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Post by whitesince63 on Feb 2, 2022 11:07:41 GMT
Well as she claimed of her predictive science rtf was right on the money. Well called! We are a much more progressive team now. Charles g8ves us the vim and vigour his predecessors lacked and at times tonight Dapo gave something of a master class. It helps that Fossey is such a speedy threat down the right flank and Morley has stabilised the left. With the reliability of Jones and the power of Williams it all looked good. We also forced them back with our pressing. In the first half we could easily have had three goals and had Charles shot not been blocked at the near post we'd have had a superb team goal with beautiful crossfield passing. Bakayoko was a bit in and out but he made the breakthrough and we could all relax a bit. For much of the second half Cambridge had the initiative and won some freekicks and corners looking far more threatening than we did with twice the number. How por are our set pieces!! Bodvarsson took a while to settle and didn't have a final ball but he did start to win aerial challenges. Saddlier too looked neat. In the end we sealed the game not with the penalty we should have had when Fossey was upended but when Charles harrassed and they made a mistake. Dapo did the rest in great style. So a fairly comfortable game but it never felt safe because Santos in particular was having a nightmare. He faffed around in the first half more than once and let his man head on to a post unopposed. I don't think he headed the ball properly or won an aerial challenge in the game? He did make some good recoveries which needn't have been recoveries. Johnston similarly poor in the air didd well at times going forward and late on averted a goal by tight marking- just as well it was him. All in all though we are so much improved and that without Lee Trafford 6 Jones 7 Santos 3 Johnston 7 Fossey 8 Williams 8 Morley 8 Bakayoko 7 Charles 8 Dapo 9 John 7 Bodvarson 6 Saddlier 6 A bit harsh with a 3 on Santos I think Andy, yes he was an accident waiting to happen a couple of times but equally he was strong and steady at others. On the other hand I think a bit generous on Baka with a six. I know he scored the goal but other than that he did little or nothing. He doesn’t win headers or use his size in challenges and his ball control is truly awful. I think Bod will start most games now and I’d resign Baka to the bench at best and away in the summer. Everyone else played really well and how much more composed does Dapo look now he’s not the only threat? I’m really looking forward to the second half of the season now and with a true “six pointer” to come against Oxford, believe we really do have a good chance at still making the play offs.
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Post by realtrottersforever on Feb 2, 2022 11:28:47 GMT
looking ahead to the rest of the Feb fixtures, can see a lot of points being won. only tricky ones. maybe Charlton. hard to read them. a trusted lower league tipster i follow, had them to win the Div. that ain't happening now. Oxford and MK dons 2 other toughies. into March- hardly any really tough ones then either. Pompey and Plymouth stiffer tests, but both at home & home form is good , and has been pretty reasonable all season. a few stiffer ones in April. Wigan away. Sheff wed have one of 2 individuals who can be good on their day & Cheltenham away can be stubborn , but man for man, they struggle to live with us now. overall, play-offs a real possibility. automatics not out of the question. keeper kept 4 clean sheets, but hardly had a save in anger to make in all 4, and none last night. well protected despite RS. Good midfield screening. and now, not just winning games but winning by a margin. think it was OM who made the good point previously. real test for young Trafford ( as opposed to old Trafford ; ) is responding to goals conceded, and even errors made.
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Post by one2many on Feb 2, 2022 11:46:03 GMT
First live game I have seen this year (ifollow) and I was impressed. The silly tapping it around the penalty box has gone with a mix of fast passing and a number of long balls. Had our chances in the first half fallen to a goal scorer rather than Fossey, we would have been out of sight at half time.
Agree with those who still think the defence looks fragile. A number of times it looked like all hands to the pump to get the ball out. Also agree that Trafford does not dominate the box, but maybe that is the instruction he has been given?
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Post by andyl on Feb 2, 2022 13:04:54 GMT
Fair point re Bakayoko, ws63, but he is getting better and fitter. I thought my 3 for Santos was if anything a bit high.
Re Trafford I'd contrast with Mitov at the other end. If there's a better league one keeper - well am open to arguments but he oozed confidence and command.
