Today

[bartman]

How many games have you been to? because I've missed only Hartlepool away this season (rarity) and I still can't call which United side is going to turn up on the day despite the sample size.

That's why I'm reluctant to predict, I simply don't know. I'm not particularly interested in a "told you so" at the end of the season.



I'm not entirely sure where you pull the apparent suggestion from. In terms of moving forward from today, Doyle needs a kick up the arse and to remember what his mouth is for. KMac needs to know the place isn't just his regardless.

I'd put Westlake back in, but tell him he needs to concentrate on his positioning when not in possession. I'd be tempted to swap Hill for Williams again, because whilst Hill hasn't done much wrong, Williams has been getting forward more successfully of late.



I think we should be able to mount a challenge, given that we've lost only two and are still gaining complements from opposition, there's nothing to suggest we are incapable of that.

Brentford weren't shit, Crewe weren't shit, we're going to have difficult games.

Agree with most of that except I would drop Collins and play Hill at centre half. Seems to play better in that position and is a little quicker .

I thought we were OK in the 2nd half...two cleared off the line,clear penalty should rejected,3 very good saves by their keeper.They couldn't cope with Blackman goin forward in the 2nd half.On another day we would have pulled that back...1st half deffo not good enough as they kept exploiting the gap behind Blackman(where their 2 goals came from).

I also thought Long was suspect for both goals....I've not seen them again on TV but from behind the net it looked like he was on his heels for the first goals when he could have come and smothered the cross thast wasn't driven hard,and the 2nd,he was positioned ok,clear view and he seemed to be surprised by the shot....it didn't go in the corner and fans round us thought he was slow.

Can't believe the reaction of some fans.....we play cautiously,win one-nil and they moan,play more expansively and start to concede,they moan. Personally,away from home,I feel we should be more cautious (e.. Preston away where we were excellant),frustrate the home side and play on the break

 

[Foxy]

Toothless: This what happends when you start Porter. There is a reason why he has moved teams so much, and has a poor goal record.

I'm not entirely sure why I appear to see him differently than many others, but the last couple of weeks he's won pretty much everything put near him. He also will score more often than not if you actually create him a chance.
In fact other than Dave Kitson, I'd suggest he probably has the highest goals per game ratio of our strikers over their careers.

 

[Highbury_Blade]

I'm sure we we much better in the second half, but i'd long since decamped to the comfort of the pub before then, after a thoroughly abject display in the first half. Credit where credit is due to those hardier than me that stayed.

 

[Bergen Blade]

I'm not entirely sure why I appear to see him differently than many others, but the last couple of weeks he's won pretty much everything put near him. He also will score more often than not if you actually create him a chance.
In fact other than Dave Kitson, I'd suggest he probably has the highest goals per game ratio of our strikers over their careers.

You know what you get from Porter and he's a good squad member. In games where his target man qualities aren't effective, we should try to change things with different player types.

 

[Bergen Blade]

Is it over the line?

 

[alcoblade]

You know what you get from Porter and he's a good squad member. In games where his target man qualities aren't effective, we should try to change things with different player types.

They seemed to have quite few big, athletic players. Players like Porter are very good at what they can do, but that's extremey limited. Sadly, I watched a bit in envy at the opposition yesterday. Even sadder, it was Brentford!....

In time, we need to rid ourselves of weaklings like Flynn, and limited players like Porter. It's important that players don't have single attributes that can too easiy be countered.

UTB

 

[Ollessendro]

Too difficult to say that all the ball has crossed all the line.

I agree with bartman that we should be a bit more cautious away from home. However when you concede after 2 minutes then that is the game plan out of the window.

It seems to me that the match was pretty much over at half time (or defo should have been) but that on another day we might have got back into it. If we keep creating that many chances (13 attepts) and have that many efforts on goal then we'll win more games than we lose. With the caveat that we need to get solid again, not give away sloppy goals and keep our concentration.

 

[Bergen Blade]

They seemed to have quite few big, athletic players. Players like Porter are very good at what they can do, but that's extremey limited. Sadly, I watched a bit in envy at the opposition yesterday. Even sadder, it was Brentford!....

In time, we need to rid ourselves of weaklings like Flynn, and limited players like Porter. It's important that players don't have single attributes that can too easiy be countered.

