| There is a lot of comparing us to this time last season 09:13 - Aug 17 with 1487 views | tractorboy1978 |
But I'd rather compare us to this time 4/5 months ago under McKenna. Several of us said we were a few small tweaks away from being a proper automatic promotion outfit and so far I think we've seen those adjustments whilst doing the same things and playing by the same consistent principles we were last year.
Ladapo looks a far better fit (despite not scoring) than anyone that played that role last season. Davis/Leigh give us an attacking impetus down the left. Harness has brought goals to the attacking unit. We look a touch more streetwise. Extra time on the training pitch and a pre season have seen ideas embedded.
As I posted in another thread just now - 14 goals conceded in 27 games. I think we have a fair sample size to be able to say we are going to be very tight defensively and difficult to beat. And we don't have the hindrance of having a garbage start and playing catch up this season.
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| There is a lot of comparing us to this time last season on 09:22 - Aug 17 with 1411 views | Steve_M |
Yes, I think that's a much better comparison with where we are now.
I would add Evans to the list of notable players, his off the ball work has generally been good, at Forest Green he won so many balls in midfield and he was good at that last night too. He's looking more like the player we expected to see last season.
There's still a slight question about creating good chances but with the players we can bring on in matches we are likely to stretch teams a lot late on. |  |
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| There is a lot of comparing us to this time last season on 09:26 - Aug 17 with 1379 views | Pinewoodblue |
Don’t see any significant improvement with our corners. Doesn’t seem to matter who takes them. |  |
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| There is a lot of comparing us to this time last season on 09:37 - Aug 17 with 1326 views | Steve_M |
| There is a lot of comparing us to this time last season on 09:26 - Aug 17 by Pinewoodblue |
Don’t see any significant improvement with our corners. Doesn’t seem to matter who takes them. |
I thought first half they were pretty good, until the last one Evans put in. One took a very good interception to clear and there was a short corner where the ball back was 'just' over everyone. | |
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| There is a lot of comparing us to this time last season on 09:41 - Aug 17 with 1309 views | homer_123 |
| There is a lot of comparing us to this time last season on 09:22 - Aug 17 by Steve_M |
Yes, I think that's a much better comparison with where we are now.
I would add Evans to the list of notable players, his off the ball work has generally been good, at Forest Green he won so many balls in midfield and he was good at that last night too. He's looking more like the player we expected to see last season.
There's still a slight question about creating good chances but with the players we can bring on in matches we are likely to stretch teams a lot late on. |
We struggled in the first half last night but in the second we created a number of very good opportunities, again.
Ladapo had a decent chance in the first half and certainly should have opened his account in the second. Morsy went very close from the edge of the box and Jackson could have done a little better. We also had a number of shots blocked last night, was it three in quick succession? |  |
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| There is a lot of comparing us to this time last season on 09:44 - Aug 17 with 1297 views | jayessess |
Two other tweaks I'd point out
- We're looking to pass the ball much faster and maintain a higher tempo in possession.
- Last season when we couldn't get to the byline we recycled the ball, looking to send it backwards and work it across to the other side. This rarely resulted in a better shooting or crossing opportunity and often gave the opposition the chance to take the ball off us and counter. We've stopped doing that, now if we get stuck down the flanks we work it back to a midfielder who puts a ball into the box or into the D for a shot at goal. |  |
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| There is a lot of comparing us to this time last season on 09:46 - Aug 17 with 1274 views | SaleAway |
| There is a lot of comparing us to this time last season on 09:37 - Aug 17 by Steve_M |
I thought first half they were pretty good, until the last one Evans put in. One took a very good interception to clear and there was a short corner where the ball back was 'just' over everyone. |
Looked like a change in tactic... we've often been trying to fizz them into the near post, and they've been cleared away easily. Last night seemed to be a plan to go higher and floatier to the back, to give more chance of a bit of a knockdown. Its probably harder to score directly from, but also less likely to just be headed out by the first man. | |
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| There is a lot of comparing us to this time last season on 10:06 - Aug 17 with 1211 views | Guthrum |
| There is a lot of comparing us to this time last season on 09:44 - Aug 17 by jayessess |
Two other tweaks I'd point out
- We're looking to pass the ball much faster and maintain a higher tempo in possession.
