| Mid season assessment 09:46 - Dec 14 with 7340 views | MattFinish |
Almost halfway through the season and what do we think?
Okay we’re unlucky that Leicester and Ipswich have made record breaking starts. Everyone is saying Ipswich will drop away because of their squad but we’re halfway through and there’s no sign of them falling away. If anything they’re getting stronger. It has to be said that they are way out in front because there are a lot of really poor sides in the Championship.
Having said that I think we have the players and the squad to be doing what Leicester and Ipswich are doing.
Are we going to get an automatic spot? I think Leicester and Ipswich are uncatchable. Are we going to pip Leeds for the third spot? I don’t think so.
We’re 13 points behind Leicester and 12 behind Ipswich. We’ve thrown 8 pts away against Coventry, Watford, Huddersfield and Rotherham. We dropped 8 pts at home against Norwich, Leicester and Ipswich and we dropped 6 points away to Sunderland and Middlesborough.
A lot of the goals we conceded were due to the style of football and we were told the players have to get used to a new style of play. Well they’re used to it now and we’re still dropping points we shouldn’t be. I think with the players and squad we have if we should have had 14 more points and that’s allowing for a draw at home to Leicester and Ipswich and Sunderland away. That would put us top on 53 pts with Leicester on 50 and Ipswich on 49.
So is Rustyball working? I’d say no. We are not killing games off and we’re dropping too many easy points. Okay we’re dominating teams on possession but what has that got us. We had more possession at home to Leicester and Ipswich and away at Sunderland but we came away without a point. At Sunderland we had nearly 70% possession and lost 5-0. Teams have worked us out. Sit back with 11 men behind the ball, we won’t find any telling passes and then catch us on the break late on.
Martin has had the squad now for nearly 6 months. They train probably 5-6 hours per day 4 or 5 days a week so really Rustyball should be like a well oiled machine. After all he’s been developing this system of play for over 4 years now. So how come he’s increasingly saying that the players are not doing what he asked them to do?
We’re struggling to beat teams using this style of play. We’re winning by single goal margins. Our promotion rivals are putting teams to the sword. The problem is when we go into added time with a narrow lead there is always a chance we’ll drop points late on. Apart from Leeds at home I don’t think we’ve beaten anyone comfortably.
My worry is that if we go up how will Rustyball fare in the Premier League? We’re dominating possession in a very poor league and just about beating sides. In the PL there is not a cat in hell’s chance we’re going to have anywhere near the same amount of possession so how will we beat teams then? I think if we go up we need to get all Cortese on Russell’s ass and bin him off for a better manager.
[Post edited 14 Dec 2023 9:47]
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| Mid season assessment on 09:31 - Dec 15 with 1113 views | kernow |
| Mid season assessment on 09:28 - Dec 15 by Portchy_Blue |
You're still shite. |
True,but there’s degrees of shiteness, so I give up, you win. |  | | |
| Mid season assessment on 09:31 - Dec 15 with 1113 views | MattFinish |
| Mid season assessment on 09:28 - Dec 15 by Portchy_Blue |
You're still shite. |
Can someone smell fish??
Must be Lemon sole cause it’s very bitter | | | |
| Mid season assessment on 09:33 - Dec 15 with 1101 views | Bridders2 |
| Mid season assessment on 20:24 - Dec 14 by grumpy |
I think the problem lies with the tactics. Pass the ball forward not sideways,don’t be afraid to take the man on,if you lose the ball you’ve tried.Its easy to pass backwards and sideways but it doesn’t score goals.We are in a good position give Martin credit for that but we probably have one of the best squads in this division and should and would be in top two positions if we had a good partner for A. Armstrong. |
Exactly, I was watching Aribo and several times he got the ball on the wing with loads of space in front of him, he could've taken on his man and driven forward but no, it was always the stop and pass back or sidways. Totally unambitious, no risks taken. You don't win a football game doing that. | | | |
| Mid season assessment on 10:01 - Dec 15 with 1061 views | saint901 |
| Mid season assessment on 09:33 - Dec 15 by Bridders2 |
Exactly, I was watching Aribo and several times he got the ball on the wing with loads of space in front of him, he could've taken on his man and driven forward but no, it was always the stop and pass back or sidways. Totally unambitious, no risks taken. You don't win a football game doing that. |
It's not "unambitious" - it's doing what the manager has asked.
