Fleetwood Town Post Match Thoughts

[Stovicmiller]

Is this the same midfield that people said were excellent against QPR?

apart from last week when was the last time Rotherham played well . Are you happy with how our midfield are playing.

[millertop]

How the **** did that ball not go in net for us?
One sub?
Why wasn’t Wiles took off? What’s up with the lad lately?

Ferguson motm followed closely by Barlaser

Why is Ladapo even on bench if your not going to use him?

[MillerBill]

Warney needs some new ammunition up front.He has denied being interested in Stockton,thank God for that,we don't need that type of player who is lower league 1 at best.A quick lad will always cause problems,that's what we want.Grigg is clearly not up to it and Freddie has said he wants a move,so we need two in,one could be a loanee.

[Windy442]

The point wasn't who is the best penalty taker, as you well know. But ignore the actual point with that response if you wish. Barlaser being a good penalty taker does not make him much more of a goal threat than someone who isn't. Unless the game has become more about penalties all of a sudden? Which leads me onto the next point nicely. I didn't trivialise Sadlier's free kick ability. I have just made the obvious and subtle distinction in that the game is not about taking free kicks. If it were I would pick him after Barlaser. A nice free kick can and does help but the rest of the game has to be up to scratch also. This is where I don't see the value in Sadlier. The 99% of the game.

He did score a nice goal against Crewe, absolutely fair enough. Ogbene scored a nice goal with his left foot the other week from outside the box too. Well done to both.

The Man City 'value' in fees paid and wages is largely based on potential. Hence being a youth team. They are investments for the future and the reason they are playing in youth teams still is for that very reason, otherwise they would be playing in a first team somewhere. You can be worth more than someone else due to your potential as much as current ability, it was largely men against boys so you have to factor that in. It doesn't fit with your aim but it's fact.

Bottom line, you have glossed over facts that are important to the point. Re where Ogbene has been played etc. You can't counter the point about him playing wing back like Fergie and that being unfair when bringing up his lack of goals. You're dismissing a guy who is playing wing back because he doesn't score. Over a midfielder who has largely scored from set pieces. Sadlier's set piece abilities don't negate his overall lack of impact imo. Likewise for the coaching staff, hence why he doesn't play. Has Sadlier not scored more because he hasn't played as much? Potentially. Has Ogbene not scored as much due to his position? I think so. And no, I don't think he will suddenly become a goal scoring machine if he were to play up top but he would bring a different threat.

Look, you clearly rate Ogbene and thats fine, for me he's marmite! If he had better end product fair enough, but let' be honest, he gets a lot of starts and pitch time and its his crossing that lets him down time after time. OK I get that playing at Wing Back limits his goal scoring opportunities, but its the same for Sadlier as well. When he's played its normally either right or left WB, even on the rare occasion that he does get to play more centrally he ends up being moved out wide to wing back later in the game, sometimes he might play in 3-4 different positions a game.

Sadlier came to us as a proven League 1 top performer, scoring 12 goals and assisting 6 times (no penalties, no free kicks btw, all in open play according to youtube, take a look its all up there) in his last season playing either wide left, centrally in the 10 or up front as a lone striker. That's was the same season that was cut short by covid where we were promoted with 10+ games left unplayed. Not a bad return for a winger with 10 games still to play you might think!

That same season, in the same league, playing in a traditional wing position (not wing back btw) Ogbene scored a total of zero (0) goals.

Today we struggled to convert our chances. It was a game crying out for a player like Sadlier today in front of goal. The outcome could and should have been so different. There is no way we should have lost that game.

Imagine what player we might have on our hands if Sadlier was given a run of 10 games on the bounce, playing centrally and was scoring as we know he can?

[MillersTime]

Look, you clearly rate Ogbene and thats fine, for me he's marmite! If he had better end product fair enough, but let' be honest, he gets a lot of starts and pitch time and its his crossing that lets him down time after time. OK I get that playing at Wing Back limits his goal scoring opportunities, but its the same for Sadlier as well. When he's played its normally either right or left WB, even on the rare occasion that he does get to play more centrally he ends up being moved out wide to wing back later in the game, sometimes he might play in 3-4 different positions a game.

Sadlier came to us as a proven League 1 top performer, scoring 12 goals and assisting 6 times (no penalties, no free kicks btw, all in open play according to youtube, take a look its all up there) in his last season playing either wide left, centrally in the 10 or up front as a lone striker. That's was the same season that was cut short by covid where we were promoted with 10+ games left unplayed. Not a bad return for a winger with 10 games still to play you might think!

