Boston United (H) League Saturday 27/1/07

[Pedagogue]

Hey has no one realised? It could be worse! WE COULD BE MKDONS, tonked by Rochdale, loving it.

Ahem (cough, cough) - guess whom we're playing on Saturday! :shock:

[Who moved the goalposts?]

Let's face it, this isn't a 2 game poor run of form. We've been poor since October. Our last three victories have been a slightly fortuitous win against Shrewsbury and wins against Peterborough (8 straight defeats) and Grimsby (lost 4-1 to Torquay!). Basically our style of play is so predictable now and our team selection or formation never changes. DD earlier in the season tended to quickly change styles and formations (going 4-3-3 once at HT) but at the minute he seems reluctant to do so and we're left with a flat midfield devoid of any pace or creativity.

Its obvious to everyone that we aren't creating any chances. The best forward in the league has 9 goals to his name and most of those are created by himself. Virtually a third of our goals (14 from 45) have come from corners or free kicks highlighting again the lack of a real playmaker.

Our defence and goalkeeper have got us into this position (only 2 goals conceded from set pieces all season) but with ~60% of our games seeing us score one or less then the pressure on the back four to keep a clean sheet is massive. If we dont, as we didn't on Saturday then we are always likely to drop points. 22 of 32 matches this season have seen 2 or fewer goals in total...

All our line of creativity rests with Mark Wright and he only has 1 good game in 7 or 8. Pead looks bright because he's simply better than Keates at doing the job he is supposed to but there is no way he should be the focal point of all creativity going forward from midfield in a championship winning side? Keates on the left is a total no-brainer because he never stays wide and therefore gives no options to his team mates whatsoever. Fox is better at hugging the touchline but he's still - to me- a square peg in a round hole and his creativity is poor.

Plus we're all too 'ploddy'. No pace in midfield at all. Wright is quick but never actually utilises it to any great effect and the rest are just ploddy and one dimensional. Games at home should see Ishmel start more often (I can see why we don't use him away as he does tend to switch off) and I'd definitely give Wrack a blast in the central creative role (I realise he's not quick but he can pass and does have an eye for a goal...his best spell post 1998 came when he played just behind the forward in a Corica-esque role). For me, it would be Wright (nothing better), Dobson, Wrack and Ishmel as the midfield for the majority of our home games.

Cederqvist looks like Constable II at the moment and I'd get JC back in the 16 this week simply because he's going to be the only one with any confidence about him. Sam and Butler for starters though until Sam's form drops off a bit.

This might sound a tad pessimistic but we have been particularly bad for a while now. I realise we're top of the league, only lost 3 matches and that we can't play all out attacking football to get out of this division but unless something changes fast then we're going to be in the mix of the play-offs for sure. It's 3 places from 5 teams and, in my eyes, its a straight battle for the 3rd spot between us, Lincoln and MK Dons. We've got to go away to all but one of the top eight and even Rochdale have scored more goals away from home than we have...

[Neil Ravenscroft]

http://upthesaddlers.com/wp/archives/20 ... eflection/

[King Crimson]

Its obvious to everyone that we aren't creating any chances. The best forward in the league has 9 goals to his name and most of those are created by himself. Virtually a third of our goals (14 from 45) have come from corners or free kicks highlighting again the lack of a real playmaker.

Pead looks bright because he's simply better than Keates at doing the job he is supposed to but there is no way he should be the focal point of all creativity going forward from midfield in a championship winning side? Keates on the left is a total no-brainer because he never stays wide and therefore gives no options to his team mates whatsoever. Fox is better at hugging the touchline but he's still - to me- a square peg in a round hole and his creativity is poor.

Loads of free kicks in really good positions on Saturday, and (with the exception of Fox's shot that the goalie had to tip over) there was little genuine threat of us scoring from them.

