2022/23 Matchday Thread

[oakroader]

Stoke described as our bogey team…
Is it because the played in a snotty green colour
Or the fact that they get right up my nose!!

 

[oakroader]

Apart from missing a virtual open goal when we headed against the bar…there weren’t many opportunities to get excited about…
Prm..was anonymous in the middle of the park where we were totally devoid of ideas…
Sorry to see a great past servant to the club languishing in such a run of poor form
He’s hit the wall and needs resting

 

[BelizeHatter]

Jones seemed pissed at Tymon? Or one of their players at the end on the pitch finger wagging and the player was led off wanting a word back. Anyone see or know?

 

[Kenneth E End]

Stoke = Wycombe II, just with higher wage bills.

In fairness to them, their work rate matched Luton's - didn't give the home side a sniff. But their antics, even before they scored was down right pathetic. And it took an age for Jon Moss to pick up on it and start booking players. Their goalkeeper was an absolute dick.

 

[SF_]

We are literally a one man team. Patrick Bauer.

 

[Craig]

We are definitely going down this year.

 

[Bartonyellow]

Stoke = Wycombe II, just with higher wage bills.

In fairness to them, their work rate matched Luton's - didn't give the home side a sniff. But their antics, even before they scored was down right pathetic. And it took an age for Jon Moss to pick up on it and start booking players. Their goalkeeper was an absolute dick.

Nice to see them revering to type. The sort of shithousery they did in the prem under pulis. Hope they get found out. The best teams will still shine through. Stoke are a mid table team at best. Was hoping you would beat them.

 

[SF_]

Cardiff at home, if Bauer is injured we'll lose.

 

[BelizeHatter]

COYRRH..........its QPR. Away. Under the lights.

 

[Craig]

Fulham away. EZ

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

Qpr for us tonight. Fair to say we have a poor record going there, I actually don’t remember the last time I saw us go there and win.

Think they are a good side so I’d happily take a point out of this.

I see NJ has been having a bit of a moan at the fixture list, of our next 9 games, 6 are away from home so wouldn’t surprise at all if we have a blip between now and the new year. Get his frustration with it but perhaps slightly misguided as we have a similar run in February/March with home games!

 

[Kenneth E End]

Frustrating first half - Luton haven't really done a lot wrong... plenty to play for in this game.

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

Very frustrating, think we’ve played pretty well on the whole just a bloody, awful horrendous goal to concede. Awkward ball over the top but felt like either Sluga comes clear everything out or let’s Pelly and Campbell deal with it, in the end does neither and it’s a pretty simple lob in the end. Conceding pretty much straight from your own corner is really disappointing. Other than that think we’ve looked pretty good had some good chances and pressed them well to create some chaotic moments.

But it’s Qpr away, don’t think we’ve won here since mammoths walked the Earth so.

 

[Super_horns]

Yes you have been on top.

Just caught out once for that goal .

Last win in 1984 apparently so a while back.

 

[Super_horns]

That was a tough goal to let in as the free kick wasn’t one .

 

[BelizeHatter]

They are about 20yrs ahead of us in momentum and Championship experience but we are closer than that to them. Dozzel Chair and Willock the difference. Better than us but not by miles and sadly our bogeyside

 

[Kenneth E End]

Fine margins in this division. Probably the better team for the first 70 minutes apart from in the goal scoring department.

 

[Super_horns]

Yes - finishing the difference.

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

Couldn’t hit a barn door tonight, shooting was absolutely woeful and some decision making not much better. Not much in the game, didn’t feel like a routine 2-0 home win that the score might suggest. That first goal gave them something to hold

 

[BelizeHatter]

They were quite a lot better than us. And should be. Austin alone prob earns half our starters added together. Chair, Dozzel, Willock and the Scandy were all very good and the defense coped easily with Eli and Harry. Would like to have seen how theyd have coped if we got one and hammered on the door but they were professional and stopped us and we didnt quite get the drop of the ball and were always rushed

 

[BelizeHatter]

Pelly is vital for us and when on song so are we. Tonight he was hoarse ;-)

 

[oakroader]

Prm was woeful again…
Lansbury…meh…

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

They were quite a lot better than us. And should be. Austin alone prob earns half our starters added together. Chair, Dozzel, Willock and the Scandy were all very good and the defense coped easily with Eli and Harry. Would like to have seen how theyd have coped if we got one and hammered on the door but they were professional and stopped us and we didnt quite get the drop of the ball and were always rushed

Dont agree at all that they were a lot better than us tonight. On paper maybe they are but tonight was pretty even, they took the only 2 chances on offer, we picked out various seats in the stand.

General play was 2 differing styles I grant, they like to try and control the game and the ball whereas we want to play a bit faster and create chaotic situations - dont think one is better than the other.

