 | Your
Report | Oldham Athletic v Salford City Your Report added at 15:29:20
Atrocious performance, where to begin.
Every time the ball came to anyone, whether we were defending or attacking, it was hacked, hoofed or headed away immediately, no one putting their foot on the ball or looking up to see where a teammate was, just panicking to get rid of it as quickly as possible, which was also true of the chances we did create (Wells hitting the post and Bright blazing over the bar). Pav, Bright, Luogno and Freeman were better but it’s really not saying much. You could sense the nerves spreading through the team, Furlong being the latest victim in recent weeks, him and Bidwell frequently (with no players around them) hacking the ball back into the sky again and again rather than trusting their ability to control it. It was also clear from minute 1 that Rotherham's tactic would be to try and win free kicks as soon as they got into our half, but we didn't learn, kept giving them away and finally got punished as we deserved to be (honestly part of me was delighted for the Rotherham fans who made the trip - we think we're bad away from home).
McClaren was right in his post-match comments saying there's a lack of confidence in the team, but a manager who can't inspire confidence in his players' own ability to play a 5-yard pass properly isn't doing his job is he? Up until the New Year we had a shape, a way of playing and a plan, but what was the game plan last night? More long balls up to Hemed, or to no one, often to the same effect? More pointless diagonal balls from Liestner that never come off? More 'long' throw-ins from Furlong that barely reach the 18 yard box? Lumley early on played two excellent quick passes for Bright to chase, but for some reason stopped trying it and we reverted back to lumping it around and playing 5 yard passes to teammates at knee height expecting them to control it. With the exception of the Leeds game it’s been like that for the last 2 months and the flaws of this team have been laid bare - we are largely a team of limited natural ability who unless every player is 100% firing on all cylinders, often against teams we aren't expected to beat, we will lose, and last night was the lowest point of the season (even before last night Rotherham were in better form that us, yet we played like we could saunter to a win).
Also it can't just be me thinking that we have got to stop with these useless corner routines where we cram everyone at the near post/goal mouth and look for a flick-on? It hasn't worked once all season, it's not going to work - opposition teams watching our games will know this is our only corner plan and prepare for it, because it's very easy to defend against for defenders and the keeper - and it's such a waste of Freeman's ability from a dead-ball, as well as Liestner's ability in the air. The less said about the disinterested Hemed the better - forget playing for the shirt and that, he's treating these games like training matches, where is the personal pride in a performance like that?
We've had our lucky breaks this season, and our fair share of unlucky ones too, but after 46 games the table won't lie and 5 points from a possible 36 in 2019 is relegation form. Manning's loan to Rotherham earlier in the season (his goals won them 7 points) is going to come back to bite us. |
| Your
Report | Oldham Athletic v Salford City Your Report added at 15:19:41
Atrocious performance, where to begin.
Every time the ball came to anyone, whether we were defending or attacking, it was hacked, hoofed or headed away immediately, no one putting their foot on the ball or looking up to see where a teammate was, just panicking to get rid of it as quickly as possible, which was also true of the chances we did create (Wells hitting the post and Bright blazing over the bar). Pav, Bright, Luogno and Freeman were better but it’s really not saying much. You could sense the nerves spreading through the team, Furlong being the latest victim in recent weeks, him and Bidwell frequently (with no players around them) hacking the ball back into the sky again and again rather than trusting their ability to control it. It was also clear from minute 1 that Rotherham's tactic would be to try and win free kicks as soon as they got into our half, but we didn't learn, kept giving them away and finally got punished as we deserved to be (honestly part of me was delighted for the Rotherham fans who made the trip - we think we're bad away from home).
