[Goku]

LondonBlue, on 24 January 2022 - 09:06 AM, said:

More than enough chances to win the game.

Hmm. Plenty of little scrappy bits near their goal but the only real clear cut one is Quigley’s early header imo. Can’t believe we’ve come out of Maidenhead and Aldershot with 1 point.

[sophocles]

LondonBlue, on 24 January 2022 - 09:06 AM, said:

More than enough chances to win the game.

Correct, which shows JR's team selection wasn't as daft as all the converts to Waltonism are trying to make out. The fact is that the team he put out was good enough to win that game. It didn't work out, not because of our selection or organisation, but because:
a) on the day, none of our players showed the quality to convert an opportunity,
b) not one fortuitous deflection or rebound in their goalmouth went in our favour,
c) they defended brilliantly for the whole game - give them some credit.

[LondonBlue]

Goku, on 24 January 2022 - 09:31 AM, said:

Hmm. Plenty of little scrappy bits near their goal but the only real clear cut one is Quigley’s early header imo. Can’t believe we’ve come out of Maidenhead and Aldershot with 1 point.

It is a poor return points wise but let’s just hope it is a blip. For all the bad reviews of quigley from former club fans - I thought on the highlights he looked decent. Strong, quick for a big lad and decent feet. Think he will be good as another option of the bench. Starting 2 have to be Kabby and Asante though.

[Goku]

sophocles, on 24 January 2022 - 09:45 AM, said:

Correct, which shows JR's team selection wasn't as daft as all the converts to Waltonism are trying to make out.

It was daft. Asante contributed nothing to play because he was playing in a position he was unfamiliar with. I assume you went to the match and saw him wandering about not knowing where to be? Just because we created one good chance and a few half chances in spite of this does not mean it was a good team selection.

Guardiola could play Laporte up front, Sterling at centre half and Ederson in central midfield and still beat Norwich, doesn't mean he made the right selection.

[LondonBlue]

Goku, on 24 January 2022 - 09:53 AM, said:

It was daft. Asante contributed nothing to play because he was playing in a position he was unfamiliar with. I assume you went to the match and saw him wandering about not knowing where to be? Just because we created one good chance and a few half chances in spite of this does not mean it was a good team selection.

Guardiola could play Laporte up front, Sterling at centre half and Ederson in central midfield and still beat Norwich, doesn't mean he made the right selection.

Asante in the 10 is mind boggling. When I read the line up I assumed a 4-3-3 with Asante and Kabby either side of Quigley.

[JonB]

The way it worked out for Asante playing where he did should at least put to rest the few on here suggesting it as an option....

[dim view]

sophocles, on 24 January 2022 - 09:45 AM, said:

Correct, which shows JR's team selection wasn't as daft as all the converts to Waltonism are trying to make out. The fact is that the team he put out was good enough to win that game. It didn't work out, not because of our selection or organisation, but because:
a) on the day, none of our players showed the quality to convert an opportunity,
b) not one fortuitous deflection or rebound in their goalmouth went in our favour,
c) they defended brilliantly for the whole game - give them some credit.

Yep, and Quigley showed up well in phases.
Good point about the quality required to convert an opportunity. The skill of heading the ball properly has disappeared. I don't think they practice it. Quigley, Asante, Williams all culpable and I can't recall a single headed goal by Tshimanga.

[Goku]

JonB, on 24 January 2022 - 09:58 AM, said:

The way it worked out for Asante playing where he did should at least put to rest the few on here suggesting it as an option....

God knows why people thought it would be a good idea. When was the last time throwing a load of strikers on the pitch together worked apart from the occasional last 5 minutes of a game? Baffling.

inb4heplaysthemalltogetherandwesmash5pastEastleigh

[jack bauer]

LondonBlue, on 24 January 2022 - 09:55 AM, said:

Asante in the 10 is mind boggling. When I read the line up I assumed a 4-3-3 with Asante and Kabby either side of Quigley.

me too. it wasn't just asante playing the 10 role it was the combination of the set up that just left us looking a bit unbalanced, our central midfield was weston, playing so deep he was nearly in goal, asante and khan both of whom are attack minded players but we rarely played to ball into them choosing instead the goal long to quigley. it didn't work, hopefully lesson learned.

