Post by stevek192 on Oct 20, 2019 10:37:12 GMT
Yesterdays match was; like a lot of games in this division centred around one incident and that is the penalty miss because I am sure had it been scored then this would have been a very different game and probably result. The first half was a pretty even contest with Doncaster just edging possession but very clearly lacking confidence and probably a natural goalscorer like us without Clarke-Harris.As a unit they always looked better geared up to attacking against us who were clearly lined up with a defensive approach to the game
Jaakkola 8 MOM A bit like the Bonham position at Luton last year he stood between a 2-0 defeat and a six nil defeat. made some good saves and took most that came into the area. Was let down by his usually reliable defence on both goals - the second in particular where a point blank save was swept in by an alert opponent when it should have been cleared.
Davies 6 Not up to last weeks form and looked to be at fault with his marking on the opening goal. His use of the ball at times was questionable but not helped by Doncaster being capable of time and again stretching us out of position on both flanks. It must be said that their first goal was a rarity this season for our central defenders to be beaten in the air
Craig 7 The central three as a unit were made to look a bit off the pace compared to other weeks by the ability of the Doncaster midfield players to find time and space out wide and drag the central three out.
Kilgour 6 Caught out more often than usual but little support outside of him.Thankfully a game Tuesday to put this game behind him.
Rodman 6 Flittered in and out of the game but was a very mixed game
Ogogo 5 Couldn't get near to their players to make the tackles that make his game and slack with the ball too often but kept battling away. We missed that attacking link up player that Sercombe performed so well last week.
Upson 6 Has proved this season what a good player he is but he needs at least one attacking midfielder alongside him who wants the ball. Yesterday whenever he got the ball you could see him holding on to the ball and looking for a pass whereas last week there was always the option to give it to Sercombe -OK he was injured but surely either Bennett in the hole or even Nichols there would be a better option - IMO even giving Hargreaves or another of the Development squad would be a better option or my other suggestion would be to play Rodman in that position.
Clarke 3 Ok not my favourite player but this is totally a football matter and nothing personal. This man will never be a leader and just has no consistency in his game to be considered IMO a League 1 standard player. I could understand him being Club captain but team captain is the most ridiculous decision that GC has made and just in front of the decision to actually play him.
Leahy 5 Seemed to lack ideas yesterday and definitely support.It was a difficult game for him particularly when Doncaster had the confidence of a 2-0 lead as they switched play and got in behind our wing backs far too often.
Nichols 3 As a player based on his control of the ball and some of his hold up play it would have been a 5 or possibly a six but he is a STRIIKER and selected as a striker and for that and his ridiculous penalty miss (why on earth would GC nominate a totally out of form striker to be the penalty taker?) a 3 is probably being kind to him. If he is going to be in the team then surely it should be as an attacking midfielder or even winger behind a front two.
Smith 6 Ran his guts out but with three defensive midfielders and players resorting to playing the long ball game then it was a waste of his time and energy. If GC is going to continue to want to play this way then without Clarke-Harris surely the way to go is to play Deon Moore and Adeboyejo- surely that would make at least some common sense?
Subs: Adeboyejo 4 Didn't do much in the short time he was on the pitch but like Jacubiak and Reilly in the past he must become dejected with the Manager constantly putting in a blank firing striker ahead of them!
Bennett 5 Improvement on Clarke but only just and in the long term does not have a future here and looks like a player who knows that.
Crowd 6 Good numbers around the 500 mark but let down again.
Ref 6.5 Pretty good to be honest and at least fair as poor decisions were evenly spread.
Doncaster 7 To be honest they were pretty punchless but have midfielders who play wonderful football and capable as a unit to spread the ball,run at speed with it and always look like they have a goal in them even if their strikers don't. Not the team they were last season without their loanee winger from Leeds and Marquiis but once they had the confidence of the missed penalty and a goal that was at the time when we were actually starting to play well they got well on top and once the second went in there was never any doubt that they would win- it was just how many though I have the feeling they too will be looking for a striker in January.
GC To be critical his choice of penalty taker is mystifying but not as much as his decision at the start of the season to give the captaincy to Ollie Clarke and pretty well make him undroppable. I don't like the playing of three defensive midfielders but the truth is that had Nichols scored the penalty at the time we were getting on top then we could well have come away with a 2-0 win. We are still 7th although in truth I believe we are about a 12th placed team but I have no doubt that had we had two of Donnys midfielders/widemen alongside Upson and Ogogo we would have come away with a big victory. I am a true believer in playing a compressed game against the better footballing side and to stop them playing the ball out by closing them down as a unit but GC does not appear to like playing this way and would prefer to put a wall up in our own half which leaves us very open to what happened yesterday which was Donny picked pass after pass and our midfield were just running from player to player and looking disorganised out of possession and limited options in possession with two short attackers.
