Away Match Day Thread 05/04/22 L1: Morecambe v OUFC

[Sheik djibouti]

I've said for a while that Long and Brannagan should be captain and vice captain. Moore is too passive and quiet.

If Long had shown captaincy qualities before now, I think he might've been given the nod.

What makes you think he is Captain material?

 

[PottersRightBoot]

Brown was our best player last night. Crisp tackling, decent distribution. He should stay at left back when Moore comes back. Hope we sign him permanently.

McNally was poor wasn’t he? No doubt the broken nose didn’t help.

On reflection, last night was a freak of a result. We shouldn’t start burying our manager yet, whatever the post match excuses he concocts.

But, yes, our goose is nearly cooked.

 

[Sarge]

Brown was our best player last night. Crisp tackling, decent distribution. He should stay at left back when Moore comes back. Hope we sign him permanently.

McNally was poor wasn’t he? No doubt the broken nose didn’t help.

On reflection, last night was a freak of a result. We shouldn’t start burying our manager yet, whatever the post match excuses he concocts.

But, yes, our goose is nearly cooked.

...is that a bit more than 'oven ready'?

 

[SirAndyOfCrosby]

After scoring that early goal and completely dominating a poor side with the ball who had not got out of their own half in the first 14 mins we conceded off their first
attack. A needless free kick given away, a ball shelled into our area and we fail to deal with it. That is real defensive fragility right there.

We have conceded so many soft goals this season and ultimately it has cost us. It is just three clean sheets away from home in 21 league matches.

Crewe, Ipswich and Charlton.

It’s worse than that. We have conceded 2 or more goals in 14 League games this season.
So in 1/3 of our games, we need to score 3 goals to win and at least 2 just to get a point.
Alarming also that 10 of those 14 games have been since the turn of the year (11 if you go back to Wigan the week before Christmas).
From the Lincoln game (8th Jan) onwards we’ve conceded an average of 1.6 goals per game.
For comparison, this is how many times the rest of the top 8 have conceded 2 or more goals per game this season in the League:

Rotherham – 4
Wigan - 8
MK Dons - 8 (All pre-Christmas - the last time they conceded 2 goals in a game was against us).
Sunderland – 10
Wycombe – 11
Plymouth – 11
Sheff Wed – 12

In the first half of the season it was a rare occurrence for us. We actually conceded 2 or more goals just 3 times in the first 21 games of the season (away to Bolton, Wimbledon, home to Plymouth) and just once in the 15 league games from (and including) Wycombe at home on September 11th through to (and including) MK Dons on December 11th.
This run of fixtures yielded ‘only’ 4 clean sheets (which is why I don’t get hung up on them) but crucially 10 games conceding just once in each.
The way we play you would fancy us to win plenty of games if we only concede once a match. In fact, I would go as far as to say I would accept conceding once in every away game over the course of a season if that was it. Clean sheets (whilst an indication of good defence) are not the be all and end all - but you can't keep conceding 2+.

 

[MC Yellow]

...is that a bit more than 'oven ready'?

I would say it got well and truly burned last night.

 

[Sarge]

I would say it got well and truly burned last night.

spit roasted?

 

[werthersoriginal]

We have all identified the frailties in the squad (defensive cover!) and in some respects, our worst nightmares have been compounded by injuries, which is all part and parcel of the game.

But to loose Elliott Moore when we did and for as long as we have, along with Cameron Brannagan and Sam Baldock at a really crucial point have been pretty catastrophic. To lose the 1st team captain, possibly the best goal scoring central midfielder in the division AND a really intelligent goal scoring striker who, was forming and absolutely fantastic partnership with one of the best strikers in the division in Taylor, has really hit us hard.

It is no wonder our goal scoring record has fallen off a cliff in the last month. Just contrast our free flowing, free scoring wins at places like Burton (who have shipped 63 league goals this season) with our real struggle at Morecambe last night (who have shipped a massive 80 goals this season). If we had been able to play the starting 11 (the only differences being Brannagan and Baldock) I dare say we would seen a similar end result. Yes, I appreciate Baldock was only here from January, but his impact was almost immediate and he really gave our attack that addded dimension that can make such a big difference in the run in, especially when other teams around you have strengthened at the same time.

That said, our defensive frailties have been there for all to see all season - how many clean sheets have we managed? Even so, Elliott Moore added experience organisation and composure at the centre of defence and often steadied a nervous looking ship... and we are crying out for that right now. In addition, Moore and Brannagan take the pressure of Kane somewhat and it is no coincidence that he has not been the same player lately without both of them there. I will however put this out there - Ciaron Brown is proving to be a better player than Jordan Thorniley - there, I've said it!!

