View From Colchester
- Thread starter Roygbiv
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Karaoke Blade
Well-Known Member
I'd hardly call Bob Harris's excellent cross field pass for Done's goal a 'long ball'.
BusheyBlade
Active Member
This lot could have been lifted straight from here:
“Are there statistics anywhere for corner conversion rates? There can’t be many teams worse at corners. It must get to the stage where our opponents will kick it out for a corner rather than risking a throw in.”
“Depressingly predictable as always. “
“What a bloody shambles and an embarrassment this team has become!!!”
“I think we should win a bonus point for the amount of corners we have”
“Taxi for the defence.”
Not a single mention of the officials on there. Did they not moan? Most opposition teams always have a moan about the officials or were they just so disgusted to concede 4 last night (and 7 overall this season!).
Great stat - we have scored 19% of our league goals this season against Colchester.
“Are there statistics anywhere for corner conversion rates? There can’t be many teams worse at corners. It must get to the stage where our opponents will kick it out for a corner rather than risking a throw in.”
“Depressingly predictable as always. “
“What a bloody shambles and an embarrassment this team has become!!!”
“I think we should win a bonus point for the amount of corners we have”
“Taxi for the defence.”
Not a single mention of the officials on there. Did they not moan? Most opposition teams always have a moan about the officials or were they just so disgusted to concede 4 last night (and 7 overall this season!).
Great stat - we have scored 19% of our league goals this season against Colchester.
blade too long
we go again
was just thinking the same myself
it must be some sort of drone fan that moans incessantly on every site under a differing avatar
it must be some sort of drone fan that moans incessantly on every site under a differing avatar
mattbianco1
Forum Royalty
4 shots. 4 on target. 4 goals.
That's clinical. But bloody shocking
That's clinical. But bloody shocking
blade too long
we go again
ASTON VILLA HAVE GOT fate against them too , the road signs given up on them
MobileBlade
Well-Known Member
Thought this was an excellent report from a Colchester fan:
If there was any doubt that Colchester were involved in a relegation scrap then last night confirmed the worst for even the most rose-tinted Colchester aficionados (me included).
As an exile my home games are through necessity (a round trip of 520 miles) limited and I tend to watch about 15 away games per season. Last night was a somewhat easier 220 mile round trip to Sheffield United (A1/M1 road works notwithstanding) to sit with 148 members of the faithful. Attendance was an incredible 17,162 - obviously there for the Col U or for the chance to witness the biggest win of the season for the Blades!
Now there appears to be a growing faction amongst the U's home crowd who are unhappy about 9 home defeats and the TH style of management. Until last night I had not detected an undercurrent amongst the away faithful. I met up with Gerry (the cat) and we endured the 95 minutes with varying levels of disbelief and incredulity.
Some of the faithful vented their feelings particularly after the second goal went in – FFS and expletive deleted were some of the milder comments and some disappeared down the steps not to be seen for some minutes, perhaps collecting their thoughts or looking at their Road Atlases to work out exactly where Mansfield Town, Morecambe, Newport County and Accrington Stanley are.
Make no mistake on current form, we are not going to secure the 23 points from only now 17 games needed to survive.
OK no-one thought that we would realistically secure any points at Bramall Lane and so it proved; but there is an incredible naivety amongst some members of the team, the product of youth, inexperience etc.
Constructively we had 10 goal attempts, 4 on target which matched our opponents (they scored four from 4 on target shots!), we had 10 corners and the Blades mustered none.
Now Clough’s men came into last night’s game with only one win in the last seven, so the writing was on the wall from the outset.
I enjoyed a pre-match meat and potato pie, good filling and pastry but the fork was not up to the task of removing the pastry from around the edge of the packaging.
TH lined up his charges thus in a 4, 5, 1:
Walker
Clohessy Wynter Eastman Briggs
Massey Lapslie Fox Szmodics Gordon
Porter
Subs:
Lewington Vincent-Young Sembie-Ferris McEvoy Bonne Watt Marriott
Chris Porter received generous applause from the Blades supporters before the game.
The match started as most that I have seen do with Colchester on the attack. Neat passing movements and the opportunity to take the lead. In the first minute Szmodics touch was flicked onto the post by Turner the Blades substitute keeper after Howard was injured in the warm up.
