It certainly seemed like Powell wanted to win this game as he put out an attacking line up incorporating 3 strikers. I actually think he got the formation spot on but he made a mistake with Abbott and McCormack who I think are weaker links. Massive opportunity missed as they were hoping to get fans returning.
Parky was booed out of the back door for similar performances and defeats against lower opposition.
0
Comments
I've posted this elsewhere but I'll say it again here as i feel so strongly about this - SCP f****d it up totally today. The 4-3-3 formation meant our 2 best strikers - Eccleston & Wright-Phillips - were wasted for much of the game both playing out wide instead of in the centre. It was obvious at half-time that we were struggling and that was the time to change things - sticking Abbott & W-P up front, playing Ecclestone as a right winger (as in the Peterboro game), bringing on Racon for a totally out-of-sorts McCormack and Reid to give some width and get some crosses in to the front 2. By the time some of these changes were made, it was all too late.
I wish SCP nothing but success and good luck. But he is certainly going to need the good luck in abundance if he continues to send out such lop-sided teams.
SPOT ON AND COMPLETELY AGREE......
I think our performances at home have been consistently poor this season under both managers - we have ridden our luck in defence and sometimes been caught out badly (Brighton, Swindon and today) even before they scored today Exeter had split our defence wide open on several occasions and squandered their chances - this has been the case with several of the visiting teams - the defence isn't good enough and nor is the midfield - we have at least 2 forwards capable of scoring but we rarely play to their strengths
Agreed, why play BWP out wide ?
Should have been 4-4-2 . Abbott & BWP up front , NE on wing with Racon, Semedo and Jackson also in mid.
The surprise was that we didn't change to match-up at h/t. The Diamond was allowed to sit in the central areas and was never stretched across the width of the pitch.
Thats 2 home matches now where we haven't been set up properly at the start. We failed to contend with Peterboro's 4-3-1-2 during the first half last week, and we failed to contend with Exeter's diamond. If we don't pay attention to how the opposition are set up, we'll lose more than we win.
Having said all that, the management team are relatively young and inexperienced. They will have days like this as part of a steep learning curve.
Full marks to Paul Tisdale for his tactical plan. As I said in the preview thread, Exeter are a well organised hard-working team, and the manager also showed himself to be tactically astute. I'd be interested to see the scouting reports and to ascertain whether Exeter used the Diamond in their previous game. Out-numbering the 3-man midfield was clever, and allowing Fry to have the ball, knowing that he often stops on the half-way line and rarely over-laps was also cute. The trouble with 4-3-3 is that it promotes a narrow style of play with the full backs having to provide width. When the opposition win the ball, there is always a vacant full back area to counter attack into and pull the CB's out, as Exeter did very well.
BOTH our central midfielders rarely play the ball forward and never link up the strikers.