Just Back v Argyle

The amount of ball they had in their own half playing it from defender to defender then back again then to the midfielder to the defender etc must have accounted for a huge percentage of their possession stats. Utterly pointless.

We helped with that though by playing higher up the pitch. They had nowhere to go and didn't want to play the longer ball - It's beneath Shrek. He probably sees it has hoofball. When we went five at the back that all changed though because they were on the front foot a bit more. Same as the first 5/10 minutes when they were busy down the channels, that only happened because for some reason, we were playing quite deep. Slow off the mark probably.

However, Tanga showed in the second half with that delightful longball pass to Azeez, which tore them wide open, Hoofball and the longball are two different techniques.
 
A very fair report Silver. Thank you. I think I understand NH's tactics with the subs, and put it down to the determination not give away the 3 points by playing 5 at the back. It would have been a travesty to have only got a draw after how we played in the first half, but a win, no matter how we did it, has seen us move up to mid table.
A good team performance, with some lads starting to show us what they're more than capable of.
The thoughts of how we'll play with a fully fit squad, should give us the confidence to be playing in the top half of the league for the rest of the season......fingers crossed.
 
We helped with that though by playing higher up the pitch. They had nowhere to go and didn't want to play the longer ball - It's beneath Shrek. He probably sees it has hoofball. When we went five at the back that all changed though because they were on the front foot a bit more. Same as the first 5/10 minutes when they were busy down the channels, that only happened because for some reason, we were playing quite deep. Slow off the mark probably.

However, Tanga showed in the second half with that delightful longball pass to Azeez, which tore them wide open, Hoofball and the longball are two different techniques.

That's a good point about us being higher up the pitch and I didn't notice that until you mentioned it. They only created one chance in the entire game which was the header in the first half. The only other chance was when Jensen dropped the corner. I think a lot of the dropping deeper was purely down to the fact we only led 1-0 and also because we we quite desperate for the win. It's almost a natural reaction.
 
A very fair report Silver. Thank you. I think I understand NH's tactics with the subs, and put it down to the determination not give away the 3 points by playing 5 at the back. It would have been a travesty to have only got a draw after how we played in the first half, but a win, no matter how we did it, has seen us move up to mid table.
A good team performance, with some lads starting to show us what they're more than capable of.
The thoughts of how we'll play with a fully fit squad, should give us the confidence to be playing in the top half of the league for the rest of the season......fingers crossed.
Are you really Neil in disguise mate? 😉
Read this https://southwarknews.co.uk/sport/f...millwall-head-coach-on-ivanovics-first-start/
 
Uriah Rennie! 🤣🤣🤣
I asked my cousin-in-law at the game if he was Uriah Rennie’s love child😉

Certainly had the same “look at me aren’t I important” approach to officiating :shake:

Had a point to prove, early penalty award against us, booked 5 of ours and just 1 of theirs and bias eg their RB pulls Azeez back no booking (just a free-kick) 30 seconds later Honeyman gets booked for the same offence 🤷‍♂️. Both should have been booked!
 
A very fair report Silver. Thank you. I think I understand NH's tactics with the subs, and put it down to the determination not give away the 3 points by playing 5 at the back. It would have been a travesty to have only got a draw after how we played in the first half, but a win, no matter how we did it, has seen us move up to mid table.
A good team performance, with some lads starting to show us what they're more than capable of.
The thoughts of how we'll play with a fully fit squad, should give us the confidence to be playing in the top half of the league for the rest of the season......fingers crossed.
Historically though we seem to concede when we revert to 5 at the back as no one seemed to know what they were doing .
 
I asked my cousin-in-law at the game if he was Uriah Rennie’s love child😉

Certainly had the same “look at me aren’t I important” approach to officiating :shake:

Had a point to prove, early penalty award against us, booked 5 of ours and just 1 of theirs and bias eg their RB pulls Azeez back no booking (just a free-kick) 30 seconds later Honeyman gets booked for the same offence 🤷‍♂️. Both should have been booked!
Exactly, his inconsistencies were unbelievable
 
If ever the “Harris out” brigade wanted justification look at the last 15 minutes. His substitutions and change of format almost cost us 2 points in a game we had bossed from the start 🤷‍♂️
I thought Harris may have learnt from his previous 5 at the back tactics and the way games have changed for the worst by the way we invite the opposition on and concede possession.
I Also feel that as the home team we need to set the tempo more and get the crowd going and getting behind the team
Maybe it was just me but i found parts of that game very dull and boring just sitting back and stopping them play in our half when they looked suspect at the back but us seeming content to play out a 1-0.
Very hard to raise an atmosphere playing like that
I do appreciate we needed 3 pts but didnt enjoy it much.
 
