| You wait months for a clean sheet... 20:51 - Nov 2 with 499 views | Myke |
then two come along together. Obviously a significant amount of time on the training pitch has been spent tightening up, which is now paying dividends. As I recall, this was the first step Marti took last season too, cutting down on our concession from corners and gradually from general play. I suppose he might not have expected to go back to basics again, but clearly he has.
More gratifying today, was that (a) it was achieved without JCS and (b) it was not a 'backs to the wall' defensive display like last week. Of course there is a frustration that we could not beat 10 men for the second tie this season. But for me there is a world of difference between not being able to put away an average Plymouth side and a Sunderland team flying high at the top of the table.
Unfortunately we are missing Frey big time (albeit a slightly improved showing from Celar) Yes Marti could have been braver today with his attacking options, but I am not overly concerned as, I feel it may be a return to his more pragmatic approach, which dug us out of trouble last season. It's a solid point today, two solid points against against two genuine promotion chasers. I'll be quite happy with two more in the next two. Baby steps in the right direction I feel. |  | | |  |
| You wait months for a clean sheet... on 23:33 - Nov 2 with 298 views | stainrods_elbow |
You make some sound points (though the draw we got at Burnley was achieved by us basicaly giving up attacking for the whole game - as I pointed out, Ainsworth's victory there, however spawny, deserved more plaudits), but careful what (little) you wish for, eh? Two points from our next two means we could quite conceivably be comfortably bottom and six points from safety before the end of the month. We did look much more like a team in 66% of the pitch today, but the crucial attacking third is a big, big worry, and I'm not sure we have the players to deliver much of an upswing.
Frey - industrious but not that much more, and obviously injury-prone.
Celar - just doesn't look cut out for this league.
Chair - erstwhile catalyst but still some way from match sharpness, and probably not good for more than 5 or 6 goals now at best.
Alfie - still finding out what it's all about.
Smyth - a trier, but rarely hits the target or a forward.
We're definitely looking a lot more defensively sound, and credit for that, but we've managed 3 goals in 7 games, and are, surprise surprise, the lowest scorers in the league. The question is: What, realistically, is Marti going to be able to do about it? [Post edited 2 Nov 23:39]
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