20/21 Matchday Thread

[BelizeHatter]

My rock Glenn Rae looking like he needs a break. Last couple games become very sloppy. Still see him as one of three at the back with the two new signings deeper mids

 

[Kenneth E End]

What a waste that second half was. Tactics totally wrong.

And I’ve been saying it for a while now, we need to be on the front foot a lot more - we can’t afford to keep waiting for teams to play shit against us. Eventually someone is going to give us a tonking.

Forest for the most part were abysmal. But that was 2 points dropped.

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

That was pretty poor to be honest. Comes to something when your best attacking chances fall to Glen Rea. The goal in the first half papered over the fact that we hadn't foggiest idea what we were doing with the ball in the final third, and that merely played out in the second half even though Forest only had 10 men. You could see Forest getting an equaliser a mile off minutes into the second half when we were knocking the ball between the back 3.

We may as well have only had 10 such was the impact of Collins. No service on offer all evening. Disappointing as we had the opportunity to win the game at 1-0 with 10 men and never looked like actually doing something about that

 

[Kenneth E End]

Forest had NINE touches in Luton’s 18 yard box in 90 minutes. Pathetic, and we still couldn’t win.

 

[Millwall_Matt]

Fucking disgraceful, every single one of them, gutless, talentless wankers.

Ryan Woods had the easiest game of his life against the useless c*** we had in midfield.

I don't understand how we can be this bad at home. It's not like Millwall parked the bus, they played football and should have won by 3 or 4, yet we still created fuck all and looked were completely devoid of quality or ideas.

Yet away from home we smash in 10 in 4 games.

Deepdale would be fucking toxic if we had fans in, i'd have thrown a bottle of piss at Joe Rafferty, we would see more useful distribution by rebounding it off a wheelie bin.

Fuck. Off. c***.

I still can’t believe we got woods. He’s up there with Pearson for the best dm in this division for me. He’s absolutely a cut above at the moment. If he and jed turn up I fancy us at the moment.

 

[SF_]

I still can’t believe we got woods. He’s up there with Pearson for the best dm in this division for me. He’s absolutely a cut above at the moment. If he and jed turn up I fancy us at the moment.

We certainly missed that guy tonight.

I'm not sure if Ryan Woods actually broke into a jog.

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

Forest had NINE touches in Luton’s 18 yard box in 90 minutes. Pathetic, and we still couldn’t win.

Always easy to say in hindsight but thought NJ got it wrong with how he dealt with them going a man down. With them playing 1 up front there wasnt any need for the 3 centre halves AND Rea.

Should have got the pace of Clark, LuaLua on far earlier.

 

[BelizeHatter]

Always easy to say in hindsight but thought NJ got it wrong with how he dealt with them going a man down. With them playing 1 up front there wasnt any need for the 3 centre halves AND Rea.

Should have got the pace of Clark, LuaLua on far earlier.

He must read your thiughts in here. He came out and said the same. Lol

He seems more tactically aware than when he left. Maybe he was then too but didn't need to change things but a Stoke complaint was his dogedness. His loyalty to players is an attrirbute and a hinderence at times but i cant fault him for that.

His subs are very predictible and do seem to come at exactly the same sort if times. Rarely if ever do i recall a first half or halftime or early second half change of tactics.

He does seem pretty adept at spotting when he needs things need to change in himself so perhaps this is another turning point.

That lineup with Rea dropping into a 3. Bree, Morrell and Cornick coming in and rotating around the game changers is quite an exciting prospect.

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

He must read your thiughts in here. He came out and said the same. Lol

He seems more tactically aware than when he left. Maybe he was then too but didn't need to change things but a Stoke complaint was his dogedness. His loyalty to players is an attrirbute and a hinderence at times but i cant fault him for that. Remember his first season when he played Cook/Gillead as centre midfielders and Lee as the holding player?! Come a long long way from those days.

His subs are very predictible and do seem to come at exactly the same sort if times. Rarely if ever do i recall a first half or halftime or early second half change of tactics.

He does seem pretty adept at spotting when he needs things need to change in himself so perhaps this is another turning point.

