Fleetwood Home Sat 18th March 3.00pm

[kevinhectoring]

3 hours ago, sage said:

One thing that no one seems to be talking about is...our pressing.

We've practically stopped doing it and it's making the rest of our game out of sync.

Since the tiredness became really apparent, we are conceding 2 goals a game on average.

We won't stay in the top 6 if that continues.

To press or not to press? We can win either way. What damages us is a disorganised half press - it’s hard work and needs a bad defensive or keeper error for it to do you any good at all. And many teams in this league counter our press by going long and keeping possession by muscling our youngsters off the ball 

[Guest]

2 hours ago, Jimbo Ram said:

What do you think has changed then from the tactics and team selection during our 16 game unbeaten run ?

I don't think a lot has changed around tactics and selection. But the age of the squad means it has tired in the face of the high energy game. Warne spoke about that on day one. Could he have been more cautious around the physical demands he has put on the players at his disposal in developing a style to suit them? I think so but who knows if it would have brought about better or worse results overall? If the high energy game is essential to he way he wants to play, we will be in a better position to make judgement this time next year when we know the fruits of his summer transfer deals.

Another thing is that during the unbeaten run, the opposition was overall easier than what we have faced since it ended.

[G STAR RAM]

1 hour ago, WestStandStartTheBounce said:

What mid-season form. I must have missed that. He really offers nothing and yet somehow gets selected every game. How he lasted the 90 minutes I don't know. His position, anticipation and runs are all over the shop. 

The mid season where he scored 7 goals in 11 games is I assume what the poster is referring to.

[G STAR RAM]

57 minutes ago, Ian Buxton's Bat said:

I'm a Warne fan and but he got it horribly wrong on Saturday and chickened out of putting it right until too late.

Very much had the Wembley Way feeling when I saw the line-up and who was on the bench.

Curtis has too much credit in the bank to be criticised - the question is whether he should now be picked and, if he does get picked, how it affects the play. It appears that if Curtis plays, there is a no passing through midfield policy applied so we go wide and/or long. Who do you pick to get on the end of lumpball.......a striker who wins headers and can hold it up (DM) or one who doesn't (JC)?

Bird didn't touch the ball for 20 mins and Hourihane had scraps.

My wife asked for a prediction pre-match and I said Springett would get hooked after 60 mins having contributed nothing. Springett should be nowhere near our first 11. It's not his fault he's picked but we essentially started with 10 players and elected to play with about 6 of them.

The coaches were deliberating making changes from about 25 mins and jibbed until 43 mins - should have been before their second goal. Hourihane is one of our best players - if we choose to involve him in the game. Didn't deserve hooking IMO.

Yes, some other players had stinkers but this was Warne's fault. I hope he shares the blame after he's had time to reflect rather than losing the dressing room......where he now has some bridges to build.

Pick the right team and involve the better players in the play and play-offs aren't a problem. COYR

Hourihane is one of our best players on paper, unfortunately football isn't played on paper. Been a huge disappointment and doesn't warrant a starting position in my opinion.

[Ian Buxton's Bat]

Hourihane is one of our best players when football is played on the deck with our players passing to him.

Partially agree.....Doesn't warrant a starting position if his job is solely to win 2nd balls at chest height from defensive headers that opposition defenders have won from our long punts up field. Can't think he enjoys it much.

[nottingram]

11 minutes ago, G STAR RAM said:

Hourihane is one of our best players on paper, unfortunately football isn't played on paper. Been a huge disappointment and doesn't warrant a starting position in my opinion.

Think he is different to what I and probably many expected but I think it’s a big call to say someone with 16 goals / assists doesn’t warrant a starting position. Highest contributing central midfielder in the league, with Adam Phillips and Barry Bannan next with 13. He would basically have to be a complete and utter liability defensively to not justify a starting spot, which he isn’t. 

Goals and assists not everything I know but the other of our more advanced regular starting central midfielders has 5 which is one behind one of Burton Albion’s centre backs. I like Knight a lot but you leave a lot of productivity behind if you start thinking about taking out Hourihane.

[angieram]

1 hour ago, Ian Buxton's Bat said:

I'm a Warne fan and but he got it horribly wrong on Saturday and chickened out of putting it right until too late.

Very much had the Wembley Way feeling when I saw the line-up and who was on the bench.

