Colin - agree with most of your comments. As a team we are too open when we lose possession and easy to play against in the central areas. We have conceded 9 goals in the last 3 matches. Some have been through the middle, some from crosses and a few set plays. Show me a goal and I'll show you a mistake. There have been multiple errors on a number of goals in recent weeks, suggesting a collective weakness. The problem on Saturday was that Carlisle changed tactics at half time from hitting the target man (Madine), which we had contained comfortably, to playing long early balls in behind. Doc & Dailly were turned, struggled for pace, dropped deeper to compensate and left a big space in front, which semedo & Racon failed to cover. We couldn't get out of our defensive third. I was surprised how rattled two experienced centre backs became. Grella (on loan from Leeds) ran them ragged. They were hoofing it away in all directions, lost headers inside the box (all three goals), and mistiming a number of challenges to concede free kicks. Elliott made a poor mistake after 30 secs, and was lucky to escape when the Carlisle striker shot over from 6 yards, and had an uncomfortable afternoon from then on. IMO he has good ability, as highlighted by the double save early on v Brighton, but simply had a poor game on Saturday.
How will Parky tighten up the defence and midfield to stop the goals against? Surely Fortune is a better option than Docherty at the moment, and McCormack for Racon. Worner is too small in stature for me, "never fall in love with a small goalkeeper" is an old adage worth remembering.
I like Robbie but he needs to lay off the sauce and lose some weight. His best spells have been when he's been at his fittest, like most footballers and that certainly isn't now. It's a no brainer and there's no excuse for a lad of his age who's a professional athlete carrying weight.
As usual, people are overreacting - saying he's non-league standard is nonsense, just like those who thought Benson was the 'worst striker to pull on the shirt' etc. He's a good keeper but he has no excuse for a lack of fitness. Trouble is he's under no pressure for his place. And he clearly has a lack of discipline.
I wouldn't blame him for the first two goals but there has to be a question mark against him for the third. So what if it was a fluke? He still has to cover the goal. And he did spill the ball twice in the iPlayer highlights. Must do better, as must the whole defence.
The Dailly-Doherty partnership has looked shaky all season. Surely Fortune must replace Doc? I can see why Parky bought him - he looked solid for Norwich last year. He just looks ponderous for us though. A spell out of the side might help his focus.
How will Parky tighten up the defence and midfield to stop the goals against? Surely Fortune is a better option than Docherty at the moment, and McCormack for Racon. Worner is too small in stature for me, "never fall in love with a small goalkeeper" is an old adage worth remembering.[/quote]
Dean Kiely was hardly a giant Neither was Andy Goram- Rangers best ever keeper and keeper for 7 of the 9 in a row. Shay Given- although not in City team- still one of best around, only just 6ft.
Not that I am saying Worner is the answer, just that there are more important factors why he should not be in the team.
I don't see it personally. I can the problems with crosses but that goes for about 95% of all keepers in the football league. Most modern keepers are shit at taking crosses. It's something almost impossible to coach, as you'll never truly re-enact a game time scenario especially crosses coming quick from breakdown play. In my humble oppinion Randolph was a hella of a lot more erratic coming from crosses, a bloody awful decision maker when it was in the air; he so happened to be in the squad last season when Borrowdale signed and Fraser came back and we had the most solid backline for ages.
As for technical issues with saves I just don't see it. You look at Carson and he is terrible with cross shots coming left to right or right to left across his body. He sets his feet all wrong and then flops down. If you think of the angles a shot across your body is much easier to save as there's a much reduced area the forward can hit, as long as you get down early. Yet time and time again you'll see him let these sort of goals in. Most people thought Carson was great but for me he has glaring problems in his game, which he's never addressed; Kirkland had positional problems but always appeared to be able to go on a learning curve and did. Elliot's shot stopping is second to few, and his communication with defenders is good. Randolph just didn't have that analysis of the game and was all raw reaction, good though that was at times. Elliott has the attitude and talent to improve. Sure he needs to cut out some errors, and improve on crosses but there is nothing in his shot stopping that suggests technical flaws to me. The biggest flaw in our game and has been for years is just atrocious challenging for secondary ball.
