Already we've lost 5 pts from a winning position. That's more points than we have on the board in total.
I bet out of all the times we've gone 1-0 up in League One we've blown it far more times than we've come back from 0-1 down. Not just this season but all throughout the reign of RD. It just highlights the lack of investment to bring in quality to kill off games or hold onto leads.
1-1 having thrown away the lead having failed to kill off the opposition is pretty much symbolic of the RD era. Frustration all round.
Better than nothing but mid table for us I think this season, a lot of teams look considerably stronger this season, pboro and Pompey to name a few
It's very early days still. Make your judgement after 10 or 12 games.
We've got half a team's worth of key players missing: JFC is a big loss. Pearce is defensive organiser and battle hardened inspiration - and skipper. Fosu, Billy Clarke and Ben Reeves are each capable of being game changers, let alone in combination together. Vetokele is a trump card yet to be played.
And Bowyer is saying there's still a loan player or 2 to come in. The team's nowhere near full strength yet, plus having good experienced options from the bench.
As I said, it's very early days still. Make your judgement after 10 or 12 games.
Real confused by the OS report. Did we have twice as many chances as Accrington?
If Bielik was switched from centre back to midfield at half time, did we play 442 second half? Why did we change that up? That is surely a more offensive line up than having Page/Solly wide with three centre backs.
And did they "equalize against the run of play"? Many saying we barely deserved a point.
Tidy little stadium only open on three sides at the moment and uncovered away end but luckily the weather was kind to us.
We lined up 3-5-2 with Sarr, Bauer and Bielik across the back from left to right. Page and Solly were pushed on Pratley was central with Aribo and Lapslie either side of him. Taylor and Grant up top. A good start from us with plenty of possession but little incisive play going forward until a good interception by Sarr to send Page away and cross for Grant to score off the crossbar which the ref gave eventually. Stanley were quite physical and got away with far too much for my liking from a very lenient ref and to cap it all one of our players was booked first. Apart from one save low down from a fierce cross shot which Phillips palmed out worryingly towards the penalty spot, neither keeper had much to do. We got to half time with our noses in front looking favourites to either get a second or see out the game for 3 points.
Alas this was not to be Grant looked the more of a threat than Taylor who seemed more intent on getting two falls or a submission over his opponent than playing the ball and creating something for himself. Unfortunately with confidence for a striker comes, greediness and the former having done all the hard work should have pulled the ball back for Taylor to slot home instead of trying to squeeze the ball in through the eye of a needle. The midfield had worked tirelessly with flashes of brilliance from Aribo who drifts in and out of the action but seemed to find a second wind after half time. Lapslie grafts non stop and took a few heavy challenges for his efforts and was subbed late on by Marshall about whose cameo the less said the better. Pratley was everything we've been lacking with his guile and physicality (my MOM). Bielik had a good debut looks comfortable on the ball and was pushed up from one of three CBs to DM in what looked like a diamond to me after HT and again he did well there. Not surprisingly fatigue got the better of our new signing and having received treatment for cramp he was replaced by Maloney.
Just when we thought we would hold out for all three points in a fairly dreary game Stanley seemed to get stronger as we flagged the later the game went on. They helped themselves to a late equaliser with a swift break from the half way line which despite Phillips great save from the first effort couldn't do anything about the return shot. Final action of the game was a free kick 20 yards out which Grant bent round the wall clipping a post but it was spoils shared.
Two points dropped and quite rightly an unhappy Caretaker Manager with our decision making in the final third and failure yet again to keep a clean sheet late on.
To counter some of the rubbish in this thread, I thought Sarr was excellent.
Enjoy the pubs in Accrington?
Sarr had an excellent game, he is by far the best passer out of the defence we have at the moment, he was dominant in the air and set up the move for our goal., really really don't get the derision from some of our supporters.
Not a good day, completely spoilt by the inability of fellow fans to state clearly who supplied the cross for our goal. Their equaliser was a mere anecdote thereafter.
To counter some of the rubbish in this thread, I thought Sarr was excellent.
Enjoy the pubs in Accrington?
Sarr had an excellent game, he is by far the best passer out of the defence we have at the moment, he was dominant in the air and set up the move for our goal., really really don't get the derision from some of our supporters.
