Just Back

Quoted from jonnyboy82

Disagree..

We looked toothless and predictable, not saying we were awful but it was pretty drab imo.

Come on fella...no need for the "pound shop *removed* (!)" impression. Tons better than Newport away and better by degrees than Northampton. Work in progress

Quoted from MuddyWaters

Good first half, pretty mediocre second. A few questions that arise..why didn’t Jolley play Clifton...is that enough to buy Anthony a few more games...what has happened to Matt Green...

Clifton was the cause of argument around where I sit. Some including me thought he added some bite and energy to midfield whilst others bemoaned his lack of ability in picking out a pass.
For what it's worth I don't think we are playing anywhere near Green's strengths and he appears to have let it weigh on him. A couple of times last night he was screaming for the ball only to be ignored firstly by Rose and then Ogbu.

Quoted from HistonMariner

Compare the last two 0 v 0 draws.
Cambridge a side similar to us (SO FAR) .   We had our backs to the wall throughout - we only had  
one in intention, didn't look to play too much, did a job and rode our luck.  Probably reflected the
Managers state of mind.

Cheltenham a side significantly above us (SO FAR).  We were probably a bit unfortunate not to go in
with a lead at half time. Players look to be behind the Manager and were trying to play.  Overall more
positive, reflecting the Managers state of mind.

Limbrick has had fewer options given injuries and illness.  Limbricks stated desire for a consistent approach reflects a more balanced state of mind.

Desire, confidence and luck will be significant factors that will largely determine our season.
Desire - it appears to have improved in the last week or so.
Confidence - will increase after a performance like Cheltenham > Cambridge.
Luck - tends to follow those teams who are getting results.


Cautious optimism - very cautious.  Half full > half empty.  UTMM.

Good summation IMO. Agree with the comments about Cambridge and Cheltenham.

Re: luck - maybe the results follow the luck rather than the other way 🙂

As far as 0-0's go, it was a decent game. Obviously more so the first half, were I actually thought we looked like an actual football team.

Even though we lost at Northampton and didn't score last night either, I though we've looked far better set up in these last 2 games than we have been under Jolley all season, where we usually looked like we didn't have a plan for what to do when we had the ball. I'm encouraged by what Limbrick's done in that regard already. I know any Manager is ultimately judged on results, but the transformation in how we've looked as a team in the last two games (not full games so still room for improvement, I know) enthuses me far more than if we'd scrambled a 1-0 win last night by playing no football, looking clueless and fluking a disputable penalty decision.

First half we should have had goals to merit our play. Several chances and half chances. Played some good football at times and I sat watching thinking it was good to watch us looking to pass the ball as it's been so long. Second half we didn't sustain this but still competed and defended well. The little nippy lad who came on for them looked dangerous but aside from that we defended well and people threw their bodies in front of shots to get blocks in.

Gibson and Rose linked up well at times to get both of them at varying times in behind their wing-back.
Thought Rose's first half was as effective as I've seen him actually. Quite involved, high up the pitch, and a lovely bit of play when he retrieved a ball from his own heavy touch, then twisted and turned around the defender and drove into the box.

Harry Clifton much improved from Saturday in my opinion. I thought on Saturday he was OK but left the area he was supposed to be protecting too often which left us very vulnerable and the centre-backs exposed. Last night however he patrolled and protected in front of the back 4 very well. Could hear AL reminding him a couple of times. It's a new role for Harry though after previously being more of a box-to-box type midfielder. If he keeps that positional discipline and awareness he showed last night, it's a role he could go on to play very well. I thought in possession he used it fairly well. Don't remember him giving the ball away much and he received it well letting it run across his body to open up the pitch for himself a lot. A couple of times he also sprinted back when we were being countered and won the ball superbly well. I actually think after seeing him there for 2 games now that he could make this deeper midfield position his own and be better there than he has been previously further forward. He played some good forward passes or switches last night but I don't think he has the creativity with intricate little passes through a more crowded final third that others do, so will be interested to see if he keeps up his development in this position.

The fight and effort from the players was clear for all to see. At various points in the game, Green, Clifton, Gibson, Hewitt and Hanson all sprinted and busted a gut to get back and defend when Cheltenham broke forward.

The formation is an interesting aspect and one that gives me hope of how Limbrick can set a team up too. Yes it was 433....but it was actually 433. Usually when Hurst, Bignot, Slade or Jolley tried 433, it just always looked like 451. Even when 3 strikers were picked, they ended up playing like wingers in a 451 for 90 minutes. Last night, whilst Rose and Green were asked to track back and do that job at times, it was noticeable how they were left upfield alongside Hanson in situations that forced Cheltenham to keep their wingbacks back alongside their 3 centre backs. This then helped our full backs get further forward and join in attacks too.

