Leeds(away)predictions

[AucklandRover]

Can't agree with that at all, Champs. I thought the midfield and defence generally looked ok.
At the moment, though, we are seeing very little in terms of play-as-a-unit cohesion from our attack.
To be fair, the Leeds defence is excellent, but we made life too comfortable for them.
As for the new manager thing, I think you have to be aware of the difference between a long-term effect and a short-term "bounce".
Lambert springs horribly to mind!
Also, how can you say we got lucky against Wednesday? We matched them for large parts of the match. And it's been the same in a number of games. It's that 90-minute consistency which is lacking.
Finally, on the pattern of soft penalties, are you saying it's the players' or the manager's fault if a referee makes a poor decision?

[champs95]

Can't agree with that at all, Champs. I thought the midfield and defence generally looked ok.
At the moment, though, we are seeing very little in terms of play-as-a-unit cohesion from our attack.
To be fair, the Leeds defence is excellent, but we made life too comfortable for them.
As for the new manager thing, I think you have to be aware of the difference between a long-term effect and a short-term "bounce".
Lambert springs horribly to mind!
Also, how can you say we got lucky against Wednesday? We matched them for large parts of the match. And it's been the same in a number of games. It's that 90-minute consistency which is lacking.
Finally, on the pattern of soft penalties, are you saying it's the players' or the manager's fault if a referee makes a poor decision?

The deflected goal we scored in the last minute. That was lucky. Quickly followed by them hitting the post, the ball coming back out and the striker hitting the ball back across goal. Their shot hit the post, and came out. Buckley's shot wasn't even going in. Then it took a big deflection. Surley you aren't suggesting young Buckley meant to mis hit it, and played it off the defender? And we let that shot got the post because we knew it wasn't going in? Of course it was down to luck. The performance was ok. Nothing more nothing less. We didn't deserve to win the game. A draw wouldve been fair. But we deserved the luck because the week before at PNE we got none. We played far better away at Preston and got nothing. But the win was down to luck. A deflected lucky goal. In the last minute. And they still had time to hit the post and we got lucky it didn't go in.

[AucklandRover]

Exactly - most of what happens once the whistle has blown is determined by the dynamics of that particular game.
The margins are often tiny. Of course, managerial decisions form one significant factor, but there are numerous others that are completely beyond the influence of a man standing at the side of the field.

[champs95]

Exactly - most of what happens once the whistle has blown is determined by the dynamics of that particular game.
The margins are often tiny. Of course, managerial decisions form one significant factor, but there are numerous others that are completely beyond the influence of a man standing at the side of the field.

I agree Auks, like with the vast majority you say. TM is very unlucky at the moment in alot of aspects. He cant control bad luck with penalties. He is not at fault for Lenihan being injured again. Or losing Cunningham. While I wasn't completely sold on him, we where picking up results with him in the side.

It's also worth remembering that Alex Neill at Preston was in the bottom 4 this time last season. And their fans where calling for his head. And now look at where they are.

The margins are tiny, and the vast majority of clubs and managers fail every season. Us and 10 otrher clubs fancied our chances this season. For the majority, its not quite working out that way. That's the same in every league.
Personally, I thought we where a muich better side last season. We had the energy of Reed in midfield. That was the player we needed to sign in the summer, after wasting a load over the past 2 summers. He wasn't a gamble, as we knew his strengths. And 12 months ago we had a forward 2 who combined well. And was Grahams swansong season where he was playing way above his limits and we where playing Dack upfront. We had a good forward line. Now,no matter who he plays, Gallagher, a past it Graham, Brereton, Samuel, Armstrong ....its all irrelevant. The system is completely wrong. And no point bemoaning bad luck in those situations. All 5 could be fit, and it wouldn't make a difference. One up front is not working. It only worked for one player, Graham. Who made Dack look decent. Now both are toothless. One is simply past it. That's not bad luck, not seeing that. And the others being asked to do the exact same job as Graham, isn't working. Again, not bad luck, more not being flexible. Asking players to do things they arent capable of. Then naming and shaming the goalkeeper, and Johnson. That's not bad luck, that's poor management.
There is bad luck, and poor management. Both are having an impact. I feel you will always get bad luck, when you are a poor side. And we are currently, a poor side. With no identifiable way of playing.
And it has the look of a bit of a shambles. Some weeks we don't change the team. Some weeks players are taken out inexplicably? He always makes suns around the 60 min mark. But not at PNE. Not making them in that game when they had got on top and swung round a 2 goal lead, he made no subs? When every other week, he does make changes? Aagian, thats not luck.

[AucklandRover]

Some of that I agree with but it's selective.
For example, Graham hasn't even played that much.
And I agree that we miss Reed, but for the first month of the season, Johnson look to be a good alternative.

