The Defence

[Jeffers217]

We simply came up against a team which will be challenging this season and were exposed- the sooner we lost heavily the better was always my view. I can't see Millwall being challengers this season and hence they didn't massively expose our defence. If Kish comes back in now, that defeat against Boro will have been well worth it

[Hoop Blah]

Not sure I agree the late switch at Millwall was to go in search of the win as much as to get fresh legs on the pitch and replace our weakest link with a better footballer.

I wan't there though so that might just be pie in the sky!

[handbags_harris]

We simply came up against a team which will be challenging this season and were exposed- the sooner we lost heavily the better was always my view. I can't see Millwall being challengers this season and hence they didn't massively expose our defence. If Kish comes back in now, that defeat against Boro will have been well worth it

Two one-on-one's, two free headers, and as many last ditch clearances that I care to remember would suggest otherwise.

[under the tin]

The "go for the win" philosophy, IIRC, goes back to the Pardew days.
I can remember him saying in interview something like " two draws equals two points. In go for the win, even if we lose one of those same two games in trying, we end up with three"

I supprt that mentality because we generally look like we are going to concede goals.

[Millsy]

I am fully in favour of risking defeat when searching for three points
but there are ways to do it.


Away from home we need to try to hold the ball, frustrate the opposition and quieten the spectators.

So the strategy for most clubs is to get to 21 minutes without conceding, THEN consider going for it.



But maybe Mc "knows" that we aren't really a good defensive set-up and our best chance is to grab the goals

I disagree. I think clubs hold out till about 23 minutes.

[Snowball]

We looked a LOT steadier with Kish playing. He is a class act at this level

[Woodcote Royal]

I disagree with your liking of McD's cavalier approach, HH. For instance I was fuming during the last 10 minutes of the Millwall match where we replaced a recognised right back with a winger so as we could get another, inexperienced winger onto the pitch in order (presumably) to throw something different at Millwall in an attempt to win the game. Goalless with 10 left away from home in a season where survival must be the first and perhaps only objective, this left us in serious danger of losing this particular match aswe then lost all shape and sense of procedure in those closing stages. Ultimately we were very fortunate to come away with a very good point, no thanks to the manager's tinkering.

This is where all true fans should heave a huge sigh of relief that Brian McDermott is our manager rather than one of the East Stand wrist slitters.

In a thread where much nonsense has been posted, it doesn't come much better than this.

Neither team deserved to lose that night at The New Den but both sides, in the final stages, threw the kitchen sink at trying to gain 3pts whilst taking the risk of losing the one they came with.

As we sit 8th in the table, thank God our manager clearly believes we have more to play for this season than mere survival.

[Snowball]

SEVENTH

[Woodcote Royal]

Sorry

[Snowball]

SUPPORTING your post, WR

[Woodcote Royal]

thanks

[floyd__streete]

This is where all true fans should heave a huge sigh of relief that Brian McDermott is our manager rather than one of the East Stand wrist slitters.

In a thread where much nonsense has been posted, it doesn't come much better than this.

Neither team deserved to lose that night at The New Den but both sides, in the final stages, threw the kitchen sink at trying to gain 3pts whilst taking the risk of losing the one they came with.

As we sit 8th in the table, thank God our manager clearly believes we have more to play for this season than mere survival.

Always a bit rich when you start accusing people of speaking nonsense, WR.

I thought that we generally played ok at The New Den but they had clear cut chances galore in the first half and a more clinical side would have put the game to bed. I do not agree with your summing up of the final stages of that game, I felt that we were absolutely ragged and disorganised after we made the substitution.

I still believe that it is mere survival we are playing for this season, 8 games in I am satisfied with our points tally but there are still more questions than answers about this team and the future direction of the club.

[Woodcote Royal]

Well, as ever, you are clearly on another planet when compared to those responsible for the running of this club. May your suicidal tendencies stray no further than the East Stand.

I guess you believe McD got a bollocking this weekend from his Chairman for being one place away from the play offs!! Or, do you just stand on your head when looking at the table it it doesn't support your view the right way up?

[floyd__streete]

Well, as ever, you are clearly on another planet when compared to those responsible for the running of this club. May your suicidal tendencies stray no further than the East Stand.

I guess you believe McD got a bollocking this weekend from his Chairman for being one place away from the play offs!! Or, do you just stand on your head when looking at the table it it doesn't support your view the right way up?

