The first of three tough matches coming up starting with Orient.

They seem to have hit some form but hopefully lessons learnt against Shrewsbury should get us a win.

9 minutes ago, Stig said:

Today was a masterclass of "in game management" and it was excellent to watch.

We started 451 and played ok in the first half but without any cutting edge and then conceded a scrappy goal. The previous manager would have just picked up on us playing ok and carried on the same but instead we had a proactive substitution - Collins for Matete and a change to a 442. And we dominated for 30 mins and went ahead.

Then we started to tire and Orient looked threatening but quick subs to take off the wingers and move to a 532 to sure you the victory.

Adaptable management at its finest, any system at any time to get the edge.

Spot on.

All this talk of I don’t want to see 5 at the back again is just nonsense.

It was absolutely the right way to manage the game at the end.

And to see 4-5-1 starting was refreshing, even more so the change to 4-4-2 at half time.

Another worry we can put to bed is Sheehan and Morley not being able to perform as a pair in midfield.

Not all the time, as SS alluded to last week, but in that situation today, and no doubt in other games to come, we shouldn’t be worried if that’s the way SS goes.

Nobody guaranteed to start, even Collins, listening to his post match comments, he’s going to insist that players are doing what he expects, otherwise there’s someone else waiting in the wings to take their place.

If a player goes down tactically or in any instance, then make the players go to the side opposite the dugouts if they want a  “time out” no managers / coaches allowed. 
 

 

 

 

1 minute ago, desperado said:

Nobody guaranteed to start, even Collins, listening to his post match comments, he’s going to insist that players are doing what he expects, otherwise there’s someone else waiting in the wings to take their place.

You get a strong sense that a lot of that time with the squad over the last couple of weeks has been SS making clear what the  expectations and non-negotiables are. 

Feeling more positive about things now, although conceding first and riding our luck while the opposition is getting shots away is winding me up a bit now. Generally our defending is better than it was and it helps that we seem to be more positive after SS changes things around when we’re under the cosh but we shouldn’t be in that position in what seems like every game.

Still we passed the first test in this tough run of games and if we can get something at Wrexham it should stand us in good stead. Them and Birmingham are the teams we need to be beating.

3 hours ago, Greg_BWFC said:

Same.

Thought we handled it great, never really got threatened. 

It seemed to fly by too.

I'm in Madrid atm - thinly veiled - and kept losing my connection to the BBC web page.  It was fkin agony from my pov.

 

3 hours ago, athywhite1958 said:

I know, but they were doing it in the first few minutes, I can understand teams doing it late on but not at the beginning

Interesting interview from Wellens. He seemed really annoyed his team were wasting time from the 20th minute.

I think that at this level most of the players of "smaller" teams haven't played at a stadium this big and just revert to time wasting and acting like it's an FA Cup game against higher level opposition. And it probably annoys their own manager as much as anyone (Crawley aside who set out to time waste)

Some nice football 1st half but toothless, I don't think their keeper had a save to make,

but miles better with Collins on, 

& after we'd got the lead, from NSL it looked like every tackle, every block & every header was by Forrester. A proper out and out defender & MOTM.

EIEIEIO

3 hours ago, Johnnyrotten said:

Never crossed my mind, there isn't a player we've ever had that I'd rather have taking our pens

Close run contest with Dean Holdsworth

1 hour ago, Stig said:

He's our best at them and should have been taking them even when Dion was here imo.

Pens aside, his overall game has come on so much from that loan at Wycombe. He looks incredibly fit now - enough to play in a midfield 2 with Sheehan and not get outdone. Fair play to him as I was certain he was on his way out.

It's pretty clear, & I doubt anyone hadn't noticed it, that Evatt & Morley had a fall out & Evatt wasn't going to use him.

There’s been a few like that over the years.

McAtee & Collins winding up the Orient fans for that equaliser 🤍

Could go into a lot of detail, but the biggest thing for me is just I'm actually enjoying watching us play, these last 2 matches have been well worth their price as a season ticket holder. Fantastic entertainment, team putting in 100%, overcoming the opposition.

To say it's been a breath of fresh air is an understatement. Yes we have issues still, we're far from perfect, but its just been so refreshing. Especially after 4/5 years of the team playing a certain way and never changing( don't want to disregard the good times under IE too however).

But I've seen enough already from this manager that he's a level above what we had before. If he can get us to start better and keep our adaptability when things go south then we are onto a winner.

