Quote Originally Posted by CTMilller View Post
A game that showed what is good and poor about our mix of players and our manager. 3-1 up at half time and, had we held them at that for another 45 minutes, everybody would be singing the praises of Evans and the team. We didn't and Ferguson found a way to expose our weaknesses. Give him credit for that.

We seemed not to have a clue how to respond to the change in circumstances and hold on to a lead. That is partly down to the way the team has largely been thrown together and is still apparently learning how to play as a team. It was the first time they found themselves in a commanding lead and had no tactics to deal with the evolving circumstances.

And that has to be a glaring weakness one can lay firmly at Evans's feet. Presumably he had no game plan for playing out a second half from a comfortable winning position against a capable side that were obviously well-marshaled during the half time break. OK, he wasn't expecting to be in that position but pretty shocking that he couldn't manage a tactical response for the circumstances he found himself in.

First half gave me hope for the future. The second half was further evidence that this is a collection of individuals who still have a lot to do to be called a team and who struggle with Evans's seat of the pants management style.
Interesting that Evans conceded that we were being battered straight after half term and he response paid off when he brought on Bramall and Hughes. But why did he leave it so long after we all could see we were being battered in the first couple of minutes and especially when they equalised, did he not bring his match changing substitutes on earlier, instead of 65 mins (Bramall) and 75 (Hughes). That's 12 mins after we conceded their equaliser before actually making the change and we could have been further behind by then. To delay it, fair enough, but to then claim that your changes changed the way the match was going is a bit rich when he took so long to change it.

In short, for me:

- Again awful defending throughout as team, with the same void between defence and any willing midfield defenders as we've seen several times. We just don't seem to be able to defend as a unit, and we look vulnerable even throughout the first half when we took our chances
- But great to see the attack looking properly dangerous and taking their chances. I agree with Evans in that we should have won it after we made those changes but found our wasteful heads and a worldie keeper save against us once more.
- Set piece defending awful - worth checking Ragget out to see if he can marshall the troops better all round defensively and harsh as it may seem, I'd change him for McCart
- JCH finally shows us his worth, and injures himself at the very moment of doing so. That is so Millers!
- Hugill - I thought he would prosper at this level, and don't think he isn't trying. It just seems a chord has been cut between his brain and his legs. Awful competitiveness for their equaliser though, certainly made it look like he wasn't trying.
- Still open minded to the season, as I am about progressive football in league 1. As has been said, it's one thing to pass the ball around in your own half, but you need big resources for the kind of forward quality that will turn it into goals, and in the meantime, you can get overpowered by more direct teams. I don't think that if Evans makes it click, and we win a few games we will call the approach boring. At least we've stopped losing but need to get some wins in to get more fans onside with this approach. Width certainly seemed to help on Saturday, so hope evans took note of that going forward.