[isleaiw1]

Goku, on 24 January 2022 - 10:03 AM, said:

God knows why people thought it would be a good idea. When was the last time throwing a load of strikers on the pitch together worked apart from the occasional last 5 minutes of a game? Baffling.

inb4heplaysthemalltogetherandwesmash5pastEastleigh

I wasnt there on Saturday but can confirm that it didnt work at Maidenhead either where the substitution to replace Grimes with Payne (?) made us worse not better.

The key in management is to retain your head in a crisis and carry on doing what makes you successful, with a few tweaks to reflect the current predicament. Not just throw all in and hope for the best, that's like a gambler chasing his losses with rash bets.....

[sophocles]

I don't agree about the position Asante played in, I just think it didn't work in that particular game. He is IMO better suited to attacking from a deeper position because he's a strong runner who can carry the ball forward, as he showed before his injury. The problem yesterday was that we didn't play passes on the ground through the middle - we hoisted the ball long and missed him out. Unlike some, I can understand why JR picked a team loaded with attacking players against opponents who were always coming to get a 0-0 - he'd probably have been slated if he hadn't. We weren't clinical enough to cut through a team who were utterly determined to keep the game scoreless, but I'd say that was more down to their incredible work rate from start to finish, than our team formation.

[Goku]

sophocles, on 24 January 2022 - 10:15 AM, said:

I can understand why JR picked a team loaded with attacking players against opponents who were always coming to get a 0-0 - he'd probably have been slated if he hadn't.

Spoilers; he wouldn't. If we had continued to use the same type of team and tactics that have got us to the top of the table then nobody would have gone 'we should have started with 3 strikers on the pitch'. People constantly go on about not playing square pegs in round holes. Asante was a square peg in a round hole on Saturday. Tshimanga and Asante up top with Mandeville in the hole with Quigley coming on after 60 was the play. Playing a striker in attacking midfield in a position we have never seen him play before ended up in said player having zero impact on the game.

But yes it must be said Aldershot defended like dogs so credit to them although they were cynical and their manager was a c**t for booting the ball into the stands to waste more time. I'm glad my team doesn't play pitiful football like that, but I can obviously see why they do it. But it's Rowe's job to work a way around their dogged defence and as it turns out, hoofing it long and hoping for balls to fall in our favour in the box wasn't the right move.

This post has been edited by Goku: 24 January 2022 - 10:24 AM

[JonB]

sophocles, on 24 January 2022 - 10:15 AM, said:

I don't agree about the position Asante played in, I just think it didn't work in that particular game. He is IMO better suited to attacking from a deeper position because he's a strong runner who can carry the ball forward, as he showed before his injury. The problem yesterday was that we didn't play passes on the ground through the middle - we hoisted the ball long and missed him out. Unlike some, I can understand why JR picked a team loaded with attacking players against opponents who were always coming to get a 0-0 - he'd probably have been slated if he hadn't. We weren't clinical enough to cut through a team who were utterly determined to keep the game scoreless, but I'd say that was more down to their incredible work rate from start to finish, than our team formation.

Part of the reason we didnt play on the ground through the middle was because there was no one there to do it really. Thats why the likes of Clarke and Mandeville are better in that position than Asante. He has to play up top, whilst he may be a strong runner he did that from up front last season and that style would suit Tshimanga as it leaves him to play around the box whilst Asante does the work in the channels.

[dim view]

isleaiw1, on 24 January 2022 - 10:11 AM, said:

I wasnt there on Saturday but can confirm that it didnt work at Maidenhead either where the substitution to replace Grimes with Payne (?) made us worse not better.

The key in management is to retain your head in a crisis and carry on doing what makes you successful, with a few tweaks to reflect the current predicament. Not just throw all in and hope for the best, that's like a gambler chasing his losses with rash bets.....

I can offer an explanation, though I don't particularly agree with it.....

He decided to play Quigley with Tshimanga.

He needed a replacement for Oyeleke (Khan); and a replacement for Kellerman; and he wanted to give Asante game time.

His only other option to replace Kellerman was to play Mandeville from the start, as he discarded the Rowley (too early), McCourt (off somewhere else) options.

