Surprised we got nearly 16,000 there - astonishingly our ninth highest crowd of the season (and I confess I wasn't one of them. I've taken a Dailly-style self-imposed 'ban' for the rest of the season and with Kent cricket in full swing, will see you all again on the first day of 2011-12!)
Especially surprised by the good crowd as the Valley Express ad in the Kent News group of papers was advertising the game v Soton on March 22 all week!
The newspapers' cock-up, I am sure, not the club's. But just posting the info here so Airman makes sure the club doesn't pay the bloody buffoons for putting in the wrong ad....
Ok, I stand somewhat corrected watching the goal footage from behind their goal.
The view from the Upper Covered End, showed that we had a wall that was not long enough and you could see where the ball was going to go and it did.
The difference was from down our end the Hudds player and the rest of ours didn't even looked attached to the rest of the wall & I wasn't including them in our "wall".
However, it was still ridiculously naive of us. There's only one reason an oppo player gets in the wall and that is to duck/move out of the way and create a gap. So Sullivan or someone should have been wise to it. Shame, for one reason or another we are still far too easy to beat.
Huddersfield played 4-1-4-1 with Kilbane spare as the holding player. He influenced the game too much in the second half. As in previous games where the opposition played 3 v 2 in central midfield, we lost control of the game in that area and lost the game, (We conceded a free kick in a poor position when one of our CMs was caught on the wrong side and committed a foul).
Central Defence of Doherty/Fortune looked sluggish and will struggle against opponents who play two up and look to run in behind.
Wagstaff and Solly combined really well on the right. Stewart and Semedo looked a useful CM partnership considering they were up against 3 opponents. When the opposition moved forward Bessone allowed his opponent (Hunt) in behind him too often and Racon failed to track Peltier, which was a weakness.
Front 2 lacked the pace to get in behind. McCombe and Clarke aren't the quickest, but we let them off the hook on a number of occasions, due to a poor final ball or mis-timed run. We wasted number of good opportunities inside the box after getting around the back.
Considering we are a mid-table team on a poor run, we showed more endeavour than I expected. However, despite all the comments that we played well and so and so was the best player on the pitch...ONE WIN FROM 14 ain't good enough. It's about scoring goals and defending well as a team. We do neither.
even game, it was there for the taking on the hour - should have put ecclestone on for racon with half hour to go and maybe Nouble for Benson with 20 to go - we had the opportunity to do them on the break second half but didn't put the personnel on to do it - like the waggy and solly combo, quite like Stewart. Need a completely new spine in the summer - centre half, centre mid and centre forward for BWP to play off.
[cite]Posted By: Acetripper[/cite]Jamie McCombe our centre back who'd lined up the wall, shoved one of your defenders to one side and it left a hole for Joey to exploit and he did just that! Think you got mugged I'm afraid. My comment's based on this Youtube clip.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0Cl1erJrvA
Spot on. Even so, it was hit like a bullet from 20 yards - think it's a bit harsh to blame the keeper.
Not that it should have been a free kick in the first place you understand...
[cite]Posted By: Acetripper[/cite]Jamie McCombe our centre back who'd lined up the wall, shoved one of your defenders to one side and it left a hole for Joey to exploit and he did just that!
I've always enjoy going to The Valley and I'm not just saying that to piss up your back. Away games in London are always that more enjoyable but the ones I like most are visits to The Valley and Loftus Road. I couldn't make it on Saturday due to family commitments although I had planned to travel to see other family members in New Eltham before Saturdays match, sadly it all fell through and was left listening to the radio commentary instead.
I'm genuinely surprised you're not up amongst the front runners this season because even though it was much earlier in the season when you played at The Galpharm I thought you looked like you'd assembled a decent side that just needed time to gel. Obviously I'm pleased we beat you in both games but I'm sure you'll sort it out next season and be up there challenging for promotion.
I know everyone is down on Kyle Reid at the moment (rightly so) but I'm still bemused over why SCP would insist on playing Racon on the left. The guy is not a left winger, he's clearly not comfortable over there and he was completely ineffectual the entire game. If it was me I'd be telling Reidy to get out there and convince everyone else why he should be in the team, as he clearly thinks he should be!
On the plus side though, Waggy and Solly looked like a decent combination on the right and Wagstaff in particular seems to have the work ethic that is so valuable and so welcome at the Valley! Most of our threatening moves came from that flank and if Reid were able to play half as well as he thinks he does then the other flank would be a threat to the opposition too. As it is, the Charlton left wing may as well have put a sign out saying "On Vacation - Back In A Few Months".
I think Racon get a bit more stick (unjustified) playing out of position on the left because people remember that Bailey did the same for an entire season and scored 10+ goals
Agree with comments that Huddersfield defended well but we did outplay them and a 2-0 win wouldn't have got too many complaints - Given where we are, I'd rather be clearly the better team against a good side and unfortunately lose than luckily beat them. nobody could be angry about Saturday - the season overall of course - but Saturday wasn't ammunition for the knockers. The team needs a bit of fine tuning but I think what needs to happen is becoming clearer. I came out feeling more optimistic than I have been of late.
