Watched it on TV and my main thought is that I am glad we're still in it.
At 2-0 down I was fearing the worst and that they could get at least one more. Credit to Burton for getting us back in it and then to S Sodje for his defensive block. As for their miss at the end, then just maybe that could be the turning point of the tie.
Thought Sam had the beating of their left back when he did run at him in the first half, but as ever just didn't do it enough.
Can't really see us keeping a clean sheet on Monday, but their defence is certainly not that great. If we get an early goal then it will be very interesting to see how they react.
[cite]Posted By: Carter[/cite]I've never been as close to punching one of our own as I was tonight. There is a fat virgin somewhere tonight needing to be very thankful I had only had a few cans and still in control of my actions and didn't do a spot of al fresco dentistry.
Think I saw that, dark hair, wearing a red home shirt, they were standing and didn't have seats? The inflatable sheep kept ending up back with them?
Also spoke to some fans next to us after my mate asked about the old play-offs that included a team in the relegation zone in the division above. One of them I think said he had been going since the 1960s, 63 I think, was that anyone on here? They were getting frustrated a few times with our marking when defending corners, and Sam Sodje's positioning.
Would have preferred a draw but will take 2-1. Defensively we were rather shaky but still went into half-time goalless. Was difficult to get a real atmosphere going without a roof and many songs were being sung in tandem although my wife told me that Charlton could be heard on tv.
Swindon played some good football and eventually the goals came for them but the turning point was Deon's excellently well taken goal ... suddenly Swindon stopped playing footbll and started to hoof the ball everywhere. This is obviously the other side of Swindon and the reason whey they only finished 5th ... good team but when the pressure gets to them they play a completely different, more ineffective, style of football. We were very unlucky with Nicky's attempt and the game could have been so different if that had gone in. Swindon did finally revert to a good playing style and were unlucky not to score near the end ... I couldn't see the incident properly but my wife tells me it went off the post.
The big plus for me is that listening to the Swindon fans outside the ground after the game, they feel that they have done it ... very confident and sure they will get to Wembley. Good, let them feel that way and hopefully the complacency will spread through the club. Danny Wilson has played the 'underdog' game very well and kept their feet on the ground ... maybe this will undo them.
I beleve we have enough to turn this around at the Valley ... but am so bloody nervous that the next 60 hours are not going to be much fun.
Have to start with Forster on Monday...Mooney had a very very poor game...contributed very little, personally I would have subbed him at half time.
Not picking on the guy at all...or making him a scapecoat...he was simply poor on the night and that inescapable fact cannot/must not be ignored.
Usual story. Struggle to score up front. Burton missed an easy header that 90% of strikers would have scored. Mooney, bless him, also missed a sitter in the goalmouth scramble. A fit Llera is better than an unfit Sodje. Gandolph kept us in it. Forster and Llera in on Monday. Swindon are weak in defence but they are likely to score goals.We might do it. Should be fun.
All to play for, let's go for it. The lack of roof was the only reason that it was quiet, even when we scored and we celebrated as we normally would it sounded muted and it had nothing to do with any lack of effort. What was the fight about by the turnstyles just before ko?
1) Sam should have gone tight to the wing player instaead of backing-off and allowing him to tee up a perfect cross. 2) As Racon raced to track back, he inexplicably switched away from the goal-side of the player with the ball, this allowed a right-to-left field pass to the scorer.
Agree with many on here about the difference between Mooney and Foster - it was visible within Foster's first minute on the pitch. Also agree that Bailey is better in the centre than on the left, and this begs the same old question about the use of Reid.
For Monday we need a quick goal, and this renders all STFC efforts on Friday meaningless. To do this we need to start with Reid instead of Racon or Sam and move Bailey to the centre, then strikers Burton and Forster.
I certainly under-estimated the contribution of Burton at the start of the season, and it's not just about goals. He is the best hold-up player we have had in a while and his tally for winning headers is tremendous.
Akpo and Mooney, and to a degree Sam, are not giving us anything in pressure matches.
We are very much in the tie but my big worry is do the players have the bottle for it on Monday?