UTB

But if a player has one quality that is so extreme he's a very good option to have in the squad. I think Porter's aerial ability is so good that he could be used in a similar way as Chief was in 2002/03. It doesn't have to mean he should start every game though.

Crewe were also a pretty big, athletic side.

 

[alcoblade]

But if a player has one quality that is so extreme he's a very good option to have in the squad. I think Porter's aerial ability is so good that he could be used in a similar way as Chief was in 2002/03. It doesn't have to mean he should start every game though.

Crewe were also a pretty big, athletic side.

Yes, agreed.

UTB

 

[LoughboroBlade]

But if a player has one quality that is so extreme he's a very good option to have in the squad. I think Porter's aerial ability is so good that he could be used in a similar way as Chief was in 2002/03. It doesn't have to mean he should start every game though.

Porter I thought was one of our better performers yesterday - he and Miller continued to display an understanding that helped to create chances. I would disagree a little with the Chief comparison - he's not quite that dominant, and a bit better with his feet. This season, while not being quite at the same level, he's had more of an HMS contribution. He actually seems much more mobile than he did last season - not sure if that's a fitness thing, but without being much more mobile he does seem to move his feet a bit quicker. This helped to win the pen vs Pompey, and yesterday helped create a couple of chances - notably Miller's effort deflected past the post 2nd half.

When Kitson's back, I'd like to see what sort of understanding he can develop with Miller. On paper, they should work well - Kitson offering a slightly more mobile option than Porter. But it'll be quite harsh for Porter to be dropped at the minute.

 

[LoughboroBlade]

But if a player has one quality that is so extreme he's a very good option to have in the squad. I think Porter's aerial ability is so good that he could be used in a similar way as Chief was in 2002/03. It doesn't have to mean he should start every game though.

Porter I thought was one of our better performers yesterday - he and Miller continued to display an understanding that helped to create chances. I would disagree a little with the Chief comparison - he's not quite that dominant, and a bit better with his feet. This season, while not being quite at the same level, he's had more of an HMS contribution. He actually seems much more mobile than he did last season - not sure if that's a fitness thing, but without being much more mobile he does seem to move his feet a bit quicker. This helped to win the pen vs Pompey, and yesterday helped create a couple of chances - notably Miller's effort deflected past the post 2nd half.

When Kitson's back, I'd like to see what sort of understanding he can develop with Miller. On paper, they should work well - Kitson offering a slightly more mobile option than Porter. But it'll be quite harsh for Porter to be dropped at the minute.

 

[Ollessendro]

When Kitson's back, I'd like to see what sort of understanding he can develop with Miller. On paper, they should work well - Kitson offering a slightly more mobile option than Porter. But it'll be quite harsh for Porter to be dropped at the minute.

It would be harsh to drop Porter but Kitson is a lot better than him. The evidence I saw (Yeovil and Orient away and Walsall at home) would suggest Kitson and Miller could/would work well together. In those games Kitson won everything, but the problem was Blackman was nowhere near him. Kitson won several headers in each match that should have lead to goalscoring opportunities (flicks an knock down's into danger areas) but they came to nowt. I remember thinking Miller would have been onto that. I am looking forward to Kitson coming back. His all round play is very good and he is more of a goal threat than Porter, as well as his presence up top. Porter has done very well since he came in, but we have missed Kitson.

 

[Foxy]

You know what you get from Porter and he's a good squad member. In games where his target man qualities aren't effective, we should try to change things with different player types.

The thing is, he has much more to offer than being simply a target man. His movement off the ball and the way he plays helps the others no end... especially if paired with someone of the intelligence of Miller.

Sadly, there was little opportunity for any of the qualities to be put to use, given that we only started playing properly in the second half.

 

[super_pig]

the team is very close to being a half decent outfit at this level.. i think we are all arguing about minor tweaks ie left back and a right winger, possibly a defensive mid if Doyle doesn't buck his ideas up.. DW needs to find a way to make these minor tweaks.. his head will roll or stay on dependant upon this simple premis.. ljf could be back soon which is one and hopefully Whitehouse might be fit soon which is two.. Danny is very conservative with his picks and lineups (see the return of Macmahon, which i thought was pretty poor management as the young lad had played quite well in parts), which is the thing that worries me