Teams know how Garner likes to play, and will be studying both the Cambridge and Plymouth matches to see how to counter us (and how not to counter us!).
I agree with others that we desperately needed a pacier striker up top. With a quicker striker, the opposition defence would have to drop deeper to counter this, creating more space in the middle for our passing game.
I don’t think we necessarily need a pacier striker, though one would be nice. We need to look at how we can support Stockley and have somebody close enough to feed him or be fed by him, picking up the second attempt if his attempts are saved or blocked. I wouldn’t mind seeing whether Kanu could fill that role. He clearly knows where the goal is. An outing against Walsall might be the opportunity to see.
Well the injuries didn't take long to kick in this season with Aneke, Sessegnon, McGrandles, CBT and Egbo. Walsall away will be interesting. The *66% possession stat again proves it's the most over rated stat going but our Midfield is good this season and is the main reason we are sixth and not 22nd. Fraser is looking like the Milton Keynes player who was good at the Valley and Morgan did over hit some set pieces yesterday but was still trying to create openings until the final whistle. George Dobson is a 100% midfield battler and Kirk had a good 1st half. McGrandles came with an injury in the last match of last season and has now fractured his hand after his efforts on Tuesday night !
* Paradox because it's good to see a Cafc team have ball retention but Man United had similar possession stats in the 4-0 defeat to Brentford !
How much of that possession was our back line passing it back and forward to Innis ?
Quiet often, as it will be under this coaching side, though we are not afraid to play it long when it warrants it. Listen to what Bonner says in his post match interview, passing it like and remaining patient like that is all part of our game plan to look to create space and make it difficult for teams to remain in their shape.
We passed the ball across the back line loads under JJ as well, but were less patient with it, and ultimately it just led to Famewo chipping the ball diagonally out of play.
Now we are moving much more intelligently off the ball and players are constantly swapping and picking up unorthodox positions.
The only criticism I can have with yesterday is that we just moved it a little to slow, which was a combination of Cambridge making it difficult and having a few players off the boil. Every team in this league will be coached well and will be able to set up similar to how Cambridge did yesterday, and we need to find a way to be a little more snappy and one touch with our passing.
I thought Dobson did lots and lots of good work, and this is not a criticism of him, but yesterday you can see why Garner was experimenting with other players who may be a little quicker when moving and transitioning with the ball.
You see, this is where I thought we got it wrong yesterday ... lots of possession at the back, but very little movement in front of that.
If you have the ball as a defender, you want a target to hit. Neither Stockley or Rak-Sakyi were making themselves easily available and, more importantly, Dobson was not finding free space in the centre of midfield. If this system is to work, you need fluidity and interchange up front and a string-puller in midfield. It's why I would have brought on Payne at the start of the second half.
The one move that did work quite well was the ball from right back (Clare) to left wing (usually Clayden). We also found Rak-Sakyi a couple times as Stockley went left and the ball went right. It's clearly pre-planned, but we didn't do enough of it.
Finally ... Rak-Sakyi ... no right foot, and he has some talent for sure. But he needs clarity of role. He's young and he is making it up as he goes along. Someone needs to sit down with him and tell him what wing play is all about. He needs to understand what he is trying to do.
I also query this 'modern' trend of playing wingers on the wrong side. Rak-Sakyi and Kirk should have been swapped. Stockley must dream of balls cut back from the byeline.
Listen to the Bonner interview, and how he talks about our movement, and the positions we set up in and how it effected Cambridge’s shape and press.
We had lots of fluidity and interchange up front. Look at what Fraser was doing, and look at how Kirk would often come in really narrow and play close to Stockley and Clayden would almost be left wing. We set up in lots of different ways on the ball, and it’s really interesting to watch as the game progresses.
Just because it didn’t come off in the end does not mean it was not there. You have to give credit to opposition teams sometimes as well.
Done that. Who is Bonner by the way? Am I missing something?
Garner (for it is he) talks about doing things better, making better decisions etc. Please reference the above.
And, yes, credit to Cambridge. But a post-match explanation as to why we didn't play well is no substitute for dealing with the problem during the game.
when garner ball works it's great to watch but I'm worried that teams can work us out fairly easily, even our subs are predictable. Leaburn on the right, cbt on the left and Payne for frazer.
if cbt didn't get injured, I think we would have lost. Henry coming on for cbt made garner change things and we got back into the game.
we were warned by Swindon fans that garner didn't have a plan b and he proved that yesterday. Cambridge were on top and the plan was to change personnel and hope! It cost us two points yesterday.
