Wanderers v Bristol Rovers

[gonzo]

We create enough chances to win games comfortably imo.

Its not the managers fault Dion Charles has gone blind.

He had enough to wrap the win up last night in the last 5 minutes alone.

He cant wipe their arses.

[Mantra]

Good performance other than the first minute where Johnston got burned for pace and then Toal, Jones and Trafford failed to block / deal with the cross.

Thought the trio of Dapo, Bodvarsson and Kachunga looked like a good combination and we played pretty well all game.

Beck and Toal both played well in my opinion. 

Bristol were slightly shithousey but nowhere near as bad as other teams like Wycombe and Burton. Don’t remember them really creating anything apart from the first minute so they should count themselves lucky to have gotten a point.

But as has been mentioned before, we keep conceding first and it’s just not sustainable. And the worst part is I don’t think there’s an obvious reason for it. Maybe we just start too slowly with our possession style. 

[Roger_Dubuis]

3 hours ago, Ani said:

How good is Morley btw ? 

Not as good as I hoped he would be.It would be harsh to say he goes missing for long periods  but he doesn't impose himself on a football match as much as a quality midfield player should do.

The best central midfield player in the 3rd Division is Barry Bannan of Sheffield Wednesday.It was a big test for Morley when he came up against the Sheffield midfield this season and he didn't impress.Bannan's weakness is lack of mobility and athleticism, sadly Morley also lacks that but also looked second best to Bannan in terms of technical ability.

In Morley's defence he has a manager who still doesn't have a clue whose Bolton's best midfield and strike force is so he doesn't have a settled team around him.Footballers need to have that to be producing their most consistent output

[Mounts Kipper]

19 minutes ago, Roger_Dubuis said:

Not as good as I hoped he would be.It would be harsh to say he goes missing for long periods  but he doesn't impose himself on a football match as much as a quality midfield player should do.

The best central midfield player in the 3rd Division is Barry Bannan of Sheffield Wednesday.It was a big test for Morley when he came up against the Sheffield midfield this season and he didn't impress.Bannan's weakness is lack of mobility and athleticism, sadly Morley also lacks that but also looked second best to Bannan in terms of technical ability.

In Morley's defence he has a manager who still doesn't have a clue whose Bolton's best midfield and strike force is so he doesn't have a settled team around him.Footballers need to have that to be producing their most consistent output

Bannan has an edge on experience and also played an extended period at championship level and international level, but he has many weaknesses as you rightly point out, Morley still very inexperienced but for me is more of a rounded midfielder and the key for me is you have to build a team around Bannan to capitalise on his strengths while you don’t have to do that for Morley, at this stage in their careers I’d rather have Morley over Bannan. 

[Leyther_Matt]

Last night was the first time in a LONG while that we were putting the ball directly in to areas for the wing backs to attack in behind. Morley, Thomason and in particular Toal were all making passes that previously might have gone through the same players two or three times before ending up in the same area. Case in point was when Bradley was played in behind and cut back for JDB that he really should have burst the net. 

[Wanderlust]

I despair. It's like Groundhog Day. Yet again we're looking forward to the January sales.

[RUREADY2ROLL]

24 minutes ago, Leyther_Matt said:

Last night was the first time in a LONG while that we were putting the ball directly in to areas for the wing backs to attack in behind. Morley, Thomason and in particular Toal were all making passes that previously might have gone through the same players two or three times before ending up in the same area. Case in point was when Bradley was played in behind and cut back for JDB that he really should have burst the net. 

Yep he should have buried that chance. We need a striker because we are missing too many every game

[RUREADY2ROLL]

1 minute ago, Wanderlust said:

I despair. It's like Groundhog Day. Yet again we're looking forward to the January sales.

