i don't think anybody should judge our season on yesterday's line up - that was job done but once maetsen comes in, doughty moves up the pitch, maddison and williams start and gilby is fit, we will go through this division like a hot knife through butter - COYR!!!!
i don't think anybody should judge our season on yesterday's line up - that was job done but once maetsen comes in, doughty moves up the pitch, maddison and williams start and gilby is fit, we will go through this division like a hot knife through butter - COYR!!!!
i don't think anybody should judge our season on yesterday's line up - that was job done but once maetsen comes in, doughty moves up the pitch, maddison and williams start and gilby is fit, we will go through this division like a hot knife through butter - COYR!!!!
i don't think anybody should judge our season on yesterday's line up - that was job done but once maetsen comes in, doughty moves up the pitch, maddison and williams start and gilby is fit, we will go through this division like a hot knife through butter - COYR!!!!
i don't think anybody should judge our season on yesterday's line up - that was job done but once maetsen comes in, doughty moves up the pitch, maddison and williams start and gilby is fit, we will go through this division like a hot knife through butter - COYR!!!!
i don't think anybody should judge our season on yesterday's line up - that was job done but once maetsen comes in, doughty moves up the pitch, maddison and williams start and gilby is fit, we will go through this division like a hot knife through butter - COYR!!!!
And yet remarkably, people are drawing all kinds of conclusions from this team's first 90 minutes.
That probably wasn't the team Bowyer would have picked if it was a must win game. It was a team to get a result of course but also the 1st of a real glut of games.
He picked Pratley and JFC on the "wrong side" for a reason.
That's exactly the sort of result we didn't get at this stage 2 years ago.
IMO it's now fair to judge Bowyer on results but probably not fair, yet, to judge on performances.
i don't think anybody should judge our season on yesterday's line up - that was job done but once maetsen comes in, doughty moves up the pitch, maddison and williams start and gilby is fit, we will go through this division like a hot knife through butter - COYR!!!!
I do agree with the proviso we are able to make those changes at some point. I have to be honest and say that Watson and Pratley playing together was, I thought, quite a negative choice. We had Williams on the bench who must have been buzzing from the International break.
Bringing Purrington on could be argued was sensible apart from the fact that it could send a message to players to sit back, which it did. We were far too deep after that with Doughty not really changing his position and an extra left back.
We do have the squad to be a front foot team and throw negativity out of the window. Ok, maybe we need to gel a bit and get one or two back, but unless Pratley is playing centre half, Watson OR Pratley please. Pratley on current form.
Saturday's game was a 50/50 game which we found ourselves on the right side of. We could have just as easily been on the other side of that.
On balance it was a good day - Solid building block performance.
Very rarely at this level of the game can I say these circumstances are in my area of experience. When managing a reserve team in the Spartan League for a few years it was often a permanent rotation mix of players, youngsters, triallists, returning seniors etc.,
Certainly early season when players were not fully fit, had barely trained together it was a position of "the opposition will not pass" rather than any idea of "the beautiful game".
Basics first please gentlemen. The clever stuff can come later.
The challenge is often "we don't to get to pass either"
Just what would you do if you were giving debuts to 4 players, 2 in defence, while making a 3rd change at left back with the 4th defender 5 or 6 games into his League Career?
It was not actually the midfield I would have selected because I too thought Shinnie would be more effective on the left but I understand why it was chosen. Who wouldn't protect his back four by all means possible?
In the real world Rome wasn't built in a day.
It was really good to see 2 oft labelled "fringe" players deliver effective contributions. Forster-Caskey & Aneke with all the new arrivals must have feared the worst for their prospects. Bowyers' selection and their performances will give every player food for thought.
I am not sure some have the right expectation of Ben Watson. He was, for me, what he has been his entire career - an effective annoying little bugger to play against. Perfectly happy he is now our (hopefully really very) effective annoying little bugger.
If you were expecting "cultured, expansive, pretty" you are likely to be disappointed.
Off the ball he did his job protecting the back four and used his experience to help get the result over the line.
On the ball he is off the pace. He, aged 35, will know it takes longer to get up to speed each year. Covid19 and court injunctions will not have helped his preparations.
As CM you are the platform from which others play though I am not sure a new trio of JFC, Shinnie, Pratley did him any favours particularly when used to operating with better players. I think solid rather than inspiring is the politest description.