So want to get excited about Bowyer as a manager, but we are still lacking the creativity we were last season, you can talk up players all you like but in the end they are what they are and we have Marshall playing instead of Ricky Holmes which apparently was his decision, and waiting for Fosu to come back fit - again. Then there is the substitutions or lack of which is more a concern. He talks a good game, is persuasive on signings, and seems more tactically aware than Gobbo and I guess he’s still learning too in the end.
Firstly.............I don't get all this "useless - can't beat Accrington Stanley" rubbish. They are in our league. Doesn't matter how big (Sunderland) or how small (Accrington) we have to play them. They are equal to us. no more, no less. get over it......
Now onto the game.............
Having being delayed by all the 50 mph restrictions, delays & sodding cars breaking down in live lanes on the M6, and then belting down the M65 at 85-90 mph so as to only miss the first 5 mins of the game, all I can say is I hope LB & the players pay any speeding ticket I may get as they did sod all else for the 85 mins we did see.
In all 3 league games we have taken the lead ( 2 within the first 15 mins). In all 3 we have then been pegged back with only one going on to sore another goal. Our problems are not at the back but up front. Taylor is a physical presence & once again gave their back line a torrid time, but a striker.........nah. Grant is quick & scored a decent goal, but should have squared it to Taylor in the 2nd half & needs to learn to shoot with his left foot if he's going to play on that side of a front 2.LB rates him a striker rather than a winger........nah, not for me. We have 2 other strikers sitting on the bench...........yet LB refuses to bring them on. All the time we have those 4 being part of the squad we are going to fail to win matches. End of.
As for the formation. Looks good on paper & I like Sarr as part of a back 3, but although Pearce is not quick he will be better than our Arsenal loanee. Solly can't play wing back. He cant cross & every time he gets down the wing he stops & passes it back or inside.........total waste of time. He even passed when he was set up to shoot from a corner. Training my arse ! Pratley was the best player out there but Aribo is wasted in that formation. Isn't getting forward enough & we are left with Lapslie being the playmaker. He did put it in Grant a couple of times but a lot to ask a youngster playing his first season to be the pivotal chance maker.
Not much else to say. A draw was probably a fair result unless we battered them in the first 5 mins as the 85 we did see we hardly had another shot on target.
The first 3 games is our season in a nutshell. will be mediocre mid table - not enough goals to win games but will always be in games.
PS. just to show you how bad Golfie Jnr thought it was - he refused to clap the players at the end. He was not at all impressed & had the right hump all the way home.
We have got tp be pleased with an away draw to Accrington Stanley, did we beat Arsenal, Chelsea, Spurs and Liverpool this century??? Thanks Roland...tramp the dirt down you psycho
Comments
Already we've lost 5 pts from a winning position. That's more points than we have on the board in total.
I bet out of all the times we've gone 1-0 up in League One we've blown it far more times than we've come back from 0-1 down. Not just this season but all throughout the reign of RD. It just highlights the lack of investment to bring in quality to kill off games or hold onto leads.
1-1 having thrown away the lead having failed to kill off the opposition is pretty much symbolic of the RD era. Frustration all round.
We've got half a team's worth of key players missing:
JFC is a big loss.
Pearce is defensive organiser and battle hardened inspiration - and skipper.
Fosu, Billy Clarke and Ben Reeves are each capable of being game changers, let alone in combination together.
Vetokele is a trump card yet to be played.
And Bowyer is saying there's still a loan player or 2 to come in.
The team's nowhere near full strength yet, plus having good experienced options from the bench.
As I said, it's very early days still. Make your judgement after 10 or 12 games.
If Bielik was switched from centre back to midfield at half time, did we play 442 second half? Why did we change that up? That is surely a more offensive line up than having Page/Solly wide with three centre backs.
And did they "equalize against the run of play"? Many saying we barely deserved a point.
Anything better will be a welcome surprise.
Tidy little stadium only open on three sides at the moment and uncovered away end but luckily the weather was kind to us.