Two sides that played decent football. There was a spell early in the first half where they looked like they were going to run away with it, but then we pegged them back and I think we got back on top. I'd have been relatively disappointed with a draw, so a defeat was a real kick in the teeth. Put me in mind of that game against Norwich last year.
[cite]Posted By: DickVanDykesDiscoDog[/cite]I think Racon get a bit more stick (unjustified) playing out of position on the left because people remember that Bailey did the same for an entire season and scored 10+ goals
The difference is, Bailey had Kelly Youga supporting him.
[cite]Posted By: DickVanDykesDiscoDog[/cite]I think Racon get a bit more stick (unjustified) playing out of position on the left because people remember that Bailey did the same for an entire season and scored 10+ goals
The difference is, Bailey had Kelly Youga supporting him.
Only for a few months in League 1. In the Champ Youga was poor (but getting confidence back under Parky).
[cite]Posted By: DickVanDykesDiscoDog[/cite]I think Racon get a bit more stick (unjustified) playing out of position on the left because people remember that Bailey did the same for an entire season and scored 10+ goals
The difference is, Bailey had Kelly Youga supporting him.
Bailey also had a determination and drive that Racon doesn't have.
I must stress here all I have to base my comments on is the BBC Radio Leeds match commentary but it's wildly at variance with what's been said on here. Apart from a few short spells in the game, the words 'in control' and comfortable we're being used to describe our performance. All a bit odd because although they're our regular commentators they're not noted for being overboard with their praise. Indeed some might say they are short on praise at times.
[cite]Posted By: Acetripper[/cite]I must stress here all I have to base my comments on is the BBC Radio Leeds match commentary but it's wildly at variance with what's been said on here. Apart from a few short spells in the game, the words 'in control' and comfortable we're being used to describe our performance. All a bit odd because although they're our regular commentators they're not noted for being overboard with their praise. Indeed some might say they are short on praise at times.
Not true at all ... first half reasonably matched, but 2nd half we were definitely in control most of the time ... hence the fact we see it as a kick in the teeth that we didn't at minimum get a point
First half was a bit sterile but we were the better team in that (had 2 or 3 chances and a penalty shout to Huddersfiled's none) - second half for a period of about 5-7 minutes around the 55th minute mark, Huddersfield had a succession of corners and put us under pressure but other than that, I thought we really took the game to them and were far the better side. We wasted a good number of chances and the lino made a big error for the offside when BWP was in a great position to capitalise. Still Huddersfield will be happy becasue they got 3 points out the game, only we shouldn't be too down as the points were less important than the performance which was definitely good overall.
Totlly disagree - there is a difference between being the better team and winning. Usually the better team wins, admittedly, but not always.Won't argue that we have to rediscover how to win games but I can see progress.
[cite]Posted By: MuttleyCAFC[/cite]Totlly disagree - there is a difference between being the better team and winning. Usually the better team wins, admittedly, but not always.Won't argue that we have to rediscover how to win games but I can see progress.
The aim of the game is to score more goals than the other team. If you score less you have failed.
If by "better" you mean "more pleasing on the eye" or "more artistic" then try gymnastics or ice skating where you get points for artistic interpretation. You get nothing for that in football.
The best team always wins, the rest is only gossip - Jimmy Sirrell
Could say when a manager you rate or like doesn't get results it's about performances...
...and when a manager you either don't rate or like 'only' gets results it's about performances, but if he only gets performances it's about results.
Remember in 08/09 performances slowy improved, but Parky was to be "judged on results", so he wasn't seen as good enough. Yet in his season and a half in League 1 he got results to keep us challenging for promotion the entire time, but performances suddenley weren't good enough.
Really need a balance of both. Good results but poor performances is seen as luck that will soon end. Good performances without results gets you nowhere. In our position with 4 games to go I just want to see some progress that gives us hope for next season.So some decent football but with some end product (no long ago we scored plenty away from home, but not any more). One win in 15 or whatever it is just isn't good enough with a team that are of mid table standard at worse. Still think Powell needs a chance to rebuild the squad even with after terrible results, sometimes one or two signings can make a huge difference. Imagine if we had someone like BWP last season.
Thanks for explaining to me the aim of the game Henry - and quoting that wise old sage, Jimmy Sirell. For me the big difference between the teams on Saturday was that Huddersfield were a team that have forgotten how to lose and we were a team who had forgotton how to win. WIthout Pilkington they had zero flair and all the football came from us- they had a solid defence and our strikers kept going for conversions. Confidence is clearly a big thing in football, but the point remains, with a few improvements to the squad and more confidence there is evidence to suggest things are going to get better.
The point was very well made by a forum member when we were getting excited after 4 wins on the spin under Powell, that if you keep winning lucky it won't be long before you start losing - the opposit is also true -the first signs things are getting better has to be the level of performance- which is certainly improving at the Valley.
