Another poor performance at the weekend, that led to a lot of criticism by fans across the board. I have purposely left the Darrell conversation aside for this, as it has been discussed in depth over the weekend. Here are a few talking points after yesterdays game. So let’s get in:|
Where are the goals coming from
In our last couple of games (in the league), we have rarely tested the opposition keeper. Yesterday, we had a grand total of 1 shot on target. Against Southend, we had 5, however I cannot think of any of those that were threatening to go in. I will get onto why I think we are struggling later, but I can see the early season confidence in Adebayo, is all gone. He is struggling, and he is having to drop deeper, or go out wide to get the ball. This is meaning he is not where we need him to be.
Lavery is also having the same issue, where he is not actually shooting, or in the box ready for it. We aren’t giving them anything to work with, and it is no wonder we can’t score. I do feel for both, as I can’t blame them for the lack of goals.
That being said, we have to be more clinical when we do get the chances. In games like FGR, we had 1 chance, and Lavery headed well to score. It shows that they can do it, and knowing they won’t get many chances in a match, should be spurring them on to make each one count.
Mental Strength
It is something we have heard a lot from Clarke over the last year and a bit, and it was one of the most concerning aspects of the game yesterday. As soon as the first goal went in, the players looked defeated. Morale looked low, and we there was no indication of a fightback. From what I saw, it wasn’t that they down-tooled, we looked like we realised that the chances we missed in the first half were key, and that we would not be getting them.
This is the biggest concern for me. I am worried that we have a mindset that if we concede, then it is game over. I also worry that we don’t believe we can out score teams. We really look like we are relying on 1-0’s, or our opponent to gift us a goal.
Wide men playing poorly
We start out wide. Firstly, I know that Holden is not a winger, and that he has been forced to play out wide. This is focussing on the Osadebe and McDonald issue we have. Many, including myself, thought that Osadebe could prove to be a big signing for us. I also saw the reason behind him starting yesterday, as Wes has not been the player that we saw last season. Osadebe was absent yesterday. He looked out of his depth, off the pace, and nowhere near the standard we expect. Wes looked OK when he came on, however by that point, the game was over.
Both are underperforming, and with us playing Holden on the right too, our wing play is not aiding the attack. We massively lack creativity, and our key players for that, are all failing to hit the standards we expect. I feel for Holden, as he looks so much more effective in the middle. I do think that getting Holden in the middle would be better for the side, even if that means playing Osadebe out wide on the right to allow Holden to move across. Or even start Nolan, because let’s face it, we can’t be less creative than we are being.
Defence needs Sadler’s experience
It was a poor outing from our defence yesterday, and one thing it majorly lacked, was leadership. I feel the team would benefit from Sadler playing a couple of games, to really calm the defence down. I feel that a player like Sadler, would have tried to calm the defence down after conceding, and made the team go back to basics a bit, to avoid getting overrun.
Who do you bring him in for? Personally, I would either swap Jules for CCM, and put Sadler in the middle, or give Dan Scarr a rest. On the whole, I think Scarr has been pretty consistent, however he has found himself our main CB, and played a lot of games. I think yesterday showed he may need a rest out of the team.
Sadler looked very good in his only start of the season, and in this, we also kept one of our only three league clean sheets of the season. We knew he wouldn’t feature heavily this season, but overall, we look better with him in the side, so I would like to see him play, and think that now is the time to do it.
Give Rose a run
This is a topic myself and Oli discussed. I feel Rose should be given a run of games. For me, I would like to see Rose given 5 games, and no matter what happens in the first couple, allow him a short spell to show what he can do. He looked solid in his appearances this season, and I cannot see why the keepers aren’t being rotated more.
Robbo looked shaky yesterday, and upon watching the goal back, I cannot see why he has tried to collect the ball, when Scarr is in the air for it already. One thing that really impressed me about Rose, was how he collects the ball. He commits to crosses, and corners, and looks strong when going for the ball. I think this is what let’s Robbo down. We have seen a couple of mistakes from Roberts, and I think it is now time for Rose to really compete.
I think this will help Robbo too. At the moment, it feels like his place is guaranteed, where actually, we have a very ‘No2’ who should be playing too. Rose starting would give Robbo a push, and would also give him something to fight for, rather than knowing he is going to be selected each game.
Thanks for reading, let me know your thoughts on the points mentioned, and what else you feel needs to change for us to start playing better.
