| My thoughts on last night.. 08:27 - Aug 29 with 1855 views | TownieRob |
I have been in Teams meetings all morning and had chance to write down my thoughts on last night. Hopefully I'm not asked to create any minutes for the meetings..
Late night and early morning - what a combo. But, here are some reflections. It was a frustrating night in the Capital, and let’s be honest, anyone who says they don’t care that we lost is kidding themselves. No one likes losing. Maybe it’s not just the result that frustrates; it could be the cost of the ticket, the time away from home, or even the tough late-night-early-morning combo. Whatever it is, please don’t tell me you’re ‘OK’ with losing to L2 Wimbledon, as I'm not buying it.
Let’s talk about the lineup—perhaps some surprises there. Seeing so many new faces was a pleasant shock. Walton in goal? That one caught me off guard since I half-expected Muric to get a confidence boost after his shaky debut on Saturday. Maybe Slicker would’ve made sense too, just to get him some game time since he’s sticking around. But Walton got the nod - should we read into that? Who knows. Let’s see how it plays out.
Townsend at left back had a decent game. He’s got a lovely left foot and looked comfortable on the ball. He wasn’t really tested defensively, but from what I saw, I’d have no issues with him stepping in for Leif when needed.
O’Shea. He looked sharp. Quick on his feet and moved the ball well. What I liked most was when he strode out of defence with the ball in the second half, comfortable as you like and always looking to be positive.
Burgess was okay - nothing spectacular. A few passes went astray in the first half, which is understandable given how long it’s been since he last played. But he wasn’t as commanding in the air during set pieces, which is usually his strength. If he’s not dominating aerially, then Greaves should start, no questions asked.
Johnson is an enigma right now. He’s got the athleticism and came with a decent reputation, but I’m still not sure what to make of him. Defensively, he’s not quite there, but he does get into good positions going forward- but just doesn’t quite execute. It’s early days, so maybe I’m being harsh, but as of now, he doesn’t make my starting XI.
Seeing Clarke start was a nice surprise. Most of his good work was in the first half, so it was tough to see from our end, but he looked like he glided past a few players and carried the ball well. He played narrow, though, and with Townsend not being as adventurous as Leif, that space outside wasn’t used as much as it could have been. But that’s an exciting combo, and I’m sure it’ll only get better under McKenna. Solid signing.
Phillips was steady—safe, maybe too safe, but he hasn’t played a competitive game in a while. He showed some beautiful technique on a couple of passes but didn’t create much. He’ll get better as he gets fitter and more accustomed to our style and his role in the team.
Cajuste was the one I was most excited to see, mainly because I know almost nothing about him aside from a few flashy YouTube clips that made him look like a prime Yaya Touré. He made some decent passes and made a few great recoveries. He’s got good size and covers the ground well. I like him and think he should start alongside the skipper on Saturday.
Ogbenne starting was a pleasant surprise, too. He started well but didn’t really get to stretch his legs with Wimbledon sitting so deep. Early on, he and Johnson looked like they had a connection, but as the game went on, it was clear they’re still strangers on the pitch. I’m excited to see Ogbenne tearing up that right side, and maybe he’ll get his first league start on Saturday.
Chaplin wore the captain’s armband and had a good game, in my opinion. He dropped deep to pick up the ball and tried to make things happen. I actually think it was his best game in a while—his form dipped last season, but he seems like the kind of player who can adapt to the level he’s playing at. Hopefully, the better players around him will raise his game. I’d love to see him be a consistent starter, but that’s up to him.
Al-Hadami got his goal early, and I was hoping he’d grow into the game more. But with Wimbledon sitting deep, he couldn’t really show his best attributes. He looks like a player coming back from injury, but he’s getting better and stronger with each game. A loan move, preferably in the Championship, might do him good.
Subs:
Harness:Not really a winger and struggled to get past his man. He’s great when things are chaotic, but I’m not sure he’s the guy you bring on when he’s expected to be better than his opponent.
Taylor:Moved the ball well, gliding across the pitch. I like him, but I’m not sure where he fits in. The penalty really bugged me, he’s probably the best striker of the ball we have, and he tried to take a penalty like Ivan Toney. Perhaps he moves on this window.
Luongo: Did everything Phillips did—buzzed about and moved the ball well. No complaints. I want him to stick around.
Hutchinson:Always brings energy when he gets the ball. He added the urgency and directness we needed. He might have even deserved a penalty when he got pulled back. This guy makes us tick, and I’m excited to see how he progresses this year.
Delap: He’s getting better every time I see him. I’m hoping and fully expecting that £15 million will turn out to be a steal. He’s going to be a fan favorite, I’m sure of it.
Summary:
The whole match felt a bit "meh." We started each half well and finished the second half strong, but there was a big chunk in the middle where we dominated the stats without doing much on the pitch. What disappointed me most was that we got undone by two long balls into the box. As long as you’re not out of sight, the game is always live, and you’re susceptible to that kind of thing. I don’t expect McKenna was thrilled after the game, but he probably stayed level-headed, and we should too as fans.
It’s a shame we can’t have the distraction of a cup run to give the squad players more time on the pitch throughout the season. We’ll need everyone ready and dialled in. One thing is clear - we need another number 9. Hopefully, we can bring someone in who can contribute immediately.
Ultimately, the team we put out should have been enough to beat Wimbledon, and it’s a bit embarrassing that we didn’t. We looked like a side of strangers out there - not a McKenna team yet. But that’s likely because we’re still in the early stages of building with these players. It’s a process, and we’re learning as we go. Luckily, we’ve got KMc to guide us on this journey.
On to Saturday… |  | | |  |
| Sweet Jesus on 08:30 - Aug 29 with 1775 views | Dyland |
Glad you aren't one of my colleagues.