I just wish it was Monday now, i have woke with this morning it it is all i can think about I dont care about watching the scum or even the FA cup final it dont matter to me, i need Monday to come so i know one way or the other i can be happy or be depressed.
None of last night's subs had the desired effect and for the last 15 minutes we didn't play at all and were hanging on. Mooney is a bit lightweight but at least tried to get the ball down and in the first half linked a bit better than Burton (whose touch isn't quite as assured as earlier in the season...hopefully the goal will help there).
Team selection wise, I think Parky got it about right. Reid is likely to be more effective at home and has a record of not performing well in midweek games that follow a Saturday game (a fitness thing) so can understand why he was held back (plus Bailey was doing ok on the left). I expect Forster to start on Monday in place of Mooney.
To be caught out 2 v 1 from our own corner was criminal. Somebody wasn't doing their job. Sam was lazy/ball watching for Swindon's first and Borrowdale was pretty weak for quite a big bloke (haven't seen him jump for a header yet...how he played centre-half for anyone I don't know!) On the deck however, I think he does well and stays tight to his man.
Sam Sodje kept us in the tie with his block but there must be a serious doubt about him starting on Monday. Tough one for Parky because he'll not want to have used one of his subs if we are chasing the game late on. I'd go with Llera.
At times last night we were crap....but at other times we looked very good. SO many corners forced but Sam Sodje couldn't get on to any of them. All in all a Jekyll and Hyde performance which leaves us needing to score first on Monday.
[cite]Posted By: Carter[/cite]I've never been as close to punching one of our own as I was tonight. There is a fat virgin somewhere tonight needing to be very thankful I had only had a few cans and still in control of my actions and didn't do a spot of al fresco dentistry.
Think I saw that, dark hair, wearing a red home shirt, they were standing and didn't have seats? The inflatable sheep kept ending up back with them?
Also spoke to some fans next to us after my mate asked about the old play-offs that included a team in the relegation zone in the division above. One of them I think said he had been going since the 1960s, 63 I think, was that anyone on here? They were getting frustrated a few times with our marking when defending corners, and Sam Sodje's positioning.
You got it, thing is I can't talk to nummers like that. But if I had belted him it looks to everyone like I'm out of order, it's the only way to get through to pricks like that unfortunatley
Very dissappointing performance, plenty of effort but almost totally devoid of quality. I thought Mooney started quite brightly, but by the second half he was spending most of the time flat on his front looking at the referee. Smodje had a bit of a mare too and tbh, after Oldham, Llera was hard done by being dropped and Smodje's not fit. I think we should leave Smodje out on Monday and see if he's fit by the final (should that become any of our concern!). Llera done alright at home vs Swindon in the league game.
Our biggest problem though was we were sooooooooooooooo ponderous in attack. We took bloody forever to get from front to back and seemingly everytime we had space to move into we chose to slow the play down and let Swindon back. Sam was particularly guilty alhough he suffered again for being doubled up on as Swindon soon realised Borrowdale and Bailey offer virtually zero threat in terms of pace and width. We were desperately lacking pace on the break too, god only knows why Reid was left on the bench and I've seen Wagstaff's last 3 sub apppearances and I'd be surprised if he's touched the ball 3 times in total, he's like a puppy dog chasing his own tail and looks totally out of his depth at present.
Bailey again spent all game giving the ball away, but continues to look our most likely player to score, he's giving us a real quandry at the moment.
Swindon however looked dangerous throughout. In contrast to us when they attacked they did it with pace and purpose and they have players who can actually cross (why can every other teams wide men do it but never ours?) coupled with TWO (count em) strikers actually moving, no really, actually running about trying to get into space and meet the crosses. When we got into wide areas, those crosses that made it past the first man usually went out for a throw or a goal kick, but I don't envy our wingers, they so rarely have a target to hit. There were two particular occasions that spring to mind, one Semedo swung in a great cross from deep, Charlton all stood still on the egde of the box while the Swindon defenders dropped back. I don't think they could believe they were allowed to just sheppard it out. Another there was a cross to the far post, slightly over hit, which Forster did really well to get something on and help back across goal. As it turned out the goalie gathered it easily, but had Forster got just a tad more on it he'd have looped it back into space in the 6 yard box. Someone would have had a tap in, but again all our players were stationary on the edge of the box. In the first half they all looked scared to shoot and we were trying to walk the ball in.
