L 5-1 vs AFC Wimbledon (A) - League Two - Sat 27th April, 3pm

I wasn’t there yesterday but reading some of the posts about the stewards my first thought was that it sounded a bit like Bolton used to be, and my second thought was about Forest.
There was some nice, positive feedback about the recent Saints cup game and the match-day experience and the stewards there, so perhaps the Wombles could ask Southampton for some advice on how to do it.

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Agree with the rest of your post but not this bit.

When Trivela said in their last statement about the improved budget, people automatically assumed that was aimed at this season and Sadler. My take on it was that it had been from the start of the previous season (Flynn’s first pre season).

I agree that Flynn’s didn’t then have the full backing over the longer period and time to see other parts of the off field plan develop but I think his budget was as healthy as Sadlers this season.

However, our season last season was heading in the direction it ended up in long before it can be pinned on DJ leaving and I believe the style and performances and the constant draws by grinding out a single goal were reaching the end of their shelf life long before Harrogate away.

It’s why I’m of the belief that DJ wouldn’t have continued the form he’d shown pre Xmas, post Xmas.

Of course it’s complete conjecture and supposition but that’s how I saw it at the time and still do.

Overall while I can see in latches that some may think the style hasnt changed, it has. Subtly in many ways but quite obviously in others.

What really needs to change and this is down to Sadler and the staff is this first choice action of clearing their lines or hitting an area without any consideration to the options available.

Taylor Allen, Tom Knowles and to a lesser degree Liam Gordon are the worst culprits.

It’s become too easy to clip a ball long with a “sweet left foot” or for Knowles to smash it and chase it and people accept it as ok and blame others for not making the most of it…

I don’t think he was great when he came on but he was better than what went before and I maintain that he looks a little cocky ( it I think you need that) but I sometimes like the way Manny puts the ball at risk in order to retain possession….hell learn as he gets older to not need to play the killer ball but he is brave enough to stay in possession to find better options even if like yesterday he gets caught sometimes.

Same with Hutch. He’s not willing to just boot it and he soften looking for someone to run and the time it takes us to do that puts him under pressure but he’s always looking to be constructive with the ball.

If were to progress it will need all players to be good enough and comfortable enough to do this….itll also take a lot of patience for fans to understand this and persevere with it and support it when it goes wrong. These teams that play that way don’t and can’t just ‘decide’ to do it, it takes time and hell of a lot of effort.

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This has been a pretty general trait of this defence all season Im afraid they stand about and look at each other like “are you gonna go for that “ they mark space instead of players they don’t go with opposing players look Daniels yesterday guy just strolls away from him to centre of box simple header .all stand starring at each other .look at free kicks against us who gets to or tries to win the ball for us Jamma every time virtually.tells you a lot .last time I saw any commitment from a Walsall defender to win the high ball was earlier in season when Williams played .nearest player to CB who can win Ariel ball I’ve seen all season and Sadler played him Left or right of centre not sure .its really unfair to judge our keepers when we don’t have anyone in defence who’s a dominant and influential player in the air .Cook exposed it last week and Bugiel this week .

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1 or 2?..bloke is an idiot :roll_eyes:…listened to it…I’m assuming he means defensively and not just the whole squad!!

Totally agree that defending our box has been awful on the whole especially from open play. We have defended corners reasonably well on the whole but in a slight defense of our CBs they have been asked to defend so many crosses it is unreal. We are constantly out of possession so the defence never really has a breather and crosses from good positions just seemingly come in at will.
Having said that for big blokes they get bullied way to often. The 2 Wimbledon men yesterday just took no prisoners. Zero football in them but defeended properly.

The 2 most notable things watching it back which were also plain to see on the day were basics 101.

First stop the cross, why did we give their guys acres of space to put the cross in and rather than close them sink back to the edge of our box and just let them put it in, if you don’t stop the cross at least with some pressure maybe the quality of the cross will not be so good.

And secondly, when the cross comes in why do our CB’s not even jump to try and head it away and leave their player free to win the ball, on the third DD even prevents his team make doing that.

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It infuriates me no end when we chase and press to win the ball back then when we do, quickly look to give it to Allen or Daniels for a blind long diagonal ball loosely aimed towards the corners. If we’re playing a system where we’re happy for the opposition to have more of the ball than us, we really need to be more intelligent and careful on those occasions we do have the ball. Just basic.

The goals/assist return of Hutch is testament to how he’s the only one who tends to pick the ball up in the middle and carry it, look for something different and craft something. Gordon (L) and Knowles do try but usually amounts to head down, run down the wing and end up with the fans when they run out of pitch. Trouble is, easy for teams to identify this and double man on Hutch and that area of creativity is nullified.

Defenders that act like those big, inflatable, floppy armed men outside of American used car lots also doesn’t help.

I’m glad the season has ended when it has, this run of form would take some getting out of.

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Or we press poorly and 3 passes unlocks us, happens a lot.

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Hutch and Manny where our two best players yesterday Hutch at least looked arsed and worked hard unlike some.

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He might like the relaxed Broad Lane holiday camp fun atmosphere and it beats working

You missed off Newport at home. :+1:

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To be honest, i found the stewards i encountered to be very good, warm and welcoming. The airport style security was a bit much maybe but all done with courtesy and respect. I also thought they were quite easy going and sensible with polite words of warning instead of immediate ejection.

A good place to visit.

We’re you chauffeured back to you private plane after the match :flushed::wink:

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Largely agree. Especially with regards to distribution when clearing lines.

Matty Godden ain’t dropping to League 2 though unless someone offers him some big bucks at league 2 level

I missed off a fair few where we had at least 45 minutes of looking like our players met for the first time 10 minutes before kickoff, but didn’t want to look like I was being emotional/sticking the knife in too much.

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Can’t believe anybody thinks this is true. Utterly mind boggling

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We often disagree, but you’re 100% right on this @Andy_Petterson

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He’s actually right and wrong .because we’ve been sold a pup for longer than a decade .
So although he thinks he’s right he’s wrong :joy::joy::joy::joy:

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Exactly he’s wrong , Pom bear was selling the dream for years…

Clarke and Flynn two big investments.

Poor answer.