Matchday Fred

It’s a dull cliche but focus should be on the next game. Do not distract the players from tomorrow’s job, keep it simple but effective. Celebrate wins and reinforce strengths. Projecting forward and obsessing with fixtures and scoreboards is usually a mugs game. Focus on current form and what we can do better.  What we need this year is to start beating the sides in the top 6, setting out to win every game especially away from home, getting an early goal, being the side on top in the last 10 mins, not settling for a draw because legs are tired.
 
There for the taking if we stay fit, keep our s*** together. 

As a very bare minimum, one mobile striker and a midfielder with bite who is also capable of getting forward. Then on top of that, we will need replacements for Bird, Hourihane, Collins if they leave. We can cover for Cashin as Forsyth/Nyambe can move to CB and we have Elder, Ward, Wilson as FB. But we must keep Nyambe.
Hoping Bird stays because he should be the best player in this division and is capable of being the best player in the Championship if allowed to play his own game and plays at a high tempo where one touch is much easier. Still time for a top 2 finish and that should be the aim. But we will need Bird at his best.

Good away win. All about the result and grinding them out. Performances will improve, be good to score in first half. Collins has some competition up front now, and there is still an opportunity to improve the legs in midfield. Fornah decent, Hourihane underwhelming.

All about the result, a win is a win. Top six and massively think our luck in second half season will change for better. Huge opportunities to upgrade midfield and attack so we should look forward positively believing top two is easily within reach. 

0-1 Bradley og 

Here’s the summary of the problem. Clowes hires Warne with experience of getting out of L1. Warne only knows one game. We all know how Rotherham played, little skill but lots of hard runners, aggression, height at both ends lending itself to the numbers game of lots of crosses into the box. Fast forward to Derby where Warne inherits someone’s squad put together at speed, full of journeyman who are the least equipped bunch to play the Rotherham way. But Warne still hasn’t spotted that, and has no idea how to set up this team up to get the best out of it. Clowes would not have spotted this cos he isn’t a football man. He just hoped that history would repeat itself, but totally failed to spot the dilemma just described. Warne doesn’t have enough transfer windows open to build a team that can play the Rotherham and doesn’t appear to have the smarts to play another way.

Here’s the summary of the problem. Clowes hires Warne with experience of getting out of L1. Warne only knows one game. We all know how Rotherham played, little skill but lots of hard runners, aggression, height at both ends lending itself to the numbers game of lots of crosses into the box. Fast forward to Derby where Warne inherits someone’s squad put together at speed, full of journeyman who are the least equipped bunch to play the Rotherham way. But Warne still hasn’t spotted that, and has no idea how to set up this team up to get the best out of it. Clowes would not have spotted this cos he isn’t a football man. He just hoped that history would repeat itself, but totally failed to spot the dilemma just described. Warne doesn’t have enough transfer windows open to build a team that can play the Rotherham and doesn’t appear to have the smarts to play another way.

Here’s the summary of the problem. Clowes hires Warne with experience of getting out of L1. Warne only knows one game. We all know how Rotherham played, little skill but lots of hard runners, aggression, height at both ends lending itself to the numbers game of lots of crosses into the box. Fast forward to Derby where Warne inherits someone’s squad put together at speed, full of journeyman who are the least equipped bunch to play the Rotherham way. But Warne still hasn’t spotted that, and has no idea how to set up this team up to get the best out of it. Clowes would not have spotted this cos he isn’t a football man. He just hoped that history would repeat itself, but totally failed to spot the dilemma just described. Warne doesn’t have enough transfer windows open to build a team that can play the Rotherham and doesn’t appear to have the smarts to play another way.

Yes Roy. They do. We were beaten by an athletic team with little difference in skill level but they worked harder for longer than we did. Throw whatever you want at the management but for me we were hopelessly casual all evening bar the first 5 minutes of each half. A big chunk of that is down to players and leadership on the pitch. 

Here’s the summary of the problem. Clowes hires Warne with experience of getting out of L1. Warne only knows one game. We all know how Rotherham played, little skill but lots of hard runners, aggression, height at both ends lending itself to the numbers game of lots of crosses into the box. Fast forward to Derby where Warne inherits someone’s squad put together at speed, full of journeyman who are the least equipped bunch to play the Rotherham way. But Warne still hasn’t spotted that, and has no idea how to set up this team up to get the best out of it. Clowes would not have spotted this cos he isn’t a football man. He just hoped that history would repeat itself, but totally failed to spot the dilemma just described. Warne doesn’t have enough transfer windows open to build a team that can play the Rotherham and doesn’t appear to have the smarts to play another way.