So the removal of Moore, CamBran and Baldock from our squad has hit us really hard. In fact I would challenge any team in the division to sustain a promotion/play off challenge when losing three such important players at such a crucial stage.

That's absolutely true but as the H8rs have said a million times, we don't have a reserve left back, so when our one lb is off form we have to switch the whole defence around, with predictable and crazy results. However I still feel that we miss a midfield enforcer more. We just don't control or close down games and are always vulnerable to teams running at us.

 

[bazzer9461]

My point @bazzer9461 about your post is with your thought process on Karl why do want him to have another season.

The points you raise about the players is always hanging over us regardless of what League we are in or indeed whoever is our Manager.

The turnover of players each summer is something we generally tend to see but that's another subject but i do find it odd that fans in general think that our targets will just walk through the door when actually getting players in the building is much harder than folk seem to realise. We all know Agents play games punt their clients here there and everywhere and then yo yo between clubs informing club a has now offered x etc etc.

People always assume that when an injury crops up, that within the financial constraints that we never bothered seeking a replacement.

I would have thought 3 seasons to be playing around and being in the playoffs should be enough time to get promoted, the only reason I’ve mentioned another season is what Anindia Bakri said in his interview with Jerome he wants promotion within 2 seasons with this being the first of the two. Next year has to be his last chance.
As a manager and a human being what he has done outside of the football side of things has been immense attending funerals of long standing supporters his charitable work and his stance over Joey has been brilliant.
Butt try sentiments aside we are a football club that want promotion, the question is how long do we give?

 

[bobsss]

Brown was our best player last night. Crisp tackling, decent distribution. He should stay at left back when Moore comes back. Hope we sign him permanently.

McNally was poor wasn’t he? No doubt the broken nose didn’t help.

On reflection, last night was a freak of a result. We shouldn’t start burying our manager yet, whatever the post match excuses he concocts.

But, yes, our goose is nearly cooked.

A very pragmatic post young man ........ could'nt have put it better myself......

 

[IsleofWightYellow]

spit roasted?

What happens in @Malc and @RyanioBirdio ’s hotel room, stays in their hotel room.

 

[holdsteady]

Brown was our best player last night. Crisp tackling, decent distribution. He should stay at left back when Moore comes back. Hope we sign him permanently.

McNally was poor wasn’t he? No doubt the broken nose didn’t help.

On reflection, last night was a freak of a result. We shouldn’t start burying our manager yet, whatever the post match excuses he concocts.

But, yes, our goose is nearly cooked.

Most teams with a centre back with a broken nose would replace him with the reserve centre back (or move the centre back from left back and bring the substitute left back on) but we chose to play on with him because the sub centre back can’t actually play it would seem and the only left back has fallen massively out of favour and like the Mousinho is just making up the numbers on the bench.

 

[holdsteady]

You are right - massive gaping hole between 6 and 18 yard line for the first Morecambe goal. Kane tries in vain and too late to block the shot, which then balloons up horribly off McNally's thigh and Stevens can't get near it. Should've been closed down much quicker to prevent the shot in the first place, but nonetheless unlucky the way it went in.

For the second, Brown is squarely to blame for an awful pass to Kane which made it easy for the onrushing Morecambe player to rob him (it wasn't a foul). Kane was even pointing for Brown to play to ball in front of him to wrong foot the onrushing Morecambe player, but instead he plays it behind, Kane making it much easier to pick him off.

There was another occasion late in the second half where CDM was again exposed leaving a massive hole, and only a great save from Stevens prevent a 3rd Morecambe goal.

How bad Browns pass is Kane still has it under control and didn’t have to do what he did. Second Tuesday night match away from home he has let a side who have just equalised push on and take the lead before half time, he is becoming a liability playing deep.

 

[RyanioBirdio]

What happens in @Malc and @RyanioBirdio ’s hotel room, stays in their hotel room.

How’s this happened?!

 

[Paul Cannell]

You are right - massive gaping hole between 6 and 18 yard line for the first Morecambe goal. Kane tries in vain and too late to block the shot, which then balloons up horribly off McNally's thigh and Stevens can't get near it. Should've been closed down much quicker to prevent the shot in the first place, but nonetheless unlucky the way it went in.

For the second, Brown is squarely to blame for an awful pass to Kane which made it easy for the onrushing Morecambe player to rob him (it wasn't a foul). Kane was even pointing for Brown to play to ball in front of him to wrong foot the onrushing Morecambe player, but instead he plays it behind, Kane making it much easier to pick him off.

There was another occasion late in the second half where CDM was again exposed leaving a massive hole, and only a great save from Stevens prevent a 3rd Morecambe goal.

