Just (on the train) Back

Him or the ginger ninja? I know who I prefer. When he’s fit he will be class!
He hasn’t been playing much Tel due being ‘pinged’, so yes he was tired. GR quote “the likes of Maikel [Kieftenbeld], the likes of Sav have only played 60 minutes the last two or three weeks due to Covid and I just felt they ran out of energy when we most needed it.”
 
A deserved point away to a team that has invested heavily during the close season.

The Lions were out of the blocks quickly with Malone’s centre clipping the bar with their keeper nowhere.

A high press has them struggling and after a couple of near misses Jed fired home with his left peg from the edge of the box. 1-0 and deservedly up. We continued to press but we’re unable to convert our superiority into a another goal. Saville was put clear but the ball hung in the air to delay his advance. Rather than pass to Jed who was free in space on the left George fired a weak shot that was easily father’s and an excellent chance was wasted.

Teams can’t dominate entire games and we resorted to type and fell back. Big mistake. They gained confidence and bossed possession without looking dangerous until Dickie gathered the ball just inside our half and advanced unchallenged until unleashing a shot the flew pass Bart 😔. Could he have done better? Whisky will let us know later 😉

The last 20 minutes of the first half was a rerun of several performances last season and only a Bart save and last ditch Hutch tackle/clearance stopped us going in at half-time 2-1 down.

GR had clearly worked out what had gone wrong and adjusted to the tactics and we started the 2nd half on the front foot 👍

A number of half-chances with Keif firing over, Smith (under pressure) heading wide but no cigar. They did nothing, albeit we needed a Bart finger tip save to prevent us going behind.

Smith replaced Afobe, who had put in a shift, and Leonard Evans. Smith created some problems with knock-ones and it’s a shame Bradshaw hadn’t replaced Jed to take advantage of them.

F-T 1-1. Probably the right result but could have been much better.

Joint MOTM Hutch and Keif.

Positives: Better and more controlled football and no ‘red dwarf’👍 Ballard, Keif and Saville turned in good performances.

Negatives: Still reverting to type of defending when taking the lead and resorting to long balls. Thought Danny looked vulnerable defensively and didn’t create as much going forward as we expected, although that could be down to Jed’s unpredictability. Leonard contributed more than Evans. If Saville and Jed are given free-roles we must ensure we cover them, their goal came from Saville being nowhere!

Overall: Encouraging👍

PS: Bumped into Peckham, he’s well just taking a rest from the Forum😉
Good report Purley, thanks.
 
Evans, not for me after this game, even f***ed up a throw in, if the ball is wet, dry it on your shirt.
He done nothing that Mitchell or Thompson couldn't do.
He gives away free kicks as he don't have the pace to keep up, tries to put his foot in a lot of times but always seems to be late in the tackle.

Saville and Dutch should not have played as both are not fit enough yet.

Ironic that GR said they run out of steam when he needed them the most, but as a manager, he should have known that they would not last the full 90 minutes, what has happened to all the sport science crap he was going on about when he first joined, or common sense for that matter.

He also had a pop at Jed about his contract situation in the post match interview, and the whole team for running to celebrate our goal.

It was nice to see us have a bit of a go, and not have 5 at the back, but have the 3 CB's spread out and Malone and Danny more forward then back

I still don't like the 5-3-2, but we did look improved more so then last season.

Adobe done well to try link play, Malone got about the pitch well, M. Wallace was my man of the match, came into a team he probably thought he wasn't going to start in and done very well.

I would like to know if Barts bad knee (that we had a issue with before we finally signed him) is his right knee? the reason I ask is he seems to just fall on his right side when he makes a save, but he pulls off some really good saves to his left, he seems a little scared to dive to his right.
 
They gained confidence and bossed possession without looking dangerous until Dickie gathered the ball just inside our half and advanced unchallenged until unleashing a shot the flew pass Bart 😔. Could he have done better? Whisky will let us know later 😉
Oh, well: how can one refuse an offer like that....?

For what it's worth, thought the keeper couldn't be faulted on the goal. The shot was arrowed in with pace and precision and all along the deck like Michel Platini in his pomp.

The fault lay with the centre midfield who gave him far too much room and then licence to gallop forward and unleash an excellent strike.

No faulting Bart.
 
Interesting no Thompson, Bod or Romeo in the squad, transfer activity? (I know Cooper was injured). Worryingly light up front. If Wallace goes, or Afobe gets injured we will really struggle. I thought Kieftenbald had an excellent game, covered , tackled, worked his socks off . Impressed me a lot. So solid at the back, just need more attacking threat, urgently.
 
Oh, well: how can one refuse an offer like that....?

For what it's worth, thought the keeper couldn't be faulted on the goal. The shot was arrowed in with pace and precision and all along the deck like Michel Platini in his pomp.

The fault lay with the centre midfield who gave him far too much room and then licence to gallop forward and unleash an excellent strike.

No faulting Bart.
At the time I didn’t think he was at fault and that was confirmed by the Quest highlights.

Dickie had a free run that started in his own half with Jed’s feeble attempt to close him down, galloped through midfield with Kief doing a Ryan Woods chasing but not getting there in time and Hutch realised the danger too late.

On the subject of Bart, his dealings with crosses yesterday was arguable, twice punching when he could have caught the ball and trying to catch one towards the end, that he dropped leading to a scramble, when should have punched 🤦‍♂️
 
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