Plan A allows us to be at our best and accomodate all our midfield players. Teams can try to flood midfield and stifle us but if thats their only plan then I can`t see it working for 90 minutes which results have I think shown to be about right. If you fancy plan A at the start then why not near the end when the oppositions legs are tiring. We have a better group of players than most Div 1 sides. Over 90 minutes we will come out on top more often than not imho of course.
Big thing for me was Spring, first half he was involved in everything and also mopped up well in front of the back four. Second half we sat back too much again and he seemed to be crowded out a tad.
Just as when we played them in the cup a few years back Exeter were an honest decent footballing side. As for us we looked good uin the first half but in the econd we conceded too much possesion and territory, but neither side created that many chances.
I said in the ratings the reason we won was because of the things Spring done however for having to do the work of 2 men Daily won MOM for me i think spring is an able replacement for anyone in that Midfield
OK so we play 4-5-1 to accomodate our best players, but with Semedo injured why didn't we go 4-4-2? Even when subs came on we kept the same system. We are unbeaten but have played some poor sides and should have spanked most of them. Our midfield should be one of the best in the division even if there were only four of them. The lack of pace in the defence (3 out of four) shows up when they drop deep at the first sign of pressure, PP should be telling them to hold a high line.
I hope I'm proved wrong but I have a feeling we'll be foound wanting now we start to play the better teams in the division.
[cite]Posted By: Addickson's God[/cite]OK so we play 4-5-1 to accomodate our best players, but with Semedo injured why didn't we go 4-4-2? Even when subs came on we kept the same system. We are unbeaten but have played some poor sides and should have spanked most of them. Our midfield should be one of the best in the division even if there were only four of them. The lack of pace in the defence (3 out of four) shows up when they drop deep at the first sign of pressure, PP should be telling them to hold a high line.
I hope I'm proved wrong but I have a feeling we'll be foound wanting now we start to play the better teams in the division.
I'm confused - we lack pace at the back so you want Parky to tell them to hold a high line?! Also I don't agree re: results against the better teams - although their current league placing doesn't reflect it I believe that Brentford, Norwich and Soton (if you ignore the 10 point deduction) will alll finish top half and we've done OK against these. Yes, there is a weakness at the back which will get exposed from time to time but the strengths more than compensate.
Semedo will be a very important player against the best teams
Thought Exeter looked a tidy side & played some nice stuff at times. Also a mention to their fans a walk up of over 700 paying customers on the day is impressive considering they had sold only about 300 tickets up until the Friday.
As for us, think we are playing in 2nd Gear at the moment & it shows. Plenty more to come from us I think.
I don't remember seeingmuch of Spring last season - I missed quite a few of the later games, but I noticed he didn't impress many on here --- so was glad to see him step up to the mark so ably.
It appears to me that we have half a team carrying injury of one sort or another - and certainly not 100% fit.
But they all want to play.
Definitely must have some impact on team performance, sharpness and stamina.
Players who've been playing on, but no doubt need time to heal:
Richardson - groin
Racon - tight hamstring
Bailey - knee
Sam - knee
Burton - broken nose
And of course Semedo - groin, was missing on Saturday.
They are only the ones that I know about, there could be others ...
[cite]Posted By: Red_in_SE8[/cite]Bailey does not have the pace or the stamina to play wide. Mid way through the second half he seemed hardly able to run anymore.
[cite]Posted By: Addickson's God[/cite]OK so we play 4-5-1 to accomodate our best players, but with Semedo injured why didn't we go 4-4-2? Even when subs came on we kept the same system. We are unbeaten but have played some poor sides and should have spanked most of them. Our midfield should be one of the best in the division even if there were only four of them. The lack of pace in the defence (3 out of four) shows up when they drop deep at the first sign of pressure, PP should be telling them to hold a high line.
I hope I'm proved wrong but I have a feeling we'll be foound wanting now we start to play the better teams in the division.
Surely holding a high line makes you much more vunerable to an attack with pace????
I bo believe that Exeter are capable of taking points from anyone in this division so to get 3 wasn't a bad result, lets wait till something is broken before we try to fix it .
[cite]Posted By: Addickson's God[/cite]OK so we play 4-5-1 to accomodate our best players, but with Semedo injured why didn't we go 4-4-2? Even when subs came on we kept the same system. We are unbeaten but have played some poor sides and should have spanked most of them. Our midfield should be one of the best in the division even if there were only four of them. The lack of pace in the defence (3 out of four) shows up when they drop deep at the first sign of pressure, PP should be telling them to hold a high line.
I hope I'm proved wrong but I have a feeling we'll be foound wanting now we start to play the better teams in the division.
Surely holding a high line makes you much more vunerable to an attack with pace????
I bo believe that Exeter are capable of taking points from anyone in this division so to get 3 wasn't a bad result, lets wait till something is broken before we try to fix it .
Yup, I'd go along with that.
I think Exeter may surprise a few teams this season expecting to get 3 points and that includes some in the 'top-half' of the table.