Jackson got criticised for sticking to 3-5-2, I think garner will go the same way with 4-3-3. Change it up to bring out results!!!!
when garner ball works it's great to watch but I'm worried that teams can work us out fairly easily, even our subs are predictable. Leaburn on the right, cbt on the left and Payne for frazer.
if cbt didn't get injured, I think we would have lost. Henry coming on for cbt made garner change things and we got back into the game.
we were warned by Swindon fans that garner didn't have a plan b and he proved that yesterday. Cambridge were on top and the plan was to change personnel and hope! It cost us two points yesterday.
Jackson got criticised for sticking to 3-5-2, I think garner will go the same way with 4-3-3. Change it up to bring out results!!!!
But we have not played 4-3-3 the same during the progression of a game, never mind from match to match.
The team who won the league last season still drew 11 games and lost 8. There are going to results like this throughout the season, especially when you play tough sides like Cambridge who have a very good coach.
There is certainly aspects of play we can improve on from yesterday, but we were really not that bad. We don’t have to look to far back to see what truly bad performances look like.
when garner ball works it's great to watch but I'm worried that teams can work us out fairly easily, even our subs are predictable. Leaburn on the right, cbt on the left and Payne for frazer.
if cbt didn't get injured, I think we would have lost. Henry coming on for cbt made garner change things and we got back into the game.
we were warned by Swindon fans that garner didn't have a plan b and he proved that yesterday. Cambridge were on top and the plan was to change personnel and hope! It cost us two points yesterday.
Jackson got criticised for sticking to 3-5-2, I think garner will go the same way with 4-3-3. Change it up to bring out results!!!!
Garner switched to 4-4-2 later on in the game with Leaburn alongside Stockley, Payne right midfield and Morgan left midfield.
Subs are always going to be fairly predictable with only 7 on the bench. You’ll typically have a GK, FB and CB leaving you with a CM, winger, striker and one other.
Payne’s player CM and out wide, Leaburn’s player up front and out wide, CBT has played on both wings.
I want to see us become more of a threat from set pieces, it currently feels like we’re not despite Stockley and Inniss being on the pitch. We’ve won one penalty from a handball, it would be good to see us win some by players running at defenders. Promotion winning sides usually have both to their game and it can add those extra goals you need to turn tight games like yesterday.
If we can bring in a more mobile striker who’s not another teenager that’ll change our game too. Through balls to Stockley are rarely on and when they are if the pass and his run aren’t spot on they’re not going to work.
What gives me hope is Garner is a coach, he’ll be looking for ways to improve us in those areas and no doubt other things he’s picked up on that won’t be so obvious.
Teams know how Garner likes to play, and will be studying both the Cambridge and Plymouth matches to see how to counter us (and how not to counter us!).
I agree with others that we desperately needed a pacier striker up top. With a quicker striker, the opposition defence would have to drop deeper to counter this, creating more space in the middle for our passing game.
I don’t think we necessarily need a pacier striker, though one would be nice. We need to look at how we can support Stockley and have somebody close enough to feed him or be fed by him, picking up the second attempt if his attempts are saved or blocked. I wouldn’t mind seeing whether Kanu could fill that role. He clearly knows where the goal is. An outing against Walsall might be the opportunity to see.
Good call If you are good enough you are old enough and a match like Walsall in the cup would be ideal i would say. Re Stockley with his height.Do they ever practise dead ball deliveries to him Or corners,to the say ,far post It beggars belief, that his height is never used.Or dare i say it ,he cannot out manouver his marker, and times his run all wrong .I know its history now but if we dont bring in another striker, the selling of Washington is going to bite Garner in the bum ,if things turn pear shaped
Stockley is good in the air, but so are the centre backs marking him. You don't need to be tall anyway to score headed goals, if you can create space to get a free header.
What surprised me was that Cambridge were playing close attention to JRS double teaming him when he had the ball. He dutifully stuck to the right touchline. Surely it would have been an idea to get him to roam everywhere across the front line to give the defenders something else to think about ?
