Eddie

Terrible game. I’ve seen better football played in L1 this season

Alfie May scored yesterday but left the game on a stretcher - one of their better players who’s unlikely to play on Tuesday. On paper, it’s one of those shit grounds, not great pitch, Autumn night game that doesn’t really suit us - hopefully we’ll prove that isn’t an issue this season!

Agree with that. I’m a big fan of Lee but his final ball / decision making yesterday was poor. There were a couple of occasions in the first half when he was in behind the defence and massively over hit a cross that didn’t need to even be lofted, and then pushed Kachunga out wide with a simple 10 yard pass when we were 3 on 2, and then another in the second half when he broke and just kept running at the defence (I think it was Kachunga to the left who didn’t really help him with a decent run) and then eventually did nothing and just ran into the defender. There were other examples as well. I think if you looked at how many actual chances were created vs how many good positions we get into, then that conversion at the moment would be poor. Plenty of reasons for that, League 1 inconsistency of players being one, but if we can improve it then we should score more goals with the strikers we have. It’s not a dig, we still controlled the game, won it in 2nd gear, are 4 points off top with a game in hand, have the best defensive record in the league and have depth in the squad that should see us kick on to Xmas with what looks like an easier run of games, but if we can improve that ‘good area’ to ‘good chance’ conversion then we’ll take some stopping. On a separate note, Iredale has had a few off games for me and I wouldn’t mind seeing John back in on Tuesday - I’d only to show that you have to be top of your game to keep your place and keep the competition for places up. Also, fair play to Johnston who has had some cracking games since Sheff Weds, and Trafford will end up playing at the highest level. Roll on Cheltenham

Think Evatt would point out that that was because Kachunga and Charles (plus the midfield press) had knackered them out and so the last 15-20 mins Dapo and JDB got to take advantage of the space. I’m not saying that means I wouldn’t want to see at least one of them start on Tuesday (JDB for Kachunga would be my preference) but I think the current starting v subs is all part of the Evatt plan for the overall 90 minutes.

Fancy us to beat anyone at home. Based on the league table it looks like this and Barnsley at home are our 2 toughest games until Xmas (plus Pompey away whenever that gets rearranged to). If we can take 4-6 points from those 2 games, which I think we will, then there’s not much else to worry about in the other 10 or so games or so. Fingers crossed we get our internationals back with no injury worries and I’ll go with 3-0.

Lee gets brought off in games / rotated in the main because of his injury record - Evatt doesn’t want to push him too far and lose him for a chunk of the season, because he’s so good and important to us. It’s nothing to do with his ‘engine’. Read Evatt’s recent comments on him if you want to see how highly he rates him, the guy is class.

Thomason had his best game for us but it also showed how much it improves the balance of the team to have a left footer in that midfield. I like Dempsey but the last few games he’s had that role and it stops us attacking down the the left because his automatic thought is to come inside onto his right foot - which puts too much emphasis on our right hand side. I don’t know how that changes, because I’m not sure Thomason (being the only left footed centre mid) now becomes undroppable but it definitely made a difference to the overall team. Lee is our best midfielder, if he’s fit he plays. This thing about legs going, not playing away from home is lazy just based on his age - he’s shown nothing that backs that up and actually with having so long out with injuries earlier in his career means that he’s got less miles in his legs than others at his age. MJ is back to his best, Santos looks to be playing his way back into form which is ideal, Charles has to start every week (the goals will come). Johnston is a weird one - I think he flatters to deceive. He’s the weak link in the defence for me, it was his fault for the goal and he’s so indecisive that it affects the rest of the defence. I think Evatt has an eye on brining Iredale into that left centre back role but doesn’t seem to have much time for John anymore - hence going out and getting Beck. Fingers crossed he’s as good as Bradley because he’s too good for this league (and probably had one of his lesser games for us yesterday). Much needed result and performance, add JDB into the team and hopefully start to see some goals from the strikers and I think we’ll do alright. Some more tough games coming up in September but as long as we stay in touch then I think we’ll kick on from October to Christmas with easier fixtures.

Be over 20k by kick off. Decent effort all considered

Barry Bannan is too good for this league, he’d be one of the best centre mids in the championship. Rare that I clap an opposition player off but with the lesson he gave our lot today, and seeing as he had a decent spell with us, I thought he was worth the recognition when he got subbed. We looked like 2 teams cancelling each other out for the first 35 minutes, then 2 minutes changed the game. They looked miles better than they did last season but I’d be interested to see how they get on if they lose either Bannan or Gregory (who showed our forwards how to play up top), they’re both pivotal to an otherwise solid team. Santos plays on the edge of relaxed and practically asleep, he was the latter today. When he’s in form he’s immense, but when he’s not he looks like an ambling cart horse, and that was today. The amount of passes he left short, or kicked with his ankle because the ball was under his feet. He’ll come good but these are the games why he’s playing in league one. JDB and Charles have to be first choice strikers, fuck knows what that means for Dapo but probably the top of the midfield against poorer sides and bench / rotated with Charles against the better ones. Also not sure that Jones is up to speed yet, nothing terrible but he just doesn’t look like he’s in form quite yet. Long season and I’d have taken 8 points from the first 5 games but it doesn’t make it any less shit to lose a big game like that.

There’s no way that this cunt hasn’t got some ulterior motive against him - it’s too coincidental. We have played right into their hands though by getting wound up.

2-0 Lee and JDB The promotion push continues

1-2 Dapo x2 The promotion push begins (and even if we lose, we’re still getting promoted!!)

First game of the season hope, top of the league (maybe joint), quality weather, easy place to get to. Away game perfection.

They show good progress, albeit trading was impacted significantly by Covid (obviously). They’re also a year out of date - not that that is anyone’s fault, it’s the way accounts work - but for a business that has seen as many changes as we have over such a short period of time it does mean that annual accounts aren’t really relevant to the current situation by the time they are published. Based on those, and knowing what has happened since, I’d bet that our financial year that has just ended last week will be pretty strong, and I reckon that we’re just about on an sure footing now. Obviously we won’t know until this time next year, but I get the sense that we’ll now be making decisions and spending money based on what we want to do, rather than what we need to do.

Oh ye of little faith. I might have to switch to backing us to win it, rather than promotion, by that stage as we’re sitting top of the league after beating all the bookies’ favourites.