When you watch the highlights back its easy to see how we could/should have been 5-0 up before they scored!

If you watch back the clip of their first shot on target (around 30 secs) you can see they made a mistake by not playing in number 14, Finney, (he has his arms open). What's worrying about that move is how easily it was created — better teams would have made the right pass and scored.

Go back a few seconds to when the long ball was played and you can see 14 and the centreforward are doubled up on Clements (there's also a winger outside him spare). Clearly their tactic was to let the CF drift wide, the CM (Finney) drift forward and overload the inexperienced Clements. They both have their arms up calling for the ball.

What's most worrying about this is that Finney must have wandered past our midfield to get there and no one tracked him. If you look, they are completely static in the middle of the pitch. Really Clements should be marking the winger on the touchline, Edmunson the CF and Fraser the CM. It's not Clements's fault they created that chance.

Why are we letting teams like Crewe bypass our midfield with simple long balls and create chances like that? It's such basic stuff. So many things are wrong with this: no press on the centreback so he has loads of time to pick a pass, players not marking correctly or following their man, disarray when the ball drops near our box. It's just disorganised.

Bonne missed two very presentable chances.
He needs to score soon, he is getting in the right places but we miss his goals.

bringmeakuqi - We tried to play a high press. Problem is it doesnt work if a couple of players commit to it. Also, Crewe (whether they play like this normally or as a consequence/tactical change to our press) were 'cheating' in midfield. From their chance on the highlight reel they have four players forward against our back line. If they break the press a long ball gets them in. If we break up the play up then Crewe are in trouble. So has its merits and dangers. Celina scored a superb goal and had some nice link up play but hes not going to chase people down. So, for me, its something Cook should be recognizing tactically and adapting. In that instance, the midfield players were carrying out his instructions as they are in a perfect line.

DifferentGravy — agreed, the high press doesn't work with just Bonne doing the work. If you look at the moment the long ball is played, we are basically playing a 4-4-2 with 4 midfielders completely out of the game — neither supporting the press nor defending.

I agree, it can backfire on Crewe if we turn over possession, but they are not committing everyone forward. They have committed their CM and RW up alongside their CF and created a really good chance from it. Look at the reaction of our midfield: no attempt to come back and win the ball. That chance reminds me a lot of the goal Oldham scored at PR — a ball up to a CF who wins a 1-on-1 with Nsiala and suddenly has loads of time and space to pick his spot.

I'm picking this Crewe example out just because we have the benefit of watching it again on replay, but my feeling from watching games is that too often we let teams create chances like this. If they win a 50/50 with our CBs they're basically through on goal.

Ok we missed a few chances but I'm far more concerned about the Rotherham game where we didn't create a thing for 92 minutes
We're within range of top 6 so need a decent Xmas and beyond to build momentum for the nitty gritty end of season period
Or maybe same old tripe as usual
We can only be the 12th man and hope that spurs them on