After the last game I said that one of our problems was that Bowyer didn't know his best team and kept changing formations and joked that after playing a diamond, a flat 4-4-2 and 4-3-3 in our last 3 games that he would play 3-5-2 tonight. And Lord almighty, he only went and did it!
Lee, for pity sake, pick a formation and stick to it and play players in their right position. What on earth possessed him to play Smyth at right wing-back tonight when he had a quality full back in Matthews sitting on the bench.
Otherwise, thought Schwartz looks good. And really impressed that he has come over without his partner.
Oh, and BTW, I thought that Mark McAdam was a superb host on Valley pass. Watch out Scotty - you've got a rival!
Bowyer has no idea of his best team or his best formation. Making it up as he goes along. Shocking
He does have an idea of his best team......unfortunately a lot of it is in the treatment room......or has that point escaped you?
It's the fact he chooses to play a striker at RWB today, a right back at left back at Hull, not play Williams OR Maddison in some games, keeps picking Gilbey when he has had options.
He would get a lot, lot, more sympathy if he played players in the right position and they weren't good enough.
Injuries excuse the results, to some degree, they don't mitigate all the bonkers selections and abject performances.
Great second half. With a crowd in the stadium we would have been roared on to get a winner. Obviously Smyth at RWB was a mistake and LB should have corrected that before the third goal went in. What has happened to Gilbey; we were all delighted when he signed, but he’s been consistently rubbish. Great to see Jonny start; played in big part in two of the goals so I’ll forgive him that dreadful miss. After all that I’m disappointed with the result, but still optimistic we can make top six.
Still a bit odd for Bowyer to say "I didn't want Adam Matthews, he's a right back". Generally speaking you see more full backs playing wing back than wingers. Matthews also gets forward a fair amount anyway.
Is it even a Bowyer post match interview if someone doesn’t get slagged off?
i think we need an athletic midfielder and a back up for chucks now in the window if there are only to be 2 more - chucks and schwarz are dangerous but i'd do what i could to offload smyth, washington and bogle -all 3 are inneffective but will have to play and weaken the team on saturday unless chucks can go again - ideally we want another pacey striker and a centre half as well
Simply put, the baffling choice of Smyth at RWB cost us, gave them the 2 goal headstart as Bowyer says, all he had to do was play Matthews and it could very well have been us knocking 4 past them in the first half.
i think we need an athletic midfielder and a back up for chucks now in the window if there are only to be 2 more - chucks and schwarz are dangerous but i'd do what i could to offload smyth, washington and bogle -all 3 are inneffective but will have to play and weaken the team on saturday unless chucks can go again - ideally we want another pacey striker and a centre half as well
Great point, Washington’s 6 goals count for nothing when you look at it
”extremely happy with first goal” ”we deserved more than one point, well we wanted more. Difficult game. We can’t concede 4 at home” ”I was told to be close to Chuks, he’s a handful. It was a great strike”
Comes across well. Bit quick to mention that it's his GF, and not a wife, stuck in Denmark though 😂
His wife has come over, it's his girlfriend who's still in Denmark
We should have won with that second half performance , Rochdale were crap at the back . Not a big fan of JFC , but he was quality tonight . Chuks MOM , he has an incredible first touch and deserved a hat trick . Oshilaja had a good game again . Gilbey is becoming a liability.
In Curbs best season 03/04 we did not get the best of starts, got a 4-4 against Luton the league Cup when behind most of the game (won on pens) and it really kick started the season.
The last time I can remember us drawing 4-4 was Burnley A @1976.
The second half said to me that I don't think Bowyer has lost the dressing room. If you're 2-4 down at HT to Rochdale and want the manager sacked, I can't see why you'd fight back to 4-4 and nearly win the game.
I have much sympathy for Bowyer re having lost half the team and only being able to replace them from what other clubs had left unsigned.
I also have a lot of sympathy for all the injuries (although do wonder why we get so many injuries in training).
But I do have an issue with how he is setting up the players he does have. I really don't believe good managers should be shipping 2 goals a game and 4 in the first half to Rochdale.
It wasn't down to luck, it was quite predictable when these players were given so much space.
Why was Smyth at right wing back instead of Matthews?
Why was Oshilaja the right footed centre half spending so much time in the first half on the left wing?
Gilbey gave Lund too much room and turned his back on the first.
Gunter didn't close their lad down & turned his back on the second.
I've forgotten the 3rd (or 2nd), but the 4th the "wall" was poorly set up and then moved out the way.
So at least 3 of their goals were aided by us getting out of the way, rather than blocking. Is that down to Bowyer or the players?
