v Coventry (a) - 1/11/22 - at CBS Arena (the Ricoh in old money)

[jim mk2]

1 hour ago, RoversClitheroe said:

Szmodics is alongside Hirst absolutely awful

 

As it happens I thought it was one of Szmodics better games - agree though that it's a low bar. 

[bluebruce]

4 minutes ago, Butty said:

The three straight defeats followed three straight wins at the very start of the season but ever since then we have bounced back with a win whenever we’ve lost. We’ll win on sat 👍🏻

I know we won 3 straight first, I mentioned it elsewhere in the thread. Another way to look at is, is every time since then we have followed up a win with a loss, until this run of 4 wins. The pattern suggests we might lose the next 3 now, that would bookend it quite neatly.

Fortunately results don't come in patterns, those have been a coincidence. But if we play like this against Burnley, we will get thoroughly, lubelessly bummed. We'll have to play better against Hudds too, and hopefully West Ham field their kids.

[Wheelton Blue]

Szmodics is a limited footballer. Yes he's energetic and might grab the odd goal, but technically he's fairly poor & looks completely one footed.

If we paid for him what has been reported, we've had our pants pulled down.

He's not a patch on Dack.

[Leonard Venkhater]

11 hours ago, 47er said:

Whoops I knew I should have checked that! Somehow I had it in my head that we were on 32 points! A reasonable joke ruined!

Some of your comments just don't add up...

[booth]

1 minute ago, jim mk2 said:

 

As it happens I thought it was one of Szmodics better games - agree though that it's a low bar. 

You were blinded by effort Jim. He put a lot in but every kick seemed to help Coventry more than us. At least he was trying unlike others.

Vale was on holiday, Hirst did barely anything. There were times when players who I thought better of were strolling about as Coventry ran past them. Like you say it's a low bar.

I'm surprised at Vale because at the weekend he showed some decent play and put a shift in to help us get the 3 points. If I didn't know better I'd call him a lazy b***ard.

Hirst as always looks like he'd rather be anywhere than on a football pitch.

The biggest villain was JDT with that bizarre team selection.

[booth]

3 hours ago, arbitro said:

There was lots of discontent amongst the supporters last night from as early as ten minutes in when it was clear to the majority that the system wasn't working and Coventry had identified this and targeted our full/wing backs. We played without a central striker which allowed the Coventry defenders to play through our midfield at ease. The majority of players were poor on the night but the man responsible for results can't hide behind this (which he seems to be trying to do) as ultimately its his responsibility to set the team up and come up with the tactics to get a result. The worrying trend of being absolutely awful when we have lost continues and Tomasson,  as has been said many times has to overcome this. So far it's a stain on his managerial ability. 

We don't have any center forwards available.

I was disappointed with JDT's tinkering last night but I put the blame on our lack of firepower on Mowbray, and Broughton who could have addressed it before the season started.

If we'd have had a decent striker up front last night we'd have got something. Though as mentioned earlier why Tomasson didn't put Brereton in the middle and Dack behind him I don't know. When you're limited on options you have to try something even if it's sticking your big centre half upfront to head a goal in. There seemed no urgency last night from anyone.

[joey_big_nose]

7 minutes ago, booth said:

You were blinded by effort Jim. He put a lot in but every kick seemed to help Coventry more than us. At least he was trying unlike others.

Vale was on holiday, Hirst did barely anything. There were times when players who I thought better of were strolling about as Coventry ran past them. Like you say it's a low bar.

I'm surprised at Vale because at the weekend he showed some decent play and put a shift in to help us get the 3 points. If I didn't know better I'd call him a lazy b***ard.

Hirst as always looks like he'd rather be anywhere than on a football pitch.

The biggest villain was JDT with that bizarre team selection.

I can see why JDT chose the team - presumably Gallagher and Pickering were exhausted so he was bringing in other players. It didn't work, that happens... but surely once you know it's not working you have to act much much quicker to change things? That's what's really inexcusable to me. Why did we sit on our hands till 80 minutes?

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

The six fingered ones lick their lips at our arrival..

https://uptheclarets.com/messageboard/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=65289

[booth]

3 minutes ago, joey_big_nose said:

I can see why JDT chose the team - presumably Gallagher and Pickering were exhausted so he was bringing in other players. It didn't work, that happens... but surely once you know it's not working you have to act much much quicker to change things? That's what's really inexcusable to me. Why did we sit on our hands till 80 minutes?

