Holmes_and_Watson

Not even a surprise to see the game go that way. Our weaknesses have been clear with this season's set up for a while. In the second half Scienza rattled the bar and Charles had a golden chance with a header. Both players get credit for all the good work to get into those positions. Because we created nothing as a team. Broadly the team is toothless up front, entirely missing centrally and disconnected being forced wide or with riskier passes. AA continues to work hard, although there's no one to deliver it to him quickly when he could deliver. He needs a partner with some contrast. SR decided that was Downs. Charles is slowly getting better when getting forward, although he's not as good in that role as Stu or even Will were. Robinson tried some solo efforts when he came on. Just when we should have been looking to get more from AA and Downs being on there. All of that makes us unlikely to break anyone down. And when we can't do that, we've every chance of giving opponents more chances. Jander's was a very poor chance to concede the third. But we didn't look likely to recover from the second, where we didn't cover ourselves in glory either. They put on their Armstrong. He's a stock forward. Strong, not masses of pace but a little. He caused more problems than our entire attack managed. He wasn't in the top two of their attackers on that performance either. Same issues:No centre forward. No attacking midfielder. No proper defensive midfielder. Edwards right of a back 3, with Fraser as a wing back while Bree got punted on loan and Mads dropped and a back 4 seems like it's beyond us. No real plan of attack and no strength physically or mentally.

I trust Katie Lam coverage isn't going to interfere with Katie Hopkins coverage. I rely on SOG's obsessions to remind me who these people are.

Prosthetic

Back to traditional flag waving! If you're not a Morris dancer, then out you go. Regardless of ethnicity.

What?! There goes an afternoon writing "welcome Maccabi Haifa" onto giant English flags for nothing. Thanks a bunch egg.

I'm enjoying watching VA after dinner on Fridays. Which is more than any of the VA fans do under SR, right enough.

Outlaw

Postecoglou available. Second year trophy.

A quick peek...If we won every third game, and drew the other 2 0-0, we'd have more points, and be fighting for a play off spot. 🙂 Getting to moan nearly all the time and still go for promotion, is quite appealing.

So, 2 nil to Bristol then. 🙂

Just the sort of second half we didn't want. Swansea dropped back just a little and pressured the wide areas a little more in defence. Still obliged by switching AA and Scienza. We're clearly not coached to break down defences. At every opportunity when we had a yard of space, centrally, in the final third we passed it back. We offered nothing for either Archer or AA through the middle. We've all but given up trying to deliver to them from wide. They aren't going to win any, and the accuracy of our crosses is very poor anyway. Tepid stuff right up to the moment where Jander gets on a rebound and manages to miss a golden chance. After that, we offered even less than before. The subs pushed the team not one jot. Still will look at the near misses. Others will see plenty of other deficiencies to go along with that.

AA and Archer looked keen from the start. That allowed Charles and, as the half went on, notably Scienza to get into the game. Wellington and Jelert offered alternatives down each flank, pulling Swansea out of shape. Despite all the chances, we couldn't finish any of them. Archer a bit surprised when Scienza's effort came back to him off the post; A touch disrupting AA from getting a close range contact; weak AA finishes from his turns into space. Hopefully Swansea don't regroup and reshape during the break. More of the same should see us get something eventually.

Ill

Meanie. 🙂

Clarity

Can't wait for tomorrow's new thread: Benji's psychic hotline, as all of that seems plausible. Of course, you knew I was looking forward to your new thread because of your powers.

'course we learned. Honestly, you'd think SR are incompetent if they hadn't learned from the Delgado incident. They went straight out and signed the yoghurt in Strachan's fridge as a Stewart replacement.

I didn't have time to finish "well, that was one of the worst free kicks I've seen in ages" before Sissoku, who'd just come off the bench, was walking down the tunnel. He'd taken down the Concarneau player. Not far into the VA half. But with everyone still up for the free kick, it gave the ref a decision to make. Whoever, on the training ground, thought that pushing your players up for a set piece, then instead pass it into risk, should hang their head in shame. Or join Russell Martin at his next club. At least Martin had a plan of sorts when racing back. The decision drew a couple of other cards. Most notably captain Courtet. He received a second yellow 4 minutes later. It was a relatively soft contact. But it was from behind, stopping an attack. Down to 9, it was all USC until around 85 minutes. VA rallied a bit, having only faced one excellent chance, stopped by the leg of Louchet. Our Rento created space for a shot. The visitor's keeper received a kick trying to retrieve the ball. Another move was wasted when the VA player didn't take a chance on, and a late free kick went frustratingly well over. Before it fell apart, Moulin had made a positive change. Courtet had been his usual lonely figure up front. Bringing Rento on, gave some support and another outlet. Rento got a quick couple of attacking touches. Unfortunately, attacking isn't something VA seem to focus on. VA's goal was a scuffed effort from Courtet, from a move that started when USC hit their own player from a throw in, and then conceded a soft free kick. Concarneau's first goal was a quick, deliberate move down the flank to get it over for their tall, and very unmarked, centre forward to head in. The second a nice, powerful shot having been granted too much space. Although they had one ruled out before the break, VA offered little. It's cautious, and deep lying. When they get a chance forward they are strangers, with only Courtet's experience hopefully putting him in the right place. It was the same when VA had 11, and Rento was on. Passes going to no one, and forwards trapped in their own bubbles. The midfield, bolstered by players who could be supporting their forwards, offer more of a barrier to opposing teams, than doing anything at speed or with control. USC always looked the most likely team to win. Simply because they looked cohesive enough to put a move together. 10th place, 6 points off third, and down to earth with a thump after picking up 2 recent wins.

Promising youngster Neil McCann, 51, possibly stepping into a caretaker role as Rangers manager. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/crl28r7kwlko

Besides, the mods hired Ms Yahlom to look into supernatural incidents on SaintsWeb. It turns out the endless moaning and dire self pitying warnings of a bleak world was just SOG.

Her tutor would like a word about the validity of the course... You'll have a different view when you wake up tomorrow and your furniture has been stacked by poltergeists. 🙂

If by "job" you mean "robbery"...

Bad reviews on my toilet seat temperature testing company.

Nile Ranger has left Kettering. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cp3d5q7wvd7o