Reality check

[surf]

Palace had obviously done there home work on us! They pressed us whenever we got the ball, their forwards work hard at stopping us playing it from back to front early and Michael Hughes sat in the hole and basically ran the game for them. In the end we had nowhere to go with our only outlet because of the pressure they were putting on us being the long ball out of defence and with no support coming quickly enough from midfiled our forwards just ran out of steam. Palace got what they came for and in the end sense they might be on for three points bringing on Doug Freeman and Kuqui so in the end i was glad of the point. I am sure we will learn from this and i think a reality check is whats needed. I think some of the players were getting a bit carried away with it all with the way they were electing to shoot from 30 yards when a simple pass was on but we still got a point which is good.


It's a long long season with a big prize at the end of it so we need to learn that teams are going to do this to us. But it's up to us to prove we are good enough to beat teams that play like Palace did today if we are to go up.

 

[pnefanatic]

Re: Reality check

But it's up to us to prove we are good enough to beat teams that play like Palace did today if we are to go up.

Be careful Steve, Numpty's like Magic Sponge and Podeba will slate you for saying we should beat teams like this.

 

[White in Exile]

Re: Reality check

Palace had obviously done there home work on us! They pressed us whenever we got the ball, their forwards work hard at stopping us playing it from back to front early and Michael Hughes sat in the hole and basically ran the game for them. In the end we had nowhere to go with our only outlet because of the pressure they were putting on us being the long ball out of defence and with no support coming quickly enough from midfiled our forwards just ran out of steam. .

That could equally well have been written about the southend game.


Key phrase:

no support coming quickly enough from midfield our forwards just ran out of steam.

We have no goal threat from central midfiled - the sooner Miller is blooded the better

 

[davemc]

Re: Reality check

good shout i agree with all of that still top and proud ?

 

[surf]

Re: Reality check

Look at Palace squad today they had players like kuqui on the bench, million pound striker on the bench that shows what we were up against today. They have assembled an expensive squad of players so it was definitly a point won today. For them to set their stall out like today shows how much other teams respect us. That point keeps us joint top so lets move on, learn from today and make sure we take three points of Coventry.

 

[funkymunky05]

Re: Reality check

We have no goal threat from central midfiled - the sooner Miller is blooded the better

i agree that we need miller but there will be some reason why simmo isnt playing him or even sticking him on the bench

sedgewick is definately a better central midfielder than winger but today was most definately NOT his best performance.

 

[spav64]

Re: Reality check

Look at Palace squad today they had players like kuqui on the bench, million pound striker on the bench that shows what we were up against today. They have assembled an expensive squad of players so it was definitly a point won today. For them to set their stall out like today shows how much other teams respect us. That point keeps us joint top so lets move on, learn from today and make sure we take three points of Coventry.

I agree with some of what you say😱 except to be and deserve your place at the top and automatic promotion you should be beating these teams and finding away through or around them.One of carlo quotes was that they've kept some of the qualities BD instilled in them,your midfield literally on top on the back four,way too deep,no width,no support for the forwards,too laboured going forward by the time our lads got forward all of there players had got back behind the ball ,weren't the "qualities" i was hoping we'd keep.Those lads to me were not and didn't look like they wanted to win today.My question is "why the hell weren't/didn't they,we are second in the league and have to fight every game to stay there ,not throw 2 points away.Just like north end to throw our position and this opportunity away.

i agree that we need miller but there will be some reason why simmo isnt playing him or even sticking him on the bench

sedgewick is definately a better central midfielder than winger but today was most definately NOT his best performance.

If mattys out for tuesday night though i'd put pugh as left back,with sedge,mckenna,miller and whaley in midfield.

 

[funkymunky05]

Re: Reality check

If mattys out for tuesday night though i'd put pugh as left back,with sedge,mckenna,miller and whaley in midfield.

not a bad line up but i thought in the 2nd half, most of our threat came from neal and pugh linking up on the left.

simmo said matty's out for 7-10 days so i'd stick pugh at left back and keep neal at left wing and play mckenna and miller in central midfield.

but i'm not paul simpson. 😛

 

[grandad t]

Re: Reality check

not a bad line up but i thought in the 2nd half, most of our threat came from neal and pugh linking up on the left.

simmo said matty's out for 7-10 days so i'd stick pugh at left back and keep neal at left wing and play mckenna and miller in central midfield.

but i'm not paul simpson. 😛

Good chance to see the jolly miller funky

 

[Napoleon]

Re: Reality check

I agree with WIE that the key phrase is "no support coming quickly enough from midfield"... except that I possibly see a different reason for this.

