Another clean sheet, another goal scorer, 3 more points.
Not pretty, but thats not the priority. Echo what others said, we're a massive improvement on last season in terms of energy, fitness, commitment, pressing and defending.
Gillesphey looked a bit shakey after we lost Edwards, thought they worked well together against Wigan so no surprise to see him drop off a bit but he was still solid enough. Orient didnt cause us any real problems at all they had a clear game plan and it was beautiful to see it backfire and slap them in their faces.
Our box play still needs working on, crosses into the box, runs from deep, composure etc. Ahadme I wont write off after 2 league games, he won a good few flick on's, unfortunately, hes winning them for Campbell - who isnt a striker and Docherty - who isnt a 10, his game is fine and a big part of how we will play.
Liked the look of Godden when he came on, knows how to play the ref for sure.
Said before that i don't think it's going to be pretty this season, but we'll take a 1-0 every week if we have to. Shocking tackle from Clare, if we had VAR then that would've easily been a red.
Jones still unbeaten at home in league one as well!
Lloyd Jones was immense today. Need to tie him down to a new contract ASAP. Coventry wasn't far behind him, don't understand the criticism he gets.
Docherty isnt really doing it at the moment for me. Hopefully he will come good.
Ahadme and Campbell isn't really working.
Some fans need to accept it won't be pretty this season but what's more important, playing nice football or getting out this damn league? Just suck it up.
Interesting to see Luton fans express absolutely zero surprise at Luke Berry scoring a 90th minute winner. It's exactly why Jones likes him, he's the one who will still be sharp and alive in the box into injury time when the opposition have been run into the ground. Trust the process and all that
bit like Wigan, unspectacular, defence dominated win .. horrible tackle by Clare (you cnut), bit of a quandary, I say we were better in attack with Small for Edwards be good to somehow integrate both Small and Edwards into the starting Xl Great defence, tight if over defence orientated midfield, attack? .. still to find its legs
Insipid first half, better tempo in the second, helped by Orient running out of steam, as the effort they had put in couldn't be sustained.
Much as we will miss Edwards, I've thought all along that with 3 solid centre backs and a hard working midfield slightly lacking in flair, we do need our wing backs to be a major attacking outlet, which suits Small perfectly. He's not at his best yet, and will improve with games.
It's hard to judge Mannion as he's had so little to do, but he does seem to do the basics well.
I’m not alone in this, but every time we’ve sacked a manager since Adkins left I’ve been asking for someone who will set us out to be tough to beat first and build from there. Instead we kept hiring managers who only wanted to talk about playing attractive football and season after season we’ve had the same soft under belly and it’s only gotten bigger and softer.
The league campaign is only two matches old, but I’m willing to say the soft under belly is gone. It was a tough, physical game first half (too physical in the case of Clare’s “tackle”) but we gave every bit as good as we got and, as the game wore on, it was us who came out of the battering the stronger. When was the last time we prevailed in a match like that? Normally we would concede a soft goal and collapse but we’ve barely given up a shot on target all season so far.
Do that and you earn the right to play. We had to stick at it and win a bit ugly today because Orient matched us for a good chunk of the game. There will be more games like this where we must be patient but if we keep defending like this we’ll always be in games. There will also be weeks we play teams more like we have been in recent seasons. When we do that we may well steam roller them.
Not going to get carried away because we do need to show more quality in attack, but the foundations look strong, at last.
bit like Wigan, unspectacular, defence dominated win .. horrible tackle by Clare (you cnut), bit of a quandary, I say we were better in attack with Small for Edwards be good to somehow integrate both Small and Edwards into the starting Xl Great defence, tight if over defence orientated midfield, attack? .. still to find its legs
Any word on the Edwards injury yet ??
When fit I'd replace Gillesphey with Edwards, Gillesphey is the weak link imo.
Interesting to see Luton fans express absolutely zero surprise at Luke Berry scoring a 90th minute winner. It's exactly why Jones likes him, he's the one who will still be sharp and alive in the box into injury time when the opposition have been run into the ground. Trust the process and all that
Yeah I really badly mentioned in game that I'd have replaced Berry with Anderson as one of the second half subs, as wasnt really seeing much from him
Second half Orient weren't in it and you could sense if we changed it up front they would crack. I'm not knocking Nathan Jones assumption that Campbell can play up front but that's a work in progress and it's not doing Ahadme any favours either, the two don't seem to be on each others wavelength and we only look a threat when Campbell is able to run at defenders. Godden's movement opened up space and that's how Berry got the goal, Man of the match, the vice captain, absolute rock.
Don't really know what to make of that if I am honest.
First half was crap. We didn't really deal with the Orient press and looked really poor. Didn't get the wing backs into the game at all and the front two of Campbell and Ahadme didn't work as a partnership at all.
Second half was better, but how much of that was Orient running out of legs? We still look far from fluid going forward and if we don't have an option to find a wing back we just seem to go for aimless punts forward.
Not going to criticise Ahadme, don't envy him at all, zero service and Campbell plays so far away from him that he is totally isolated - has no one to lay the ball off to.
Going against the grain with Small as well. Great energy, but he was a bit of a headless chicken and his end product was poor.
Ramsey only really came into it as an attacking force in the last 20 minutes.
Our set plays left a lot to be desired as well. 9 corners and I don't think we threatened from one of them.
The midfield is a bit one paced for my liking and it doesn't feel like any of them could drop a shoulder, beat a man and carry the ball forward at pace.