Well the injuries didn't take long to kick in this season with Aneke, Sessegnon, McGrandles, CBT and Egbo. Walsall away will be interesting. The *66% possession stat again proves it's the most over rated stat going but our Midfield is good this season and is the main reason we are sixth and not 22nd. Fraser is looking like the Milton Keynes player who was good at the Valley and Morgan did over hit some set pieces yesterday but was still trying to create openings until the final whistle. George Dobson is a 100% midfield battler and Kirk had a good 1st half. McGrandles came with an injury in the last match of last season and has now fractured his hand after his efforts on Tuesday night !
* Paradox because it's good to see a Cafc team have ball retention but Man United had similar possession stats in the 4-0 defeat to Brentford !
How much of that possession was our back line passing it back and forward to Innis ?
An awful lot of the possession was in our own half and neither centre half looked particularly comfortable.
I thought Lavelle and O’Connell have looked ok in possession, and a giant defender like Inniss is normally likely to look less so.
The passing about between the back four is a thing even in higher levels with clubs who do it very well. The key is midfielders finding a bit of space so they can look to pass forwards rather then backwards. Much more work has to be done off the ball.
There are unlikely to be many games where defenders don’t screw UP, under Garnerball, but it’s important to stop teams scoring when it happens. Or to score more goals than them if they do.
What we don’t want to do is resort to hoofball if things get a bit wobbly.
Well the injuries didn't take long to kick in this season with Aneke, Sessegnon, McGrandles, CBT and Egbo. Walsall away will be interesting. The *66% possession stat again proves it's the most over rated stat going but our Midfield is good this season and is the main reason we are sixth and not 22nd. Fraser is looking like the Milton Keynes player who was good at the Valley and Morgan did over hit some set pieces yesterday but was still trying to create openings until the final whistle. George Dobson is a 100% midfield battler and Kirk had a good 1st half. McGrandles came with an injury in the last match of last season and has now fractured his hand after his efforts on Tuesday night !
* Paradox because it's good to see a Cafc team have ball retention but Man United had similar possession stats in the 4-0 defeat to Brentford !
How much of that possession was our back line passing it back and forward to Innis ?
An awful lot of the possession was in our own half and neither centre half looked particularly comfortable.
I thought Lavelle and O’Connell have looked ok in possession, and a giant defender like Inniss is normally likely to look less so.
The passing about between the back four is a thing even in higher levels with clubs who do it very well. The key is midfielders finding a bit of space so they can look to pass forwards rather then backwards. Much more work has to be done off the ball.
There are unlikely to be many games where defenders don’t screw, under Garnerball, but it’s important to stop teams scoring when it happens. Or to score more goals than them if they do.
What we don’t want to do is resort to hoofball if things get a bit wobbly.
I thought we played quite a few dodgy balls in defence yesterday - does concern me we will get caught out.
Could the more knowledgeable (than me) comment on the fact that Clare didn't seem to fancy passing to Satyi, who was on the same side of the pitch , preferring to go for long diagonals to Kirk and Clayden. I think he did 6 of those before JRS got 1-2 from the other side of the pitch. I was expecting something straight down the line maybe lofted for JRS to run on(as he has pace) to but just didn't seem to happen. They didn't really try to test the defence on that side.The diagonal balls JRS did receive were ones were he had to be static to control them. Overall it left JRS looking a lonely figure and his body language seemed to say "why am I here?" I agree he's young and learning the game and from Tuesday has great potential, but I thought he could have been used more, or alternatively held back as a sub, and CBT started (OK maybe fitness issues there)
Could the more knowledgeable (than me) comment on the fact that Clare didn't seem to fancy passing to Satyi, who was on the same side of the pitch , preferring to go for long diagonals to Kirk and Clayden. I think he did 6 of those before JRS got 1-2 from the other side of the pitch. I was expecting something straight down the line maybe lofted for JRS to run on(as he has pace) to but just didn't seem to happen. They didn't really try to test the defence on that side.The diagonal balls JRS did receive were ones were he had to be static to control them. Overall it left JRS looking a lonely figure and his body language seemed to say "why am I here?" I agree he's young and learning the game and from Tuesday has great potential, but I thought he could have been used more, or alternatively held back as a sub, and CBT started (OK maybe fitness issues there)
To my eyes it looked like they were doubling, even tripling up on JRS at times. That opened up a lot of space on the other side of the pitch which made the switch quite attractive, rather than playing it to JRS who would be running into trouble.