We lined up 3-5-2 with Sarr, Bauer and Bielik across the back from left to right. Page and Solly were pushed on Pratley was central with Aribo and Lapslie either side of him. Taylor and Grant up top. A good start from us with plenty of possession but little incisive play going forward until a good interception by Sarr to send Page away and cross for Grant to score off the crossbar which the ref gave eventually. Stanley were quite physical and got away with far too much for my liking from a very lenient ref and to cap it all one of our players was booked first. Apart from one save low down from a fierce cross shot which Phillips palmed out worryingly towards the penalty spot, neither keeper had much to do. We got to half time with our noses in front looking favourites to either get a second or see out the game for 3 points.
Alas this was not to be Grant looked the more of a threat than Taylor who seemed more intent on getting two falls or a submission over his opponent than playing the ball and creating something for himself. Unfortunately with confidence for a striker comes, greediness and the former having done all the hard work should have pulled the ball back for Taylor to slot home instead of trying to squeeze the ball in through the eye of a needle. The midfield had worked tirelessly with flashes of brilliance from Aribo who drifts in and out of the action but seemed to find a second wind after half time. Lapslie grafts non stop and took a few heavy challenges for his efforts and was subbed late on by Marshall about whose cameo the less said the better. Pratley was everything we've been lacking with his guile and physicality (my MOM). Bielik had a good debut looks comfortable on the ball and was pushed up from one of three CBs to DM in what looked like a diamond to me after HT and again he did well there. Not surprisingly fatigue got the better of our new signing and having received treatment for cramp he was replaced by Maloney.
Just when we thought we would hold out for all three points in a fairly dreary game Stanley seemed to get stronger as we flagged the later the game went on. They helped themselves to a late equaliser with a swift break from the half way line which despite Phillips great save from the first effort couldn't do anything about the return shot. Final action of the game was a free kick 20 yards out which Grant bent round the wall clipping a post but it was spoils shared.
Two points dropped and quite rightly an unhappy Caretaker Manager with our decision making in the final third and failure yet again to keep a clean sheet late on.
4 goals scored, 4 conceded.
This just screams "mid-table" finish.
Lots of pace and power. Tuesday night promises to be tough.
(posted after travelling 520 miles)
Firstly.............I don't get all this "useless - can't beat Accrington Stanley" rubbish. They are in our league. Doesn't matter how big (Sunderland) or how small (Accrington) we have to play them. They are equal to us. no more, no less. get over it......
Now onto the game.............
Having being delayed by all the 50 mph restrictions, delays & sodding cars breaking down in live lanes on the M6, and then belting down the M65 at 85-90 mph so as to only miss the first 5 mins of the game, all I can say is I hope LB & the players pay any speeding ticket I may get as they did sod all else for the 85 mins we did see.
In all 3 league games we have taken the lead ( 2 within the first 15 mins). In all 3 we have then been pegged back with only one going on to sore another goal. Our problems are not at the back but up front. Taylor is a physical presence & once again gave their back line a torrid time, but a striker.........nah. Grant is quick & scored a decent goal, but should have squared it to Taylor in the 2nd half & needs to learn to shoot with his left foot if he's going to play on that side of a front 2.LB rates him a striker rather than a winger........nah, not for me. We have 2 other strikers sitting on the bench...........yet LB refuses to bring them on. All the time we have those 4 being part of the squad we are going to fail to win matches. End of.
As for the formation. Looks good on paper & I like Sarr as part of a back 3, but although Pearce is not quick he will be better than our Arsenal loanee. Solly can't play wing back. He cant cross & every time he gets down the wing he stops & passes it back or inside.........total waste of time. He even passed when he was set up to shoot from a corner. Training my arse ! Pratley was the best player out there but Aribo is wasted in that formation. Isn't getting forward enough & we are left with Lapslie being the playmaker. He did put it in Grant a couple of times but a lot to ask a youngster playing his first season to be the pivotal chance maker.
Not much else to say. A draw was probably a fair result unless we battered them in the first 5 mins as the 85 we did see we hardly had another shot on target.
The first 3 games is our season in a nutshell. will be mediocre mid table - not enough goals to win games but will always be in games.
PS. just to show you how bad Golfie Jnr thought it was - he refused to clap the players at the end. He was not at all impressed & had the right hump all the way home.