And so it continued with Briggs driving runs and Lapslie and Szmodics incisive play.
Until an innocuous free kick on the left side (as we looked at it from the faithful end of the ground) after 8 minutes. The protagonist was Campbell-Ryce who in May 2006 was at Huish Park (on loan from Southend with 1600 of the faithful to witness that historic day under Phil Parkinson - will we ever see that again?) the ball was swung over and Walker failed to command his box, the defence dithered and Baxter was able to bundle the ball home at the second attempt. A poor goal to concede and frankly an undeserved lead for the Blades.
The match continued with Colchester in the ascendancy, plenty of passing and interchanges without any real end product (and that is our achilles heel).
Chris Porter (who looks like a proper centre forward and with more support can score the goals to keep us in league one) was unlucky not to equalise on 25 minutes, his shot well saved by Turner who rolled back the years to get a strong hand too turn the ball away from the goal. Lapslie grazed the bar with two well struck shots and then disaster.
On 37 minutes and with the U’s comfortable despite being a goal down a corner (one of our 10) was cleared and Harris on the right side and well in his own half played a Hollywood diagonal pass fully 50 yards to the onrushing Done (signed on deadline day from Rochdale) he cut inside and scored with a diagonal shot which nestled in the far corner of Walker’s goal.
Pass of the night and probably the season, but Done should not have scored from there!!!
So 2-0 and still the ground was surprisingly quiet, the faithful were restless and disgruntled. I slumped into my seat. Others vented their anger, Gerry the cat wished he could put his gloves back on and play the second half.
Half-time came and went and we had surprisingly made no substitutions. If I am going to moan then it is because TH should have introduced a second striker at half time.
He didn’t and suddenly Chris Porter had to go off the field of play to have extensive treatment to a head injury including a change of shirt because of the blood. While he was off TH at last introduced young Dion Sembie-Ferris on 52 minutes for Gordon. Now this youngster has pace and ability and should have been on from the start of the second half.
Worse still and while down to 10 men, the Blades scored their third and killer goal. McEveley was allowed to run from the half way line and unleash a 30 yard shot which nested in the far corner of the net. Walker was fizzing at his defence, but again he should have done better.
Porter came back on but was never the same after the head injury and should in my view have been replaced by Marriott. The game was lost at 3-0 anyway.
The tireless Szmodics scored a smart acute angled goals in the 70th minute. Could the comeback be on? Possibly, the U’s were still playing with neat passing but little end product.
Even worse a soft penalty was conceded by Briggs who tripped McNulty (right on the edge of the penalty area) on 80 minutes which Baxter despatched down the centre of the goal. Cue Gerry who argued that Walker should have stood his ground and would have saved the spot kick. 4-1 and the Blades faithful demanded 5. If 4 flattered them, 5 would have been total injustice.
TH finally made a second substitution on 88 minutes and took Massey off replacing him with McEvoy. Now I’m sorry but if you are going to introduce someone then two minutes from time in a game that you have lost 4-1 is not the time to make the change. Moan number two.
We almost scored a second consolation goal and perhaps should but bodies on the line and last ditch tackles kept the ball out.
5 additional minutes were added mainly due to an injury which looked as though it would require a stretcher, the St John’s Ambulance staff brought the stretcher and more equipment than you see in an A&E department only to have to trudge dejectedly back again when the Blades player surprisingly got up and started running like a gazelle. Clearly lying prostrate for 5 minutes on the Bramall Lane turf had magical healing qualities.
On the way out of the ground some of the faithful were telling the stewards that we would see them next season. Whilst Sheffield United will not go up, we will definitely go down, unless we can secure the 23 points need for survival. The answer is to ensure that the end product can be delivered in the final third and quickly.
Our passing game is pleasant on the eye and the possession stifles noise from the home crowds but unless chances can be converted, then road atlases will have to be consulted and SATNAVS reprogrammed. Neither a pleasant nor a welcoming thought.
I will continue to believe until things become mathematically impossible. A four point gap has opened up now. Our next game is at the building site and demilitarised zone that is Boundary Park on Saturday, incredibly they are top six and we are bottom four.
