League Two Colchester v Tranmere

[Sparky]

Interesting post match from Dawes. Hughes wasn’t injured and they just felt towards the end of the first half he was struggling with the physicality.

Definitely comes across more positive that perhaps what we’ve been used to.

 

[Ian]

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

I thought it was an up and down performance and a fair result overall.

There was clearly a change of approach to a possession based game, and in the first half a lot of our football was very good. The diamond suited Hendry and Hughes who were both excellent, although I thought Hawkes looked a bit lost as a number ten, aside from the assist. I don't think he has got the technical ability to play that role and is better drifting in from the wide areas. Mumbongo's hold up play was good and we cut Colchester open on three or four occasions with good passing moves.

However, I thought there were familiar failings in and around the eighteen yard box. We probably deserved to be a couple of goals up at half time on the balance of play, but we still lacked punch in the final third and did not test their keeper at all aside from the goal.

In the second half Colchester made tactical changes which negated the diamond and we did not keep the ball as well. We became a bit ragged, and although the penalty decision looked soft, Colchester were the better side and deserved their equaliser. We had a second wind with the breakaways in the final quarter of an hour, but again we were not good enough in the final third to capitalise: Saunders was played in superbly by Hendry but ran straight into the defender; Burton shot wide when he should have at least hit the target; and O'Connor scuffed a shot he should have scored.

It is positive that Saunders broke his duck and we played some decent stuff in the first half, but ultimately we saw the same failings around the opposition's box that have been apparent all season. I also thought we were pretty sloppy defensively on occasions, particularly when trying to play out from the back, and we rode our luck once or twice.

It was another atrocious refereeing performance by Carl Boyeson.

Man of the match Regan Hendry.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

Maybe I should have got the players to play the ball on the deck perhaps?
Much better so far.

The ninety minute performances against Orient and Stevenage were actually better than today, but hey ho.

Colchester are a poor side and had not won in six, so it was not a particularly great result.

 

[Boz]

I also thought we were pretty sloppy defensively on occasions, particularly when trying to play out from the back, and we rode our luck once or twice.
.

Appreciate that you were at the game, so will have seen more than the camera shows, but from the Ifollow footage, the back four seemed to defend pretty well and the main sloppy play seemed to be from the players further forward not being careful enough with their distribution or weighting the balls back correctly?
Aside from JDC giving away the penalty, the back four appeared more switched on than the previous two games, when some poor goals were conceded.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

Appreciate that you were at the game, so will have seen more than the camera shows, but from the Ifollow footage, the back four seemed to defend pretty well and the main sloppy play seemed to be from the players further forward not being careful enough with their distribution or weighting the balls back correctly?
Aside from JDC giving away the penalty, the back four appeared more switched on than the previous two games, when some poor goals were conceded.

We played ourselves into trouble on a few occasions, notably when Hopper missed a sitter in the first half. I think we generally looked more solid defensively under Mellon (obviously not last Saturday) by playing the percentages and taking fewer risks.

I am not saying we should not play out from the back, but that approach carries the risk of the ball being turned over in dangerous areas.

In fairness, on several occasions we did beat the press and build good passing moves.

 

[Ian]

I am not saying we should not play out from the back, but that approach carries the risk of the ball being turned over in dangerous areas.

This is what Dawes pretty much alluded to post match. The approach from playing out the back carries it's own risks but having said that, there was definately more drive going forward and I enjoyed the game more than I have done for several weeks so we could certainly see some interesting games up to the end of the season.

The game was littered with chances for both sides and there would have been plenty of goals if both sides would have had more quality in the forward areas.

I was really impressed by Hughes yesterday. I like his work on the ball, he's not the quickest but seems to have a good reading of the game and keeps things neat and today. Hopefully we'll see more of him in the next few games.

 

[keep the faith]

slightly off topic but do refs still get assessed? not at the game but couldn't believe the amount of booking dished out, I know players and coaches don't help at times but that seemed like overkill.

 

[Sparky]

Come to think of it there were a few times when we played out from the back and merrie got caught in possession. It is risky and something we need to be careful with

 

[Boz]

slightly off topic but do refs still get assessed? not at the game but couldn't believe the amount of booking dished out, I know players and coaches don't help at times but that seemed like overkill.

I’m fairly sure they still do.
He seemed to lose the plot yesterday after the non-Colchester penalty. Originally looked like was going to play in, no sanction seemingly but as a result of Colchester pressure spoke to his assistant, who had a good view and didn’t signal penalty then produced the card for simulation. Things seemed to go downhill from there.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

I must admit, I did not see any real difference in overall quality between yesterday's performance and the majority this season. In the second half I thought we were more poorly organised than we generally were under Mellon.

