7 hours ago, jules_darby said:

In fact with 10/15 mins left I showed my phone to my father in Le who was sat next to me and we’d had 2 shots on target all game according to SkyBet. It seems about right 🤷🏽‍♂️
 

Lots of mirroring of early last season before we found our stride when we seemed to press go only in the dying embers of games 

Stats aren't always a true reflection, shots that are just wide or just over (Dapo near the end) or harder to miss (Williams at 0-2) aren't counted as shots on target but to anyone watching are clearly huge threats to the opposition goal that reflect which team is dominating at the time.  I was resigned to defeat around 80 minutes but remember saying we fully deserved to score at least one.  And a draw was about right in the end, 3 goals wouldn't have flattered us but they could say the same.

Oh yes.

 

Clearly see Gillingham have dropped off a bit there. Maybe knackered, maybe settling for what they have.

Some excellent stuff late on.

7 hours ago, burnden said:

Irritates the fuck out of me not beating the first man on corners , it should be simple from a dead ball.

I wonder if those low corners are deliberate based on our complete inability to win a header.  I can think of 3 corners we've scored from under IE - Harrogate away (Crawford near post to Doyle, volleyed in), pre-season v Blackburn (similar from memory, steered in by Johnstone) and the Doyle header v Oxford, not exactly a low kick but certainly not one guaranteed to beat the first man.  The higher corners that we would all prefer to see, have proved to be a waste of time so far.

Well if they’re playing a percentage game that sooner or later a low corner will sneak through, sack the statistician.

We don't have a lot of "big" players.

Centre halves could do better, but full backs, midfielders (apart from mj) and lads up top aren't strong in the air.

Baka should give us a bit more.

Delivery could still be much better though, some pace on them.

3 minutes ago, Tonge moor green jacket said:

We don't have a lot of "big" players.

Centre halves could do better, but full backs, midfielders (apart from mj) and lads up top aren't strong in the air.

Baka should give us a bit more.

Delivery could still be much better though, some pace on them.

I thought during the first half yesterday and against Wigan last week that bar Santos and MJ we were nowhere near tall or big enough.

37 minutes ago, Lt. Aldo Raine said:

Oh yes.

 

He really is outstanding.
 

It’s a longtime since we’ve had a player who can ping it about like he can and look so comfortable on the ball. With him and Lee our midfield is strong. You can add Sheehan and Thomason into the mix too. Get a fit Politic back and/or another attacking midfielder in January then this will give us a really strong squad of diverse midfielders 

54 minutes ago, Johnnyrotten said:

Stats aren't always a true reflection, shots that are just wide or just over (Dapo near the end) or harder to miss (Williams at 0-2) aren't counted as shots on target but to anyone watching are clearly huge threats to the opposition goal that reflect which team is dominating at the time.  I was resigned to defeat around 80 minutes but remember saying we fully deserved to score at least one.  And a draw was about right in the end, 3 goals wouldn't have flattered us but they could say the same.

But they are when it’s like that every week, and our shots on target is always really low. The reality is that despite the possession we don’t create that much

I think that may change post Xmas but it’s where we are right now 

12 minutes ago, Lt. Aldo Raine said:

I thought during the first half yesterday and against Wigan last week that bar Santos and MJ we were nowhere near tall or big enough.

Aye. Some of the others aren't "short" but just aren't that sort of player. Their number 15 yesterday wasn't overly tall, but he was really solid, and our lot couldn't shift him when they played it long to him.

6 minutes ago, desperado said:

He really is outstanding.
 

It’s a longtime since we’ve had a player who can ping it about like he can and look so comfortable on the ball. With him and Lee our midfield is strong. You can add Sheehan and Thomason into the mix too. Get a fit Politic back and/or another attacking midfielder in January then this will give us a really strong squad of diverse midfielders 

Agreed, great to watch when he plays like that.  Those years of the mainstays of the midfield being Pratley, Spearing, Lowe etc, when long accurate passes weren't an option.  Having Williams and Santos routinely showing that ability makes the games better to watch irrespective of results.

9 minutes ago, jules_darby said:

But they are when it’s like that every week, and our shots on target is always really low. The reality is that despite the possession we don’t create that much

I think that may change post Xmas but it’s where we are right now 

Agree totally.  I think, whilst digesting another defeat before we scored, I was taking comfort in the fact that it was the first game in ages when we looked like we might score.  But our achilles heal remains our lack of scorers, and obviously losing Sarcevic makes us even lighter, and the fact that if Dapo doesn't fire in a 20 yarder we don't score.  I was a bit more encouraged in the last half hour yesterday, but still a long way to go.  And great to see Lee now looking like he could potentially be the 10 goal a season midfielder we hoped he was.

Pretty much where I'm at ⬆️

Not sure if it’s been mentioned on here but two years ago we got stuffed 5-0 by Gillingham. I was there and pleased to have a team to support. We are now disappointed that we didn’t win against that same club.  We’ve come a long way in a short space of time. Patience is not something that many supporters have but it’s what’s required now. 