I don't think 2-1 was a fair reflection, Swindon created all the chances and but for Randolph and some wasteful finishing it'd have been 4 or more - they may come to rue some of the missed opportunities. Our goal, however, was a fluke and we didn't create a single clear chance, just a long range effort against the post and one goal mouth scramble to add to the lucky punt from which we scored (did their keeper even make a save?).
One final moan, every single effing corner we took (or that Borrowdale took at least) was the bloody same - in swinger hung up under the cross bar and, with the exception of one, Swindon dealt very comfortably with all them. I was doing my bloody nut by the time the 10th one was caught confortably. You could tell they just knew what was coming. Just such a waste of attacking possession - why not try an out swinger? Stick one out to the edge of the box for Bailey to hit? Even try a bloody short one ffs?
I'm usually an optimist but I saw very little to take out of that game except that they all gave their best efffort and stuck at it. I think we could have played all night and not scored again. Thankfully though, there's only one goal in it and that means we've still got a decent chance as long as we find our form from the Norwich and Leeds games again, because we are better than we played last night even if last night's faults have been visible on and off for much of the season.
Good turnout though and good effort from the fans, I've got zero voice left this morning. If we all give them the same level of support on Monday we can still do this.
Our biggest game of the season and we started with no intensity at all. We were pedestrian and went back to being second to everything in midfield. Took so long to get going.
The seond goal as I have already said was utterly inexcusible. So much time left in the game and to be caught with one defender beggars belief.
The first goal was a catalogue of errors. Sam didn't defend it at all, and as for Borrowdales "attemp" to stop Austin winning the header....no comment.
Corner count must have been around 14 and we didn't threaten from one of them.
For me there are worries all of over the pitch again. Sodje is clearly not fit and shouldn't be anywhere near the team. How many free headers did we allow them in the first 25-30mins. Basic defending not happening. Watch the replay and you can see Sodje standing and watching Austin run off his shoulder for the early chance. Defensively we looked all at sea.
Midfield created nothing. Sam hid yet again. Racon for me was non-existant.
So pedestrian up front.
Having said all of that, surely we can't give such a lack-lustre performance again and we still have a chance.
I am certainly not as negative as some of the views on here. In the second half the possession was according to Sky 40% Swindon 60% Charlton and I believe if Forster had been introduced 20 minutes earlier then our dominance in possession might well have been rewarded with a goal. When we attacked them Swindon looked uncomfortable. At home on Monday we wil are certainly capable of winning and I for one am reasonably pleased that we only lost by one goal. Racon and Sam must grow some balls and be more positive because both dissapointed for me. It's very do able so let's keep our nerve.
I am certainly not as negative as some of the views on here. In the second half the possession was according to Sky 40% Swindon 60% Charlton and I believe if Forster had been introduced 20 minutes earlier then our dominance in possession might well have been rewarded with a goal. When we attacked them Swindon looked uncomfortable. At home on Monday we wil are certainly capable of winning and I for one am reasonably pleased that we only lost by one goal. Racon and Sam must grow some balls and be more positive because both dissapointed for me. It's very do able so let's keep our nerve.
I agree Shooters, I was really dissappointed last night, but I know we're better than we were last night (or capable of being better) and there's only one goal in it. If I was Swindon though I'd be dissappointed we hadn't finished the job last night. We've got to show a bit more ambition though and I think starting Reid, probably at the expense of Racon (although Bailey still isn't really doing it) and Forster is a must.
Plenty to play for, but as has been the way all season we've set about giving ourselves a handicap before we've started to really get going.
some of our fans really are getting like spurs. Moan moan. Let's get it straight we are just one goal down with a game to play at home. Even a one goal victory takes it to extra time - and we have scored enough late goals to make me think that we would be stronger in extra time (I know early in the season Swindon were letting in a lot of late goals as well) So even if it's level with 5 minutes to go can we PLEASE keep behind the team. I would expect us to start with a similar team if not the same but with Reidy as a matchwinner coming on from the bench this time
I think people are people are are being a bit harsh to single Mooney out for criticism. It was a very poor performance all round and if I was going to pick out an individual it would have to be Parkinson for another inept display of team selection, tactics and substitutions. The Swindon front two, with their pace and non stop running highlighted what a ponderous front two we have and have had for most of the season.
