| Paul's View vs Swindon Town 20:49 - Nov 16 with 786 views | Paul38 |
Hmm... Do we really have to talk about this game? Can we just skip it this week?
It would make my job a lot easier right now, because I like being optimistic and supporting The U's but I don't think there is anything I can say about today's game that be classed as that.
Put simply: We were absolutely awful and were battered at home by an average side missing their top goal scorer (at the time)
Everybody has their days when they aren't at their best but it's happening all too often now to just say we're having an 'off day'.
I don't know if we should seriously start questioning Joe's tactics because despite the attractive football we can play at times, which in most cases doesn't lead to a goal anyway, on days like today we need a plan B which I don't think we have.
The game started well for us and for the first twenty minutes we were all over Swindon, who sat back and had 11 players behind the ball and it seemed like we would go on and win the game comfortably but alas, we didn't. It's happened all too often this season as well, where we start brilliantly and seem to be in control in the first-half but we don't score when we're on-top and end up being beaten.
I don't think the injuries helped today because we didn't have any out and out wingers to play which always gives me a niggling feeling when I see the team sheet before the game because we are so much better with width.
With Watt, Massey, Wright(Drey), Sears(sort of) still having injuries and with Garbutt suspended and Monakana having been recalled by Preston, it meant again we started with no out and out wingers. Joe tried putting Bonne and Gilbey either side of Morrison and Lee but they both kept making runs inside (being central players you can’t blame them) so again it left us with no width and a very narrow approach that is easy to defend against, especially when Swindon have 11 players behind the ball because it doesn't stretch the defence and gives us little space to play our football in.
Swindon's first came from a shot by Massimo Luongo, who was very impressive today it has to be said, which Sam got a hand to but he was unable to push it far enough away and Nicky Ajose reacted quickest to tap home from about 4yards out.
Not sure if Walker could have done better or not? I sit down the other end of the ground and from what I saw he made a pretty decent save from Luongo and needed some help from his defenders or a bit of luck to stop Ajose scoring.
I think we can't be too harsh on some of the players because they are still young and we should give them time to get themselves into the flow of things because the jump from youth football/development squad football to League One football is a big one and they will need time to get up to speed.
Having said that, I think some of the players have had enough time to prove themselves and just aren't up to the task I'm afraid.
I don't think Bolger is League One standard, and I would argue if he's even League Two standard. His touch is poor (Ok defenders don't always have a good touch but his is just beyond poor) His touch almost allowed Luongo to add a second goal in the second half as he was robbed on the half way line and I sat there thinking how is he letting someone steal the ball there? His distribution is awful, he had a few cross-field passes that just went straight out of play or straight to the opposition. As for the absolute hoof he had in the second-half when he was under pressure having taken too long to get rid of the ball, when he did have plenty of time to, the ball was blocked and went up in the air, to which he panicked and attempted to hoof the ball down field but it just ballooned miles up in the air. Fair play to him he went after his poor clearance and made it there for when the ball eventually returned to Earth but he missed the header and as it bounced off the floor and onto his chin it hit his hand and Swindon got a free-kick. Absolutely horrendous defending. I hope Joe sends him back to Bolton now that Eastman is back and then gives a defender from the youth a chance if we need cover because it can't be much worse, can it?
Moving away from that personal attack, tad harsh I know but had to get that off my chest I don't think he helps us at all because our play starts at the back and if our defenders are making errors like that, we won't have a chance of winning again.
We've got to start moving the ball quicker as well, too many times today we won the ball, and it slowed down too quickly and Swindon filtered back into position and we found ourselves trying to get through all 11 of their players again. If we moved the ball faster when we won it back it would catch some of their players out of position and there would be spaces to run into but it’s just not happening at the moment and until it does we are going to carry on struggling. I’m not suggesting we hoof it forward every time we win the ball but just a little more conviction and tempo to our passing would get us into much more dangerous positions.
Swindon's second was just awful. Just after half-time, you'd of thought we were already 5-0 down due to the numbers of players back defending for us. I counted 5(including Walker) so where was everyone else? We were so open it was easy for them and despite the luck of the scuffed shot turning out to be a cross, it was a very poor goal to concede and very easy for N’Guessan to tap in at the back post.
Magnus got us a goal but I think everyone knew we wouldn't get more than one, if we did indeed get one. His header was impressive though, did everything right and found himself unmarked just inside their box which made it easier for him but it was a great downward header that gave Foderingham no chance.
I think Joe needs to look at why we can't score when we're on top (preferably moving the ball faster when we win it) and why we give away cheap goals immediately after half-time that kill off the game, happened against Wolves which you could say we had no chance of winning even before kick-off in that game but it still completely killed the game conceding so early in the second-half and today was the same, we we're beaten before the 50th minute.