 

[Ian]

Quality the same with the same players but I did think we were in the game more than I think we have been recently. Second half was not as easy but we still had chances to win the game. Other games we have struggled to muster over 1 SOT so there is definate positives to take from yesterdays performance.

 

[bigmart]

This is what Dawes pretty much alluded to post match. The approach from playing out the back carries it's own risks but having said that, there was definately more drive going forward and I enjoyed the game more than I have done for several weeks so we could certainly see some interesting games up to the end of the season.

The game was littered with chances for both sides and there would have been plenty of goals if both sides would have had more quality in the forward areas.

I was really impressed by Hughes yesterday. I like his work on the ball, he's not the quickest but seems to have a good reading of the game and keeps things neat and today. Hopefully we'll see more of him in the next few games.

Playing out from the back side risk taking was how we were supposed to play this season, Micky said this after the Huddersfield game yet it didn't happen that often.
The game was a lot more entertaining than most of our recent games and hopefully we will continue in this vein the rest of the season

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

Quality the same with the same players but I did think we were in the game more than I think we have been recently. Second half was not as easy but we still had chances to win the game. Other games we have struggled to muster over 1 SOT so there is definate positives to take from yesterdays performance.

There were still very few genuine efforts on goal where we forced the keeper to do something. I thought the final third was still poor.

Ultimately, we still failed to beat the team bottom of the form table, whatever the difference in style.

 

[bigmart]

There were still very few genuine efforts on goal where we forced the keeper to do something. I thought the final third was still poor.

Ultimately, we still failed to beat the team bottom of the form table, whatever the difference in style.

We are not exactly an in form side ourselves and the performance was an improvement last Saturday. Dawes has had less than a week to get his ideas and style of play across to the squad, so all things considered it was a decent effort and a pretty entertaining game.

 

[Boz]

There were still very few genuine efforts on goal where we forced the keeper to do something. I thought the final third was still poor.

Ultimately, we still failed to beat the team bottom of the form table, whatever the difference in style.

I agree that the quality upfront is still lacking, for example, Saunders got into a good position late on, should have passed to Burton or taken an immediate shot, but dithered and the opportunity was lost. However we did seem to keep going for it in the closing stages of the game and had opportunities to win it. It does feel that the way Dawes sets us up to play is more energy draining than Micky’s approach, meaning when we’re short of quality on the bench it comes with risks. Watching on screen was more enjoyable than some of the recent games I’ve seen.

In terms of stats, while accepting the form table Colchester’s previous 5 games were all against top 7 teams, plus they’ve also had a manager change recently so perhaps understandable why it’s poor. Newport hadn’t won in a month until they played us, so at least we’ve not lost here to a team on a poor run.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

I agree that the quality upfront is still lacking, for example, Saunders got into a good position late on, should have passed to Burton or taken an immediate shot, but dithered and the opportunity was lost. However we did seem to keep going for it in the closing stages of the game and had opportunities to win it. It does feel that the way Dawes sets us up to play is more energy draining than Micky’s approach, meaning when we’re short of quality on the bench it comes with risks. Watching on screen was more enjoyable than some of the recent games I’ve seen.

In terms of stats, while accepting the form table Colchester’s previous 5 games were all against top 7 teams, plus they’ve also had a manager change recently so perhaps understandable why it’s poor. Newport hadn’t won in a month until they played us, so at least we’ve not lost here to a team on a poor run.

Those Colchester statistics would still have been picked up on by plenty of people had Mellon been in charge yesterday.

Colchester don't have the same quality as, for example, the Gillingham side we played a couple of weeks ago and it is a game we would expect to take something from.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

Playing out from the back side risk taking was how we were supposed to play this season, Micky said this after the Huddersfield game yet it didn't happen that often.

I don't think Mellon ever specifically mentioned playing out from the back. He talked about taking risks, with the wing backs getting forward and so on, but it has never been his style of play to pass out from the back and play through the thirds.

Both owners and supporters were aware of that when he was appointed. His success was based on a pragmatic style.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

We are not exactly an in form side ourselves and the performance was an improvement last Saturday. Dawes has had less than a week to get his ideas and style of play across to the squad, so all things considered it was a decent effort and a pretty entertaining game.

Our form was not actually as disastrous prior to Mellon's sacking as some would believe. We are 14th in the six game form table.

My wider point is that our problems have not simply been swept away by sacking Mellon, as some are implying. The problems in the final third will remain unless the striker situation is addressed.

In the longer term we need a method of playing that delivers consistent results, and that may or may not involve playing out from the back. If we are going to become a footballing side to aid youth development then fine, but that needs to be part of a bigger strategy directed by the owners.

 

[Ian]

My concern with the Dawes approach is that if we come across a good team and play like that we could get punished by a few goals. It is hard to judge after one game against mediocre opposition but it is a riskier style.