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Post by andyl on Mar 9, 2021 21:07:46 GMT
As I feared we faded a bit. I imagine Sarcevic knew he had 60 to play and he did so at full tilt and it made all the difference.
In truth we should have put this to bed . Doyle before half time, Dapo when through. Williams had a chance.
We remain really poor at set pieces unless we play short.
Up the thread I wondered if time for Jensen. The argument grows. Gilks had played really well but keepers can't make howlers like that. It's just a step too far.
Maddison flickered but the subs disrupted. Thomason didn't get his foot on the ball at all.
A great first half but left hanging on when could have been away. I thought Dapo was really good tonight all over the pitch as was Lee.
Overall though our best performance. Contrast Jonescand John with early season road blocks.
Doyle had his best game for a while and even Delfouneso perked up for a moment or two before departure
Gilks 5 Jones 7 Santos 8 Baptiste 8 John 8 Delfouneso 4 Sarcevic 9 Dapo 9 Doyle 8 Lee 9 Williams 8 Maddison 6
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Post by davidm on Mar 9, 2021 21:14:01 GMT
A nerve racking finish but a deserved win.
We really need to score more when we are on top as we have this tendency to scare the lives out of the fans in the end.
The first 60 minutes were excellent. A little scrappy first 15 then total domination. Doyle and Lee could have scored before Doyle did. What a lovely goal it was, the pass from Sarcevic and then Jones to Doyle who swept it in so well.
Sarcevic put in a great volley for the 2nd.
Second half, we played well and then came the substitutions and we lost our way. I thought on Saturday that we became raggy when the subs came on and tonight we definitely did but it wouldn’t have mattered but for a horrible mistake by Gilks,
Overall though a thoroughly deserved win with some excellent football
Marks:-
Gilks - 6 Would have been an 8 but for the mistake. Some excellent catches.
Jones - 8 Very good – almost played as a winger
John - 8 Again very good. What a centre to Doyle in the 1st half
Santos - 8 Just the usual towering performance
Baptiste - 8 As usual recently, excellent
Williams - 8 Did the so-called “dirty” work very well
Lee - 8 Involved throughout – too good for L2. Probably should have scored first half.
Delfouneso - 7 I don’t think he is as bad as Andy does and he was OK tonight
Afolayan - 8 Very dangerous. Had a great chance one on one with the keeper
Sarcevic - 8 I was amazed when he was taken off. Had a very good night
Doyle - 9 Class player tonight. One goal, could have had 2 more and led the line well
Maddison - 6 Again, just missing something
Miller - 5 Not really involved
Gnahoua - 5 Same as Miller
Thomason - 6 Did what he had to when we were holding on
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Post by OohMac on Mar 9, 2021 22:18:06 GMT
9 or 10 if the starting line up could easily get a rating of 8 or higher. Yet the feeling is we got out of jail.
In truth Cambridge did(get out of Jail), they should have lost by at least 3 tonight.
Negatives- agree with AndyL on Delf, he just seems not to be on the same page as everyone else. If its a quick one touch, give and go move he'll take 8 touches. Think hes in the team on sentiment.
Gilkes will need to answer for that? Is it a one off that could happen to anyone or is it tough for him getting down low? After seeing him not try to save the penalty at Tranmere i fear its the latter.
Awful corners.
Evatts subs. Changing it on the hour mark again. Suggest predetermined and maybe not the most effective use. Certainly didnt help tonight.
Ok positives.
Loads. Most players deserve an 8 minimum. Doyles been under pressure but think he showed tonight how effective he is. Miller may grab the odd goal from a tired defence but Doyle is the main man.
Jones. All defence good but he was on par. John is just a fantastic footballer, class above this league.
Sarcevic too has come back and really hit the ground running. Seems to raise his game to match those around
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Post by whitesince63 on Mar 9, 2021 22:18:50 GMT
I’m beginning to despair of Maddison. I keep thinking he’s going to contribute when he comes on but once again tonight he seemed to weaken the team. Maybe I’m expecting too much but actually, although I criticise Isgrove’s lack of a final ball, I think his industry would have done better in the last half hour, replacing Fonz. When we’re ahead like that and we’re basically running down the clock, he’s probably a better option than Maddison, who is probably better when we’re chasing. I thought Jones and John were outstanding in the wide areas tonight and for once, along with Dapo and Lee looked really dangerous. If we can keep attacking like that I’m sure one of these days it will click and we will put a team to the sword. There’s a real quality look to the team now as they’re getting used to each other’s play and if they can all stay fit there’s absolutely,utely no reason why we can’t keep winning and finish in the top 3. We’ll done Whites, now starting to really look the real deal.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 10, 2021 2:12:21 GMT
On the positive side I’ve finally got the sound sorted on my laptop so I don’t have to squint at the iPad tonight. Let’s hope the it’s not the only positive!! Let me get this straight whites... you hear with your eyes? Nurse! Nurse! Two weeks of quarantine I'm back online... lol When I'm not online we seem to win...
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Post by andyl on Mar 10, 2021 7:43:50 GMT
The point I'd reinforce is that I think Evatt sent Sarcevic out to give his all for 60 minutes and it made all the difference. We know, don't we that he doesn't last 90 and disappears. Not last night. He was like a pacemaker leading from the front and how he pulled Dapo on.
