Holmes_and_Watson

Good stops Quick reactions Sweeper/Keeper Good distribution Cucumber cool against incoming opponents A good night for Baz.

We spent most of the game trying to pass through City. But it was a direct KWP goal that made the difference, with a direct ball to Sule in the first half also causing problems. It's good to mix up the play. We tried incisive balls through the middle in both Halves. But, we're not quite clicking. Better options go begging, across the park first half, while good central runs not picked up in the second. Often, when we did try central passes in the second, they were of the riskier variety. Great if they come off, but unlikely to. As the team is built around unlocking those passes up the park, seeing them take those less likely to succeed is frustrating. A contrast/ reaction to playing too safe a ball in the first half. Although not having an end product, pushing City back when we tried them did make a difference, and we were the better team second half. Mixing it up and getting some momentum, if not a goal can make a lot of difference. Another frustration was seeing the team follow Martin's instruction to pick the sensible option at times to pass it back. Draw the opposition forward. But when we'd done that, we'd then play it slowly forward again, eliminating the advantage we'd just created, allowing them to drop back. Again, that resulted in those riskier through balls. We probably missed Smallbone as the person who can link it together more. But Downes and Charles did fine. Downes even raced back to stop a late City counter. They had a couple of those late on, while we also thumped it forward in the last minute, when we could have passed the clock down. That decision making not quite there. A win. Unbeaten in 10, so still top of that form guide. And lots for Martin and the coaching staff to take away and work with the players on. Because we can be a lot better, and the players are capable of it. That's going to be something to see, if it happens.

Needed something special to lift us after the first half. Now, let's see how we build on it.

Best chances of the half: All for City. Has coming out to clear one, make a save from another. City had a free header earlier on. For ourselves, not so much. A Stubshot with not much power at the keeper. Downes hitting over, a ball across the box with noone gambling on it, and a block from a AA shot early on. What had stood out was Saints bottling attacks. We tried to release Sulemana a couple of times, mainly when he was well defended. We had a decent through ball on one other occasion. But when the game stretches after we countered City's own counter, we didn't release Sule out wide, playing it safe instead.That was followed by tapping it around outside their box and seeing and choosing not to pass out to the right flank or up to the centre, when they were clearly the better ball. Safety first. Except, it just encouraged City. The visitors had the stronger half. While after a couple of through balls failed, and we'd ticked a pass it to Sule box without much conviction, we offered very little. City, like everyone else, looked to exploit the full back gaps we leave once or twice. The extra numbers we're supposed to have in the middle didn't create much, or get forward to support particularly quickly. Hoping for a better second half, if only as City might slip up, and we pinch one.

Rover

Early call for a Manning MOM performance. Without Smallbone, Charles as a more solidly based DM offering cover for a more aggressive attack. Typed hopefully...

Hieroglyph

Alien

The system we play has a bearing here too. Sulemana may be the faster of the two. But in a system that allows teams to reset, and get gradually pulled out of position (as our games often end up), that becomes less important. Like a number of our team, he's having to learn other skills, that may not have been his best attributes. As we saw at the start of the season, Tella offered a more direct attacking threat, and enough skill to carry it out. If anything, the extra attention that teams would have to pay Tella, would have allowed Sule to flourish more on the other flank. Clearly Martin is instructing Sule in all those other areas. Not surprisingly, it will be frustrating on both sides for some players. Sule may have the most potential, but the areas he has the most potential in may not be an easy fit just now, while other areas have to develop. No reason why Tella also couldn't have developed here, while already showing more effectiveness in outcome.

Puns 🙂

One of my favourite games was like that. Man City under Eriksson. Goalless at full time, but the tension! Can't wait for this one! 🙂 But I reckon it'll be a 2-0 win to us.

"pressers" instead of "press conference" 🙂

Repeat

A few more passes sideways? 🙂

Comedy

Skin

Personality

Baz's season so far:- Best striker. Best defender. Best passer. Jury out on the goalkeeping. 🙂

Oh no. I heard they'd won and clicked here looking forward to seeing that he'd got a winner. Can only hope it's not as bad as feared, and a speedy and fully recovery if it is. 😞

Martin's half time team talks must be rubbish. We are invariably much worse coming out for the second half. Perhaps that wonderful, supportive envoronment of development isn't what's required for a short, sharp assessment and series of demands at half time. Perhaps hiring in someone from the military to get them into shape for that second half? 🙂

We've managed to get late winners in other games that have had the same issue. Unrealistic to expect us to be able to do it all the time. We don;t have enough about us to control a game when we've taken the lead. Teams change their tactics when trying to get back into it. And we struggle to adapt ourselves. We wait to react. While that sounds like a plan for being able to take advantage, it actually results in us losing momentum, never being sure of when they will attack, and struggling to retain control of the game when they do. One misplaced Bednarek pass led to a spell of pressure. Sulemana trying to dribble out from the back jept it going. Our passing was out of habit when they didn;t immediately come up to attack. That lowered the tempo, and there press caught us and we lost control of the middle. We had more chances in the first half. But we have to keep creating them when we have the lead. If we're not, we should be adapting our game to make them. Not sitting back and hoping for something to break our way in the middle of their attacking flurry, but dominating the game. Baz will no doubt be looked at for doing a little jump, and by the time he dives it's past him. But if the rest of the team had got us an extra goal from all that possession it wouldn;t have mattered.

Ah shame. Good work form Edozie. Just couldn;t cut it back.

Hmmm. Out passing out from the back under some pressure, could have rebounded into our own net.

Not for the first time, when we need a goal, we can;t string anything together as the transition from vanilla MartinBall to anything more urgent is tough to do. Still we work to the last second, so fingers crossed.

It went in, so I was giving them the benefit. 🙂