Does he personally need to significantly tidy up his game? He most certainly does.
Aneke again showed what talent he has. He and we just need him to believe he can deliver on a regular basis to secure the shirt and find the net. We have through injuries had a few false dawns.
Smyth was the ideal foil in provided precisely the pace and front running, which Aneke cannot, needed to stretch the field.
Overall with a clean sheet it was a firmly positive if unremarkable first step.
I keep coming back in my mind to what a good win that was. If you take out the fact that we had new, unfit players all needing to gel and the fact that it wasn't a 5 star performance and just view the match on its own, it's a great result. At the start of the season if we are looking to go up you would have said beating a team who were up in the Championship last season 1-0 is a great result. Beating teams like Hull, Wigan, Sunderland and Ipswich will go a long way towards us being able to make something of this season
I keep coming back in my mind to what a good win that was. If you take out the fact that we had new, unfit players all needing to gel and the fact that it wasn't a 5 star performance and just view the match on its own, it's a great result. At the start of the season if we are looking to go up you would have said beating a team who were up in the Championship last season 1-0 is a great result. Beating teams like Hull, Wigan, Sunderland and Ipswich will go a long way towards us being able to make something of this season
Definitely agree that it was a good win, but I would be pretty surprised if Wigan are competing at the top of the table this season.
I keep coming back in my mind to what a good win that was. If you take out the fact that we had new, unfit players all needing to gel and the fact that it wasn't a 5 star performance and just view the match on its own, it's a great result. At the start of the season if we are looking to go up you would have said beating a team who were up in the Championship last season 1-0 is a great result. Beating teams like Hull, Wigan, Sunderland and Ipswich will go a long way towards us being able to make something of this season
Definitely agree that it was a good win, but I would be pretty surprised if Wigan are competing at the top of the table this season.
They have a few good players but the mighty Crewe beat them 2 nil the week before. We have the players to get promoted, that wasn't a great performance but a great result and my glasses are not tinted enough to say otherwise. I do expect us to start comprehensively beating teams now with the squad we have.
Amos: couple of very good saves and a handling blunder that didn't cost us Inniss: very impressive for one so undercooked Pratley: masterful Famewo: he's very good Gunter: early booking was plain wrong with that hanging over him his performance very impressive Watson: quiet and quietly effective, his booking also just refereeing nonsense Shinnie: quiet Forster-Caskey: looked like he might be back to something like the form of 3+ years ago a revelation compared to just a couple of weeks ago Doughty: coped well with the treatment dished out to him especially as it took over an hour for the whistle carrier to take any action Aneke: couple of good looking touches and moments of strength but ultimately very little end product, telling that he was withdrawn after an hour Smyth: energetic and enthusiastic, handy to have a long throw merchant Bogle: looked like a defender's nightmare in his cameo Referee: dreadful and dreadfully erratic god knows how he managed not to norse up the whole game, destined for high office at EFL!
Wigan at least as good as any visitors to the Valley so far. Charlton's dead balls consistently awful bar two free-kicks from JFC. Game management just good enough to see out the 105 minutes. The experience of Pratley and Watson ought to keep the team from dropping too deep when they're ahead
I have little interest in pass completion rates. It is dangerous (for opponents) pass completions that are all that matters. Extra pass teams are generally toothless if the dangerous completion rate is not high and visa versa.
Would also just like to point out that in his earliest days with us Pratley was often singled out for adding nothing to our team. As the promotion season wore on and many moments last season his true value became obvious. Wouldn't be surprised if it were a similar case for Ben Watson.
Would also just like to point out that in his earliest days with us Pratley was often singled out for adding nothing to our team. As the promotion season wore on and many moments last season his true value became obvious. Wouldn't be surprised if it were a similar case for Ben Watson.
I don't think the issue is necessarily Ben Watson per se but a midfield of Watson, Pratley and JFC being too pedestrian as a unit particularly against better opposition.
Watson, on the day, was arguably the worst of the three so attracted most of the flak>
Would also just like to point out that in his earliest days with us Pratley was often singled out for adding nothing to our team. As the promotion season wore on and many moments last season his true value became obvious. Wouldn't be surprised if it were a similar case for Ben Watson.
