Annoying tonight

JJpool

Well-known member
I am pretty annoyed about tonight, given the second half showing that when we do actually try and play how much more we dominate and can create.

Why oh why then did we play so poorly first half. Also we had similar spells in other games recently at home against Crewe and Wimbledon etc where we just can't pass, panic and went long and lost it aimlessly.

If we played all games with the second half intensity and quality surely a win would have come, which makes ANOTHER HOME DRAW even more frustrating.

But despite all second half improvement, that the real annoyance is the clear lack of goals.

Its just been haunting us all season.

Go 1 behind and thats a win almost ruled out it seems. Weve probably got one goal in us barring if they make mistakes.

This has to be improved upon as I can't imagine a side going up when all it takes it 1 goal and we then struggle to win.

Its not just missing Madine as he wasn't banging them in for fun, there is a real shortage and I think were one of the lowest in the league, which considering our aim this season, is very disappointing.

At times its lack of final ball, not shooting, bad shot, wrong decision etc. We must improve in this area and fast if we have any hope of doing anything this season.
 
Last edited:
Playing well for one half only, it makes sense we got a draw.

I just really hope that 2nd half has unlocked something in us. Start with that 2nd half side as they looked bloody dangerous - all the issues from the first were gone, slow build up GONE, inability to string passes together GONE. It was great to watch, and if we played like that more often over 90 minutes you could see our goal scoring issue disappearing.
 
We're a league 1 team, we can't expect perfection but I do agree that there's something wrong at times.
It's impossible to know what though because all we can see is the camera view, we've no idea if the movement up front is poor or midfielders are not making themselves available to receive forward passes or our back line just panic and lump it forward.
It could be tactics, coaching, motivation, confidence, inexperience or maybe we're just not good enough... It could be anything!
When we're back in the stadium, getting behind the lads and seeing the full picture, we'll know what's going on. I guess until then it's just a case of trying to enjoy the games as much as we can and remembering that we don't see the full game through a camera.
 
It’s rare that you can get a game killed off in the first half but we’ve seen on a number of occasions that we struggle to win from going behind.

Tonight we came up against a decent side regardless of their current position.

What was encouraging was how Critch wasn’t afraid to change it at half and how he set up the side in the second to be overpowering rather than just compete.

Simms is a young payer and I think it’s now even more obvious that we need another experienced centre forward who can lead the line. Jerry is superb but he can’t do it all himself!
 
Playing well for one half only, it makes sense we got a draw.

I just really hope that 2nd half has unlocked something in us. Start with that 2nd half side as they looked bloody dangerous - all the issues from the first were gone, slow build up GONE, inability to string passes together GONE. It was great to watch, and if we played like that more often over 90 minutes you could see our goal scoring issue disappearing.
To be honest I said similar against Fleetwood, we played well and the only thing we didn't do was score.

So to start tonight so poor like some previous home games in inexcusable.

We should have been coming out with the same mindset and intent to pass and create chances but we couldn't pass and looked panicked again like against Wimbledon and Crewe.

I was much happier second half but it makes it even more frustrating.

WTH are we doing hoofing it up aimlessly first half when we can play like that, its bizarre and must be a tactic.... as playing our football we create chances and are far more likely to score than going long.
 
We're a league 1 team, we can't expect perfection but I do agree that there's something wrong at times.
It's impossible to know what though because all we can see is the camera view, we've no idea if the movement up front is poor or midfielders are not making themselves available to receive forward passes or our back line just panic and lump it forward.
It could be tactics, coaching, motivation, confidence, inexperience or maybe we're just not good enough... It could be anything!
When we're back in the stadium, getting behind the lads and seeing the full picture, we'll know what's going on. I guess until then it's just a case of trying to enjoy the games as much as we can and remembering that we don't see the full game through a camera.
Yeah, I think we've seen enough to say were better when we pass it and they can do it when they try which makes the almost lazy long balls at times so annoying.

I think lack of quality in front of goal as a whole team is evident, we cant rely on Jerry all the time, others must chip in.

OK Garbutt did tonight but its far too infrequent we score more than 1.
 
Last edited:
We allowed ourselves to be bullied and out muscled for much of the first half, we seemed to be playing to their strengths rather than ours. In particular the head tennis which we rarely won. It was really awful to watch.
Then in the second half we played quick passing and ON THE DECK. It was great to watch and Burton couldn’t deal with it. Frustrating tonight, but hopefully we can now keep that standard and style for 90 minutes and until the end of the season.
 
It’s rare that you can get a game killed off in the first half but we’ve seen on a number of occasions that we struggle to win from going behind.

Tonight we came up against a decent side regardless of their current position.

What was encouraging was how Critch wasn’t afraid to change it at half and how he set up the side in the second to be overpowering rather than just compete.

Simms is a young payer and I think it’s now even more obvious that we need another experienced centre forward who can lead the line. Jerry is superb but he can’t do it all himself!
Simms was signed on age and that he didn't count against the numbers / cap.
He wasn't and isn't what we need.
 
Five across the middle sorted 2nd half if Critch had lined up that way he would of got slaughtered by the 442 brigade. We just need to go for it now and play the beautiful game if it works great play offs beckon if not set our stall out for next season and get the right players in to make it work.
 
