I shall begin with a declaration of a certain amount of inebriation as I entered the ground yesterday, so the memory may not be entirely trustworthy.
It was a poor second half, bitty messy football, no one really showing any quality; but I thought we were pretty good in spells in the first. Neat passing, good energy and movement…all of our midfield was playing well, supported by Charlie Taylor - who is growing into the first team every week. Bamba looks to have been a decent find a CHalf, there’s not a lot gets by him. Morrison on the other hand was wank. If Antenucci or Doukara were as ineffective and anonymous as this guy they’d get the dog’s treatment off the Leeds crowd. The only thing that can be said in his favour is that he is a constant part of this winning team, so I guess there’s something going on that my 40 years of watching and playing football just can’t see. Byron’s side-footed effort that flew by the post would have capped a great first time passing move with a fitting goal…that was as shame. Mowatt’s free kick was well taken, but the deflection is what made the difference - so a bit of good fortune there. Looked like Rudi should have had a penalty… The one thing we were all saying at half time was that although we’d like to see more Leeds goals, we didn’t actually think they’d be needed as it didn’t look like Millwall had it in them to score. I hope that when Cooper is fit again that he’ll replace Bellucci, Bamba looks more comfortable alongside Cooper and the defence looks steadier as a result. Wootton is not a right back…makes me wonder what he has that Berardi doesn’t (an ability not to get sent off for reckless challenges would be an obvious first answer)…and Silvestri kept another clean sheet. Sometimes you just gotta take the grubby one-nils and welcome the three points with open arms. 4 wins out of 5 suits me fine right now. > On 14 Feb 2015, at 20:28, [email protected] wrote: > > To be fair Rich I must have been watching a different game too, because I > thought, especailly first half that this was the best I have seen us play all > season. They made us kick towards the Revie Stand first half and we really > got stuck into them, hassling and harrassing them all over the pitch,never > letting them settle and when we had the ball , which we did most of the time > we did things with it. Lovely pass and move football. We could have been 3 up > in the first 20minutes as we totally controlled things. Byram missed our best > chance when he hit the side netting with a move that would be up there as > best team goal of the season. We did get caught out once when their centre > forward found himself on his own inside our area but hit it tamely to the > keeper. When we had nothing to show for our dominance things did start to go > a bit flat and it looked like we would not get what our play deserved. Then > we got a free kick on the edge of the box, Mowatt hit it hard and it hit one > of theirs and deflected into the net. From then on, I really felt that the > points were ours, but I did want another to make sure and hoped we would get > it early so we could really go an and make our mark with a 3 or 4 goal > victory. We should have got a second when Rudy was clearly tripped inside the > box but instead of giving a penalty the ref booked him and allowed the free > kick to be taken outside the box - TV may show him right and me wrong but, > for me it was 100% penalty. Rudy then nearly scored a goal of the season when > a good move ended with him doing a flying scissor kick but it sailed wide. > Second half was much flatter as neither team really clicked into gear, > Morison wasted a good one o one, and Antenucci had a decent chance that he > put into the second tier of the South Stand. Despite us not being great I > never thought that they would score but was happy to see the winger we nearly > signed blast it into the side netting when he looked like scoring. So first > half we should have been 3 up, second half was much closer but they never > created anything and the 0 0 that it was or maybe 1 0 to us would have been a > fair reflection.We are now up to 12th and looking quite safe - 38 points on > the board and 46 may well be enough (50 is safe is the accepted 'wisdom') > Between now and the end of the season we have to sort things out on and off > the pitch so that we can have a real go at promotion next season. > As for Hollaway and 'it was the fault of West Yorks police' - Yes I agree > 100% that Millwall coming to us should not be a 'bubble trip' and it is a > total disgrace that people in this country doing something legal and > acceptable should be treated in this way is totally scandalous, Having said > that, over the years, Millwall have never brought big numbers to ER and > looking at the TV photos from Birmingham in midweek they only tool 200 there, > so they were never going to 'get behind the team and urge and shout them to > victory' As the FSF slogan goes 'going to football is not a crime'There is > something about Millwall however that does bring the dickheads out. I was in > the West Ridings a bit early today (11.30) and whilst it was empty last week > v Brentford today by 12 it was 3 or 4 deep at the bar. Full of young wannabes > - all in black anoraks with Burberry scarves etc , not sure what they thought > would happen with 170 Millwall and how much 'action' they expected. Even > odder there were quite a few older heads with them - reminded us of the Dick > Emery skinheads and the 'I think I got it wrong again Dad' sketches. > Whatever a good result and (I thought) a good performance that all but makes > us safe - on a side note I had my first bet for over 20years today when I put > £5 on Morison getting the first goal , I will not be doing that again !! > Dave > From: Richard Walker <[email protected]> > To: "[email protected]" <[email protected]> > Sent: Saturday, 14 