Time to play a second striker, give the wingers more opportunity and fight for survival. With apologies to Dylan Thomas – TH’s message to his players must be “do not go gently into that dark night of relegation, fight, fight for the right to league one football next season!"
This battle starts Saturday and we have 17 cup finals left for survival.
Up the U’s
If there was any doubt that Colchester were involved in a relegation scrap then last night confirmed the worst for even the most rose-tinted Colchester aficionados (me included).
As an exile my home games are through necessity (a round trip of 520 miles) limited and I tend to watch about 15 away games per season. Last night was a somewhat easier 220 mile round trip to Sheffield United (A1/M1 road works notwithstanding) to sit with 148 members of the faithful. Attendance was an incredible 17,162 - obviously there for the Col U or for the chance to witness the biggest win of the season for the Blades!
Now there appears to be a growing faction amongst the U's home crowd who are unhappy about 9 home defeats and the TH style of management. Until last night I had not detected an undercurrent amongst the away faithful. I met up with Gerry (the cat) and we endured the 95 minutes with varying levels of disbelief and incredulity.
Some of the faithful vented their feelings particularly after the second goal went in – FFS and expletive deleted were some of the milder comments and some disappeared down the steps not to be seen for some minutes, perhaps collecting their thoughts or looking at their Road Atlases to work out exactly where Mansfield Town, Morecambe, Newport County and Accrington Stanley are.
Make no mistake on current form, we are not going to secure the 23 points from only now 17 games needed to survive.
OK no-one thought that we would realistically secure any points at Bramall Lane and so it proved; but there is an incredible naivety amongst some members of the team, the product of youth, inexperience etc.
Constructively we had 10 goal attempts, 4 on target which matched our opponents (they scored four from 4 on target shots!), we had 10 corners and the Blades mustered none.
Now Clough’s men came into last night’s game with only one win in the last seven, so the writing was on the wall from the outset.
I enjoyed a pre-match meat and potato pie, good filling and pastry but the fork was not up to the task of removing the pastry from around the edge of the packaging.
TH lined up his charges thus in a 4, 5, 1:
Walker
Clohessy Wynter Eastman Briggs
Massey Lapslie Fox Szmodics Gordon
Porter
Subs:
Lewington Vincent-Young Sembie-Ferris McEvoy Bonne Watt Marriott
Chris Porter received generous applause from the Blades supporters before the game.
The match started as most that I have seen do with Colchester on the attack. Neat passing movements and the opportunity to take the lead. In the first minute Szmodics touch was flicked onto the post by Turner the Blades substitute keeper after Howard was injured in the warm up.
And so it continued with Briggs driving runs and Lapslie and Szmodics incisive play.
Until an innocuous free kick on the left side (as we looked at it from the faithful end of the ground) after 8 minutes. The protagonist was Campbell-Ryce who in May 2006 was at Huish Park (on loan from Southend with 1600 of the faithful to witness that historic day under Phil Parkinson - will we ever see that again?) the ball was swung over and Walker failed to command his box, the defence dithered and Baxter was able to bundle the ball home at the second attempt. A poor goal to concede and frankly an undeserved lead for the Blades.
The match continued with Colchester in the ascendancy, plenty of passing and interchanges without any real end product (and that is our achilles heel).
Chris Porter (who looks like a proper centre forward and with more support can score the goals to keep us in league one) was unlucky not to equalise on 25 minutes, his shot well saved by Turner who rolled back the years to get a strong hand too turn the ball away from the goal. Lapslie grazed the bar with two well struck shots and then disaster.
On 37 minutes and with the U’s comfortable despite being a goal down a corner (one of our 10) was cleared and Harris on the right side and well in his own half played a Hollywood diagonal pass fully 50 yards to the onrushing Done (signed on deadline day from Rochdale) he cut inside and scored with a diagonal shot which nestled in the far corner of Walker’s goal.
Pass of the night and probably the season, but Done should not have scored from there!!!
So 2-0 and still the ground was surprisingly quiet, the faithful were restless and disgruntled. I slumped into my seat. Others vented their anger, Gerry the cat wished he could put his gloves back on and play the second half.
Half-time came and went and we had surprisingly made no substitutions. If I am going to moan then it is because TH should have introduced a second striker at half time.