Same result as the last two seasons and we are least in the play offs and likely to finish in the top two - but can we bring in enough quality to win all the games like last night: Cambridge, FGR and Cheltenham? We would be almost top now if we had won them

[Wanderlust]

1 minute ago, RUREADY2ROLL said:

Same result as the last two seasons and we are least in the play offs and likely to finish in the top two - but can we bring in enough quality to win all the games like last night: Cambridge, FGR and Cheltenham? We would be almost top now if we had won them

It's the coulda and shoulda that makes it so frustrating. There has to be a winning team in there somewhere, especially with a couple of quality additions, but we just don't seem to get it right often enough.

[Johnnyrotten]

5 hours ago, paulhanley said:

The last time we scored from open play in the first half of a league game was Charlton. Seventh game of the season on September 3rd. That's 12 games ago. Never known owt like it.

And that was Kieron Lee who's out of favour.  The only players that have scored from open play this season in the first half (and probably very deep into the 2nd half, feel free to check anyone!) are Bradley, Dempsey, Lee and Morley.  Only Bradley is a regular starter and a realistic goal threat of those.  

[Johnnyrotten]

4 hours ago, Ani said:

How good is Morley btw ? 

Some of Morley's long passing last night was exceptional.  Corners less so!  

[Johnnyrotten]

3 hours ago, Mounts Kipper said:

Strange how he was dropped out of the starting 11 and hardly figured at all for a good few weeks.

Ditto Kieran Lee and don't get me started on Sadlier, its all been said.

[Dr. Feelgood]

I reckon letting an early goal in is a masterstroke against teams dedicated to shithousery.

The score & barely attack again, so all we need are two late goals.

Sorted.

If we can dig out two late goals.

[Mounts Kipper]

45 minutes ago, Johnnyrotten said:

Ditto Kieran Lee and don't get me started on Sadlier, its all been said.

Less so Lee he will drop behind Sheehan now, but I would have had Sheehan or Lee on last 20 minutes last night. 

[Eddie]

Playing Kachunga in front of Kieran Lee in that position is fucking criminal.

Of course there are others that you could also put in front of him but Lee is 100x the player that Kachunga is.

Good overall performance, still fall into the trap of shithouse teams too often, we had enough chances to win 4 or 5 - 1. If we had an in form (or decent depending on what you think of the current crop) striker then we’d have a lot more points because we are missing some sitters every game!

[tomski]

2 hours ago, gonzo said:

We create enough chances to win games comfortably imo.

Its not the managers fault Dion Charles has gone blind.

He had enough to wrap the win up last night in the last 5 minutes alone.

He cant wipe their arses.

Have to respectfully disagree with this.

We don’t create enough or work the keeper at all (if you remove the last 5 mins) 

last season the plan was tricky wingers. Dapo/Amaechi yeah it may not of worked but we had a style/system.

Now I’ve no idea what the way we play is. 

Charles hasn’t gone off the boil on his todd. I’m my opinion all the strikers have which suggests something is fundamentally wrong rather than the individual.

That said we are 5th and I’d of took a play off spot by Christmas to kick on for second half of the season. So far objectives are being achieved. Just feel it could of been better. Would also be nice to bank some points rather than be shit or bust in the run in, which I think it will be again.
 

[tomski]

1 hour ago, Wanderlust said:

I despair. It's like Groundhog Day. Yet again we're looking forward to the January sales.

Spot on. We’ve gone back to square pegs, round holes again.

[Lostock Whites]

51 minutes ago, Eddie said:

Playing Kachunga in front of Kieran Lee in that position is fucking criminal.

Of course there are others that you could also put in front of him but Lee is 100x the player that Kachunga is.

Good overall performance, still fall into the trap of shithouse teams too often, we had enough chances to win 4 or 5 - 1. If we had an in form (or decent depending on what you think of the current crop) striker then we’d have a lot more points because we are missing some sitters every game!

Funny thing is, is there are a good few I'd put in a no10 ahead of Kachunga! Dapo, Sadlier, Lee, Sheehan...All way better options yet Kachunga continues to play every single week as our attacking threat, no wonder we have such a poor attacking efficiency - Supported by his miss again yesterday.