It was the playing people out of position I didn't get, and Vale/Hirst over Dack.

He's stuck with the squad he has for now and from his post-match comments sees it as a season to build a team and wants to give young players a chance, but considering our position you beat teams like Coventry as we'll have much tougher games ahead.

I think he underestimated the opposition and overestimated his own players.

[den]

I’ll just reiterate what I said last night. This flip flopping of form is what we should expect between now and the end of the season. Personally I don’t think we can realistically expect to be finishing in the top 6. It’s too early, the squads too young and the squad doesn’t have the strength in depth. There’s promise there for sure but building on what we have won’t be easy. Good players don’t tend to hang around.

[booth]

7 minutes ago, SIMON GARNERS 194 said:

The six fingered ones lick their lips at our arrival..

https://uptheclarets.com/messageboard/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=65289

They do this every time no matter what position we're in.

Personally I think we'll get beat, especially if Tomasson sets them up like last night, but we've still got the most wins in the league which gives you hope. Thin squad and players fitness can't seem to cope with two games in a week.

[Tricky]

16 minutes ago, SIMON GARNERS 194 said:

The six fingered ones lick their lips at our arrival..

https://uptheclarets.com/messageboard/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=65289

Bore draw incoming 

[47er]

1 minute ago, den said:

I’ll just reiterate what I said last night. This flip flopping of form is what we should expect between now and the end of the season. Personally I don’t think we can realistically expect to be finishing in the top 6. It’s too early, the squads too young and the squad doesn’t have the strength in depth. There’s promise there for sure but building on what we have won’t be easy. Good players don’t tend to hang around.

I agree but with one caveat. JDT is making some bad decisions especially when we are playing away. As someone above said, we need some stability both in terms of selection and positioning.

I'm hoping he grows with the team as the season goes on and that he strengthens the squad in January

[BankEnd Rover]

9 minutes ago, den said:

I’ll just reiterate what I said last night. This flip flopping of form is what we should expect between now and the end of the season. Personally I don’t think we can realistically expect to be finishing in the top 6. It’s too early, the squads too young and the squad doesn’t have the strength in depth. There’s promise there for sure but building on what we have won’t be easy. Good players don’t tend to hang around.

I agree, even in the position we’re in, which is a real shame.

If we linger around the top 6 come January then hopefully that will attract some ‘decent’ players.

[1874]

1 hour ago, arbitro said:

I've just watched the highlights on Sky and my God do they do us a favour. How f***ing pitiful was our defending for their goal? From powder puff defending on the edge of our own box to the shocking attempts by Brittain, Hyam and Ayala to defend in our own six yard box.

Including the keeper we had 10 players in the box and not one tracks the run of the scorer

[jim mk2]

Did Tomasson refuse to change the team quickly last night because that would have showed his original selection to be wrong and he didn't want lose face?

Or is he so ideologically fixed to his way of playing that he wants the team to play that way regardless of how the games is going or the strength of the opposition? 

Either way, his unwillingness to change his thinking smacks of arrogance.

It was obvious to fans last night that the team was set up all wrong and many couldn't understand why it took him so long to change it.

After 20 minutes, when Coventry should already have been 2 up, Scott Wharton should have come off, Pickering come on at left back, Brittain switched to right back, and Travis pushed into midfield. At least then square pegs were in the square holes and the gaping chasm in midfield filled.

Such a frustrating night but typical of the games I've seen this season. 

[Torgeir]

We should have gone there and bossed Coventry around, not sit back and let them look like world beaters for the first half an hour. Extremely frustrating. And we know from experience if we don't score first then we lose.

 

We're still second with a depleted squad from last season, but I'll stick my neck out and say Mowbray would have gotten more for his money's worth than what GB and JDT have done.

 

The Championship is more bonkers than ever this season, trying to enjoy that fact.

[smiller14]

I agree - the inability to adapt and swallow pride is frustrating. We saw the same at Luton, Reading, Sheffield United, Wigan and  Cardiff. That's 6 games now where we've struggled away and done nothing to try and fix it, at least not until too late.

If we play like that next week we get thumped. There has to be more intensity. And whilst fans have been patient, it won't be easily forgiven in that game.

As an aside, heard from a few people our fans were shocking last night. I know the game went bad but usually pretty vocal on the road. 

 

[Miller11]

41 minutes ago, SIMON GARNERS 194 said:

The six fingered ones lick their lips at our arrival..

https://uptheclarets.com/messageboard/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=65289

If they watched us last night who could blame them.