When JRS did get the ball he couldn't do much with it because they had so many on him, that's something he'll have to learn to deal with. Don't think he'll get the same amount of space he did in his first game again.
Could the more knowledgeable (than me) comment on the fact that Clare didn't seem to fancy passing to Satyi, who was on the same side of the pitch , preferring to go for long diagonals to Kirk and Clayden. I think he did 6 of those before JRS got 1-2 from the other side of the pitch. I was expecting something straight down the line maybe lofted for JRS to run on(as he has pace) to but just didn't seem to happen. They didn't really try to test the defence on that side.The diagonal balls JRS did receive were ones were he had to be static to control them. Overall it left JRS looking a lonely figure and his body language seemed to say "why am I here?" I agree he's young and learning the game and from Tuesday has great potential, but I thought he could have been used more, or alternatively held back as a sub, and CBT started (OK maybe fitness issues there)
To my eyes it looked like they were doubling, even tripling up on JRS at times. That opened up a lot of space on the other side of the pitch which made the switch quite attractive, rather than playing it to JRS who would be running into trouble.
When JRS did get the ball he couldn't do much with it because they had so many on him, that's something he'll have to learn to deal with. Don't think he'll get the same amount of space he did in his first game again.
He certainly won’t against teams who come to play like Cambridge, who did a very decent job on him. If teams want to be more expansive and attack more, then the space will be available for him.
I hate coming away from a match admiring the performance of the visitors, but Cambridge did their homework and it was clear by half time they were no mugs and had our system sorted.
They squeezed both our wide men and played quick ball to their forwards meaning that Dobson won man of the match for having to cover a lot of the pitch. Garner persisted with the two Charlies on the left side but unlike Plymouth, Cambridge had a danger man in their number 18, so Albie spent much of the first half covering the left back position, denying his presence in centre midfield and also probably mucking up his rhythm, because he wasn't the same player as on Tuesday. Fraser was also playing very high, virtually alongside Stockley at times meaning that Dobson or one of the centre backs were having to make the forward pass.
Thought Garner made changes a little too late in the second half and was unlucky in his ace card CBT being crocked by a nasty tackle. Henry and Leaburn linked up well and offered much more attacking effort in the last 10 minutes.
The visitors have written the script now on how to nullify Garner's existing system and other teams will have taken note. Inniss looks dodgy with the ball at his feet, and Stockley isn't going to score much in open play - he fluffed his two chances in the first half and with one of them it was like watching a tanker turning. He had a splendid volley in the second half, from CBT's only contribution of the game, but missed the target. Here's hoping for an addition up front and for Leaburn Jnr to continue his excellent progress.
when garner ball works it's great to watch but I'm worried that teams can work us out fairly easily, even our subs are predictable. Leaburn on the right, cbt on the left and Payne for frazer.
if cbt didn't get injured, I think we would have lost. Henry coming on for cbt made garner change things and we got back into the game.
we were warned by Swindon fans that garner didn't have a plan b and he proved that yesterday. Cambridge were on top and the plan was to change personnel and hope! It cost us two points yesterday.
Jackson got criticised for sticking to 3-5-2, I think garner will go the same way with 4-3-3. Change it up to bring out results!!!!
Garner switched to 4-4-2 later on in the game with Leaburn alongside Stockley, Payne right midfield and Morgan left midfield.
Subs are always going to be fairly predictable with only 7 on the bench. You’ll typically have a GK, FB and CB leaving you with a CM, winger, striker and one other.
Payne’s player CM and out wide, Leaburn’s player up front and out wide, CBT has played on both wings.
I want to see us become more of a threat from set pieces, it currently feels like we’re not despite Stockley and Inniss being on the pitch. We’ve won one penalty from a handball, it would be good to see us win some by players running at defenders. Promotion winning sides usually have both to their game and it can add those extra goals you need to turn tight games like yesterday.
If we can bring in a more mobile striker who’s not another teenager that’ll change our game too. Through balls to Stockley are rarely on and when they are if the pass and his run aren’t spot on they’re not going to work.
What gives me hope is Garner is a coach, he’ll be looking for ways to improve us in those areas and no doubt other things he’s picked up on that won’t be so obvious.
