Blades v Swindon - Match Highlights

[Pinchy]

Probably the best team goal I've seen us score in years. Beautiful to watch. Brilliant build-up with crisp patient passing, some slick skill, with our lethal right-wingback somehow ghosting in to smash home at the near-post. Class.

I thought it was gash. I should add that I don't know what that means, so I may be wrong. It's just that my knees are a little restless so I thought I'd give them a quick jerk.

 

[1973Blade]

The fifth away game this season (including Grimsby) where we have let two in but still won.

 

[Bladesman]

Watching it again I think the keeper almost laughs himself at one point.

He has to laugh otherwise he would cry.

Good to see us capitalise on their fannying around at the back though.

 

[WhiteHawk]

I haven't watched the video but I'm assuming it doesn't show the whole build up to our second goal. Started in defence and it must have been 20-25 passes with Swindon getting nowhere near the ball, the nearest they got was when Lavery turned the defender before he put the ball in for Freeman. It was fantastic football, absolutely brilliant goal.

 

[BigBed]

2 good goals for them, it's scary that so many goals that we've conceded have been long range efforts and our inconsistencies at closing down really strike a cord! Thank God for the 3 goals they gave us and the brilliant play by Lavery for Freemans effort, bit of polish required before the weekend I think!

 

[Trigger Blade]

Like all good teams, we have another gear in the locker, when needed.

I do like a mixed metaphor

 

[blade67]

If you look at their goals, the defence remains compact until they have to close down. They can't just run off and close the ball when they have a player behind them. They would all need to run out together to keep the line and that is impossible.
Defenders are taught from a very young age to slow the player down in those situations and hope the midfield get back in. Our midfield wasn't anywhere to be seen, so the moment they get to the edge of their own box they will look to close the ball, as that is the time the space behind is limited for the pass. They will gamble that a player will be able to score from there 1 maybe 2 in every ten.
Today they scored, most the time it will miss or be saved.

That sounds right , however we don't tend to give away goals like this when Wright is playing. Does he read it that bit quicker and step out to apply pressure on the ball, or get a teammate to do that or is it coincidence?

I'm not totally sure but the goals against column when he plays is significantly better.

 

[Silent Blade]

That Pep bloke has much to answer for.

Pep got rid of Hart to bring in a Chilean keeper who is "more suited" to play in the "Shitehawking" football and that was a mistake too

 

[Grizzly blade]

That sounds right , however we don't tend to give away goals like this when Wright is playing. Does he read it that bit quicker and step out to apply pressure on the ball, or get a teammate to do that or is it coincidence?

I'm not totally sure but the goals against column when he plays is significantly better.

it could be that he is better organised and will get a grip of midfield as well as the defence, making sure he always has somebody sat covering. It could be that if he had played last night those two chances would still have arrived but he might have closed them down a bit earlier and forced another pass. Its a tough one to call.

For me, the 3 at the back should remain pretty compact across the middle of the pitch and try to force the player to pass wide giving the chance to at least defend a cross. If they don't do that I would look for a shot from distance as the next best option as they are low odds of scoring.
It I agree that we are a whole lot more jittery when Wright is missing.

 

[Grizzly blade]

I've watched again, and for the first Coutts isn't busting a gut to get there. Typical sloppy second half of recent games.
Maybe he's hoping to tempt him into a shot....it was a fair way out. But if I was Wilder I would be saying to him that he has to work harder to get there and reduce his thinking time at least.
But it happens, I'm sure as the ball went in Coutts thought...shit! I could have closed him down quicker. He will hold his hands up I'm sure.

Second....I would say we left it a little too late to close the shooter. Almost that two players sat off and waited for the other for a second...then both tried to block the shot but too late. That is lack of organisation and talking between them, and probably why when we have Wright there we concede less.

 

[mattbianco1]

Swindon have always pissed about at the back. Thing is, they don't have Foderingham and Byrne anymore

 

[Punk Blade]

Two great assists from Swindon players, especially the weight of pass for the first.

 

[gavtheblade]

I like lavery.
A player that's forward thinking,team player,fantastic vision.
Wednesday's loss is our gain.

 

[LoughboroBlade]

Hoping Bergen Blade might do a bit of analysis on the goals conceded, but for me they both come through players running unchallenged through space you would hope Coutts would pick up. I don't want to be too critical on that, as they are still great strikes, but that's what I felt at the time and still think now I've seen them back.

I thought the rest of the game Coutts did very well, and in particular should get a lot of praise for our opening goal – it's his pressing that results in the ball through to Lavery to finish. His work-rate overall last night was really good.

 

[coaxingstar71]

I posted earlier that it was good that we'd scored 4 without Sharp scoring, I've just realised we also put 4 past Swindon at BDTBL and Billy didn't score in that game either. Strangely both Coutts and Lavery scored in both games.

 

[Houso]

I like lavery.
A player that's forward thinking,team player,fantastic vision.
Wednesday's loss is our gain.

Agree entirely with this.

Think he could be someone to make the step up next season (IF we get there *cough*)

 

[ben1987]

Midfield should have been closing the shot on both occasions.

But - how many times do people let fly from that range and it fly harmlessly away or straight at the keeper. Both great hits.

 

[Trigger Blade]

Midfield should have been closing the shot on both occasions.

But - how many times do people let fly from that range and it fly harmlessly away or straight at the keeper. Both great hits.

In our case, often. One of the few frustrations this season is how poor our long range shooting has been, with some notable exceptions of course.

