v Wigan (H) Match Thread

[Matchday Fred]

Warne needs to understand that pressing doesn’t work unless everyone does it well. And with Bird and Hourihane in the midfield, there are too many (physically) weak links. Once you strip Warne of the silly hats and chummy schoolboys quips, I wonder what is left. The season started today, not when the loan window ends.

[bcnram]

22 minutes ago, inter politics said:

Nothing wrong with wanting to press and play with high energy if you have the players for that..

There lies the problem!

[CornwallRam]

18 minutes ago, Matchday Fred said:

Warne needs to understand that pressing doesn’t work unless everyone does it well. And with Bird and Hourihane in the midfield, there are too many (physically) weak links. Once you strip Warne of the silly hats and chummy schoolboys quips, I wonder what is left. The season started today, not when the loan window ends.

A manager with 3 promotions from this division. 

[MACKWORTHRAM]

57 minutes ago, Chester40 said:

Brilliant first post. Really well put and totally agree. 

Think we were unlucky and not too concerned yet. My main gripe was the midfield.  Hourihane is so sluggish at times, Bird really frustrates me  just doesn't do enough and is too safe. Smith is fine but not creative in any way and with NML lost in the 10 role there is a huge gap in the middle of the park. Tactically it looked very poor at times.

 

Agree with this. I was so disappointed in Bird today.

I openly criticised him last season. Felt he didn't offer anything, didn't contribute and you watch him play for 90 minutes and you don't know what he's done. He scored once last season which happened to be a worldie. But for a player some of our fans think is worth £3 million and capable of playing in the Championship. I expected a lot more.

Gave him a clean slate and was really impressed with him in pre season (I know it's pre season but you can only judge what's infront if you) I thought he looked lean, fit and like he had come back with a new purpose.

But today it was the Bird of last season. There were times he didn't look interested. Half heartedly closing people down. I don't know if I'm seeing something that's not there. But to me it seems like he's pretty disappointed that we haven't let him leave. (I can't remember who said it on here but in the Hull paper they said the words from Birds camp was he is keen to come to Hull. One poster rightly pointed out this would have come from him or his agent). If we could sign two midfielders who would contribute more in terms of goals etc I would happily let Bird leave. But we literally have nothing else. 

Today just confirmed to me what I already knew and what Warne will know. We're short. That midfield isn't right. I don't think we'll get one. But we need an enforcer. The one CDM who just sits there to allow Hourihane and another creative midfielder to get forward. We're crying out for it in my opinion. If we sold Bird I'd take Woods and hopefully then sign another midfielder who can chip in. 

I thought Collins was ok today. Hold up play was good. But again it was Collins of last season. Towards the end of the game he's in the left wing back spot. Just stay in the box. Ward whipped some lovely balls in that a centre forward should be getting on the end of.

I actually thought we were lucky not to be 3 down at half time. They were clean through again just after they scored and I'm not sure how their lad missed that header. 

But for all their play. Our mistakes gave them both of their goals.

I've seen people mention we don't have the personnel to play 352. I agree in part. I think the 3 at the back are fine. Wing backs are fine. But we haven't got the midfield or attacking options to suit it. Which I know Warne is keen to address.

I'm hoping we bring another 3 in on top of Waghorn to be honest. But time will tell.

 

[Ram-Alf]

25 minutes ago, Matchday Fred said:

Warne needs to understand that pressing doesn’t work unless everyone does it well. And with Bird and Hourihane in the midfield, there are too many (physically) weak links. Once you strip Warne of the silly hats and chummy schoolboys quips, I wonder what is left. The season started today, not when the loan window ends.

Yeh it was a bugger that our giant Centre Half and dependable keeper gifted them their 2 goals, I was saying to my mate before kick off...I bet Bradley and Wildsmith make mistakes and cost us the game 😁

[Sidd10]

Not read much of the thread. My two pence worth is that the formation just doesn’t work. 
 

We need 2 strikers. NML isn’t good enough to play in the middle of the pitch. bird isn’t good enough to play that high. 
 

We desperately need a number 10 who can talk the ball on the half turn between the lines. 
 

Think too 6 will be a good finish 

[Jayram]

1 hour ago, The Last Post said:

Pop over to the Waghorn thread, I said fans will decide DCs tenure next season, Oooops looks to be a year to early, Coming out of the ground all I heard was Warne out, Fans are fickle/entitled and think they know best...one game in and the knives are out.

It takes time...but it looks as tho the clock is ticking already FFS 🙄

It was a disappointing result at home on the first day of a season with some of the same failings as before being seen, so it’s hardly surprising there is some disquiet. It been painfully obvious we need more creativity in midfield and other options up front but this still hasn’t been addressed for whatever reason. That said I don’t think DC will be bothered by a few fans venting no more than PW. 

[jono]

1 hour ago, Tamworthram said:

Good reply and I agree with your points. 
 

I’m certain we’ll improve and win far more games than we’ll lose (as others have said, I’m not sure we’re giving Wigan quite the credit they deserve) but I was also a little concerned with how easily we were opened up by a speedy defence. 

My Nephew has seen Bradley play in countless games. He says he’s a rock but has his flaws when against pace, and that s nothing to do with age. It’s just part of his makeup. He’ll read a danger, block on the line, be a brick wall, score from a set piece etc etc … but there are parts of his game with “gaps” which I guess is why he isn’t in their prem campaign. ? 