I agree that Keates upsets the balance of the midfield out left, and I also agree that I'd prefer Pead in the centre than Keates. Posters have said that the quality of his set pieces justifies a place in the team, but there has been precious little evidence of this lately. :(

[saddlerken]

In short

- one dimensional

- too narrow

- Keates not left midfielder

- Pead not a professional footballer

- Gerrard, our worst centre back

- desperately need a better centre midfielder

- Ish MUST play or be released or get in a left sided player

- Terrible ref

- Boston cack but we haven't got a a clue (or just DD had a very very off day, espoecially in his interview)

Worried about tomorrow now

[matty_walsall4eva]

saturday, we tried playing the long ball and it didnt work because their 2 centre halfs won most of the ariel balls, but when we played the ball on the floor and run at their defence they didnt know what to do, and they just ended up fouling us.

i told my dad in the 1st 10 minutes that if we play football on the floor against these and attacked them on the wings we would create loads of chances and boston wouldnt have been able to handle us.
but wright didnt take anybody on, keates was pushing into the middle of the midfield, but when isshy came on he ran at their defenders and scared them, they started diving in at him on that one run and it took 4 players before they could get the ball of him and that was only by a foul

also when isshy came on, we didnt realli get the ball out on the wings to him to use his pace and skill to rattle the boston defenders
also DD made the wrong sub IMO, i think he should have made a double sub with wright coming off with PAr coming on because sam was battling for everything and playing well and i would have moved him at right midfield, and then on the other sub i would have took keates off and brought isshy on.

this way we still would have had pace and width in the team so we could create more attacks

[Purple Stand Pigeon]

Having quickly skimmed a few of the posts I have to agree with Dave Roe in that "we've been found out".

Let's face it, this isn't a 2 game poor run of form. We've been poor since October.

Since when we have lost 2 games. Yes, we've clearly been found out.

[Geordiesaddler]

Teams we have played twice.

Peterborough W W
Boston D D
Mansfield W L
Grimsby L W
Shrwesbury D W
Bristol W D

So we have taken exactly the same number of points (collectively) so far in six "second meetings" as we did in the "first meetings".

No factual evidence whatsoever then to support the notion that we have been "found out".

[matty_walsall4eva]

the only disapointment is that now we are dropping points other teams are picking up points when we arent, but at the start of the season, when we didnt pick up maximum points other teams were aswell struggling for maximum points

i have also noticed that anybody can beat anybody in this league, as proven on saturday with Rochdale

[Stu]

No factual evidence whatsoever then to support the notion that we have been "found out".

Sorry Geordie, but over the last 9 matches, since that Swindon home defeat, there is more than enough to suggest that teams have discovered how to play against us.

W3 D4 L2, 13 points in 9 games, thats not even Play Off form.

And in general our performances, Posh aside (and arguably Bristol Rovers) have not been up to scratch to previous performances.

And with the run of away games we've got left, it frightens me to be honest, we've got to play 6 of the Top 8 away from home still; Swindon, Hartlepool, MK Dons, Wycombe, Stockport and Notts County. Plus a tricky match at Macclesfield tomorrow.

I think that great run to the season masked what a difficult run in we've got away from home to be honest. Both manager and players are going to have to step up performances, away from home espeically, over the next couple of months.

[saddlerken]

And with the run of away games we've got left, it frightens me to be honest, we've got to play 6 of the Top 8 away from home still; Swindon, Hartlepool, MK Dons, Wycombe, Stockport and Notts County. Plus a tricky match at Macclesfield tomorrow.

I'm hoping that these kind of games may actually work in our favour......no hear me out

The pressure is going to be on these teams as much as ours

We might actually be the underdog and that will ease the burden that I believe the team are showing, it certainly is proving to be tough at the top

The players will relish these games more than teams like Boston, they will play a game more suited to ours and naturally when you play teams of a higher calibre the performance levels may well rise

:D

well, you never know

[We-ARE-Walsall]

Having quickly skimmed a few of the posts I have to agree with Dave Roe in that "we've been found out".