Comments
Poor from us, but a kick in the teeth from a game we deserved more from
Nice and friendly. He's come on here and made reasonable comments so can't see the need to be so unwelcoming.
Especially surprised by the good crowd as the Valley Express ad in the Kent News group of papers was advertising the game v Soton on March 22 all week!
The newspapers' cock-up, I am sure, not the club's. But just posting the info here so Airman makes sure the club doesn't pay the bloody buffoons for putting in the wrong ad....
The view from the Upper Covered End, showed that we had a wall that was not long enough and you could see where the ball was going to go and it did.
The difference was from down our end the Hudds player and the rest of ours didn't even looked attached to the rest of the wall & I wasn't including them in our "wall".
However, it was still ridiculously naive of us. There's only one reason an oppo player gets in the wall and that is to duck/move out of the way and create a gap. So Sullivan or someone should have been wise to it. Shame, for one reason or another we are still far too easy to beat.
Huddersfield played 4-1-4-1 with Kilbane spare as the holding player. He influenced the game too much in the second half. As in previous games where the opposition played 3 v 2 in central midfield, we lost control of the game in that area and lost the game, (We conceded a free kick in a poor position when one of our CMs was caught on the wrong side and committed a foul).
Central Defence of Doherty/Fortune looked sluggish and will struggle against opponents who play two up and look to run in behind.
Wagstaff and Solly combined really well on the right. Stewart and Semedo looked a useful
CM partnership considering they were up against 3 opponents. When the opposition moved forward Bessone allowed his opponent (Hunt) in behind him too often and Racon failed to track Peltier, which was a weakness.
Front 2 lacked the pace to get in behind. McCombe and Clarke aren't the quickest, but we let them off the hook on a number of occasions, due to a poor final ball or mis-timed run. We wasted number of good opportunities inside the box after getting around the back.
Considering we are a mid-table team on a poor run, we showed more endeavour than I expected. However, despite all the comments that we played well and so and so was the best player on the pitch...ONE WIN FROM 14 ain't good enough. It's about scoring goals and defending well as a team. We do neither.
Spot on. Even so, it was hit like a bullet from 20 yards - think it's a bit harsh to blame the keeper.
Not that it should have been a free kick in the first place you understand...
We didn't - that was the "official" attendance.
Subject to Airman's correction I'd guess @12500 in the ground
Technically a foul off the ball.
Played the man. Don't suppose the ref would even have been looking in that direction.
Cheers for the footage, Acetripper - and appreciate your honest assessment.
I'm genuinely surprised you're not up amongst the front runners this season because even though it was much earlier in the season when you played at The Galpharm I thought you looked like you'd assembled a decent side that just needed time to gel. Obviously I'm pleased we beat you in both games but I'm sure you'll sort it out next season and be up there challenging for promotion.
Regards to all
AceT (HTFC)
On the plus side though, Waggy and Solly looked like a decent combination on the right and Wagstaff in particular seems to have the work ethic that is so valuable and so welcome at the Valley! Most of our threatening moves came from that flank and if Reid were able to play half as well as he thinks he does then the other flank would be a threat to the opposition too. As it is, the Charlton left wing may as well have put a sign out saying "On Vacation - Back In A Few Months".
Millwall's keeper - needs a left foot of some sort and a better right one.
Solly and Wagstaff - worked well together but no real punch.
Racon - was quiet.
Semedo - made a full blown tackle in first few minutes but seemed quiet after that
The difference is, Bailey had Kelly Youga supporting him.
Bailey also had a determination and drive that Racon doesn't have.
Not true at all ... first half reasonably matched, but 2nd half we were definitely in control most of the time ... hence the fact we see it as a kick in the teeth that we didn't at minimum get a point
Oh please let it be so!
The aim of the game is to score more goals than the other team. If you score less you have failed.
If by "better" you mean "more pleasing on the eye" or "more artistic" then try gymnastics or ice skating where you get points for artistic interpretation. You get nothing for that in football.
The best team always wins, the rest is only gossip - Jimmy Sirrell
...and when a manager you either don't rate or like 'only' gets results it's about performances, but if he only gets performances it's about results.
Remember in 08/09 performances slowy improved, but Parky was to be "judged on results", so he wasn't seen as good enough. Yet in his season and a half in League 1 he got results to keep us challenging for promotion the entire time, but performances suddenley weren't good enough.
Really need a balance of both. Good results but poor performances is seen as luck that will soon end. Good performances without results gets you nowhere. In our position with 4 games to go I just want to see some progress that gives us hope for next season.So some decent football but with some end product (no long ago we scored plenty away from home, but not any more). One win in 15 or whatever it is just isn't good enough with a team that are of mid table standard at worse. Still think Powell needs a chance to rebuild the squad even with after terrible results, sometimes one or two signings can make a huge difference. Imagine if we had someone like BWP last season.
The point was very well made by a forum member when we were getting excited after 4 wins on the spin under Powell, that if you keep winning lucky it won't be long before you start losing - the opposit is also true -the first signs things are getting better has to be the level of performance- which is certainly improving at the Valley.