Wed Sep 17, 2014 2:53 pm
Well I suppose I should come on here and defend Deano and what I said at half time.
First of all, lets talk the team. You are Dean Smith, you have a pretty good record away from home playing a 4231 formation where you can control the game but also attack the opposition because of the space provided when you are an away team in comparison to an away team. This formation has been the staple of his managerial reign, and is also the formation that works well away from home and at home last game against Preston. Why would Dean Smith change this against Rochdale? He trusts his players, he said in the post match interview up on Saddlers Player that they identified that they would play up to their tall number 7, and if they couldn't win that header, to win the second ball. He knows what to do, he knew what to do to counter act their play, however the players didn't do that as we would never pick up the second ball throughout the match, I identified this myself when watching the first half and had my head in my hands at how many second balls we didn't pick up or win. Deano was forced to make two changes to his team because of injury, A Chambers out and Bradshaw out. Before the game, I thought (mistakenly) we would be okay without them both as Clifford and Manset are decent enough players. This is where the problems truly started to bed in. Manset up front offered no threat whatsoever, and when you consider his height and strength he should be ashamed of his performance when it comes to winning headers, appalling. What else could Dean Smith have done in that area up front? Manset was the number 1 back up to Bradshaw, putting in an okay performance against Colchester and impressing during pre-season - but he had a poor, poor game. Deano believed in him to do well and he failed him, that is one position where the player did not perform.
Let's look to the midfield now then, in the centre we had Flanagan and Clifford. Now presumably from Dean Smiths point of view they are both hard working central midfielder's that are full of belief and determination, they can both pass and carry the ball - the problem was that physical they were intimidated and brushed aside by the powerful and swift Rochdale midfielder's that will never have an easier time. A Chambers was a huge miss as he is a player who breaks up the play, brings a more physical side of the game to the squad and who also does the more simple stuff that is VITAL away from home as they will undoubtedly come and press us as the away team. Our two in the centre couldn't deal with them pressing us so high up the pitch, which meant that whenever one of them got the ball we lost it immediately as they would panic and lose it or panic and punt it up the pitch to a Manset who couldn't win a game of connect 4 against an autistic duck. Control of the game from midfield, which we normally have a perfect grasp of the game from, was lost. Poor Flanagan looked out of his depth and I hope he picks his head up and learns from this. Clifford was just as poor passing wise, but he did put plenty of effort in. Deano ended up recognising we needed calm passing in the centre and switched Clifford and Sawyers' positions, and Clifford did a little better chasing down defenders where Sawyers would of stood around, whilst Sawyers passed it a bit calmer where Clifford may have played the long ball. Ultimately this did not much except improve our passing stats, because we still lost the ball and got trounced in the centre of the park by their physical midfielder's.
I feel sorry for Mal Benning, as so many people give him stick for not being a winger, but personally I think he was our best attacker - he could pick the ball and and run with it, he has decent passing so he can get the ball to the player off the front as well as a brilliant touch that no-one gives him plaudits for that can steady an attack and make us immediately a lot more dangerous. He and Andy Taylor were the only players on the pitch for us that were decent. Forde was playing? Didn't see him do anything in 90 minutes.
James O'Connor, what went wrong today with him? Who knows, but he was god awful, he didn't win a header against their number 7 but that's fine - the problem was he couldn't keep up with him in terms of pace and positionally he was all over the place. I remember once in the first half we were being attacked and he was basically stepping on the toes of Downing he had gone infield so much, the only way their winger would of had more space on that flank would be if he left the ground and drove to Preston. Downing was just as bad, he had one of those game that he had a couple of times last season but amplified, beaten for pace every time by their players who would run in between both him and Butler with ease. It wouldn't surprise me to find out Butler and Downing are still turning around to catch their forwards to this day. O'Donnell wasn't bad but he wasn't great, he went too close to the near post for the first goal and got caught off his line once again by the opposition, but not once, not twice but I can count 3 times where they attempted to chip him. One hit the post, one went not far over and the last into his hands - not sure what is going on with him in terms of his positioning, however it is also worth noting that every chip came from forward pressure, winning the ball from our central midfielder's who were hardly in the game, and just having a go. Perhaps he is just used to a comfortable on the ball and reliable central midfield, and us losing it so easily isn't what he was used to from last seasons midfield.
Now Dean Smith, what could he have done to counter act all of this individual mistakes and poor performances? Andy Butler, Paul Downing, Billy Clifford and O'Connor have all been solid in previous games, especially against really physical opposition against Preston on Saturday. They all had stinkers, what could he truly of done about that? People say play 5 at the back, first of all that would put Dean Holden on the pitch, someone EVEN SLOWER than our already too slow back four. We could of played Kinsella at right back, but if O'Connor can't win headers against their number 7 Kinsella wouldn't of stood a chance. Well then what about the second ball, if we add an extra defender to the back 4, the player that comes out would surely either be a winger or Sawyers. Same problem is still there, Clifford and Flanagan both had poor games and are simply not physical enough to compete, they still wouldn't of won the second balls. Lastly, we don't play this tactic of 5 at the back, it's not our style and if we did play it and we still lost Deano would of got a rollicking on here about changing up a winning formation and team.
Could he have played different personnel? Well discounting Manset he played a team who slaughtered an unbeaten Preston team, why would he change a winning team so much, and with injuries plaguing the squad, what could he have done in changes to counter-act Rochdale anyway? Who could of come in? No-one, the only ones who could are out injured. Baxendale is a flair player just like Clifford and Flanagan in the centre of the park, same problems are still evident. Holden? Just as slow, and why would he put Holden in (who many on here say is past it) over the solid Downing and Mr Fantastic And Butler?
Bakayoko up front someone said? Why would he put an unproven up front instead of an impressive Manset, for the speed? Bakayoko is a talent that first of all needs protecting and nurturing, throwing him at the deep end ahead of Manset would of not only been a big risk but also caused a lot on here to scratch their heads. Forde and Benning took him and player deeper? They did, it didn't help, they were too lightweight and lost every second ball - they didn't run at our full backs either, they hoofed it at their wingers who win it and ran at us centrally. The players DID fight for the ball, I even applauded the lads after the game, not because I am happy with the performance, but because the only positive I took from the game was that the lads never stopped trying despite the dreadful performance and individual efforts - you could see what it meant to the them.
Now I can guarantee someone is reading this thinking I am some blind Deano in enthusiast that will never criticize Deano for his performances, and I am just making excuses for him. If you are, go back and look at my posts, when Deano deserves critiquing for his tactics, I do it. Look at the Colchester match thread for fudge sake, I blame him fully for that performance because I believe he deserved it and it was his fault. But what happened last night, I don't think is down to him it is down to the players.