The only reason he changed formation was because one of our predictable subs got substituted through injury.
my point is that already we are predictable. Leaburn on the right, cbt on the left, Payne for frazer. It makes it easier for the opposition to plan for
morgan was ineffective yesterday, why not shake it up and bring on Henry for him? No, take of frazer who in my opinion, had a better game than Morgan, for.....yep, Payne. 5 league games gone and how many times have we made that change already? Predictable.
We might have become predictable, but those who think we have need to listen to Bonner's comments yesterday - We sound anything but straightforward to play against, not to someone who is at that level themselves.
Yes Cambridge have given a blueprint to teams going forward on how to face us - But its not like those sides can put a piece of tracing paper over that blueprint and copy it down to the last minute - Only takes one player with less desire that week, less talent for us to find a way through on that occasion... Same as it works the other way, only takes one moment for a player to suddenly have a worldie of a game, to break us open on another occasion.
Well the injuries didn't take long to kick in this season with Aneke, Sessegnon, McGrandles, CBT and Egbo. Walsall away will be interesting. The *66% possession stat again proves it's the most over rated stat going but our Midfield is good this season and is the main reason we are sixth and not 22nd. Fraser is looking like the Milton Keynes player who was good at the Valley and Morgan did over hit some set pieces yesterday but was still trying to create openings until the final whistle. George Dobson is a 100% midfield battler and Kirk had a good 1st half. McGrandles came with an injury in the last match of last season and has now fractured his hand after his efforts on Tuesday night !
* Paradox because it's good to see a Cafc team have ball retention but Man United had similar possession stats in the 4-0 defeat to Brentford !
How much of that possession was our back line passing it back and forward to Innis ?
That is the reason I said possession is the most overrated stat going for the very reason you mentioned.
The fact we didn't lose that match compared to 12 months ago when we stunk the place out with a 2-1 home defeat against Cheltenham shows we have made advances but still a long way to go.
*Mix and match and try to control the tempo of a match which we failed to do 2nd half as Cambridge refused to respect Garner's way of playing. Why should they !
* Some days you have to accept if you have two big forwards like Jayden and Miles get the ball to their heads in the box which we did a tad too late to win the game.
It was more 4-4-2 at the end and that was his plan B and that was about the only time we looked like scoring 2nd half.
Well the injuries didn't take long to kick in this season with Aneke, Sessegnon, McGrandles, CBT and Egbo. Walsall away will be interesting. The *66% possession stat again proves it's the most over rated stat going but our Midfield is good this season and is the main reason we are sixth and not 22nd. Fraser is looking like the Milton Keynes player who was good at the Valley and Morgan did over hit some set pieces yesterday but was still trying to create openings until the final whistle. George Dobson is a 100% midfield battler and Kirk had a good 1st half. McGrandles came with an injury in the last match of last season and has now fractured his hand after his efforts on Tuesday night !
* Paradox because it's good to see a Cafc team have ball retention but Man United had similar possession stats in the 4-0 defeat to Brentford !
How much of that possession was our back line passing it back and forward to Innis ?
Quiet often, as it will be under this coaching side, though we are not afraid to play it long when it warrants it. Listen to what Bonner says in his post match interview, passing it like and remaining patient like that is all part of our game plan to look to create space and make it difficult for teams to remain in their shape.
We passed the ball across the back line loads under JJ as well, but were less patient with it, and ultimately it just led to Famewo chipping the ball diagonally out of play.
Now we are moving much more intelligently off the ball and players are constantly swapping and picking up unorthodox positions.
The only criticism I can have with yesterday is that we just moved it a little to slow, which was a combination of Cambridge making it difficult and having a few players off the boil. Every team in this league will be coached well and will be able to set up similar to how Cambridge did yesterday, and we need to find a way to be a little more snappy and one touch with our passing.
I thought Dobson did lots and lots of good work, and this is not a criticism of him, but yesterday you can see why Garner was experimenting with other players who may be a little quicker when moving and transitioning with the ball.
You see, this is where I thought we got it wrong yesterday ... lots of possession at the back, but very little movement in front of that.
If you have the ball as a defender, you want a target to hit. Neither Stockley or Rak-Sakyi were making themselves easily available and, more importantly, Dobson was not finding free space in the centre of midfield. If this system is to work, you need fluidity and interchange up front and a string-puller in midfield. It's why I would have brought on Payne at the start of the second half.
