Sold their 4500 plus tickets 

8 minutes ago, worthy10 said:

I've been saying the same thing with Morley.

Ditto.

He should be nowhere near our first choice starting X1.

Sheehan is like a new player this last month or so, much improved having added proper tackling and higher workrate to the technical ability he’s always had. 
Simons also works, tackles and has technical ability.

Morley is in the same vein but seems marginally less consistent and has the occasional dangerous misplaced pass in him which can put us in trouble.

Dempsey has pace, power, tackling, a goal threat and leaps like a salmon and is easily our best 10 IMO and with 2 quality CBs the spine of the team is solid enough but we’ve just not got the ruthlessness in front of goal we all want.

If you look at the wingers/wingbacks and central strikers individually there’s an argument to say they all have merits, especially ACD who gets praise heaped on him for his runs and goals but the issue for me is how they play collectively and the general bluntness around the box - summed up yesterday by Toal striding through and being forced into a long range pop due to lack of options.

I feel really positive about the way we have improved defensively and cut down giving away daft goals - and also positive about the general workrate of the whole team - but if we are going to be the team that goes on a long winning streak and breaks out of the pack, the structure of our attacks and the shot conversion rate have to improve considerably.

We’re great at getting the ball up near the opposition box but we just can’t fucking score enough and the quality of crosses and through balls and/or the movement of our forwards is way below par. When our wingers are dancing around with it, especially ACD, it’s as if all movement stops in the box as though they are expecting the ball to be recycled back or that the winger will cut inside and shoot themselves.

The outcome is we have loads of shots from distance or half chances under pressure. In fact, we have more attempted shots on goal than any other team in the league - by a considerable distance.

But they are weak shots, wide shots, easily blocked shots, shots from way out, late shots - just generally shit shots.

And as a result our conversion rate is appalling - 21st in the league - and that isn’t the shot conversion rate of a team that wants to break out of the pack.

One element of the problem is that opposition defences are happy to let us faff about with it outside their box because none of our players have a cannon in their boots that would worry them, but there is undoubtedly work needed on the training ground and/or the January window to improve our potency around goal without sacrificing our recent defensive solidity.

 

 

3 minutes ago, Burndens Bogs said:

Ditto.

He should be nowhere near our first choice starting X1.

Ditto and Ditto.

Somehow, at Wycombe, he gained a 'God's Gift' tag & fair play to him but he really is the definition of 'bang average'.

10 hours ago, Johnnyrotten said:

I've got divided opinions on Christie/JDC.  Christie more composed and greater strength/height/nous.  But I thought a huge part of our lack of cutting edge today was not having JDC overlapping, Christie simply can't do that because he can't get back.  So Duberry doesn't have much of a link up with his full back, it was all down to him and on the day he was below par.

Twice today Christie was running through treacle trying to recover, and this against a team with no noticeable pace.  Once he should have got booked and the 2nd he was saved by someone else doing his job for him, on both occasions I'd back JDC to recover with his pace.  And taking set pieces doesn't help, it can put him out of position if its on the left, and the delivery is just average.  Not having JDC on the bench to replace him when he's spent after 70 minutes is a strange one for me.

The last 20 minutes was a concern as we weren’t really creating and they looked like they could snatch a winner, Christie was spent. Cogley would have been perfect as he has an understanding with acd who looked a bit isolated at times yesterday.

11 hours ago, Traf said:

Simons had "a bit of a tight calf" when he reported for duty this morning apparently.
 

Maybe though the line up was "leaked" on Friday 

6 minutes ago, onefinfrandsen said:

The last 20 minutes was a concern as we weren’t really creating and they looked like they could snatch a winner, Christie was spent. Cogley would have been perfect as he has an understanding with acd who looked a bit isolated at times yesterday.

I do think it's a bit of a head scratcher not having him on the bench for those late stages, for defensive and attacking reasons

1 hour ago, ianofcleveleys said:

I was impressed by their attitude, saw Alexander waving them forward in injury time, they wanted to win and thought they could.

Agree re Humphreys, no world beater by any means but looked more the part, caused us some issues. That turn and piledriver alone was impressive 

We should have took Humphrey’s years ago I noticed him playing against us for Southend caused us loads of trouble,  saw he was a northern lad and a good age would have been perfect signing back then. 