[champs95]

Some of that I agree with but it's selective.
For example, Graham hasn't even played that much.
And I agree that we miss Reed, but for the first month of the season, Johnson look to be a good alternative.

Despite what my reservations are about Downing, when signed him and Johnson in the summer nobody complained. Including me.
They appeared to be 2 good solid experienced lads. And it’s been disappointing they haven’t really worked out. Nobody is at fault for this, it happens. Every signing is a gamble, some work some don’t. It’s a pity this Davenport hasn’t managed to get fit in going on a season and a half. He looked ok. What I am intrigued about, is what exactly has a Johnson done wrong? To be dropped like a stone.

[champs95]

Some of that I agree with but it's selective.
For example, Graham hasn't even played that much.
And I agree that we miss Reed, but for the first month of the season, Johnson look to be a good alternative.

Compared to last season, do you think Graham has played well this season? Either coming off the bench or starting?

[AucklandRover]

Well, for a start, Champs, I don't agree that Downing "hasn't worked out". We have got from him what it says on the tin. He was never going to be an out-and-out winger any more, but he shows good energy, he passes accurately, he tackles back and, above all, he doesn't give the ball away as much as some of our players. I think he would have looked better if we had more people who regularly tried to make dangerous runs when Downing is on the ball.
His set-piece delivery has been the one major disappointment for me - an area where we have missed Mulgrew, whose departure many fans were clamouring for last season (a bit like Graham now!).
Johnson definitely lost his form after four or five weeks. No idea why.
Graham has had two decent games as a sub. The rest of the time he has been disappointing. The difference is, I am NOT concluding, "Well, that's it. He has gone over the top. He will never play well again."
That may indeed be the case (as with Whittingham), but it may also be temporary. I'm not going to write him off just yet.
I'm very wary of premature conclusions in football. I've seen egg on pundits' faces too often.

[champs95]

Well, for a start, Champs, I don't agree that Downing "hasn't worked out". We have got from him what it says on the tin. He was never going to be an out-and-out winger any more, but he shows good energy, he passes accurately, he tackles back and, above all, he doesn't give the ball away as much as some of our players. I think he would have looked better if we had more people who regularly tried to make dangerous runs when Downing is on the ball.
His set-piece delivery has been the one major disappointment for me - an area where we have missed Mulgrew, whose departure many fans were clamouring for last season (a bit like Graham now!).
Johnson definitely lost his form after four or five weeks. No idea why.
Graham has had two decent games as a sub. The rest of the time he has been disappointing. The difference is, I am NOT concluding, "Well, that's it. He has gone over the top. He will never play well again."
That may indeed be the case (as with Whittingham), but it may also be temporary. I'm not going to write him off just yet.
I'm very wary of premature conclusions in football. I've seen egg on pundits' faces too often.

Mulgrew is woeful. Past it, and needed to go. Very very simple. He played a few games for Wigan, now he has been dropped. Wigan....somehow, are worse than us.
Graham is past it. Like Mulgrew.

[champs95]

Well, for a start, Champs, I don't agree that Downing "hasn't worked out". We have got from him what it says on the tin. He was never going to be an out-and-out winger any more, but he shows good energy, he passes accurately, he tackles back and, above all, he doesn't give the ball away as much as some of our players. I think he would have looked better if we had more people who regularly tried to make dangerous runs when Downing is on the ball.
His set-piece delivery has been the one major disappointment for me - an area where we have missed Mulgrew, whose departure many fans were clamouring for last season (a bit like Graham now!).
Johnson definitely lost his form after four or five weeks. No idea why.
Graham has had two decent games as a sub. The rest of the time he has been disappointing. The difference is, I am NOT concluding, "Well, that's it. He has gone over the top. He will never play well again."
That may indeed be the case (as with Whittingham), but it may also be temporary. I'm not going to write him off just yet.
I'm very wary of premature conclusions in football. I've seen egg on pundits' faces too often.

Graham has had two decent games as a sub.

Which two out of interest? As I asked, compared to last last season, has his performances imo have dipped well beneath that. I said that vrs Charlton on the first game and got told that I was talking nonsense. It's Nov now. We are struggling, and as recent as last week, he came on around the hour mark. As he did the week before, etc etc.
The striker role is probably the toughest in football I feel. How he used his body last season was tremendous, and how he held the ball up was a big factor in why we did well in so many games, and why Dack was effective.
We are in Nov now, and it still hasnt been figured out why we arent nearly as good as last season? It was clear vrs Charlton on the first game where the problems would be.
Going back to him to either start, or come on after 60 mins is a waste of time. And its also killing Dack, probably our best and most effective player. As he can no longer get in a game. And asking Brereton, Samuel, Armstrong and Gallagher to be Danny Graham simply wont work. Its actually embarrasing.

But its ok, we have a guy in midfield who has the most completed sideways passes in the league. So we are all good.