derry

Sorted😇

Last night we had 59% possession and therein lies the problem. No player in football makes 100% successful passes. The average player 80% to 90% so that means 10% to 20% go to the opposition. We play a high proportion of all our possession in our own half so we give away the ball a lot in dangerous to us areas. On top of that teams know we are obsessive about passing out around our own penalty area however they also know that pressing us will produce even more errors. They also know that while we are short passing our way up the field they can consolidate and fill their defensive third denying us space if we eventually get there without passing backwards. We have played and been beaten by three pretty average teams including two hammerings. If RM wants an analysis, that's fine but for once look at the obvious. Playing a non tackling, pass it anywhere ball rotator like Smallbone is a nonsense. Not playing a proper defensive midfielder is a nonsense together with no ball carriers. The solution, a back four, two centre backs and two full backs, a specialist defensive midfielder that can stay in position. Two ball carriers, two wingers and a striker. I give you, Bazunu KWP Bednarek THB Manning (under duress} Charles Alcaraz S Armstrong Fraser/Edozie Adams Sulemana. Yes I do know Russell will feed his obsession and play his recyclers. The team that finished last night was better than the team that started it. As for Bazunu. stop passing inside our penalty area allowing us to be pinned and dispossessed in vulnerable areas.

Playing out slowly from the goalkeeper is suicidal. Players trying to bring opponents towards them then pass is suicidal. Passing without looking is suicidal. Manning always turns back onto his left foot and plays backwards when he receives the ball not facing forward. We are making it easy for opponents. We would be far more effective missing out the midfield and attacking the backline early, If Manning hadn't played backwards then across to Charles who had acres of space and loads of time passing to an attacker instead of missing out the midfield and playing to one of the wingers Ipswich couldn't have scored. The manager is a fucking idiot. What he is trying to do is a nonsense. Sort it or go. It doesn't need a genius just common sense which our genius doesn't seem to have. It is easy to sort the problem just stop the suicidal passing out from the goalkeeper.

A friend of mine who knows Dave and Pauline, lives in Romsey, told me of Pauline's passing the day it happened. It's terribly sad. Although football related I didn't post it out of respect for Dave. RIP Pauline.

There is no defensive structure or discipline. Freewheeling in our own box or nine players in the opponents box doesn't cut it. If RM doesn't want to fix it then he has to go. It's in his hands. The mistakes in themselves are minor but the kamikaze rush to get forward in numbers unhinges us and leaves the wrong players at the back. I'd love to play against us at the moment.

Being stupid not clever,

The simple fact is that after four iffy games we were found out and our weaknesses thoroughly exploited by two teams who played into our weaknesses and murdered us. If we keep doing it, more teams will do the same thing. There are two ways of dealing with it, be more disciplined defensively or change the manager.

RM's Sky interview last night was a car crash almost in denial and oblivious of the stupidity of no defensive organisation especially when in possession. Smallbone's actions when last defender for the fourth goal was naive. Instead of sticking a foot out and letting the player run past him he should have ruthlessly blocked him. So what if he was sent off as already booked. We don't need to change a lot but it seems RM doesn't get it. Firstly iron discipline and ruthless defending at the back. Play the passing game in the opponents half. Secondly both full backs play like defenders and the two centre backs make up a back four plus Shea Charles playing as a defensive pivot in front of the back four. We can then play five attacking midfielders and forwards. No short passing in our final third and certainly none from Bazunu. Play the ball up the lines and channels and play from there. We are at our most vulnerable when we have the ball and lose it. We don't want the left back taking corners, free kicks and throw ins down by the right corner flag. It's all about discipline and forget about freewheeling off the cuff showboating with no shape.

Sounds like a decent bloke, a bit different from the normal run of the mill managers. Now that the transfer window is shut and his squad is complete following the 5-0 hammering, there is the necessity to combine a mean defence with his football attacking ideals if we are to realise everybody's ambitions. I think it is time to buckle up and see how it turns out.

Some of the conjecture and claims about this defence and that goalkeeper have gone beyond utter stupidity. It is what it is. A team in transition, a manager who was an ex defender that doesn't seem to grasp that defenders have to defend not indulge in increasing possession statistics and kamikaze attacking. The consequences are a young goalkeeper exposed to easy goalscoring opportunities and a number of critics pushing their obsessive agenda.

It appears to me nearly always, unless full warts and all studies are published in full. I will go so far to say that I have never ever seen an argument made with statistics that wasn't selective picking a few from many. I've heard it said that statistics can be used to prove or alternatively using the same set of statistics to disprove whatever the author chooses to focus on. That is why I always look at the big picture.

There is a saying, "Lies, Damned Lies and Statistics". This is a phrase describing the persuasive power of statistics to bolster weak arguments. One of the best and best known critiques of applied statistics. It is also sometimes colloquially used to doubt statistics used to prove an opponent's point. People using statistics seem to cherry pick the most convenient statistics whilst ignoring other statistics that are available that cast doubt on their arguments. I personally favour the big picture approach over the devil is in the detail.

I get the anxiety about passing out from the back which is in my mind different from passing it around at the back. We need the midfield and wide players to be more aware and more available. Attracting a press into our own penalty area isn't smart. Furthermore there ought to be a irregular double bluff element where the goalkeeper immediately on possession hits it long into the corners with the forwards pressing the ball. Far worse for me was the first goal, 9 players in the opponents penalty area and Edozie the only covering player!!! We then were in disarray, outnumbered on Sunderland's break. The lack of discipline and an organised framework so that a break can be blocked is more worrying. It also displayed an arrogance and complacency on the part of the whole team. Playing off the cuff is great but only if there is a strict organised defensive framework behind if and once it breaks down. It seems to me the only jobs the full backs think they have is to get up the lines or invert into a narrow midfield exposing our wings to undefended attacks and overloading on the other side. That has to stop. Defenders first and foremost are defenders not freelance walkabout, self indulgent undisciplined liabilities.

