laticsmarra

9 goals in 9 home league games i think we have a problem, its all sounding like last year , its crap

 

It's not as crap if you actually watch it and we don't have to endure the lads played ever so well,but were unlucky post mortems.

Yesterday LJ shouted at him to get stuck in, a minute later he lost a challenge, 2 minutes later he was subbed. says it all.

I don't agree with this - a few ball's came into the box today that were just begging to be attacked and no one got near. He needs to create some chances himself.

 

Hoping the Liverpool game this season does for Rooney what it did for Smith last season!

I doubt it,different scenario to Smith (young hungry player eager to learn)I think the Birmingham fans would be having similar thoughts 2 years ago and here we are again.

What a brilliant response to Saturday; Lots of credit to LJ - altering the tactics changed the direction of the game.

 

One thing we do need to sort out is learning to stay down when fouled. Every club does it - their player staying down was the reason JCH got booked and it wasn't even a foul. Lanzoni v Bradford, Wes v Brentford and countless times tonight, our players bounced straight up, making the fouls look not as bad as they are. Not cheating, just playing the game like everyone else...we need to be less nice!

I got the impression on Saturday that they were under instructions to stay down when fouled

Also I thought Oxley played well as he has done the last few games, I think he is definitely improving with more game time

Great to see that he can come off his line and catch the ball,great saves tonight best all round performance of the season

Good player,nice guy,deserves a new contract for living in 24/7 hotel at top of ManchesterRoad for 4 months, that's dedication,and shows how much he wants to stay.

We were always better quality than them shame it went to a replay. They would have been more at home against Roughyheads.

They were a very poor team it is a shame that we had to play them again and subject ourselves to their strong arm tactics. Justice in the end the cream rose to the top.

I tell you what he is he is a young man trying to make his way in the game. I thought he played quite well yesterday and he needs more game time in the first team.then we can assess how good he is I happen to think that he will make it given a chance.

These lads i.e.Mellor Winchester and Millar need our unqualified support on this public forum over the next 12 months of their development. Ok Winchester made a bad decision on the 4:1 break yesterday and Mellor had a problem,they are young lads trying to make their way in the game. What about the goal Winchester scored at BP earlier in the season.

 

I was as disappointed as anyone yesterday, but we played ok and nearly gained a very good point.Without being totally deluded happy clappers,llets get behind LJ and the boys because that's what many of them still are.

Disappointing tonight we have to understand that we are building a team and that doesn't happen overnight we will learn and move forward

Who wants to support City reserves?

Not me no no no!!!

Lanzoni's contract expires in January.

It is too early to say ,but I have a feeling that we may be nurturing a Clough or Shankly type in the long run.

! Must have been watching a different game , thought Lanzoni was extremely poor last night, wondered about as though it was his first ever game , hardly won a tackle and little or no support going forward.

Unfortunately tarky and grounds were responsible for their goal.thought grounds' distribution was dodgy in the first half. Overall though great result can't complain we would have lost this in recent years.

 

1st 30 min was dire and the number of times both their wingers had room to cross was worrying.

Fortunately Tarky and Grounds stood up well to deal with them.

Although Mellor got better as the game went on it was only after Weso came on and was covering him a lot that enabled him to get a foot hold in the 2nd half.

Teams obviously target him as a weak link and we need to support that side better if he has to play LB again.

Great response by LJ to make early changes when it clearly wasn't working and a great ugly win shows what a good spirit is being built in the side.

Only comment i would argue with on Prozac's views was Oxley's kicking.

WIND - what wind , the only wind about last night was the one coming from the guy near me who had a curry pie !!!!!

Good win, bringing JCH on was the catalyst. Shrewsbury are a difficult team to play against they can pass it around but also know when to hoof it up field. I don't suppose Orient win pretty every time neither will we.

Similarly, if he was better than Jose wouldn't Sheffield United just have kept Philliskirk?

Danny Wilson wouldn't have signed Jose either both are too skilful and not his style

jCH is still young he needs to mature and will perform when an arm is put round his shoulder, he feels secure with a dose of tough love on the side.

can see this turning into another whitaker or wellens thread

Does it matter

Team player. Philli

Dribbler close control. Jose

Vision special awareness. Philli

Tackling. Tie

Fitness/energy Tie

Goals scoring. Philli

Charisma. Jose

Passing. Tie

 

Overall I would say Danny Philliskirk will in the long run go further in the game. The transition from Chelsea to league football has not worked out for various reasons, now that he has returned to his spiritual home he can make that transition and ultimaely move on.Equally I think that Oldham was Jose's spiritual home and he may struggle at Sheffield as Danny did ,they are too desperate to get out of our division to give developing players and managers time.

Why can't season ticket holders get a ticket for their usual seat? As usual OAFC can't help the hands that feed it. no wonder there is a gradual erosion of season ticket holders whats the point when we keep getting taken for granted?

Unfortunately last night was utter garbage and possibly worse than most listening on GMR / Latics Player can imagine, and I still remain an optimist (JUST!)