;) |  |
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| My thoughts on last night.. on 08:37 - Aug 29 with 1685 views | thebooks |
Thanks, that was interesting, and kudos for managing to look present in Teams calls while doing something else — that’s a very useful skill that I’m still trying to crack.
Yes, we could have done with a win, but I guess we’re still in the pre-season stage to a certain extent. Perhaps Walton is going to start against Fulham — can’t see any other reason he’d start this game. |  | | |
| My thoughts on last night.. on 08:41 - Aug 29 with 1648 views | FrimleyBlue |
Honestly the only reason im not ok with the actual result is it's one less cup game available, but likewise as KM said, it could be handy as it gives us a training week over an interrupted week, there's pros and cons to it.
But honestly as soon as the lineup was shown, anything could have happened in the game, I think had we played the old town lineup, i'd have viewed the game differently and would say it falls into the embarrassing pot, but it was basically an end of transfer window friendly, getting important minutes into new signing legs. If you see it as more than that, I think that's more of problem as it's giving this new side no time to become something. |  |
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| My thoughts on last night.. on 08:55 - Aug 29 with 1532 views | dirtyboy |
Can't really disagree with any of that.
I loathe to criticise so early in the season, we know pre-season wasn't ideal, unable to field a team in one game, so am just trying to think back a little, this was an opportunity to get players some minutes in a competitive game.
There's no real need for negativity in the overal scheme of things, just disappointment at the result.
Liked Cajuste, think he lacked a little sharpness (expected) but moves around well and is surprisingly big.
Clarke looked exciting, look forward to seeing him on the left Saturday, confident he'll come on.
Oh well.
Not upset, not angry, not flapping as all things pointed towards that looking like a comfortable win other than the inevitable, they get two shots two goals.
We seem to suffer from that sucker punch, Maidstone, Lincoln (jesus, how many shots did we have that day) and now Wimbledon.
Still looking forward to a rocking Portman Road this weekend. |  | | |
| My thoughts on last night.. on 08:55 - Aug 29 with 1534 views | TownieRob |
| My thoughts on last night.. on 08:41 - Aug 29 by FrimleyBlue |
Honestly the only reason im not ok with the actual result is it's one less cup game available, but likewise as KM said, it could be handy as it gives us a training week over an interrupted week, there's pros and cons to it.
But honestly as soon as the lineup was shown, anything could have happened in the game, I think had we played the old town lineup, i'd have viewed the game differently and would say it falls into the embarrassing pot, but it was basically an end of transfer window friendly, getting important minutes into new signing legs. If you see it as more than that, I think that's more of problem as it's giving this new side no time to become something. |
That's another very valid reason to be frustrated with the result. With such a large squad, keeping everyone ready and sharp is crucial. I’m sure there will be behind closed doors games to help with that, but unfortunately, the atmosphere and pressure of a real match just can’t be replicated.
Honestly, when I saw the lineup we put out, regardless of how much time they’ve had to gel, with more than half a dozen full internationals—either currently or recently—we should have had enough quality to get the win. We’ll definitely improve, and I’m hopeful that the improvement will be exponential. At least, that’s what I’m hoping for.
Trusting the process... | | | |
| My thoughts on last night.. on 08:55 - Aug 29 with 1526 views | bsw72 |
I hope your insight on your meetings is as thorough  . |  | | |
| My thoughts on last night.. on 09:00 - Aug 29 with 1473 views | BloomBlue |
I agree with a lot of that. I will give the new players some leeway as they are new, although that team should be capable of beating a L2 team.
But some points on new players.
O'Shea I didn't think he was as commanding in the air as I expected. Passing was limited, however passing is always the difficult aspect in a new team. Main concern in the second is he fell asleep in that one moment and then got lucky when he went shoulder to shoulder and won a foul when it was never a foul. Woolf is criticised for his occasional switching off, O'Shea needs to cut that out, as that isn't going to be given as a foul in the Prem.
Clarke, exciting but he needs to go down the wing sometimes, constant cutting in will be food and drink to Prem defenders. Do as Hutch does, vary it, keep the defenders guessing is he going down the wing or cutting inside. Final ball not great, but again most of that will be down to getting an understanding with new players and where they want the ball. But exciting
Phillips, this is the player for me who will decide our season between survival or relegation. Steady game, but thought he lacked self belief. I'm sure the coaching staff can correct that, but he oozes class, you can see the difference compared with all the other players, genuine Prem level.
Townsend was solid, given he will always be backup to Leif, I'm more that happy will that.
Cajuste - was steady.
Johnson - not sure but to be fair that's 3 games and 3 different positions i think. All squads need players who can play in different positions. Would like to see him given a run out in the RB position over 3 or 4 games, but at the moment I think KM will go with Axel
Ogbene- first game after only joining within 24 hours, unfair to judge on that.
Biggest disappointment for me was the defeat. Normally going out of those cups I don't care about, but strangely this season I feel a couple of extra games would be advantageous to the players getting an understanding. As KM has said before there is no substitute for actually playing in games, it's better than training games. |  | | |
| My thoughts on last night.. on 09:42 - Aug 29 with 1182 views | Guthrum |
Very good all-round analysis.
I thought the footballing skill on display last night was evident. The way several of our new men were able to carry the ball through bunches of opposition players and the passing was surprisingly accurate for a group some of whom were not at the club a week or two ago.
We just lacked that last little bit of "bite" to get the ball in the net as often as our efforts deserved. Wimbledon defended in an extremely compact fashion a lot of the time (no slight upon them, did their job very effectively and took their chances when they came).
I never want to see Taylor - or anyone else - take a penalty like that again. |  |
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