He didn’t and suddenly Chris Porter had to go off the field of play to have extensive treatment to a head injury including a change of shirt because of the blood. While he was off TH at last introduced young Dion Sembie-Ferris on 52 minutes for Gordon. Now this youngster has pace and ability and should have been on from the start of the second half.
Worse still and while down to 10 men, the Blades scored their third and killer goal. McEveley was allowed to run from the half way line and unleash a 30 yard shot which nested in the far corner of the net. Walker was fizzing at his defence, but again he should have done better.
Porter came back on but was never the same after the head injury and should in my view have been replaced by Marriott. The game was lost at 3-0 anyway.
The tireless Szmodics scored a smart acute angled goals in the 70th minute. Could the comeback be on? Possibly, the U’s were still playing with neat passing but little end product.
Even worse a soft penalty was conceded by Briggs who tripped McNulty (right on the edge of the penalty area) on 80 minutes which Baxter despatched down the centre of the goal. Cue Gerry who argued that Walker should have stood his ground and would have saved the spot kick. 4-1 and the Blades faithful demanded 5. If 4 flattered them, 5 would have been total injustice.
TH finally made a second substitution on 88 minutes and took Massey off replacing him with McEvoy. Now I’m sorry but if you are going to introduce someone then two minutes from time in a game that you have lost 4-1 is not the time to make the change. Moan number two.
We almost scored a second consolation goal and perhaps should but bodies on the line and last ditch tackles kept the ball out.
5 additional minutes were added mainly due to an injury which looked as though it would require a stretcher, the St John’s Ambulance staff brought the stretcher and more equipment than you see in an A&E department only to have to trudge dejectedly back again when the Blades player surprisingly got up and started running like a gazelle. Clearly lying prostrate for 5 minutes on the Bramall Lane turf had magical healing qualities.
On the way out of the ground some of the faithful were telling the stewards that we would see them next season. Whilst Sheffield United will not go up, we will definitely go down, unless we can secure the 23 points need for survival. The answer is to ensure that the end product can be delivered in the final third and quickly.
Our passing game is pleasant on the eye and the possession stifles noise from the home crowds but unless chances can be converted, then road atlases will have to be consulted and SATNAVS reprogrammed. Neither a pleasant nor a welcoming thought.
I will continue to believe until things become mathematically impossible. A four point gap has opened up now. Our next game is at the building site and demilitarised zone that is Boundary Park on Saturday, incredibly they are top six and we are bottom four.
Time to play a second striker, give the wingers more opportunity and fight for survival. With apologies to Dylan Thomas – TH’s message to his players must be “do not go gently into that dark night of relegation, fight, fight for the right to league one football next season!"
This battle starts Saturday and we have 17 cup finals left for survival.
Up the U’s
It was Coutts that was tripped for the penalty wasn't it? The 2nd time in that game he lost the ball and then went on to win it back with a strong tackle straight after.
He looks just what we need, has a great touch, calm on the ball and good passing range.
He looks just what we need, has a great touch, calm on the ball and good passing range.
carthesis
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I don't know what they put in the bloody water in Colchester, but Chris Porter looked far better for Colchester than he ever did for us!
He made a couple of little lay-offs and knock-ons that were excellent - the kind of thing you often thought he'd only ever produce for us by accident. Made a few great runs, carried and held up the ball, and was generally a decent target man. I thought he was someone else!
I never got on Ports' back - he worked hard and gave his best whenever he pulled on the red'n'white, but sadly he just never looked quite good enough for us - so I'm pleased he's doing well now. But looking back on some aspects of his performance, it starts to look mystifying why we let him go, especially after signing a new contract in the summer!
He made a couple of little lay-offs and knock-ons that were excellent - the kind of thing you often thought he'd only ever produce for us by accident. Made a few great runs, carried and held up the ball, and was generally a decent target man. I thought he was someone else!
I never got on Ports' back - he worked hard and gave his best whenever he pulled on the red'n'white, but sadly he just never looked quite good enough for us - so I'm pleased he's doing well now. But looking back on some aspects of his performance, it starts to look mystifying why we let him go, especially after signing a new contract in the summer!
grafikhaus
Kraft durch Freude
'It was Men v Infants all over the park...' Fuckin' hell! Has he seen United?
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