The one move that did work quite well was the ball from right back (Clare) to left wing (usually Clayden). We also found Rak-Sakyi a couple times as Stockley went left and the ball went right. It's clearly pre-planned, but we didn't do enough of it.
Finally ... Rak-Sakyi ... no right foot, and he has some talent for sure. But he needs clarity of role. He's young and he is making it up as he goes along. Someone needs to sit down with him and tell him what wing play is all about. He needs to understand what he is trying to do.
I also query this 'modern' trend of playing wingers on the wrong side. Rak-Sakyi and Kirk should have been swapped. Stockley must dream of balls cut back from the byeline.
Listen to the Bonner interview, and how he talks about our movement, and the positions we set up in and how it effected Cambridge’s shape and press.
We had lots of fluidity and interchange up front. Look at what Fraser was doing, and look at how Kirk would often come in really narrow and play close to Stockley and Clayden would almost be left wing. We set up in lots of different ways on the ball, and it’s really interesting to watch as the game progresses.
Just because it didn’t come off in the end does not mean it was not there. You have to give credit to opposition teams sometimes as well.
Done that. Who is Bonner by the way? Am I missing something?
Garner (for it is he) talks about doing things better, making better decisions etc. Please reference the above.
And, yes, credit to Cambridge. But a post-match explanation as to why we didn't play well is no substitute for dealing with the problem during the game.
CBT came on and his power could have given Cafc an extra gear. Fraser had a good game but he could have set CBT free on the right after Corey came on. The injury summed up our day.
I think Pearce hit the nail on the head when he said we needed to up the speed of passing and take a few more risks. By being ponderously slow we made it easy for CU to organise and couldn’t create many good chances. A few players hid yesterday by feeling they had done their job by simply passing and never picking out the best pass. Our two centre halves were the worst culprits (especially Inniss) and, more surprisingly, Clare.
From Kevin Nolan's report 'Almost in slow motion, the ball meandered from Joe Wollacott to either Ryan Innis or Eoghan O’Connell, out to Sean Clare or Clayden before making its way back, via Inniss or O’ Connell again, to Wollacott. Then repeat as necessary before booting it downfield. Far better, you might suppose, to employ the superior control of midfielders Morgan, Fraser and Dobson to protect the ball while moving it forward but it’s the modern way to pass backwards and sideways in a football version of Russian roulette, until the space diminishes and panic takes over.' The weakness of Garnerball with our defenders summed up. And he says it is the equivalent of chalk scraping a blackboard.
When you watch premier players passing it around at the back, they play the ball in front of their defender teammate to create forward momentum Whereas we are playing the ball to feet which slows everything down. Why, I wonder?
Is this word hiding in fashion ? One person said it about Gilbey last season and now it's the go to word on CL.
I don't think anyone hid and part of Garner ball is being accurate in possession. Ben has explained that we couldn't up the tempo 2nd half until very late on. The Dodgy spell the ref had 2nd half and CBT very short spell on the field contributed to an average performance but we are ahead of a year ago and Dobson, Clare, Morgan Kirk and Fraser all seem to be finding decent form in this formation. Clayden on the Left is fine when attacking !
It's Garner's gig and I'm intrigued how he is going to be successful without occasionally reverting to what happened late on yesterday when we got a 2nd wind ?
Comments
when garner ball works it's great to watch but I'm worried that teams can work us out fairly easily, even our subs are predictable. Leaburn on the right, cbt on the left and Payne for frazer.
if cbt didn't get injured, I think we would have lost. Henry coming on for cbt made garner change things and we got back into the game.
we were warned by Swindon fans that garner didn't have a plan b and he proved that yesterday. Cambridge were on top and the plan was to change personnel and hope! It cost us two points yesterday.
There is certainly aspects of play we can improve on from yesterday, but we were really not that bad. We don’t have to look to far back to see what truly bad performances look like.
I feel a little perspective is needed.
Subs are always going to be fairly predictable with only 7 on the bench. You’ll typically have a GK, FB and CB leaving you with a CM, winger, striker and one other.
Payne’s player CM and out wide, Leaburn’s player up front and out wide, CBT has played on both wings.
I want to see us become more of a threat from set pieces, it currently feels like we’re not despite Stockley and Inniss being on the pitch. We’ve won one penalty from a handball, it would be good to see us win some by players running at defenders. Promotion winning sides usually have both to their game and it can add those extra goals you need to turn tight games like yesterday.
