Hold on to a 2-1 deficit

[Bladesince59]

I am just really, really nervous that Clough will send us out to hold on to a 2-1 deficit until we manage to sneak one. We won't come back from 3-1

I'll be there to watch you NC

UTB

 

[Torrix1889]

Just had the same conversation with someone in my office. 4-5-1 formation, set up to not concede, try and nick a 1-0 to take it to extra time and pens.....there is no way on this earth he will instruct them to go out and attack like we did in the first 20 minutes at home

 

[SotonBlade]

He HAS to start with Done, Murphy, Davies and Baxter for me....shows intent

 

[Bladesman]

Bribe this ref.

That's the solution.

 

[Kenilworth]

It's a foregone
Bound to be set up like that
Keeping it tight means we are not out of the tie



On the other hand, not being able to score more than one goal a game doesn't help, either.

The last game we won was on 7th April vs Donny and by all accounts we were fortunate to come away with the win. At least we scored 3 that day - but that's far more the exception than the rule innit?

 

[Worksop II]

I am just really, really nervous that Clough will send us out to hold on to a 2-1 deficit until we manage to sneak one. We won't come back from 3-1

I'll be there to watch you NC

UTB

I want to know who is on the Grassy Knoll ?

 

[Torrix1889]

He HAS to start with Done, Murphy, Davies and Baxter for me....shows intent

Bet he doesn't...

 

[blade too long]

I am just really, really nervous that Clough will send us out to hold on to a 2-1 deficit until we manage to sneak one. We won't come back from 3-1

I'll be there to watch you NC

UTB

just point out in 3 games v Swindon weve scored 5 goals ,
just not got to let them score would be my worry
had we had a proper ref with bollocks to give a penalty or two we would have scored far more than 1 last week

 

[SotonBlade]

It's a foregone
Bound to be set up like that
Keeping it tight means we are not out of the tie



On the other hand, not being able to score more than one goal a game doesn't help, either.

The last game we won was on 7th April vs Donny and by all accounts we were fortunate to come away with the win. At least we scored 3 that day - but that's far more the exception than the rule innit?

Thing is we conceded 2 that day as well, which would mean ET

 

[Kenilworth]

Thing is we conceded 2 that day as well, which would mean ET

Haven't you left yet ?

 

[Bladesman]

It's a foregone
Bound to be set up like that
Keeping it tight means we are not out of the tie



On the other hand, not being able to score more than one goal a game doesn't help, either.

The last game we won was on 7th April vs Donny and by all accounts we were fortunate to come away with the win. At least we scored 3 that day - but that's far more the exception than the rule innit?

Crazy game that.

Although I think we could have won the Donny game by a few goals without conceding we just had to close their man down sooner. Same applies to Swindons winner the other night, just a classic case of giving the other team too much space to get a shot away.

 

[Coily]

If we go gung ho early doors we'll get tonked. Keep it tight, quieten the crowd and get them nervous. Then take your chances when they come. Hopefully Done is fit and available, they shit themselves when he came on.

Give them space and they'll look good, but this is an average Swindon side and they've had some hidings at home this season. I'm not going to say we'll definitely win, because we're far too inconsistent to be confident, but we're still well in this tie.

 

[Lord Bos of Eckington.]

Just had the same conversation with someone in my office. 4-5-1 formation, set up to not concede, try and nick a 1-0 to take it to extra time and pens.....there is no way on this earth he will instruct them to go out and attack like we did in the first 20 minutes at home

Just said exactly the same thing on our way down. Also he will start with exactly the same line up ( barring Brayford if he is injured ) . May be change the bench around , but would be surprised if Done started.

UTB

 

[Small Mendonca]

If we play anything like how we are capable of playing, we will win, I am sure of it.

The problem is, I just don't think we will play like that.

 

[Kenilworth]

I watched the MKD vs Swindon game where MKD did them 3-0 at the CG - Swindon had a couple of moments but they were outfought and outpaced all over the pitch.
The key to it was the pressing and the pressure applied to the Swindon back line. They panicked under pressure and made mistakes that led directly to MKD goals but the thing is MKD hunted in packs - they closed them down at the back and stopped them playing out to the midfield. When we press it's normally the lone striker - who is then too fucked to make a forward run, or if they create an error has no fecking support within 20 yards or more of them.

If you press Swindon's back line they are vulnerable
If you sit back and allow them to play out from the back they can punish you.
Karl Robinson noticed this and comes out a winner yet we set up to nick one and defend it and then get the usual sucker punch at the end.

 

[Torrix1889]

I watched the MKD vs Swindon game where MKD did them 3-0 at the CG - Swindon had a couple of moments but they were outfought and outpaced all over the pitch.
The key to it was the pressing and the pressure applied to the Swindon back line. They panicked under pressure and made mistakes that led directly to MKD goals but the thing is MKD hunted in packs - they closed them down at the back and stopped them playing out to the midfield. When we press it's normally the lone striker - who is then too fucked to make a forward run, or if they create an error has no fecking support within 20 yards or more of them.

If you press Swindon's back line they are vulnerable
If you sit back and allow them to play out from the back they can punish you.
Karl Robinson noticed this and comes out a winner yet we set up to nick one and defend it and then get the usual sucker punch at the end.

100% correct Ken, they did this against us in the League at BDTBL and we were lucky to nick 2 goals on the break and very fortunate that the Swindon lads didn't have their shooting boots on that day. Higdon did try and press them but the lump ended up giving away free kicks, (mind you the Swindon Spoilers were going down at the slightest touch) and ended up being subbed.