 

[AWetFlannel]

Swindon are playing a style of football, and badly. If you play a regular style of football badly and lump it forward when pressed at the back, you still lose matches.
Always respected teams that stick to a philosophy of playing through bad times.
How people can watch a style of football that has dominated world football for the past 10 years and say they don't get it is beyond me.

 

[Lord Bos of Eckington.]

to be fair, think the first goal was a good hit, no much Moore could do, but maybe should have done better with second goal. But also, where was our midfield ?

We seem to continually get hit by long range shots . Both could and should have been prevented IMO . The midfield were chasing but did not close down . 9 times out of 10 the shots finish up in the stand , against us they finish up in the net .

Wilder , Knill will be drilling this into players week in week out , but we always seem to get hot with worldies .

 

[Ricky]

We've conceded too many goals this season as a result of the midfield not tracking and closing down well enough.

This is a difficult problem to have for next season.

Our midfield's been our main strength, so you'd like to keep it as it is. But if our midfield defend in the same way next season we'll get punished on a regular basis, and we won't be able to just score 3 every game.

Do we bring a new central midfielder in or not? If we do will he replace Coutts as a regular or just be an alternative option for certain games?

I posted earlier that it was good that we'd scored 4 without Sharp scoring, I've just realised we also put 4 past Swindon at BDTBL and Billy didn't score in that game either. Strangely both Coutts and Lavery scored in both games.

All Lavery's goals have come in games where we've scored 4 - Swindon (H), Southend (A), Wimbledon (H), Swindon (A).

Also look at our goalscoring away from home when he starts:

Bury - 3
Southend - 4
Swindon - 4
Oxford - 3 (all goals in second half after he came on)
Then there was the 0-0 at Bristol Rovers.

It makes very good reading for him.

For me he has to be first choice ahead of Hanson.

 

[Louis Hobbs]

https://lh9sport.wordpress.com/2017...ep-towards-promotion-kieron-freemans-efforts/ <-- My report on yesterday's fixture agaisnt Swindon Town Football Club. Reads and support appreciated. Thanks

 

[Alfreton14Blade]

See their manager has said this, about the tactical changes they made at half-time. Has to have been a factor in both goals (especially as, from what has been said, Basham got pushed forward into midfield soon after to annul the space for their midfield "spare man") -


“I spoke with Ross (Embleton) at half-time and he suggested to make a diamond with Jon higher up and Ben Gladwin in the middle behind two strikers - it worked fantastic.

“Charlie (Colkett) scored a brilliant goal because there was more space there and more players occupied with Nicky (Ajose), Jon and Ben being in-front.

“Then, of course, Ben picked up the ball in that position just off the front-two."

 

[JJ Sefton]

just seen the goals, we were gifted two goals tonight, I did like Lavery's assist for Freeman's goal though.

Two decent strikes from them for their goals however where was the attempts at closing down?

Agreed,. if we'd put their blokes under pressure they never would have got the shots off. We gifted them two goals, they gifted us two goals, though it ought to be pointed out that some of their defensive cock ups were the result of us pressing them. Also, the highlights don't do justice to our second goal. There was a long passage of good passing and build up play leading up to it.

 

[Silent Blade]

Swindon are playing a style of football, and badly. If you play a regular style of football badly and lump it forward when pressed at the back, you still lose matches.
Always respected teams that stick to a philosophy of playing through bad times.
How people can watch a style of football that has dominated world football for the past 10 years and say they don't get it is beyond me.

They don't have the players to make it work

 

[AWetFlannel]

They don't have the players to make it work

As it is their club philosophy and have done this for years, you would think their academy and transfer policy would reflect the style.
I don't think they have the players to make a more direct system work, seems to be common that people think it is easier to play direct football if you are playing badly. I disagree, they are just a bad team this season.

 

[Silent Blade]

As it is their club philosophy and have done this for years, you would think their academy and transfer policy would reflect the style.
I don't think they have the players to make a more direct system work, seems to be common that people think it is easier to play direct football if you are playing badly. I disagree, they are just a bad team this season.

I wasn't saying they should play direct football. A good manager assesses the players he has in the squad and before deciding on the best style of play to get the most out of the players

 

[Bladesman]

More highlights:

 

[RammyBlade]

Dear oh dear....now I see why the Swindon fans are so pissed off.

What the fuck was their keeper doing.

Well it's not very often we are gifted goals like that so makes a pleasant change. What's more an issue is us not taking the many very good chances we create according to Wilder.
Shooting practice still needed.

The Swindon keeper is only aged 18 so no doubt he will learn from this - glad he made the learning mistake against us though !

 

[JohnDenver]

We've conceded too many goals this season as a result of the midfield not tracking and closing down well enough.

This is a difficult problem to have for next season.

Our midfield's been our main strength, so you'd like to keep it as it is. But if our midfield defend in the same way next season we'll get punished on a regular basis, and we won't be able to just score 3 every game.

Do we bring a new central midfielder in or not? If we do will he replace Coutts as a regular or just be an alternative option for certain games?





All Lavery's goals have come in games where we've scored 4 - Swindon (H), Southend (A), Wimbledon (H), Swindon (A).

Also look at our goalscoring away from home when he starts:

Bury - 3
Southend - 4
Swindon - 4
Oxford - 3 (all goals in second half after he came on)
Then there was the 0-0 at Bristol Rovers.

It makes very good reading for him.

For me he has to be first choice ahead of Hanson.

Yup, our midfield is probably too open when we're not in possession but they're so good in it that it matters not in this league.

Not sure if a change of personnel is needed if we go up, or just a tweak to the system. Freeman is so attacking that just by asking him to rein it in we'd immediately be more solid.

For the time being let's enjoy it.