Another pathetic negative performance.
How can you play counter-attacking football at home? People may say that we almost won it but
IT IS NOT ENTERTAINING.
We set off with just 1 man up front and spent nearly all the first half in our own half. Either passing it between Wheater, Mills, Spearing and back to Wheater or defending desperately as Birmingham dominated.
Not much improved in the second half except our luck.
We won a free-kick in a rare attack, Spearing & Mills made a mess of it but the ball rebounded luckily to CYL to rocket it in.
Birmingham continued to dominate and we played on the break and then at last a move of 2 or 3 passes set up Jutkiewicz who fired it through the keeper. Definitely a mistake from the goalie.
Of course, we went back onto defence and invited Birmingham on. Eventually one of the constant crosses into the box found Zigic who was unmarked between Wheater and Ream to head a simple goal.
CYL then skinned Spector and rolled the ball back to Danns to sky the ball over the ball from 15 yards. A terrible miss which saved Birmingham.
Panic stations now and we fell further and further back. Knight came on to replace CYL – how negative was that?
Kellet then twice broke from our own half and set up Jutkiewicz and Danns who both missed. These misses from Danns are becoming too frequent. He needs to see his colleagues as Jutkiewicz would have had a simple tap-in.
We paid the price in the 93rd minute as yet another unchallenged ball came in the box and mass panic set in. We twice knocked the ball off the line but the third time it was an easy tap in.
Birmingham deserved that goal as they had done most of the attacking,
I am absolutely sick of our manager’s tactics. It is boring. We were 2-0 up why not attack and go for goal 3?
Next season looks awful with this style of play.
Marks:-
Lonergan - 6 Some decent catches. Some awful kicks. Could have done with him being more dominant in his area.
Thelkeld - 7 Excellent. Obviously some shortcomings but a good home debut.
Mills - 6 Steady but distribution pretty awful.
Wheater - 5 For most of the game, he won a lot in the air but why was he not marking Zigic for their first goal?
Ream - 6 Some decent work but again slow on both their goals.
Spearing - 3 Terrible. Some of the worst passing that you could imagine. Birmingham dominated midfield because our midfield just dropped off endlessly.
Trotter - 3 Also terrible. I know he gets good reports elsewhere but he got forward twice in the whole game. He lost the ball badly in the build up to goal 1.
CYL - 7 Best forward by a mile.
Hall - 4 He really is not good enough at the moment. Took 3 major free kicks and caused no danger.
Danns - 3 Dreadful. He had no involvement at all in the first half. Second half, he missed 2 glorious chances.
Beckford - 4 Very very poor. Looked disinterested. Of course, he was on his own upfront with no support but made little effort.
Kellet - 7 Excellent. Created 2 breakaways in the second and set up Jutkiewicz and Danns for excellent wasteful chances.
Knight - 5 Not much chance to do anything but where was he for the equaliser?
Jutkiewicz - 6 Why was he on the bench? We look much better when he came on.
Manager - 2 Terrible tactics yet again.
Playing counter attacking football at home against the 22nd team in the league is a
disgrace.
The last 10 minutes were shocking with all 11 players behind the ball and back in their own box.
He is a disgrace – Mr “Clever I know better than you”.
This game gives us a foretaste for next season which looks terrible.
fo