Yes I would not argue with Austin being given a 2. He was particularly poor and 
not for the first time this season. 

Sent from my iPad

> On 22 Mar 2014, at 19:07, Jim Moran <[email protected]> wrote:
> 
> Exactly how I saw it, apart from Austin who deserves about 2 today. Our 
> entire midfield only operates if they are confident and our manager is 
> incapable of instilling any. 
> 
> 4-3-3 never looked like it would work. I'd have taken Smith off at half time 
> and put 5 in midfield with Wickham up front on his own. Fuck knows why 
> McCormack didn't play wide today. Guess he won Paper Scissors Stone in the 
> warm up. 
> 
> Must add that there was a girl at the back of the NE upper that was screaming 
> like she was giving birth at the end of the second half. Provided a bit of a 
> laugh. 
> 
> South African Pinot noir tonight. 
> http://www.wine-searcher.com/wine-69632-0001-newton-johnson-felicite-pinot-noir-walker-bay-south-africa
> 
> --
> 
>> On 22 Mar 2014, at 18:48, Richard Walker <[email protected]> wrote:
>> 
>> Yes a win is a win but the fact is there was only one team playing football 
>> today and that was Millwall. Whilst they played neat triangles and 
>> intelligent pass and move football all over the pitch we struggled to string 
>> 2 passes together with our only option being the long ball to Smith or 
>> hopeless balls into the channels. 
>> 
>> We started with a 4-3-3 formation with Wickham on the left, Smith in the 
>> middle and Macca roaming. Millwall were all over us from the start and I was 
>> actually pretty impressed by the way they controlled the game. It was only 
>> desperate defending, solid goalkeeping and poor finishing that saved us in 
>> the early exchanges. We could have easily been 3 down.
>> 
>> Our goal was completely against the run of play and was a bit of a freak 
>> goal. Wickham found Smith with one of his long throws ( a hidden weapon that 
>> we used a lot today). Smith flicked it on high into the air and it just 
>> looped over the keeper into the far corner. Did he mean it ? No, but who 
>> cares 1-0.
>> 
>> Did we improve ? No. Millwall continued to dominate and look dangerous. 
>> Austin, Murphy and Mowatt just didn't gel in midfield. Byram had too much on 
>> his plate defensively to do too much going forward and we just looked like a 
>> team low on confidence ( I get that) but also lacking in basic ability. 
>> Austin and Murphy will try their hearts out and run themselves into the 
>> ground and at this level that sometimes is enough but watching them both get 
>> the ball and then just give it away, fall over or pass it in to touch is too 
>> frustrating to watch. 
>> 
>> Wickham was also struggling on the left wing. Why ? He's not a fecking left 
>> winger. Lee Peltier played the worse pass I've ever seen last home game, 
>> today Wickham had the worse shot on goal I've ever seen. He cut inside and 
>> whacked it with his right foot, got it all wrong and it ballooned across the 
>> pitch for a throwing. A player trying too hard and getting frustrated by 
>> playing out of position ?
>> 
>> The second goal also came totally against the run of play. Millwall were 
>> breaking again, Tom Lees put in a crunching tackle to stop the attack which 
>> inadvertently put Macca clear. It seemed like an impossible angle but he 
>> managed to squeeze it into the net maybe through his legs ?
>> 
>> So 2-0 up at half-time but it was a total injustice on Ian Holloway's team.
>> 
>> Second half was much the same in torrential rain. The one difference was 
>> Wickham who was almost a one man team in the second half, he provided an 
>> outlet for us and he looked strong and skilful almost going alone the full 
>> length of the pitch at times. It's just a shame that there was nobody around 
>> him to assist. He looks like a real talent to me and we should be playing 
>> him in his best position but currently Macca scores the goals and Smith 
>> provides us with the long ball option which we need because we haven't got 
>> the ability to play it on the ground. A real dilemma for BMD.
>> 
>> Millwall then went for broke and put all their subs on including a 7 ft 
>> striker and DJ Campbell who must have had a wager on the draw because every 
>> time he got the ball he looked like scoring. It wasn't long before he did 
>> with a screamer from the edge of the box which Buckland had no chance with. 
>> A real quality strike for a frustratingly good player.
>> 
>> The rest of the game was just painful to watch. Wave after wave of Millwall 
>> attacks with us hanging on in there with some really desperate and decent 
>> defending. We did have a few counter attacks where we maybe should have 
>> bagged another but we wasted the chances. 
>> 
>> BMD showed his nervousness by taking off Wickham and Byram and putting on 
>> Tonge and Hunt. Strange substitutions in my book, especially Wickham who 
>> looked like the only player we had capable of holding up the ball.
>> 
>> Millwall came desperately close to equalising and really should have but we 
>> held out and won the game. Relief in the stands but you could sense the 
>> frustration in that we had won a game we had no right to have won. We were 
>> second best throughout and for me this isn't nearly good enough. 
>> 
>> Buckland -8 I thought he looked really solid and was a major factor in us 
>> winning this game.
>> 
>> Byram -6. I thought he struggled defensively at times today and didn't show 
>> much going forward. He's not a right back. Have I said that before ?
>> 
>> Pugh - 6. I thought he did ok. Steady, solidish performance, and I'm not 
>> joking. He's not the future though. Have I said that before ?
>> 
>> Lees - 7. He has his critics but I thought he did well today. Lots of good 
>> challenges.
>> 
>> Pearce - 7 Again, he put himself on the line time and time again. I don't 
>> think Lees and Pearce is a partnership that will take us anywhere but given 
>> their limited talents you can't fault their effort and application today.
>> 
>> Austin - 4. Apparently he wasn't fully fit. Loads of effort, no talent.
>> 
>> Murphy - 5. Loads of effort, no talent. Final ball always a disappointment.
>> 
>> Mowatt - 5. I think he's got ability and he showed glimpses but he's poor 
>> off the ball due to lack of pace and acceleration. I think this may be 
>> factor in his career. Think Mcphail. 
>> 
>> Wickham - 8. Poor isn't first half but was inspirational second half. Must 
>> be frustrated playing as. Left winger.
>> 
>> Macca - 6. Good goal, he was lively but like the rest his final ball wS 
>> incredibly poor. Also plYing Ina floating midfield role he does see a lot of 
>> the ball and he does lose possession a lot.
>> 
>> Smith -7. Does exactly what it says on the tin. Big bloke, wins headers, 
>> causes problems, provides a long ball option and scores goals. Can't fault 
>> him really. He looked f'cked second half.
>> 
>> Subs:
>> 
>> Tonge - did a job.
>> 
>> Hunt - got booked.
>> 
>> BMD - not good enough, he'll be relieved but I think he should be a very 
>> worried man. This team is lacking and he really doesn't know which formation 
>> to go with. I can't see a future with BMD. I hope I'm wrong.
>> 
>> This has been a very negative review for a game we won and I realise that. 
>> If I'm optimistic for a second maybe we are rock bottom on confidence and 
>> this is the major reason for our broken play. Maybe we will push on now.
>> 
>> Or maybe we're just shit.
>> 
>> A bit of Grenache tonight I think.
>> 
>> 
>>> On 22 Mar 2014, at 16:35, Dr Michael Benjamin <[email protected]> wrote:
>>> 
>>> Squeeky bum time.
>>> We'll fuck up again?
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>>> John 'Grampa' Sykes
>>> Rest In Peace old lad
>>> 28th Oct 1938 - 12 Nov 2013
>>> MARCHING ON TOGETHER
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>> John 'Grampa' Sykes
>> Rest In Peace old lad
>> 28th Oct 1938 - 12 Nov 2013
>> MARCHING ON TOGETHER
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