- Last season when we couldn't get to the byline we recycled the ball, looking to send it backwards and work it across to the other side. This rarely resulted in a better shooting or crossing opportunity and often gave the opposition the chance to take the ball off us and counter. We've stopped doing that, now if we get stuck down the flanks we work it back to a midfielder who puts a ball into the box or into the D for a shot at goal. |
That second one of my biggest grumbles from the latter part of last season. |  |
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| There is a lot of comparing us to this time last season on 10:19 - Aug 17 with 1141 views | HighgateBlue |
I agree with all of this, and I would add (without having any data to back it up) that we look even fitter than we were last season under either manager.
This season has been hugely encouraging, we're top of the table, we're scoring enough whilst letting in hardly any. There is so much to be positive about.
If I really search for a caveat (other than that there's a lot of games still to go...), it's that the teams we've beaten so far are struggling generally, and the only team in the top two thirds of the table that we've played, we didn't manage to beat, at home. I recall starting really well under Lambert and being a tiny bit concerned that we couldn't carry on winning when we played the better teams, and that concern came to pass. This time around, there's every chance that we will keep on succeeding, and I hope that that's the case.
Sheff Wed in a month's time will be a hell of a litmus test, and I think it will also mark 10 league games into the season. We'll know a lot more come 5pm that day I think. |  | | |
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| There is a lot of comparing us to this time last season on 10:25 - Aug 17 with 1115 views | JakeITFC |
| There is a lot of comparing us to this time last season on 10:19 - Aug 17 by HighgateBlue |
I agree with all of this, and I would add (without having any data to back it up) that we look even fitter than we were last season under either manager.
This season has been hugely encouraging, we're top of the table, we're scoring enough whilst letting in hardly any. There is so much to be positive about.
If I really search for a caveat (other than that there's a lot of games still to go...), it's that the teams we've beaten so far are struggling generally, and the only team in the top two thirds of the table that we've played, we didn't manage to beat, at home. I recall starting really well under Lambert and being a tiny bit concerned that we couldn't carry on winning when we played the better teams, and that concern came to pass. This time around, there's every chance that we will keep on succeeding, and I hope that that's the case.
Sheff Wed in a month's time will be a hell of a litmus test, and I think it will also mark 10 league games into the season. We'll know a lot more come 5pm that day I think. |
After four games it’s quite likely that our individual result has a determining factor in where a team is in the league, but I take your point.
That being said, I’m not sure we should be particularly scared of anyone at this level (and I think Bolton will end up being one of our rivals for the top 2 places). |  | | |
| There is a lot of comparing us to this time last season on 10:28 - Aug 17 with 1098 views | Dyland |
| There is a lot of comparing us to this time last season on 10:19 - Aug 17 by HighgateBlue |
I agree with all of this, and I would add (without having any data to back it up) that we look even fitter than we were last season under either manager.
This season has been hugely encouraging, we're top of the table, we're scoring enough whilst letting in hardly any. There is so much to be positive about.
If I really search for a caveat (other than that there's a lot of games still to go...), it's that the teams we've beaten so far are struggling generally, and the only team in the top two thirds of the table that we've played, we didn't manage to beat, at home. I recall starting really well under Lambert and being a tiny bit concerned that we couldn't carry on winning when we played the better teams, and that concern came to pass. This time around, there's every chance that we will keep on succeeding, and I hope that that's the case.