That same season, in the same league, playing in a traditional wing position (not wing back btw) Ogbene scored a total of zero (0) goals.

Today we struggled to convert our chances. It was a game crying out for a player like Sadlier today in front of goal. The outcome could and should have been so different. There is no way we should have lost that game.

Imagine what player we might have on our hands if Sadlier was given a run of 10 games on the bounce, playing centrally and was scoring as we know he can?

Absolutely agree on Ogbene's shortcomings with his crossing. I, like others, have said that if he could cross consistently he wouldn't be playing in league 1. I've said to numerous people that if I could say one thing to PW about him it would be to please just have him crossing all week in training. Over and over and over again. He is our one player though that you see teams cack themselves over (well Smudge too in a different kind of way). Instantly trying to double up on him often, that says a lot. He can be uber frustrating but he does scare teams and can be a huge weapon when used correctly. Ideally I'd like him higher with a RB behind him so he can focus on going one way in the main.

Also agree about playing Sadlier as a wing back does not suit him whatsoever. Those numbers he produced are undeniable and perhaps through no great fault of his own (where he has been played and sporadic minutes) he shouldn't get so much flak off of me. Maybe I am being too harsh on the guy. The thing that is difficult is that when I have seen him in a Millers shirt I can only go off what I see. Even when he hasn't been played in his favoured position, his general play leaves something to be desired for me. Just general link up play, speed of thought, ball retention etc. I suspect it is the same with Ogbene for you, he just doesn't do it for you and flatters to deceive. Same with me and Sadlier. He played last week at QPR, further up and central, absolutely non existent. Yes one game and against better players, but absolutely non existent. I just don't see that player that produced what he did at Doncaster. Evidently capable given he did it but the mind finds it difficult to see what it hasn't seen if that makes sense? It feels perverse to say pick a guy who hasn't done it for us because he did it a couple of years ago. When in an absolutely crucial part of the season. I'm not saying he wouldn't be amazing, he may be absolutely ideal and what we need but in my honest opinion, from what I've seen, I doubt it. You may be right and a run could be just what he needs. Alternatively he gets a run, we dip even more, lose ground and everyone wonders why we played a guy who has done limited amounts for us in 18 months since he joined. It is akin to people saying Grigg is a player of yesteryear and doesn't have it right now. You go off what you see right here and now. That's how I feel about Sadlier, the theory is nice but you want some recent reasons to believe. Beyond our favourite topic of set-pieces of course haha.


To be fair I thought the bigger issue was creating quality chances rather than missing. Minus Grigg in the first half I can't remember creating much really with the balls in the box largely dealt with. Losing was very poor against a side who were happy with a point. Should never have happened.

[Windy442]

Absolutely agree on Ogbene's shortcomings with his crossing. I, like others, have said that if he could cross consistently he wouldn't be playing in league 1. I've said to numerous people that if I could say one thing to PW about him it would be to please just have him crossing all week in training. Over and over and over again. He is our one player though that you see teams cack themselves over (well Smudge too in a different kind of way). Instantly trying to double up on him often, that says a lot. He can be uber frustrating but he does scare teams and can be a huge weapon when used correctly. Ideally I'd like him higher with a RB behind him so he can focus on going one way in the main.

Also agree about playing Sadlier as a wing back does not suit him whatsoever. Those numbers he produced are undeniable and perhaps through no great fault of his own (where he has been played and sporadic minutes) he shouldn't get so much flak off of me. Maybe I am being too harsh on the guy. The thing that is difficult is that when I have seen him in a Millers shirt I can only go off what I see. Even when he hasn't been played in his favoured position, his general play leaves something to be desired for me. Just general link up play, speed of thought, ball retention etc. I suspect it is the same with Ogbene for you, he just doesn't do it for you and flatters to deceive. Same with me and Sadlier. He played last week at QPR, further up and central, absolutely non existent. Yes one game and against better players, but absolutely non existent. I just don't see that player that produced what he did at Doncaster. Evidently capable given he did it but the mind finds it difficult to see what it hasn't seen if that makes sense? It feels perverse to say pick a guy who hasn't done it for us because he did it a couple of years ago. When in an absolutely crucial part of the season. I'm not saying he wouldn't be amazing, he may be absolutely ideal and what we need but in my honest opinion, from what I've seen, I doubt it. You may be right and a run could be just what he needs. Alternatively he gets a run, we dip even more, lose ground and everyone wonders why we played a guy who has done limited amounts for us in 18 months since he joined. It is akin to people saying Grigg is a player of yesteryear and doesn't have it right now. You go off what you see right here and now. That's how I feel about Sadlier, the theory is nice but you want some recent reasons to believe. Beyond our favourite topic of set-pieces of course haha.