Their wide players are really dangerous and if we approach the game like we did last night I think they will absolutely humiliate us. We need our best players in their natural positions, and we need them all to turn up to have a hope of taking anything from Turf moor. I don’t understand how we can turn in a defensive performance like we did at the weekend and then be as pathetic as is humanly imaginable 3 days later. On the flip side Brereton can definitely get in behind them.

One thing is for certain, a performance like last nights against Burnley would be unforgivable.

[jim mk2]

2 minutes ago, smiller14 said:

As an aside, heard from a few people our fans were shocking last night. I know the game went bad but usually pretty vocal on the road. 

Virtually non-existent in terms of vocal support. Really odd - fans are usually more vocal away from home. Coventry fans enjoyed themselves though

 

[USABlue]

Rubbish. Are we really 2nd we look so crap half the time.  One thing for sure, we take that shit to Turf Moor and we are looking at a reverse of the minis and ferraris match.

I have so far been totally unconviced by our league position and feel like it is ludt a matter of time till we witness a Danish style death spiral.  Strange cos at the same time I find myself thinking just a few minor adjustments and we could really do this.  I like the thinking I just don't believe we have enough players with the required quality to pull it off.  So bloody infuriating.

[DavidMailsTightPerm]

I am possibly alone, but I think I can see what JDT is trying to achieve. When it comes off, we score brilliant goals, when it doesn't (as last night) we continually give the ball away. Is it a tactical problem, or inconsistency in performance which you generally get with such a young team.

I am as frustrated as anyone about his unwillingness to change tactics during matches, my only hope is that he sees this as a long term approach worth sticking to for long term benefit. Guardiola struggled initially at City - but stuck to his principles. Is it arrogance, or just self belief ?

[dingles staying down 4ever]

22 hours ago, rigger said:

If Hirst is in the squad. I will plait sawdust.

There will be a pile of sawdust on its way

[roversfan99]

5 hours ago, chaddyrovers said:

Hirst

Ha!

You have been very consistent in thinking that Hirst and Vale are of the quality required. Is this belief at all in any way reducing?

Vale has never shown anything, he is slow, he is weak, he doesn't ever look like scoring, and worst of all, he doesn't even work hard, there was once in particular last night when Brereton pressed and was trying to usher Vale to press with him and he didn't. He couldn't score regularly in non league, do you think a loan spell would be good or he should stay in the first team squad?

And Hirst, wow. He is so weak, the ball goes up to him and never sticks. His control is embarrassing, the ball span up twice from his touch yesterday hitting his hand! Any thoughts of sending him back in January and getting someone else?

On a wider scale, do you have any concerns that away from home midweek, we are so poor? Whether it is a case of Tomasson messing too much when we have 3 games in a week or a question of character whereby midweek away from home, we struggle?

And also, do you have any concerns that when we concede, we don't comeback? Tomasson has an exemplary record when we go ahead which he deserves plenty of credit for, but equally, can he change things when we go behind? He often makes poor subs and makes them too late, again the case last night.

4 hours ago, RoversClitheroe said:

Szmodics is alongside Hirst absolutely awful

The jury firmly remains out on spending the money spent on Szmodics, and Dack is far better, but no way are them 2 players alongside each other. Szmodics has some use, Hirst doesn't.

6 hours ago, Herbie6590 said:

Not sure how this type of thing is remotely helpful TBH 

It makes no difference either way, not helpful at all I agree but equally not harming anyone.

Just rather sad of whoever made it to spend their time making the account.

[Hasta]

2 hours ago, jim mk2 said:

Did Tomasson refuse to change the team quickly last night because that would have showed his original selection to be wrong and he didn't want lose face?

Or is he so ideologically fixed to his way of playing that he wants the team to play that way regardless of how the games is going or the strength of the opposition? 

Either way, his unwillingness to change his thinking smacks of arrogance.

I've said this for a lot of the defeats. His belief in 'how we should play' is just stubborn. 

To give Hirst and Vale an half each and Dack just 10 minutes when we need a goal is barmy, but I honestly now believe it's a fear of being proved 'wrong' meaning he is sticking to the status quo.

Birmingham played well against us but found themselves 2-0 down. Enter Deeney and Jutkiecz and a completely different plan B and we ended up on the ropes hanging on. We have so much belief in plan A that we don't seem to invest time developing a plan B. But the fact is when have gone a goal behind in the Championship apart from one game we haven't even scored, let alone equalise or salvage a point.