Well done guys.
I’ve been quick to criticise, but more than happy to issue plaudits today.
Bartley...definitely his best performance to date. I’m pleased for him. Let’s hope it continues.
Hegazi...strong and looking much more settled.
Dawson...tremendous. Gave his all and clearly carrying a nasty knock. Much more comfortable on the ball.
All in all, defensively our best of the season.
Agree it was our best defensive performance so far
But the first 20 minutes we were all over the shop at the back, but agree they did get better especially Daws and Hegazi
Better teams will take advantage
Livermore and Brunt don’t shield the back 3 enough and we really don’t want Phillips and Gibbs tracking back too much as they are the only wide players who can beat a man
Absolutely love Gayles enthusiasm
Can see a lot of flexibility too in the squad, with one up and 2 behind (Barnes and Phillips, or Hoolahan) in games where we need to defend
Just need to try and blood some of the youngsters when we can, I think BD is trying to make sure we get a good start and then hopefully bring the youth in slowly.
All in all, was a good game but as always with us I never felt comfortable
For me it is a possibly, maybe our best defensive performance but maybe not. Certainly our first clean sheet for sure.
In every game we could/should have conceded or concede more, including Saturday. The reality is that all teams in this division struggle to get clean sheets, unless they shove 9 players behind the ball for most of the game. This is why it is difficult to predict results and genuinely, a lot more than the PL, every team can beat each other and at times will do so. Look at Blues at Leeds as an example, but there are several every week.
If Millwall had taken their chances in the first 20 minutes or so, the team and the defence, would have been slated. The defenders were slated after a last minute calamitous cock up at Boro. If that hadn’t have happened a goalless draw away there would have been ok.
This season is going to be a roller coaster and we are never really going to be comfortable. Don’t know about others but even after 30 minutes against Bristol C and being 3-0 up I wasn’t totally comfortable! Definitely wasn’t when they pulled it back to 4-2!
For me it is the old football reality of not getting too excited when things work out and not getting too low when they don’t. The players are what they are and at best we can tinker a bit with the starting 11 but there are not many options. That said as I have said elsewhere for me there is not one club in this division we need to fear and it is great to see us at least playing entertaining football and trying to win every game.
The danger is caused by Bartley who cannot kick the ball with his left foot. So he always has to cut back inside and play the ball into danger.