Half Full, on 01 November 2015 - 12:08 PM, said:
It does as many on here myself included are full Of comparisons between Saunders and Cook and their differing styles. So if we can compare the two to criticise then we can do the same to find positives.
Made a late call to go yesterday, the temptation of a few ales in Blackpool swung it and bar the tram back from Fleetwood it was a good day. Lots of town missed the game and stayed in Blackpool but they missed a decent performance. Herd and Morsy controlled the game, and O'Shea was very good too! Saw a few decent bits from Fleetwood fans on our play, "Pass Pass pass..great to watch" was the pick and we did look good on the ball without doing a lot with it, I'd imagine we had 60% possession yesterday, albeit a lot of it in our own half. If we can up the tempo and find a little more incision going forward we would carve teams like Fleetwood to bits. Going to miss Morsy so much though.
Agree it was a decent performance. Herd man of the match for me really beginning to look a good signing. Works well with Morsy and it will be a shame if we lose one (or possibly both if Herds contact not extended) in the New Year. I think we are beginning to see the development of a decent first team. Lee has been outstanding, Evett and Raglan look solid and Wood sounds useful. Jones playing well and Drew is getting better as he gets fitter. Morsy and Herd robust and influential. SEB doing what he is paid for and taking the chances and putting himself about during the game. His pairing with Novak looks like it might pay dividends. I'm also impressed with the improvement and contributions from O'Shea and Gardner, in particular the former. We are also so much better from dead balls particularly the attacking ones. When we played the ball through midfield yesterday we looked a really useful side. Some of the Cook era interplay but with a focus on getting the ball forward and into the box which we did lack at times last season.
Still too many long high balls up to the forwards and the bench does not look strong enough to cover all areas. Good to see the younger players getting the opportunity but with the exception of Raglan I'm not convinced any are yet good enough to start. Credit must go to Saunders for much of this. To say otherwise is really churlish. As always the final league table will tell the truth but I'm beginning to see us looking like a decent side. Still work to do but going in the right direction
Sorry to be a bit late on this, but you've nailed it there. Only failure was Gardner, whose tracking back is not only ineffective, it's embarrassing, and if it doesn't improve it's going to cost us, even with a first choice fullback. Let's give him the benefit of the doubt and say he just had a bad day, but he was really poor in a team that played well for the most part. Simmons is the definition of 'big, raw lad' and just dashed about, but had a couple of good runs.
We were generally comfortable apart from a couple of scares from high balls late on, and if Novak had been playing we'd have strolled it, 'cos the service to SEB was poor. The midfield was solid, Herd better every game, and if we find a bit more quality to get the ball to SEB in the area, on the ground or in the air, he'll get twenty goals this season, because to me he looks fit, sharp and up for it despite lack of service.
And if he gets anything like his old scoring form back he'll go for big money, never mind bringing on youngsters.
Not a classic game, but not the worst I've seen lately. Things are looking better.
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