BWFC Vs Shrewsbury: Match thread

Lowe sent off two footed challenge 1-1 game on COYWM

Credit a gutsy never give-in attitude at the end BUT this was another really poor quality display. The team is incapable of passing the ball on the ground to a teammate and cannot mark opposition players. The number of times Shrewsbury’s midfield passed the ball through us, both first and second half, was scary.

The manager had asked us to put aside the first 20 minutes against Southend – well, the first 30 minutes today were awful.

We hardly got a touch, Shrewsbury were all over us. They were quicker to the ball, passed better and we looked very poor. The one thing Shrewsbury couldn’t do was create chances. Matthews’ major contribution early on was a rush of blood when he rushed from his area and headed the ball straight to a Shrewsbury man who put it wide. Otherwise, they passed the ball around us but we contained them.

Murphy then missed our golden chance. Darcy broke down the left and put in a first time left foot centre onto Murphy’s head 10 yards out and he somehow headed over. A bad miss. Murphy also headed wide from a good chance from a corner.

We then scored a fine goal. Darcy played Verlinden clear down the inside left channel and he immediately lobbed it over the goalie for a quality finish.

So we reached half time deservedly ahead. Shrewsbury had more possession and passed the ball very well around us while we huffed and puffed but they created little whereas we scored and had 2 really good chances.

Second half though, we just never started. I say this after most matches that we get worse after the half time break. The manager needs to get his motivational head on.

Shrewsbury now dominated. They had all the possession and deservedly equalised when the ball bobbled about our box, got a couple of rebounds and dropped to their striker to score. We really had opportunities to clear but we are slow to react to bouncing balls.

At this stage, many would say the ”game changing moment” occurred. Lowe dived 2-footed into a challenge and was deservedly sent off. It wasn’t a “game changing moment” though because the game had already changed immediately from the second half kicking off.

We dropped farther and farther back and just defended for 30+ minutes.

Shrewsbury were all over us. They had a goal disallowed for offside and then, late on, Matthews made an amazing double save to keep them out. This together with a couple of kicks off the line saw us through to a point.

We probably deserved something for endeavour but our quality of football was so poor. We were outplayed by Shrewsbury.

Defence, goalkeeper excepted, are still very shaky. The goal conceded was typical of us when there were a number of chances to clear which weren’t taken. In the air, we are poor at the back. Shrewsbury had at least 3 clear unmarked headers from corners in the second half.

Midfield was just lost. We have reverted to last season’s Parkinson hoofing. We just hit the ball forward and hope. Defensively, the midfield allowed acres of space to Shrewsbury and were totally outclassed.

Forward-wise, Murphy missed 2 good chances but, in reality, he is starved of the ball by our inability to play forward.

This was yet another opportunity for 3 points wasted. Relegation looks an absolute certainty to me.

Marks:-

Matthews - 8 An incredible double save near the end which definitely rescued a point for us.

Emmanuel - 5 The understanding that he once had with Dodoo has gone.

Earl - 6 A few good runs out of defence.

Wright - 5 Reasonably solid but too many clearances going straight to the opposition.

Bridcutt - 4 Injured but very little of note before the injury

Murphy L - 2 Was he on the field? Hard to think of anything positive in his play. Appalling bad passing.

Lowe - 1 Irrespective of the sending off, he was dreadful. Hardly any decent passes. He has reverted to last season, i.e. a hoofer. The sending off was well deserved and condemned us to 30+ minutes of out and out defence.

Dodoo - 3 Another one who contributed little. It is as though we have a team of 11 strangers on the pitch at the moment.

Darcy - 7 Shining light in a desolate performance. He moved around well, put in a magnificent centre for Murphy’s chance. He is still slight and gets knocked off the ball easily but he played well.

Murphy D - 5 Two great headed chances which should have brought something. Second half, he was totally isolated.

Verlinden - 6 Quality finish for the goal but flattered to deceive a lot of the time.

