⚽ Match Thread vs. Barrow 07.10.23 [EFL L2]

[jackal2]

Luke Williams clearly fuming in his post-match comments, saying the team started correctly how we should play and then just stopped doing the right things, too many mistakes "as if we were bored with doing the correct actions". Amongst the key comments:

"We dropped two points for sure"

"Very, very disappointing game for us"

"Almost childish"

"Too emotional - allowed their crowd to come into it"

"Just concentrate, focus, don't get too bored with making the same actions"

"Looked like we were determined, desperate to concede a goal. Crazy."

Make no mistake, this Head Coach is not one for respecting the point, and nothing but a fully focused 90-minute performance is good enough for him. Near enough isn't good enough for Luke Williams. This is the third time in recent weeks after Forest Green and Swindon that we just seem to have switched off after making good starts, and it's clearly starting to grate!

[SmiffyPie]

Luke Williams clearly fuming in his post-match comments, saying the team started correctly how we should play and then just stopped doing the right things, too many mistakes "as if we were bored with doing the correct actions". Amongst the key comments:

"We dropped two points for sure"

"Very, very disappointing game for us"

"Almost childish"

"Too emotional - allowed their crowd to come into it"

"Just concentrate, focus, don't get too bored with making the same actions"

"Looked like we were determined, desperate to concede a goal. Crazy."

Make no mistake, this Head Coach is not one for respecting the point, and nothing but a fully focused 90-minute performance is good enough for him. Near enough isn't good enough for Luke Williams. This is the third time in recent weeks after Forest Green and Swindon that we just seem to have switched off after making good starts, and it's clearly starting to grate!

As I said; two points dropped against a weaker team.

[Old_pie]

As I said; two points dropped against a weaker team.

Well it's becoming a bit of a theme and LW has had half times to get it sorted and he hasn't, so what is wrong? Focus and concentration? Being sussed out? Overconfidence? Running ourselves into the ground in the first 20 mins? Players playing beyond their natural ability? I hope LW can get to the bottom of it because drawing is one thing, poor performance is another.

[matt_magpie]

Well it's becoming a bit of a theme and LW has had half times to get it sorted and he hasn't, so what is wrong? Focus and concentration? Being sussed out? Overconfidence? Running ourselves into the ground in the first 20 mins? Players playing beyond their natural ability? I hope LW can get to the bottom of it because drawing is one thing, poor performance is another.

I think it’s known as football. We need to step back and remember it’s League 2 and we have league 2 players. What happened today happens at all levels but more as you going down the leagues, players are more inconsistent. It’s made to look worse when you see 1st halves like against Swindon as that quality wasn’t a level up it was a couple of levels up in that you won’t see many L1 teams play like that.
That said we do need another top quality CB, these guys need competition.

[LaxtonLad]

I think it’s known as football. We need to step back and remember it’s League 2 and we have league 2 players. What happened today happens at all levels but more as you going down the leagues, players are more inconsistent. It’s made to look worse when you see 1st halves like against Swindon as that quality wasn’t a level up it was a couple of levels up in that you won’t see many L1 teams play like that.
That said we do need another top quality CB, these guys need competition.

We are are a League 2 club but we still have a non-league defence. A defence that was rarely the same two weeks running either. This tells me that either LW is still unsure of these non-league players but is still sticking with them or trusts them to come as good as they have at times been.

What is obvious to me is that the players confidence is becoming more fragile as the season progresses and what we need to boost it is the signing of a couple of quality defenders. This will be reflected in the morale of the team as a whole and should lead to the otherwise unexplainable p1ss-poor second half performances becoming a thing of the past and becoming as classy a showing as the first halves have been. I do hope our manager isn't being out-thought but the second halves now...

[queenslandpie]

We are are a League 2 club but we still have a non-league defence. A defence that was rarely the same two weeks running either. This tells me that either LW is still unsure of these non-league players but is still sticking with them or trusts them to come as good as they have at times been.

What is obvious to me is that the players confidence is becoming more fragile as the season progresses and what we need to boost it is the signing of a couple of quality defenders. This will be reflected in the morale of the team as a whole and should lead to the otherwise unexplainable p1ss-poor second half performances becoming a thing of the past and becoming as classy a showing as the first halves have been. I do hope our manager isn't being out-thought but the second halves now...

We don't have a non league defence, but we have a defence that has different qualities to most defences in this division. Most defenders in this division don't play the ball out as well as ours do. But a lot do have better natural defensive qualities. We are top of the league. Exactly how much more do you want?

[LaxtonLad]

We don't have a non league defence, but we have a defence that has different qualities to most defences in this division. Most defenders in this division don't play the ball out as well as ours do. But a lot do have better natural defensive qualities. We are top of the league. Exactly how much more do you want?

I don't want complacency, I want us to show the other team that we won't collapse in the second half if we are pushed.

We DO have a non-league defence composed of last year's players, where have we improved? They coped very well last year against some really poor teams but that is history, today we are letting teams back into the game.

LW improved the attack and midfield with some quality players but he now really needs to sort out the defence, including the choice of goalkeeper.

[BigFatPie]

As I said; two points dropped against a weaker team.

Don’t agree with that, I thought Barrow looked one of the better teams we’ve played, coached by a bloke who I would hope we would be in for if Williams ever left.

It was probably too easy for 20 minutes today and we took our foot off the gas and never really put it back on.

[queenslandpie]

Don’t agree with that, I thought Barrow looked one of the better teams we’ve played, coached by a bloke who I would hope we would be in for if Williams ever left.

It was probably too easy for 20 minutes today and we took our foot off the gas and never really put it back on.

Agree some posters are plain odd. We are not just going to walk over every team we play. Barrow are unbeaten at home and it's a pretty horrid place to go to. Exposed, poor pitch, partisan home crowd, etc. We came away with a handy point. We did not play well and sometimes you don't but we are top of the league because for the most part we have beaten most of the teams we have played in deserved fashion and Meadow Lane has in recent years become a fortress again. The manager as usual was spot on his assessment of the game but take nothing away from Barrow they had a clear plan which was very well executed. They are not high on ability perhaps but they are very very high on organisation, determination and sticking to a plan. A lot of teams in this division could learn a thing or two from them us included. They will do alright this season. If we come through Octobers run of games with the points per game average we are currently on I will be very very happy indeed.