Víctor didn’t really get into the game (not his fault) at a crucial point. I think it should he should have been part of a double substitution.
McGeehan was poor when he came on today most definitely. Wouldn’t say we were lucky to win, but we did have to hold on a little in the end. I felt we were a bit wasteful in the final third. On balance though, the points were deserved.
Sometimes this does happen though, and it used to happen when we even managed to dominate teams in the Champship. Remember one of Keef Hill's last wins for us (in the season when we got rid of Rico Vaz Te & Jacob Butterfield, and only stayed up because of Pompey's administration!!), we battered Derby till half time and it was only 3-0.. but we were left hanging on in the end for a 3-2 win.. The stats alone will tell you we deserved to win comfortably again today, but Im always nervous when we've dominated, but are still left whissling for the end of a match and theres a load of stoppage time etc.
Same old story. We win = everything is great. Some supporters should pay their money at the gate and then stare at the scoreboard - because they obviously just watch the score they do NOT watch the match.
None of the subs did much. Brown came on in the 80th minute and didn't touch the ball till the 86th. Adebayajo should have been holding the ball up and stretching the defence but kept losing the ball. McGeehan I can't remember doing anything.
To me, we looked as though we got bored of the game after 60 minutes given that we were so much on top. We most definitely took our foot off the gas. I put that down to the players trying to adopt a professional approach and to protect what we had without taking unnecessary chances. The problem was, that cost us our momentum and before we knew where we were we were on the back foot. The result is that instead of going on to win 4-0 or 5-0 we ended up clinging on desperately. I don't know if going 2-0 down to Scunthorpe affected that mentality. Anyway, the lesson for the future is keep at it. The best place to defend is in your opponent's half, as the old cliché goes. So to that extent, I think Nudger has a point. Where I would differ is Nudger's argument that that is a warning to Daniel. He was doing his nut at some of our antics in the second half. The players, yes Daniel, no. But how good was that last ditch tackle from Kenny Dougall deep in our own half in the dying minutes? Reminiscent of Bryan Robson, for me.
The game was closer than we thought it was going to be after the first half. It's a big ask to get an 8,9, or 10 out of 10 performance every week at any level. Stendel has stated this week (Chronicle?) that the players are still learning what is expected from then so I guess he is aware of shortcomings and limitations. We just got a bit sloppy with our passing for me, it will happen again in other games. We deserved to win over the 90 minutes, I thought it was a good honest game of football.
Its funny that you say the word 'honest' Meta, because none of us can really associate that word with the Champship anymore can we!. I want to see my/our team in that league again of course I do... but Im starting to see the good and the bad in our Efl, and Im wondering if we are really invited and appreciated in these so called higher leagues in the Efl.
I think it was match fitness that did it for us, it was a hot day and we play a high pressing game. You could tell at the end of the match how tiring it must have been by how many people sat down on the floor at the final whistle. There were 5 players who immediately sat down across both teams. I can see why a team who just lost might sit down in despair but for two players of a winning team to sit down too tells me that they were all knackered.
Get what you are saying completely mate. I came out of the ground thinking that I'd seen two sides have a really good go at each other (credit Gillingham for putting up a decent fight in the second half). @JamDrop also reflects something about the honesty - yes we dropped off in the last 30, but whilst the quality might have dropped, there was no lack of effort by most of those out there, and they were knackered at the end.
Sorry but im away and missed the game. Can someone please confirm a few things for me 1. Did we win? 2. Were there two teams, of professional footballers going head to head? 3. Di our fans back our team for the same 98 mins the players played 4. Did we use the squad to help the game? 5. Did we have the 2 new signings available? 6. Do we have fans who criticise this young team, new manager and game plan?
And some supporters should shut their whinging mouths too. They deserved to win the game and did win it. Was it perfect? No. Was it poor? Far from it.
Personally im quite happy that we have 14 from a possible 18 points at the beginning of a season, were we have also only conceded 3 goals aswell, despite the fact we haven't fired for every second of every game. Not perfect by ay stretch of the imagination, but hey ho, im just a beige happy clapper You Reds