Ghost of Clough

Over the past 5 weeks, he has 2 goals and 2 assists from the 5 games he started.
See my post from last night.
He started 4 games in a row (2 goals and an assist), yet HE'S the problem (!!!) so needs to be brought off at half time shortly after assisting our equaliser - we failed to score in the 2nd half. Dropped to the bench in the following game and not even used. 2 more assists in the following 75 minutes on the pitch (spread over 3 games), but he'll no doubt be back on the bench against Bristol.
Sibley has to play well every game, or he is subbed off and dropped the first time he 'plays badly'. Thompson can play well every game but still won't start unless we have an injury crisis. Hourihane and Smith can be poor in several consecutive games but still start next week.

Scores one and assists one v Wolves U21.
Three Nil up v Barnsley and doesn't bring him on.
Playing Crewe  at home in the cup, we are behind, doesn't bring him on.
 
The worst part is, it surprised no one.  

Over the past 5 weeks, he has 2 goals and 2 assists from the 5 games he started.
See my post from last night.
He started 4 games in a row (2 goals and an assist), yet HE'S the problem (!!!) so needs to be brought off at half time shortly after assisting our equaliser - we failed to score in the 2nd half. Dropped to the bench in the following game and not even used. 2 more assists in the following 75 minutes on the pitch (spread over 3 games), but he'll no doubt be back on the bench against Bristol.
Sibley has to play well every game, or he is subbed off and dropped the first time he 'plays badly'. Thompson can play well every game but still won't start unless we have an injury crisis. Hourihane and Smith can be poor in several consecutive games but still start next week.

I see it differently.
I sensed a whole club mentality after the Wolves game. We had two ideal opportunities since to build on that. Particularly Weston. Think how good he felt after the Wolves match. We could easily have given him the last 15 -20 against Barnsley. Then last night, none of those senior players could have any complaints if they got subbed for a youngster. At 3-1 the game was perfectly set for a cup hero, no real pressue, just go out and see if you can get us back in. But no. All that good from the Wolves game wasted. That fire and desire in Weston dampened as he sits and watches players going through the motions. I imagine he feels somewhat deflated.
It just cements my opinion that Warne is not a risk taker and he sees anyone under 21/20 as a risk, with very little trust. For a club with an academy that we have done a lot of work to get back in shape it concerns me greatly.

Our style of play relies on set pieces or the opposition giving us space to play in. Once we get a goal, the opposition leave more gaps at the back which allows us to hit them on the break and give us 1 on 1 situations
We struggle against the sides who make the middle of the pitch compact and get back into defence quickly. If we concede first, it just makes the task harder as the opposition sit deeper and deeper.
Why do we struggle against those compact defences?  Simply put, the players resort to crosses - from an inability to create through the middle and down to manager instructions. The manager takes most of the blame for that as he chooses the team. He consistently chooses the least creative midfield possible (one of which relies heavily on crossing the ball as a form of creating chances), and the way the full backs and wide attackers are set up means we have 4 players in wide positions who would rather cross the ball than play passes into the middle of the pitch.
Looking at our central players (starts only), Fornah, Hourihane and Smith combined are creating fewer non-cross open play chances per 90 than Bird. Thompson marginally leads the list, with Sibley in 3rd. Since Thompson is injured (and unlikely to play much under Warne), and Sibley preferred on the wing (if at all), we rely heavily on Bird to create against those more compact sides. Crowd Bird out of the game and the crosses are inevitable.

Our style of play relies on set pieces or the opposition giving us space to play in. Once we get a goal, the opposition leave more gaps at the back which allows us to hit them on the break and give us 1 on 1 situations
We struggle against the sides who make the middle of the pitch compact and get back into defence quickly. If we concede first, it just makes the task harder as the opposition sit deeper and deeper.
Why do we struggle against those compact defences?  Simply put, the players resort to crosses - from an inability to create through the middle and down to manager instructions. The manager takes most of the blame for that as he chooses the team. He consistently chooses the least creative midfield possible (one of which relies heavily on crossing the ball as a form of creating chances), and the way the full backs and wide attackers are set up means we have 4 players in wide positions who would rather cross the ball than play passes into the middle of the pitch.
Looking at our central players (starts only), Fornah, Hourihane and Smith combined are creating fewer non-cross open play chances per 90 than Bird. Thompson marginally leads the list, with Sibley in 3rd. Since Thompson is injured (and unlikely to play much under Warne), and Sibley preferred on the wing (if at all), we rely heavily on Bird to create against those more compact sides. Crowd Bird out of the game and the crosses are inevitable.