Let's face it, this isn't a 2 game poor run of form. We've been poor since October.

Since when we have lost 2 games. Yes, we've clearly been found out.

No need to panic just yet, but the writing is on the wall, time for Richard Money to show what he is really made of..

[philthesaddler]

I'm worried too Stu. The run in will not be easy.

Whatsmore, in the middle of December I said we must strengthen in January, and learn the lesson from the last time we stood in a strong position going in to the january of a season.

The bottom line is we haven't strengthened. We have signed Cederqvist who will provide competition upfront, and Lyall, who is probably no more than a squad player. We've desperately needed some more quality in midfield for a long time now, and we haven't helped ourselves at all, and should we fail to get promoted, thatll be why.

[King Crimson]

And with the run of away games we've got left, it frightens me to be honest, we've got to play 6 of the Top 8 away from home still; Swindon, Hartlepool, MK Dons, Wycombe, Stockport and Notts County. Plus a tricky match at Macclesfield tomorrow.

I'm hoping that these kind of games may actually work in our favour......no hear me out

The pressure is going to be on these teams as much as ours

We might actually be the underdog and that will ease the burden that I believe the team are showing, it certainly is proving to be tough at the top

The players will relish these games more than teams like Boston, they will play a game more suited to ours and naturally when you play teams of a higher calibre the performance levels may well rise

:D

well, you never know

Remarkably optimistic appraisal, ken. That colour avatar is obviously giving you a sunnier disposition. :wink:

[Geordiesaddler]

No factual evidence whatsoever then to support the notion that we have been "found out".

Sorry Geordie, but over the last 9 matches, since that Swindon home defeat, there is more than enough to suggest that teams have discovered how to play against us.

W3 D4 L2, 13 points in 9 games, thats not even Play Off form.

And in general our performances, Posh aside (and arguably Bristol Rovers) have not been up to scratch to previous performances.

And with the run of away games we've got left, it frightens me to be honest, we've got to play 6 of the Top 8 away from home still; Swindon, Hartlepool, MK Dons, Wycombe, Stockport and Notts County. Plus a tricky match at Macclesfield tomorrow.

I think that great run to the season masked what a difficult run in we've got away from home to be honest. Both manager and players are going to have to step up performances, away from home espeically, over the next couple of months.

Don't disagree Stu, just pointing out that the only evidence of being "found out" is in people's subjective analysis of the performances rather than points gained against teams we have played twice.

I happen to think that the major difference between now and earlier in the season is not any marked decrease in effort or performances, because I don't think there were many great performances earlier in the season. The difference for me is that we are making more defensive errors and have stopped keeping clean sheets. Earlier in the season we wouldn't have conceeded the sloppy goals that cost us points against Rovers, Mansfield and Boston.

I don't think that's got anything to do with getting "found out", Its to do with individual players making costly mistakes. Those players need to stand up and be counted starting with a clean sheet and a positive result tomorrow. Let's get the formula of not conceeding back, rather than accepting that we now conceed more goals and therefore need to go more gung-ho to compensate. That was were Graydon went wrong at exactly the same time in the second promotion season, fortunately we won the play-offs!

[Cheesebag]

In short

- one dimensional

- too narrow

- Keates not left midfielder

- Pead not a professional footballer

- Gerrard, our worst centre back

- desperately need a better centre midfielder

- Ish MUST play or be released or get in a left sided player

- Terrible ref

- Boston cack but we haven't got a a clue (or just DD had a very very off day, espoecially in his interview)

Worried about tomorrow now

Can't argue with a lot of that.

[Stu]

I don't think that's got anything to do with getting "found out", Its to do with individual players making costly mistakes. Those players need to stand up and be counted starting with a clean sheet and a positive result tomorrow. Let's get the formula of not conceeding back, rather than accepting that we now conceed more goals and therefore need to go more gung-ho to compensate. That was were Graydon went wrong at exactly the same time in the second promotion season, fortunately we won the play-offs!

