Brewers v Rovers

[Cowshed Kid]

I can honestly say I'm posting this now without sight of any previous posts and it's deliberate cos I was so disappointed.
4-2 flattered us.
It was virtually attack v defence most of the game.
They moved the ball across the pitch effortlessly.
Love Jake but he was given a torrid time down his side cos
Akins was excellent.
You can moan about the defence and attack all you like but you need some sparkle in the middle. We don't have it at mo.

 

[ADD]

I have just watched the extended "highlights" and I have to say that whilst I get the age of our midfield I don't think that any of the goals today were sdown to the defence being totally exposed by the midfield.
Yes Morris got tackled in possession for one but even then there was ample opportunity to recover.
Watching the replay Caprice looked even more like a deer in the headlights and by the end looked totally gone. On the bits I saw he did not appear to be taking any notice whatsoever of his man and simply was ball watching throughout. Manny partially at fault for the last letting the striker get goal side for a tap in. MM post match interview suggests that time is up for some of these players if he can afford to bring in some better players which is probably 50/50. Hopefully Ponticelli will go after the next game and we should look to offload Potter, Mullin, Spellman and Pilling on loan etc.
What to do in the short term? MM has to be bold and has to throw caution to the wind in my book. Woods to start is for me a given, Wilson also (if still here and if fit). I would also bring in DWR and play him in midfield as if nothing else he has an engine and has a great delivery on him from set pieces as going route 1 may be the best option in the short term as I feel we must get something from the Blackpool game.

 

[Boz]

Of the players you list ADD, imagine Pilling will remain for bench duty and Mullin currently seems to come on more than Payne, so wouldn’t expect either to be moved on unless we get something better coming in.

CBT will also be available for the Blackpool game after his ban, giving us another attacking option

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

I have just watched the extended "highlights" and I have to say that whilst I get the age of our midfield I don't think that any of the goals today were sdown to the defence being totally exposed by the midfield.
Yes Morris got tackled in possession for one but even then there was ample opportunity to recover.
Watching the replay Caprice looked even more like a deer in the headlights and by the end looked totally gone. On the bits I saw he did not appear to be taking any notice whatsoever of his man and simply was ball watching throughout. Manny partially at fault for the last letting the striker get goal side for a tap in. MM post match interview suggests that time is up for some of these players if he can afford to bring in some better players which is probably 50/50. Hopefully Ponticelli will go after the next game and we should look to offload Potter, Mullin, Spellman and Pilling on loan etc.
What to do in the short term? MM has to be bold and has to throw caution to the wind in my book. Woods to start is for me a given, Wilson also (if still here and if fit). I would also bring in DWR and play him in midfield as if nothing else he has an engine and has a great delivery on him from set pieces as going route 1 may be the best option in the short term as I feel we must get something from the Blackpool game.

I don't think you get a full picture of the game from watching highlights. Yes, there were defensive errors but they often culminated from wave after wave of attacks which the back four had to repel, with the midfield failing to control possession for any length of time and failing to protect the back four on the too many occasions when they lost the ball. The midfield remains the major area of concern for me (CK agreed and he was also at the game). I am not totally convinced by Woods and I definitely would not throw Walker Rice into the current situation.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

I think panicking and throwing 'caution to the wind' guarantees relegation. We need to remain measured and pragmatic.

 

[Boz]

I definitely would not throw Walker Rice into the current situation.

I wouldn’t start him, but either if we were winning comfortably or being hammered, could have him come on for the later stages of a game. When we’ve already already got 2 strikers on the bench in Payne and Mullin, Ponticelli having a place there seems pointless. We won’t know if DWR can replicate his promise in the Trojan Horse Cup without giving him some game time.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

I wouldn’t start him, but either if we were winning comfortably or being hammered, could have him come on for the later stages of a game. When we’ve already already got 2 strikers on the bench in Payne and Mullin, Ponticelli having a place there seems pointless. We won’t know if DWR can replicate his promise in the Trojan Horse Cup without giving him some game time.

I agree that playing cameo roles is fine. He has been on the bench quite a few times this season.

 

[ADD]

I think panicking and throwing 'caution to the wind' guarantees relegation. We need to remain measured and pragmatic.

RLC, I said MM needs to be "bold" not "panicking" - throwing caution to the wind is probably not the right choice of words I agree but MM is very set in his ways (surely he should have brought Woods on against Burton?) and I was more suggesting he needs to think outside the box a bit more. DWR for me is worth a gamble if you want to call it that. We have to start scoring more from set pieces and yes he was playing against the youngsters at Man U but he made more pin point set piece deliveries/ corners in the one game than I can remember from anyone else all season and hasn't been even on the bench since!
One thing I will say if "remaining measured and pragmatic" means keep doing as we are now we will go down 100%.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

RLC, I said MM needs to be "bold" not "panicking" - throwing caution to the wind is probably not the right choice of words I agree but MM is very set in his ways (surely he should have brought Woods on against Burton?) and I was more suggesting he needs to think outside the box a bit more. DWR for me is worth a gamble if you want to call it that. We have to start scoring more from set pieces and yes he was playing against the youngsters at Man U but he made more pin point set piece deliveries/ corners in the one game than I can remember from anyone else all season and hasn't been even on the bench since!
One thing I will say if "remaining measured and pragmatic" means keep doing as we are now we will go down 100%.

No it does not. We are currently outside the relegation zone, so if the season ended now, we would stay up.

I don't agree that Mellon is 'set in his ways' at all. We have used numerous different formations this season, and I think virtually every senior squad member has had time on the pitch. The reality is that the current squad is extremely limited, which is why the January reinforcements are required. However, despite the general weakness of the squad, Mellon has managed to keep us out of the relegation zone all season thus far.

I still don't think a player as inexperienced as Walker-Rice should be starting games, certainly not in a key area like central midfield. The fact that the changes you suggest are playing an injury prone right back and bringing in a completely unproven youngster, emphasises how little quality we have in the squad. We need better players.