I don't think the issue is necessarily Ben Watson per se but a midfield of Watson, Pratley and JFC being too pedestrian as a unit particularly against better opposition.
Watson, on the day, was arguably the worst of the three so attracted most of the flak>
Pratley OR Watson would probably play a very useful part in the team. Pratley AND Watson seems redundant.
I keep coming back in my mind to what a good win that was. If you take out the fact that we had new, unfit players all needing to gel and the fact that it wasn't a 5 star performance and just view the match on its own, it's a great result. At the start of the season if we are looking to go up you would have said beating a team who were up in the Championship last season 1-0 is a great result. Beating teams like Hull, Wigan, Sunderland and Ipswich will go a long way towards us being able to make something of this season
Definitely agree that it was a good win, but I would be pretty surprised if Wigan are competing at the top of the table this season.
Yes, Sheridan has done a good job to put out a competitive starting 11 after losing so many of their best players, but the lack of squad depth really showed with their weak bench.
Having watched the extended highlights back, I have got to say it only reiterates the point I made regarding Forster-Caskey.
In the first half, he nearly scored from a little flick by running to the front post from a low cross by Smyth. It was a good instinctive save by the keeper.
He won an important header on half way, setting Smyth free to win the free kick, in which Forster-Caskey hit the bar from.
It was Forster-Caskey who played an intelligent clipped ball up to Pratley to flick on, then Aneke nearly scored from his excellent swivel and shot.
Yes he gave the ball away a couple of times needlessly, but if you watch carefully, he works hard to get back and he also is very aware defensively when the ball comes into the box. Always looking at where his player is, always ensuring he is goal side.
In the second half, when Aneke again turned brilliantly, skipped passed a few players to play in Pratley, Forster-Caskey was on the other side of the box, waiting at the back post should the ball fell to him.
It was Forster-Caskey who picked up the ball on half way, to drive forward and win the free kick, of which he stepped up and scored from.
It was also Forster-Caskey who won a loose ball in the middle third again, after a long goal kick from Amos. He drove forward onto the right hand side of the box and pulled it back. Pratley couldn't quite get the right connection on it to score, but it was another positive move. His anticipation is very good.
The more I watch him, the more he reminds me in a way of Jackson, the way he plays, the positions he takes up. I am not saying he's as good, but he most certainly has the same type of traits.
His overall game on Saturday was excellent and I think he deserves to start tonight.
Hope @Viewfinder was watching. I miss his write ups!
Thanks, AFKA - and I know your tongue is slightly in your cheek! Certainly a better showing than the comical, slapstick performances against Donny and Sunderland. And praise - shock, horror! - for Chuks Aneke: at last he looked like a dangerous striker: won most aerial balls and there was a sublime header and turn in the box.
Paul Smyth looks lively. Wigan were uninspired, unexciting. Overall the event seemed dreary to me: even watching on screen the absence of a crowd, the lack of atmosphere, left a gaping void. There is no escaping existential fact: this was bang-average, third division stuff...
Comments
That probably wasn't the team Bowyer would have picked if it was a must win game. It was a team to get a result of course but also the 1st of a real glut of games.
He picked Pratley and JFC on the "wrong side" for a reason.
That's exactly the sort of result we didn't get at this stage 2 years ago.
IMO it's now fair to judge Bowyer on results but probably not fair, yet, to judge on performances.
Bringing Purrington on could be argued was sensible apart from the fact that it could send a message to players to sit back, which it did. We were far too deep after that with Doughty not really changing his position and an extra left back.
We do have the squad to be a front foot team and throw negativity out of the window. Ok, maybe we need to gel a bit and get one or two back, but unless Pratley is playing centre half, Watson OR Pratley please. Pratley on current form.
Saturday's game was a 50/50 game which we found ourselves on the right side of. We could have just as easily been on the other side of that.
Very rarely at this level of the game can I say these circumstances are in my area of experience. When managing a reserve team in the Spartan League for a few years it was often a permanent rotation mix of players, youngsters, triallists, returning seniors etc.,
Certainly early season when players were not fully fit, had barely trained together it was a position of "the opposition will not pass" rather than any idea of "the beautiful game".
Basics first please gentlemen. The clever stuff can come later.
The challenge is often "we don't to get to pass either"
Just what would you do if you were giving debuts to 4 players, 2 in defence, while making a 3rd change at left back with the 4th defender 5 or 6 games into his League Career?