I hope the team and Joe go home and have a real look at themselves and decide what needs to be done and how it can be done to improve our game. We can match the best, and we usually do match teams in the first-half of games but we need to keep those performances up in the second.
All in all I think we should put this game behind us and try to move on as quickly as possible. Its 1 win in 14 games now... Not looking good but we aren't down and out yet, there is still a lot to play for and we can still get a lot from this season.
Stay positive and Up The U’s!!! |  |
| “Anyone who has never made a mistake, has never tried anything new " |
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| Paul's View vs Swindon Town on 22:29 - Nov 16 with 751 views | Fruitbat |
Credit to Swindon, they came here to do a job and did it effectively in the first twenty or so minutes. Then, once they'd worked out that we lacked both the wit and the guile to break them down and came out to play, they were the better side and 2-1 flattered us.
We get the ball down and pass it, this is what we are told, and we do - backwards and sideways. Then we give the ball away. It's all so slow and so predictable. Theres little movement off the ball, nobody moves ahead of the ball, nobody seems to want to take anybody on with the ball. We don't create chances and we don't score goals.
Pessimistic. |  | | |
| Paul's View vs Swindon Town on 23:09 - Nov 16 with 741 views | noah4x4 |
To me it is tactically really simple.
We appear to play lovely football; whilst there are ten opposition men sat deep behind the ball. We run our legs off in stamina sapping circles that go nowhere; whilst opponents know there is little threat. Then in the second half they stretch us and we get punished.
The ball takes far too long to get to our forwards and Magnus; Bean and Craig Eastmond lose it too often (albeit it was Dickson lost it for the second goal). We were awful.
Sorry; I am not going to Preston. Will watch Braintree instead (enough said). |  | | |
| Paul's View vs Swindon Town on 09:56 - Nov 17 with 704 views | Paul38 |
I think that is the most obvious problem we have right now is not moving the ball quick enough. I'm quite sure if Gilbey had of played in behind Morrison/Lee yesterday we would have had that player to find further up the pitch that could move give us the transition between defence and attack but nobody seemed to offer that yesterday, instead there was a huge gap between our defence and attack which allowed them so much time on the counter to assess the situation and make the right decisions.
It was a very poor showing from us and second half I wrote nothing down of a Colchester nature except the goal which shows we were poor.
Hope it improves soon now we are only 3 points off the dreaded drop zone!! | |
| “Anyone who has never made a mistake, has never tried anything new " |
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| Paul's View vs Swindon Town on 16:53 - Nov 18 with 552 views | Leadbelly |
Before the season started I was worried about where goals would come from. I'm still worried and I don't see that changing until the summer.
What can change is the pace at which we pass the ball and the movement off the ball. The first is often pedestrian, the second is minimal far too often. We beat Peterborough with a relatively high tempo game so why not replicate this against other sides? Perhaps the answer is that we have too few ball players available. What price a Kevin Watson?
I'm all in favour of retaining possession and eschewing the long ball game but there has to be an end product. JD claimed we had lots of possession on Saturday; fact is Swindon had far more. It just seemed like we had the ball a lot because time stood still during our ponderous build ups from the back.
Injuries continue to be a massive problem and a number of players made returns on Saturday. Whilst this is welcome it is yet further disruption to the side. We are yet to see a full strength XI and I do believe we will be a different prospect when this happens. We have still lost very few league games, all to clubs at the top of the table(ignoring points deductions)
We are 15th in the table which is as good as I would have hoped for at this point of the season with the squad we have. We have a young, inexperienced manager but he is Col U through and through. We have many talented youngsters but they too lack experience. I doubt much of what we see this season will be pretty but, if we avoid relegation, I believe we will be a decent League 1 side for the following campaign.
That feels remarkably positive...for me. | |
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| Paul's View vs Swindon Town on 18:26 - Nov 18 with 536 views | bwildered |
The blueprint was there Saturday for all to see, and it worked a treat . Tight, compact and then proactive on the break . But unfortunately this was the opposition .
The U's lacked imagination in going forward and where unable to get to the byline and the cried out for someone to take charge in the middle.
After Garbutt's second half performance the previous Saturday, he was sadly missed, due to a one match suspension, which gave the team pace, unpredictability and positiveness.
What really was a crime though was how we seem unable to retain the ball when in possession and gave the ball away far too cheaply.
On a more bright note, several youngsters have been blooded in the first team, which gives them a feel of what has to be required to perform and be attained for this level.
Time to look over our shoulder, has only one win on the final day kept us out of the bottom four, so it is time for our own experienced players to come to the fore. |  |
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