That lineup with Rea dropping into a 3. Bree, Morrell and Cornick coming in and rotating around the game changers is quite an exciting prospect.

He’s definitely not wedded to his diamond like he was first time around. Seems a bit calmer overall as well. Remember his first season when he’d quite often play Cook/Gillead as out and out centre midfield players with Lee as a holding player? Come a long way since those days.

Agree that with Cornick, Bree and Morrell in the mix it could be an interesting shape for us to play. With us looking to play a bit more on the front foot, I’m not sure Rea is quite good enough in possession to play that defensive midfield role on his own. As a part of a back 3 with him stepping up into midfield when required I think it could work quite well.

 

[Kenneth E End]

Jones has form when it comes to have a complete tactical mare one game every so often. I still have nightmares about that game at Crawley... didnt Collins score against us that day?

 

[BelizeHatter]

He’s definitely not wedded to his diamond like he was first time around. Seems a bit calmer overall as well. Remember his first season when he’d quite often play Cook/Gillead as out and out centre midfield players with Lee as a holding player? Come a long way since those days.

Agree that with Cornick, Bree and Morrell in the mix it could be an interesting shape for us to play. With us looking to play a bit more on the front foot, I’m not sure Rea is quite good enough in possession to play that defensive midfield role on his own. As a part of a back 3 with him stepping up into midfield when required I think it could work quite well.

Thats exactly where i meant Rea would play......As ever less eloquent than you ;-)

 

[BelizeHatter]

To enlarge on Rea as lone DM. I think he prob is good enough but he def hasnt been this season. He needs to relax and settle on the ball. The high press frightens the shit out of him and he panics and misplaces passes, which suprises me.

Sluga is similar and been sold short a few times lately with not much time and he isnt as calm as the rest if the defense.

This playing it out from the back lark helps keep my weight down, jumping up off the sofa regularly. Gives me the collywobbles. But didn't we knock it about nicely until they got their red? Promising stuff.

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

Jones has form when it comes to have a complete tactical mare one game every so often. I still have nightmares about that game at Crawley... didnt Collins score against us that day?

Yep we were shocking that day. It was at least 1 a season he’d try something different for seemingly no reason.

Played 3 at the back v Peterborough for some reason as well and we were awful.

 

[Atavistic]

Away at Bristol City for us tomorrow, and live on Sky Sports to boot (just as it was in our previous Championship campaign, if I'm remembering correctly). Don't know much about how they play, but they're sitting above us in 6th currently so must have made a pretty good start, but I seem to have heard on our forum that they've got a few injuries at the moment which might change things.

Either way, I wouldn't expect to see too many changes besides sorting out the left-back situation. I assume Mumba will be given the nod, as we don't really want to be playing our right-footed defensive midfielder there again like on Tuesday. And speaking of Sorensen, I'd like to see him start instead of Skipp as the latter seems to be struggling in recent games and is getting bypassed very easily. Of course, that means Farke will either stick with Skipp or shunt in McLean instead.

Think we want to be winning this one to prove that we have the credentials for a promotion charge, rather than just being lucky as we have been in recent matches.

 

[CCFC_Charlie]

Reading at home on TV tonight. At least we’re getting the loss out of the way early so I can enjoy the rest of my weekend.

 

[CCFC_Charlie]

Christ, where has that come from? Robins did exactly what he needed to today and went two up top and it paid off massively. Excellent win against the division’s form side.

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

Good win for you tonight. Personally don’t think Reading will end up being up there come the end of the season but can’t argue with there form at the moment. Really do think you’ll make a fist of it this season and won’t be troubling the relegation places.

Brentford at home tomorrow. Don’t want to be too doom and gloom but I fear a bit of a drubbing for us tomorrow. Think they will press us high up the pitch and we won’t have an answer for it. Hope we have Cornick back as the only way I can see us getting something is on the counter and without him we dont really have the pace to hurt teams on it.

 

[Kenneth E End]

Brentford at home tomorrow. Don’t want to be too doom and gloom but I fear a bit of a drubbing for us tomorrow.

Jeez be a little positive - were ahead of them in the league table, they’ve lost their two best forwards and replaced them with Toney and we beat them before lockdown.

 

[thewwfc]

Sheff Wed @ home, an early bottom of the table glamour clash. Sadly they’ve lost 3 on the bounce so will be just as desperate for the points as we are (not that they wouldn’t be, given their points deduction, but still...).

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

Jeez be a little positive - were ahead of them in the league table, they’ve lost their two best forwards and replaced them with Toney and we beat them before lockdown.

I always try and take a level view and its hardly a relentlessly negative comment? Fearing a drubbing is different from expecting one.

Also not sure if you’ve seen but Toney has scored 8 in 8 so saying they replaced them with Toney isn’t exactly showing as a negative at the moment despite whatever form they might be in overall.

This sort of game may eventually end up suiting us as I think we’ll likely revert to sit the back and counter strategy and tactics that worked back end of last season given they like to dominate the ball. Just seeing a few signs of fatigue given the run of games and missing some key players to play that way.

 

[Super_horns]

Barnsley away - just come off a good win after a useful away draw so they will have confidence and boosted by a new manager.

 

[Atavistic]

Only changes from Saturday are Placheta replacing Cantwell in the starting XI, Stiepermann slotting in for the Vrancic in the "number 10" role and Mumba making his way onto the bench. Sorensen maintains his place at left back which is absolutely insane to me.

 

[Kenneth E End]

I'm sure Jones realised on Wednesday that we were far too passive and complacent in that second half v Forest. We have to come out more; we can't keep playing for marginal victories... we need to go on the front foot. I think there will have been a couple of arse kickings after that. I'd go with this team, if they're all fit and Covid-free...

GK Simon Sluga
RWB Martin Cranie
LWB Rhys Norrington-Davies
CB Sonny Bradley
CB Matty Pearson
CB Tom Lockyer
CM Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu
DM Joe Morrell
CM Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall
CF James Collins
CF Elliot Lee
Subs: James Shea, Ryan Tunnicliffe, Luke Berry, Glen Rea, Kazenga LuaLua, Jordan Clark, Danny Hylton

 

[Atavistic]

Excellent start already, a class through ball from Stiepermann to Pukki for an excellent finish and otherwise dominating possession. Nice to get an early goal again, but need to do a better job of concentrating and keeping control from this point than we did against Wycombe last week.

EDIT: Two already, and two for Pukki. Looks like he may well and truly be back to his best, and that is a terrifying prospect for Championship defences. Excellent through ball from an out-of-position Sorensen as well.

And of course we almost immediately let Bristol City get one back. Just seem to lose that focus after we score so, so often and it's still not been ironed out after two years.

EDIT: And a fantastic third from Buendia to round off the half. Bristol City have cut down on the space a lot since the opening fifteen, but they simply can't track our off-ball runs properly and those long balls - either grounded or in the air - are leaving them completely clueless. But for one or two poor first touches from Pukki on the receiving end we could easily have at least one more goal already.

 

[BelizeHatter]

Ok Jones now making tactical changes first half. Maybe he does read here

 

[BelizeHatter]

Brentford, as last season, looking streets ahead of anyone else we've played. Their keeper is Prem and one of their best play makers.

I think we should be looking to consolidate our different style and look to play well grind and make life difficult and try to beat our contemporaries not so much the Prem aspirants.

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

Fears of potential drubbing well founded so far then. Getting schooled a bit by Brentford so far. Looks a game too far in terms of fitness for a few to me. RND who I believe has played every minute of every game is having a bit of a shocker against Mbuemo.

Again only really looking threatening off set pieces.

 

[Super_horns]

Awful from us.

Don’t think we have had a shot on target!

 

[thewwfc]

MONK OUT.

We got the goal then defended for our lives. Not fun to watch but probably the right strategy.

 

[Kenneth E End]

What a load of rubbish. I think just 2 shots on target in 2 games.

We got exactly what we deserved... fuck all.

I say it again, we cannot keep playing for marginal 1-0 victories, waiting to pounce on a mistake. It is negative and asking for trouble against a team like Brentford.