Orient - quick thoughts

[LoughboroBlade]

Thought we were very good today. Looked solid, and unlike last weekend much better on the ball going forward - particularly in latter stages of the first half and the 2nd half.

Our goal came at a good time after some consistent pressure, from some decent play. Some passes to feet down the left, a couple of pen claims before the ball came to Porter, who showed good awareness to pick out Coady who finished well.

Their goal was an excellent effort from range, though we probably could have done better to defend it as Cox capitalised on a poor header out from Maguire I believe. Thereafter there were chances for both, the best of which saw Murphy break and get a shot away, and Long tip round the post late-on.

Overall, encouraging. The defence was solid, as was the midfield. Up front Porter & Baxter worked hard and seemed to develop an understanding. I thought everyone had a decent game today - first time I've said that for a while.

Fans were excellent too.

 

[blade too long]

a goal from open play , things are improving

 

[Bladesman]

Pitty OG didn't grab a goal.

 

[billyblademan]

Pitty OG didn't grab a goal.

He'll be gutted to miss his goal bonus.

 

[true99blade]

Isn't McMahon now suspended for the Swindon game? Picked up his 5th yellow card of the season didn't he?

 

[sheffielder]

Isn't McMahon now suspended for the Swindon game? Picked up his 5th yellow card of the season didn't he?

WOnt he miss the cup game then? should be fine for Swindon

 

[true99blade]

WOnt he miss the cup game then? should be fine for Swindon

Totally forgot about the cup game. But with McMahon suspended and Westlake unable to be recalled who will play at right-back?

 

[sheffielder]

Totally forgot about the cup game. But with McMahon suspended and Westlake unable to be recalled who will play at right-back?

Maybe the lad Hodder will get a chance or see Hill switch. i think he did last season for a few games

 

[Pinchy]

Maybe the lad Hodder will get a chance or see Hill switch. i think he did last season for a few games

I don't favour full-backs on their 'wrong side'. I'd sooner see a kid given a chance. The cup is not our major priority, after all.

 

[Karaoke Blade]

I would think Coady could do a job at right back.

 

[JJ Sefton]

Oh Christ, we scored, Pinchy will be inconsolable.

 

[true99blade]

Also must add that Long sounded as if he had a blinder today and saved us from defeat.

 

[Silent Blade]

Also must add that Long sounded as if he had a blinder today and saved us from defeat.

There are blinkered ones in here who criticise Long but defend Doyle!

 

[JohnDenver]

There are blinkered ones in here who criticise Long but defend Doyle!

There's a chuffnugget sat behind me in the South Stand who cheers sarcastically every time Long claims the ball.

If Long was already as good as some clearly expect him to be, then we'd have sold him by now. As it is, he's a young lad capable of great saves and poor decisions in quick succession. If his head is right, he should keep getting better and better.

 

[bartman]

There are blinkered ones in here who criticise Long but defend Doyle!

I have critisised Long this season as he has often been poor.Today he was outstanding. He was clearly calling for the ball,commanding his area and make a few brave saves.

Doyle also had a good game( but the blinkered ones won't agree )

 

[cooperblade]

In my opinion, our best 3 players today (in no particular order) were Long, Doyle and Porter.

Lots of positives but the biggest by far was the way we got straight back on the front foot after the equaliser - we looked like a mentally strong team for the first time in a long while

 

[LoughboroBlade]

In my opinion, our best 3 players today (in no particular order) were Long, Doyle and Porter.

Lots of positives but the biggest by far was the way we got straight back on the front foot after the equaliser - we looked like a mentally strong team for the first time in a long while

Yep, agree with that. You'd have fully expected a few weeks ago for us to crumble and concede another.

 

[Foxy]

I have critisised Long this season as he has often been poor.Today he was outstanding. He was clearly calling for the ball,commanding his area and make a few brave saves.

We were saying this during the game, he was indeed more commanding and he looked more decisive and confident in coming out to collect the ball.

 

[highpeakblade]

In my opinion, our best 3 players today (in no particular order) were Long, McGinn, Doyle and Porter.

Lots of positives but the biggest by far was the way we got straight back on the front foot after the equaliser - we looked like a mentally strong team for the first time in a long while

Agree with the above but have added as I don't think you can miss McGinn out. I thought the lad was great today all round and put in a great shift.