February 2015, 18:52 > Subject: [LU] Milwall > > Driving home and listening to Noel Whelan and the RL team I wondered whether > I had been at the same game. For me this was a poor quality game littered > with poor passing, mistimed tackles, missed chances and poor control all over > the pitch from both teams but I'd say mainly us as we had the lions share of > possession. > > I thought we started really brightly shooting towards the Kop, with Byram, > Cook, Taylor and especially Mowatt all looking lively and we created one or > two decent the hearest coming from a great move which Byram side footed just > past the post. It would have been a great goal. > > Unfortunately it didn't last long and we faded badly and let a poor Millwall > side back in to the game. Our defence looked amateurish a times and Millwall > should have equalised with a couple of good chances the best ending up in the > side netting. > > On 30 minutes we got a free kick. Mowatt, our liveliest player in the first > half hit it well and with the help of someone's head in the wall ended up in > the back of the net. > > The goal made them push forward more which helped us to produce a strong end > to the half with Morrison finding Rudy at the back post. His flying volley > was more spectacular than threatening. The finally the chance of the half > with the hard running Morrison latching on to a poor backpass. The keeper > came storming out and all Morrison had to do was chip it over him or take it > around him instead he lacked conviction and did neither and the keeper won > the challenge. It typified Morrison's game at the moment. He got himself into > the right position but failed to convert. > > So 1-0 up was probably deserved even though we'd struggled for most of the > half. Millwall looked like a team that could offer little. > > Second half was pretty dire. Loads of effort but basic errors from both teams > led to a game littered with mistakes. Lewis Cook was lively throughout and > had a number of good runs but time after time he gave the ball away cheaply. > Once he cuts this out of his game he will be a top player but today he showed > he's got a lot to learn. > > There's not much else to say other than Millwall had a few decent chances, > Silvestri flapped at crosses and we caught them on the break time after time > but Morrison , Wooton and sub Antenucci ( for Rudy) squandered the lot. In > Antenucci's case he missed in my opinion the 2 best chances of the game. The > first he ballooned in to the South stand as the ball was played to him. At > very least he should have tested the keeper, it was a bad miss. And the > second was a good run from him which he only had to roll inside to Mowatt for > a certain goal, instead he inexplicably rolled it forward into the keeper's > hands. Another striker lacking in confidence and his case minutes in the > pitch. > > Then Scott Wooton had a clear header in the box , but he just David > Weatheralled it over the bar. piss poor. > > The only notable other chance was an excellent run and shot from Murphy which > was well saved. > > Milwall had one final chance when sub Ricardo Fuller created a great chance > and shot well into the side netting. I thought it was in. I don't think > Millwall deserved anything but it wouldn't have been a travesty if they had, > they had enough chances and I'd ignore the 2 clean sheets stats and watch the > game back and look at the indecision, bad marking, poor clearances throughout > the back four. It was poor defending throughout. > > Scores > > Silvestri - 5 Mr Flappy, needs to sort this out. > > Wooton - 3. Wank. > > Bamba - 6. Our best defender but him and Bellusci did not play well together > in my opinion. > > Bellusci - 4. He is all over the shop, don't rate him as a central defender. > > Taylor - 6. I thought he contributed well going forward. My main concern is > when he's on the back foot, he doesn't look like a natural defender to me. > > Cook - 6. I think that was one of his poorest games he's had but he was still > bloody lively and covered as much ground as anyone. > > Mowatt - 7. I thought he did well in spells and scored a good goal however > I'm not sure he has the legs to be really threatening on the left wing. > > Murphy - 7. Probably one of the best games I've seen him have without being > spectacular. He was tidy on the ball, linked up well, had one decent shot and > generally was consistent in the middle of the park. I despair at times still > with his corners and crosses which just plop over with no conviction. > > Austin - 6. Playing in advanced role , almost has a second striker he made > his mark without really creating too much. > > Morrison - 5. Some good play, some good defensive headers, some good link up > play and lots of effort but he looks goal shy and lacking in confidence. He > should have scored today. I do still think he is the best option and I think > when he gets his goal he will go on to better things. It's due though ! > > Byram - 7. Started really well, his chance was cover and unlucky. I think he > would score regularly playing in that Austin role centrally. I think he gets > lost in the right wing. He's a young Steven Gerard. > > Subs- > > Antenucci - 5 looked lively but messed up the 2 best chances of the game. > > Crowd - 24,000 exactly with very few from Millwall. Yes they moan about > ticket arrangements etc but there's no real excuse for such a poor turnout. > Let's face facts they are a third division club. > > 12th now apparently. I just want a few more wins to ensure we don't get > relegated. I don't think we are a good team ....... But we are young and > hopefully will improve with a few more wins / goals. > > _______________________________________________ > 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 _______________________________________________ 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