In a nutshell we lack basic discipline. Full backs who play like out of work Kamekazi pilots. Saturday was an ideal example, 9 players in Sunderland's penalty area leaving Edozie as the only defender. A serious team would not have done this. If the players can't think for themselves the the management need to hammer the importance of organisation and discipline. If we are sending the centre backs up for corners we need to have a screen across the field to defend a break. We don't need 9 men up for corners, nor do we need the left back taking right wing corners, sheer stupidity. Logically we should be able to score twice nearly every game. From that I deduce the most important thing to do is block the opposition. KWP and Manning don't need to lose the ball by the corner flag, they don't even need to be there that's the job of the wingers. It is ludicrous for KWP to pass short to the winger then overlap. Give the through ball or give the winger the ball in front so that they can take on the defender. If Sulemana plays he could leave KWP standing so stay out of his space. Full backs are defenders. If the centre backs are up both full backs and two midfield players should be the defensive screen. One job take out the breaking player as far up the field as possible. Forget this inverted full back idea as it opens the door down our flanks. Not sophisticated, I'll tell you what's not sophisticated 68% possession and lucky to lose 5-0.

If I'd have been the keeper behind that walkabout back four I'd have probably laid all four out, plus at least a couple of our midfielders for just standing and watching. The back four is terrible. Both full backs are 7 & 11 that never get back in time. Bednerek is a dummy that is always looking for excuses. Holgate needs to be cut a little slack playing without acclimatisation. Smallbone, Downes and S Armstrong were self indulgent and only interested in their passing and attacking bits. Where was the get stuck in and covering that was required. We need to get ruthless all over the pitch, we are a team of pussies at the moment.

I thought that when I saw the picture.

Manning and KWP need a good talking to. They are first and foremost defenders and forward support players not as they seem to think the tip of the spear. I think that Fraser and Sulemana should be our wide players. Both are quicker than the full backs so leave them the space to play into. Manning and KWP overlapping just gets in the way and furthermore takes them out of the loop as defenders. I have come to the conclusion that Charles is a must as a defensive midfielder. If Adams or eventually Stewart is the CF then we need two attacking midfielders and it looks like A Armstrong and Alcaraz behind the CF is probably the way to go but as the manager's favourite Downes will be accommodated. Again Martin likes the recycling of Smallbone but it doesn't blend. That makes Sulemana, Armstrong, Alcaraz, Fraser plus Adams or Stewart the attackers. KWP THB Bednarek and Manning screened by Charles. For me that looks a much more workmanlike team than yesterday's clusterfuck. The whole team needs to accept defensive duties any time we don't have the ball. Edozie as the last man yesterday for the first goal was rediculous. At least two defenders should have been goal side. We need a much more ruthless approach to blocking breakaway attackers. If we want to emulate and copy Man City then do what they do immediately block off any breakaway.

Sunderland planned and exploited our non existent full backs we helped them by passing or losing the ball to them. They wouldn't have been able to use the non existent space because their wide men would be pinned.

It's easy to fix. KWP and Manning play like full backs instead of charging upfield and leaving our centre backs exposed. Charles holding in front of the centre backs and form a disciplined unit. Frazer and Sulemana to hug the touchline and track the runners. It's no longer possible to play long.

Watching the general play, a lot of the possession was aimless. I got the impression a lot of the players don't understand that the only way to win is score goals and prevent them at the other end. It looked like it wasn't passing to get goals but a game played without goals. Receive the ball, unload it then do it again. That doesn't cut it. First of all we need pace. Sulemana and Frazer, Until Stewart is fit, Adams up front, Alcaraz or one of the Armstrongs behind. Downes and Charles holding, THB and Bednarek with KWP and Manning playing like full backs. It was disgraceful that the only player tracking Clarke after the corner down our right sde was our left winger Edozie. That was KWP's responsibility. That together with the fact that he and Manning were coming inside exposing us down the touchlines where they murdered us and worse still had planned to play that way. Out thought, outplayed with 32% possession, totally exposed and gave the ball away for at least four goals.

That was a clusterfuck. Holgate gave the ball away for two goals. Manning for another and Alcaraz for the last. The passing was aimless and like the Norwich game we were murdered on the break. In retrospect the team selection was poor and the defensive organisation was non existent. Edozie last man for the first, WTF, then lost Clarke. We need to get both the full backs to be less kamekazi. There needs to be less off the cuff and more discipline. Sunderland saw us coming and exploited our stupidity. I thought Downs was supposed to be the DM, nobody was today. THB in immediately. Bednarek caught out again for fourth as he couldn't sort his feet out. I got a feeling reading the forum that the general feeling was it was three points for the taking. Well the balloon has been well and truly punctured and our complacency and arrogance punished. We have two weeks now to get it right. 5-0 was a disgrace.

Ben Johnson from WHU?

Firstly Stewart scored 40 goals in 80 games secondly Adams has done this before scored a few goals quickly then nothing for months, Stewart may well turn out to be the no1 with Adams as backup. Furthermore the presence of Stewart might make Adams keep his finger pulled out. As for ABK, what a twat, doesn't want to play in the Championship but the weak Dutch League is preferable. We need to unload the sick note as soon as we can for as much as we can get. He'll get to play in Champion's League maybe and Europe every week. Good riddance. I wonder if his shoulder will pass the medical.

just arrived

ETA 1920 landing about 1914.