Amos could maybe have done better all round for the 4th. Gunter is looking dodgy, but will probably be CH on Saturday. Oshilaja was good (not sure about being on left wing) apart from one first half cock up. Pearce is looking very ropey. Maatsen is not looking reliable, whilst he puts in a lot of effort. Williams was ok. JFC played well, scored, but still made a couple of cock ups. Gilbey was ok Smyth showed flashes but doesn't contribute enough Aneke was excellent Millar was very good Schwartz looks like a player Morgan did ok and was better than Gilbey Washington had a chance but as so often went the wrong way, cutting outside instead of inside.
I was worried about relegation at half time and hoping for promotion on 80 mins. At FT I think we could end up anywhere between 2nd and 22nd.
Bowyer has no idea of his best team or his best formation. Making it up as he goes along. Shocking
He does have an idea of his best team......unfortunately a lot of it is in the treatment room......or has that point escaped you?
That might be true of his preferred defensive line up but Blackpool is spot on in respect of formation and midfield/attack. Some changes are undoubtedly necessary but the continual chopping and changing is partly responsible for our poor run of form.
Right, first the negatives. Smyth had a poor game and offered little defensive cover. However, I totally agree with Curbs in that all four Rochdale goals were very good, although certainly one should have been stopped by Smyth. On the plus side the team showed heart and spirit and they were a handful for much of the second half. Chuks was the standout player, although I am more than heartened by Schwartz. For someone, who is not match fit he looks a handful and a natural goal scorer. He took his goal very well. In spite of being 7th in the table we are now the division's top goal scorers (admittedly having played a few more games than some), although our defence is somewhere between 7th or 8th worst. The good news is that Famweo could be back for the Peterboro game, along with Shinnie and Pratley. I saw enough in the second half this evening to suggest that this team will get its mojo back and will be there or there abouts by the end of the season and by that I mean in the automatic positions. With Innis and Doughty (as part of a loan back deal) also scheduled to return further down the line the team should (barring wholesale injuries and suspensions) be well placed to go on a run in the final third of the season and we have yet to get to the half way stage.
Arghhhhh ffs why is nothing simple. Improved performance but a monumentally exposed fuck up playing Smyth right wing back. Good going forward and least the players didn’t jack it in. We should be winning those games tho.
If you play defensive football and lose or draw to lower teams then I get pissed off.
We played attacking football and had loads of shots (certainly in the 2nd half) and did more than lose so after the recent rubbish I'm well happy with that.
I'm sure that if we play with that effort and attacking intent (and stick to playing players in their right position) then the results will sort themselves out.
A good comeback and second half performance BUT it's hard to give Bowyer much credit for it, when he YET AGAIN had to change the formation during the first half and make subs at half time due to his flawed initial setup. Chuks and Schwartz are a great pairing up front, but that would be the case whoever was the manager as both are at this level quality players.
Rochdale are a great team for the neutral to watch, I was always confident we would score against them as they play a very open style, but to get them have 3 shots like that with so little pressure was hopeless. Smyth had a mare at RWB, but where was the protection from Gunter for him? Where was the closing down for Lund's first goal?
JFC had a good game as indeed did Oshilaja, who was our best defender. Morgan showed excellent energy when he came on, doing a lot of "Lapslie style harrying" as well as his natural passing game. He has to be careful not to be caught on the ball though.
It was an almost commendably mental idea. Unfortunately it was also a dreadful idea.
Yeah, like I don't want to play a defender who I know can get forward & cross the ball but a winger who can't defend.
I've seen enough of Gunter & Mathews to know that they are both good defenders & also very good at going forward. Last season Matthews played well coming forward & so far this season Gunter has put it some great crosses that have led to goals....one in the 2nd half tonight.
In no way would you play a winger at wing back when you have TWO defenders who can do a decent job there. Even playing 3 at the back the wing back should know how to defend.
The last time I can remember us drawing 4-4 was Burnley A @1976.
The second half said to me that I don't think Bowyer has lost the dressing room. If you're 2-4 down at HT to Rochdale and want the manager sacked, I can't see why you'd fight back to 4-4 and nearly win the game.
I have much sympathy for Bowyer re having lost half the team and only being able to replace them from what other clubs had left unsigned.
I also have a lot of sympathy for all the injuries (although do wonder why we get so many injuries in training).
But I do have an issue with how he is setting up the players he does have. I really don't believe good managers should be shipping 2 goals a game and 4 in the first half to Rochdale.
It wasn't down to luck, it was quite predictable when these players were given so much space.
Why was Smyth at right wing back instead of Matthews?
Why was Oshilaja the right footed centre half spending so much time in the first half on the left wing?
Gilbey gave Lund to much room and turned his back on the first.
Gunter didn't close their lad down & turned his back on the second.