Our style of play relies on set pieces or the opposition giving us space to play in. Once we get a goal, the opposition leave more gaps at the back which allows us to hit them on the break and give us 1 on 1 situations
We struggle against the sides who make the middle of the pitch compact and get back into defence quickly. If we concede first, it just makes the task harder as the opposition sit deeper and deeper.
Why do we struggle against those compact defences?  Simply put, the players resort to crosses - from an inability to create through the middle and down to manager instructions. The manager takes most of the blame for that as he chooses the team. He consistently chooses the least creative midfield possible (one of which relies heavily on crossing the ball as a form of creating chances), and the way the full backs and wide attackers are set up means we have 4 players in wide positions who would rather cross the ball than play passes into the middle of the pitch.
Looking at our central players (starts only), Fornah, Hourihane and Smith combined are creating fewer non-cross open play chances per 90 than Bird. Thompson marginally leads the list, with Sibley in 3rd. Since Thompson is injured (and unlikely to play much under Warne), and Sibley preferred on the wing (if at all), we rely heavily on Bird to create against those more compact sides. Crowd Bird out of the game and the crosses are inevitable.

Our style of play relies on set pieces or the opposition giving us space to play in. Once we get a goal, the opposition leave more gaps at the back which allows us to hit them on the break and give us 1 on 1 situations
We struggle against the sides who make the middle of the pitch compact and get back into defence quickly. If we concede first, it just makes the task harder as the opposition sit deeper and deeper.
Why do we struggle against those compact defences?  Simply put, the players resort to crosses - from an inability to create through the middle and down to manager instructions. The manager takes most of the blame for that as he chooses the team. He consistently chooses the least creative midfield possible (one of which relies heavily on crossing the ball as a form of creating chances), and the way the full backs and wide attackers are set up means we have 4 players in wide positions who would rather cross the ball than play passes into the middle of the pitch.
Looking at our central players (starts only), Fornah, Hourihane and Smith combined are creating fewer non-cross open play chances per 90 than Bird. Thompson marginally leads the list, with Sibley in 3rd. Since Thompson is injured (and unlikely to play much under Warne), and Sibley preferred on the wing (if at all), we rely heavily on Bird to create against those more compact sides. Crowd Bird out of the game and the crosses are inevitable.

The way I see it, we're quite effective when teams come at us, try to play a bit etc.  But we look clueless when teams set out to stop us playing and nick something.  If teams are just sitting in a low block, or maybe sitting someone on our DM to stop us playing out, we have no game-plan at all, we just keep lumping crosses into a brick wall.
Barnsley, Exeter and Northampton all, to varying degrees, tried to play against us and we picked them off.  Games like Shrewsbury, Stevenage etc, where they've set out to stop us, we've struggled.  From what Radio Derby were saying last night, it sounds like it started like a fairly open game (e.g. our first goal), but as the game went on and Crewe got the lead, Crewe sat deeper and deeper and just soaked everything up, and that's why our second half was so much worse than the first.
Those open games let our better players shine through, they get more time on the ball, more space to actually play. And the stuff that Warne wants us to doing actually has an effect.  We can press high and win it back when they play out from the back.  We can get it wide quickly and get crosses in because the game is more stretched, so more room to cross, more likely to be players running free in the box etc.  In those tight games, the stuff we're setting out to do is completely ineffective, because teams don't even try to play into our press, and they double up on our wingers, and pack their own box etc.  So our better players get stifled and the managers tactics don't do anything to actually effect the game either.

Is this in the wrong thread?  I’m going for FA Cup 1st round v Hartlepool.  Lost 2-1.  1984 if I remember correctly.

Our style of play relies on set pieces or the opposition giving us space to play in. Once we get a goal, the opposition leave more gaps at the back which allows us to hit them on the break and give us 1 on 1 situations
We struggle against the sides who make the middle of the pitch compact and get back into defence quickly. If we concede first, it just makes the task harder as the opposition sit deeper and deeper.
Why do we struggle against those compact defences?  Simply put, the players resort to crosses - from an inability to create through the middle and down to manager instructions. The manager takes most of the blame for that as he chooses the team. He consistently chooses the least creative midfield possible (one of which relies heavily on crossing the ball as a form of creating chances), and the way the full backs and wide attackers are set up means we have 4 players in wide positions who would rather cross the ball than play passes into the middle of the pitch.
Looking at our central players (starts only), Fornah, Hourihane and Smith combined are creating fewer non-cross open play chances per 90 than Bird. Thompson marginally leads the list, with Sibley in 3rd. Since Thompson is injured (and unlikely to play much under Warne), and Sibley preferred on the wing (if at all), we rely heavily on Bird to create against those more compact sides. Crowd Bird out of the game and the crosses are inevitable.

Worn the armband at every club he's been at for at least 1 game, including an extended run when at Oxford - may have been vice captain? He also became Plymouth's youngest captain in 50 years (when 19).

The captain debate is a boring one, an armband doesn't make you shout, scream, organise or anything any differently than you would anyway. If you're a leader, if you're vocal, then that's what you do regardless. Now it's certainly possible that we don't really have that type of player in the squad, other than maybe Bradley who can't really play football anymore.
There is a debate that the main problem in the team right now is not even James Collins anymore, it's the insistence on playing Korey Smith and Conor Hourihane together. Neither of them have the legs anymore, they don't cover enough ground, they don't close down with any intent, when they're bypassed they can't get back, they don't move off the ball to make angles for passes... At the moment, Hourihane is in the team as he's slightly more creative, particularly from dead balls, but I have zero idea why Smith is as well when Fornah is sat on the bench. It makes literally no sense. Until we stop this, we will have these inconsistent dud performances where teams with more athleticism and stamina outwork us.