On the first goal we have 5 (five) players (including Kane & Taylor) running back for the header with their 2 attackers. One of those 2 should have hung back, maybe both. Sykes & Williams are with midfielders outside the box, they both stop (Williams looks like he's being held.) then start again too late. Four players at fault.

On the second Kane does point behind himself to his right (I reckon) and Brown played it in front of him. Kane was favourite by a mile to that pass (and get it safely out or round the corner to Stevens (not recommended if he didn't know what was between them) but he chose to let it run and try to dummy their man who didn't buy it; no foul.

No excuse for the first, lack of awareness and the usual inept defensive support from midfield, for the second they'd gone into panic mode and Kane's not a defensive midfielder.

 

[IsleofWightYellow]

How’s this happened?!

Well, when two three people love eachother very much…

 

[Mad Dog]

If Long had shown captaincy qualities before now, I think he might've been given the nod.

What makes you think he is Captain material?

He's a no nonsense type player, with clear passion, desire and commitment for the club he loves and has come through the ranks at, and he's been here years, understanding the ethos of the club, he reminds me of what Gary Neville was like at Man Utd, and I feel he'd be an excellent captain.

The same for Brannagan, ok he's not come through the ranks, but he's been here a long time, and clearly loves the club, and has boundless passion and desire to do well here, and it's those qualities of both Brannagan and Long that would really galvanise the whole squad.

Don't get me wrong, I like Moore, he's a good CB, but successful teams have strong, vocal, combative, aggressive roaring lions as their captains, and for me, he seems very passive and quiet.

 

[The mighty Aldo]

Having had time to reflect I would say the root of our problem’s defensively is we did not replace Gorrin, we had no back up left back and Mous shouldn’t be in the squad and should have been replaced with a no nonsense centre half
As others have said having to score 3 goals most games to win is not sustainable
I like KR and think the business he did in January was good because the Branagan saga rolling on tied his hands.
If he went we needed a replacement and it was left too late. Shame about Thornilly but Brown is an ok player
Nobody on Radox has really questioned him about his defence until last night and he then got a bit animated
Having said all this if we spurn chances we won’t win matches

 

[MJB]

Having had time to reflect I would say the root of our problem’s defensively is we did not replace Gorrin, we had no back up left back and Mous shouldn’t be in the squad and should have been replaced with a no nonsense centre half

The lack of a replacement for Gorrin is the key one I think. A real oversight that, given that we knew he was out for the season and had a chance to replace him.

This again indicates that a more pragmatic approach from the coaching and recruitment teams is needed and adds to a general sense that we are entertainers but not ruthless enough.

We need more bastards, basically!

 

[WEYellow]

Just back home after an overnight stay in MoreCum. What a frustrating night that was, overall we didn't play bad and obviously were the better team but we ALWAYS have 2 or 3 games like this a season - painful.


Stevens - 5 - Didnt have much to do, and what he needed to do wasn't good. I prefer Eastwood.

Mcnally - 5 - His worst game for us, looked slow and cumbersome.

Long - 5.5 - Meh. Wears his heart on his sleeve, passion for the badge etc, but he's never been good enough for us. Definite improvement required

Brown - 6 - 3 for the first half but 8 second. Not sure how I feel on him overall. Maybe a good squad player.

Holland - 8 - Excellent, looked confident and a threat every time he had it. Start him more!!

Mcguane - 6 - One of our better performers in the first 20 but again flashed in and out of things.

Sykes - 6 - Centrally, first 20 he was great and his passing was top drawer. Went out to the left in the 2nd half and went invisible. If you ask me honestly, I think he's chucked it.

Kane - 5 - He's not a defensive midfielder so let's not play him there any more. Blows hot and cold and sadly the cold cost us last night.

Williams - 4 - Awful, never got in it, crossing way off. Looked tired.

Taylor - 6.5 - Hell of a finish and that was about it. Can hardly be blamed for our failures.

Whyte - 7 - Build up play and running off the ball was next level, sadly his decision making is poor. Kept trying


Subs didn't do too much of note, just camped in their half passing sideways and checking back. Dull.

KR - 2 - I rarely rant at Robbo and I trust he is the right man for us. But those substitutions last night were baffling. Holland and Whyte were our only threatening players, so why take them off? Morecambe were getting deeper and more narrow as the game went on so why take off the 2 players who gave us width? To replace them with Henry and Bodin who sat in the middle getting blocked off and not having pace to get in behind. Furious.

 

[Mad Dog]

Suppose we just have to pray that we beat Sunderland in Saturday's 6 pointer, and that all the teams above us drop points, then maybe we'll be back in with a shout...