The problem with Stockley trying to fit into this system is not that he can't do decent layoffs with his back to the goal, which he can. The problem is that he was doing them near the half way line and he cannot do that and be in the penalty area at the same time. The clearest expression of that was that Leaburn headed the winner, not Stockley. Had Leaburn not been on the pitch we would not have had anybody there to take that chance. DJ, not a striker, was in a similar position in the first half and fluffed it. It was proof that we need two strikers on the pitch, not one.
Didn't watch the stream, so what were the team in the studio's takes on the performance?
Disappointed to concede the late equaliser, but happy to get a point a Accrington had more chances and were much the better side in the second half.
When our passing from the back worked well, it worked very well pulling the opposition out of position, but at other times we looked uncertain. Both feel that we will improve with practice as the players adapt to a new system, with both goals we conceded ones we should have defended better as a team.
I just get the feeling that our new custodian Wollacutt might have the look of attaining a bit of a cult status. He’s going to pull of some miraculous saves over the season and due to our defensive strategy I think might be involved in a few howlers. I was definitely impressed today.
Well done lads. A really good point away first game of the season. And good to find the net twice. Really pleased for Leaburn. And Garner and the new lads. Have to say really surprised with GK. Had no confidence in this signing but today he pulled off some amazing saves and looks excellent.
Any negs? I'll put them all down to tiredness as we have just got started. When all the lads are match fit and have a dozen or so games under their belt together ... Maybe then...
If it’s Inniss and O’Connell as our preferred pairing then we’re going to conceded some right comedy goals playing out from the back. We got away with some unbelievably poor stuff from those two today. I like Inniss but I’m not really that sure why. Jury out on O’Connell for me but it is only one game in.
Absolutely this. Our play our from the back, second half in particular was unsuccessful more often than not and invited pressure. If the guys there have the skill to play that way great. If not, it's going to end in goals against.
Today looks like being a microcosm of Garner's system - when it works well some nice passing and genuinely attacking possession football, albeit potentially in need of a sharper edge up front (though I don't doubt this was already known and being sought out.)
When it goes wrong we get shithoused and bullied and end up making thoroughly preventable errors.
All in all a work in progress, there's some green seeds in there but if a good run doesn't appear fairly quickly I can see opinions shifting against him in short order.
Swindon last season were top of all the attacking stats, but didn't get automatic promotion due to defensive frailties. Today's game suggests more of the same.
Some good stuff, some bad, players to come in, another four games to sensibly see where we are, how anyone can make a judgement after the 1st game of the season I don’t know. A point on the board, where we had predictions of none. Look forward to next week.
Swindon last season were top of all the attacking stats, but didn't get automatic promotion due to defensive frailties. Today's game suggests more of the same.
As Fenland said a work in progress, the passing out from the back is suicidal it times and I doubt the midfield 3 that started will do so for many more games. It was a great feeling to have Leaburn score in fact both goals were well worked in the new system. Stockley is acclimatising to the new way and can only improve - can't he, and it seems we have a good shot stopper.
wonder how many of todays players will be fit for the Derby game after the battering in the 2nd half.
overall I'm impressed but expect better in a few weeks time.
The good news for me is it's evident that the manager has an ethos and a plan and the players have bought into it.
The bad news is what we knew already - we're going to have a defensively soft underbelly and we are at least 3 first team players short in key positions (whilst being massively overstocked in central midfield).
Big few weeks ahead. We need to move on a couple of players, bring in 3 (a mobile ST, a LB and a CB unless we are going to gamble on Innis and Elerewe's recall clause - I'd like another wide attacker but can't see it). We also need to keep adjusting to the new system and style and keep at it.
At the game, sat near to lots of fans who clearly didn’t get the Garnerball memo, shouting to hoof it long whenever we had the ball at the back! Tbf Accrington pressed us high and I thought we were going to capitulate to it, credit that we kept our cool (during the first half) and didn’t resort to lumping it up to JS (until the second half).