Schuey was saying we had a 100% fit squad, yet no Erhahon, Gale or Dac Cog yesterday and how does McAtee not even make our bench?

Edited November 23, 2025Nov 23 by Burndens Bogs

14 minutes ago, Burndens Bogs said:

Schuey was saying we had a 100% fit squad, yet no Erhahon, Gale or Dac Cog yesterday and how does McAtee not even make our bench?

SS also said in the pre-match interview that we had so many fit and available that some would not even make the matchday squad. This is what happened. The number of subs is not limitless.

i do think Randall was a waste of a place on the bench and, for the same reason, McAtee would have been likewise. Cogley to cover the full backs, would have given more complete cover.

12 hours ago, Farnywhite said:

On our big day out  sarc and Humphrey’s came out on top 

we didn’t beat them 

Lh white already plays this game

All the above seems to be mainly about the midfield, but a quiet word needs to be said about the growing confidence and performance of sharman-lowe.   The lad had a great game yesterday and is that 3 clean sheets at home on the bounce.   Keep it up young man

8 minutes ago, Rival Son said:

SS also said in the pre-match interview that we had so many fit and available that some would not even make the matchday squad. This is what happened. The number of subs is not limitless.

i do think Randall was a waste of a place on the bench and, for the same reason, McAtee would have been likewise. Cogley to cover the full backs, would have given more complete cover.

Nixon has one of his stories on us today, 'Bolton to trim squad'. Hardly a scoop and can't be arsed subscribing to read the detail but you'd think there'll be one or two exits in Jan, on loan or ideally for good.

Agree, Randall was never getting on yesterday so why not have JDC? 

35 minutes ago, Burndens Bogs said:

Schuey was saying we had a 100% fit squad, yet no Erhahon, Gale or Dac Cog yesterday and how does McAtee not even make our bench?

McAtee shouldn’t even be cleaning the bench never mind sat on it 

15 hours ago, Eavesy said:

Max conway wasn’t great because he had that clown in front of him hiding

One of the more bizarre bits of analysis in the 24 pages.

7 minutes ago, ianofcleveleys said:

Nixon has one of his stories on us today, 'Bolton to trim squad'. Hardly a scoop and can't be arsed subscribing to read the detail but you'd think there'll be one or two exits in Jan, on loan or ideally for good.

Agree, Randall was never getting on yesterday so why not have JDC? 

That’ll be Mcatee and Randall. Hopefully. 

6 minutes ago, ianofcleveleys said:

Nixon has one of his stories on us today, 'Bolton to trim squad'. Hardly a scoop and can't be arsed subscribing to read the detail but you'd think there'll be one or two exits in Jan, on loan or ideally for good.

Agree, Randall was never getting on yesterday so why not have JDC? 

No use paying players to sit in the stands and for me the more of one keeper, Cogley, Forrester, Taylor,Morley, Randall, Cissoko, Tutu, Dalby and McAtee ......Get rid of 4 or five of those and bring in a proven Goalscorer and move on the rest come Summer

1 hour ago, masi 51 said:

Is that based on his two games in the last 9 months?

What else would it be based on

Could have done with some of McAtee's movement up top yesterday.

Interesting comments on here, I thought it was ACDs poorest game, he rarely seemed to show in the second half, either coming short for the ball from Christie or spinning in behind, he just seemed to be stood next to the full back a lot of the time 

I think Christie is a good footballer, intelligent and with good delivery, but he isn't JDC in terms of energy. So maybe as JR says it's this that caused ACD to look bang average yesterday?? 

 

12 hours ago, Johnnyrotten said:

I still can't work out how Morley was picked ahead of Simons

I’m on the fence about whether it worked or not.

I’m not saying it’s right or was/wasn’t a success, but Morley was picked ahead of Simons because SS thought that would be the best combination of two 8’s ahead of Sheehan.

I think it was the Port Vale game, when SS in his after match comments, alluded to having one base midfielder and Dempsey picking up space in “those 8 pockets” . It seems to me SS prefers Simons when he plays two “6’s”

I think it’s debatable whether there’s merit to it and whether we’ll see it again.