We allowed ourselves to be bullied and out muscled for much of the first half, we seemed to be playing to their strengths rather than ours. In particular the head tennis which we rarely won. It was really awful to watch.
Then in the second half we played quick passing and ON THE DECK. It was great to watch and Burton couldn’t deal with it. Frustrating tonight, but hopefully we can now keep that standard and style for 90 minutes and until the end of the season.
We may never know if our first half was down to Critchley's tactics, our team not carrying out his tactics or our team not being good enough to deal with the Burton aerial onslaught in the first half but we do know that lumping it long to Simms and Yates doesn't work!
 
We may never know if our first half was down to Critchley's tactics, our team not carrying out his tactics or our team not being good enough to deal with the Burton aerial onslaught in the first half but we do know that lumping it long to Simms and Yates doesn't work!
Or the wind as Chizzy and Ben Burgess said.... 🤣
 
We allowed ourselves to be bullied and out muscled for much of the first half, we seemed to be playing to their strengths rather than ours. In particular the head tennis which we rarely won. It was really awful to watch.
Then in the second half we played quick passing and ON THE DECK. It was great to watch and Burton couldn’t deal with it. Frustrating tonight, but hopefully we can now keep that standard and style for 90 minutes and until the end of the season.
I've said it before & I like Big Ben Burgess, but when he was in our team we always went long, without him we actually played some decent passing football. Whilst Madine offers a decent target when he's available I believe the long ball should be used sparingly, variation being a key component & in his absence the hoof has been pointless.
 
I've said it before & I like Big Ben Burgess, but when he was in our team we always went long, without him we actually played some decent passing football. Whilst Madine offers a decent target when he's available I believe the long ball should be used sparingly, variation being a key component & in his absence the hoof has been pointless.
The big boys in the greed league have the luxury of buying the best footballers, we have to adapt and get the best from what we have. Mixing it up and keeping the opposition guessing for 90 mins is the best option. We're too predictable at times.
 
I've said it before & I like Big Ben Burgess, but when he was in our team we always went long, without him we actually played some decent passing football. Whilst Madine offers a decent target when he's available I believe the long ball should be used sparingly, variation being a key component & in his absence the hoof has been pointless.
The big boys in the greed league have the luxury of buying the best footballers, we have to adapt and get the best from what we have. Mixing it up and keeping the opposition guessing for 90 mins is the best option. We're too predictable at times.
 
Quite simple to answer; the opposition and the conditions. Their work rate dipped and the conditions kicking towards the south stand were more difficult, especially for their anti football tactics. Add to that replacing an ineffective player in Simms for one who had a great 45. I think the biggest mystery is how Kaikai turned from Ronald McDonald into Ronaldo in 15 mins.
 
My son made a good point to me last night. He said "I am not sure what kind of team we are" . I think he's right. Are we a team that plays by domination of the ball? Are we a team that soaks pressure then hits on the break? Are we a long ball team? I suppose its good to be flexible and maybe our strategy gets picked based on the players available? We must not forget how many key players we have injured. I also think Critch's tactical switch by taking Simms off at half time clearly worked. We slate him when he gets it wrong, but we should praise him when he gets it right. None the less I am still not sure what kind of team we are.
 
You wouldn't have thought Kaikai was the same player in the second half. We need to see more performances like that from him, and if that means giving him a different role then so be it. Getting Kaikai playing well and causing damage is the key to getting top 6 - he is our best creative player by some distance when he's in the zone.
 
Another striker is what we are lacking, Simms has done well and is learning his trade, this may be our
weakness come the end of season.
 
We may never know if our first half was down to Critchley's tactics, our team not carrying out his tactics or our team not being good enough to deal with the Burton aerial onslaught in the first half but we do know that lumping it long to Simms and Yates doesn't work!
Lumping it forward to Yates and Simms worked well yesterday.
I think Simms is a perfect foil for Yates as they both have different qualities and do not run into same space, he is also far more mobile than Madine
 
1 bit of class in the 1st half and we go in 1 up. 2nd half we choked the midfield and played 5 in the middle and that overwhelmed them. Yes it would have been nice to score more but we got the result time to move on Gillingham on monday. UTMP!
 
In answer to the OP.
In the first half Swindon were only intent on us not scoring, and were very negative. They just didn't want us to score.
After half-time, when we were 1 up, they had to try and equalise by sending more players forward.
It nearly worked, but our second goal knocked the stuffing out of them.
Excellent game control by Pool. NCs tactics obviously worked.
 
I think it sums yesterday up pretty well.
I thought we did ok yesterday after the first 20 mins ok a rough pitch. Seemed to take us time to adjust to it. We didn't just launch balls forward.
In answer to the OP.
In the first half Swindon were only intent on us not scoring, and were very negative. They just didn't want us to score.
After half-time, when we were 1 up, they had to try and equalise by sending more players forward.
It nearly worked, but our second goal knocked the stuffing out of them.
Excellent game control by Pool. NCs tactics obviously worked.
This post was about the Burton home game and is old.
 
Back
Top