The problem with our 352 like we've pointed that teams are finding us out and matching us man for man, is that once Bradley is being pressed on, we simply lose the entirety of our width!

We need wingers, actually wingers, in which the full backs could support and create overloads.

In a 352 when our fullbacks are pinned, we have no outlet and then try to go long for Charles and kachunga to compete against 6ft 5 League One defenders.

Play our wingers out wide ffs, it's crying out for it.

Edited December 3, 2022 by Lostock Whites

[Tonge moor green jacket]

Not sure I'm buying this FV claim- don't see Evatt accepting interference from owners and directors. The best way for them to have the club financially secure is for the team to be pushing for promotion. That means playing the best players and not a passenger. 

[radcliffe white]

The season finishes today it’s play offs and a job well done

my concern is this won’t be the case come May and we will be kicking ourselves over dropped points

it feels like 2 steps forward 1 back at times we can’t get any momentum going in the way of a wining runs, yes we’re 5th but port vale in 9th are 3 behind not much in it

 

[Johnnyrotten]

4 hours ago, Lostock Whites said:

Funny thing is, is there are a good few I'd put in a no10 ahead of Kachunga! Dapo, Sadlier, Lee, Sheehan...All way better options yet Kachunga continues to play every single week as our attacking threat, no wonder we have such a poor attacking efficiency - Supported by his miss again yesterday.

The problem with our 352 like we've pointed that teams are finding us out and matching us man for man, is that once Bradley is being pressed on, we simply lose the entirety of our width!

We need wingers, actually wingers, in which the full backs could support and create overloads.

In a 352 when our fullbacks are pinned, we have no outlet and then try to go long for Charles and kachunga to compete against 6ft 5 League One defenders.

Play our wingers out wide ffs, it's crying out for it.

That's a really great post, every word.  Well said.

[Johnnyrotten]

4 hours ago, radcliffe white said:

The season finishes today it’s play offs and a job well done

my concern is this won’t be the case come May and we will be kicking ourselves over dropped points

it feels like 2 steps forward 1 back at times we can’t get any momentum going in the way of a wining runs, yes we’re 5th but port vale in 9th are 3 behind not much in it

 

Also if the season finishes tomorrow and the play offs are next week, do we expect to beat Barnsley over 2 legs?  Then either Peterborough or Sheff Wed in the final?  A genuine question, are we happy to get to the play offs and take that as an achievement even if we lose both legs?  Or are the play offs a means to an end, is there only any point getting into them if we go up?  

[Cheese]

38 minutes ago, Johnnyrotten said:

Also if the season finishes tomorrow and the play offs are next week, do we expect to beat Barnsley over 2 legs?  Then either Peterborough or Sheff Wed in the final?  A genuine question, are we happy to get to the play offs and take that as an achievement even if we lose both legs?  Or are the play offs a means to an end, is there only any point getting into them if we go up?  

What a strange question. Of course it would be an achievement. Are you saying maybe we shouldn't try to finish in the play-off places because we'll have to play decent teams and might not win?

[Biggish Dave]

While losing a play off might seem like a waste of time, we have a young squad who would learn from the experience.

Said before, we are plenty good enough to go up. Not good enough to stay up if we did.

Wouldn't take much 'know how' in the January window to improve us significantly 

[Johnnyrotten]

22 minutes ago, Cheese said:

What a strange question. Of course it would be an achievement. Are you saying maybe we shouldn't try to finish in the play-off places because we'll have to play decent teams and might not win?

I thought Evatt wanted promotion, but if play offs is the aim, fair enough.  In comparison, I don't think Ipswich or Sheff Wed would say its been a good season if they don't go up.  For me whether we finish 6th and lose, or 7th, there's not a huge difference, its OK but slightly underwhelming.  No big deal though, we start again in August, nothing lost and a few things learned about the squad.  At the moment I just want to see us win a couple of home games, its not all about where we finish.