Do we really need another keeper? Mannion looks pretty assured to me. Admittedly he's not been tested much yet, but what he has had to do he has done well imo.
Surprised that we had 3 strikers on the bench. I think you have to find a spot for REG as his versitility is a real asset, had we lost a centre back today we would have had a problem.
It's a good sign that we are winning while being a mile away from playing well, but I get the feeling we won't be winning many style points this season.
We played well & were the better team, but by God it's a hard watch when cross after cross sails over the heads of our forwards or goes straight out for a goal kick. Sane for out corners.
We had so much possession & so many chances to test their keeper, and about the only decent chance ended up in the back of the net. Just so frustrating watching all that good play go to waste. But we won & I suppose (at this stage) that's all that matters. Defence is a lot tighter & feel confident with Mannion between the sticks
Not the most fluent performance but a deserved win nonetheless. We were pretty much in complete control during the 2nd half and our greater fitness levels were very evident. Well played Nathan!
Don't think it's ever going to be pretty this season , we're going to have to grind teams down and a lot of sides will come to The Valley and do exactly what Orient did. Not that convinced by Ahadme but I'll give him time with a proper striker alongside him like Godden or Miles when fit. Coventry now looks like the player we thought we were signing but needs to sort out the awful setpieces.
Oh, trap three in the first East Stand bogs still has a broken lock, entering the third season now. I mean how difficult is it to repair. I'd rather not poo with a crowd watching if you don't mind.
No but wonder what difference May and Dobson would have made.
Not complaining. It was leagueonetastic.
To be fair to that question... There weren't any real chances that our Strikers missed, that May would have buried? - Whilst it feels as though Coventry just didnt work with Dobson, given how he's started the season.
Comments
Not pretty, but thats not the priority. Echo what others said, we're a massive improvement on last season in terms of energy, fitness, commitment, pressing and defending.
Gillesphey looked a bit shakey after we lost Edwards, thought they worked well together against Wigan so no surprise to see him drop off a bit but he was still solid enough. Orient didnt cause us any real problems at all they had a clear game plan and it was beautiful to see it backfire and slap them in their faces.
Our box play still needs working on, crosses into the box, runs from deep, composure etc. Ahadme I wont write off after 2 league games, he won a good few flick on's, unfortunately, hes winning them for Campbell - who isnt a striker and Docherty - who isnt a 10, his game is fine and a big part of how we will play.
Liked the look of Godden when he came on, knows how to play the ref for sure.
Got to love that wining feeling!!!
Jones still unbeaten at home in league one as well!
Anyone able to identify the main men? Sack Methane for not celebrating enthusiastically enough.
Docherty isnt really doing it at the moment for me. Hopefully he will come good.
Ahadme and Campbell isn't really working.
Some fans need to accept it won't be pretty this season but what's more important, playing nice football or getting out this damn league? Just suck it up.
Great defence, tight if over defence orientated midfield, attack? .. still to find its legs
Any word on the Edwards injury yet ??
Much as we will miss Edwards, I've thought all along that with 3 solid centre backs and a hard working midfield slightly lacking in flair, we do need our wing backs to be a major attacking outlet, which suits Small perfectly. He's not at his best yet, and will improve with games.
It's hard to judge Mannion as he's had so little to do, but he does seem to do the basics well.
The league campaign is only two matches old, but I’m willing to say the soft under belly is gone. It was a tough, physical game first half (too physical in the case of Clare’s “tackle”) but we gave every bit as good as we got and, as the game wore on, it was us who came out of the battering the stronger. When was the last time we prevailed in a match like that? Normally we would concede a soft goal and collapse but we’ve barely given up a shot on target all season so far.
Not going to get carried away because we do need to show more quality in attack, but the foundations look strong, at last.
First half was crap. We didn't really deal with the Orient press and looked really poor. Didn't get the wing backs into the game at all and the front two of Campbell and Ahadme didn't work as a partnership at all.
Second half was better, but how much of that was Orient running out of legs? We still look far from fluid going forward and if we don't have an option to find a wing back we just seem to go for aimless punts forward.
Not going to criticise Ahadme, don't envy him at all, zero service and Campbell plays so far away from him that he is totally isolated - has no one to lay the ball off to.
Going against the grain with Small as well. Great energy, but he was a bit of a headless chicken and his end product was poor.
Ramsey only really came into it as an attacking force in the last 20 minutes.
Our set plays left a lot to be desired as well. 9 corners and I don't think we threatened from one of them.
The midfield is a bit one paced for my liking and it doesn't feel like any of them could drop a shoulder, beat a man and carry the ball forward at pace.
Do we really need another keeper? Mannion looks pretty assured to me. Admittedly he's not been tested much yet, but what he has had to do he has done well imo.
Surprised that we had 3 strikers on the bench. I think you have to find a spot for REG as his versitility is a real asset, had we lost a centre back today we would have had a problem.
It's a good sign that we are winning while being a mile away from playing well, but I get the feeling we won't be winning many style points this season.
We had so much possession & so many chances to test their keeper, and about the only decent chance ended up in the back of the net. Just so frustrating watching all that good play go to waste. But we won & I suppose (at this stage) that's all that matters. Defence is a lot tighter & feel confident with Mannion between the sticks
Shout outs to.......
Campbell
Ramsey
Coventry
Berry
And Clare needs a good kicking.
Not complaining. It was leagueonetastic.