This is a cracking copy paste job from one your fave bookmarked websites.

Spot on. Bird was heavily marked from the first whistle. Smith and Hourihane had the space but both failed to capitalise on it, one because he couldn't be arsed and one because he doesn't know how. 
Interesting how low everyone is marking Sibley because he assisted the first goal and continued to try to play the ball into the box along the ground. Admittedly he was under pressure doing this and the balls weren'tquite getting through, but the high crosses were so ineffective, that we needed Bird and Sibley to continue to try and unlock the defence by other means. Collins had no service to feet all game and he's never going to win headers in a crowded box.
I'd at least have brought Weston on for Sibley, rather than another crosser of the ball in Ward. 
Disappointing that Warne didn't think of this before the game. 
But I'd rather we lost last night than on Saturday.

Our style of play relies on set pieces or the opposition giving us space to play in. Once we get a goal, the opposition leave more gaps at the back which allows us to hit them on the break and give us 1 on 1 situations
We struggle against the sides who make the middle of the pitch compact and get back into defence quickly. If we concede first, it just makes the task harder as the opposition sit deeper and deeper.
Why do we struggle against those compact defences?  Simply put, the players resort to crosses - from an inability to create through the middle and down to manager instructions. The manager takes most of the blame for that as he chooses the team. He consistently chooses the least creative midfield possible (one of which relies heavily on crossing the ball as a form of creating chances), and the way the full backs and wide attackers are set up means we have 4 players in wide positions who would rather cross the ball than play passes into the middle of the pitch.
Looking at our central players (starts only), Fornah, Hourihane and Smith combined are creating fewer non-cross open play chances per 90 than Bird. Thompson marginally leads the list, with Sibley in 3rd. Since Thompson is injured (and unlikely to play much under Warne), and Sibley preferred on the wing (if at all), we rely heavily on Bird to create against those more compact sides. Crowd Bird out of the game and the crosses are inevitable.

Notts County - 90 mins played (mostly on the wings), 2 goals
Shrewsbury - 90 mins played (RW)
Exeter - 71 mins (AM)
Stevenage - 45 mins (AM), 1 assist
Northampton - not used
Crewe - 11 mins (AM), 1 assist
Barnsley - 5 mins (CF)
Crewe - 59 mins (RW), 1 assist
 
That's 2 goals and 3 assists in just 371 minutes over the past 5 weeks.

If you set out to make “get it wide and cross it” your only strategy to win game, then start 2 wingers who aren’t remotely “hit the byline and cross it” types, and have Collins as the only guy getting in the box, you aren’t going to win many games. That’s not really the players fault.

Notts County - 90 mins played (mostly on the wings), 2 goals
Shrewsbury - 90 mins played (RW)
Exeter - 71 mins (AM)
Stevenage - 45 mins (AM), 1 assist
Northampton - not used
Crewe - 11 mins (AM), 1 assist
Barnsley - 5 mins (CF)
Crewe - 59 mins (RW), 1 assist
 
That's 2 goals and 3 assists in just 371 minutes over the past 5 weeks.

Notts County - 90 mins played (mostly on the wings), 2 goals
Shrewsbury - 90 mins played (RW)
Exeter - 71 mins (AM)
Stevenage - 45 mins (AM), 1 assist
Northampton - not used
Crewe - 11 mins (AM), 1 assist
Barnsley - 5 mins (CF)
Crewe - 59 mins (RW), 1 assist
 
That's 2 goals and 3 assists in just 371 minutes over the past 5 weeks.

Notts County - 90 mins played (mostly on the wings), 2 goals
Shrewsbury - 90 mins played (RW)
Exeter - 71 mins (AM)
Stevenage - 45 mins (AM), 1 assist
Northampton - not used
Crewe - 11 mins (AM), 1 assist
Barnsley - 5 mins (CF)
Crewe - 59 mins (RW), 1 assist
 
That's 2 goals and 3 assists in just 371 minutes over the past 5 weeks.

Notts County - 90 mins played (mostly on the wings), 2 goals
Shrewsbury - 90 mins played (RW)
Exeter - 71 mins (AM)
Stevenage - 45 mins (AM), 1 assist
Northampton - not used
Crewe - 11 mins (AM), 1 assist
Barnsley - 5 mins (CF)
Crewe - 59 mins (RW), 1 assist
 
That's 2 goals and 3 assists in just 371 minutes over the past 5 weeks.

What? He scores goals. He got 10 minutes on Saturday and hit the bar from maybe two passes to him. What the hell is he meant to do? Hoping for the best? We have a manager who doesn't want to play football through the middle. Get it out wide and cross it.
RD saying Bird frustrated, another footballer who will be going soon. No surprise.

About 120 minutes in total. Got 1 assist too before dropping to the bench.

About 120 minutes in total. Got 1 assist too before dropping to the bench.