⚽Match Thread vs. Sutton United FC 27.02.24 [EFL L2]

[Mark_Ross]

Just watched the Sutton goals back. I think without exaggeration this is a fair description:

1st goal - Nemane fails to win a tackle, Warner fails to stop the cross and Jodi Jones gets beaten to the ball on the back stick.

2nd goal - Baldwin shows he's learned absolutely nothing from his similarly sloppy error against Shrewsbury earlier in the season, and the goalkeeper doesn't do much to save Aden's blushes either

3rd goal - Not enough pressure from Crowley (for one) to stop the forward ball from midfield, Rawlinson done like a kipper by a simple change of direction from Harry Smith, Nemane ambling back and spectating just behind the play when a short sprint could have given him a chance of helping Rawlo, goalkeeper probably unlucky his parry went straight to a Sutton player.

4th goal - two attackers (jones and Macca) trying and failing to do a defender's job against their winger who beats them easily on the edge of the box causing Crowley to panic and dangle a leg for the penalty.

The consistent theme is players who aren't natural or very good defenders showing exactly why they aren't.

In one sense it's positional: our wing-backs are wingers who simply don't have the defensive skills and instincts to cope under attack

In one sense it's personnel: almost every game there are centre-halves - who are supposed to be able to defend - either getting straight up beaten man-to-man by their opponent or literally gifting possession in ridiculous areas.

We need to get back to basics. Every game starts at 0-0, make sure it doesn't get any worse. Get that right and our attacking talent will usually get us at least one goal.

Yeah, seems like a fair summary. It's not rocket science. The goals we concede are generally either gross individual errors or a collective inability to halt / break down dangerous attacks.