It was not actually the midfield I would have selected because I too thought Shinnie would be more effective on the left but I understand why it was chosen. Who wouldn't protect his back four by all means possible?
In the real world Rome wasn't built in a day.
It was really good to see 2 oft labelled "fringe" players deliver effective contributions. Forster-Caskey & Aneke with all the new arrivals must have feared the worst for their prospects. Bowyers' selection and their performances will give every player food for thought.
I am not sure some have the right expectation of Ben Watson. He was, for me, what he has been his entire career - an effective annoying little bugger to play against. Perfectly happy he is now our (hopefully really very) effective annoying little bugger.
If you were expecting "cultured, expansive, pretty" you are likely to be disappointed.
Off the ball he did his job protecting the back four and used his experience to help get the result over the line.
On the ball he is off the pace. He, aged 35, will know it takes longer to get up to speed each year. Covid19 and court injunctions will not have helped his preparations.
As CM you are the platform from which others play though I am not sure a new trio of JFC, Shinnie, Pratley did him any favours particularly when used to operating with better players. I think solid rather than inspiring is the politest description.
Does he personally need to significantly tidy up his game? He most certainly does.
Aneke again showed what talent he has. He and we just need him to believe he can deliver on a regular basis to secure the shirt and find the net. We have through injuries had a few false dawns.
Smyth was the ideal foil in provided precisely the pace and front running, which Aneke cannot, needed to stretch the field.
Overall with a clean sheet it was a firmly positive if unremarkable first step.
Inniss: very impressive for one so undercooked
Pratley: masterful
Famewo: he's very good
Gunter: early booking was plain wrong with that hanging over him his performance very impressive
Watson: quiet and quietly effective, his booking also just refereeing nonsense
Shinnie: quiet
Forster-Caskey: looked like he might be back to something like the form of 3+ years ago a revelation compared to just a couple of weeks ago
Doughty: coped well with the treatment dished out to him especially as it took over an hour for the whistle carrier to take any action
Aneke: couple of good looking touches and moments of strength but ultimately very little end product, telling that he was withdrawn after an hour
Smyth: energetic and enthusiastic, handy to have a long throw merchant
Bogle: looked like a defender's nightmare in his cameo
Referee: dreadful and dreadfully erratic god knows how he managed not to norse up the whole game, destined for high office at EFL!
Wigan at least as good as any visitors to the Valley so far.
Charlton's dead balls consistently awful bar two free-kicks from JFC.
Game management just good enough to see out the 105 minutes. The experience of Pratley and Watson ought to keep the team from dropping too deep when they're ahead
Watson, on the day, was arguably the worst of the three so attracted most of the flak>
I thought he had a good game with running on and off the ball.
In the first half, he nearly scored from a little flick by running to the front post from a low cross by Smyth. It was a good instinctive save by the keeper.
He won an important header on half way, setting Smyth free to win the free kick, in which Forster-Caskey hit the bar from.
It was Forster-Caskey who played an intelligent clipped ball up to Pratley to flick on, then Aneke nearly scored from his excellent swivel and shot.
Yes he gave the ball away a couple of times needlessly, but if you watch carefully, he works hard to get back and he also is very aware defensively when the ball comes into the box. Always looking at where his player is, always ensuring he is goal side.
In the second half, when Aneke again turned brilliantly, skipped passed a few players to play in Pratley, Forster-Caskey was on the other side of the box, waiting at the back post should the ball fell to him.
It was Forster-Caskey who picked up the ball on half way, to drive forward and win the free kick, of which he stepped up and scored from.
It was also Forster-Caskey who won a loose ball in the middle third again, after a long goal kick from Amos. He drove forward onto the right hand side of the box and pulled it back. Pratley couldn't quite get the right connection on it to score, but it was another positive move. His anticipation is very good.
The more I watch him, the more he reminds me in a way of Jackson, the way he plays, the positions he takes up. I am not saying he's as good, but he most certainly has the same type of traits.
His overall game on Saturday was excellent and I think he deserves to start tonight.
Paul Smyth looks lively. Wigan were uninspired, unexciting. Overall the event seemed dreary to me: even watching on screen the absence of a crowd, the lack of atmosphere, left a gaping void. There is no escaping existential fact: this was bang-average, third division stuff...