Just Back

Think the issue with Holohan last night is that he had Thompson showing him how its done, so anything Gav did (which was urine poor all night really) looked even worse.
Gotta say, the back 3 have really made a massive change, Rogers & Tharme really understand each other and Mullarkey is in his favoured position and it shows.

MK looked pleasing on the eye, moved the ball really slickly but were relatively toothless in the final third tbh.

Also thought Gnahoua looked lost most of the game, kept forever leaving Clifton exposed as he kept floating into midfield chasing the ball too much.

Onto Saturday with a much renewed confidence we'll be ok this season.

They had the ball, we created the chances.  Their fan must've been screaming for them to take a few shots from around the edge of our box. Holohan's booking for turning their player and keeping possession was one of the strangest things I've seen on the pitch.

Thought Thompson had another good game and Mullarkey owes Clifton a few drinks for all the cover he gives. Everyone did well and though backs to the wall at times, no panicking.

Wouldn't mind seeing their number 50 (Bate on loan from Leeds) here next season; always looking to take the ball off the defence, move it up the pitch and rarely gave it away.

Quoted from bedders78

They had the ball, we created the chances.  Their fan must've been screaming for them to take a few shots from around the edge of our box. Holohan's booking for turning their player and keeping possession was one of the strangest things I've seen on the pitch.

Thought Thompson had another good game and Mullarkey owes Clifton a few drinks for all the cover he gives. Everyone did well and though backs to the wall at times, no panicking.

Wouldn't mind seeing their number 50 (Bate on loan from Leeds) here next season; always looking to take the ball off the defence, move it up the pitch and rarely gave it away.

Thompson looks a pest ,almost a hybrid Terry Fleming & Stacy Caldicott .A good player to build a team around .

Quoted from Marinerdeano

Their suspended player is their main centre half and top scorer!

With 6 goals. I hadn’t realised that Gillingham were the division’s lowest scorers with 35 goals from 38 games (we’ve got 47 from 36 for comparison).

Certainly seems another resolute performance will give us a good chance of at least a point.

Quoted from Northbank Mariner

Think the issue with Holohan last night is that he had Thompson showing him how its done, so anything Gav did (which was urine poor all night really) looked even worse.
Gotta say, the back 3 have really made a massive change, Rogers & Tharme really understand each other and Mullarkey is in his favoured position and it shows.

MK looked pleasing on the eye, moved the ball really slickly but were relatively toothless in the final third tbh.

Also thought Gnahoua looked lost most of the game, kept forever leaving Clifton exposed as he kept floating into midfield chasing the ball too much.

Onto Saturday with a much renewed confidence we'll be ok this season.

Re: the bit in bold

I actually think that was quite deliberate. I think we were playing 5221 last night rather than 523 like it looked on paper (and at times when we had the ball). The 5221 - wing backs and then a box midfield - was a system Hurst used a few times last season, particularly in some cup games.

Gnahoua and Eisa (and then their replacements when they came off) looked more central to me. Which actually made sense as a tactic out of possession because how many times did MK cross the ball into our box? Not many. They don't put crosses in and risk losing it, they try to patiently build and try to find a way to play through you, so the 2 lines of 2 midfielders prevented them from being able to play through us centrally. Obviously we had to have players shuffle across out wide to help the wingbacks, but there wasn't too much danger there as they'd come back inside rather than just look to cross it.
Another subtle but clever move from Artell last night I thought.

Quoted from Tommy

Re: the bit in bold

I actually think that was quite deliberate. I think we were playing 5221 last night rather than 523 like it looked on paper (and at times when we had the ball). The 5221 - wing backs and then a box midfield - was a system Hurst used a few times last season, particularly in some cup games.

Gnahoua and Eisa (and then their replacements when they came off) looked more central to me. Which actually made sense as a tactic out of possession because how many times did MK cross the ball into our box? Not many. They don't put crosses in and risk losing it, they try to patiently build and try to find a way to play through you, so the 2 lines of 2 midfielders prevented them from being able to play through us centrally. Obviously we had to have players shuffle across out wide to help the wingbacks, but there wasn't too much danger there as they'd come back inside rather than just look to cross it.
Another subtle but clever move from Artell last night I thought.

We were playing a 5 1 3 1 with Thompson sitting in front of a very much back 5. I do think eisa and gnouha were tucked in a bit rather than sitting out wide though,.we were very narrow and reliant on Clifton/Hume pushing forward when the opportunity allowed from full backs to get any width.

Last Saturday at Sutton just got better.......

.....full refund of train tickets as delayed two hours getting home.

Will take the same against Gillingham. One point and a refund again.