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Thoughts on yesterday 09:51 - Nov 6 with 1125 viewsclive_baker

A decent enough away performance, particularly 2nd half. Please to see us get another clean sheet, I thought Chambers and Woolfenden deserved that. We got lucky on 1 or 2 occasions but equally we really could've score 3 on another day.

Norris - Solid enough without really having a proper save to make. Distribution was good, some excellent kicks out to the touchline to find a man. This is an obvious edge over Holy and I feel much more confident with Norris in there.

Edwards - Very poor positionally and defensively. Rochdale had 3 decent chances, all from Edwards right-back position. Notable the header he missed on the touchline 1st half, with Garbutt doing well to block the resulting effort. He also got found out 2nd half, with the ball making its way over to Henderson who tried to dink it and put it over. Better sides put one of those chances away. Much more comfortable going forwards, but that's to be expected given he's not a right back. The sooner KVY gets back the better.

Chambers / Woolfy - Solid. I think its our best central defensive partnership. Chambers was composed and won an awful lot in the air, and Woolfy is a real player who seems to be getting better with each passing game. We need to build the side around players like him and Downes. My only criticism yesterday was that he didn't score 1, maybe even 2. Chambers would've buried those chances.

Garbutt - Played really well I thought, I really like him. Kept his man quiet and looked composed going forwards, linked up well with Rowe 2nd half. I like technical players and he's one of them, clearly been schooled well.

Rowe - Poor 1st half, came into the game more 2nd half and pleased to see him score. Looked much more effective on the left, not sure what was said to him at half time but clearly it worked.

Judge - Seems to be getting better and sharper each time I see him play, and yesterday showed glimpses of his quality, particularly in the 2nd half when he roamed inside looking for the ball and looked capable of dictating the play. That said, he still gave the ball away cheaply on too many occasions for my liking. A couple of poor passes, the crossfield switch to Rowe 1st half etc, not difficult things to execute and expect more from Judge. I still think he'll get going before too long and be a key player for us. Really needs a top performance to get his confidence up.

Skuse - About as classic a Cole Skuse performance as you'll see, highly effective, made a lot of interceptions and broke up play excellently, recycled the ball well and always offered protection and an out ball to the back 4.

Nolan - Started slowly but another one who improved 2nd half. When he plays well the team play well. Won the ball back countless times and keeps the ball moving quickly. I like Nolan but I wonder who starts from Nolan / Downes / Skuse in a 4-4-2. That's the conundrum and the sole reason why Lambert has explored the 3-5-2.

Jackson - Question marks over his first touch still, and technically no in the same league as some others in the side but compensates for that with his pace and work rate, defended from the front brilliantly last night and didn't give them time on the ball to pick a pass out of defence.

Norwood - As above. Without possession I thought our front 2 were excellent. With the ball I thought we could do more, and there were times in the 1st half where Jackson & Norwood were so far apart. Clearly our best partnership though, although I am looking to see if Sears can find his pre injury self in the new year and offer something a little different up there.

Solid performance overall, got to be satisfied with that. Keep ticking them off, 5 points above 3rd with 2 games in hand. Hopefully we take the FA Cup match seriously on Saturday, especially given we don't have a league game for a while. Would be nice to go on a little run.



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Agree with all that on 10:08 - Nov 6 with 1079 viewsDyland

though feeling less generous about Nolan's performance. Balancing this with some of his better showings this season, but last night he was poor.

Question is, when if ever will we actually click and look like we're, er, gelling. I don't believe this league is SO bad that we can keep getting away with it. There are very few consistent patterns to our play and if the league really IS that bad and we go up automatically with these kind of performances we're going to immediately struggle back in the Champ. Still very happy giving Lambert the benefit of the doubt, but the doubts are very much there re tactics.

A word on Rochdale. Quite impressed with their play and attitude, exemplified by their young right back. Is this their identity? Whatever that means :) If they had more composure in front of goal they would have won and deservedly so.

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Thoughts on yesterday on 10:11 - Nov 6 with 1080 viewsSteve_M

Yes, agree with most of that.

I'll add that for Edwards' failings yesterday his workrate and effort were very good. He can probably play at right back for the odd game but not for a protracted run. I thought Garbutt lost Henderson a bit easily for that chance you mention too.

Judge was definitely much better yesterday, certainly in the second half. Too many have made their minds up on him to judge on a per game basis. Still not totally sure that we can play him plus two strikers in anything other than a 4-3-1-2 or 3-5-2.

Nolan. Does the team play well when he does or is it the other way round? He's a continuity player who gets in the box, perhaps not enough on it's own to drive the team forward but, as players like Holland and once Clapham did, keeps the ball moving and we're a lot better for it.

It still feels a really disjointed season so to be top with games in hand, and after two pretty poor defeats, is good. Questions remain though: how we cope when behind and whether we know what to do now teams are going to sit back against us at home and are we going to make it through the season without proper fullbacks?

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Thoughts on yesterday on 10:20 - Nov 6 with 1058 viewsDyland

Thoughts on yesterday on 10:11 - Nov 6 by Steve_M

Yes, agree with most of that.

I'll add that for Edwards' failings yesterday his workrate and effort were very good. He can probably play at right back for the odd game but not for a protracted run. I thought Garbutt lost Henderson a bit easily for that chance you mention too.

Judge was definitely much better yesterday, certainly in the second half. Too many have made their minds up on him to judge on a per game basis. Still not totally sure that we can play him plus two strikers in anything other than a 4-3-1-2 or 3-5-2.

Nolan. Does the team play well when he does or is it the other way round? He's a continuity player who gets in the box, perhaps not enough on it's own to drive the team forward but, as players like Holland and once Clapham did, keeps the ball moving and we're a lot better for it.

It still feels a really disjointed season so to be top with games in hand, and after two pretty poor defeats, is good. Questions remain though: how we cope when behind and whether we know what to do now teams are going to sit back against us at home and are we going to make it through the season without proper fullbacks?


These are the questions we'll see if Lambert has the answers to over the coming months innit.

Agree about Judge and whilst he was fairly anonymous in the first half, well, who wasn't, and he got more involved and looked like he was finding a bit of form. Stick with him and I've an inkling he may yet prove to be a very important player this season. That's if we stick of course.

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Thoughts on yesterday on 10:27 - Nov 6 with 1032 viewsHerbivore

I think ultimately a 4-3-3 with a front three of Sears, Norwood and Jackson will be our best bet. Sears and Jackson are genuine forwards who won't leave Norwood isolated but they also have the work rate and defensive discipline not to leave us exposed. That way we get our three in the middle of the park without cocking up the back four.

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Great summary of last night (n/t) on 13:26 - Nov 6 with 900 viewsunstableblue


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