Whoops meant to be online Sent from my iPhone
Begin forwarded message: > From: Ian Murray <[email protected]> > Date: 5 January 2014 19:34:34 AWST > To: "[email protected]" <[email protected]> > Subject: Re: [LU] I went to Rochdale > > Great report Nick, cheers. > > Loved the reference to Wrenthorpe U11s though when I played for them in > defence my understanding with my partner was almost telepathic! > > I agree with everything you say about the manager situation too - we have to > stick with BMD and should have stuck with Grayson. > > Sent from my iPhone > >> On 5 Jan 2014, at 18:59, "[email protected]" <[email protected]> >> wrote: >> >> So I went to Rochdale yesterday…first the good things: >> >> >> >> - the drive over from our place is lovely, particularly the bit between >> Haworth and Hebden Bridge >> >> - the pies at Rochdale are cracking – only one option, meat & potato, >> but >> hey when it is this good who needs choice >> >> - the DJ at the ground treated us to The Doors, Stone Roses, The Who, >> Happy Mondays (and The Smiths – I know some of you like that stuff) >> >> - Rochdale played some very attractive football that was great to watch >> >> - I’d have their numbers 11, 12 (Lund) and 40 (Henderson) in our first >> eleven straight away >> >> - Paddy Kenny kept us in the game… >> >> >> >> >> >> …and now everything else… >> >> >> >> There are so many problems apparent at the moment, but this is still more or >> less the team that was winning 4 or 5 out 6 only a month ago – so what has >> changed. In terms of man power, we’ve got Byram back (which is a plus), Pugh >> is >> in for Warnock and the fella we had from Forest (Tyson?) went and got >> injured – >> I think that he had a part in getting Ross on this roll, he was mobile, fast, >> and linked well. Other than that, it’s pretty much as was. There must be a >> confidence thing that has happened. >> >> >> >> Outside of Paddy, the only two Leeds players that gave it a real go were >> Byram >> and McCormack (although both became increasingly marginal as the game went >> on – >> probably just frustration on their part). At least they tried to move us >> forward. >> >> >> >> Yesterday’s defence of Pearce, Zak, and Wootton (I had to struggle to >> remember >> who Wootton was)…looked like they’d never met. Lees can feel hard done to >> being >> dropped for Wootton. But like Forest did, Rochdale, passed the ball quickly >> and >> accurately on the ground, into feet or into the space beyond the defence and >> had >> us turning all match. We had no answer to it and it was woeful to watch. >> Pearce >> is a heart on the sleeve kind of defender, which works pretty well most of >> the >> time, but if you treat everything as if you just have to go at it like a >> bull in >> a china shop, then those with a bit of brains will side-step you, and just >> generally run rings round you…they did – yesterday our left side was ripped >> apart time after time after time – Pearce and Pugh between them totally >> passed >> out of the game by lively, fast interplay and movement into space. >> >> >> >> Zak and Wootton – rarely seen such a level of misunderstanding or lack of >> communication since I left the Wrenthorpe U-11s >> >> >> >> The midfield is a huge problem – 5 guys in there and still Rochdale’s >> midfield >> had acres of space…the number 12 and 40…plus occasionally the 4 >> (Cavannagh)…ran >> it from the first minute. Byram on a sort of inside right detail ahead of >> Peltier, was the threat and twice they chopped him down in full flight – both >> professional, both cynical and both rightly booked. So what did we do? >> Stopped >> using Byram…nuts. I lost count of the number of times in the first half that >> Sam >> took a ball, laid it back 10 yards to Peltier or Wootton and spun and set off >> down the line…only to have to brake, double back, because Peltier, Wootton >> and >> Austin had got themselves into a little passing triangle just inside our >> half…6 >> passes later one of them hoofs it down the line – where it should have gone >> first time to Sam – and the ball is lost. >> >> >> >> Peltier and Pugh aren’t even playing the same game as wing backs – Peltier >> is a >> right back, playing 10 metres ahead of where a right back plays and >> terrified of >> going further upfield…Pugh is playing left midfield and not tracking back. >> Austin was dreadful yesterday – plain and simple. Murphy is odd, when we got >> him >> I thought we were getting a Hoddle type…long passes, conducting the game >> etc…we >> don’t appear to have got that yet, but what we have got is someone tracking >> back >> between the centre-halfs making crunching goal saving tackles (2 vs Forest >> and >> at least 2 yesterday). ..which at this moment in time is needed. >> >> >> >> Up front – Smith and Ross – simply not working – they are miles apart, do not >> play off each other – 3 or 4 times yesterday, Smith headed it to Ross…who >> headed >> it back…and Smith tried to head it back for a third time…moving nowhere…no >> understanding between them. Smith is immobile and lumbering, his one >> “strength” >> is getting onto crosses from the wing…but we’re not getting anyone to the >> by-line. So what is the point? Ross needs someone to play off, pure and >> simple. >> >> >> >> The Leeds crowd – there were good numbers of us – booed the team off at half >> time; sang things like, “the crowd turned up, where’s the team”, “we’ve >> worked >> all week for this…”, “what the fuck is going on”, “we’re shit and we’re sick >> of >> it”…and got pretty ugly at the end. That link on you-tube captures it pretty >> well. >> >> >> >> I don’t know what use several thousand people barracking players during a >> game >> is to those players. And I worry whether in this day and age this is just >> going >> to bring about some knee jerk reaction from the board…I mean are we really >> any >> worse off or better off, now than it is probable we would have been if we’d >> kept >> Grayson on…chopping and changing achieves nothing. There has to be some >> consistency, some patience and some time given, or else what is the >> prospect? I >> think we have no choice but to stick with BMcD. >> >> >> >> It was very discouraging – we had a couple of headers cleared off the line or >> thereabouts, but otherwise Rochdale flayed us alive and could have had 4, 5 >> or 6 >> goals. The two they scored were well taken, the second in particular after a >> lovely move, but I’d wager that neither of those of those would have happened >> with a proper left midfield and left back in place. >> >> >> >> One thought about Byram – last season those around us at ER noted how well he >> linked with Diouf – a footballer, with a brain, whatever else he might be – >> but >> now his only link is with Peltier…who is “limited” shall we say, this brings >> Sam’s game crashing down to earth. >> >> >> >> We need to sort out what to do with Green, Drury, Hunt (who was feckin >> useless >> yesterday as a sub), Varney, Brown, White, Diouf, Tonge, Poleon etc etc…get >> the >> money off the wage bill and start rebuilding. For my money, early season >> Green >> at holding midfield in front of the back four would have been an improvement >> on >> what I’ve watched recently…but so would a 4-4-2. >> _______________________________________________ >> Leedslist mailing list >> Info and options: http://mailman.greennet.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/leedslist >> To unsubscribe, email [email protected] >> >> John 'Grampa' Sykes >> Rest In Peace old lad >> 28th Oct 1938 - 12 Nov 2013 >> MARCHING ON TOGETHER _______________________________________________ Leedslist mailing list Info and options: http://mailman.greennet.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/leedslist To unsubscribe, email [email protected] John 'Grampa' Sykes Rest In Peace old lad 28th Oct 1938 - 12 Nov 2013 MARCHING ON TOGETHER
