Match Thread vs. Woking 02.10.21 [NL]

[laddo]

Just discovered I stuck £9.50 on a Woking win at 7/2. That's not made me feel any better.

Relegation candidates

[nw6pie]

Burch: First 45 we were good, Their keeper only made 1 save. Early 2nd half more likely we were going to get the 2nd. Knew they were going to be good at set pieces. Can't give teams like this goals from set pieces. I have to look at the balance of play, we've had 78 minutes they've had 8. It's so disappointing. Didn't suit us when the game got stretched, we got tired. A lot we can take from our attacking play but not counting for anything if we don't defend key moments. Need to find it in ourselves to be more physical.

IB has assembled a side to play the beautiful game, but overlooked the fact you need to do the ugly things to win games too. It is also pointless asking players to be more physical if they’re lightweight to begin with. You need a physical presence to compete at this level against teams who will put it into your box at every opportunity.

We’re a soft touch - huge game at Halifax now.

[TSANHO]

A real shame today. I thought the first 60 minutes were the best I’ve seen this season, more intensity, moving the ball faster, getting into decent positions and not giving Woking a sniff really. Having said that our dangerous positions didn’t actually create many clear opportunities.

The old problem of a weak midfield came back to bite us once again though, far too easy to play through, not enough challenges being put in or won and too many defensive calamities….although I thought Chicksen was class today, which sounds odd considering we conceded four goals.

I did fear that these types of results were never far away when we were only just scraping wins. It’s hard to suggest how IB solves it now with the system and players he has 🤷

[TSANHO]

Just discovered I stuck £9.50 on a Woking win at 7/2. That's not made me feel any better.

Relegation candidates

Will help you sink that ‘one too many though’ 👍

[Big Bob]

IB has assembled a side to play the beautiful game, but overlooked the fact you need to do the ugly things to win games too. It is also pointless asking players to be more physical if they’re lightweight to begin with. You need a physical presence to compete at this level against teams who will put it into your box at every opportunity.

We’re a soft touch - huge game at Halifax now.

But they don't play a beautiful game. It's crap football & Birchnall won't change it so we're staying in the national league for the forseeable future. No bottle at all

[keldsyke]

But they don't play a beautiful game. It's crap football & Birchnall won't change it so we staying in the nation league for the forseeable future. No bottle at all

As been posted in other threads you can’t play your way out this league you need to understand the league and adjust accordingly. Again the squad is very very poor in depth, worrying times ahead ( and it should really have been 1 - 5 not 1 - 4)

[jackal2]

A real shame today. I thought the first 60 minutes were the best I’ve seen this season, more intensity, moving the ball faster, getting into decent positions and not giving Woking a sniff really. Having said that our dangerous positions didn’t actually create many clear opportunities.

I agree we played very nicely for a good part of the game, but that makes the outcome all the more worrying. They say good teams can play badly and steal a win, but today we played well and lost badly. We don't need to play attractive football to win this league, we need to play winning football, and with players in the lower leagues I would suggest pragmatism is wiser than idealism.

[upthemaggies]

I doubt Burchnall has much say on how we play in general, nor the type of players we can bring in. There will be a blueprint that he has to stick to. I feel a bit sorry for him to be honest, I don't think he is to blame.

He started really badly and things only went right for him when the players decided to react over the Mo Ross situation.

This season we started reasonably well - results wise - largely thanks to a kind set of opening fixtures. We're now likely seeing a return to pre-Mo Ross sacking mentality, brought on by the return visit to the scene of the crime. Altrincham is our 'bitter lake'.

[drillerpie]

Today was a clash between two different styles of football, and we were the more attractive team, but the style that suits the National League won in the end by a crushing margin. We do indeed know what Woking are all about, and it is self-evidently far more effective than what we're doing. Ian Burchnall needs to recognise that quickly, otherwise he risks disappearing down the same rabbit hole as Neal Ardley, and I genuinely don't want to see that.

Seconded, on all points.

[Killerkline]

Hugely disappointing and I have to take my medicine. For 70 minutes we were pretty much in control.

Observations;

- Brennan got bullied
- Nemane, decent game, needed replacing sooner
- O’Brien needed replacing sooner

Blind faith maybe, still believe in what we are doing and that we’ll turn it around.

I know, ridicule incoming.