that we'd go down, this afternoon should have removed all doubt from even the most optimistic fan. The team looked bereft of ideas, collectively they couldn't trap a bag of sand, didn't even have an attempt on target, second half can't remember even an attempt. The one and only tactic was to hoof it straight up the field to their huge back line, aiming for our Ken Dodd's diddymen, who didn't win a header all game. The team couldn't find each other if they were tied together, and they looked so out of their depth against a very poor Cardiff side that they needed a snorkel. Sat on the bench were two excellent midfield creative ball players, Dougal and Bahre. So in a tactical masterstroke Struber removed Brown and Chaplin, replacing them with Simoes and Schmidt. Then we resumed hoofing the ball at their gigantic back line..... well done Mr Struber The question is, in League 1 next year do we want this man in charge?
Brown won loads of headers. He was doing well but was let down by most of the other players having waived the white flag at 3pm.
Earlier in the week I said that we really needed some continuity but it has to be the right man that we stick with. Today was another reminder that Struber has some very worrying flaws in his game.
With the exception of shocking defensive errors today, i believe that this game typified our season. Men against boys....i dont like playing cardiff. They are strong, physical ...long ball, long throw in....dark arts specialists. We tactically and physically were poor and really never troubled their keeper. We were ok 1st half but second... our midfield just couldnt get their foot on the ball and get any passes going. We are light years off being able to compete with these kinds of teams at this level. The inclusion of williams to try match their physical approached failed. He just isnt a champ standard player but that isnt his fault, Odour would have been bossed. Im not going to blame weak refereeing, just we were poor. Good effort but lacked style and a bench that could change things.
There was nowt on the bench to bring on that would have made any difference. Neither Brown nor Chaplin were effective by the time they were taken off. We were physically destroyed. Our game is to pass and move quickly. That disappeared second half. We were hopeless. Ritz was poor - can't see any merit as yet in him at all. So Bahre should have come on for him. Dougal is neither excellent nor creative.
"Dougal is neither excellent nor creative." It's hard to tell when he's rarely given a chance, unlike some Austrians who get in week in week out whatever their performance
Game was lost in midfield today, Ritmaire and Thomas are not enough to compete in this league and woodrow must play up top. Collins Ludwig Sollbaure Halme Ritzmaire Bahre Dougal Mowatt Simeos Woodrow Brown. Thats still not good enough for this league but would have given us a bit more than we had today.
The choice of players to try compete against cardiff, was not there. The only thing i could think of was to bring on dougall to match them for physicality in midfield and hopefully free up mowatt to get us passing. Our midfield in the 2nd half was missing.
