Make no mistake, I am massively concerned about that, but I just think every year the club treat this cup like a pre-season game to get fitness into legs and assess some fringe players so there is not really any point in thinking too much about it. we could have fielded a far stronger side if we wanted to regardless of the wider issues.
The midfield. We seriously lack a ball winner which resulted in the almost endless pressure. When we get forward, the players seem to find space and make chances. A big giant change in quality when Sema came on all points to the obvious. We need better players who are able to get and retain possession.
It is a bit hard to assess the system / shape when quite a few didnt really seem to know what they were doing. System seems pretty reliant on good quality wing backs - something that was painfully obvious today and we saw to a similar extent against Boro when Ngakia didn't have a great game.
I thought it was a good summary, myself. I dipped in to the Shoutbox several times, and dipped out quickly. It was awful, as if everyone was queuing up to post "the most negative of the evening" prize. It was so flipping boring. How anyone on that shoutbox can ever complain about the players attitude being too negative...?
We got out of jail tonight and there is still a lot to be concerned about. But nice to at least get out of jail.
I assumed the Oxford penalties were pretty tame given that Bachmann saved them all, but they were quite decent (at least, the 1st and 2nd ones were). Fair play to the man.
Surely the system is an issue though if the players don’t know what they are meant to be doing within it?
Missed the game, doesn't sound very encouraging but to be expected with that line-up. No surprise Sierralta seems poor, his CV to date has been awful. Hopefully finds some form...
It was basically a third string side with the unavailable players we have and I don't think anyone, Ivic included, was bothered about the game in the slightest. If you want to get your knickers in a twist again and read to much into it then that's your right. Fingers crossed for you we lose 3-0 at the weekend!
Hard to assess really at this stage after such a short pre-season where some of the players have had all of a week to learn it It was also squad largely consisting of U23s and players who have just arrived who have had very little time to develop chemistry / understanding. I will reserve judgement either way until Ivic has had a few weeks to implement it.
A great performance by Bachmann, definitely our MOTM. However, am I the only one that thinks that had we had VAR at that game all three of the Bachmann penalty saves would have had to be retaken as he moved off his line for all three IMO.
Was it? I must have imagined seeing three players from Friday starting then. If players there were "third string", who are all the second string players that were missing that we'd expect to be our first choice back up? The usual though, any analyse of the squad, performances, anything that can possibly be construde as "negative" is inevitably met with "bedwetters!", "knickers in a twist". Every. Single. Time. How dare anyone do anything other than write everything off and breeze past anything that may highlight any potentially problems with the club/squad?!!
I’m sure there will still be some ‘clapping’ too it that were to happen. (Not saying you as I actually do recognise you’re more balanced - but it’s fair to recognise that whilst we have overly negative forum members, we also have quite a few who are seemingly in partial denial of what’s in front of us as well.)
I think we should close match threads after the game unless we win comfortably. Discussion over causes for concern, problems within the club, squad depth and quality will simply not be tolerated. If we play badly or lose we must simply accept that it doesn't matter, breeze past it and we go again.
What did you actually expect from that side? The season we got promoted we lost 2-1 at home to Doncaster with a close to full strength team. IT MEANS **** ALL
Against League One Oxford reserves, with three of our first choices starting and players like Perica and Sierralta starting who I've been told will prove to be decent signings, I expect more than being completely outplayed for the majority of the game, being lucky not to be 4-0 down at half time and then scraping a win on penalties.
I would Presently we have no "target" forwards to lead our attack, we seem to be reverting back to just hoofing the ball forward to players with no physical presence . His contract runs out this season , so let him contribute to the team to prevent further relegation. Don't cut off your nose to spite your face
As I said, some humorous stuff in there that was good natured. Including this... Nath was hardly scathing and personal was he? He can defend himself but I read it far more as a humorous reference to his ‘tiff’ with LouOrns the other day regarding Perica. The shoutbox is free to use as much as any other part of the forum. You were free to come vociferously defend Perica and any other players and point out their merits?
Against League One Doncaster, with three of our first choices starting (Vydra, Ighalo, Hoban) and players like Dyer and Ighalo starting who I've been told will prove to be decent signings, I expect more than being outplayed for the majority of the game, then losing 2-1. -NathWFC, 2014
Another excellent post. You're doing well tonight. Nothing matters because we lost to Doncaster once 6 years ago. Plus we beat Liverpool 3-0 in February. So all in all we're on the right path.
Here it is, in all its glory http://wfcforums.com/index.php?thre...r-rovers-26-08-14-league-cup-2nd-round.46079/
We need a stronger midfield. (Hughes) and wing backs who can overlap (<tumbleweed>) that will be our problem this season. Perica will come good and should start on Saturday. Phillip's should also start and I would reward Stephenson with a bench place. Just to show good performances get rewards
1. Fitness and intensity - many players still seemed like they were playing a pre-season friendly, which given how little time the squad has been back for is near enough the case. 2. Personnel - obviously there were a lot of younger and backup players playing who we would not expect to be appearing much in the league. The 3 first-teamers who started, Quina, Chalobah and Wilmot, were also all very sloppy again. I expect Vlad will want to bring in a few quality additions to replace them in the first team. Sema, JP and Kabs showed up most of those who were already on the pitch when they came on. 3 - Shape - partly related to personnel, as has been mentioned by barely1egal, it seems very reliant on wing-backs to help provide some attacking impetus. Stevenson put in some decent crosses, but neither he nor Navarro are really adept at bombing on down the flanks to provide much support to the forward players. They can't really dribble or beat a man, and don't have much pace, so we rarely stretch play and only ever get crosses in from fairly deep positions. It's also a waste playing pretty much 4 CMs and just 1 CF when most of the CMs are by-passed too easily anyway while also not providing much goal threat, The same was true vs Boro as well. We do need to upgrade the players in CM, but also perhaps consider sacrificing 1 of the 4 CMs for another forward more often. Maybe Vlad is unwilling to do this though while our midfield is still too powder-puff as it's clear his main priority/starting point for the team is defensive solidity.
Think Perica will be a ‘grower’ who will get better. But I wouldn’t start him over Joao Pedro. Or Gray or Suarez if they are 100% fit and available. But I wouldn’t be upset if he started.
Hilarious. No post from me but there is a big, pretty negative one from WatfordTalk. Absolute perfection.