 

The night was destined to end badly with the traffic problems and dreadful ticket office staff causing a late arrival in the stands. I hope there was something in the first 5 minutes to enjoy because our first half performance was the worst under LJ by far. We were worse than all-at-sea in defence, with Grounds lacking any sort of leadership skills, Kusunga failing to read the game in any way and instigating heart attacks when facing his own goal; FFS make a decision! The 2 young full backs looked nervous and out of their depth defensively, with CW also looking unsure going forward (a real shame after Saturday).

 

Other than a woeful defence and the aforementioned mistake LJ made (and rectified) up-front, the main cause for exacerbation amongst the travelling army was the sheer lack of intensity in closing the opposition down. Wes and Korey lost the midfield battle, and the former looked way off the pace, his performance on Saturday seemed light-years ago. Dayton might as well have been in the stands during an anonymous 40 mins which is becoming his trademark, and Rooney and Millar were outmuscled, outpaced and out-thought. JCH did make a difference and with his arrival came a little more energy throughout the team, with Smith suddenly driving the team forward. When the goal arrived we could and should have been 3 or 4 down against really poor opposition. The goal itself came from Danny P and Smith playing out from our half and then a decent deep cross from Dayton; Rooney had peeled well off his marker and headed into an empty net after their GK had been caught under the flight of the ball.

 

The second half began in a style more closely matched to previous performances under LJ. The passing was slicker and we moved the ball around well. JCH was shooting at sight and Mellor became more involved as an attacking threat from LB. Danny P was heavily involved cutting in and Dayton, following the sort of burst that had us excited from YouTube videos, should have done much better when in a great shooting/crossing position. We were way on top but the defensive frailties were there to see when Winchester was caught under a high ball only to be saved by an offside flag. Did we learn? NO; Mellor stood off his man and a deep cross was completely misjudged by CW allowing a free header for their no.15. It got worse after that as horrendously slack defending allowed McGregor to have about 5 chances to shoot before finally firing past Oxley. JCH made it interesting with a rasping free-kick and the usual time-wasting followed from the opposition with the referee oblivious until, yes you guessed it, the 89th minute when he blew his whistle and did that annoying rolling of the arms. Book the keeper when he first does it and then it wont continue, just like Oxley at Rotherham.

 

We were beaten by dreadful opposition, and this reliance on a 21yr-old CB in his first 'full' season (as first choice) to organise, control and lead the defence is increasingly worrying. We will not go down, of that I am confident, however I had and still hold onto lingering ambitions of doing more than simply surviving. With the players we have, and the exciting brand of football LJ is instilling in his players we can still do well. Montano needs more games, the same can be said for JCH, and LJ needs to discover a way of ensuring the players retain that same work ethic and intensity that won us the game against Swindon on Saturday, without that we look a run of the mill bottom half side and expose our shaky backline.

 

Keep the Faith

Good summary of last night, I just wonder whether they were also a bit leggy after their high intensity exertions on Saturday. I know they are professional footballers and should be fit etc. etc. but I am afraid life is not like that.

Saw him break Colin Bells leg in the mid 70s..

So did I , totally out of character one of the most cultured defenders I have ever seen

I thought Swindon looked a lot like us TBH - granted playing a 3-5-1-1, but for me - there were a lot of similarities.

Small in stature players, but quick and comfortable on the ball.

2 central midfielders who, whilst protecting the back 3 (4 for us!) - still look to get on the ball and drive on, and a CF who, for his size, doesn't actually win as much in the air as he should.

It was, IMO, a cracking game to watch. They came to play, to win it the "right way" if you will, and that actually played into out hands, as it made for an open match.

It thought LJ, Muzza and team got their selection and tactics spot on today. High tempo, high press, and lookig to utilise wide men cutting in-field.

Take a bow Wes. Unbelievable shift, and also a composed display on the ball too. His drive and will to get forward to continue the team pressure was immense. Got 2 shots at goal again also.

Defensive minded? My arse!!!!

Today showed once and for all that 4-4-2 is Not defensive. It showed that Wes and the also superb Korey Smith can play together, and that finally, they are not holding midfielders simply becuase both can tackle...

We won that midfield battle and so the game too today; simply by doing the kind of stuff that some have chosen to use as sticks to beat Wes, Smith & LJ with recently.

Also thought there were performaces of note from Winchester, Philliskirk, Kusunga and Rooney. As a team, no-one had a poor game; all contributed to a cracking game, and to a great 3 points.

Oh - and special mention to the older fan in the MSP who chose 2 fantastic moments to shout abuse at Carl Winchester. 1 just before he put in a cracking cross; the other - Winchester you prick - was shouted no more than 30secs before he crashed in that beauty. I haven't milked a celebration as much in ages, loved giving it back to the fool. He didn't even clap the goal. Beggars belief some of fan base; it really does.

Anyways, great 3 points and great game!!

I think he used to sit in front of us ,but has moved further down towards chaddy end, I miss him in a sort of perverse way as he has a history of slagging off match winners.

I think that if we ain't prepared to put our heads above the parapet lets not continually carp on about the Trust and what the officers do and don't do. There may be shortcomings,but lets understand the officers are supporters trying to do their best. how many of us are going to put our hands up and help, or do we all think there is too much inane grief that comes across the wall to make it worthwile.