He opted for Asante because his game plan was to play more direct which is not Mandeville's forte.

That's my theory. It came down to one or t'other.

[CFC91]

I can’t believe there’s still folk defending our tactics and selection. Very strange hill to die on

We played 5-2-3 basically, we aren’t the Hungarians in 1950s ffs

[hilly81]

sophocles, on 24 January 2022 - 10:15 AM, said:

I don't agree about the position Asante played in, I just think it didn't work in that particular game. He is IMO better suited to attacking from a deeper position because he's a strong runner who can carry the ball forward, as he showed before his injury. The problem yesterday was that we didn't play passes on the ground through the middle - we hoisted the ball long and missed him out. Unlike some, I can understand why JR picked a team loaded with attacking players against opponents who were always coming to get a 0-0 - he'd probably have been slated if he hadn't. We weren't clinical enough to cut through a team who were utterly determined to keep the game scoreless, but I'd say that was more down to their incredible work rate from start to finish, than our team formation.

Disagree. Asante is a finisher. Get him the ball in and around the box and he will score a hatful at this level.

[DIFH]

Goku, on 24 January 2022 - 10:22 AM, said:

Spoilers; he wouldn't. If we had continued to use the same type of team and tactics that have got us to the top of the table then nobody would have gone 'we should have started with 3 strikers on the pitch'. People constantly go on about not playing square pegs in round holes. Asante was a square peg in a round hole on Saturday. Tshimanga and Asante up top with Mandeville in the hole with Quigley coming on after 60 was the play. Playing a striker in attacking midfield in a position we have never seen him play before ended up in said player having zero impact on the game.

But yes it must be said Aldershot defended like dogs so credit to them although they were cynical and their manager was a c**t for booting the ball into the stands to waste more time. I'm glad my team doesn't play pitiful football like that, but I can obviously see why they do it. But it's Rowe's job to work a way around their dogged defence and as it turns out, hoofing it long and hoping for balls to fall in our favour in the box wasn't the right move.

Looking at those high lights and on reflection they had 1 sniff of a chance when Maguire allowed the ball across our 6 yard box. We created good chances and should have won, Their goalie made good saves, they had luck on their side and all those yellows had our lads having to watch their tackles etc.

[oldgoat]

dim view, on 24 January 2022 - 10:03 AM, said:

Yep, and Quigley showed up well in phases.
Good point about the quality required to convert an opportunity. The skill of heading the ball properly has disappeared. I don't think they practice it. Quigley, Asante, Williams all culpable and I can't recall a single headed goal by Tshimanga.

I would imagine the brain injury risks are the reason

[Wooden Spoon]

sophocles, on 24 January 2022 - 10:15 AM, said:

I don't agree about the position Asante played in, I just think it didn't work in that particular game. He is IMO better suited to attacking from a deeper position because he's a strong runner who can carry the ball forward, as he showed before his injury. The problem yesterday was that we didn't play passes on the ground through the middle - we hoisted the ball long and missed him out. Unlike some, I can understand why JR picked a team loaded with attacking players against opponents who were always coming to get a 0-0 - he'd probably have been slated if he hadn't. We weren't clinical enough to cut through a team who were utterly determined to keep the game scoreless, but I'd say that was more down to their incredible work rate from start to finish, than our team formation.

Your playing a guy who is arguably our best all round striker behind a front 2 - in an attacking midfielder position. To me this says we lack a top notch attacking midfielder

[azul]

sophocles, on 24 January 2022 - 10:15 AM, said:

I don't agree about the position Asante played in, I just think it didn't work in that particular game. He is IMO better suited to attacking from a deeper position because he's a strong runner who can carry the ball forward, as he showed before his injury. The problem yesterday was that we didn't play passes on the ground through the middle - we hoisted the ball long and missed him out. Unlike some, I can understand why JR picked a team loaded with attacking players against opponents who were always coming to get a 0-0 - he'd probably have been slated if he hadn't. We weren't clinical enough to cut through a team who were utterly determined to keep the game scoreless, but I'd say that was more down to their incredible work rate from start to finish, than our team formation.

Huge difference between a striker happy to come deep to collect the ball so he can run at defenders and playing as a number 10.