Holmes_and_Watson

The commentary in the WBA game said their manager had removed all of the comfy chairs in the meeting rooms. The more basic, uncomfortable chairs, he feels, makes the players more attentive, as they can't settle. I think there are also plenty of questions about seating on the bench. Are those chairs optimally designed to protect players from any niggles coming on? Are the players attentive to the match, or just too comfy? Just as importantly, why do so many players, coming off injured, go straight to sit on the same chairs? Surely more could be done to aid their recovery by having better chair/ seating options for them? It's a disgrace that the club snubbed your valuable, and potentially game changing, contributions. They are a lot more relevant that whatever club a politician happens to support, or whatever political party a club employee happens to support.

Sargent is about back, which will give them a bit more going forward. That's not a bad thing for us. The more they want to go forward, and they do often at the beginning of games, the more we'll get to stamp our improved possession system on proceedings. They can be very hit and miss, depending on the style they come up against. Some games definitely suit their manager's ideas more than others. We're actually one of those. Ipswich were another. But we've got resources and squad depth they really shouldn't be matching. We've made clear progress with those, and have the confidence of our unbeaten run. They got a good draw against Ipswich, got bullied by Millwall (Aribo and Che options for us haivng some physical presence, with Bednarek and THB being solid at the back). They gopt a red card in the first half against WBA. But the game was already going very much in WBA's favour even then. Hanley's about back too in their defence. If we're lucky, we'll face a Hanley and Duffy back two, with our passing giving them no chance. Downes will be a miss for us, but we should still have enough to be controlling the game.

A game where I'd expect us to have improved since our last encounter with them. We're more solid at the back, and our attaking form of late should get us into an early lead. If we take our time to get in front, they may get a couple of counter attacks as we over commit. But I'd expect us to be holding onto to a comfortable 2-0 win.

Get a cat. It will force all the other cats to change their territory/ schedules. Your cat should become alpha cat, striking terror into all the others, keeping them away. Our local cats rule the local dogs. You will have a fresh appreciation of life, pandering to your feline overlord.

Meeting

WBA one up.

Teams expecting us to play a certain way all game, can get caught out with a more direct approach. If our passing game isn;t getting results and/or they are pushing up, even a little, it's a useful option, and we've got goals from such directness already this season. Baz's weight and distribution are good enough to deliver accurate, useful attacks (he had one earlier tonight that 2 of our players got in each other's way over. He's doen it in the past too.) It reminds Baz that hoofing is an option 🙂

We like to create as much space as possible, so let as many come onto Baz as we think we can reasonably dal with. There's been a few recently where he's reacted really quickly to make those passes back look effortless. Tonight we had lost a bit of our midfield structure and the dropping back wasn;t our only option. Oddly, he also did kick it to an opponent a minute before their goal too, for the purposes of balance. We looked to have a defender who had taken a knock. In the couple of passes leading up to it, he wasn;t keen on receiving the ball. The pass back to Baz missed him out, rahter than going to him. Baz got a bit caught seeing a player, figuring out if it was a viable pass, deciding it wasn;t and by the time all that was going on, it was too late. We know there's going to be the odd one like that. But it is an odd one of late, didn't cost us (and had it there would be comments on our finishing at the other end) and he was fine in everything else.

Loop

78% posession. 27 shots of which 7 on target. A ton of build up play that created a lot of nearly moments and in which we were completely dominant. Argyll will look at a potential offside. We also had a couple of contentious offsides in good areas. We tried all sorts of attacks when in command of the first half. Our temp dropped a bit while we tried to come up with more. Perhaps a little loss of ideas when we didn;t go ahead. We were still creating, while Argyll looked to exploit us pushing forward, by getting in a few counters. We risked a little more than usual in a couple of those, reminding me of some earleir performances where we conceded. But we're nowhere near as panicked looking these days when it happens. Bednarek and THB are solid for us too, as well as others knowing where to get back to and when. We were playing with a lot of experience rested on the bench. I thought that went well. Alcaraz and Edozie linked up well, had lots of energy and their decision making is only going in one direction, while they get minutes. Alcaraz was well wortth his goal. Adams did a lot of good work. The missed chances stand out, as does Baz's clearance later on. But he took his goal well. He needs a few chances and does better with certain types than others. So, it's up to the rest of the team to create enough for him, when he's on. We've been doing that in recent games.It helps AA put his work rate in elsewhere, rahter than us depending on him. The Subs all did well. With Smallbone's departure though, we lost a bit of that tempo and control in the middle. At 2 up, and so dominant, it's a reasonable enough decision with Charles, Stu and Aribo on the park. We just missed that certain skillset, while also not having AA to cover the ground. Baz should have thumped that one clear. But it was a decision made while he was trying to figure out if he could pass it around a defender who had seemed to pick up a knock. As Holdgate found out earlier this season, it looks excruciating being caught figuring things out in Martin's system. Martin will have been pleased with his goalkeeper apart from that. He did everything else he was asked to do, getting a few attacks started crisply in a game where he hadn;t much to do. In a game where we kept them to one effort on target, we'd be expecting to be well ahead at the other end. We had chances to put it to bed after they scored too. They had some possession late on. But I never felt we were hanging on. Another win across a long run of games. Another dominant perfomance, with lots of attacking play and shots. We're keeping as much pressure as we can on Ipswich.

Just before the whistle. Mara had had doen well, and was looking for a cut back with a shot on the end of it. Fraser was wanting the ball earleir, so he could take it on himself and shoot. Little moments.

KWP should not have been taking on his man there.

KWP a little knacked after those runs. Charles loses it. But it comes to nothing. We've lost a bit of structure in the middle with the subs and tiredness.

Oh Baz! I think a lot of that came from one of our defenders carrying a knock, and not wanting the ball. The passback went past that player, and to Baz. More going on iwth that one than it seems. Baz should just have thumped it with the change in available defenders. We always knew there would be the odd daft one. W'ere still a goal up as our attack have been firing as intended. Oh Fraser.... through (move started off by Baz)

We've kept Whittaker nice and quiet tonight.

nearly from Mara. He's defended, he's linked up well, he's got in the middle. Good stuff form mara so far. KWP well into his role with all that freedom today. Nearly an og there too.

Another nod to how interchangeable we are. That was Aribo at right fullback for the pass back. 5 mins ago Mara was back helping, both allowing KWP to roam. We're not playing the precision passing game Martin would ideally like. That's what so many games, rotation, injuries and subs does. But so much of it stands with all the work that's gone in behind it.

Oops KWP. Needless.

The mere presence of Fraser scares defenders into errors.

Lovely by Mara. Stephens did nicely controlling the opponents attacking options too.

We gave Baz a more difficult than needed clearance a bit back. KWP has lots of license to attack. As a result, not every decision is going to be the right one. COuld have madew a few better attacking passes earlier. Here, without our usual midfielders, he's not playing the standard possession passing. Martin has it sussed and that's Stephens on to shore everything up. Another good game from AA.

Nice again from Mara, taking up a wide position (where he was less effective in an earlier game). Little change of pace from Stu doesn;t come to anything.

Smallbone will be tutting as Argyll managed to pass through our midfield there. Mara back getting a solid challenge in.

Pronouciation of the effect is a hidden and difficult to master part of the free kick takers skills. 🙂

if it had bent and had been on target... 🙂