Here’s the summary of the problem. Clowes hires Warne with experience of getting out of L1. Warne only knows one game. We all know how Rotherham played, little skill but lots of hard runners, aggression, height at both ends lending itself to the numbers game of lots of crosses into the box. Fast forward to Derby where Warne inherits someone’s squad put together at speed, full of journeyman who are the least equipped bunch to play the Rotherham way. But Warne still hasn’t spotted that, and has no idea how to set up this team up to get the best out of it. Clowes would not have spotted this cos he isn’t a football man. He just hoped that history would repeat itself, but totally failed to spot the dilemma just described. Warne doesn’t have enough transfer windows open to build a team that can play the Rotherham and doesn’t appear to have the smarts to play another way.

Here’s the summary of the problem. Clowes hires Warne with experience of getting out of L1. Warne only knows one game. We all know how Rotherham played, little skill but lots of hard runners, aggression, height at both ends lending itself to the numbers game of lots of crosses into the box. Fast forward to Derby where Warne inherits someone’s squad put together at speed, full of journeyman who are the least equipped bunch to play the Rotherham way. But Warne still hasn’t spotted that, and has no idea how to set up this team up to get the best out of it. Clowes would not have spotted this cos he isn’t a football man. He just hoped that history would repeat itself, but totally failed to spot the dilemma just described. Warne doesn’t have enough transfer windows open to build a team that can play the Rotherham and doesn’t appear to have the smarts to play another way.

Here’s the summary of the problem. Clowes hires Warne with experience of getting out of L1. Warne only knows one game. We all know how Rotherham played, little skill but lots of hard runners, aggression, height at both ends lending itself to the numbers game of lots of crosses into the box. Fast forward to Derby where Warne inherits someone’s squad put together at speed, full of journeyman who are the least equipped bunch to play the Rotherham way. But Warne still hasn’t spotted that, and has no idea how to set up this team up to get the best out of it. Clowes would not have spotted this cos he isn’t a football man. He just hoped that history would repeat itself, but totally failed to spot the dilemma just described. Warne doesn’t have enough transfer windows open to build a team that can play the Rotherham and doesn’t appear to have the smarts to play another way.

Here’s the summary of the problem. Clowes hires Warne with experience of getting out of L1. Warne only knows one game. We all know how Rotherham played, little skill but lots of hard runners, aggression, height at both ends lending itself to the numbers game of lots of crosses into the box. Fast forward to Derby where Warne inherits someone’s squad put together at speed, full of journeyman who are the least equipped bunch to play the Rotherham way. But Warne still hasn’t spotted that, and has no idea how to set up this team up to get the best out of it. Clowes would not have spotted this cos he isn’t a football man. He just hoped that history would repeat itself, but totally failed to spot the dilemma just described. Warne doesn’t have enough transfer windows open to build a team that can play the Rotherham and doesn’t appear to have the smarts to play another way.

Warne put his strongest side out bearing mind the international break to give them a rest. Fair play for that. But they just aren’t good enough, and tellingly not proud enough to give 100 percent every time. If Warne lets them get away with jogging through a game, too many will do it. Conceding 3 at home to a L2 side notwithstanding some geezer sticking in the corner twice from outside the box.

Sadly both the coaching staff and players have to be abused before they put in the effort. As a group they are largely happy doing just enough to get by, taking the cash as they go.

Deffo worth a watch as is the French film on BBC iPlayer Black Box

Sadly both the coaching staff and players have to be abused before they put in the effort. As a group they are largely happy doing just enough to get by, taking the cash as they go.

Sadly both the coaching staff and players have to be abused before they put in the effort. As a group they are largely happy doing just enough to get by, taking the cash as they go.

We put it in in the supposed harder games - Blackpool, Peterborough, Barnsley etc. Don’t bother for Cheltenham, Cambridge etc

I’m Warne out …

Easy viewing here in Chicago on itv.com via a VPN. Happy for Warne to live to fight another day. These games are never easy. Have a strange feeling things are about to turn bit like they did 28 years ago when Igor joined us this time of year. It’s a very strange feeling because the centre midfield is still powderpuff and we rely on goals from wingers. Need to get to Jan quickly and hope we haven’t lost any further ground.

If Warne or any other loser was running Clowes property business, and performing like this, would he sack them ? You bet he would.

As a very bare minimum, one mobile striker and a midfielder with bite who is also capable of getting forward. Then on top of that, we will need replacements for Bird, Hourihane, Collins if they leave. We can cover for Cashin as Forsyth/Nyambe can move to CB and we have Elder, Ward, Wilson as FB. But we must keep Nyambe.
Hoping Bird stays because he should be the best player in this division and is capable of being the best player in the Championship if allowed to play his own game and plays at a high tempo where one touch is much easier. Still time for a top 2 finish and that should be the aim. But we will need Bird at his best.

So without doubt the squad is capable of performances based on tempo and movement. We have enough evidence of that, certainly warded off the evil spirits tonight. No matter that Northampton are crap, so is virtually every other team in L1. Putting pace on the ball exposes our quality edge. What we need now is consistency, home and away. Helps if the same line up is selected, I’d certainly stick with this back 4.