Curtis has too much credit in the bank to be criticised - the question is whether he should now be picked and, if he does get picked, how it affects the play. It appears that if Curtis plays, there is a no passing through midfield policy applied so we go wide and/or long. Who do you pick to get on the end of lumpball.......a striker who wins headers and can hold it up (DM) or one who doesn't (JC)?

Bird didn't touch the ball for 20 mins and Hourihane had scraps.

My wife asked for a prediction pre-match and I said Springett would get hooked after 60 mins having contributed nothing. Springett should be nowhere near our first 11. It's not his fault he's picked but we essentially started with 10 players and elected to play with about 6 of them.

The coaches were deliberating making changes from about 25 mins and jibbed until 43 mins - should have been before their second goal. Hourihane is one of our best players - if we choose to involve him in the game. Didn't deserve hooking IMO.

Yes, some other players had stinkers but this was Warne's fault. I hope he shares the blame after he's had time to reflect rather than losing the dressing room......where he now has some bridges to build.

Pick the right team and involve the better players in the play and play-offs aren't a problem. COYR

You say Hourihane didn't deserve hooking but he wasn't involved in the game at all. He has been exempt from substitution in many previous games where his contribution has been lacking.

I think Hourihane plays well further forward but offers little in protection of the defence. 

As long as Warne is setting us up this way, Hourihane will struggle. 

I'd prefer it if Warne went back to playing to his strengths  rather than his weaknesses. But I could say that about multiple players the way we are set up at the moment.

[Jimbo Ram]

1 hour ago, Brailsford Ram said:

I don't think a lot has changed around tactics and selection. But the age of the squad means it has tired in the face of the high energy game. Warne spoke about that on day one. Could he have been more cautious around the physical demands he has put on the players at his disposal in developing a style to suit them? I think so but who knows if it would have brought about better or worse results overall? If the high energy game is essential to he way he wants to play, we will be in a better position to make judgement this time next year when we know the fruits of his summer transfer deals.

Another thing is that during the unbeaten run, the opposition was overall easier than what we have faced since it ended.

But we have a good mix of ages don’t we, youngsters like Cashin, Rooney, Roberts, Bird, Knight, Sibbo and the Dobster alongside the oldies….not sure the old squad argument is quite right…

[duncanjwitham]

7 minutes ago, Jimbo Ram said:

But we have a good mix of ages don’t we, youngsters like Cashin, Rooney, Roberts, Bird, Knight, Sibbo and the Dobster alongside the oldies….not sure the old squad argument is quite right…

A lot of the youngsters aren't used to the pace of senior football though - it's a big step up from the U21s to playing 2 games a week in the first team, especially in a rough and tumble league like this one.  Bird and Knight should be used to it, but Cashin hadn't played a single senior game until January last year and Sibley's probably played more games this season than he has in any other.  And I'm not sure any of Dobbin, Roberts, Rooney etc had any kind of regular first team exposure before coming here.

[Guest]

18 minutes ago, Jimbo Ram said:

But we have a good mix of ages don’t we, youngsters like Cashin, Rooney, Roberts, Bird, Knight, Sibbo and the Dobster alongside the oldies….not sure the old squad argument is quite right…

The youngsters you have mentioned but the rest are all over 30. Only Wildsmith is in the 22 to 30 age group. Warne has referred to this imbalance since his first press conference and has emphasised the necessity of players with strength from that age group to maximise the benefit of the high energy performance. I thought that most supporters recognised that as a weakness in the system that we are playing.

[MadAmster]

The last few posts have mirrored something Warne said when he came and somethong that was obvious from the stat of the season. Namely, we have a ruck of U22s and a ruck of O30s. We have a 2nd choice keeper who falls in between the two. It's those 23 to 29 years olds we're missing. Hopefully get a few in this summer.

[CornwallRam]

The problem on Saturday looked to stem from Curtis to me. He was leading the defensive line and we were a 15 yards deeper than normal. The midfield also dropped, which left the 3 in no man's land and Collins isolated.  We were too deep to press effectively so gifted them possession. 

It also meant we had to go long and that failed because they had a huge height advantage. We should go back to Smith, Fozzy, Cashin and Sibley as the back 4. The rest will then fall back into place.

[angieram]

24 minutes ago, CornwallRam said:

The problem on Saturday looked to stem from Curtis to me. He was leading the defensive line and we were a 15 yards deeper than normal. The midfield also dropped, which left the 3 in no man's land and Collins isolated.  We were too deep to press effectively so gifted them possession. 