My take is that for this type of game DD is ESSENTIAL. One of his great strengths is holding up the play, and bringing others in. Linkage. That link was missing today.

This was a major reason why Palace saw so much of the ball in midfield, and our midfielders could not get themselves set coming forward.

Paddy and Nugent work best with a high backline, with scope to get behind the defence. When the backline sits, with a player in the hole, that combo is never going to work. A player like DD is the best route to combat it.

Frankly I couldn't believe that Simmo didn't see this. Bringing the big guy on for the last 10 was simply too late.

That's where we went wrong.... IMHO.

 

[mozzchops]

Re: Reality check

I agree with WIE that the key phrase is "no support coming quickly enough from midfield"... except that I possibly see a different reason for this.

My take is that for this type of game DD is ESSENTIAL. One of his great strengths is holding up the play, and bringing others in. Linkage. That link was missing today.

This was a major reason why Palace saw so much of the ball in midfield, and our midfielders could not get themselves set coming forward.

Paddy and Nugent work best with a high backline, with scope to get behind the defence. When the backline sits, with a player in the hole, that combo is never going to work. A player like DD is the best route to combat it.

Frankly I couldn't believe that Simmo didn't see this. Bringing the big guy on for the last 10 was simply too late.

That's where we went wrong.... IMHO.

Spot on Napoleon. I thought Simmo made a mistake today but don't we all at times. Its keeping them down to a minimum that makes him a cut above the rest.

 

[pobeda]

Re: Reality check

Be careful Steve, Numpty's like Magic Sponge and Podeba will slate you for saying we should beat teams like this.

What an IDIOT you really are? Where does he says "we should be beating teams like Palace"? You are a first class moron, infact it`s unbelievable how thick u are.....

 

[kpc]

Re: Reality check

I agree with WIE that the key phrase is "no support coming quickly enough from midfield"... except that I possibly see a different reason for this.

My take is that for this type of game DD is ESSENTIAL. One of his great strengths is holding up the play, and bringing others in. Linkage. That link was missing today.

This was a major reason why Palace saw so much of the ball in midfield, and our midfielders could not get themselves set coming forward.

Paddy and Nugent work best with a high backline, with scope to get behind the defence. When the backline sits, with a player in the hole, that combo is never going to work. A player like DD is the best route to combat it.

Frankly I couldn't believe that Simmo didn't see this. Bringing the big guy on for the last 10 was simply too late.

That's where we went wrong.... IMHO.

I would agree with the above hindsight is so wonderful but DD should have started and not Pat.
I wouldn't say the forwards ran out of steam as they had not too much to chase due to the lack of the 'link'

 

[yeahbutnobutye_]

Re: Reality check

I agree with you 100% on what you said surf and I said before the game i didn't think it would be an easy game. Let's just hope we win on tuesday now.

 

[Napoleon]

Re: Reality check

Agree Napolean,

There were times in the game today where there was a chasm opening up across the midfield bridged only by long balls (from both teams).

The amount of time and space that their midfielders had was unreasonable.

I was disappointed that Simpson didn't see this too, and change accordingly. Having said that, I sit way high in a stand (as maybe you do) which makes it much easier to see patterns like this emerge.

This is why there is a strong argument to have a senior member of the backroom staff perched high, in audio-contact with the bench.

It was glaringly obvious today. I do hope that the management team watch the video closely, and work it out. We have a number of options up front, which actually shape the whole structure of the team. It is of critical importance that we get these selections right.

 

[baldavenger]

Re: Reality check

I agree with WIE that the key phrase is "no support coming quickly enough from midfield"... except that I possibly see a different reason for this.

My take is that for this type of game DD is ESSENTIAL. One of his great strengths is holding up the play, and bringing others in. Linkage. That link was missing today.

This was a major reason why Palace saw so much of the ball in midfield, and our midfielders could not get themselves set coming forward.

Paddy and Nugent work best with a high backline, with scope to get behind the defence. When the backline sits, with a player in the hole, that combo is never going to work. A player like DD is the best route to combat it.

Frankly I couldn't believe that Simmo didn't see this. Bringing the big guy on for the last 10 was simply too late.

That's where we went wrong.... IMHO.

Quality post..........best of the night!