Chicksen - 5 No better or worse than the rest of the defence.

Unusual for David and Andy to score so differently.
My view is 8 for keeper, Verlinden and Darcy, 2 for Lowe (trade mark double footed tackle) and D and L Murphy, 6 for rest.
4 for KH.
Set up best of a bad lot, but tactics, apart from pressing, back to bad old, heading and hoofing.
Perhaps we were hustled out of good play, but long throw ins, long goal kicks to an indifferent receiver, aimless heading conceding possession at every turn, wont win any pots.
Why, when defending a point, did we just hoof the ball, when if we kept it, they could not harm us.
Ok a point, ok they defended well but points lost not gained,

I do not agree, 63, that this was the sort of game we should have won, as the Shrews are a pretty talented side and way up the table, 32 points against our actual 18, but set against our performance v Fleetwood it shows that KH has allowed things to deteriorate. He shouted down those of us who had relished the return of Bridcutt to defensive midfield, and though his injury was incurred in making a simple clearance I think the efforts of playing at the back simply have told on him. I hope KH will find a way of restoring our faith in him with some decent signings in the next week or so, and a more creative approach without Lowe. It seems O'Grady isn't the subsidiary striker KH expected him to be, and without assistance Daryl Murphy is undoubtedly showing his age, and missed a couple of relatively easy head chances yesterday. Unlike Madine he is not commanding in the air either.
So I am looking for signings at centre half, centre midfield and striker in the window, as well as hopefully retaining the services of the talented Verlinden (why does KH always sub him first?). Earl , and the experienced Wright, whose smaller stature needs a bigger guy alongside. I wonder if Hobbs is likely to endure the same fate as the unfortunate Alnwick.
Finally I hope KH will start to use one word instead of the usual fifty to inspire his team, as Andy has so graciously pointed out. In other words, KH, we thank you for how far you have taken us to date, but we wil judge you on the progress made after the January Window, and hopefully 63's criticsm today will not have to rise to the ultimate crescendo.

All about opinions I suppose Kenglo. It’s easy to be critical and maybe I am being a bit harsh on KH but I’m just not sure what he’s trying to achieve with the team. At least with Parky you knew what that was and though you didn’t like it you weren’t surprised or disappointed because you expected it. KH seemed to start off well with the team passing and moving quickly, which was encouraging and good to watch. Two winger in Verlinden and Politic and Bridcutt superb in midfield but suddenly it just seemed to stop and KH changed things completely trying both O’Grady and Dodoo on the wings instead. Whilst Dodoo has had some success, O’Grady was just never suited to that. Personally I’d go back to Verlinden and Politic wide with Dodoo or O’Grady in the middle supporting Murphy. We can all be managers without the responsibility and of course KH sees the players in training so as I said previously, the buck stops with him and FV have to decide if he’s the man they think can deliver going forward. I don’t though want to hear excuses about not having money or transfer embargo’s because unlike Parkinson he was fully aware of the dire situation before he came here. I’m not trying to be negative here but for me the jury’s still out on Hilly. He was never a choice for me but I am prepared to give him at least this season to prove me wrong so let’s hope we can get 3 points against Burton to kick start 2020. One last thing Regarding your description of Alnwick as “unfortunate.” I don’t know the circumstances but since he has taken the opportunity to immediately join Sunderland, I reserve judgement that he was unfortunate. He has been under contract yet not turned out in our hours of need so the “Mental Health” he’s reported to have been suffering might not have been quite what it seems? Time will tell but his “illness” obviously hasn’t put off the Mackems.

I am entirely in agreement with you 63 (didn't know about Alnwick and PP, though) and merely expressed the hope that Keith would understand your warning and up his game. I did make suggestions on how he might achieve that,too. and in line with Oom I am hoping he will come good on that front. At this stage of a manager's time with us I know you are usually right. I just hope he doesn't make it necessary for FV to follow our advice, though I have my doubts.