I don’t think Jojo effectively came for a cross all match, but pulled off two top class saves at 1-0 up. Don’t think there was much he could have done about either goal but will be interested to see the replays.
Clare still decent at RB with some great forward runs. SS looks a prospect, but I expected a bit more overlapping - one great moment first half where he made a lunging Accrington tackle look a proper mug and sprinted away with the ball. The CBs looked decent enough, but maybe a little ponderous at putting Garnerball into play which caused some scares.
Midfield was generally similar to each other. Dobbo put in a few good recovery tackles but also some wayward balls. Albie good first half but faded second, Fraser I thought was the opposite, pretty anonymous until his goal and a bit more in the game after that. Payne when he came on looked a cut above all three with tenacity and urgency (I had no idea quite how small he actually is!)
Wingers were quite quiet I thought, a few times CBT scared them with his pace and DJ obviously got the first assist. Stockley dropped deep well enough but never got a sniff apart from one diving header that went well wide (he punched the ground in frustration as it was his only real chance). That said, he seemed to be communicating well with the team throughout so the doubts about his renewed captaincy appear unfounded at the moment. Leaburn took his goal well and seemed a handful (although most of his crosses were tame, so not sure I’d want to see him out wide every time).
Overall, I didn’t see a lot of intense, high pressing from us, but we definitely had an identity to our play with lovely passing moves (eg the first goal). Thought we looked to get off plenty of shots first half too. That all changed second half though, and we even resorted to long balls for Stockley to flick on to no one. My assessment is probably dampened by the disappointment at the end; while I think we showed good signs, I’m just not sure we currently have the best personnel to fully put the gameplan into practice in this league. However, I HOPE that we should improve as the team gets more familiar with the style and each other, and when the additions like Payne get embedded properly, I can see this being a much more exciting (and dare I say, successful!) season that last.
The problem with Stockley trying to fit into this system is not that he can't do decent layoffs with his back to the goal, which he can. The problem is that he was doing them near the half way line and he cannot do that and be in the penalty area at the same time. The clearest expression of that was that Leaburn headed the winner, not Stockley. Had Leaburn not been on the pitch we would not have had anybody there to take that chance. DJ, not a striker, was in a similar position in the first half and fluffed it. It was proof that we need two strikers on the pitch, not one.
You could argue Stockleys runs created the space for both goals.
In general the delivery into him was awful when he was in a good position in the box other than the sitter he missed that would have put us 2-0 up. He really should have scored that and I'm pretty sure Washington would have fluffed the DJ header in the first half as well. We scored 2 goals and really that should be enough to win a lot of games, just look at the amount of teams that only scored 1 goal today in this league.
If it’s Inniss and O’Connell as our preferred pairing then we’re going to conceded some right comedy goals playing out from the back. We got away with some unbelievably poor stuff from those two today. I like Inniss but I’m not really that sure why. Jury out on O’Connell for me but it is only one game in.
It's the 1st game. I desperately hope we learn from such mistakes and continue signing players.
Garner can assess the performance and adjust it. Remove potential mistakes from repeating.
I hope it makes us a tad angry and we will be eager to prove ourselves against derby.
I just get the feeling that our new custodian Wollacutt might have the look of attaining a bit of a cult status. He’s going to pull of some miraculous saves over the season and due to our defensive strategy I think might be involved in a few howlers. I was definitely impressed today.
Don’t care if it’s first, 21st or last game of season, failing to see the game out for 3pts is a poor show. If Derby and Sheff Weds turn up we will be chasing again after 3 games. All good things nullified by the bad = same old Charlton. A draw at Accrington is not top six result.
Good first half. Played nicely out from the back, wingers caused trouble, Morgan and Fraser heavily involved in the goal, Stockley supported well, Dobson not required, we rode the tough challenges and kept calm.
Bad second half. Resorted to hoofing it to an outjumped Stockley, wingers disappeared, Morgan (bar one majestic pass) and Fraser bypassed, Dobson became the key player covering like last year, we were bullied into submission.
