| I despair 17:05 - Nov 11 with 16928 views | Barrowdale |
In front twice and lose in 95th. Utterly hopeless |  | | |  |
| I despair on 13:11 - Nov 13 with 3131 views | Edindale |
| I despair on 21:10 - Nov 11 by Dalenet |
But we have a thin squad and an allegedly low budget. Yet we have a top 6 average attendance and revenue. And a parachute payment and acadamy funding for this season. Something doesn't add up and we need to hear more on our budgets. The Trust AGM next Saturday will be interesting |
Our budget is not the problem. Whilst off field issues may affect performance on the pitch we appear to be more unprofessional with every performance. |  | | |
| I despair on 15:04 - Nov 13 with 2934 views | TVOS1907 |
| I despair on 23:18 - Nov 12 by D_Alien |
It's entirely possible the two are related
If the focus in training is on coaching defenders to play out from the back* that's time that could be spent on coaching them to defend crosses better
* and i bet their collective hearts sink every time the ball goes out for a goalkick to us - if they're anything like the fans
[Post edited 12 Nov 2023 23:20]
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But we have been conceding goals from crosses/set-pieces on a regular basis, etc, for the last six or seven seasons.
Even in our last good season, 2016/17, we had three 3-3 draws between the middle of February and end of March (Charlton, Sheffield United and Millwall).
Scoring three times at home to those three clubs and gaining only three points was symptomatic of what we are seeing now, yet that team was much heralded because of their attacking prowess as well. |  |
| When I was your age, I used to enjoy the odd game of tennis. Or was it golf? |
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| I despair on 17:02 - Nov 13 with 2841 views | D_Alien |
| I despair on 15:04 - Nov 13 by TVOS1907 |
But we have been conceding goals from crosses/set-pieces on a regular basis, etc, for the last six or seven seasons.
Even in our last good season, 2016/17, we had three 3-3 draws between the middle of February and end of March (Charlton, Sheffield United and Millwall).
Scoring three times at home to those three clubs and gaining only three points was symptomatic of what we are seeing now, yet that team was much heralded because of their attacking prowess as well. |
It's true we've seen similar frailties against balls into box for some time - i can recall the moans on here about it - but with respect, there's not anywhere near as much excuse for it in the NL as in L1 against the kind of teams you cite
Our current manager would've been either playing or watching during those games. He has ample opportunity to focus on basic defensive duties to try to change that pattern but chooses to focus primarily on putting pressure on our defenders to play like total footballers, which they're not
There will always be plenty of games where teams concede a lot of goals, that's the nature of football (see Chelsea v Man City yesterday). That run of games isn't relevant to the here and now |  |
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| I despair on 17:15 - Nov 13 with 2815 views | TVOS1907 |
| I despair on 17:02 - Nov 13 by D_Alien |
It's true we've seen similar frailties against balls into box for some time - i can recall the moans on here about it - but with respect, there's not anywhere near as much excuse for it in the NL as in L1 against the kind of teams you cite
Our current manager would've been either playing or watching during those games. He has ample opportunity to focus on basic defensive duties to try to change that pattern but chooses to focus primarily on putting pressure on our defenders to play like total footballers, which they're not
There will always be plenty of games where teams concede a lot of goals, that's the nature of football (see Chelsea v Man City yesterday). That run of games isn't relevant to the here and now |
I only cited those three games as they have stuck in my mind and to show conceding goals from crosses is nothing new, which seems to be the implication. I also recall on here at the time many posters bemoaning how those opponents' goals came about.
I take your point about the better quality of the opposition, but we arguably had League One standard defenders then, but still kept conceding in the way we are now with lower level defenders.
And, as ATP has put so eloquently, I firmly believe the way we conceded such goals against Wealdstone is separate from the way McNulty wants the team to play. I know you think otherwise, but I can't recall us conceding a goal yet this season as a direct result of that style of play.
But we probably will on Saturday... | |
| When I was your age, I used to enjoy the odd game of tennis. Or was it golf? |
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| I despair on 17:24 - Nov 13 with 2782 views | D_Alien |
| I despair on 17:15 - Nov 13 by TVOS1907 |
I only cited those three games as they have stuck in my mind and to show conceding goals from crosses is nothing new, which seems to be the implication. I also recall on here at the time many posters bemoaning how those opponents' goals came about.
I take your point about the better quality of the opposition, but we arguably had League One standard defenders then, but still kept conceding in the way we are now with lower level defenders.
And, as ATP has put so eloquently, I firmly believe the way we conceded such goals against Wealdstone is separate from the way McNulty wants the team to play. I know you think otherwise, but I can't recall us conceding a goal yet this season as a direct result of that style of play.
