Defence.

[Oldbutnotdone]

AN does seem to have lost the plot or maybe just lost his bottle.

The formation was similar to that used at Sheffield United and it most definately did not work there so why try and shoehorn it in a second time. The players we have just are not suited to playing as wingbacks. AN is increasingly showing a stubbornness that is damaging. It's not doing much for the reputation of a couple of the lads either.

Defensively we were better and let's not ignore how physical and quite frankly how bloody good the West Brom team are. They are head and shoulders above Reading/Bolton/QPR and in my opinion noticeably better than Leeds.

We were very very week up front yesterday and the limitations of out attacking qualities was very clear to see. We were bullied, out jumped, intimidated and outplayed. There was little defensive contribution made until the ball reached Pearson. Good on you Pearson one of the smallest on the pitch but not a hint of being intimidated.

The back line was deep once again for large portions of the game dispite the constant shouting and balling that was going on just to keep things tight.

Three goals whilst fully deserved it flattered them and was not a true reflection on the efforts made by the boys at the back. It was only their first goal that came from us being completely outdone.

Leeds, West Brom, Sheffield are going to smash most teams throughout the season. I am optimistic of our chances based on recent games against the vast majority of the rest of the league.

 

[pne4ever]

As far as the defence goes I believe a lot of our problems stem from the fact we don't have any very tall players. As a result we don't win many balls in the air. Every team we've played this season has a couple of big tall centre backs.
Also why can't Robinson win a ball in the air even against smaller players?

 

[Former Member]

Thought the defence was actually decent yesterday. The first goal was an individual mistake by Storey, which he'll learn from. Second one, Davies managed to head it better than he's ever headed clear a ball in his life, albeit unlucky. He had a decent game overall. Maxwell should've saved the third, said it straight after it went in as I was right behind it.. Wasn't even that far in the corner.

As a whole unit I thought we were decent defensively as well. We won almost every second ball in the first half but our ball retention wasn't quite there, especially in Ledson's case.

 

[Nishtar36]

Thought the defence was actually decent yesterday. The first goal was an individual mistake by Storey, which he'll learn from. Second one, Davies managed to head it better than he's ever headed clear a ball in his life, albeit unlucky. He had a decent game overall. Maxwell should've saved the third, said it straight after it went in as I was right behind it.. Wasn't even that far in the corner.

As a whole unit I thought we were decent defensively as well. We won almost every second ball in the first half but our ball retention wasn't quite there, especially in Ledson's case.

Ledson’s pass % was identical to Pearson’s yesterday who I thought was poor for his standards. Let the cross the first come in far too easily.

 

[Oldbutnotdone]

Thought the defence was actually decent yesterday. The first goal was an individual mistake by Storey, which he'll learn from. Second one, Davies managed to head it better than he's ever headed clear a ball in his life, albeit unlucky. He had a decent game overall. Maxwell should've saved the third, said it straight after it went in as I was right behind it.. Wasn't even that far in the corner.

As a whole unit I thought we were decent defensively as well. We won almost every second ball in the first half but our ball retention wasn't quite there, especially in Ledson's case.

So you were in the away end!!!

 

[Oldbutnotdone]

Thought the defence was actually decent yesterday. The first goal was an individual mistake by Storey, which he'll learn from. Second one, Davies managed to head it better than he's ever headed clear a ball in his life, albeit unlucky. He had a decent game overall. Maxwell should've saved the third, said it straight after it went in as I was right behind it.. Wasn't even that far in the corner.

As a whole unit I thought we were decent defensively as well. We won almost every second ball in the first half but our ball retention wasn't quite there, especially in Ledson's case.

I have called you out before about my suspicions regarding your relationship with Jack Cudworth.

Please please tell me that this is not his opinion because it's bollocks.

 

[BPIG]

I have called you out before about my suspicions regarding your relationship with Jack Cudworth.

Please please tell me that this is not his opinion because it's bollocks.

What are you on about? What does the goalkeeper coach’s opinion on the defence have to do with anything? Pillock.

 

[tete55]

I think the issue is that most of our players like to take 3/4/5 touches everytime they get the ball. We need to move the ball faster in periods with one touch football, playing the ball forward and passing to players in space.

My MOM yesterday was Browne, he made loads of runs into space. But we didn't pass to him. With Johnson or Gallagher not on the pitch we don't have someone with the vision to make the passes required.

Keep the faith, I am still hopeful that it'll click sooner rather than later. I'll reassess my optimism at the end of October.

 

[Euxtonboy]

Defenders

Defenders

As far as the defence goes I believe a lot of our problems stem from the fact we don't have any very tall players. As a result we don't win many balls in the air. Every team we've played this season has a couple of big tall centre backs.
Also why can't Robinson win a ball in the air even against smaller players?

Yep got to agree with this. At 6ft 5 inch number 26 El-Sayed Hegazi was a fortress for West Brom. Robinson stood no chance from the off which is why everyone can see why we are suffering from a 'big lump' of our own up front for situations such as these.. Add also the fact that it is pointless any of our keepers kicking it up there as we are unable to hold the ball up at all something that Hugill, what ever his other faults were, was ok at doing. It leaves few options for the keeper other that to try and find a winger [often leading to it going straight into touch] or rolling it out to our defenders all of whom simply don't really want it anyway as they are stuck for options themselves most of the time hence all the sideways and backward passing.

