⚽Match Thread vs. Mansfield Town FC 03.02.24 [EFL L2]

[nw6pie]

We should have come in leading at half-time, but didn’t take our chances and failed to clear the ball twice and then didn’t close the guy down for their goal. Frustrating.

Second half was very disappointing, though. Failed to create much other than the Jones chance (from a Mansfield error) that he blazed over and we were far too one-paced. For the second week in a row, we only managed one shot on target, which is worrying. Can’t imagine the XG was very high today either.

I thought Robertson was the pick of the midfield, but Bostock was dreadful and Crowley little better. Both need a spell on the bench - time to bring JOB back next week and see what the loanee from Crewe can do. I did feel for the wing-backs having to play in those sandpits, but neither did well enough overall.

Big game coming up on Friday, otherwise I fear mid-table beckons.

[jacobncfc]

I wouldn’t say we played badly particularly and first half we were just plain unlucky not to be at least level, but…

We all knew their pitch was bad and that it was going to be a game about fine margins, physicality, winning battles etc. We didn’t pick a team for that, didn’t approach it like that, and lost the game in the way that everyone thought we would. I like the style of football but it’s got to be a means to an end rather than the end in itself, and feels this season we’re getting a bit close to the latter.

[nw6pie]

I wouldn’t say we played badly particularly and first half we were just plain unlucky not to be at least level, but…

We all knew their pitch was bad and that it was going to be a game about fine margins, physicality, winning battles etc. We didn’t pick a team for that, didn’t approach it like that, and lost the game in the way that everyone thought we would. I like the style of football but it’s got to be a means to an end rather than the end in itself, and feels this season we’re getting a bit close to the latter.

Unless you’re vintage Barcelona (and even then, having Messi was a cheat code), you need more than one way to play. Our patient passing-from-the back is great if there’s an end product to it, but right now there’s not much. We never look for a ball over the top because no midfielder is ever making a forward run, and it’s very rare that we play a ball for someone to run onto. Too often, a player receives the ball with either their back to goal or when they’re static - especially the wing backs.

Mansfield are a more agricultural team, but I don’t blame them with that dreadful pitch (really must be one of the worst in the league) - and they still managed to create more clear-cut chances than us in the second half with their very average forwards.

[durhampie]

Unless you’re vintage Barcelona (and even then, having Messi was a cheat code), you need more than one way to play. Our patient passing-from-the back is great if there’s an end product to it, but right now there’s not much. We never look for a ball over the top because no midfielder is ever making a forward run, and it’s very rare that we play a ball for someone to run onto. Too often, a player receives the ball with either their back to goal or when they’re static - especially the wing backs.

Mansfield are a more agricultural team, but I don’t blame them with that dreadful pitch (really must be one of the worst in the league) - and they still managed to create more clear-cut chances than us in the second half with their very average forwards.

They had more aggression and played the ball forward much more quicker than us. All we seemed to do was to pass the ball around in our own half.. Even when we had a free kick on the edge of their area, it ended up back in our half with a throwing to them..
And what's the point in having substitutes if you have no intention of using them, apart from Austin in the 87th min...