Matchday thread: Shrews v Rams

[MadAmster]

Seen the "I'm trying my best, we're trying our best" video. Also seen reports he also said "we're playing to orders". If correct, those orders need changing.

Having said that, we had half a dozen decent chances, as did they. We scored the only goal of the game and lost. If it was as bad as some are claiming we would not have had half a dozen good chances. PW said post game their keeper got their MOTM award. We did struggle with their tactics which were, mostly, lump it over midfield and hope. Our inability to clear plus our allowing players, on the few occasions they kept it on the floor, to run 40 yards with a white shirt even trying to close them down is how they got 50% shots off than us and 1 more on target than us.

It was disjointed, not good to watch and we have always struggled against that kind of team.

Up top we have players like Collo, Waggy and Wash who can all score. Sibs can put them away, as can NML and Barks... two away games on the trot where we had half a dozen or more good attempts on target and either the keeper saved well or a defender blocked it on the line. You can't lay that at PWs door. You can't slate the players for it. The opposition are simply doing their jobs well in those important moments. So many fans seem not to appreciate that.

[ramAnag]

Seen the "I'm trying my best, we're trying our best" video. Also seen reports he also said "we're playing to orders". If correct, those orders need changing.

Having said that, we had half a dozen decent chances, as did they. We scored the only goal of the game and lost. If it was as bad as some are claiming we would not have had half a dozen good chances. PW said post game their keeper got their MOTM award. We did struggle with their tactics which were, mostly, lump it over midfield and hope. Our inability to clear plus our allowing players, on the few occasions they kept it on the floor, to run 40 yards with a white shirt even trying to close them down is how they got 50% shots off than us and 1 more on target than us.

It was disjointed, not good to watch and we have always struggled against that kind of team.

Up top we have players like Collo, Waggy and Wash who can all score. Sibs can put them away, as can NML and Barks... two away games on the trot where we had half a dozen or more good attempts on target and either the keeper saved well or a defender blocked it on the line. You can't lay that at PWs door. You can't slate the players for it. The opposition are simply doing their jobs well in those important moments. So many fans seem not to appreciate that.

The stats (BBC) suggest they had both more shots and more shots on target, MA.

‘Struggle with their tactics’? Isn’t that what all the ‘bigger’ teams in any league are likely to face? Surely every team that faces the likes of City, Liverpool, Arsenal etc know that they’re going to be up against it and adopt a strategy accordingly. It’s then up to the ‘bigger clubs’ to deal with it.
In terms of size (and at the moment only size!) we are the Liverpool/Arsenal of League One and teams are going to raise their game accordingly...especially in front of two or three times their normal crowd at PP. That’s the nature of the beast...the plus side should be the intimidation factor from a supportive 25k home crowd.

IF our captain did justify the performance by saying ‘we’re playing to orders’ - and I have no idea if that is true - then that is cause for serious concern.

[MadAmster]

The stats (BBC) suggest they had both more shots and more shots on target, MA.

16 shots to 11. 7 on target to our 6. I would suggest all 6 of ours were as good as, if not better, than all but 2 or 3 of theirs. The two keepers performed excellently when it was needed. Theirs, more often than ours.

As for "dealing with their tactics", how often did we either not clear, or only half clear, the lumped in ball? Probably no more often than usual but it's been a failing of ours for a few years now.

[ramAnag]

16 shots to 11. 7 on target to our 6. I would suggest all 6 of ours were as good as, if not better, than all but 2 or 3 of theirs. The two keepers performed excellently when it was needed. Theirs, more often than ours.

As for "dealing with their tactics", how often did we either not clear, or only half clear, the lumped in ball? Probably no more often than usual but it's been a failing of ours for a few years now.

Sorry MA, I think you missed my point which is much the same as mac’s. It doesn’t matter if we created as many or almost as many chances as the opposition...whether their keeper had a(nother) great game...whether we scored the game’s only (own) goal or whether everyone wants to beat us because we (along with Portsmouth) have the biggest reputation in L1.
All that matters is that we aren’t performing...we don’t appear to be improving...we’re falling further and further away from the top two and closer and closer to the bottom half of what is, imo, a very average ‘third division’.

P.S. Just got home after taking my car to a dealership adjacent to PP. Doubt there’s any problem with the pitch for tomorrow night but travelling in from the A52, anywhere else near the river and parking may well prove problematic tomorrow. Derbyshire is back to normal but riverside Derby is a mess.

[swaledale]

Seen the "I'm trying my best, we're trying our best" video. Also seen reports he also said "we're playing to orders". If correct, those orders need changing.

Having said that, we had half a dozen decent chances, as did they. We scored the only goal of the game and lost. If it was as bad as some are claiming we would not have had half a dozen good chances. PW said post game their keeper got their MOTM award. We did struggle with their tactics which were, mostly, lump it over midfield and hope. Our inability to clear plus our allowing players, on the few occasions they kept it on the floor, to run 40 yards with a white shirt even trying to close them down is how they got 50% shots off than us and 1 more on target than us.

It was disjointed, not good to watch and we have always struggled against that kind of team.

Up top we have players like Collo, Waggy and Wash who can all score. Sibs can put them away, as can NML and Barks... two away games on the trot where we had half a dozen or more good attempts on target and either the keeper saved well or a defender blocked it on the line. You can't lay that at PWs door. You can't slate the players for it. The opposition are simply doing their jobs well in those important moments. So many fans seem not to appreciate that.

Its the way with fans these days, we are entitled to be successful, despite having a team cobbled together from free transfers!! For whatever reason the team is not firing on all cylinders in many games, is that tactics, coaching or what?

I still think it we will get out of this rut of inconsistency, we must get the rub of the green eventually, but it may well be that it will take a loosening of the finances next summer and the ability to buy a couple of quality players (especially a striker) before we can crack it.