Well we move on to Tuesdays game and in fact two home games where we need 4 points to maintain our position. Injuries to Clarke-Harris and Sercombe really show a weakness in our squad in the attacking third and myself I would be looking to see how Deon Moore can fare up top and even consider giving a player from the development squad like Harry Warwick a chance as he is no less likely to score than Nichols. If GC does wish to persist with his preferred formation and Sercombe is still unfit then I would go for something like this
Jaakkola
Davies Craig (Capt) Kilgour
Little Ogogo Upson Nichols or Rodman Leahy
Any two of Moore, Smith, Adeboyejo or Warwick
Subs Whoevers left out plus GK, Clarke, Mayonaise, Hargreaves
UTG
Jaakkola 8 MOM A bit like the Bonham position at Luton last year he stood between a 2-0 defeat and a six nil defeat. made some good saves and took most that came into the area. Was let down by his usually reliable defence on both goals - the second in particular where a point blank save was swept in by an alert opponent when it should have been cleared.
Davies 6 Not up to last weeks form and looked to be at fault with his marking on the opening goal. His use of the ball at times was questionable but not helped by Doncaster being capable of time and again stretching us out of position on both flanks. It must be said that their first goal was a rarity this season for our central defenders to be beaten in the air
Craig 7 The central three as a unit were made to look a bit off the pace compared to other weeks by the ability of the Doncaster midfield players to find time and space out wide and drag the central three out.
Kilgour 6 Caught out more often than usual but little support outside of him.Thankfully a game Tuesday to put this game behind him.
Rodman 6 Flittered in and out of the game but was a very mixed game
Ogogo 5 Couldn't get near to their players to make the tackles that make his game and slack with the ball too often but kept battling away. We missed that attacking link up player that Sercombe performed so well last week.
Upson 6 Has proved this season what a good player he is but he needs at least one attacking midfielder alongside him who wants the ball. Yesterday whenever he got the ball you could see him holding on to the ball and looking for a pass whereas last week there was always the option to give it to Sercombe -OK he was injured but surely either Bennett in the hole or even Nichols there would be a better option - IMO even giving Hargreaves or another of the Development squad would be a better option or my other suggestion would be to play Rodman in that position.
Clarke 3 Ok not my favourite player but this is totally a football matter and nothing personal. This man will never be a leader and just has no consistency in his game to be considered IMO a League 1 standard player. I could understand him being Club captain but team captain is the most ridiculous decision that GC has made and just in front of the decision to actually play him.
Leahy 5 Seemed to lack ideas yesterday and definitely support.It was a difficult game for him particularly when Doncaster had the confidence of a 2-0 lead as they switched play and got in behind our wing backs far too often.
Nichols 3 As a player based on his control of the ball and some of his hold up play it would have been a 5 or possibly a six but he is a STRIIKER and selected as a striker and for that and his ridiculous penalty miss (why on earth would GC nominate a totally out of form striker to be the penalty taker?) a 3 is probably being kind to him. If he is going to be in the team then surely it should be as an attacking midfielder or even winger behind a front two.
Smith 6 Ran his guts out but with three defensive midfielders and players resorting to playing the long ball game then it was a waste of his time and energy. If GC is going to continue to want to play this way then without Clarke-Harris surely the way to go is to play Deon Moore and Adeboyejo- surely that would make at least some common sense?
Subs: Adeboyejo 4 Didn't do much in the short time he was on the pitch but like Jacubiak and Reilly in the past he must become dejected with the Manager constantly putting in a blank firing striker ahead of them!
Bennett 5 Improvement on Clarke but only just and in the long term does not have a future here and looks like a player who knows that.
Crowd 6 Good numbers around the 500 mark but let down again.
Ref 6.5 Pretty good to be honest and at least fair as poor decisions were evenly spread.
Doncaster 7 To be honest they were pretty punchless but have midfielders who play wonderful football and capable as a unit to spread the ball,run at speed with it and always look like they have a goal in them even if their strikers don't. Not the team they were last season without their loanee winger from Leeds and Marquiis but once they had the confidence of the missed penalty and a goal that was at the time when we were actually starting to play well they got well on top and once the second went in there was never any doubt that they would win- it was just how many though I have the feeling they too will be looking for a striker in January.
GC To be critical his choice of penalty taker is mystifying but not as much as his decision at the start of the season to give the captaincy to Ollie Clarke and pretty well make him undroppable. I don't like the playing of three defensive midfielders but the truth is that had Nichols scored the penalty at the time we were getting on top then we could well have come away with a 2-0 win. We are still 7th although in truth I believe we are about a 12th placed team but I have no doubt that had we had two of Donnys midfielders/widemen alongside Upson and Ogogo we would have come away with a big victory. I am a true believer in playing a compressed game against the better footballing side and to stop them playing the ball out by closing them down as a unit but GC does not appear to like playing this way and would prefer to put a wall up in our own half which leaves us very open to what happened yesterday which was Donny picked pass after pass and our midfield were just running from player to player and looking disorganised out of possession and limited options in possession with two short attackers.
Well we move on to Tuesdays game and in fact two home games where we need 4 points to maintain our position. Injuries to Clarke-Harris and Sercombe really show a weakness in our squad in the attacking third and myself I would be looking to see how Deon Moore can fare up top and even consider giving a player from the development squad like Harry Warwick a chance as he is no less likely to score than Nichols. If GC does wish to persist with his preferred formation and Sercombe is still unfit then I would go for something like this
Jaakkola
Davies Craig (Capt) Kilgour
Little Ogogo Upson Nichols or Rodman Leahy
Any two of Moore, Smith, Adeboyejo or Warwick
Subs Whoevers left out plus GK, Clarke, Mayonaise, Hargreaves
UTG