| Where did McKenna ball go? The squad/club mega issue returning 09:43 - Feb 6 with 3056 views | unstableblue |
First off it was a superb strike from Chaplin, and I thought Wolfenden and Walton had good games and deserved 7/10. But everything else about yesterday was poor.
And this BIG ISSUE of Town player performance returned. 4s out of 10 across the board.
Highlights show that had Gillingham had a bit more composure they deserved a draw.
Yes it’s a win, it’s 3 points, we stay in the mix and our new manager has a fantastic 5 wins from 7 games. A fantastic 2.14 ppg.
But play like that and MK will beat us, play like that and there really is no chance of the play offs, and importantly you start to question are we progressing as a team.
If it was a one off, then who gives a feck, but that is now poor team and player performances against Wimbledon, Sheff Weds (why do players keep saying that was a good display?!) and gillingham. Accrington was also flawed.
Gillingham were improved and had more solidity and a better press, but they weren’t that good. Our team just had no tempo, energy or desire… the McKenna ball we saw at Gillingham away included players believing and playing with a freedom and on the limit. Everyone was 7/10. Miles off yesterday.
McKenna should not have played evans and Carrol, too similar. El Miz was needed to replicate Morsys much needed and missed drive. We are also changing the front 3 a lot.
Poor Edward’s! He had a complete shocker yesterday as a sub.
It is all such a shame as the fans are ready to get vocal (the north stand was near silent at times) there are great attendances… with heaps of kids there yesterday, a great fan zone, and a redound desire for success. But a bit like Accrington it’s flat football being served.
Yes I know a win is a win. But performances and player displays are really going backwards. Including Burns who we would desperately miss, and I can’t see a replacement for, but who himself is off his game… albeit our right side is being targeted and well marked. We look slow, disjointed and mired in trying to play around our own penalty box.
Sorry to be a downer!!
Come on McKenna (who positively didn’t try and put a spin on a dreadful display) get the selection, system and players fired up and let’s put in a display at a buoyant Donny. Let’s get fired up for the 7000 away.
COYB [Post edited 6 Feb 2022 9:48]
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| Where did McKenna ball go? The squad/club mega issue returning on 13:04 - Feb 6 with 533 views | Dubtractor |
| Where did McKenna ball go? The squad/club mega issue returning on 12:50 - Feb 6 by pointofblue |
A bit like how people were concerned when we were winning match after match at the start of 19/20 because the performances were not good enough? We saw how that worked out. |
Absolutely, and that's possibly a fair comparison IF we are still looking unconvincing in 10 games time, but McKenna has been here 7 games, with someone else's squad, and is picking up results whilst still obviously not the finished product. Keeping clean sheets and having a bit of quality to get goals will always be a good mix and our results since he joined have been a big step up on what came before.
If Cook had managed to be even a tiny bit more pragmatic about getting results at the start of the season he'd still be in a job. |  |
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| Where did McKenna ball go? The squad/club mega issue returning on 13:28 - Feb 6 with 499 views | Ryorry |
| Where did McKenna ball go? The squad/club mega issue returning on 12:36 - Feb 6 by unstableblue |
Good post.
I think the key thing for me is this isn’t criticism of McKenna it’s player performance. And Bolton was the start of a run of mediocre player displays - 4/10 or 5/10 across the board.
It’s continued now for a lot of game.
Let’s hope this is a blip and we can return to wins and also positive display as per Wycombe at home and Gills away. Which were excellent (albeit front 3 were ragged at times against Wycombe)
Morsy return should be a catalyst. But I do wonder how we will cope without Burns. |
Burns' injury not too bad apparently -
"Wes Burns came off injured just after half-time but McKenna is hopeful it’s nothing too significant.
“Hopefully not too bad,” he said. “I’ve not had a full rundown but speaking to him at half-time he had received a knock, nothing more than that. He wanted to give it a go at the start of the second half and he wasn’t able to run it off. As he came off he said it was a knock, so fingers crossed that won’t be too long.”
(from post-match interview on TWTD home page). |  |
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| Where did McKenna ball go? The squad/club mega issue returning on 14:08 - Feb 6 with 481 views | Battersea_Blue |
We did well to win yesterday.
Gillingham were always going to set up the way they did, hoping for a 0-0 or sneak a 0-1. KM knew this, which is why I'm surprised he didn't put our only creative player, Celina, on the pitch at all. Evans would get a nosebleed if he passed forwards, I can only think of 1 threatening forward pass he made, in the 2nd half.
With almost zero creativity, how are we going to break down such a resolute defence? Surely it has to be down the wings and get crosses in. Again, I can't think of one dangerous cross we put in, which is irksome bearing in mind Norwood and particularly Pigott should thrive on good crosses.
I agree with the OP, Wolf and Walton were the only stand out performers yesterday. Personally I think Evans is a total waste of space. Carroll was marginally better, at least he was looking to be positive and look forwards. On at least two occasions Evans couldn't even pass the ball ahead of our full back to run on to, both times our player had to check back, losing what little momentum there was. Basic stuff.