 

[Pilot]

Yep got to agree with this. At 6ft 5 inch number 26 El-Sayed Hegazi was a fortress for West Brom. Robinson stood no chance from the off which is why everyone can see why we are suffering from a 'big lump' of our own up front for situations such as these.. Add also the fact that it is pointless any of our keepers kicking it up there as we are unable to hold the ball up at all something that Hugill, what ever his other faults were, was ok at doing. It leaves few options for the keeper other that to try and find a winger [often leading to it going straight into touch] or rolling it out to our defenders all of whom simply don't really want it anyway as they are stuck for options themselves most of the time hence all the sideways and backward passing.

West Brom closed our defenders down to stop us playing it out from the back, as we did to them. Their centre halves were all huge but not good in possession hence they struggled to get any moves going in the first half. In that respect our formation worked but at the expense of much attacking threat.

 

[Former Member]

Ledson’s pass % was identical to Pearson’s yesterday who I thought was poor for his standards. Let the cross the first come in far too easily.

Agree Pearson wasn't at his best.

I have called you out before about my suspicions regarding your relationship with Jack Cudworth.

Please please tell me that this is not his opinion because it's bollocks.

Don't have a clue what Jack Cudworth thinks regarding the goalkeepers. I don't know the bloke. But Maxwell should've saved the free kick imo.

 

[llanroc]

Agree Pearson wasn't at his best.



Don't have a clue what Jack Cudworth thinks regarding the goalkeepers. I don't know the bloke. But Maxwell should've saved the free kick imo.

AN certainly doesn’t seem to blame Maxwell for the free kick.

AN: “I’m concerned about the number of goals we are conceding but today’s goals, the first was a bit of naivety, the second was very unfortunate and the third was a real piece of quality from them.” #pnefc

 

[paddysr]

AN certainly doesn’t seem to blame Maxwell for the free kick.

AN: “I’m concerned about the number of goals we are conceding but today’s goals, the first was a bit of naivety, the second was very unfortunate and the third was a real piece of quality from them.” #pnefc

My first instinct was that he should have done better. When I watched it back it was just a cracking freekick

 

[llanroc]

My first instinct was that he should have done better. When I watched it back it was just a cracking freekick

Kingpne is entitled to his opinion which I always respect. I was merely pointing out the Manager seemed to see it differently. I think it’s just one of those things that everything seems to be going against us at the moment. Next week Gayle will probably put a similar free kick into the stands.

When we played Leeds, their keeper pulled off a great save from Robbo at 0-0. In their last home game v Birmingham, the goalie made a howler and gave Birmingham the lead and they went to pieces and conceded another and went on to lose. Small margins.

 

[paddysr]

Kingpne is entitled to his opinion which I always respect. I was merely pointing out the Manager seemed to see it differently. I think it’s just one of those things that everything seems to be going against us at the moment. Next week Gayle will probably put a similar free kick into the stands.

When we played Leeds, their keeper pulled off a great save from Robbo at 0-0. In their last home game v Birmingham, the goalie made a howler and gave Birmingham the lead and they went to pieces and conceded another and went on to lose. Small margins.

It is. If Ledson's strike had been two inches to the right, if the ref hadn't bottled the red and the pen. Small margins that when you are where we are rarely go in your favour.

 

[Ando60]

I thought the defence was much improved today.

2 of their goals were....a wonderful 25yrd freekick and a looping deflected 20 yard back headed OG.

The other was a header from a cross.

We weren't carved open time and time again. We looked solid and dealt with much of what West Brom threw at us in terms of trying to split us open, get round the back etc.

There's just some sort of Voodoo shit at work at the moment. It's totally bizarre what's going on.

I thought that Storey and Davies looked quite tight and i thought Fisher and Hughes did fine.....

As you say, they didnt get carved open...

 

[Former Member]

Ledson’s pass % was identical to Pearson’s yesterday who I thought was poor for his standards. Let the cross the first come in far too easily.

AN certainly doesn’t seem to blame Maxwell for the free kick.

AN: “I’m concerned about the number of goals we are conceding but today’s goals, the first was a bit of naivety, the second was very unfortunate and the third was a real piece of quality from them.” #pnefc

Yeah, see what you're getting at. But sometimes AN doesn't even mention the keepers if one has made a mistake. Don't think he mentioned Rudd's two errors after the Derby game - just spoke about the build up.

Not saying that Gayle's free kick was a keeping error, far from it. Great strike. But I thought he did well to get across and perhaps could've kept it out.

 

[Garden Gnome]

I'm directly behind the goal on AKTE and when Maxwell got both hands to it I thought he had saved the shot, but it was hit with real venom and all maxi could do was push it further into the corner. Heartbreaking.
I really don't think we were the disaster everyone was saying. Yes we can rule out the play offs,...... but we need not panic.....yet.

 

[Mel Tottoh]

First thing AN must do is abandon the 5 man defence . It just does not suit or work for us . The fact that we concede 3 goals every time we use it shows this .
Last season , we went 4-1-3-2 most weeks and did well . We have the bulk of the same players now , so why not go back to the tried and tested and stop panicking with different formations and personnel every week ?
TBH the writing was on the wall pre-season when AN talked about a horses for courses approach this season .
He needs to pick a team and formation and give it a minimum of 5 games unchanged barring injuries or suspensions .
All that pre-supposes the next couple of results are not so poor that the board hit the panic button and sack him .

 

[Retfordpete]

Agree Pearson wasn't at his best.



Don't have a clue what Jack Cudworth thinks regarding the goalkeepers. I don't know the bloke. But Maxwell should've saved the free kick imo.

Alan Kelly was on Radio Lancs as I was driving home and he was discussing this goal. He felt that as the goal went over the wall and was not on "the keeper's side" it wasn't down to keeper error, and that he did exceptionally well to get anything on it at all. As I'm the worst keeper ever I feel that I should defer to someone who knows a fair bit about it.