Reply With QuoteUnited – I have to say I was quite disappointed with us tonight. I felt we were poor at Preston in the first half but improved hugely after this and deserved to edge it. I thought we would kick on tonight and the first 10 minutes tonight we kept it well without doing much but I felt we looked a good side and confident one. Slowly we started to give it away and then it became scrappy for a period and they had a few half chances. We then scored out of nowhere really but tossed it away with a poor goal. Some will blame Baldock, some will blame Basham, some will blame Henderson or Norwood for failing to deal with it and a number of players for not reacting to the ball after this. The reality is nobody imposed themselves with it be a call on the first ball to give Baldock some time (for what its worth I felt as a defender he did the right thing as he did not know what was behind him) and then the goal saw us lose the key battles and second and third ball really. We just did not react really.
After this this kind of knocked the stuffing out of us. They looked the more likely the second half and Adams and Jota had opportunities and they looked more dangerous. We never got going and we had so many players who normally play well who simply did not with Duffy, Sharp, Fleck and others all making poor decisions or not winning their individual battles. We just looked a bit tired. When we got into the last third, I felt we panicked with poor crosses from lots of players and we did not show any composure outside of McGoldrick. I felt the last 5 minutes we started to have a go and pushed men forward and suddenly had some half chances with a few efforts from corners or blocks made. To me we left it too late. Sure, a point is a point but we needed to go on and impose ourselves. They may have beat Leeds but they were no great shakes tonight and if we had raised the tempo or a few players up their game, I think we go on and win the game even after being pegged back but it never happened really. It was almost like we looked a bit scared to be beat and lose and really commit ourselves.
Overall, a touch of disappointment but we are still in it and things can turn again at the weekend. We need a favour from our rivals but we need to get back to the football and performances we have not seen for a few games now. We need to get our swagger back. Hopefully O’Connell will be back. I would start Madine and Sharp up top with McGoldrick just off them against a big physical Millwall team. Duffy has been really poor the last two games – yes he made the goal but he gave it away constantly outside of this. Sharp also has been off his game the last two games and needs to up his levels after of course a fantastic season. The defence was ok tonight save for Adams getting away a few times and the set play but I just want to see a more fluent footballing performance. I felt we gave it away under little pressure a lot and was not as if they pressed us all over the field. We seemed to go route one too often and not play through the lines. Yes, they sat back and were deep but then you have to trust the football. We seem to have lost the confidence to get through teams playing this way.
It will only be seen at the end of the season if it is a good point but now Leeds with two home games to come (same as us of course) will really go for it. On paper they do have slightly harder fixtures. Ironically, I feel if we can win the next two (even if Leeds do) we can still do it but I am worried about Saturday – Millwall always come and scrap and we need a few players to wake from the slumber they showed tonight. Either they were tired and lacked energy or just off their game but one or two did not seize the moment. They have five games to go but if we need to go up, we need better performances than tonight.
Still for all the kind of down beat thoughts, we are third place, a point behind with 5 to go (3 are at home) and we need to keep the faith. I hope we will get back to form the next two games and really go for it. Now is not the time for caution really; especially at home. We need to attack teams pen them back again.
Birmingham – They played quite defensively for a home team and sat back a lot but then still had more efforts on goal than us and maybe shaded the 2nd half until we had a go at the end. I felt they ceded possession a lot early on and we looked far better but then slowly they started to turn things around. They pushed us back and we gave it away quite a bit. Then we scored and as Wilder said, I thought if we got to half time they would have to come out and change things. Second half they got behind us a bit but were reliant heavily on Adams who caused all the problems.
He was a real threat and played well and looked a much more mature player than the one we saw at the Lane. He played unselfishly and worked hard. Outside of him, Jota did ok but they were more workmanlike than anything else and not sure any other players stood out. They defended in numbers when they had to and got men very far back whenever we had it. They made sure when Norwood had it, they had all 11 behind the ball which meant it was hard for us too penetrate. They would have probably expected us to come out and push them back 2nd half but it did not happen until maybe the 80th minute when we had more of the ball and some half chances. They deserved the point for the efforts on goal and showing as much quality in the final third as us. Monk has done a good job there and if you take away the points deduction, they would not have been far off the play offs (Redknapp’s fault and the board for ridiculous overspending). They don’t have lots of talent but are a hardworking, honest group. They will lose Adams in the summer and he will be tough to replace but they have enough to be around the middle of the league again next season.
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Opponent man of the match – Adams. They gave it Morrison who scored but Adams was the main threat, running across the front line, holding it up and looking a threat. I felt Jota also played well when he came on and it was odd, he did not start. The two centre backs were solid and kept Sharp quiet.
Weak link – Not sure anyone was awful. The lad in midfield Davis looked a bit of a clogger and I felt Colin and Pederson we did not get at, two fairly immobile and slow defenders. I also thought Maghoma was poor – he normally has good games against us.