McClaren was right in his post-match comments saying there's a lack of confidence in the team, but a manager who can't inspire confidence in his players' own ability to play a 5-yard pass properly isn't doing his job is he? Up until the New Year we had a shape, a way of playing and a plan, but what was the game plan last night? More long balls up to Hemed, or to no one, often to the same effect? More pointless diagonal balls from Liestner that never come off? More 'long' throw-ins from Furlong that barely reach the 18 yard box? Lumley early on played two excellent quick passes for Bright to chase, but for some reason stopped trying it and we reverted back to lumping it around and playing 5 yard passes to teammates at knee height expecting them to control it. With the exception of the Leeds game it’s been like that for the last 2 months and the flaws of this team have been laid bare - we are largely a team of limited natural ability who unless every player is 100% firing on all cylinders, often against teams we aren't expected to beat, we will lose, and last night was the lowest point of the season (even before last night Rotherham were in better form that us, yet we played like we could saunter to a win).
Also it can't just be me thinking that we have got to stop with these useless corner routines where we cram everyone at the near post/goal mouth and look for a flick-on? It hasn't worked once all season, it's not going to work - opposition teams watching our games will know this is our only corner plan and prepare for it, because it's very easy to defend against for defenders and the keeper - and it's such a waste of Freeman's ability from a dead-ball, as well as Liestner's ability in the air. The less said about the disinterested Hemed the better - forget playing for the shirt and that, he's treating these games like training matches, where is the personal pride in a performance like that?
We've had our lucky breaks this season, and our fair share of unlucky ones too, but after 46 games the table won't lie and 5 points from a possible 36 in 2019 is relegation form. Manning's loan to Rotherham earlier in the season (his goals won them 7 points) is going to come back to bite us. |
| Your
Report | Oldham Athletic v Salford City Your Report added at 15:09:43
Atrocious performance, where to begin.
Every time the ball came to anyone, whether we were defending or attacking, it was hacked, hoofed or headed away immediately, no one putting their foot on the ball or looking up to see where a teammate was, just panicking to get rid of it as quickly as possible, which was also true of the chances we did create (Wells hitting the post and Bright blazing over the bar). Pav, Bright, Luogno and Freeman were better but it’s really not saying much. You could sense the nerves spreading through the team, Furlong being the latest victim in recent weeks, him and Bidwell frequently (with no players around them) hacking the ball back into the sky again and again rather than trusting their ability to control it. It was also clear from minute 1 that Rotherham's tactic would be to try and win free kicks as soon as they got into our half, but we didn't learn, kept giving them away and finally got punished as we deserved to be (honestly part of me was delighted for the Rotherham fans who made the trip - we think we're bad away from home).
McClaren was right in his post-match comments saying there's a lack of confidence in the team, but a manager who can't inspire confidence in his players' own ability to play a 5-yard pass properly isn't doing his job is he? Up until the New Year we had a shape, a way of playing and a plan, but what was the game plan last night? More long balls up to Hemed, or to no one, often to the same effect? More pointless diagonal balls from Liestner that never come off? More 'long' throw-ins from Furlong that barely reach the 18 yard box? Lumley early on played two excellent quick passes for Bright to chase, but for some reason stopped trying it and we reverted back to lumping it around and playing 5 yard passes to teammates at knee height expecting them to control it. With the exception of the Leeds game it’s been like that for the last 2 months and the flaws of this team have been laid bare - we are largely a team of limited natural ability who unless every player is 100% firing on all cylinders, often against teams we aren't expected to beat, we will lose, and last night was the lowest point of the season (even before last night Rotherham were in better form that us, yet we played like we could saunter to a win).
Also it can't just be me thinking that we have got to stop with these useless corner routines where we cram everyone at the near post/goal mouth and look for a flick-on? It hasn't worked once all season, it's not going to work - opposition teams watching our games will know this is our only corner plan and prepare for it, because it's very easy to defend against for defenders and the keeper - and it's such a waste of Freeman's ability from a dead-ball, as well as Liestner's ability in the air. The less said about the disinterested Hemed the better - forget playing for the shirt and that, he's treating these games like training matches, where is the personal pride in a performance like that?
We've had our lucky breaks this season, and our fair share of unlucky ones too, but after 46 games the table won't lie and 5 points from a possible 36 in 2019 is relegation form. Manning's loan to Rotherham earlier in the season (his goals won them 7 points) is going to come back to bite us. |
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