if he even touched the ball in the first half. I guess that he was expected to compensate for the injured Garvan, but he looked utterely lost and surely Massey needs to be wide (and hence Bonne central). This selection was evidently to accommodate ALL of Massey, Moncur, Harriot, Bonne and Sordell when I don’t think that is possible without sacrificing something else. But nobody can argue that Tony Humes didn’t try something different here.

The solution to me is far more obvious (with hindsight!); DROP Sordell to the bench until he finds some better shooting boots; and play only ONE of Bonne or Porter central; then Harriott and Massey wide and then have a defensive midfielder (like Lapslie) alongside Gilbey; with Moncur then scurrying around between defence and attack in what is then a 4, 3, 3. But Bonne scoring so freely must be a headache for the manager as surely he can’t be dropped? In the Millwall programme they even named Bonne as THE “danger man”. So surely the only reason that Bonne has been playing wide is to accommodate Sordell (who is starting to disappoint).

I was hence relieved to see the ineffective Sordell replaced at the interval by Porter; who, when the U’s went more aerial/direct did, at least, trouble the Millwall defence in a much more positive second half. But the industrious George Moncur then noticeably faded when the defence both bypassed him (e.g. lobbed balls forward) and then leaked further goal after goal. I think that is what Tony Humes was referring too when he said in the Gazette that “players are getting disillusioned”. I don’t blame George for dropping his chin as it was truly ghastly at the back and the tactical shift (more direct) didn't suit his play. Maybe with hindsight, Lapslie should have come on to provide better defence in midfield; then Massey go wide with Bonne moving central. But fans would then have moaned; "why not bring on proven goal scorer Porter" (which Humes did and we scored one and leaked two more goals). So just where did the wheels come off?

Like at Shrewsbury, we repeated lost the ball when forward (perhaps over complicating stuff?). That is why I believe that we can’t have ONLY all out attackers in midfield. The space between our forwards and back four defence was like an empty desert at times. After three truly awful errors in the first half by Elokobi (fortunately, not all resulting in goals), Millwall succeeded in the second half by some decent defending against good U's pressure and by lobbing the ball in Elokobi's vacant direction; rushing at him and waiting for him to miskick it; or fail to head it or simply miss it to put us under immense pressure that eventually led to soft goals as the entire defence conspired to gift Millwall the win. Jones had little chance with three of their goals; and how they didn’t scorer a fifth from a similar error (in the first half) escapes me; but the goal post was kind; in the same cruel fashion that it has been unkind to the U’s in recent matches.

Gilbey and Eastman repeatedly saved the day with some desperate interventions preventing a total landslide, but both of those also succumbed to some basic errors (maybe fatigue was a factor as they ran miles to cover?). We desperately need Vincent-Young; Kent and Briggs back to support Eastmond and then Gilbey (or Lapslie) alongside Edwards in defensive midfield. With Garvan back too, we will then have three defensive as well as two midfield attacking options; but where do we then play George Moncur? Come to think of it, I can’t find an obvious solution to that conundrum (perhaps drop Massey for Moncur?). So what has to give, defence or attack? If we could better depend on our back four it would be easy, but my view is we have to start tightening from the back and hence we can't play ALL of the fans favourites. Two of Edwards; Gilbey or Lapslie must therefore play in defensive midfield (assumes we have a fit back four to allow Edwards to move forward). That hence means we can't start all of Massey; Moncur; Harriott: Sordell, Bonne (or Porter) etc.

This time last year when we had similar problems we secured the services of loanees Gorkks and Khumalo to meet our need for another dependable central defender. I am sure the management are on the case; and there must be scope for an emergency signing given the injury crisis. At least we have 20 points a month earlier than last year; and a win against bottom team Crewe (who conceded five) will make all the difference....... that is, provided that Big George doesn't have to play. George is simply our new Magnus!
[Post edited 22 Nov 2015 13:21]
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U's go into the Lion's Den to do battle on 12:45 - Nov 22 with 658 viewsLeadbelly

U's go into the Lion's Den to do battle on 17:58 - Nov 21 by Barsidepete

No one thought we'd win at the den, based on predictions ... this is one you wipe off your sleeve and move on.


If only we could treat yesterday as an abberation and move on. The trouble is it's not an abberation.

Since the end of our four game winning streak in September these are the facts for league games:

P8 W1 D1 L6 F10 A24

Approximately one sixth of the season and four points gathered. Relegation form without a doubt. Conceding an average of three goals a game in this spell we have actually conceded three on one occasion, four on three occasions and five once. Four at Millwall isn't an abberation, it's becoming the norm

Poll: Safe standing at football; yes, know or don't know?

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U's go into the Lion's Den to do battle on 14:26 - Nov 22 with 626 viewsdurham_exile

U's go into the Lion's Den to do battle on 12:45 - Nov 22 by Leadbelly

If only we could treat yesterday as an abberation and move on. The trouble is it's not an abberation.

Since the end of our four game winning streak in September these are the facts for league games:

P8 W1 D1 L6 F10 A24

Approximately one sixth of the season and four points gathered. Relegation form without a doubt. Conceding an average of three goals a game in this spell we have actually conceded three on one occasion, four on three occasions and five once. Four at Millwall isn't an abberation, it's becoming the norm


Chopper Harris said:

"The 38-year-old explained: “We were eight unbeaten and really good before the (international) break. I said to the boys before the game, the challenge is can you do it again, can you start again?

“They certainly answered that challenge from the manager. The good teams win the next game.

“I’m delighted with the goals we scored but I thought we could have had a few more and we can be better than that.

“The key was our shape, organisation, confidence and quality in the final third."

All we got from TH was that the players are getting disillusioned. Colchester deserves better than this individual.

Hardly surprising that once again he demonstrates that he is clueless. The simple fact is that If we fail to defeat Crewe on Tuesday evening then TH must go and by Wednesday morning!

I will be at Burton Albion next Saturday - hopefully TH's fate will have been sealed one way or the other by then.

Up the U's

Humes OUT

Durham_exile

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U's go into the Lion's Den to do battle on 15:09 - Nov 22 with 614 viewsBlueStripes

As I said in another thread, Tuesday's game against Crewe is an absolutely vital "must win" game (as is the next home game against Barnsley). If we can't beat Crewe at home, then who the hell can we beat! If we put in another performance like the ones we've been turning in for the past month or so, then it's surely time for the clueless Humes to be shown the door. Not only is the defence an absolute shambles, as it has been all season, but the attack seems to have dried up as well now, with only 2 goals scored in the last 3 league games. Only 3 points off the bottom 4 now and this alarming slide needs to be stopped this Tuesday before it's too late.
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