Reality Check

[mellowmiller]

When we got promoted to the Championship via the playoffs the team lost only 8 games all season.
The current team have lost 7 games already and will inevitably go on to lose a good few more because there are so many frailties in the squad.
What we saw yesterday and against Charlton was that, if an opposing manager sets his team up to stifle our usual way of playing, we are in trouble
What is particularly worrying is that our management team seem to lack the ability to change things and seem incapable of introducing a plan b or c.
All of this suggests we will be a mid table team at best and those who have been overstating our promotion credentials have been dealt a significant reality check.

[millmoormagic]

When we got promoted to the Championship via the playoffs the team lost only 8 games all season.
The current team have lost 7 games already and will inevitably go on to lose a good few more because there are so many frailties in the squad.
What we saw yesterday and against Charlton was that, if an opposing manager sets his team up to stifle our usual way of playing, we are in trouble
What is particularly worrying is that our management team seem to lack the ability to change things and seem incapable of introducing a plan b or c.
All of this suggests we will be a mid table team at best and those who have been overstating our promotion credentials have been dealt a significant reality check.

Good post, reality check indeed, doesn't stop the neanderthals getting personal though, i haven't looked back yet, but seem to remember a post asking for thoughts on where we'd finish, and the general consensus was i believe mid table ish....so why the hysterics when we lose a game?

I know we've been pretty good at home and scoring plenty, but you have to assume that other teams look at that and plan to stop us, that's what the Gills did yesterday, and i agree with you MM that at the moment we're unable to change effectively, both on the pitch and as a management team. I'm sure they're working as hard as they can on this, maybe the call for a defensive coach is a valid one, i don't know, but what i do know is that we need to stay behind the team.

[caytonmiller]

Again someone blaming the management unable to have a plan b/c ect..
What would you have done differently yesterday to change things.??

[flourbasher]

Gone 442 from the start and pushed D Ball higher up the pitch.
Played Taylor from the start.
Brought Newell on a sub at 70 mins.
Don't pick Forde.

[caytonmiller]

Gone 442 from the start and pushed D Ball higher up the pitch.
Played Taylor from the start.
Brought Newell on a sub at 70 mins.
Don't pick Forde.

We have been demolishing teams at home playing that format 4141 so can see why warne kept same
Warne already said Taylor was not ready from the start and dont think he was up to pace when he came on.
Were you happy with the back 5?

[flourbasher]

We have to vary it though.
Can't play the 4-1-4-1 every game. Some Manager's are sussing us out so we need to make it difficult for them.
Gills did their homework and it was an easy 3 points.
Back 5 is a difficult one. Ajayi was poor at Oxford so i wouldn't have picked him.
I would suspect most manager's are telling their players to win as many corners as possible and you'll pick up points and improve your goal tally
I take your point on Taylor Cayton - I wasn't aware he wasn't fully match fit

[mellowmiller]

Again someone blaming the management unable to have a plan b/c ect..
What would you have done differently yesterday to change things.??

Well surely it is the job of the management team to attempt to affect play and change things when they aren't working. If they can't do that they won't be in the job for very long, they're the ones with the coaching badges after all.
But yesterday they just stood there in the first half and did nothing when Gillingham had clearly been set up to stop us playing and were doing it very effectively.
I've said elsewhere that I would have initially swapped the wingers over to see if that improved things.
Then I would have replaced Towell and Forde with Ball and Taylor at half time because radical change was needed sooner rather than later.
I don't know if any of this would have made a difference but doing nothing in the first half and then waiting into the second half before making any changes clearly didn't work and Gillingham deservedly went on to win the game without too much trouble.

[caytonmiller]

A bit unfair mellow. Gillingham had 2 shots at goal the first half to our 6. Moore's header, Newell's shot plus Cummings shot could have had us going in at halftime at least level.

Tbh I too said towell and forde for ball and Taylor at halftime but can see why warne wanted to give it 15 minutes (on above stats) sadly they get a goal from a Newell error and were chasing the game.

[caytonmiller]

We have to vary it though.
Can't play the 4-1-4-1 every game. Some Manager's are sussing us out so we need to make it difficult for them.
Gills did their homework and it was an easy 3 points.
Back 5 is a difficult one. Ajayi was poor at Oxford so i wouldn't have picked him.
I would suspect most manager's are telling their players to win as many corners as possible and you'll pick up points and improve your goal tally
I take your point on Taylor Cayton - I wasn't aware he wasn't fully match fit

Totally agree mate we need to mix it up but I'm not convinced we have the squad to do that especially with 4 of the main midfield injured/banned over the past few week.

[loyalmiller]

Why doesn't he try playing 3 centrebacks? Wood, Ajayi and Ihiekwe in a 3-4-3 or 3-5-2 set up.

Then the full backs would have more scope to support the midfield and the midfield could support the forwards or forward as it is now.

It worked for Ronnie all those years ago so why not give it a try at Crewe?