Brentford vs MK Dons

[JJH]

First game for Dean Smith then I presume, and he's not got that bad a start. He'll know a lot about MK Dons, Walsall smashed them at their place last season IIRC. Routine home win here.

2-0.

 

[Third Team Lucky]

First game for Dean Smith then I presume, and he's not got that bad a start. He'll know a lot about MK Dons, Walsall smashed them at their place last season IIRC. Routine home win here.

2-0.

Yep - can't argue with any of that

 

[MagpieBee]

We are absolutely dominating here, without leaving first gear. Nothing happened for the first 15 minutes, but in the last 20 we've hit the woodwork twice, had a shot cleared off the line, drawn a couple of quality saves from the keeper, and fluffed our lines a few times. Could easily be 4-0, shame it's only 1-0.

 

[toshj]

Probablg be our easiest game of the season that. Hit the bar 3 times in the end, dominated and could have been 5-0 easily - MK Dons were poor and could really struggle if they continue playing like that, think they managed 1 shot on target!

 

[BetterCallSaul]

3 shots on target.

Not surprised though, Brentford are a lot better than us and it showed. Robbo seems to think it was our worst performance of the season and said "play like that again and we'll get relegated."

Hard to disagree with him really.

 

[mpmbee]

Easiest win any championship side will get all season, MK Dons were awful. So many missed chances for us, could have had five or six goals easily.

 

[Camdenite]

Woeful performance. Toothless at both ends of the pitch and the midfield barely put in a challenge of note. Stats say we had nine shots! I can barely remember two or three.

Brentford have basically got the sort of side that Robbo would have built if he'd had the money over the years. Plenty of pace, movement and agility but strong enough to retain the ball when the challenges do go in. That's where we lose out so many times; we simply have too many players not capable of winning their one on one battles against their opposite number or consistently capable of winning 50/50's. Like us, most of Brentford's passages of play were text book Pro Licence stuff that most progressive coaches look for but they did it with far more confidence than we did today. We've both been playing the same way for a good few years now, but until we replace a number of lightweight players with someone a bit more robust then we're gong to struggle when it comes ball retention at this level.

I think Robbo massively underestimated the step up in physical size and strength required last summer. For years, I've been looking at the team's that came down to League 1 from The Championship and noticed that they were nearly always about two stone heavier and three or four inches taller. They always seemed to be the team's we came unstuck against too... Brentford are by no means a particularly big side, but it's just hi-lighted the issue to me in that they've retained their footballing principles but recognised the need for more physical power. Whereas, I think we kind of hoped we'd get away with it because when we click we're a good footballing team, and there's definitely been plenty of games we should have come away from with a lot more than we have done this season, but right now it's biting us on the arse when we don't have a platform to build on in games.

 

[MagpieBee]

Woeful performance. Toothless at both ends of the pitch and the midfield barely put in a challenge of note. Stats say we had nine shots! I can barely remember two or three.

Brentford have basically got the sort of side that Robbo would have built if he'd had the money over the years. Plenty of pace, movement and agility but strong enough to retain the ball when the challenges do go in. That's where we lose out so many times; we simply have too many players not capable of winning their one on one battles against their opposite number or consistently capable of winning 50/50's. Like us, most of Brentford's passages of play were text book Pro Licence stuff that most progressive coaches look for but they did it with far more confidence than we did today. We've both been playing the same way for a good few years now, but until we replace a number of lightweight players with someone a bit more robust then we're gong to struggle when it comes ball retention at this level.

I think Robbo massively underestimated the step up in physical size and strength required last summer. For years, I've been looking at the team's that came down to League 1 from The Championship and noticed that they were nearly always about two stone heavier and three or four inches taller. They always seemed to be the team's we came unstuck against too... Brentford are by no means a particularly big side, but it's just hi-lighted the issue to me in that they've retained their footballing principles but recognised the need for more physical power. Whereas, I think we kind of hoped we'd get away with it because when we click we're a good footballing team, and there's definitely been plenty of games we should have come away from with a lot more than we have done this season, but right now it's biting us on the arse when we don't have a platform to build on in games.

Definitely noticed the "physical" thing before. Last year we "out-footballed" pretty much every team we came across, but could come unstuck just because the opposition tackle harder, have more pace, lots of long balls, and are typically quite clinical. Ipswich and Boro are two sides who are very strong and hard working, so are very tough to break down, and for me while their play is never particularly fancy (lots of long balls in Ipswich's case) they are so clinical they can take you to the cleaners. The two sides in this division we definitely struggle against most.

I'd say we're probably a little weaker than last year in terms of strength, probably why we struggled a little bit so far this season.

Unfortunately for you guys, some of your defending and ball retention was suicidal at times. The number of times it was given away around your own box was astonishing, we didn't punish you but I'd imagine most other teams will.

 

[Camdenite]

Definitely noticed the "physical" thing before. Last year we "out-footballed" pretty much every team we came across, but could come unstuck just because the opposition tackle harder, have more pace, lots of long balls, and are typically quite clinical. Ipswich and Boro are two sides who are very strong and hard working, so are very tough to break down, and for me while their play is never particularly fancy (lots of long balls in Ipswich's case) they are so clinical they can take you to the cleaners. The two sides in this division we definitely struggle against most.

I'd say we're probably a little weaker than last year in terms of strength, probably why we struggled a little bit so far this season.

Unfortunately for you guys, some of your defending and ball retention was suicidal at times. The number of times it was given away around your own box was astonishing, we didn't punish you but I'd imagine most other teams will.

Fair comments, especially the last paragraph. We've maintained our principles of playing out from the back, and with one of the deep lying midfielders often dropping behind the centre half to collect, but the pressing is so much better every week at this level. Last season, most sides employed a high press but we just picked them off and Dele had thirty yards of space to move in. That's just not going to happen now.

Part of the problem is two centre halves who, although getting better with us, are never going to be comfortable enough on the ball to employ that tactic effectively, but the midfield due need to be more dynamic to exploit spaces.

Lots of things to fix in that regard.

 

[kelbiiz]

Brentford 2-0 MK Dons :flint: