Hard to disagree with much of what Rich says. This was a game that we could and should have won with plenty to spare. If Colin genuinely thinks that this is the best team that we have had for years then the sooner he goes the better/ At last after 30 odd games Colin has now decided on his best team and formation - much of which he has stumbled upon by accident (Lees, Peltier, Byram etc) I know Green and Norris have had injuries but why has it taken till now for them, McCormack, Varney and to a lesser extent Tonge to become first team starters. We started brightly and we are, at last, trying to play some decent passing football. We are however lacking in both width and pace so that causes us some problems. Millwall were awful make no mistake about it, but only 2 good saves by Kenny and 2 penalties (both correct) when we were not bound to score gained us the 3 points. Apart from the pens we only came close on 3 other occasions, the first was a cross by McCormack straight after the pen miss when it may have skimmed Varneys head as it otherwise beat everyone and hit the post. The second was a shot by Tonge that went just wide and the 3rd was as bad a miss (by Ross) that you will see - a great ball by Morison sent Varney down the wing and he picked out McCormack totally unmarked just by the penalty spot and with the keeper out of the picture , instead of hitting it with his left, Ross took a touch and put it on his right foot and then fell over as he mishit it to the keeper , very poor. We dominated most of the game but it looked as if we were not going to breach a hard working defence and at last it looked as if Colin was going to make a sub and bring on Diouf - as he was getting changed the second penalty was awarded and scored. Instead of reacting to the change in score Colin (after what appeared to be a row with Diouf) decided he would carry on regardless. Maybe the introduction of Brown at the same time was a sop to the change in the score. The second half was pretty much a non event apart from the penalty which was put away with aplomb by Warnock who then flattened one of their players with a great tackle. Whilst those around me moaned about the ref stopping play on the basis that it was not a head injury, I gave him the benefit of the doubt thinking it was a bad injury - Rich seems to have missed the fact that he came back on later (no worries Rich , so did I, but my mates in the pub post game assured me he did come back on so it was only 11 v 10 for a bit) Warnock was obviously pleased with that tackle and decided to do something similar with Varney (by accident) which saw him stretchered off. I think the play offs are still too far away and so we need to start planning for the future asap. Myself and one of my mates reckon that it may be an idea to give Naylor the call and let him continue with the under 18s but also sit on the bench with the first team till the end of the season getting more and more involved alongside Warnock. it will let him have a good look at the players, find out who is good in the dressing room etc and decide what needs to be done for next season and decide if any of the young lads are up to it Dave PS The Morison goal celebration question never looked like it would be an issue - I doubt he had a clear cut chance or a shot on target
On Sat, Mar 2, 2013 at 4:05 PM, Richard Walker <[email protected]>wrote: > Lively, interesting game but at the same time I found it > painful at times to watch 2 teams struggle so much when it came to the > last third. > Just a basic lack of ability to play simple balls at the right time and in > our > case I think the whole team lacks pace. We lined up with a 4-3-3 with > Varney on the left, McCormack > on the right and Morrison in the middle. Has this formation ever worked ? > In > midfield we lined up with Tonge, Norris and Green. > I thought we started well and looked lively with Varney > having one or two moments on the left and Green and Byram doing well on the > right. Having worked some good positions it was always the last ball that > let > us down. At the other end I thought we looked very shaky. Millwall > had a number of decent chances to take the lead. One chance was the best > of the > game where the bounce of the ball seemed to confuse us leaving the > Millwall man > in on goal with only Kenny to beat. He calmly placed it against the post. > Then > from a corner Kenny was flapping and Warnock managed to save his blushes by > clearing with his head off the line. > The real problem for me for us in the last third was > McCormack. Nothing he did came off today, he tries things which are not > really > on and just looks stupid when they don’t come off. This was only > emphasised by > the first half penalty. We broke again down the right, Green played an > excellent ball into Byram who ran onto it and then got taken down. A > stonewall > pen. Macca took the kick but like everything he did today it was > half hearted and the keeper saved. Very disappointing. We continued to be > the > better team and play the better football but Millwall actually had the > cleaner > openings. One such opening saw the Millwall man free in the area, he hit it > sweetly but Kenny got down well to save. A yard to the right and it was in > as > he hit it really well. > Macca did nearly get a goal as he crossed a ball that evaded > everyone, hit the post and nearly went it. Did he mean it ? Don’t think > so. Then Macca missed the chance of the game. Varney did well > and put it on a plate for Macca, who from 8 yards out, had time to control > it > and place it home. He didn’t control it, but did manage to back pass it to > the > keeper. Poor play, poor miss. > So at half-time, it felt like we’d played ok but had missed > 2 great chances to be ahead. > Second half started much the same. Tonge stepped up the pace > a bit … he needed to because he’d been strolling in the first half. He > took the > ball and hit it, it took a deflection and keeper made a decent save. At > the other end Millwall, continued to have good chances. > Keogh and Tyson (?) combined well and from the South stand it looked > easier to > score but we managed to scramble it wide. It looked like desperate > defending to > me. > We looked like we running out of ideas and suddenly the > passing game was replaced with a bit of hoofball. It was poor. Credit to > Tonge > though who stepped it up and in Varney and Warnock had some willing > runners on > the left. On one such attack, we worked it well to Macca who had his feet > taken > away from him. Another stonewall pen and very poor defending. Macca looked > at the floor, Morrison turned the other way, so > up steps Warnock. The Millwall players tried every trick in the book to > put him > off, but he confidently stepped up and placed it in the back of the net. > Great > pen and all credit to Stephen Warnock. > Credit to Millwall, they pushed forward but like us they > lacked quality to really hurt us. Having put 3 subs on they paid the price > as > one of their players had to be stretchered off so they had to play the > last 10 > minutes with 10 men. They still managed to create a few chances and make us > look really nervous at the back. We had a few break away chances that we > really > should have done better with. > We held out, they should have had a pen for handball late on > apparently (I couldn’t see from SS) however overall I think we edged it but > this was a really hard game. > Scores: > Kenny – 6. I thought his kicking was dodg, he flapped around > in his area but did make one good save and did keep a clean sheet. > Byram – 7. I thought he had a good first half , linking up > with Green, Macca and Morrison. Second half wasn’t as good. Still don’t > think > he’s a left back. > Warnock – 8. My man of the match. I though defensively he > was good, he is an intelligent player, he gets forward well and his > confidence > in grabbing the ball for the pen won us the game. > Peltier – 5. I’m not convinced. I think he’s better > centrally but he does ball watch and does give the opposition time. > Millwall > had a lot of space today and it was bad attacking rather than good > defending > that gave us the clean sheet today. > Lees – 7. Opposite to Peltier. He sticks with his man and > attacks the ball. He did well today. > Tonge – 6. Poor first half, stepped it up second half and > looks like his fitness is coming back. Needs to get his shooting boots > back on > and second half when all he had to do was play Varney in he over hit and > the > chance was lost. > Norris – 6. Worked hard but little quality in his play. > Green – 8. I thought he played really well today. Again the > quality could be better but Green was everywhere today. On one occasion he > ran > the length of the pitch to get back to save the day. Good player at this > level. > McCormack – 3. I think he’s a problem, I always have. Where > do you play him ? He hasn’t got the presence or the legs to play in > midfield > but hasn’t the pace or composure to play up front. He’s got ability and > will > always do something that looks good but ultimately he’s not a good enough > team > player for me. One thing is for sure, he’s no right winger which is where > Colin > is currently playing him. > Morrison – 5. He’s got composure, he’s got ability , he was involved > in some great link up play first half but he never threatened, never got > in the > six yard box and never won much in the air. I think he could be a good > player > but second half showed to me that he’s not completely fit. The Millwall > fans > (all 96 of them) sang “Premiership, you’re having a laugh” to him and on > what I’ve > seen so far I have to agree with them. I think there’s more to come > though. Also, why as a striker wouldn't you take a pen ? Strange ? > Varney – 5. I thought he started lively, did really well to > hand Macca the best chance of the game but in general I find his play > frustrating. He doesn’t have a brain. When you want him to take on a man, > he’ll > fall over, when you want him to shoot, he’ll take it on too far and lose. > He > gives us an outlet and he’s one of the few in the team who have pace but > he’s > so frustrating to watch. He got a bad injury late on when he was tackled by > Warnock (yes ! – it could only happen to Varney). > Subs: > Diouf – came on and did his usual stuff in slow motion. > Would I play him instead of McCormack ? Difficult one. I don’t think they > both > can play together. > Brown – gave the ball away a couple of times and ran round a > bit. > Pearce – came on for a few mins. > Crowd – I made excuses for the poor Millwall fans with my > earlier mail but I think the turnout from them was embarrassing. It was the > worse turnout from any team I can remember. Possible the worse ever. I > remember > Wimbledon bringing around 50 in the 80’s but the away support today was > terrible. > Colin – 4-3-3 is the way Colin is trying to accommodate Macca > and Varney. We’re getting the results, keeping clean sheets, playing better > football but there’s a lot to improve. But as every keeps telling me, this > is > the Championship, most of the teams are shit, most of the players are shit > so > if we can be just a little bit less shit than the others we make scrape > into > the play-offs. > Time for a glass of Gigondas. > > > _______________________________________________ > Leedslist mailing list > Info and options: > http://mailman.greennet.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/leedslist > To unsubscribe, email [email protected] > > MARCHING ON TOGETHER > _______________________________________________ > Leedslist mailing list > Info and options: > http://mailman.greennet.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/leedslist > To unsubscribe, email [email protected] > > MARCHING ON TOGETHER > _______________________________________________ Leedslist mailing list Info and options: http://mailman.greennet.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/leedslist To unsubscribe, email [email protected] MARCHING ON TOGETHER