I'd also echo Oom John has transformed the left. He is so quick footed and alert. Add to that Jones on the other who but for his final passes is really powering that right side.
I also disagree with some re Maddison. If he is a bit lightweight moving back he still improved the free kicks, hit a post, curled a long looping shot just wide. I thought he looked better when central. Even under anticipated Cambridge pressure he and others still looked capable and still eked out time well upfield.
I thought it was good.
Re Delfouneso and I know I harp on. I saw at least four first half multi touch crossfield runs resulting in backward passes. His most penetrative pass was to them. He actually launched a counter attack early in the second half. I think Dapo, and Maddison alone hit more shots than he has all season. I can remember only a couple of mishits straight to keepers
Last night he got involved in some good link up play for about ten minutes in the second half. But he vanished for longer.
Watch any throw in. He hovers, occasionally gets too close, if aerial makes a token challenge. If at feet always passes back to the thrower. But 90% of the time he is static and we just see Lee dart in receive the ball twist and set us going. Lee is good but that's what I see. And it's frustrating because he so clearly has talent. I don"t know which of Dorothy's companions he is but he's as often as not out of place in this developing team.
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Post by bonaparte on Mar 10, 2021 8:19:08 GMT
For once we enjoyed an entertaining game of football, got the result and but for a (we can forgive him for the times he has pulled off a belter) keeper error would have been a cruise, instead we had the usual squeeky bum time. Keeper and the back six are solid, lets hope they can stay fit for the rest of the season. The front four are problematic. Sarcevic, for me, had his best game in a white shirt and showed what he can do, one swallow? The substitution was obviously planned and Thomasson took over, not much for him to do. Doyle had an energetic game, but he is needed in the box, not roaming for ball all over the pitch. Played well but has more in him. Dapo must have a clause in his contract that says he has to play every match, excellent last night, but on Saturday ran down too many blind alleys. Delfouneso, like Dapo wants to run with the ball, but both he and Dapo seem to receive the ball facing our goal when there is space down the flanks, coming in field he runs into trouble. Isgrove, don't see what he brings to the party, poor corners, little pace. Gnahoua, for me should be ahead of Delfounso, energy and pace, but is destined to be a sub for IE. Miller, another IE sub, I think should start to give Doyle a break, he is a box player and will enjoy the John and Jones crosses. Madison, an enigma, if you wear odd shoes and quirky headbands, you either deliver the goods, or look stupid. The jury is out for me. Elbouzedi, another energetic sub, likes to run with the ball.
IE is feeling his way at the front having got the defence solid, not his forte, but the lack of goals from the "standard" front four must be worrying.
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Post by Pedro on Mar 10, 2021 8:54:04 GMT
So what was it that made the change in this team? Almost unreckognisable from the very poor team we have seen on many occasions this season. They actually looked like a team for a change. Hats off to IE, he has improved them mightily. And John? Wow! A proper footballer. What a pleasure to watch.
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Post by whitesince63 on Mar 10, 2021 13:14:16 GMT
I think it was always the case that the players IE started with weren’t capable of implementing his style of play. Crellin is an obvious one, totally destabilised an already weak and unsteady defence, a midfield with neither creative nor defensive ability and a striker who constantly had to comeback to even see the ball. It was a mess, so how could even the better players look decent alongside that? The infusion of quality in Lee, John, Dapo and even Maddison, has transformed the side. Players like Sarcevic, Doyle, Santos, Baptiste and Jones are now excelling because they now have confidence in those alongside them. Others like Gnahoua, Thomason and Miller are also benefitting and the all round training and system change administered by IE has the marks of a miracle worker and the best bit is, we aren’t even at our finest yet. Like IE, I believe there is more to come. The play is now flowing and players are moving quickly off the ball opening up positions we never got into before with the slow sideways staccato approach we had. After Bradford and Cambridge, the team should have no fears of anybody in this league, home or away and if they can all stay injury free there should be nothing to stop them from not just automatic promotion but winning the title too.
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Post by OohMac on Mar 10, 2021 19:14:41 GMT
Well its a little ironic that Evatt talks about high risk high reward but the difference in the results is because weve gone low risk, low reward.
So the Tobias Phoenix moneyball plan was taking young players with little experience and turning them into professional players(assets). High risk because no one knows what they can do. High reward because you can take a player like Santos and sell on for £1M. Thats all profit.
Take Keiran Lee, probably guaranteed to be the best player in the league but at the end what do we get from it? His sell on will always be five figure.
For anyone who says promotion is key so doesnt matter if we make profit from them we need the best players available. Fair point but seems like a Parkinson tactic. All the young players can go and practise over there on thier own while the 6 foot fivers prepare for matchday.
I dont know the Brentford way but I guess you cant replicate it without giving it the proper funding. The idea that TP can sit in an office whilst everyone else os furloughed and make a list of 22 non league players that can win the league and be sold for £20m+ was pie in the sky.
On reflection I think i was harsh on us last night because I saw a game almost thrown away. But in truth it was at times truly breathtaking as Evatt says(hes prone to hyperbole but a lot of times I was taken back by the speed and intensity)
This squad not only gets out of L2 but think it gets out of L1 too. BUT we need to get more from set pieces.
In order of names on teamsheet. John. Santos. Lee. Doyle. Afolyan. Williams. Are top 6. The rest i see as fairly interchangeable(depending on Jensen)
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