Hudders 1 Rams 0

[MadAmster]

Poor result, better performance IMO. No recognised striker which had antisocial media calling for Cocu's head before kick off. What we saw was the best opening 60 minutes of the season so far. Lawro subbed on the hour which wasn't a surprise to me. Not for the way he played but he is still "on the way back" and him lasting 90 would have been an amazing feat. That one move of theirs that led to the goal was the difference between the teams, just as one piece of individual class, aided and abetted by a defensive lapse, Evans last time out and a combo of Wis and Curtis this time. There was some slow play. It's not realistic to expect 90mph football over the full 90 minutes.. So near yet so far.

The biggest surprise to me was the subbing out of Buchanan. I didn't get that. Going to a back 4 to try to attack more wasn't a bad idea IMO. However, if you decide to push Wis to RB, where he can play then you are going to have to sub a full back off. Buchanan was playing better than Byrne IMO and was also useful for his aerial work both defensively and offensively. You then end up with a FB on the "wrong side" and it showed.

Davies almost but not quite. His usual standard in possession but we accept that for his defensive work which was, for the most part very good again. Their goal? Bacuna got the ball and Curtis was only 1 yard away, the ball was passed to a teammate who got the jump on Wis, Bacuna then ran to the middle of the box hoping to get the ball back, Davies didn't track him. Neither did anyody else go to cover him and the rest is history.

I was really disappointed with our dead ball situations. Bird and Lawrence are usually pretty good with their delivery. Both overhit just about every one they took.

Despite this being quite possibly our best football of the season so far, we should be worried about the passing. IMO way too many passes were overhit, underhit, mis-hit leaving the recipient in trouble or were so bad they got intercepted. How do you rhyme the poor dead ball issue and a lot more bad passes than usual with possibly our best football of the season? Seems strange but there was movement off the ball, lots of it and we saw quite a bit of the fast, 1 and 2 touch play we have been craving. More of that and less of the errors please.

Might we have been 1 up at HT had Knight not been pulled up for being 3 yards ON side? Did he know he'd been penalised and might he have scored if allowed to play on? Also a shame Wis shot straight at Hamer with his chance

Marshall 6 nothing out of the ordinary but not at fault anywhere either
Byrne 6 had a decent game but no more than adequate
Wisdom 6 I might have gone 7 but for his part in their goal
Davies 6 See Wisdom
Clarke 6 had a decent game but no more than adequate
Buchanan 8 the lad really impressed me with all parts of his game except for his below par crosses
Bird 5 his best game for a while. He needs to add passing to the right hand side of the field to his game. He goes left 95% of the time. Marked down due to his really poor free kicks and corners
Shinnie 6 no more than adequate
Knight 8 Some end product needed otherwise excellent
Jozwiak 6 Some good stuff both in and out of possession. As with Knight end product needed
Lawrence 6 Looked interested and got stuck in. No end product, lost the ball a lot IMO and what was wrong with his dead ball attempts?

[ramAnag]

Poor result, better performance IMO. No recognised striker which had antisocial media calling for Cocu's head before kick off. What we saw was the best opening 60 minutes of the season so far. Lawro subbed on the hour which wasn't a surprise to me. Not for the way he played but he is still "on the way back" and him lasting 90 would have been an amazing feat. That one move of theirs that led to the goal was the difference between the teams, just as one piece of individual class, aided and abetted by a defensive lapse, Evans last time out and a combo of Wis and Curtis this time. There was some slow play. It's not realistic to expect 90mph football over the full 90 minutes.. So near yet so far.

The biggest surprise to me was the subbing out of Buchanan. I didn't get that. Going to a back 4 to try to attack more wasn't a bad idea IMO. However, if you decide to push Wis to RB, where he can play then you are going to have to sub a full back off. Buchanan was playing better than Byrne IMO and was also useful for his aerial work both defensively and offensively. You then end up with a FB on the "wrong side" and it showed.

Davies almost but not quite. His usual standard in possession but we accept that for his defensive work which was, for the most part very good again. Their goal? Bacuna got the ball and Curtis was only 1 yard away, the ball was passed to a teammate who got the jump on Wis, Bacuna then ran to the middle of the box hoping to get the ball back, Davies didn't track him. Neither did anyody else go to cover him and the rest is history.

I was really disappointed with our dead ball situations. Bird and Lawrence are usually pretty good with their delivery. Both overhit just about every one they took.

Despite this being quite possibly our best football of the season so far, we should be worried about the passing. IMO way too many passes were overhit, underhit, mis-hit leaving the recipient in trouble or were so bad they got intercepted. How do you rhyme the poor dead ball issue and a lot more bad passes than usual with possibly our best football of the season? Seems strange but there was movement off the ball, lots of it and we saw quite a bit of the fast, 1 and 2 touch play we have been craving. More of that and less of the errors please.