Granted, but I must admit, I for one knew that we wouldn't continue that defensive form all season... I did point out earlier in the season that as soon as the odd goal starts going in, we'll have some problems, and that time has come. Its now how we react to it.

That defensive form earlier in the season was nothing short of a minor-miracle to be honest, and I really can't see us getting back to that, these are League 2 players and are bound to make mistakes at some point, espeically as a long hard season drags on.

I'd have more faith if I thought we were capable of scoring 2 goals, as we can't rely on a defence for the last 1/3 of the season, which is what I fear we're trying to do at times.

[tinned]

We are not going to replicate the first half of the season in terms of our defensive prowess. Therefore we need to slightly alter our outlook. I'm not saying go gung-ho, but we need to appreciate we may need to score 2 (or sometimes 3) goals per game to win. We are very unlikely to be able to rely on loads of clean sheets to see us through the rest of the season.

[Geordiesaddler]

Well like it or not that's exactly what we are going to do, because that's what we've attempted to do all season. Where DD hasn't helped matters in the last two games is that he got his team selection wrong at Mansfield, and was a over cautious with Ishy on Saturday. For some reason he has a lot of faith in Cederqvist. Ishy has been a useful "plan B" this season and he should have got half an hour minimum. Its those kind of minuti that are the difference between success and failure. Geting these things right will ultimately dictate whether we go up or not rather than any radical re-think of our game plan, that simply isn't going to happen I'm afraid.

[tinned]

Well like it or not that's exactly what we are going to do, because that's what we've attempted to do all season. Where DD hasn't helped matters in the last two games is that he got his team selection wrong at Mansfield, and was a over cautious with Ishy on Saturday. For some reason he has a lot of faith in Cederqvist. Ishy has been a useful "plan B" this season and he should have got half an hour minimum. Its those kind of minuti that are the difference between success and failure. Geting these things right will ultimately dictate whether we go up or not rather than any radical re-think of our game plan, that simply isn't going to happen I'm afraid.

I respect your POV mate, but in that case I hope your nerves hold out in the play-off lottery. We need a re-think (especially at home) where we need to use noth wings and have a modicum of pace in the team. I've said since September /October that if we got the ball down and played football we'd play 95% of the teams in this division off the park. The long ball into the corners is not working anymore. Also I just can't see the defence regaining anywhere near it's confidence levels to be able to be so solid.

[PT]

Two days on and I'm still gutted by Saturdays events. The 90 minutes were bad and i fully expected DD to react as he has before by holding his hands up and accepting his part in a poor day. instead I heard an interview that suggested that we played great and could have won four or five one. It was as dillusional as a Merson speech or a certain Accrington Stanley manager.
I hope DD doesn't believe what he said and he is fronting up for his his players. If he couldn't see that we dominated pocession and territory because the opposition turned it into a defence versus attack game, we're in trouble. they were down to ten men for 7 minutes on Saturday and during that time we didn't seem to have the nous to take advantage.
DD seems to have a stubborn streak in respect of Ishy but as others have said, the game was crying out for him and our only real effort on goal came courtesy of a free-kick which he drew.
Ishy needs to start tomorrow because he is the one thing in our squad, our shape, our tactics that would create surprise and anxiety within the ranks of the opposition. I fear he won't because DD's world seems to be one where our squad, our shape, our tactics need to be rigid.

Oh, and apparantly I need to "give a bit more". I'd just let DD spend 10 minutes with the present Mrs T to debate that one!

Top of the league we're having a smile (the "laugh" is currently resting)

[King Crimson]

If folk want to point at individuals for our lack of goals, they should look no further than whoever partners Butler, the two wide men and whoever plays alongside Dobson in the slightly more attacking midfield role.