Nobody in our team is prepared to get the players together and say
"Look boys, I know Ricky M wants us to keep ball, but unless we do something here, we're going to lose - let's play our way!" | | | |
| Mid season assessment on 10:06 - Dec 15 with 1060 views | kingslandstand1 |
| Mid season assessment on 09:31 - Dec 15 by MattFinish |
Can someone smell fish??
Must be Lemon sole cause it’s very bitter |
They have to milk the current situation as they are doing quite well in the 3rd division, though still plenty of time to do their usual fu'k up and lose in the play offs ....... (as we may well do btw) |  | | |
| Mid season assessment on 10:40 - Dec 15 with 1034 views | MattFinish |
| Mid season assessment on 10:06 - Dec 15 by kingslandstand1 |
They have to milk the current situation as they are doing quite well in the 3rd division, though still plenty of time to do their usual fu'k up and lose in the play offs ....... (as we may well do btw) |
Secretly they’re praying we go up so they don’t get two humiliating defeats next season like their women just have
Saw one of the Pompey players brought her brother and father to the game. His name was Geoff 😉 | | | |
| Mid season assessment on 10:46 - Dec 15 with 1029 views | MattFinish |
| Mid season assessment on 18:40 - Dec 14 by grumpy |
We lack a big forward who is going to win the ball in the air to score or assist.
I think we made a big mistake in not letting Tall Paul have a crack at this division.
Hes scored 7 in 11 for Trabzonspor ,who knows how many assists,before he joined us he scored 85 in 134 for Genk and before that 74 in 181for Midtjylland in the Danish Superliga.
A Nigerian international.
I don't know if he would have been the answer I just wish we hadn't been in such a rush to loan him out.
Instead we bought a Injured Forward for millions. |
Hey Grumps how are you doing
Totally agree about Tall Paul. Just think Stewart seems to be a very similar style only more injury prone. If Tall Paul didn’t work how will Stewart | | | |
| Mid season assessment on 10:53 - Dec 15 with 1025 views | PatfromPoole |
| Mid season assessment on 10:46 - Dec 15 by MattFinish |
Hey Grumps how are you doing
Totally agree about Tall Paul. Just think Stewart seems to be a very similar style only more injury prone. If Tall Paul didn’t work how will Stewart |
Stewart is a lot more mobile.
When he isn't, er, injured...... |  |
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| Mid season assessment on 13:55 - Dec 15 with 949 views | Ifonly |
| Mid season assessment on 10:53 - Dec 15 by PatfromPoole |
Stewart is a lot more mobile.
When he isn't, er, injured...... |
Mobility, yes in fact you could call it constant movement between the first team squad and the injured list.
I suspect it was also the close control that did for Tall Paul. RM isn't going to pick you if the ball keeps bouncing away. But I reckon there a lot of Championship managers who could do a lot with him. He'd get a lot of goals and assists in this league if he was given the right service. | | | |
| Mid season assessment on 17:02 - Dec 15 with 914 views | grumpy |
| Mid season assessment on 10:46 - Dec 15 by MattFinish |
Hey Grumps how are you doing
Totally agree about Tall Paul. Just think Stewart seems to be a very similar style only more injury prone. If Tall Paul didn’t work how will Stewart |
Merry Christmas, Matt. |  | | |
| Mid season assessment on 17:44 - Dec 15 with 900 views | Berber |
No half season ticket for me, no matter what the offer is. |  |
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| Mid season assessment on 20:26 - Dec 17 with 792 views | MattFinish |
| Mid season assessment on 17:02 - Dec 15 by grumpy |
Merry Christmas, Matt. |
And to you Grumps, have a good one | | | |
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