That's pretty interesting Tutt-Tutt. I'm not surprised that Dailly and Docherty panicked when people were on top of them, Dailly lost his wing-back energy in 98 and Docherty never had pace. Both of them will be very unsettled if players are moving around the pocket areas. I agree Forch and Dailly is the partnership. I also think the Doc will be very important for us. I can not see Doc, with our present midfield coping with Peterborough's verve, options and pace away from home. Even with Forch there just has to be more physicality through the center midfield. It looks so often that Semedo is desperately chasing for dear life, we're just lucky he rarely gives up and is willing to get that toe in a second, third and fourth time.
Comments
The problem on Saturday was that Carlisle changed tactics at half time from hitting the target man (Madine), which we had contained comfortably, to playing long early balls in behind. Doc & Dailly were turned, struggled for pace, dropped deeper to compensate and left a big space in front, which semedo & Racon failed to cover. We couldn't get out of our defensive third. I was surprised how rattled two experienced centre backs became. Grella (on loan from Leeds) ran them ragged. They were hoofing it away in all directions, lost headers inside the box (all three goals), and mistiming a number of challenges to concede free kicks.
Elliott made a poor mistake after 30 secs, and was lucky to escape when the Carlisle striker shot over from 6 yards, and had an uncomfortable afternoon from then on. IMO he has good ability, as highlighted by the double save early on v Brighton, but simply had a poor game on Saturday.
How will Parky tighten up the defence and midfield to stop the goals against? Surely Fortune is a better option than Docherty at the moment, and McCormack for Racon. Worner is too small in stature for me, "never fall in love with a small goalkeeper" is an old adage worth remembering.
As usual, people are overreacting - saying he's non-league standard is nonsense, just like those who thought Benson was the 'worst striker to pull on the shirt' etc. He's a good keeper but he has no excuse for a lack of fitness. Trouble is he's under no pressure for his place. And he clearly has a lack of discipline.
I wouldn't blame him for the first two goals but there has to be a question mark against him for the third. So what if it was a fluke? He still has to cover the goal. And he did spill the ball twice in the iPlayer highlights. Must do better, as must the whole defence.
The Dailly-Doherty partnership has looked shaky all season. Surely Fortune must replace Doc? I can see why Parky bought him - he looked solid for Norwich last year. He just looks ponderous for us though. A spell out of the side might help his focus.
Dean Kiely was hardly a giant
Neither was Andy Goram- Rangers best ever keeper and keeper for 7 of the 9 in a row.
Shay Given- although not in City team- still one of best around, only just 6ft.
Not that I am saying Worner is the answer, just that there are more important factors why he should not be in the team.
As for technical issues with saves I just don't see it. You look at Carson and he is terrible with cross shots coming left to right or right to left across his body. He sets his feet all wrong and then flops down. If you think of the angles a shot across your body is much easier to save as there's a much reduced area the forward can hit, as long as you get down early. Yet time and time again you'll see him let these sort of goals in. Most people thought Carson was great but for me he has glaring problems in his game, which he's never addressed; Kirkland had positional problems but always appeared to be able to go on a learning curve and did. Elliot's shot stopping is second to few, and his communication with defenders is good. Randolph just didn't have that analysis of the game and was all raw reaction, good though that was at times. Elliott has the attitude and talent to improve. Sure he needs to cut out some errors, and improve on crosses but there is nothing in his shot stopping that suggests technical flaws to me. The biggest flaw in our game and has been for years is just atrocious challenging for secondary ball.
That's pretty interesting Tutt-Tutt. I'm not surprised that Dailly and Docherty panicked when people were on top of them, Dailly lost his wing-back energy in 98 and Docherty never had pace. Both of them will be very unsettled if players are moving around the pocket areas. I agree Forch and Dailly is the partnership. I also think the Doc will be very important for us. I can not see Doc, with our present midfield coping with Peterborough's verve, options and pace away from home. Even with Forch there just has to be more physicality through the center midfield. It looks so often that Semedo is desperately chasing for dear life, we're just lucky he rarely gives up and is willing to get that toe in a second, third and fourth time.