[cite]Posted By: Red_in_SE8[/cite]I think people are people are are being a bit harsh to single Mooney out for criticism. It was a very poor performance all round and if I was going to pick out an individual it would have to be Parkinson for another inept display of team selection, tactics and substitutions. The Swindon front two, with their pace and non stop running highlighted what a ponderous front two we have and have had for most of the season.
Decent points Red_in_SE8 but it still cannot be denied that Mooney as the worst player on the pitch. Dissagree it as a totally bad performance. Second half Charlton were the better team. Ponderous in attack yes. But those are the players we have at our disposal. Am sure PP would like a front pair like Swindons.
Well after the Leeds game , this was a poor performance. Mooney did nothing, and before the Bailey shot that in the second half did we have a shot on target!. Seems that the team under performed, and thank god for Randolf. Did not agree with the starting line up, and left it too late to change things!..... There 2 up front should have scored at least three, so we are still in it!, but gonna be a difficult game, and if we show up like this in the final, we are gonna get a good hiding!. Agree about the free kicks re Borrowdale, and what was all that about Sodje sitting on the ground, almost asking to be taken off!. There second goal was park football, and you would have been subbed, cannot track back and catch a forward running with a ball!.
I expect a lot more on Monday all round. And a reaction from the manager!. Gotta go for it......
That's the trouble though isn't it WSS, we don't have any viable options to inject pace up front, although tbh, I wouldn;t be totally against sticking Dicko on the bench on Monday, we may get to a stage where we need to throw the kitchen sink at them. Brining Reid on and playing him nice and high up the pitch would be a decent start though.
reid on to support going forward puh him right up the pitch and give us a pacey outlett simple answer drop racon and put on reid move bailey to the middle
I'm a bit reluctant to drop Racon, although he wasn't great last night. I'd still like to see us try Bailey on the right and tell Richo to overlap him as much as possible. That might be a more balanced approach than playing two out and out wingers and Bailey would offer better threat from wide if he could cross with his right foot by going down the outside. He'd also be more likely to get up alongside the front two to try and meet any crosses Reid may put in.
One thing's for sure, we would never have scored that second goal. Their defenders would have caught our forwards and put a tackle in. That in itself is the main reason why we pose such little threat when pushing forward, no pace. I'd put McKenzie on the bench on Monday rather than Dickson
I'd have taken that result at the start, and certainly once we went 2-0 down. We were very nervy in the first half, and need more cool heads displayed by the experienced players eg Dailly, Richardson and Bailey. Felt none of the three had a particularly good game last night - and two of them were very culpable for the second goal: Bailey gave the ball away in the first place, and Richardson didn't do enough to close Ward down. They can perform a lot better than that.
But thanks to Burton's bravery we are still very much in it.
And let's have Liera starting on Mon instead of a crocked Sodj. At least he can take a free kick too!
Comments
At 2-0 down I was fearing the worst and that they could get at least one more.
Credit to Burton for getting us back in it and then to S Sodje for his defensive block. As for their miss at the end, then just maybe that could be the turning point of the tie.
Thought Sam had the beating of their left back when he did run at him in the first half, but as ever just didn't do it enough.
Can't really see us keeping a clean sheet on Monday, but their defence is certainly not that great. If we get an early goal then it will be very interesting to see how they react.
Also spoke to some fans next to us after my mate asked about the old play-offs that included a team in the relegation zone in the division above. One of them I think said he had been going since the 1960s, 63 I think, was that anyone on here? They were getting frustrated a few times with our marking when defending corners, and Sam Sodje's positioning.
Swindon played some good football and eventually the goals came for them but the turning point was Deon's excellently well taken goal ... suddenly Swindon stopped playing footbll and started to hoof the ball everywhere. This is obviously the other side of Swindon and the reason whey they only finished 5th ... good team but when the pressure gets to them they play a completely different, more ineffective, style of football. We were very unlucky with Nicky's attempt and the game could have been so different if that had gone in. Swindon did finally revert to a good playing style and were unlucky not to score near the end ... I couldn't see the incident properly but my wife tells me it went off the post.