[duncanjwitham]

9 minutes ago, MACKWORTHRAM said:

I've seen people mention we don't have the personnel to play 352. I agree in part. I think the 3 at the back are fine. Wing backs are fine.

I’m not even sure that’s true. Cashin spent most of the game dealing with pacy wingers running at him, and making overlapping runs to cross, none of which is remotely in his skill set.  And I’m not convinced Ward is really a wingback either, they got numerous crosses in from his side, including the one for the second goal. 

[simmoram1995]

4 minutes ago, Sidd10 said:

Not read much of the thread. My two pence worth is that the formation just doesn’t work. 
 

We need 2 strikers. NML isn’t good enough to play in the middle of the pitch. bird isn’t good enough to play that high. 
 

We desperately need a number 10 who can talk the ball on the half turn between the lines. 
 

Think too 6 will be a good finish 

I hate it when a manager tries to create a formation for players that don’t fit it.

for me it should be 4-3-3 or 4-4-2

Wildsmith

wilson Bradley cashin Forsyth 

Sibley  bird hourihane 

Ward Washington NML 
 

Vickers 

Wilson  Nelson cashin  elder 

 

Ward Hourihane Bird NML 

washington + Collins 

 

 

 

[Tamworthram]

Perhaps already discussed (I haven't gone through the whole thread) but regarding the new rules, I wonder why their keeper was frequently allowed to ignore the spare ball and retreive the existing one to take goal kicks? Also, why were their players allowed to take an absolute age to celebrate their goals before strolling back for the restart? Especially the second goal when they all went to the corner that wasn't even in front of their fans. I know the fourth official adds time on for each goal but possibly not enough to allow for such shenanigans. 

This isn't sour grapes and I'm sure there will be time when Derby do it but it really should be stamped out.

 

Also, whilst I'm still in grumpy old man mode, is it just me or was the prematch music even louder than usual? 🙉

Edited August 5, 2023 by Tamworthram

[hintonsboots]

I expect DC will feel exactly the same as the rest of us after losing our first game of the season. As well as owning the club he’s spent decades on the terraces and that is where he differs from Mel, along with the fiscal prudence. If you spoke to him tonight he’d say we need pace upfront, a No 10 and somebody in midfield like George Williams. It will be sorted.

[CapeTownRams]

15 minutes ago, duncanjwitham said:

I’m not even sure that’s true. Cashin spent most of the game dealing with pacy wingers running at him, and making overlapping runs to cross, none of which is remotely in his skill set.  And I’m not convinced Ward is really a wingback either, they got numerous crosses in from his side, including the one for the second goal. 

PW loves his back three. I think we were at our best last season playing a back four. The three works but I need an energetic and forceful centre midfield - which we just don’t have right now- the opposition runs through us too easily .

Early days and just one game . 

[kevinhectoring]

5 hours ago, Caerphilly Ram said:

The new rules I guess. All stoppages are properly added up and added on this season, or something like that anyway

yes and it means ample timely substitutions are important to avoid fatigue and injury  

 

[Anag Ram]

One of the things I noticed today was how half-hearted the half-time sub warm-up looked. 

Like a Sunday morning team. Walking around, tapping the ball to each other absent-mindedly. No one looked desperate to get on today. Thought it was odd that Wilson warmed up, stripped off ready to come on, then we conceded the second ( thus making improvement more important) and he got changed and stayed off. 

The substitutions were too late today. I’d have taken Bradley off(Cashin is the best footballer of the three), Hourihane was shattered, and Collins dropped deeper and deeper, thus leaving no one in the opposition box for crosses.

Appreciate Elder and Washington have been injured but neither set the pulse racing in their brief time on the pitch. Let’s hope they can establish some sort of presence.

Ward got some nice crosses in and Wilson briefly shone with some nice footwork but then had more failures than successes. The recruitment to date isn’t looking great but I’ll give it a few weeks before I write them off. 

Everyone at the club was saying that pre-season was great, morale was great, very exciting times etc. Today looked like the last game of a pub football tour.

Some home truths needed in the changing-room.

 

[CapeTownRams]

1 hour ago, Chester40 said:

Brilliant first post. Really well put and totally agree. 

Think we were unlucky and not too concerned yet. My main gripe was the midfield.  Hourihane is so sluggish at times, Bird really frustrates me  just doesn't do enough and is too safe. Smith is fine but not creative in any way and with NML lost in the 10 role there is a huge gap in the middle of the park. Tactically it looked very poor at times.

 

Cashin was his imperious self when playing next to Fozzy in a back four. I haven’t seen him reach those heights since we changed formation and centre backs if I’m honest. 

[Will Hughes Hair]

Just now, kevinhectoring said:

yes and it means ample timely substitutions are important to avoid fatigue and injury  

 

Which didn’t happen much last season either.  Still, small squads are definitely the way to combat this I hear.

[The_Sheriff]

Too many people on here talking **** . We lost due to individual errors.  Warne has 3 promotions playing this system. We played ok today its one game

 

Relax we will go up

[BuckoBeast]

I love the new pint cups 🍻 

[Topram]

8 minutes ago, The_Sheriff said:

Too many people on here talking **** . We lost due to individual errors.  Warne has 3 promotions playing this system. We played ok today its one game

 

Relax we will go up

Well said