If there is anything I have learn't personally from yesterday and that is SFC should pay me to stay away from matches. I have missed the last 4 games (except for what I have seen on TV) and we have won. I go yesterday and what I saw was a defeat of course but also some of the things I thought we had got out of our system.
As a neutral this was a good advert for football in general. It was competitive, it was entertaining in both joy and frustration in equal measure, it had moments of debate with good decisions and questionable ones. A good honest game of football supported by good away support and atmosphere.
Millwall had a good game plan. They were structured, organised, well drilled, good team ethics and a desire to win the game. Whatever homework they did, it largely worked. Let's not take it away, by and large on the balance of play and chances they deserved to win as annoying as it was that they won in the nature that they did with less than a minute to go.
From the off Millwall were at us and we struggled to stay in the game. Arguably Millwall should and could have been 2-0 up at half time and the disallowed goal was questionable. But, we survived the first half, with a mixture of luck, a couple of good saves and some frantic and erratic defending. We must be better in the 2nd half surely????
We were better in the 2nd half and started off on the front foot with a penalty awarded (though it was not until later I saw the reason why). But, we were never in control and Millwall did not panic or fluster and equalised and soon took the lead with a stunning second goal (though as stunning as it was - why did our players stand off?). But, we clawed back and equalised but could we hold on? 7 minutes added time - it looked like we were there until with less than a minute to go Millwall grabbed the winner and the points.
The positive from Saints is that, we were not having a good day but we did not give up and with some better choices and decisions we could have come away with at least a point.
But, so many of the past issues came back with a vengeance yesterday:-
- why did we spend so much time playing around with the ball in our own box and area with Millwall players bearing down upon us?
- why did we revert to so much sideways and back passing? was it because we had no Scienza?
- we had no real outlet to support the front;
- we gave away the ball cheaply and we were all too easily brushed off the ball when we did have it;
- we surrendered the midfield too easily.
Fellows did not have a good game (though he was not alone by any means) and this was too difficult a game for a young Bragg who will do well but this game was too soon for him. Our defence was erratic and took silly and unnecessary risks.
Aribo - sorry to say this but he was awful when he came on. If he was seeking a chance to prove himself then he failed miserably. He just looked like he could not be ar*ed.
I suppose the biggest worry about yesterday was not so much the defeat but the fact that we reverted back to so many of our old ways that have not served us well. The test for our interim manager is whether he has the ability to make yesterday a blip and we bounce back quickly or whether it becomes another run of poor results. Time will tell. |  |
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