I was at the AGM on Friday night and amongst the usual crap questions like painting the toilets (that wasn't asked, but many questions were of similar ilk) I stood up and asked a question, firstly agreeing with a previous questioner who said KM's appointment is a progressive step forward and well done to the club for taking this stance rather than another dinosaur, I asked KM what he thought he could achieve with this squad. He gave the standard stock answer of we are where we are and looking to put a team out to win every match, etc. etc. but he also expressed how important the summer was. While I can't put words in his mouth and it's easy to read between lines, my take out was he doesn't think the current squad is good enough and/or what he wants and that the summer will see some outgoings and incomings to build a squad he can take somewhere.
I was very impressed with KM, both at that meeting and by speaking with some ex players who KM has recently spent time with. We have a good 'un here and it may be in 2-3 years we'll have trouble keeping hold of him. |  | | |
| Where did McKenna ball go? The squad/club mega issue returning on 15:05 - Feb 6 with 451 views | unstableblue |
| Where did McKenna ball go? The squad/club mega issue returning on 14:08 - Feb 6 by Battersea_Blue |
We did well to win yesterday.
Gillingham were always going to set up the way they did, hoping for a 0-0 or sneak a 0-1. KM knew this, which is why I'm surprised he didn't put our only creative player, Celina, on the pitch at all. Evans would get a nosebleed if he passed forwards, I can only think of 1 threatening forward pass he made, in the 2nd half.
With almost zero creativity, how are we going to break down such a resolute defence? Surely it has to be down the wings and get crosses in. Again, I can't think of one dangerous cross we put in, which is irksome bearing in mind Norwood and particularly Pigott should thrive on good crosses.
I agree with the OP, Wolf and Walton were the only stand out performers yesterday. Personally I think Evans is a total waste of space. Carroll was marginally better, at least he was looking to be positive and look forwards. On at least two occasions Evans couldn't even pass the ball ahead of our full back to run on to, both times our player had to check back, losing what little momentum there was. Basic stuff.
I was at the AGM on Friday night and amongst the usual crap questions like painting the toilets (that wasn't asked, but many questions were of similar ilk) I stood up and asked a question, firstly agreeing with a previous questioner who said KM's appointment is a progressive step forward and well done to the club for taking this stance rather than another dinosaur, I asked KM what he thought he could achieve with this squad. He gave the standard stock answer of we are where we are and looking to put a team out to win every match, etc. etc. but he also expressed how important the summer was. While I can't put words in his mouth and it's easy to read between lines, my take out was he doesn't think the current squad is good enough and/or what he wants and that the summer will see some outgoings and incomings to build a squad he can take somewhere.
I was very impressed with KM, both at that meeting and by speaking with some ex players who KM has recently spent time with. We have a good 'un here and it may be in 2-3 years we'll have trouble keeping hold of him. |
Great post.
KM is a good un, and I’m looking forward to a future under him. Ditto the dinosaurs have gone.
But we should criticise where we sit it, and I think KM was fessing up in the post match.
We needed El Miz on the pitch probably with Carrol from the start. And it was a game for Celina, probably in a front 3 of Chaplin, him and Piggot. | |
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| Where did McKenna ball go? The squad/club mega issue returning on 15:09 - Feb 6 with 433 views | blueball1 |
The answer is that teams have now seen how we play and now base their game on stopping it. Gillingham pressed very well, they didn’t press until we got into their half so there’s 20 players in one half of the pitch. If you’ve ever played the game you’ll know that’s very difficult to carve a team open with that many players in one half. | | | |
| Where did McKenna ball go? The squad/club mega issue returning on 15:33 - Feb 6 with 391 views | Churchman |
| Where did McKenna ball go? The squad/club mega issue returning on 14:08 - Feb 6 by Battersea_Blue |
We did well to win yesterday.
Gillingham were always going to set up the way they did, hoping for a 0-0 or sneak a 0-1. KM knew this, which is why I'm surprised he didn't put our only creative player, Celina, on the pitch at all. Evans would get a nosebleed if he passed forwards, I can only think of 1 threatening forward pass he made, in the 2nd half.
With almost zero creativity, how are we going to break down such a resolute defence? Surely it has to be down the wings and get crosses in. Again, I can't think of one dangerous cross we put in, which is irksome bearing in mind Norwood and particularly Pigott should thrive on good crosses.
I agree with the OP, Wolf and Walton were the only stand out performers yesterday. Personally I think Evans is a total waste of space. Carroll was marginally better, at least he was looking to be positive and look forwards. On at least two occasions Evans couldn't even pass the ball ahead of our full back to run on to, both times our player had to check back, losing what little momentum there was. Basic stuff.
I was at the AGM on Friday night and amongst the usual crap questions like painting the toilets (that wasn't asked, but many questions were of similar ilk) I stood up and asked a question, firstly agreeing with a previous questioner who said KM's appointment is a progressive step forward and well done to the club for taking this stance rather than another dinosaur, I asked KM what he thought he could achieve with this squad. He gave the standard stock answer of we are where we are and looking to put a team out to win every match, etc. etc. but he also expressed how important the summer was. While I can't put words in his mouth and it's easy to read between lines, my take out was he doesn't think the current squad is good enough and/or what he wants and that the summer will see some outgoings and incomings to build a squad he can take somewhere.
I was very impressed with KM, both at that meeting and by speaking with some ex players who KM has recently spent time with. We have a good 'un here and it may be in 2-3 years we'll have trouble keeping hold of him. |
Thank you for your feedback on the AGM and how KM came across to you and the people you spoke to. Interesting. He just needs support from the owners in what he wants to do and let’s see where it takes us. |  | | |
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