Just Back (merged)

Quoted from arryarryarry

That's not quite right, all EFL clubs have access to every other clubs matches on video.

I know that but they are an unknown quantity as regards how they will deal with your formation.  Of course if  you have used exactly the same formation ( players and set-up ) against the oppositions identical line-up and game plan then it won't be an unknown situation.

Quoted from Chrisblor

There's normally someone up on the camera gantry doing analytics stuff. Would have thought they'd be in contact with the bench during the match.

I stand corrected if that is the case.  He/she must have heard the clamour for Embleton to be further forward but I daresay the Main stand had already made themselves heard!

Quoted from Chrisblor

There's normally someone up on the camera gantry doing analytics stuff. Would have thought they'd be in contact with the bench during the match.

The club have not replaced the analyst after he left at the end of last season.

Quoted from arryarryarry

The club have not replaced the analyst after he left at the end of last season.

Maybe he doesn't know how to get down.

Quoted from Bigdog

Because I was concerned about his selection on the left, I specifically watched him Diehard, and he passed accurately with his left foot without coming back inside. Surprised me because I thought he couldn't, but he could and did..

We're far too deep when we're defending and MJ needs a rethink and possibly go back to a higher pressing game from the back to help the midfield. I don't like how we are setting up to play at all.

As for Grayson. Looks like he's down the pecking order at CB. He's played wide before so wouldn't mind having a look at him at left wing back as he seems more athletic than Ring.

Time for MJ to experiment and learn more about the squad rather than tried and trusted, but not to the extent that Bignot went to..

Fair enough on Whitmore then, I thought he slowed it down a bit and looked unnatural (not his fault) but if you were specifically looking for something there's no argument to that.  Not convinced I would want Whitmore as a long term left-sided central defender though.  

I agree we were too deep on Saturday, but of late I think we've stepped up far higher and taken the game to sides more.   We didn't get off on the right foot for my liking.  I say this without trying to be disrespectful but if we're going to be as good as we think we should be, we need to see sides who come here in such poor form as cannon fodder.  That's not arrogance and I would never want our players to think they just have to turn up, but I want us to have the absolute belief that they're going to destroy sides.  On Saturday I didn't get the feeling that we really even believed we could score a goal, never mind batter a side.  Compare that with how we approached the Notts County game, high tempo from the off and in their faces from the get-go.  Early goal, game more or less decided and then it's a case of how many.  

The lack of tempo, in my view, was caused by a couple of things.  No Jordan Cook is the biggest one for me as he's one of the key players who sets the tempo.  This was made even worse by the fact that one of the other key players had a stinker (Harry Clifton).  The midfield as a whole had a poor game, even Hessenthaler who has been excellent of late.  Up top Dennis was blowing out of his bottom after five minutes.  

In terms of Jolley experimenting, I'm not sure.  I don't think we're out of anything just yet and I do worry that if we try to tinker too much we just lose momentum and flounder to the end of the season.  He won't admit it in public but Jolley probably needs to make a decision if the season is over or not. If it is then he does need to give fringe players a chance.  Max Wright is another who would benefit from a run of games to see what he can do.  If we are going to experiment I wouldn't mind seeing various combinations up front.  Cook/Vernam.  Vernam/Dennis.  Thomas/Vernam.  There's lots of options there that I think could work next season.  Probably a good idea to see how we get on without Embleton too, presuming he won't be here next season.  In fact I think he could do with a rest regardless.

The annoying thing is if we’d won, we’d only be 4 points from the playoffs. The season still isn’t over in that respect so I hope they come out all guns a blazing on Saturday. So disappointed with our efforts on Saturday.......

I thought that Dennis showed some very good touches on the occasions that we got the ball close enough to him to actually reach it. Some nice control and first time lay-offs and the same couldn't be said for Thomas who just didn't get involved. That said, such was the ineptitude of the midfield, I don't really blame either of the forwards for not achieving much. We were just so, so poor in possession and the forward passing wasn't nearly good enough on the day.

We certainly don't seem to have the legs for a high-tempo pressing game all the time (still a relative lack of pace in the squad), but we need to do much better than that and we have shown this is possible in previous games.

Service was very poor but the front pairing can't be without criticism in my eyes.  On a basic level, they didn't do enough closing down or getting underneath the skin of the Cambridge defence.   But it was the amount of space between them when we had the ball that really annoyed me, they were absolutely miles apart.  At no point did they look capable of linking up.    Sure it was the first time they've started together but they've both got enough games under their belt to know how to work as an effective pairing.  

That all said, it was helped by the fact that Embleton, as our link between midfield and attack was so deep and our wingbacks didn't really get forward much at all.

I'm not concerned that we don't have the legs to play high-tempo.  We just missed a few key players and nearly everyone had an off day.  We didn't retain the ball in the absence of Woolford, I know he's not popular with some but he's more important than he gets credit for.  Be it him or someone else, we need to make sure we've got at least one player with similar qualities in the squad for next season.

Quoted from Croxton

I stand corrected if that is the case.  He/she must have heard the clamour for Embleton to be further forward but I daresay the Main stand had already made themselves heard!

Really? I am a main stander and can assure you we all felt Embeton was playing far to deep. The fact was we got our tactics wrong against a shell shocked away side at home we should have played much higher up.

Of course you need to rely on your defenders to cover any threats and that includes pace.

Jolley is still very much on a learning curve hopefully this will give him food for thought whilst playoffs seem a bridge to far it would be nice to look at an offensive option at least at home.

The few times we did hit Dennis he had no option but to play it back Thomas was nowhere near him maybe we needed Cardwell on earlier to win some balls in the air and put pressure on their defenders who were having it far to easy?

Get Vernam on play him higher up and Woolford to use his better brain and cooler head.

I felt he left the changes far to long against Camb's at half time it was obvious we were not playing well they made substitutions before us and consolidated.

Jolley and co lost the battle of tactics that day.

Quoted from Mrs Doyle

Really? I am a main stander and can assure you we all felt Embeton was playing far to deep. The fact was we got our tactics wrong against a shell shocked away side at home we should have played much higher up.

Of course you need to rely on your defenders to cover any threats and that includes pace.

Jolley is still very much on a learning curve hopefully this will give him food for thought whilst playoffs seem a bridge to far it would be nice to look at an offensive option at least at home.

The few times we did hit Dennis he had no option but to play it back Thomas was nowhere near him maybe we needed Cardwell on earlier to win some balls in the air and put pressure on their defenders who were having it far to easy?

Get Vernam on play him higher up and Woolford to use his better brain and cooler head.

I felt he left the changes far to long against Camb's at half time it was obvious we were not playing well they made substitutions before us and consolidated.

Jolley and co lost the battle of tactics that day.

I thought that after the HT break, if things hadn't changed Jolley should have been looking to bring on either Cook or Vernam within the first 10/15 minutes of the second half to give them at least 30 minutes to run at their defence

Delaying the substitutions let Cambridge settle even more in to the game so I agree with you Mrs Doyle... MJ's tactics were a big contributor to the defeat