Jesus wept - ok, do you really need reminding of some of your pearls of nonsense over the years? If it was down to you we'd be playing in a 1/3 full 38,000 seat stadium with Andy Hughes at left back and Dean Morgan up front. I could seriously go on a long time here reeling off some of the nonsense you have posted up over the years. The most positive thing I could say about your input is that at least it is always entertaining! This time last year you were thanking the lord for Brendan Rodgers.....that worked out well for us all, didn't it?

As I said in the previous post - which, with your own daft pre-conceived ideas about some perceived inter-stand rivalry, you obviously didn't bother reading - I am very satisfied with 12 points from 8 games. The table is irrelevant at this stage; at the moment we are just as close to the bottom six as we are the top two. I do feel there is a lot to be concerned about with the team, with the club as a whole. I would gladly list some of these misgivings for you to discuss/rubbish but you'd no doubt ignore these concerns and go off on your own agenda/tangent as you are wont to do.

[Woodcote Royal]

Hey, bring it on.

As a Premiership side we could justify a 38k stadium............................and I don't hero worship the manager who needlessly gave away that status.

Andy Hughes did a better job as a Championship full back (right AND left) than a number of so called specialists and that includes Shorey when he couldn't give a sh*t.

And as for Morgan, I thought he deserved his chance after Forster hadn't scored for 2 months, so what?

Had we won at Millwall (and we had the chances) we'd be 5th now..............................and that says all anyone needs to know about why you were so pissed off with McD.

[Mr Angry]

Its always a tricky one, because both points of view are fundamentally both right and wrong once hindsight has been applied.

Last Tuesday, had we got the winner - tactic justified; had we conceded and lost - tactic not justified.

As a fan, I always want to see the team going for the win - BUT at times to do so is foolhardy and may have serious consequences for the team and club. As an example, I think we all remember the 2 games against Fulham in the season we got relegated; trailing by a single goal entering the final minutes in both games, we push up hoping to get the equaliser, get caught on the break and concede a further goal in both the games - 2 goals which, at the end of the season, relegated us.

[Snowball]

Its always a tricky one, because both points of view are fundamentally both right and wrong once hindsight has been applied.

Last Tuesday, had we got the winner - tactic justified; had we conceded and lost - tactic not justified.

As a fan, I always want to see the team going for the win - BUT at times to do so is foolhardy and may have serious consequences for the team and club. As an example, I think we all remember the 2 games against Fulham in the season we got relegated; trailing by a single goal entering the final minutes in both games, we push up hoping to get the equaliser, get caught on the break and concede a further goal in both the games - 2 goals which, at the end of the season, relegated us.

To some extent, I agree, go for it "sensibly" but those two 1-0s that became 2-0s? Had we drawn either we'd've stayed up
and no manager thinks "I'll settle for losing 1-0 in the hope that we'll say up on GD"

[Hoop Blah]

Had we won at Millwall (and we had the chances) we'd be 5th now..............................and that says all anyone needs to know about why you were so pissed off with McD.

That's quite a big IF there Woodcote.

I think we've probably been lucky a fair bit this season with results flattering our performances so IF we could be 5th, we possibly should be a bit lower in the table judging by how we've played.

[Woodcote Royal]

The classic example here is last Saturday.

At 0-0, with a player sent off half way through the second half, was McD wrong to go for the win?

And, as for those using luck to justify why they think this side is higher up the table than it should be, just how "lucky" did we get in having one of our best players sent off in the first place? (and how "lucky" will we be tonight in not being able to play him ) How many teams score 3 times whilst playing with 10 men?

Luck usually evens itself out over the course of the season but, so far, Brian seems pretty good at making his own good fortune. Long may it continue.

[floyd__streete]

I think that Mr A - as per usual - has it pretty much spot on, it is all about personal interpretation isn't it. And maybe a bit of revisionism too; I am sure that dear WR would have had something to say if we'd thrown that very good point away at Milwlall and I hold my hands up and concede that I wouldn't have mentioned my misgivings about the tactical switch if we'd gone on and nicked a winner .

WR - I don't know where you get the idea that I am somehow anti-BMc. I am fully behind the bloke, although - as you so often remind us with Coppell! - nobody is infallible. That said, I am in 100% agreement with your most recent post. The main difference between Millwall and Barnsley of course being that we were at home on Saturday against a side who had showed very little attacking intent all afternoon.