Bradford being nullified in midfield, Dempsey finding good space again behind the front line and Morley doing the simple (less eye-catching) things well may be viewed as a plus by SS.

But personally I prefer to see Simons. I don’t see why he couldn’t be used as an 8 as well. He always looks more robust and involved. And maybe a having a number 10 doesnt isolate Burstow as much.

But I’m not being as dismissive as some about the tactical switch and including Morley. I wouldn’t be aghast if we saw it again.  

I’ve not got to listening to the post match interviews yet, was SS quizzed on his midfield selection? 

3 hours ago, Kane57 said:

I think Dempsey is a better impact sub these days. Uses his energy better when those around him are tiring 

I must admit around 70-75 minutes I was thinking it would be great to bring Dempsey on and inject his characteristic energy, stretching their defence with his fast running, biting into tackles.  But he'd already run his race!  He did OK first half, but we missed having an impact player to bring on.  Tutu is another in the impact sub bracket.

2 hours ago, ianofcleveleys said:

I was impressed by their attitude, saw Alexander waving them forward in injury time, they wanted to win and thought they could.

Agree re Humphreys, no world beater by any means but looked more the part, caused us some issues. That turn and piledriver alone was impressive 

Someone said pre-game name one player that would get in our team.  Have we answered that question with Humphreys?  TBH if none of their players are good enough for us, it doesn't reflect well on SS if he's getting less points than them with a better player in every single position!  I suspect it might not be the case.

I was not there yesterday and did not get to watch game as the bars over here did not know who we were 😂

We drew with a team who despite a poor run of form are above is in the table and as disappointing as it to drop points at home it is always going to happen at some point.

Based off the reports I have read and heard we should have killed game off in first half. Bradford reorganised and stifled us and had a few smaller chances late on 

As much as I like SS the system we play can be nullified if teams pack midfield and limit supply upfront. If we score early like Wigan and Vale we can then pick teams off, if we do not it becomes more attritional and our quality is nullified.

Looking at our league position and the current run - 13 points in last 6 - we do not need whole sale changes and the idea of shipping 5 or 6 out in Jan is frankly stupid. The fact it is justified by signing a prolific striker shows this. There is no website when you can log on and the 30 goal a season bloke is delivered in 24 hours. 
 

It will be interesting though to see how SS adjusts when teams gone down this route and get on top in games . Was surprised Morley played yesterday as Simons and Sheehan seemed to working so hope it really is a minor knock, if anything after the internationals thought Sheehan might be rested. 

53 minutes ago, JimmyRiddle said:

Interesting comments on here, I thought it was ACDs poorest game, he rarely seemed to show in the second half, either coming short for the ball from Christie or spinning in behind, he just seemed to be stood next to the full back a lot of the time 

I think Christie is a good footballer, intelligent and with good delivery, but he isn't JDC in terms of energy. So maybe as JR says it's this that caused ACD to look bang average yesterday?? 

 

He got marked out of the game and only did bits. He is a good player but folk getting far too giddy with him. We can’t end up like an under 8’s team where we just give it to him. A few times yesterday his decision to shoot was poor. If it was other players people would lose their shit. 
 

mcattee may be poor but Dalby is doing nothing for me. Saying that having a striker who apparently scores headers will look shit when we have Jonny step over who doesn’t put a cross in 

23 minutes ago, Big E said:

He got marked out of the game and only did bits. He is a good player but folk getting far too giddy with him. We can’t end up like an under 8’s team where we just give it to him. A few times yesterday his decision to shoot was poor. If it was other players people would lose their shit. 
 

mcattee may be poor but Dalby is doing nothing for me. Saying that having a striker who apparently scores headers will look shit when we have Jonny step over who doesn’t put a cross in 

Don't disagree, yesterday was more a lot of average performances 5/6s rather than 7/8s to get us the win.

I think this season may have been a lot different if Dalby had been our main striker, and not in a good way.

Also seems greedy having the leagues top scorer, but of all the positions, another No.9 striker is needed IMO. Unless he's planning on that being Vic 😵‍💫

Edited November 23, 2025Nov 23 by JimmyRiddle