 

[sheffielder]

I have critisised Long this season as he has often been poor.Today he was outstanding. He was clearly calling for the ball,commanding his area and make a few brave saves.

Doyle also had a good game( but the blinkered ones won't agree )

I thought there was a noticeable difference in Long on Tuesday night. After a shaky start he looked commanding throughout. His confidence is coming back and long may it continue

 

[sheffielder]

There's a chuffnugget sat behind me in the South Stand who cheers sarcastically every time Long claims the ball.

If Long was already as good as some clearly expect him to be, then we'd have sold him by now. As it is, he's a young lad capable of great saves and poor decisions in quick succession. If his head is right, he should keep getting better and better.

You must sit in E because if it's the same guy I want to smash his face in. He just picks on Maguire and Long all day and yet the experienced players he says nothing

 

[Northyorksblade]

We were saying this during the game, he was indeed more commanding and he looked more decisive and confident in coming out to collect the ball.

Came out to collect balls? Blimey, things ARE looking up.

 

[Balham]

Long was outstanding. I mentioned it in the pub after the game but it seemed to hinge on a stop he made in the first half when they had a 3-on-none break in our penalty box. He definitely seems to enjoy playing at Brisbane Road!

I thought it was a very professional away performance befitting our league position and current short-term aims and personnel.

I'm going to have to disagree with some of you on Doyle: I thought he had a better game but still made some Ricks including one where he, in space, passed to the double marked McGinn, allowing Orient to break.

The other great performance was Matt Hill at left back. On this season's form, Olubajo is one of the best wingers in the division but he didn't get a look in.

My marks:

Long 9 - there is a good keeper in there. Just needs to believe and play like that at the Lane.

McMahon 6 - daft (but deliberate?) booking 5 minutes in. Solid defensively but made some poor decisions with the ball at his feet.
Collins 7 - wouldn't have made my starting XI but proved me wrong with a solid performance. Still needs to work on his headed clearances
Maguire 7 - the pacey Batt got next to nothing out of him and Collins. Very harshly booked.
Hill 8 - said it above, that was a great defensive performance.

Coast 7 - put in a shift and took his goal well but he's wasted on the right flank.
Doyle 5 - sorry; I expect a professional central midfielder to be able to pass the ball under pressure. That and his constant, bizarre going to ground and attempted scissor kicks will continue to annoy me.
McGinn 7 - polar opposite to Doyle: clever use of the ball but needs to work on his defensive positioning.
White 6 - he looks fast but then doesn't ever seem to get round his man. Not much came off for him yesterday.

Porter 7 - won some headers but lost others: the minimum he takes out of the game is two defenders so we have to get better at taking advantage of the space that creates. Unselfishly squared the ball for Coady but I would have liked to see him shoot from there.
Baxter 6 - when he learns to pass to feet rather than 10 yards in front of his man his class will show. It would also be nice if he stopped clipping corners to the first man.

Subs:
Lappin (for White) 6 - missed one opportunity to switch play to an unmarked Coady, otherwise solid.
Taylor (for Porter) 6 - strange move given Porter's presence but Taylor did well when he came on.
Murphy (for Baxter) 6 - one break followed by a weak shot was the sum of his performance but it was encouraging nonetheless.

MOM: the 1,158 Blades. Unbelievably good support, we didn't stop singing.

 

[bartman]

Long was outstanding. I mentioned it in the pub after the game but it seemed to hinge on a stop he made in the first half when they had a 3-on-none break in our penalty box. He definitely seems to enjoy playing at Brisbane Road!

I thought it was a very professional away performance befitting our league position and current short-term aims and personnel.

I'm going to have to disagree with some of you on Doyle: I thought he had a better game but still made some Ricks including one where he, in space, passed to the double marked McGinn, allowing Orient to break.

The other great performance was Matt Hill at left back. On this season's form, Olubajo is one of the best wingers in the division but he didn't get a look in.

My marks:

Long 9 - there is a good keeper in there. Just needs to believe and play like that at the Lane.