By all means Cloughy, play your favoured 4-5-1 tonight but tell everyone to play 20 yards further up the pitch, press them back and they will play it long, stop their keeper coming out to the edge of the centre circle then playing a sideways pass. Press them, harry them don't give them a second on the ball and they WILL make mistakes and they WILL lose possession. There is a way to win tonight but you have to be brave Nigel and take the game to them.

 

[Kenilworth]

100% correct Ken, they did this against us in the League at BDTBL and we were lucky to nick 2 goals on the break and very fortunate that the Swindon lads didn't have their shooting boots on that day. Higdon did try and press them but the lump ended up giving away free kicks, (mind you the Swindon Spoilers were going down at the slightest touch) and ended up being subbed.

By all means Cloughy, play your favoured 4-5-1 tonight but tell everyone to play 20 yards further up the pitch, press them back and they will play it long, stop their keeper coming out to the edge of the centre circle then playing a sideways pass. Press them, harry them don't give them a second on the ball and they WILL make mistakes and they WILL lose possession. There is a way to win tonight but you have to be brave Nigel and take the game to them.

It's the problem with the way in which NC deploys the 4-5-1
It's supposed to give you a 4-3-3 when attacking and a a 4-5-1 when defending but we always seem to have a 4-5-1 when attacking - with either winger on a solo run - the only support coming from the full back behind them.

As a formation the way we have set up over the last 18 months works pretty well against the prem or champ teams as they commit men forward - the crap L1 teams don't so it's a stalemate until we start looking for a winner then catch a cold at the back.

Tonight we have to press - like we did first 20 on Thursday last week - which saw them reeling. It's once we either ran out of steam, or as I suspect, revert back to the way they have been drilled, that we lost momentum and then lost the grip on the game.
The Brayford Injury and the switch of Basham to CB was critical in the second half but to be brutally honest we let them have the initiative for the rest of the first half after we edged in front.

 

[Sothall_Blade]

I watched the MKD vs Swindon game where MKD did them 3-0 at the CG - Swindon had a couple of moments but they were outfought and outpaced all over the pitch.
The key to it was the pressing and the pressure applied to the Swindon back line. They panicked under pressure and made mistakes that led directly to MKD goals but the thing is MKD hunted in packs - they closed them down at the back and stopped them playing out to the midfield. When we press it's normally the lone striker - who is then too fucked to make a forward run, or if they create an error has no fecking support within 20 yards or more of them.

If you press Swindon's back line they are vulnerable
If you sit back and allow them to play out from the back they can punish you.
Karl Robinson noticed this and comes out a winner yet we set up to nick one and defend it and then get the usual sucker punch at the end.

http://m.thestar.co.uk/sport/sheff-...to-follow-in-second-leg-says-davies-1-7253407

According to Davies in this article, Clough's game plan was pretty much as you described.

If the referee had done his job, we would have won comfortably.

Everyone wants us to be on the front foot the whole match but it's not always that easy and not always the managers fault.

Did we deliberately sit back or did Swindon push us back? Probably a bit of both.

 

[Digger]

The defeat to them earlier in the season was down to them being allowed to bring the ball to the half way line before we tried to press them. They then simply passed it around us.
Everyone in the stand could see what was wrong, the bench couldn't.
The fallout from that game as seen us play without a recognised CH all season.
Collins was made the scapegoat when 7 or 8 players all had mares.
We MUST press them further up the field as many have mentioned.
Done on from the start and Bash in midfield is a must.
Not confident but Swindon can be fragile at the back.
UTB!!

 

[Bladebri]

Defence ready

 

[Cyprus Blade]

The new crop of midfielders are ready - och aye tha noo

 

[davidpinder]

I watched the MKD vs Swindon game where MKD did them 3-0 at the CG - Swindon had a couple of moments but they were outfought and outpaced all over the pitch.
The key to it was the pressing and the pressure applied to the Swindon back line. They panicked under pressure and made mistakes that led directly to MKD goals but the thing is MKD hunted in packs - they closed them down at the back and stopped them playing out to the midfield. When we press it's normally the lone striker - who is then too fucked to make a forward run, or if they create an error has no fecking support within 20 yards or more of them.

If you press Swindon's back line they are vulnerable
If you sit back and allow them to play out from the back they can punish you.
Karl Robinson noticed this and comes out a winner yet we set up to nick one and defend it and then get the usual sucker punch at the end.

Can we borrow the MK team for the night then? Or just there manager?

 

[Kenilworth]

Can we borrow the MK team for the night then? Or just their manager?

Robinson has just been interviewed on RS FH - he is at the ground for Sky
Robinson was stating that the Blades have to "get in the faces" of the Swindon players - as a group - shows he knows that pressing them is the key

 

[HillmortonBlade]

Defence ready

View attachment 11635

Don't panic!

 

[HillmortonBlade]

Defence ready

View attachment 11635

Or....

 

[robbiez666]

I watched the MKD vs Swindon game where MKD did them 3-0 at the CG - Swindon had a couple of moments but they were outfought and outpaced all over the pitch.
The key to it was the pressing and the pressure applied to the Swindon back line. They panicked under pressure and made mistakes that led directly to MKD goals but the thing is MKD hunted in packs - they closed them down at the back and stopped them playing out to the midfield. When we press it's normally the lone striker - who is then too fucked to make a forward run, or if they create an error has no fecking support within 20 yards or more of them.

If you press Swindon's back line they are vulnerable
If you sit back and allow them to play out from the back they can punish you.
Karl Robinson noticed this and comes out a winner yet we set up to nick one and defend it and then get the usual sucker punch at the end.

We did hunt them in packs at the start of the first leg, but we've simply not got the players with the fitness to do so for a whole game. Hunt them, get a couple and then play on the counter is our only hope.

 

[Bladesman]

That lasted all of 10 minutes.