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In the last six games since the Peterboro defeat, we have only conceded one goal fro open play and that was a fortuitous deflected long range shot. Yes we have lived dangerously at times, but confidence is a huge thing at both ends of the pitch and you can already see Dieng slowly returning to last year's form - he was really important to our win tonight. I said after the Peterboro game that having to score at least two goals per game was unsustainable and - as free scoring as we are - we had to stop hemorrhaging goals if we were serious about a play off tilt.
There has been much speculation about formations and personnel changes in order to reduce the 'goals against' column, but in the end it just took and improvement from our keeper, an upgrade of Dozzell for Ball (and Field/Amos waiting in the wings) and a little rub of the green (Bristol City 'non-goal') which we certainly hadn't been getting (Forest deflected goal). All this while playing recently with Charlie as our only fit striker.
There has been goals in this team all season and now that we have stopped conceding them so freely ... well not going to jinx anything... but certainly reasons to be cheerful.
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We've tightened up on 23:50 - Nov 24 with 2410 views
Have to say it makes a big difference when you're not having individuals making calamitous errors.
How many goals we gave away in that previous period, errors that you just don't see made against us in a whole season. Dickie at Bournemouth, De Wijs against Bristol, Seny at West Brom, just off the top of my head.
But you've got to give a massive thumbs up to the team for keeping us in and around the play off places through all that and with the injuries we've had. I just have a feeling that the Bournemouth game over Christmas is going to be season defining. Have thought that for a few weeks now.
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We've tightened up on 08:08 - Nov 25 with 2201 views
I've wondered if the reduction in goals conceded is Warburton dialing down his rather gung ho approach to football. Maybe he has in tweaks here and there but I can't really see it in the game.
Certainly cutting out errors has made a difference and Adomah, in particular, makes fewer mistakes than Odubajo.
Perhaps it's simply that Warburton has got the team pretty well settled and operating as he wants with all players contributing to defence as well as attack.
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We've tightened up on 08:35 - Nov 25 with 2129 views
I'd stick the blackpool goal in, as it was a mistake in open play that presented a goal scoring opportunity. The flip of it is that whilst 30 games is an incredible record, we've only scored 6 goals in our last 5 games to gain that very impressive 11 point return. I still think we've still offered up too many goal scoring opportunities in these 5 games, bar Notts F ironically, but luck has gone our way for once. Lots more to come from this team, and if Solanke gets injured there's all to play for. Lots of ifs & ands, but if we were to beat B'mouth in Dec, the gap is 6 points over the other 26 games. I'm still reeling from their cynical approach to that first game (21 fouls vs 7), they knew we had the beating of them all night long before Dickie allowed them into the game.
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We've tightened up on 10:04 - Nov 25 with 1962 views
The way we set out to play requires enormous concentration from every player over the whole 90 minutes and I suspect the downside of that is you’ll get the occasional stand out error.
The balancing act is keeping those to a minimum, making the opposition tire of chasing the ball, then taking the relatively few number of chances.
It’s fascinating to watch, long may it continue.
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We've tightened up on 12:57 - Nov 25 with 1857 views
I've wondered if the reduction in goals conceded is Warburton dialing down his rather gung ho approach to football. Maybe he has in tweaks here and there but I can't really see it in the game.
Certainly cutting out errors has made a difference and Adomah, in particular, makes fewer mistakes than Odubajo.
Perhaps it's simply that Warburton has got the team pretty well settled and operating as he wants with all players contributing to defence as well as attack.
This, since Pertebrough we now do not go all-out attack in the last 30 mins. Even if we are drawing, we still try and keep it tight as we did at Blackpool. Boring yes, but 1 point away is a good result.
In addition, we now have a LB in Wallace playing, which has made a massive difference not only in that position but on the whole left side and with Barbet as well.
Help for Dieng as well, for example, last night they had a chance but Wallace marked the man so tight he could only head straight at Dieng. These little things make all the difference.
zzzzzzzzzz
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We've tightened up on 16:34 - Nov 25 with 1725 views
Have to say it makes a big difference when you're not having individuals making calamitous errors.
How many goals we gave away in that previous period, errors that you just don't see made against us in a whole season. Dickie at Bournemouth, De Wijs against Bristol, Seny at West Brom, just off the top of my head.
But you've got to give a massive thumbs up to the team for keeping us in and around the play off places through all that and with the injuries we've had. I just have a feeling that the Bournemouth game over Christmas is going to be season defining. Have thought that for a few weeks now.
Not so sure about no errors in our favour.
Luton GK made our first goal RELATIVLY easy for Willock and there is always someone at fault for every goal really - even yesterday we concede like that and its a full on inquest here about who should have been marking Luke, stopping Willock's cross etc etc etc
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We've tightened up on 16:36 - Nov 25 with 1719 views
This, since Pertebrough we now do not go all-out attack in the last 30 mins. Even if we are drawing, we still try and keep it tight as we did at Blackpool. Boring yes, but 1 point away is a good result.
In addition, we now have a LB in Wallace playing, which has made a massive difference not only in that position but on the whole left side and with Barbet as well.
Help for Dieng as well, for example, last night they had a chance but Wallace marked the man so tight he could only head straight at Dieng. These little things make all the difference.
I agree about Wallace - huge difference - on the face of it, he does nothing you wouldn't expect most competent professionals to achieve, but you can't deny we look so much better when he's playing
The main reason for this I can see is a reversion back to 1 up front.
Trying to play wing backs with Chair and Willock plus two up front was leaving us desperately outnumbered in midfield making it easier for teams to press up on us in our half as well as leaving us even more open to counter attacks. It meant one or both of Willock had to play too deep limiting our options for outballs higher up the pitch.
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We've tightened up on 20:40 - Nov 25 with 1514 views
Have to say it makes a big difference when you're not having individuals making calamitous errors.
How many goals we gave away in that previous period, errors that you just don't see made against us in a whole season. Dickie at Bournemouth, De Wijs against Bristol, Seny at West Brom, just off the top of my head.
But you've got to give a massive thumbs up to the team for keeping us in and around the play off places through all that and with the injuries we've had. I just have a feeling that the Bournemouth game over Christmas is going to be season defining. Have thought that for a few weeks now.
Not really that we have cut out the individual mistakes, more that we haven't been punished like we were in that period, For example, Jimmy Dunne v Luton - awful miss. We have also given the ball away in midfield leaving us open to the counter attack, but teams are not punishing us like they were.
I love this team and the way they play, but we are so open, we would get crucified in the Money League playing like this...
There is no higher accolade for me. Macca would run headfirst through a brick wall for the team. What a hero.
Agree, Jimmy's assist against Luton was pure Macca, peddling back, knowing he's likely to take a clump, gets a great header in regardless and takes one in the back of the head and doesn't even flinch, pure Macca.