Those in the top 6 can start worrying about us now. Let's give Wrexham and Brum everything, got nothing to fear and nothing to lose.

COYWM.

Edited February 23, 20251 yr by Lostock Whites

4 hours ago, desperado said:

Do you ever have anything positive to say?

Just looked back at your posts

You’re a right negative fucker

He loved Ngog

We beat a good team today. One on the up and, after recent results, playing with good confidence. Coming back to win from a goal down against them is better than coming back from 1-3 down to Crawley.

We're going up!

1 hour ago, Underpants said:

We beat a good team today. One on the up and, after recent results, playing with good confidence. Coming back to win from a goal down against them is better than coming back from 1-3 down to Crawley.

We're going up!

A Wembley victory with SS on the right side of a four goal mauling this time.

7 hours ago, Barnstoneworth White said:

I'm in Madrid atm - thinly veiled - and kept losing my connection to the BBC web page.  It was fkin agony from my pov.

 

I'm in Vietnam, watched the match on my phone. The rest of the bar were made aware of our goals and the penalty 😁😁😁

8 hours ago, Barnstoneworth White said:

I'm in Madrid atm - thinly veiled - and kept losing my connection to the BBC web page.  It was fkin agony from my pov.

 

Oh, I can imagine 👍

Feel like I watched a slightly different game to most. Don't think we created much of anything all game, scored on the break and then got lucky with a bit of a fluke penalty. 

Not that it matters one bit, it was a huge three points. But I still think we look like the 6-8th best side in the division. Will find out in March

10 hours ago, Johnnyrotten said:

I'll be honest I can't even remember Petrov taking pens!

I'm not putting Morley above Speedo obviously, but just in terms of taking pens I'd have Morley up there with any ex-BW player including Speed, I'd have equal confidence in both.

Is that Morley's first penalty at home?  He seems to have scored a lot away, can't remember any here.

 

Petrov actually has the best career record of any of them looking at it on transfermarkt. 17-1 (5 from 5 with us). All side footed to his left hand corner I'd imagine. Speed was 13-2 (7 from 7 for us). Morley is 7-1 (5 from 5 with us). And that was his first at home.

I'd feel pretty secure with any of them stepping up if my life depending on it. 

Looks like some folk are too tight to give the club a tenner to watch our games online 😀

Reading Lies’ player ratings it’s hard to disagree too much this time, but my MOTM was Schuey for making the changes to the system.

Murphy was poor at LB but did much better when he moved into the back 4. McAtee was isolated until Collins joined him. The subs were spot on - even Thommo did an outstanding job to see the game out and I was particularly impressed that instead of diving in and getting booked, he got his body across the ball and won several vital FKs to take off the pressure.

Wrexham away and Brum at home is a tough call this week, but after that display we can surely go into these games with a bit of confidence.

 

Still loads of games to go at. Had a look at Wycombes remaining fixtures they have us, Charlton, orient and Stockport as their last 4 games and still have brum, Wrexham and Huddersfield next month.

2nd will do Schuey. 

Collins and Cogley were superb and I thought forrester was a man mountain second half.

mcatee didn’t do a great deal up top in his own and victor spent more time on the floor than on his feet.

schon had 3 attacking passes to slip Cogley in and failed all 3 and matete was dreadful.

great in game management from our leader.

they underwhelmed considering the run they have been on.

can’t keep giving the first goal away.

but another great result and the other fixtures also went our way 

 

Edited February 23, 20251 yr by marple whites

14 hours ago, frank_spencer said:

Only out of the playoffs on goal difference 6th, 7th and 8th all on 53pts.

Orient have a 16 goal advantage in GD

They’re starting to get injuries to defenders though so without a big squad they’re going to be stretched so hopefully that difference will narrow. They’ve had a great run but to be fair an unexpected one so hopefully now the bubbles burst it will lead to more defeats. We on the other hand are just coming into form so I know which of the two of us my moneys on.

We've had more 'entertainment' in the last 3 games than we've had in the last 12 months.

I actually look forward to going to the match now, because it had become a mind numbing chore under IE.

We might even give Wigan a game.

3 hours ago, JOGLER said:

I'm in Vietnam, watched the match on my phone. The rest of the bar were made aware of our goals and the penalty 😁😁😁

My lad and his mates are out there

Same with them

Edited February 23, 20251 yr by Wanderlust