Absolutely. Dobson was one of, if not the, best player we had on Saturday. In my view, only Butler, Sam and Westwood can feel that they put in performances resembling satisfactory. The others didn't do enough to win the game - from Ince, with several uncharacteristically lazy passes, through the stutterings of Gerrard and, suprisingly, Dann to the mediocre nothingness that was Pead, Keates, Fox and Wright.

Is it time to question the 'masterstroke' of Gran Canaria - which has seen a set of poor results in its wake (or is it 'just January for Walsall' as many point out)? :?





Where's the avatar shot taken, PT?

[Geordiesaddler]

Just a huge game tomorrow methinks. Regardless of personnel or tactics we have to beat Macclesfield and look like we are in control of this situation, then suddenly we could be 8 points clear of fourth spot and with a home game coming up on Saturday. I've seen most of our recent games and I'm not as upset as some. I thought we were dominant in victory against Peterborough and Grimsby, and showed great resilliance and mettle at Bury and versus Shrewsbury. the Bristol Rovers result was frustrating and the last two performances and results have been very poor.

A third poor result and performance on the bounce would be very worrying, but a good solid win really puts things back in a positive light and would leave us having taken 10 points from 5 games in January which is a continuation of promotion form. But it has to be a win to achieve that, the last two results have removed the comfort zone of going there and getting a draw. Pressure now, as a result really of taking the lead twice but giving goals away when the games were there to be won.

[PT]

Where's the avatar shot taken, PT?

KC - from memory you know these parts. It's on the beech between South Road and Hall Road in Waterloo/Crosby looking North towards Formby Point. About 5 minutes walk from my house. The Iron man in the foreground is part of Anthony Gormley's "Another Place" installation which has caused somewhat of a local stir.

[WFC_Rob]

This has been touched on a little, but I think we shouldn't underestimate the decision to play Keates wide on the left as a factor leading to our poor result. He's not a wide player and has played for 10 years in the middle of the park, so naturally he'll drift into the middle. I began to feel sorry for Fox, who was clearly struggling due to having the usually 'easy' option of playing the ball down the line taken away.
Ishmel may be a bit hit and miss, but I'm starting to think we should perhaps give him a go - he is a left sided midfielder after all.

[King Crimson]

Where's the avatar shot taken, PT?

KC - from memory you know these parts. It's on the beech between South Road and Hall Road in Waterloo/Crosby looking North towards Formby Point. About 5 minutes walk from my house. The Iron man in the foreground is part of Anthony Gormley's "Another Place" installation which has caused somewhat of a local stir.

Cheers for that. I thought I recognised the beige swash that is the Irish Sea. :wink:

I grew up in Ainsdale - where the sand, and the accents, are a little less coarse! :D

[Stalky]

What are you all worried about? Our holiday in the sun will soon start to pay dividends.

[cal wfc fan]

I cant believe no one has mentioned the fact that we lost the game due to an home goal by Dann!

Every other player has been criticized one way or another by someone or other (with the exception of Ishy).

Yes it was an unfortunate goal, but it happened, Boston didnt tequnically score in yesterdays game.

We really missed Roper when he went off, but hes been played constantly, hes begining to get worn out, and I dont think any of the other defenders are up to his standard.

The ref was cr@p, and that also fell to our disadvantage.

Yes I have seen Walsall play better than they did yesterday, but I think the disappointing result was due to a lot of unfortunate contributing factors.

We are still top of the league, just, and things can only get better!

Come on Lads
UP THE SADDLERS

Actually it's not true that things can only get better, they are getting worse and could easily get worse still, unless something is done about our midfield (to create opportunites) and left side (to broaden our game and use both flanks).

I'd also add that we didn't [b]lose the game, it just felt like we did ! Dann's own goal[/b] looked like a real schoolboy error, though I haven't seen it on TV as yet, so I'll reserve final judgement until I have.

I stand corrected, but reading a lot of the post on here you would think we had lost the game, School boy error or not, if Wright had scored an own goal he would have been torn apart. And saying things can only get better is me trying to be positive!!!