But we probably will on Saturday... |
The style of play would impact the mindset of those in defensive roles. If they've been spending at least half the week practising playing out from the back whilst during games having their footballing ability stretched perhaps to breaking point in full view of fans, the clarity of thought and concentration required when the opposition are attacking would, in my opinion, suffer. It's an indirect relationship, and can understand why some might disagree
[Post edited 13 Nov 2023 17:27]
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| I despair on 10:20 - Nov 14 with 2449 views | AtThePeake |
| I despair on 17:24 - Nov 13 by D_Alien |
The style of play would impact the mindset of those in defensive roles. If they've been spending at least half the week practising playing out from the back whilst during games having their footballing ability stretched perhaps to breaking point in full view of fans, the clarity of thought and concentration required when the opposition are attacking would, in my opinion, suffer. It's an indirect relationship, and can understand why some might disagree
[Post edited 13 Nov 2023 17:27]
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I would argue it's simply that they aren't very good at defending balls into the box rather than clarity of thought and concentration being stretched to breaking point by an in-possession tactic that they've actually been managing to execute far better than, I don't know, defending crosses? |  |
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| I despair on 11:22 - Nov 14 with 2379 views | D_Alien |
| I despair on 10:20 - Nov 14 by AtThePeake |
I would argue it's simply that they aren't very good at defending balls into the box rather than clarity of thought and concentration being stretched to breaking point by an in-possession tactic that they've actually been managing to execute far better than, I don't know, defending crosses? |
Yeah, i get that, hence my point about others not agreeing
I just think they're walking onto the pitch with their heads filled with stuff they don't need (or aren't comfortable with) and it takes its toll | |
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| I despair on 11:41 - Nov 14 with 2351 views | James1980 |
| I despair on 11:22 - Nov 14 by D_Alien |
Yeah, i get that, hence my point about others not agreeing
I just think they're walking onto the pitch with their heads filled with stuff they don't need (or aren't comfortable with) and it takes its toll |
Maybe that's why Hayes performs well. He said in his interview after signing the contract extension he likes playing possession based football. Although I thought Jim said the players want to be at the club, I'd like to think he let them know the style of football he was wanting to play. | |
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| I despair on 12:33 - Nov 14 with 2265 views | D_Alien |
| I despair on 11:41 - Nov 14 by James1980 |
Maybe that's why Hayes performs well. He said in his interview after signing the contract extension he likes playing possession based football. Although I thought Jim said the players want to be at the club, I'd like to think he let them know the style of football he was wanting to play. |
It's refreshing to watch Hayes. When he receives the ball, he has clarity and intent
Our defenders don't have that clarity, since their intent is mixed with the requirement to find a pass regardless of how much pressure you might be under, or putting your team-mate under. It's as if the basics of keeping the ball out of the box or marking the opposition take second place | |
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| I despair on 10:40 - Nov 17 with 1784 views | Daleaholic |
There is a collective mental weakness in this team. As fans, we expected that free kick to result in a goal... I'd argue that some players expected it too.
At no point do we see any proper game management.
No gamesmanship, no dark arts, no cynical fouls.
Why can't we be ba$t*rds now and again? As their man is breaking away down the pitch in the 94th minute, stop crying about the foul we've been denied on Rodney and bring that player down before he can get into a dangerous position. Or go down holding your head and get the referee to stop the game. Fake some injuries. Other teams do it and are able to dictate and manage games that way. We don't.
We don't 'smell blood' either. Any time an opposition player goes down (and it isn't a head injury), we almost come to a stop and look around before realising we can play on - by which point the other team has players back in covering. These are the opportunities you're gifted and have to exploit... We simply don't.
Teams know that if they put balls into our area, the players will panic and they will have easy opportunities to score. STOP THE CROSSES!!! [Post edited 17 Nov 2023 10:46]
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| I despair on 13:28 - Nov 17 with 1587 views | Brierls |
| I despair on 10:40 - Nov 17 by Daleaholic |
There is a collective mental weakness in this team. As fans, we expected that free kick to result in a goal... I'd argue that some players expected it too.
At no point do we see any proper game management.
No gamesmanship, no dark arts, no cynical fouls.
Why can't we be ba$t*rds now and again? As their man is breaking away down the pitch in the 94th minute, stop crying about the foul we've been denied on Rodney and bring that player down before he can get into a dangerous position. Or go down holding your head and get the referee to stop the game. Fake some injuries. Other teams do it and are able to dictate and manage games that way. We don't.
We don't 'smell blood' either. Any time an opposition player goes down (and it isn't a head injury), we almost come to a stop and look around before realising we can play on - by which point the other team has players back in covering. These are the opportunities you're gifted and have to exploit... We simply don't.
Teams know that if they put balls into our area, the players will panic and they will have easy opportunities to score. STOP THE CROSSES!!! [Post edited 17 Nov 2023 10:46]
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I think you've nailed it with the last point. STOP THE CROSSES.
We're in an era now where most teams play with wing backs over full backs, or full backs with an instruction to get forward at every opportunity. That comes at a cost, unfortunately. The better the player, the more rounded they are.
I'd like to see a couple of full backs who are defenders first and foremost. |  | | |
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