I asked my cousin-in-law at the game if he was Uriah Rennie’s love child😉

Certainly had the same “look at me aren’t I important” approach to officiating :shake:

Had a point to prove, early penalty award against us, booked 5 of ours and just 1 of theirs and bias eg their RB pulls Azeez back no booking (just a free-kick) 30 seconds later Honeyman gets booked for the same offence 🤷‍♂️. Both should have been booked!
I should think your cousin in law was a bit shocked when you asked him that!
 
My main issue with the tactics yesterday was that we were well on top and probably having our best spell of the game when Azeez went down. At that point, surely you just keep the same tactics and don't change it (could have brought on Emakhu), but then Wintle came on for a 3 man midfield. We then lost our shape and shortly after we went to a back 5 when Esse went off, changing the formation again. We were never in the game again and clung on for the win. I'm not moaning too much as happy with the win, but just feel that the late pressure was unnecessary and brought on ourselves really.
 
If ever the “Harris out” brigade wanted justification look at the last 15 minutes. His substitutions and change of format almost cost us 2 points in a game we had bossed from the start 🤷‍♂️
Exactly this - Harris went back to Harris form. Shutting up shop with 10 minutes to go against the worst team I’ve seen for a long time. He never learns. Has we drew 1-1, everyone would be absolutely furious that he stuck five at the back and invited them on. Fortunately butter fingers got away with a clanger and Plymouth were terrible. The best form of defence is attack. Not sit back and invite teams on. Lunacy.
 
My main issue with the tactics yesterday was that we were well on top and probably having our best spell of the game when Azeez went down. At that point, surely you just keep the same tactics and don't change it (could have brought on Emakhu), but then Wintle came on for a 3 man midfield. We then lost our shape and shortly after we went to a back 5 when Esse went off, changing the formation again. We were never in the game again and clung on for the win. I'm not moaning too much as happy with the win, but just feel that the late pressure was unnecessary and brought on ourselves really.
Agree with this. First half, Azeez, Joe and Honeyman were rampant down the left with some excellent passing and movement. As soon as the 5 went in at the back the ability to pass accurately seemed to go out of the window.
 
Agree with this. First half, Azeez, Joe and Honeyman were rampant down the left with some excellent passing and movement. As soon as the 5 went in at the back the ability to pass accurately seemed to go out of the window.
But that's just game management. See the game out and take the win.

If we'd have carried on going forward and got caught out on the break, people would be asking why we didn't we shut the game down.

Damned if you do, damned if you don't.
 
But that's just game management. See the game out and take the win.

If we'd have carried on going forward and got caught out on the break, people would be asking why we didn't we shut the game down.

Damned if you do, damned if you don't.
Yeah, you are right and it paid off but some of the passing in the last 10mins was atrocious. That needs addressing in those situations, go 5 at the back but get some pace in the attacking players to give the oppo something to worry about.
 
The best form of defence is attack. Not sit back and invite teams on.
And if we did that and conceded?
everyone would be absolutely furious
Seething mate. But we won and his decisions vindicated.

He can't win and we don't know what the bench know stats wise- if players are tiring etc. He changed like for like by bringing on Langstaff and Kelly so i don't think the intention was to sit back. They brought on three attackers so our subs were quite possibly in response to both that and fitness levels.

Being just a goal up the opposing team will throw everything at you for the last hurrah regardless of where were sitting on the pitch. We won that game with 38% possession so what Harris does actually works and he seems confident that it works.. Bringing one defender from the four subs made isn't what i'd call sitting back and going defensive.
 
If we'd have carried on going forward and got caught out on the break, people would be asking why we didn't we shut the game down.

Damned if you do, damned if you don't.
Yep. We made like for like subs against Derby. Azeez, Langstaff and Kelly on and we conceded. Had we brought on defenders and sat back we may have not conceded but those subs worked cause we scored!