 

[BelizeHatter]

That wasnt even. Sorry you talk a lot of sense but i disagree tonight. They bossed midfield and had gears to step up and we didnt, without a spark that we couldnt produce. We couldnt handle Chair and Willock when hey dropped off and we had too many central defenders on just Austin.

I like the back three but with Naismith in the middle to step out with the ball into midfield between the two deeper players.

We are getting there, dont get me wrong, but this bullshit talk from Management of getting to the Prem and being pretenders is counterproductive. We arent there nor are we close. Stoke showed us and today QPR did. We are upper mid at best over a season..... Now...... A season or two where continue to improve and add and perhaps. But lets not get carried away

 

[BelizeHatter]

We didnt create a single clear cut chance. Granted the ball didnt drop for us but we were poor today and lost our heads a bit against an organised opponent

 

[BelizeHatter]

That said........ I LOVE our direction and heading.

On the other forum tonight a Forest fan suggested Jones has shot his bolt and weve gone as far as we can with him. Yeah. A Forest fan!

He suggested we needed balls to hire Farke.

Jones will walk again one day when the turn suits him and the till kerchings..... But we will continue to improve.

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

That wasnt even. Sorry you talk a lot of sense but i disagree tonight. They bossed midfield and had gears to step up and we didnt, without a spark that we couldnt produce. We couldnt handle Chair and Willock when hey dropped off and we had too many central defenders on just Austin.

I like the back three but with Naismith in the middle to step out with the ball into midfield between the two deeper players.

We are getting there, dont get me wrong, but this bullshit talk from Management of getting to the Prem and being pretenders is counterproductive. We arent there nor are we close. Stoke showed us and today QPR did. We are upper mid at best over a season..... Now...... A season or two where continue to improve and add and perhaps. But lets not get carried away

I mean they created one chance despite all of this, which was off a second phase of a set piece. They never cut us open once for all of this “midfield control” they had. We don’t tend to disagree much but feel like we watched different games!

Just one metric and by no means definitive and certainly has its flaws, but is some way indicative of the game and quality of chances created at least - the xG was 0.39 vs 1.69 in our favour. Another night we don’t give a frankly ridiculous first goal away and we maybe have a chance to come away with something. The best chances in the game were Naismiths header, Cornick opportunity in the first few mins and Onyedinma first half which he blazed over. Doesn’t even count Adebayo trying to take it around the keeper rather than shoot in the first half either which was definitely a great chance as it’s not a shot! Came down to a poor mistake and one clinical moment from Austin thats it for me. Other than that, really don’t see how you can say they were a lot better/dominated or whatever you want to call it. Possession was 53/47 in their favour, more of course but not exactly screaming “control” especially as there style is dominate possession and ours is more direct.

I agree about the recent talk on getting into playoffs though, think thats more for the players consumption than ours frankly as it’s all about improvement on what’s come before. Consolidation at the level is enough for me. I’m also not too sure I’d be delighted about being promoted to the premier league from a fan point of view either!

 

[BelizeHatter]

I get your drift and it could be argued we were the more threatening. The issue for me was we were a bit of a headless chicken again in midfield. They had Chair who twice had the vision from our corner to send someone off on a one on one. Yes Sluga gifted them one and the ref stopped the other to book - as usual - Lansbury.

Then they had Willock and Dozzel dropping off and causing havoc between out defense and mid. Johansen did what we have a lot of and broke the game, patrolled, sheilded them, won the ball. He then fed it to quality that can do the unexpected, pull off that killer pass, throw that nutmeg and move i to space and get the head up - even if it didnt quite click for them on the night my interpretation was it could. We dont have that at all in midfield. If we did we would be good. Thats why they are in with a shout and we arent.

 

[BelizeHatter]

On reflection I can see why youd think im wrong, as on the night it wasnt too far apart and im theorisng an interpretation of styles and what one side might be able to do and another cant.

To be honest its the talk from within the Club over the last month of the Prem thats got me riled up. We havent got a cat in hells chance and some of our morons - def not aimed at you - might believe it and start calling for heads to roll when it doesnt materialise.

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

Yeah take the point, I do think Willock in particular was impressive and as keeps getting referred to, we are missing Dewsbury-Hall for a bit of creativity in that area. I think in his absence NJ has kind of changed our way of playing so we arent the type of side this season who is really looking to control that area of the pitch in that manner. Its all about energetic pressing, getting the ball forward quickly and creating chaotic situations which are difficult for teams to defend by playing a fast style with a high tempo. Campbell isnt there because hes good on the ball, its because he has good energy and presses very well. So maybe thats why we look "headless chicken" because thats how we want to play because we capitalise well on those situations. You are right, maybe that particular style puts a limit on how high up we can go this season.

Even our best performances this season, thinking Coventry at home in particular - i wouldnt say we controlled the midfield that game. It was our energetic pressing and Adebayo/Cornick causing chaos with their pace and power n their backline by being direct that meant we won it in some comfort.