To be fair I thought the bigger issue was creating quality chances rather than missing. Minus Grigg in the first half I can't remember creating much really with the balls in the box largely dealt with. Losing was very poor against a side who were happy with a point. Should never have happened.

That's my point really where Sadlier's concerned, I don't feel he gets a fair press from a lot of Rotherham fans, albeit lately that opinion has started to change when he has played centrally where we have seen what he can do. But in these games we have played to his strengths and not missed our midfield out, played to and through him instead of hitting long aimless balls from the back 3 to our front 2.

I was at the QPR game and agree, Sadlier was largely anonymous going forward. He tracked their 7 playmaker for the whole first half, ironically doing a good defending and tracking back job, but thats not his game but one he had clearly been told to concentrate on. Ironically it was tracking back and tackling his player around the 60th minute in the second half that led to his injury and departure from the field. He didn't have a good game, but he equally didn't have a bad game either. Ironically all our penalty takers (Barlaser. Sadlier, Ferguson, were off the field for the penalties after extra time.

For me and I have posted this before. The problem for Sadlier is the way that we setup and play. It doesn't suit him as a player and asking him to track back and defend means that he allows that player he is marking to dictate play and he follows him, whereas if he was allowed free rein to roam, the opposition would have to worry about him and track him rather than the other way around.

Personally I feel that the first line of defence is to attack, but we setup to defend and counter attack down the channels via our WB's rather than play through the middle. We mix that up with also being very direct, route one in fact. So players like Sadlier who come into their own in the opposition's half, in and around that last third more importantly, are feeding off scraps. In our teams a 10 is expected to defend first and attack second and asking a player like sadlier to do that nuiifies his game, whereas in a another side, setup to get the ball down and play, ironically the types of teams that are muted to be after him, would suit him him better.

For me we haven't seen enough of Sadlier because he hasn't been given that run of games and even when he plays we don't play to a system and in a way that plays to his strengths.

Its all about opinions MillersTime and we differ on this player Im afraid.

[Shark27]

Regarding Ogbene, we need to be smarter. He often draws in two, sometimes three players. That should leave us with at least one spare man but our players just seem to be a bit static when he is running at the opposition.

[avondalemiller]

Ogbene is a danger, that's why he has 2 players on him, but he can't cross a ball consistently. This is what he'd be doing all day in training if it was up to a lot of us on here. It really makes you wonder why a pro fooballer cant cross a ball. Today on ifollow it was suggested it s cos he's running so fast.............(shaking head).

Sadlier, he can take a good free kick and put's a decent cross in. For me he seems to have the Freddie disease, and tries to do it all himself, or has no awareness of team mates in a better position. The biggest fault for him is that he's not got a tackle in him, something we call "nesh"......he certainly hasn't taken his chance on numerous times he's be given the chance to do so....

Can't remember when Sadlier is mentioned as causing the opponents problems as Chieo does......Sadlier usually causes his own problems as already mentioned.....

[caytonmiller]

Love the fact that fans think ogbene needs crossing practice yet the millers staff can't see it..

Warne!
"What"
This ogbene bloke.
"Yeah"
He's got pace and can beat a man but When is he going to practice crossing.
"Does he need practice".
Well the fans think so
"Na. He's one of my boys,. He doesn't need the practice". " In fact it's ladapo fault as he doesn't want to be hear"...

We lost 1 game. The world didn't end

[Back of the net]

Agree with you to a point Cayton.
However we have not played well in the league for a while now and have been getting away with it.
I think fans concerns are it’s not just about yesterday it’s some decisions.
Wiles again played poor why not drop him ?
Grigg imo isn’t good enough but why give him just 45 or 20 minutes here and there tbf he’s not doing him any favours.
Ladapo we were told his attitude has been good but then Warne said he didn’t play him because he put a transfer request in. Why on bench then?

We have a soft underbelly under Warne with late goals and everyone in the ground knew what was going to happen again.

Maybe an overreaction on here yes but some valid points too.