Might we have been 1 up at HT had Knight not been pulled up for being 3 yards ON side? Did he know he'd been penalised and might he have scored if allowed to play on? Also a shame Wis shot straight at Hamer with his chance

Marshall 6 nothing out of the ordinary but not at fault anywhere either
Byrne 6 had a decent game but no more than adequate
Wisdom 6 I might have gone 7 but for his part in their goal
Davies 6 See Wisdom
Clarke 6 had a decent game but no more than adequate
Buchanan 8 the lad really impressed me with all parts of his game except for his below par crosses
Bird 5 his best game for a while. He needs to add passing to the right hand side of the field to his game. He goes left 95% of the time. Marked down due to his really poor free kicks and corners
Shinnie 6 no more than adequate
Knight 8 Some end product needed otherwise excellent
Jozwiak 6 Some good stuff both in and out of possession. As with Knight end product needed
Lawrence 6 Looked interested and got stuck in. No end product, lost the ball a lot IMO and what was wrong with his dead ball attempts?

You’re obviously feeling very generous this morning, MA.
The only positive I could take from last night was that Wisdom was a big improvement on Evans.
I’m not sure where your 8’s for Buchanan and Knight come from...I’d have said ‘6’ at best.
For most of the match I couldn’t find Shinnie at all, and if that was Bird’s ‘best game for a while’ - I’ve only seen three matches - then something is really wrong. In open play he contributed nothing and his set pieces, after Lawrence had departed, were just embarrassing. Looks like a young player who is totally out of his depth in the current crisis to me.

[MadAmster]

I did comment on the dead ball situations being poor and that Lawro and Bird are usually quite good in that aspect.

One defensive error combination of Wis and Davies and they score. As I said, the right score in our last 3 games would probably have been draws, even the one we won. Not out of the woods by a long chalk but the last 3 games have got progressively better in overall terms. It's no longer the dross we had the first 3 games.

[Geoff Parkstone]

We need to play a team as **** as us in order to gain confidence and maybe even score a goal. Fortunately this weekend we play one such....

We might improve a bit, but doubt so much as to lead to a goal. 0-0 prediction for derby derby

[Manofpride]

What we saw was the best opening 60 minutes of the season so far.

That line alone worries me MA, if that's the best we can do we're in the ****! What a worry this season is turning out to be!

[ramAnag]

I did comment on the dead ball situations being poor and that Lawro and Bird are usually quite good in that aspect.

One defensive error combination of Wis and Davies and they score. As I said, the right score in our last 3 games would probably have been draws, even the one we won. Not out of the woods by a long chalk but the last 3 games have got progressively better in overall terms. It's no longer the dross we had the first 3 games.

Even if you’re correct, and I’m not disputing it, we’d still have a 3/18 return this season which coupled with results at the end of last season is
dire. Neither of us are given to panic, but how do you see things developing?

[mistaram]

Poor result, better performance IMO. No recognised striker which had antisocial media calling for Cocu's head before kick off. What we saw was the best opening 60 minutes of the season so far. Lawro subbed on the hour which wasn't a surprise to me. Not for the way he played but he is still "on the way back" and him lasting 90 would have been an amazing feat. That one move of theirs that led to the goal was the difference between the teams, just as one piece of individual class, aided and abetted by a defensive lapse, Evans last time out and a combo of Wis and Curtis this time. There was some slow play. It's not realistic to expect 90mph football over the full 90 minutes.. So near yet so far.

The biggest surprise to me was the subbing out of Buchanan. I didn't get that. Going to a back 4 to try to attack more wasn't a bad idea IMO. However, if you decide to push Wis to RB, where he can play then you are going to have to sub a full back off. Buchanan was playing better than Byrne IMO and was also useful for his aerial work both defensively and offensively. You then end up with a FB on the "wrong side" and it showed.

Davies almost but not quite. His usual standard in possession but we accept that for his defensive work which was, for the most part very good again. Their goal? Bacuna got the ball and Curtis was only 1 yard away, the ball was passed to a teammate who got the jump on Wis, Bacuna then ran to the middle of the box hoping to get the ball back, Davies didn't track him. Neither did anyody else go to cover him and the rest is history.

I was really disappointed with our dead ball situations. Bird and Lawrence are usually pretty good with their delivery. Both overhit just about every one they took.

Despite this being quite possibly our best football of the season so far, we should be worried about the passing. IMO way too many passes were overhit, underhit, mis-hit leaving the recipient in trouble or were so bad they got intercepted. How do you rhyme the poor dead ball issue and a lot more bad passes than usual with possibly our best football of the season? Seems strange but there was movement off the ball, lots of it and we saw quite a bit of the fast, 1 and 2 touch play we have been craving. More of that and less of the errors please.

Might we have been 1 up at HT had Knight not been pulled up for being 3 yards ON side? Did he know he'd been penalised and might he have scored if allowed to play on? Also a shame Wis shot straight at Hamer with his chance

Marshall 6 nothing out of the ordinary but not at fault anywhere either
Byrne 6 had a decent game but no more than adequate
Wisdom 6 I might have gone 7 but for his part in their goal
Davies 6 See Wisdom
Clarke 6 had a decent game but no more than adequate
Buchanan 8 the lad really impressed me with all parts of his game except for his below par crosses
Bird 5 his best game for a while. He needs to add passing to the right hand side of the field to his game. He goes left 95% of the time. Marked down due to his really poor free kicks and corners
Shinnie 6 no more than adequate
Knight 8 Some end product needed otherwise excellent
Jozwiak 6 Some good stuff both in and out of possession. As with Knight end product needed
Lawrence 6 Looked interested and got stuck in. No end product, lost the ball a lot IMO and what was wrong with his dead ball attempts?

