Bergen Blade
Well-Known Member
Things have been going well this season as Wilder have done really well after a difficult start. There's simply not been a lot to worry about, and GoalWatch analyses have not felt worthwhile - we've generally been quite solid. The Walsall goals were disappointing though, so here's an exception:
1st - We're on the attack with plenty of players forward, but Duffy loses possession just outside their box. Oztumer finds their left wing back Edwards who runs onto the ball and continues unchallenged into our half. He slips it through to Bakayoko who finishes past Moore.
A great counter attack by them, but we're making a few errors. Duffy tries to control the ball in a situation where he knows it is very dangerous to lose it, especially as we have so many people (Basham included) forward. Neither Basham (tired) nor Coutts (not his strength) are able to keep up with Edwards.
A few seconds later Walsall have achieved a 2 against 1 situation with EEL foolishly stepping forward to challenge the running Edwards, rather than dropping off.
* We need EEL to rescue us, but he becomes a traffic cone instead. Coutts can barely keep up with the referee, let alone their runner.
The ball is slipped through and O'Connell can't get across in time to block the shot. Moore is rather easily beaten, being positioned too close to the near post.
We push forward with too many men; lack the work rate to stop the break and make further errors at the back.
2nd - Bit similar. We lose possession in a situation where we have many players in attack. Two defenders remain at the back and Coutts is again the deepest midfielder and again he doesn't take the responsibility of running backwards to cover the space in front of our defenders:
O'Connell does make a backtracking run and tackles Cuvelier, but the ball falls to McCarthy. Again Coutts doesn't get involved (appeals for a free kick while jogging). EEL is again caught flat footed (should have backed off again), and a 1-2 sees McCarthy through:
Moore makes a big error letting that shot in.
We're too sloppy when it comes to preventing the break and repeat the mistakes of the first goal.
3rd - Another break. We lose possession in midfield and a ball over the top sees Bakayoko on the ball down our right side. Freeman catches up with him, but can't stop the pass infield to Edwards. He sidesteps EEL and finishes cooly past a wrong footed Moore.
I know EEL looks slow here, but this is a difficult situation for defenders, who often need their partner to step in and block the shot. O'Connell has stayed with Oztumer at the back post though, while Fleck can't make the block in time.
4th - Not a break. Walsall show some neat passing down our left. We lose patience, both Fleck and Coutts push over, leaving nobody to deal with Dobson centrally. A couple of more passes leads to a mix up between Freeman and Moore. Dobson sneaks in between them, goes down and a rather soft penalty is awarded, and converted.
We're getting desperate at this point, which causes a loss of concentration and organisation i.e. gaps defensively.
I think Walsall looked very well prepared for this game and had us sussed. Their midfield trio neutralised ours, their back three dealt well with Sharp and Lavery. On the break they seemed determined to exploit our midfield's mediocre back tracking, which exposed further weaknesses in our defence.
Going forward I felt we lacked some pace, flair and skill, someone with the ability of beating a man or two. The fact that Wilder only made two substitutions suggests he didn't think there was much more on the bench that could have helped, despite us struggling. I liked the tiki-taka video the other day, but we can't rely on carving through defences like that every match.
1st - We're on the attack with plenty of players forward, but Duffy loses possession just outside their box. Oztumer finds their left wing back Edwards who runs onto the ball and continues unchallenged into our half. He slips it through to Bakayoko who finishes past Moore.
A great counter attack by them, but we're making a few errors. Duffy tries to control the ball in a situation where he knows it is very dangerous to lose it, especially as we have so many people (Basham included) forward. Neither Basham (tired) nor Coutts (not his strength) are able to keep up with Edwards.
A few seconds later Walsall have achieved a 2 against 1 situation with EEL foolishly stepping forward to challenge the running Edwards, rather than dropping off.
* We need EEL to rescue us, but he becomes a traffic cone instead. Coutts can barely keep up with the referee, let alone their runner.
The ball is slipped through and O'Connell can't get across in time to block the shot. Moore is rather easily beaten, being positioned too close to the near post.
We push forward with too many men; lack the work rate to stop the break and make further errors at the back.
2nd - Bit similar. We lose possession in a situation where we have many players in attack. Two defenders remain at the back and Coutts is again the deepest midfielder and again he doesn't take the responsibility of running backwards to cover the space in front of our defenders:
O'Connell does make a backtracking run and tackles Cuvelier, but the ball falls to McCarthy. Again Coutts doesn't get involved (appeals for a free kick while jogging). EEL is again caught flat footed (should have backed off again), and a 1-2 sees McCarthy through:
Moore makes a big error letting that shot in.
We're too sloppy when it comes to preventing the break and repeat the mistakes of the first goal.
3rd - Another break. We lose possession in midfield and a ball over the top sees Bakayoko on the ball down our right side. Freeman catches up with him, but can't stop the pass infield to Edwards. He sidesteps EEL and finishes cooly past a wrong footed Moore.
I know EEL looks slow here, but this is a difficult situation for defenders, who often need their partner to step in and block the shot. O'Connell has stayed with Oztumer at the back post though, while Fleck can't make the block in time.
4th - Not a break. Walsall show some neat passing down our left. We lose patience, both Fleck and Coutts push over, leaving nobody to deal with Dobson centrally. A couple of more passes leads to a mix up between Freeman and Moore. Dobson sneaks in between them, goes down and a rather soft penalty is awarded, and converted.
We're getting desperate at this point, which causes a loss of concentration and organisation i.e. gaps defensively.
I think Walsall looked very well prepared for this game and had us sussed. Their midfield trio neutralised ours, their back three dealt well with Sharp and Lavery. On the break they seemed determined to exploit our midfield's mediocre back tracking, which exposed further weaknesses in our defence.
Going forward I felt we lacked some pace, flair and skill, someone with the ability of beating a man or two. The fact that Wilder only made two substitutions suggests he didn't think there was much more on the bench that could have helped, despite us struggling. I liked the tiki-taka video the other day, but we can't rely on carving through defences like that every match.
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