If we can bring in a more mobile striker who’s not another teenager that’ll change our game too. Through balls to Stockley are rarely on and when they are if the pass and his run aren’t spot on they’re not going to work.
What gives me hope is Garner is a coach, he’ll be looking for ways to improve us in those areas and no doubt other things he’s picked up on that won’t be so obvious.
They have won none, scored none, lost one and drawn two.
Tougher than some think this League one. (Please feel free to use the space below for notes).
Overall it left JRS looking a lonely figure and his body language seemed to say "why am I here?" I agree he's young and learning the game and from Tuesday has great potential, but I thought he could have been used more, or alternatively held back as a sub, and CBT started (OK maybe fitness issues there)
When JRS did get the ball he couldn't do much with it because they had so many on him, that's something he'll have to learn to deal with. Don't think he'll get the same amount of space he did in his first game again.
They squeezed both our wide men and played quick ball to their forwards meaning that Dobson won man of the match for having to cover a lot of the pitch. Garner persisted with the two Charlies on the left side but unlike Plymouth, Cambridge had a danger man in their number 18, so Albie spent much of the first half covering the left back position, denying his presence in centre midfield and also probably mucking up his rhythm, because he wasn't the same player as on Tuesday. Fraser was also playing very high, virtually alongside Stockley at times meaning that Dobson or one of the centre backs were having to make the forward pass.
Thought Garner made changes a little too late in the second half and was unlucky in his ace card CBT being crocked by a nasty tackle. Henry and Leaburn linked up well and offered much more attacking effort in the last 10 minutes.
The visitors have written the script now on how to nullify Garner's existing system and other teams will have taken note. Inniss looks dodgy with the ball at his feet, and Stockley isn't going to score much in open play - he fluffed his two chances in the first half and with one of them it was like watching a tanker turning. He had a splendid volley in the second half, from CBT's only contribution of the game, but missed the target. Here's hoping for an addition up front and for Leaburn Jnr to continue his excellent progress.
my point is that already we are predictable. Leaburn on the right, cbt on the left, Payne for frazer. It makes it easier for the opposition to plan for
morgan was ineffective yesterday, why not shake it up and bring on Henry for him? No, take of frazer who in my opinion, had a better game than Morgan, for.....yep, Payne. 5 league games gone and how many times have we made that change already? Predictable.
Think it might be time to bring out the Russell Martin clip:
Yes Cambridge have given a blueprint to teams going forward on how to face us - But its not like those sides can put a piece of tracing paper over that blueprint and copy it down to the last minute - Only takes one player with less desire that week, less talent for us to find a way through on that occasion... Same as it works the other way, only takes one moment for a player to suddenly have a worldie of a game, to break us open on another occasion.
With money tight there now, I think Swansea are going to struggle a bit this season
Bring back booooing it works
That is the reason I said possession is the most overrated stat going for the very reason you mentioned.
The fact we didn't lose that match compared to 12 months ago when we stunk the place out with a 2-1 home defeat against Cheltenham shows we have made advances but still a long way to go.
*Mix and match and try to control the tempo of a match which we failed to do 2nd half as Cambridge refused to respect Garner's way of playing. Why should they !
* Some days you have to accept if you have two big forwards like Jayden and Miles get the ball to their heads in the box which we did a tad too late to win the game.
It was more 4-4-2 at the end and that was his plan B and that was about the only time we looked like scoring 2nd half.
Funny old game.
CBT came on and his power could have given Cafc an extra gear. Fraser had a good game but he could have set CBT free on the right after Corey came on. The injury summed up our day.
The weakness of Garnerball with our defenders summed up. And he says it is the equivalent of chalk scraping a blackboard.
Whereas we are playing the ball to feet which slows everything down. Why, I wonder?
One person said it about Gilbey last season and now it's the go to word on CL.
I don't think anyone hid and part of Garner ball is being accurate in possession. Ben has explained that we couldn't up the tempo 2nd half until very late on. The Dodgy spell the ref had 2nd half and CBT very short spell on the field contributed to an average performance but we are ahead of a year ago and Dobson, Clare, Morgan Kirk and Fraser all seem to be finding decent form in this formation. Clayden on the Left is fine when attacking !
It's Garner's gig and I'm intrigued how he is going to be successful without occasionally reverting to what happened late on yesterday when we got a 2nd wind ?