McMahon 6 - daft (but deliberate?) booking 5 minutes in. Solid defensively but made some poor decisions with the ball at his feet.
Collins 7 - wouldn't have made my starting XI but proved me wrong with a solid performance. Still needs to work on his headed clearances
Maguire 7 - the pacey Batt got next to nothing out of him and Collins. Very harshly booked.
Hill 8 - said it above, that was a great defensive performance.

Coast 7 - put in a shift and took his goal well but he's wasted on the right flank.
Doyle 5 - sorry; I expect a professional central midfielder to be able to pass the ball under pressure. That and his constant, bizarre going to ground and attempted scissor kicks will continue to annoy me.
McGinn 7 - polar opposite to Doyle: clever use of the ball but needs to work on his defensive positioning.
White 6 - he looks fast but then doesn't ever seem to get round his man. Not much came off for him yesterday.

Porter 7 - won some headers but lost others: the minimum he takes out of the game is two defenders so we have to get better at taking advantage of the space that creates. Unselfishly squared the ball for Coady but I would have liked to see him shoot from there.
Baxter 6 - when he learns to pass to feet rather than 10 yards in front of his man his class will show. It would also be nice if he stopped clipping corners to the first man.

Subs:
Lappin (for White) 6 - missed one opportunity to switch play to an unmarked Coady, otherwise solid.
Taylor (for Porter) 6 - strange move given Porter's presence but Taylor did well when he came on.
Murphy (for Baxter) 6 - one break followed by a weak shot was the sum of his performance but it was encouraging nonetheless.

MOM: the 1,158 Blades. Unbelievably good support, we didn't stop singing.

Very harsh on Doyle- Baxter played ok but had trouble at times passing to a player in a yellow shirt. To mark him higher than Doyle does not reflect the work Doyle went through,the challenges he put in or the quality of some of his passes. Yes he made some ricks but no more than Coady,McGinn or White.

I thought McMahon's booking was harsh especially as similar tackles by Orient's players later in the half went unpunished- as did the diving from one of their players. However,he misses the cup game so not disasterous

 

[LoughboroBlade]

Porter 7 - won some headers but lost others: the minimum he takes out of the game is two defenders so we have to get better at taking advantage of the space that creates. Unselfishly squared the ball for Coady but I would have liked to see him shoot from there.

If Porter shoots in that situation it might have been saved, blocked, gone in gone wide - who knows. What I do know is that he put it on a plate for Coady to score from a better position, which he subsequently did. More than a little harsh to suggest Porter should have done any differently.

 

[BladeFisher]

In my opinion, our best 3 players today (in no particular order) were Long, Doyle and Porter.

Who'll get through in the play off? McMahon or White? Oh sorry wrong programme.

 

[diplomat]

Baxter 6 - when he learns to pass to feet rather than 10 yards in front of his man his class will show. It would also be nice if he stopped clipping corners to the first man.

That doesn't sound like a 6 performance to me, it sounds like he was abject but you hope that one day he might be average if he's fortunate.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not critical of players as a rule, but Baxter infuriates me to the extreme. More so that people seem to think that magically he'll lose a stone and develop some positional sense whilst we sign a player who can do all his running and tackling for him.

 

[Bladesman]

I have critisised Long this season as he has often been poor.Today he was outstanding. He was clearly calling for the ball,commanding his area and make a few brave saves.

Doyle also had a good game( but the blinkered ones won't agree )

If Long has started commanding his area and demanding the ball then he is improving.

 

[moDtheGod]

Jose Baxter baby. Jose Baxter, whooo-oh-oh-oh.

 

[OllyBlade]

Baxter 6 - when he learns to pass to feet rather than 10 yards in front of his man his class will show. It would also be nice if he stopped clipping corners to the first man.

That doesn't sound like a 6 performance to me, it sounds like he was abject but you hope that one day he might be average if he's fortunate.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not critical of players as a rule, but Baxter infuriates me to the extreme. More so that people seem to think that magically he'll lose a stone and develop some positional sense whilst we sign a player who can do all his running and tackling for him.

Baxter got better, as the whole team did, in the second half. I don't think anyone had a 'bad' game today and all contributed.

My only reservation from today would be that it is still only a point. We have to build on this by consistently getting 3 points at home. But definitely it felt like a moment that the team can take confidence from. It felt like fans and players were back on the same page.