Defensively we were totally crap. Alcock and McEveley singing a duet of "We seem like passing strangers" and Harris and Freeman (moreso Harris because Byrne is the better WB) consistently caught in no man's land. The players didn't play well, some poor decisions and over-elaboration in defence:
1) Alcock should have headed the ball out and not backwards for the first, no-one close to Gladwin who has loads of time to get his shot off unchallenged;
2) Harris should have put the ball out for the second but keeps it in play and the central defenders switched off and their forwards didn't;
3) Third goal Harris is so far away from Byrne he had time to write a letter to his mother before crossing, then Freeman over elaborates instead of booting clear or letting the ball run out to the empty flank,
4) Fourth goal, Alcock beaten in the air despite fouling the player, McEveley loses his man (pace) and Howard too slow off his line - penalty.
5) Fifth goal - caught on the break, Alcock caught in a 2 on 1 with McEveley losing Obika and labouring to get back in our half, Alcock tries to show him outside, Basham gets back but elects to go the non-goal side of the attacker instead of covering Alcock, Alcock beaten by the cut inside, no cover, Mceveley not back in time.
But the system we were playing just gifted space to their WB's. Byrne will never have an easier game in his career, time and space wise on attack. Tactically we did nothing to shut down that space and we paid the price.
Credit to the players for fighting on. McNulty was criticised by Clough afterwards ( I don't think he had a great game and he Simonsened a great chance) but I did note that it was his pass that set Murphy up for the first goal and its the run of him and Done that created the space for Basham's header for the second. I do dislike this tendency of Clough to publicly criticise players the way he does.