'Part from when it's Bailey and Sam on the wings. Fact! Only joking but they're not Cole, Duff and Robben circa 2004. That is the weakness of this 4-5-1 it is not fluent enough to morph into a 4-3-3, but hey only the real top international class can do that. The presence of the midfield is good enough for this div and that is all that counts.
[cite]Posted By: Salad[/cite]you are wrong Henry, it is not about the three points it is about having three plans
It's about sitting in silence for fear of singing a song that may upset someone.
It's about crtisizing every department of the team despite that fact it is undefeated.
It's about switching your critisism where possible from the team to another part of the club.
It's about worrying that everyone else in the league must be better than us as we get the easiest fixture each week.
[cite]Posted By: Salad[/cite]you are wrong Henry, it is not about the three points it is about having three plans
It's about sitting in silence for fear of singing a song that may upset someone.
It's about crtisizing every department of the team despite that fact it is undefeated.
It's about switching your critisism where possible from the team to another part of the club.
It's about worrying that everyone else in the league must be better than us as we get the easiest fixture each week.
[cite]Posted By: Oggy Red[/cite]Plan B needed to be to revert to Plan A ..... which meant playing higher up the pitch taking the pressure off our defence, closing the gap between Burton and the midfield, and taking the game to Exeter.
Just like we did in the first 30 mins.
It's what we're best at.
Have to agree here
have to disagree. We are too one dimensional, we have to have another string to our bow.
The change of McLeod for Burton was different. There is no way these two are similar in style as Burton likes to hold the ball up whilst McLeod prefers the ball over the top for him to chase. Although the formation may have been the same the way we played had to differ once the sub was made.
Will only need a plan b when plan isn’t working, and 7 wins and 2 draws suggest at the moment things are not too bad.
[cite]Posted By: Oggy Red[/cite]It appears to me that we have half a team carrying injury of one sort or another - and certainly not 100% fit.
But they all want to play.
Definitely must have some impact on team performance, sharpness and stamina.
Players who've been playing on, but no doubt need time to heal:
Richardson - groin
Racon - tight hamstring
Bailey - knee
Sam - knee
Burton - broken nose
And of course Semedo - groin, was missing on Saturday.
They are only the ones that I know about, there could be others ...
And let's not forget Llera playing with a fragile skull after something like thirteen stitches...
Think some of the individual player comments on here need to take Oggy's points more into account - Richardson, for example, was a serious doubt before the game - maybe that's why he looked a bit off the pace?
Comments
Just as when we played them in the cup a few years back Exeter were an honest decent footballing side. As for us we looked good uin the first half but in the econd we conceded too much possesion and territory, but neither side created that many chances.
Good to see IM off the mark
I hope I'm proved wrong but I have a feeling we'll be foound wanting now we start to play the better teams in the division.
I'm confused - we lack pace at the back so you want Parky to tell them to hold a high line?! Also I don't agree re: results against the better teams - although their current league placing doesn't reflect it I believe that Brentford, Norwich and Soton (if you ignore the 10 point deduction) will alll finish top half and we've done OK against these. Yes, there is a weakness at the back which will get exposed from time to time but the strengths more than compensate.
Semedo will be a very important player against the best teams
As for us, think we are playing in 2nd Gear at the moment & it shows. Plenty more to come from us I think.
PS loved Sodje's header :-)
But they all want to play.
Definitely must have some impact on team performance, sharpness and stamina.
Players who've been playing on, but no doubt need time to heal:
Richardson - groin
Racon - tight hamstring
Bailey - knee
Sam - knee
Burton - broken nose
And of course Semedo - groin, was missing on Saturday.
They are only the ones that I know about, there could be others ...
Absolutely!
Surely holding a high line makes you much more vunerable to an attack with pace????
I bo believe that Exeter are capable of taking points from anyone in this division so to get 3 wasn't a bad result, lets wait till something is broken before we try to fix it .
Yup, I'd go along with that.
I think Exeter may surprise a few teams this season expecting to get 3 points and that includes some in the 'top-half' of the table.
Not forgetting that they didn't create many chances.....(!)
For all the "we've been found out" talk we WON. AGAIN.
It's about sitting in silence for fear of singing a song that may upset someone.
It's about crtisizing every department of the team despite that fact it is undefeated.
It's about switching your critisism where possible from the team to another part of the club.
It's about worrying that everyone else in the league must be better than us as we get the easiest fixture each week.
Very well put
The change of McLeod for Burton was different. There is no way these two are similar in style as Burton likes to hold the ball up whilst McLeod prefers the ball over the top for him to chase. Although the formation may have been the same the way we played had to differ once the sub was made.
Will only need a plan b when plan isn’t working, and 7 wins and 2 draws suggest at the moment things are not too bad.
And let's not forget Llera playing with a fragile skull after something like thirteen stitches...
Think some of the individual player comments on here need to take Oggy's points more into account - Richardson, for example, was a serious doubt before the game - maybe that's why he looked a bit off the pace?