It also meant we had to go long and that failed because they had a huge height advantage. We should go back to Smith, Fozzy, Cashin and Sibley as the back 4. The rest will then fall back into place.

Or three of those and Roberts. Allows Sibley to play further forward with McGoldrick. Please.

[Jimbo Ram]

39 minutes ago, Brailsford Ram said:

The youngsters you have mentioned but the rest are all over 30. Only Wildsmith is in the 22 to 30 age group. Warne has referred to this imbalance since his first press conference and has emphasised the necessity of players with strength from that age group to maximise the benefit of the high energy performance. I thought that most supporters recognised that as a weakness in the system that we are playing.

But half the team are around 22-24, I really don’t see that as the problem. I think it is a thin squad with not enough players to enable us to replace like with like and many are fatigued playing 3 games each week.

[jimtastic56]

42 minutes ago, CornwallRam said:

The problem on Saturday looked to stem from Curtis to me. He was leading the defensive line and we were a 15 yards deeper than normal. The midfield also dropped, which left the 3 in no man's land and Collins isolated.  We were too deep to press effectively so gifted them possession. 

It also meant we had to go long and that failed because they had a huge height advantage. We should go back to Smith, Fozzy, Cashin and Sibley as the back 4. The rest will then fall back into place.

Sorry to disagree with you , but I think the problems started with Smith drifting into c/mid and not helping Curtis. The players and Warne are getting to know each other now and the “New manager bounce “has come to an end. Things are getting gradually worse and won’t improve till Warne brings his own players in. Things will not fall back into place so easy.

[Wolfie20]

12 minutes ago, Jimbo Ram said:

But half the team are around 22-24

Really? Of the 10 outfield players who started and those on the bench (16 in total), only Bird and Knight are in the 22-24 age group and Barkhuizen the only one under 30, apart from those under 22. 

5 of the outfield players who started the match had an average age of over 33 so I tend to agree that our squad, probably more than any other in League One, shows a distinct lack of players in the 24-28 age bracket where stamina may currently be the missing ingredient. Having said that, any players we bring in any future transfer window don't have to just be within that age group, they need to be good players capable of fitting in with Warne's preferred system- whatever that might be.

[Jimbo Ram]

1 minute ago, Wolfie20 said:

Really? Of the 10 outfield players who started and those on the bench (16 in total), only Bird and Knight are in the 22-24 age group and Barkhuizen the only one under 30, apart from those under 22. 

5 of the outfield players who started the match had an average age of over 33 so I tend to agree that our squad, probably more than any other in League One, shows a distinct lack of players in the 24-28 age bracket where stamina may currently be the missing ingredient. Having said that, any players we bring in any future transfer window don't have to just be within that age group, they need to be good players capable of fitting in with Warne's preferred system- whatever that might be.

The point I was trying to make is that talk of an ageing squad isn’t quite right is it. I am not overly bothered if a player is 21,22,23 or 24, in my view Rooney, Roberts, Cashin, Knight, Bird, Sibley, White and Dobbin are all decent players and have older, more experienced players around them to help with their development. I stand by my point that it’s the limited depth of the squad that is the problem, with many fatigued now, not their ages. They did ok during the 16 game unbeaten run.

[Miggins]

6 hours ago, OUTSIDER said:

Grandson took this after the game.

Let's hope it's a sign!

Lovely photo. How often does a moment like that come along? ?

[Alty_Ram]

Perhaps understandably there's a lot being made of squad size and fatigue but lets be honest here, we were making absolutely basic errors pretty much from kickoff. We didn't run out of steam and fade as we have had a tendency to do recently. Regardless of how much fatigue may play a part in our run-in, that was simply woeful from the off.

[CornwallRam]

58 minutes ago, angieram said:

Or three of those and Roberts. Allows Sibley to play further forward with McGoldrick. Please.

I think Sibley is better at left back. He's an adequate defender, but offers a lot to the attack. I also think that McGoldrick and Knight are better 10s than Sibley. 

Roberts is a better defender than Sibley, but more static. That invites pressure down that side and makes us disjointed. I think the defence as a whole is better with Sibley,  although he will get 'done' on occasions where Roberts wouldn't, but it's the whole 'attack is the best form of defence ' thing.