I've forgotten the 3rd (or 2nd), but the 4th the "wall" was poorly set up and then moved out the way.
So at least 3 of their goals were aided by us getting out of the way, rather than blocking. Is that down to Bowyer or the players?
Amos could maybe have done better all round for the 4th. Gunter is looking dodgy, but will probably be CH on Saturday. Oshilaja was good (not sure about being on left wing) apart from one first half cock up. Pearce is looking very ropey. Maatsen is not looking reliable, whilst he puts in a lot of effort. Williams was ok. JFC played well, scored, but still made a couple of cock ups. Gilbey was ok Smyth showed flashes but doesn't contribute enough Aneke was excellent Millar was very good Schwartz looks like a player Morgan did ok and was better than Gilbey Washington had a chance but as so often went the wrong way, cutting outside instead of inside.
I was worried about relegation at half time and hoping for promotion on 80 mins. At FT I think we could end up anywhere between 2nd and 22nd.
Norwich? Some time in the early 90s? Great game, we only had 10 men and came back to nick a draw.
Comments
Lee, for pity sake, pick a formation and stick to it and play players in their right position. What on earth possessed him to play Smyth at right wing-back tonight when he had a quality full back in Matthews sitting on the bench.
Otherwise, thought Schwartz looks good. And really impressed that he has come over without his partner.
Oh, and BTW, I thought that Mark McAdam was a superb host on Valley pass. Watch out Scotty - you've got a rival!
He would get a lot, lot, more sympathy if he played players in the right position and they weren't good enough.
Injuries excuse the results, to some degree, they don't mitigate all the bonkers selections and abject performances.
We either build upon the much better, more composed 2nd half performance or do we revert back to recent performances.
JFC was immense that 2nd half. Chuks did was chuks does and for longer than 30 mins.
Hopefully the start of a turnaround.
I live in hope
The second half said to me that I don't think Bowyer has lost the dressing room.
If you're 2-4 down at HT to Rochdale and want the manager sacked, I can't see why you'd fight back to 4-4 and nearly win the game.
I have much sympathy for Bowyer re having lost half the team and only being able to replace them from what other clubs had left unsigned.
I also have a lot of sympathy for all the injuries (although do wonder why we get so many injuries in training).
But I do have an issue with how he is setting up the players he does have.
I really don't believe good managers should be shipping 2 goals a game and 4 in the first half to Rochdale.
It wasn't down to luck, it was quite predictable when these players were given so much space.
Why was Smyth at right wing back instead of Matthews?
Why was Oshilaja the right footed centre half spending so much time in the first half on the left wing?
Gilbey gave Lund too much room and turned his back on the first.
Gunter didn't close their lad down & turned his back on the second.
I've forgotten the 3rd (or 2nd), but the 4th the "wall" was poorly set up and then moved out the way.
So at least 3 of their goals were aided by us getting out of the way, rather than blocking.
Is that down to Bowyer or the players?
Amos could maybe have done better all round for the 4th.
Gunter is looking dodgy, but will probably be CH on Saturday.
Oshilaja was good (not sure about being on left wing) apart from one first half cock up.
Pearce is looking very ropey.
Maatsen is not looking reliable, whilst he puts in a lot of effort.
Williams was ok.
JFC played well, scored, but still made a couple of cock ups.
Gilbey was ok
Smyth showed flashes but doesn't contribute enough
Aneke was excellent
Millar was very good
Schwartz looks like a player
Morgan did ok and was better than Gilbey
Washington had a chance but as so often went the wrong way, cutting outside instead of inside.
I was worried about relegation at half time and hoping for promotion on 80 mins.
At FT I think we could end up anywhere between 2nd and 22nd.
We played attacking football and had loads of shots (certainly in the 2nd half) and did more than lose so after the recent rubbish I'm well happy with that.
I'm sure that if we play with that effort and attacking intent (and stick to playing players in their right position) then the results will sort themselves out.
Classic.
Rochdale are a great team for the neutral to watch, I was always confident we would score against them as they play a very open style, but to get them have 3 shots like that with so little pressure was hopeless. Smyth had a mare at RWB, but where was the protection from Gunter for him? Where was the closing down for Lund's first goal?
JFC had a good game as indeed did Oshilaja, who was our best defender. Morgan showed excellent energy when he came on, doing a lot of "Lapslie style harrying" as well as his natural passing game. He has to be careful not to be caught on the ball though.
I've seen enough of Gunter & Mathews to know that they are both good defenders & also very good at going forward. Last season Matthews played well coming forward & so far this season Gunter has put it some great crosses that have led to goals....one in the 2nd half tonight.
In no way would you play a winger at wing back when you have TWO defenders who can do a decent job there. Even playing 3 at the back the wing back should know how to defend.