1 hour ago, Johnnyrotten said:

I wonder if those low corners are deliberate based on our complete inability to win a header.  I can think of 3 corners we've scored from under IE - Harrogate away (Crawford near post to Doyle, volleyed in), pre-season v Blackburn (similar from memory, steered in by Johnstone) and the Doyle header v Oxford, not exactly a low kick but certainly not one guaranteed to beat the first man.  The higher corners that we would all prefer to see, have proved to be a waste of time so far.

Cheltenham away can go on the list

1 hour ago, jules_darby said:

But they are when it’s like that every week, and our shots on target is always really low. The reality is that despite the possession we don’t create that much

I think that may change post Xmas but it’s where we are right now 

 

44 minutes ago, Johnnyrotten said:

Agree totally.  I think, whilst digesting another defeat before we scored, I was taking comfort in the fact that it was the first game in ages when we looked like we might score.  But our achilles heal remains our lack of scorers, and obviously losing Sarcevic makes us even lighter, and the fact that if Dapo doesn't fire in a 20 yarder we don't score.  I was a bit more encouraged in the last half hour yesterday, but still a long way to go.  And great to see Lee now looking like he could potentially be the 10 goal a season midfielder we hoped he was.

 

27 minutes ago, JimmyRiddle said:

Pretty much where I'm at ⬆️

We created 22 chances yesterday 

9 shots on target.

22 aerial battles they won to our 15

10 Gillingham interceptions to our 3

85 duels yesterday

we won 40, Gillingham won 45

Thats the problem. One on one battles, second balls.

Look at the goals we conceded, not clearing our lines and not winning the second balls. 

The problem isn’t the creativity, I keep saying this, we can score goals but clean sheets are what’s hurting us. 

Make yourself hard to beat, rule no.1

 

All tweaks that can and IE will make.
There’s a reason BWFC have recruited an analyst. 
 

6 hours ago, RONNIE PHILLIPS said:

Everyone has the right to an opinion & the right to have a moan when things aren't going well. What people take issue with though is people who can't wait to kick their team when they are down, who constantly criticise & abuse certain players no matter how well/badly they play & who start booing at the first opportunity. 

    Forums like these are made for people to express any opinion they wish but people shouldn't get the hump when others jump on them when they are constantly negative no matter how we are doing. 

       You questioned my having a pop at Woolli yesterday but his statement about Isgrove warranted it as it was just ridiculous. I didn't agree with very much that he said but respected his opinion but bollocks like that is uncalled for. 

Fair enough fella. I didn't have the hump with your comment yesterday 👍  For me, it was just a dig at a very obvious weakness at the back. I don't know the poster or if they constantly criticise Isgrove. Agree with what you're saying though and why you would take issue with that. 

Good stuff Rudy. 

The difficult bit comes in trying sign the right players.

Evatt has generally been good on that front.

When the analysts says don't play Baka wide because he needs to be down the centre and don't play Kachunga down the sides because the other wingers offer better results but we have no choice but to do so then it makes them kind of redundant.

I'm not as relaxed as some about our ability to score goals. There seems to be a correlation between us dominatimg possession and failing to score.

Correlation doesn't necessarily equal causation but the impression I grt is that the players we have currently aren't good enough to allow the better opposition to drop off and try to drag them out of shape.

There's no disgrace in that considering where we've come from, but I do think it poses a problem we need to find an answer to.

25 minutes ago, Lt. Aldo Raine said:

I'm not as relaxed as some about our ability to score goals. There seems to be a correlation between us dominatimg possession and failing to score.

Correlation doesn't necessarily equal causation but the impression I grt is that the players we have currently aren't good enough to allow the better opposition to drop off and try to drag them out of shape.

There's no disgrace in that considering where we've come from, but I do think it poses a problem we need to find an answer to.

I get where you are coming from but there's been a few games where we have failed to score but have passed up a good few opportunities. 

I wasn’t aware a shot blocked by an outfield player doesn’t get classed as on target but a shot saved by the keeper is. 
 

As an aside, for those of us who have been watching 40+ years, do defensive blocks seem a lot more prevalent in today’s game than they were in the 70s & 80s or is it just my shit memory?

41 minutes ago, MickyD said:

I wasn’t aware a shot blocked by an outfield player doesn’t get classed as on target but a shot saved by the keeper is. 
 

As an aside, for those of us who have been watching 40+ years, do defensive blocks seem a lot more prevalent in today’s game than they were in the 70s & 80s or is it just my shit memory?

We put in a great defensive block against Liverpool 1979 think it was 0-0. Wasn’t the done thing back then. Didn’t go down well with Paisley. 

Edited October 24, 20214 yr by Mounts Kipper

2 hours ago, Casino said:

Cheltenham away can go on the list

Good point, how could I forget our fans celebrating that one behind the goal!  That corner was decent to be fair, whipped in by Isgrove, we won the first header without threatening the goal and Delaney knocked it in.  Very similar move to the MJW miss yesterday.

10 minutes ago, Mounts Kipper said:

We put in a great defensive block on at Anfield 1980, 0-0. Wasn’t the done thing back then. Didn’t go down well with Paisley. 

Yep. I was there that day as well. Lots of criticism of Ian Greaves tactics that day but that’s football. You play to your strengths. Sam learned a lot from his mentor and we had the the best years as fans to enjoy as a result.

Edited October 24, 20214 yr by BobyBrno