Sheff Wed in a month's time will be a hell of a litmus test, and I think it will also mark 10 league games into the season. We'll know a lot more come 5pm that day I think. |
The performances have generally been a lot better than Lambert's first season when we were scoring with our only one or two chances. As soon as the clinical/spawny (delete as you see fit) finishing dried up we fell away. This season we're creating plenty more opps. |  |
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| There is a lot of comparing us to this time last season on 09:44 - Aug 18 with 868 views | HighgateBlue |
| There is a lot of comparing us to this time last season on 10:28 - Aug 17 by Dyland |
The performances have generally been a lot better than Lambert's first season when we were scoring with our only one or two chances. As soon as the clinical/spawny (delete as you see fit) finishing dried up we fell away. This season we're creating plenty more opps. |
Yes I'd agree with that. I just don't quite dare to dream until we've beaten some fancied sides, and unfortunately for them, I don't see MK being the force they were last year (having lost Twine etc). | | | |
| There is a lot of comparing us to this time last season on 09:46 - Aug 18 with 852 views | HighgateBlue |
| There is a lot of comparing us to this time last season on 10:25 - Aug 17 by JakeITFC |
After four games it’s quite likely that our individual result has a determining factor in where a team is in the league, but I take your point.
That being said, I’m not sure we should be particularly scared of anyone at this level (and I think Bolton will end up being one of our rivals for the top 2 places). |
Agreed on all counts. Far too early to really draw much from the table, and as you rightly say, there's a disproportionate effect of our individual result on the placing of teams we've played.
I agree that Bolton look likely to be challenging, and I also agree that there's no need to be scared of anyone. | | | |
| There is a lot of comparing us to this time last season on 11:50 - Aug 18 with 696 views | jaykay |
the only tweak we need to work on now , is the blind back pass into the box. we have got away with it a couple of times but one day its going to bite us in the bum. i know we like to play it across the back , that's ok if you can see who you passing it to ,not doing it blind from a forward position |  |
| forensic experts say footers and spruces fingerprints were not found at the scene after the weekends rows |
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| There is a lot of comparing us to this time last season on 11:56 - Aug 18 with 680 views | Dyland |
| There is a lot of comparing us to this time last season on 09:44 - Aug 18 by HighgateBlue |
Yes I'd agree with that. I just don't quite dare to dream until we've beaten some fancied sides, and unfortunately for them, I don't see MK being the force they were last year (having lost Twine etc). |
Same here. If we beat Shrews AND Barnsley, I'll start getting excited. Such a long way to go though innit, and Derek the Deckchair is not a very distant memory! | |
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| There is a lot of comparing us to this time last season on 12:21 - Aug 18 with 628 views | N2_Blue |
| There is a lot of comparing us to this time last season on 10:25 - Aug 17 by JakeITFC |
After four games it’s quite likely that our individual result has a determining factor in where a team is in the league, but I take your point.
That being said, I’m not sure we should be particularly scared of anyone at this level (and I think Bolton will end up being one of our rivals for the top 2 places). |
I thought Bolton were incredibly ordinary and 8 times out of 10 we’d have won that game. Did Walton even touch the ball in the 2nd half of that game, I can’t even remember Bolton getting in our box 2nd half.
If they are challengers for the top 2 I’d say we haven’t got a lot to worry about.
However I personally think Bolton will do well to get top 6.
Sheff wed, Peterborough, Charlton, Portsmouth, Barnsley I think will all be better than Bolton. |  |
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| There is a lot of comparing us to this time last season on 13:21 - Aug 18 with 549 views | Dyland |
| There is a lot of comparing us to this time last season on 11:50 - Aug 18 by jaykay |
the only tweak we need to work on now , is the blind back pass into the box. we have got away with it a couple of times but one day its going to bite us in the bum. i know we like to play it across the back , that's ok if you can see who you passing it to ,not doing it blind from a forward position |
Indeed. Just commented on another thread about this, we've been lucky so far it hasn't really cost us. Eventually a side will put away those chances. | |
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| There is a lot of comparing us to this time last season on 13:54 - Aug 18 with 493 views | C_Jam_Blue |
I like looking at the equivalent head to heads as I think that is a good indicator of progress.
Last year vs Bolton (H), Cheltenham (A - winners of league 2 prev season), MKD (H) and Burton Away
2021/22 1pt Goal Diff. -5
2022/23 10 pts Goal Diff. +5
Think that shows we have learned some lessons. | | | |
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