We don't look that far off but are being hampered by the players we're missing through injury. Hopefully Hanson won't be a serious injury because he's a class act and is much more involved when we play the ball on the deck a bit more. Without pinning too much pressure on Max Wright, put him as the wide right forward in the 3 up top and it'll give a whole new dimension and threat to us going forward. Hendrie can't get back quick enough for me either. He might not have been in his best form before he got injured, but he's a better right back then Hewitt IMO, who defended 1v1's ok last night to stop crosses coming in, but was very wasteful with the ball. Robson came on and showed with the amount of times he hit a quick first-time pass to someone at pace, that he has good awareness and an ongoing picture of what's around him. I think the more football we play, the more it'll suit him.

All in all, not delighted with the point or a goalless draw as one posted earlier in the thread suggested some people are, but there's a clear progression in the way we're playing at the moment. And if there's no immediate outstanding candidate available for the Manager's position, I have no problem with Limbrick carrying on a bit longer to see if he can continue the improvements and start to turn them into points gained.

UTM

On reflection, last night showed that we probably have the ingredients but aren't quite sure of the recipe yet.

What appears to be happening is that AL/BD/DM are trying to implement a pattern for all games whereas Jolley wanted to change shape every five minutes. This is League 2 with League 2 players who probably aren't capable of adapting their game - it was very noticeable last night that Clifton and particularly Rose were getting loads of instructions from the bench, whereas the more experienced were left to their own devices.

Personally, I think our goalie and back 4 are OK - even to the point that Hewitt is a better right back than Hendrie. I certainly prefer Waterfall, Davis and Pollock to Ohman.  Our midfield also looked decent last night and having Clifton in the sitting role as opposed to Hess suits us. Whitehouse played better last night but I don't think we'll ever see the best of him and he probably only played because Robson had been ill and I don't think it suits Green playing wide at all and that Wright, Rose, Cook and probably Vernam could play that role better than him.

There was enough there last night not to go gung-ho with a new manager, particularly some of the names mentioned, it was certainly better than the last three home games.

Enjoyed the game for the first time in ages.
The first half was reminiscent of the Exeter game.
Some great pass and move, fullbacks bombing on, closing down and front men showing for a change.
It was some great defending and goalkeeping that we didnt win last night.
Great to see our Harry back to his best again my MOM
Onward and upward
UTM

Quoted from MuddyWaters

On reflection, last night showed that we probably have the ingredients but aren't quite sure of the recipe yet.

What appears to be happening is that AL/BD/DM are trying to implement a pattern for all games whereas Jolley wanted to change shape every five minutes. This is League 2 with League 2 players who probably aren't capable of adapting their game - it was very noticeable last night that Clifton and particularly Rose were getting loads of instructions from the bench, whereas the more experienced were left to their own devices.

This looks clear to me too.

I get the impression that under Jolley, this season particularly, we tried to change our game plan every week to suit whoever we were playing against. Now don't get me wrong, it's good management to be aware of your next opponents strengths and weaknesses to be able to prepare your players. But in my opinion this should be through little tweaks or advice/information here and there, not changing our line-up, formation or the way we want to play each week to suit the opposition (whether it be to deal with their strengths or to take advantage of their weakness).

That's only the impression I've got from watching games this season. And maybe it's why we've looked so disjointed and even in games where we've looked fairly solid out of possession, haven't looked like we've had a clue what we're doing in possession (other than going long to Hanson). And why we never really built up an identity or any patterns of play.

If we trained all week to face an opponent on the Saturday but the game is then called off, what a waste of a week that was working on a specific game plan that will change the following week when we're playing someone different. If we spent time working on how WE want to play and what we want to do, stemming from the Manager's philosophy, then it would've still been a productive week of an extra 5 days developing what we want to do, so even if the game gets called off, it's still valuable as it still goes towards the next game and building how we want to play our game.

I'm not saying ignore the opposition and I don't agree that when some people say we shouldn't worry about what the opposition are doing and just focus on ourselves. But there's a balance and if you go too far towards being opponent-focused, you end up with no identity yourselves. And that's sometimes what players can buy into and work hard for because they believe in it. You do have to consider the opposition and adapt little things here and there, maybe occasionally changing your own shape in more extreme circumstances.

Quoted from barralad

Come on fella...no need for the "pound shop Ipswin" impression. Tons better than Newport away and better by degrees than Northampton. Work in progress

Oi! intercourse off! I don't use your name, kindly don't use mine

Moderator, you are pretty quick to delete posts where someone complains, please action this

Thank you

Quoted from Ipswin

Oi! intercourse off! I don't use your name, kindly don't use mine

Moderator, you are pretty quick to delete posts where someone complains, please action this

Thank you

It was a compliment. I can remove it if you like?! Bit strange though.

Quoted from Biccys

It was a compliment. I can remove it if you like?! Bit strange though.

Yes please do, as with complaints made about and deletions of other posts it is a matter of interpretation and how the complainant sees it, I do not see this as a compliment