Comments
The clearest expression of that was that Leaburn headed the winner, not Stockley. Had Leaburn not been on the pitch we would not have had anybody there to take that chance. DJ, not a striker, was in a similar position in the first half and fluffed it.
It was proof that we need two strikers on the pitch, not one.
Ha! Feel the same.
When our passing from the back worked well, it worked very well pulling the opposition out of position, but at other times we looked uncertain. Both feel that we will improve with practice as the players adapt to a new system, with both goals we conceded ones we should have defended better as a team.
Any negs? I'll put them all down to tiredness as we have just got started. When all the lads are match fit and have a dozen or so games under their belt together ... Maybe then...
When it goes wrong we get shithoused and bullied and end up making thoroughly preventable errors.
All in all a work in progress, there's some green seeds in there but if a good run doesn't appear fairly quickly I can see opinions shifting against him in short order.
Two goals a game is 92 goals… both scored and conceded at the current rate. :-)
The bad news is what we knew already - we're going to have a defensively soft underbelly and we are at least 3 first team players short in key positions (whilst being massively overstocked in central midfield).
Big few weeks ahead. We need to move on a couple of players, bring in 3 (a mobile ST, a LB and a CB unless we are going to gamble on Innis and Elerewe's recall clause - I'd like another wide attacker but can't see it). We also need to keep adjusting to the new system and style and keep at it.
I don’t think Jojo effectively came for a cross all match, but pulled off two top class saves at 1-0 up. Don’t think there was much he could have done about either goal but will be interested to see the replays.
Clare still decent at RB with some great forward runs. SS looks a prospect, but I expected a bit more overlapping - one great moment first half where he made a lunging Accrington tackle look a proper mug and sprinted away with the ball. The CBs looked decent enough, but maybe a little ponderous at putting Garnerball into play which caused some scares.
Midfield was generally similar to each other. Dobbo put in a few good recovery tackles but also some wayward balls. Albie good first half but faded second, Fraser I thought was the opposite, pretty anonymous until his goal and a bit more in the game after that. Payne when he came on looked a cut above all three with tenacity and urgency (I had no idea quite how small he actually is!)
Wingers were quite quiet I thought, a few times CBT scared them with his pace and DJ obviously got the first assist. Stockley dropped deep well enough but never got a sniff apart from one diving header that went well wide (he punched the ground in frustration as it was his only real chance). That said, he seemed to be communicating well with the team throughout so the doubts about his renewed captaincy appear unfounded at the moment. Leaburn took his goal well and seemed a handful (although most of his crosses were tame, so not sure I’d want to see him out wide every time).
Overall, I didn’t see a lot of intense, high pressing from us, but we definitely had an identity to our play with lovely passing moves (eg the first goal). Thought we looked to get off plenty of shots first half too. That all changed second half though, and we even resorted to long balls for Stockley to flick on to no one. My assessment is probably dampened by the disappointment at the end; while I think we showed good signs, I’m just not sure we currently have the best personnel to fully put the gameplan into practice in this league. However, I HOPE that we should improve as the team gets more familiar with the style and each other, and when the additions like Payne get embedded properly, I can see this being a much more exciting (and dare I say, successful!) season that last.
In general the delivery into him was awful when he was in a good position in the box other than the sitter he missed that would have put us 2-0 up. He really should have scored that and I'm pretty sure Washington would have fluffed the DJ header in the first half as well. We scored 2 goals and really that should be enough to win a lot of games, just look at the amount of teams that only scored 1 goal today in this league.
Not sure what to make of that….
It's the 1st game. I desperately hope we learn from such mistakes and continue signing players.
Garner can assess the performance and adjust it. Remove potential mistakes from repeating.
I hope it makes us a tad angry and we will be eager to prove ourselves against derby.
PS: Kiddoes, ask your Grandad.
Bad second half. Resorted to hoofing it to an outjumped Stockley, wingers disappeared, Morgan (bar one majestic pass) and Fraser bypassed, Dobson became the key player covering like last year, we were bullied into submission.
So: signs of promise, but plenty still to do.