The big plus for me is that listening to the Swindon fans outside the ground after the game, they feel that they have done it ... very confident and sure they will get to Wembley. Good, let them feel that way and hopefully the complacency will spread through the club. Danny Wilson has played the 'underdog' game very well and kept their feet on the ground ... maybe this will undo them.
I beleve we have enough to turn this around at the Valley ... but am so bloody nervous that the next 60 hours are not going to be much fun.
COYR ... BELIEVE
Not picking on the guy at all...or making him a scapecoat...he was simply poor on the night and that inescapable fact cannot/must not be ignored.
A fit Llera is better than an unfit Sodje. Gandolph kept us in it.
Forster and Llera in on Monday. Swindon are weak in defence but they are likely to score goals.We might do it. Should be fun.
1) Sam should have gone tight to the wing player instaead of backing-off and allowing him to tee up a perfect cross.
2) As Racon raced to track back, he inexplicably switched away from the goal-side of the player with the ball, this allowed a right-to-left field pass to the scorer.
Agree with many on here about the difference between Mooney and Foster - it was visible within Foster's first minute on the pitch.
Also agree that Bailey is better in the centre than on the left, and this begs the same old question about the use of Reid.
For Monday we need a quick goal, and this renders all STFC efforts on Friday meaningless.
To do this we need to start with Reid instead of Racon or Sam and move Bailey to the centre, then strikers Burton and Forster.
I certainly under-estimated the contribution of Burton at the start of the season, and it's not just about goals. He is the best hold-up player we have had in a while and his tally for winning headers is tremendous.
Akpo and Mooney, and to a degree Sam, are not giving us anything in pressure matches.
We are lucky to still be in this contest at all.
I just wish it was Monday now, i have woke with this morning it it is all i can think about I dont care about watching the scum or even the FA cup final it dont matter to me, i need Monday to come so i know one way or the other i can be happy or be depressed.
Overall considering the gam I think its a good result for us....
All to play for , yet we really need to step up......
not sure we are actually good enough to be honest.....
Team selection wise, I think Parky got it about right. Reid is likely to be more effective at home and has a record of not performing well in midweek games that follow a Saturday game (a fitness thing) so can understand why he was held back (plus Bailey was doing ok on the left). I expect Forster to start on Monday in place of Mooney.
To be caught out 2 v 1 from our own corner was criminal. Somebody wasn't doing their job. Sam was lazy/ball watching for Swindon's first and Borrowdale was pretty weak for quite a big bloke (haven't seen him jump for a header yet...how he played centre-half for anyone I don't know!) On the deck however, I think he does well and stays tight to his man.
Sam Sodje kept us in the tie with his block but there must be a serious doubt about him starting on Monday. Tough one for Parky because he'll not want to have used one of his subs if we are chasing the game late on. I'd go with Llera.
At times last night we were crap....but at other times we looked very good. SO many corners forced but Sam Sodje couldn't get on to any of them. All in all a Jekyll and Hyde performance which leaves us needing to score first on Monday.
You got it, thing is I can't talk to nummers like that. But if I had belted him it looks to everyone like I'm out of order, it's the only way to get through to pricks like that unfortunatley
Our biggest problem though was we were sooooooooooooooo ponderous in attack. We took bloody forever to get from front to back and seemingly everytime we had space to move into we chose to slow the play down and let Swindon back. Sam was particularly guilty alhough he suffered again for being doubled up on as Swindon soon realised Borrowdale and Bailey offer virtually zero threat in terms of pace and width. We were desperately lacking pace on the break too, god only knows why Reid was left on the bench and I've seen Wagstaff's last 3 sub apppearances and I'd be surprised if he's touched the ball 3 times in total, he's like a puppy dog chasing his own tail and looks totally out of his depth at present.
Bailey again spent all game giving the ball away, but continues to look our most likely player to score, he's giving us a real quandry at the moment.