MA agree with some of that first 45 definitely better than what we have been doing Dare I say this I thought Lawrence played really well . The goal was definitely Wisdoms fault he seems think it's his job to be on the half way line . Having said that he played quite well at least it seems to matter to him . We must have Knight in the middle to get the best out of him ,he had a good game but a waste out on the left Joziak can't see what he did but still early days for him . When he signed he said his main attribute was his pace ,I've not seen it yet . Shinnie you saw what happened when he went off they just walked through and we were lucky it was only 1-0. Bird is struggling at the moment But he will come through it second season syndrome, he will be fine How will things change ,not sure they will the recruitment has been so poor I don't see any positives . The last 8 matches including the cup we've only had 18shots on target Considering Blackburn had 10against us in one match just shows where our problems are

[MadAmster]

As ever it's 12 to 15 games into a season before you start worrying. It's a marathon, not a sprint. Things have improved a lot. Antisocial media was going crazy last night pre game as we didn't have a recognised striker in the starting XI. That MIGHT be a way forward.

What I think will happen is that Waggy will be the CF. We've seen 3 or 4 different systems this season and I don't know which one we will favour. Evans has again not done the biz and will be cover for injuries at best. Te Wierik hasn't adapted yet, might not. He needs a few games in the 23s to get used to our system and the pace of English football, he's struggling with it IMO.

Not sure Shinnie is starting XI material. Same goes for Rooney who has struggled every game he's played this season and made mistakes he shouldn't. Bird hardly ever goes right, preferring almost always to ge left with the ball and is too predictable. Lawrence tried one man too many too often last night. Knight and Jozwiak need to start showing more end product, be that a goal or an assist. Davies is not good enough on the ball, especially under pressure but is probably our best CH defensively. Most of the defenders struggle when the opponents press us high up in our defensive third of the pitch....... I could go on listing all our players limitations but you get the gist.

I could do the same with players' good points too but won't as I've covered them in many posts before.

More of last night's energy and having US being the team doing the pressing and letting our opponents worry about US in their defensive third is what we CAN do. We have the pegs to climb the table. They need putting in the right shaped holes and have those holes in the right places on the pitch. That is the challenge facing the club. With team selection I have always been a horses for courses guy. You have different solutions to different challenges. Pick the system and the individuals to play the opponent you are facing which might sometimes mean not choosing your best player.

I think we need to, as we did last night, go for a system that has a more attacking look without sacrificing defensive stability. I'm not a fan of the 1-4-2-3-1 system we have used a lot. Depending on who you have there you either end up with 7 defenders, incl the keeper, and 4 attacking players which isn't enough, or you have Bird and Rooney as the 2 and they go upfield leaving the defence exposed......

With the players we have we could copy Engalnd's 1966 wingless wonders. Waggy up top with Lawro or Knight or Sibley working round him. Midfield 4 of Jozwiak and Ibe wide and pick any of Bielik/Rooney/Shinnie as the defensive of the 2 CMs and choose from Bird/Sibley/Knight/Lawrence/Holmes whichever of them isn't up top with Waggy as the attacking CM.

Buchanan/Fozzy at LB. Clarke and Davies in the centre and Byrne/Wis on the right. Marshall in goal.

I realise I've missed quite a few players out but I see them as no more than cover. having said that, there will be one I've missed completely and will regret it when someone points it out

Or we could have the back 4 with Bielik in front of it, same MF as in the wingless wonder selection and Waggy up top.

Whatever happens we need even more balance than we had last night between attack and defence.

We'll be all right. after all, I'm a Northern Soulie and we "Keep the Faith".

[mistaram]

Even if you’re correct, and I’m not disputing it, we’d still have a 3/18 return this season which coupled with results at the end of last season is
dire. Neither of us are given to panic, but how do you see things developing?

RA we've won 2of the last 11 league games

[ramAnag]

How will things change ,not sure they will the recruitment has been so poor I don't see any positives . The last 8 matches including the cup we've only had 18shots on target Considering Blackburn had 10against us in one match just shows where our problems are

That last sentence tells it’s own story, mista...but has the ‘recruitment been so poor’?

This may not be a complete list but going through Cocu’s signings...Bielik...good, injuries apart, Clarke...excellent, Rooney...disappointing this season, made a huge difference last season, Marshall...excellent, Byrne...very promising and at least as good as the £8m (?) player he replaced. Beyond that Te Wierik has, apparently, been a disappointment and the rest are too recent or unknown to judge.

For me the biggest puzzle is letting Marriott and Martin go without (possibly) getting a decent replacement...I say ‘possibly’ because it’s possible that Hector-Ingram, Duncan or CK-R might provide the answer.

The rest of the squad...the four youngsters who were being praised not so long ago, and the likes of Davies, Forsyth, Shinnie, Lawrence, Wisdom, Ibe and Holmes are all decent players. So is it actually down to the squad and recruitment or something else?