Swindon however looked dangerous throughout. In contrast to us when they attacked they did it with pace and purpose and they have players who can actually cross (why can every other teams wide men do it but never ours?) coupled with TWO (count em) strikers actually moving, no really, actually running about trying to get into space and meet the crosses. When we got into wide areas, those crosses that made it past the first man usually went out for a throw or a goal kick, but I don't envy our wingers, they so rarely have a target to hit. There were two particular occasions that spring to mind, one Semedo swung in a great cross from deep, Charlton all stood still on the egde of the box while the Swindon defenders dropped back. I don't think they could believe they were allowed to just sheppard it out. Another there was a cross to the far post, slightly over hit, which Forster did really well to get something on and help back across goal. As it turned out the goalie gathered it easily, but had Forster got just a tad more on it he'd have looped it back into space in the 6 yard box. Someone would have had a tap in, but again all our players were stationary on the edge of the box. In the first half they all looked scared to shoot and we were trying to walk the ball in.
I don't think 2-1 was a fair reflection, Swindon created all the chances and but for Randolph and some wasteful finishing it'd have been 4 or more - they may come to rue some of the missed opportunities. Our goal, however, was a fluke and we didn't create a single clear chance, just a long range effort against the post and one goal mouth scramble to add to the lucky punt from which we scored (did their keeper even make a save?).
One final moan, every single effing corner we took (or that Borrowdale took at least) was the bloody same - in swinger hung up under the cross bar and, with the exception of one, Swindon dealt very comfortably with all them. I was doing my bloody nut by the time the 10th one was caught confortably. You could tell they just knew what was coming. Just such a waste of attacking possession - why not try an out swinger? Stick one out to the edge of the box for Bailey to hit? Even try a bloody short one ffs?
I'm usually an optimist but I saw very little to take out of that game except that they all gave their best efffort and stuck at it. I think we could have played all night and not scored again. Thankfully though, there's only one goal in it and that means we've still got a decent chance as long as we find our form from the Norwich and Leeds games again, because we are better than we played last night even if last night's faults have been visible on and off for much of the season.
Good turnout though and good effort from the fans, I've got zero voice left this morning. If we all give them the same level of support on Monday we can still do this.
Our biggest game of the season and we started with no intensity at all. We were pedestrian and went back to being second to everything in midfield. Took so long to get going.
The seond goal as I have already said was utterly inexcusible. So much time left in the game and to be caught with one defender beggars belief.
The first goal was a catalogue of errors. Sam didn't defend it at all, and as for Borrowdales "attemp" to stop Austin winning the header....no comment.
Corner count must have been around 14 and we didn't threaten from one of them.
For me there are worries all of over the pitch again. Sodje is clearly not fit and shouldn't be anywhere near the team. How many free headers did we allow them in the first 25-30mins. Basic defending not happening. Watch the replay and you can see Sodje standing and watching Austin run off his shoulder for the early chance. Defensively we looked all at sea.
Midfield created nothing. Sam hid yet again. Racon for me was non-existant.
So pedestrian up front.
Having said all of that, surely we can't give such a lack-lustre performance again and we still have a chance.
Plenty to play for, but as has been the way all season we've set about giving ourselves a handicap before we've started to really get going.
I would expect us to start with a similar team if not the same but with Reidy as a matchwinner coming on from the bench this time
spot on
Could not possibly be more ineffective than what we saw last night.
Seems that the team under performed, and thank god for Randolf. Did not agree with the starting line up, and left it too late to change things!..... There 2 up front should have scored at least three, so we are still in it!, but gonna be a difficult game, and if we show up like this in the final, we are gonna get a good hiding!. Agree about the free kicks re Borrowdale, and what was all that about Sodje sitting on the ground, almost asking to be taken off!. There second goal was park football, and you would have been subbed, cannot track back and catch a forward running with a ball!.
I expect a lot more on Monday all round. And a reaction from the manager!. Gotta go for it......
That in itself is the main reason why we pose such little threat when pushing forward, no pace. I'd put McKenzie on the bench on Monday rather than Dickson
But thanks to Burton's bravery we are still very much in it.
And let's have Liera starting on Mon instead of a crocked Sodj. At least he can take a free kick too!
COYR.