Our run will be held back by the defensive aerial weakness and the general set piece hopelessness. But in terms of quality of football against a good in form team that first half was excellent- we had threats on both flanks and down the middle.
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Post by whitesince63 on Feb 2, 2022 14:16:00 GMT
Fair point re Bakayoko, ws63, but he is getting better and fitter. I thought my 3 for Santos was if anything a bit high. Re Trafford I'd contrast with Mitov at the other end. If there's a better league one keeper - well am open to arguments but he oozed confidence and command. Our run will be held back by the defensive aerial weakness and the general set piece hopelessness. But in terms of quality of football against a good in form team that first half was excellent- we had threats on both flanks and down the middle. I can see where you’re coming from on Baka Andy but even when he was fit he looked clumsy and has zero ball control. I’ll stick with my point that I don’t think he’s good enough for this team and will I think be a bit player. Totally agree though on the keepers. No comparison in the two and if we had a keeper like Mitov I think our defence would look much stronger. Trafford may yet be a good shot stopper but still doesn’t have the presence I’d like to see.
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Post by OohMac on Feb 2, 2022 21:11:37 GMT
Thats the thing, we dont have an XI anymore. At the start of the season the teamsheet wrote itself. Now we can genuinely look at opposition and see where we may unlock them.
Said 14 points seems too much(for a competative league) but guess we take it month by month. Thats 12 pts with a game in hand* albeit we're queue jumping as theres a few others ahead of us so beat Oxford and we're 9 points off with a game still on them.
So end of Feb if we can get it to 9pts behind, end of March 6pts, end of April 3pts and see if momentum can see us power through.
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Post by riochforthereebok on Feb 2, 2022 23:16:05 GMT
I don't wish to shove Dapo out the door but if there’s any summer interest for his services, I reckon he’s as much to offer as Brereton Diaz over at The Dingles of Ewood and he was valued at £25m, so in fairness, Dapo’s goal scoring prowess and marauding wing play must surely value him £20m plus and that sort of cash can set SB and FV well on their way to a better financial structure to push us into the Championship
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Post by whitesince63 on Feb 3, 2022 7:27:06 GMT
I don't wish to shove Dapo out the door but if there’s any summer interest for his services, I reckon he’s as much to offer as Brereton Diaz over at The Dingles of Ewood and he was valued at £25m, so in fairness, Dapo’s goal scoring prowess and marauding wing play must surely value him £20m plus and that sort of cash can set SB and FV well on their way to a better financial structure to push us into the Championship Exactly rftr and I believe that’s exactly the plan. I don’t think Dapo’s the only one either, I think Rico could be another and if Charles continues as he is, especially with his international future as well, he could be another. Recruitment is clearly with that in mind and looking at the team at this early stage, the likes of Morley and Fossey, assuming we sign him, may be others. In fact you could also look at Jones who’s been superb this year and getting better all the time and Johnson who at 21 is now settling into a player who could move up. It’s a long time since we’ve looked at our team and thought any of them could get into oppositions sides but now we have an abundance which bodes well for the future, as long as they keep delivering. On Charles, you really get the feeling Accy cut their nose off to spite their face with him, hopefully to our advantage and as for Wet Spam with Dapo?? They may even try to buy him back and that would be something to relish?
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Post by OohMac on Feb 3, 2022 7:54:21 GMT
I don't wish to shove Dapo out the door but if there’s any summer interest for his services, I reckon he’s as much to offer as Brereton Diaz over at The Dingles of Ewood and he was valued at £25m, so in fairness, Dapo’s goal scoring prowess and marauding wing play must surely value him £20m plus and that sort of cash can set SB and FV well on their way to a better financial structure to push us into the Championship Hes a hard one to value. I said previously that Dapo can get into any championship side. Fulham downwards. But at this stage I think £20M is pie in the sky. Brereton is value is based on profit for Blackburn(they signed him for £6M from Forest, probably have a sell on too, so for them to make decent money it has to be huge). Hes bagged 20+ goals in the championship. He is an international and Blackburn need to keep him. A premier league spot is worth so much more than any transfer. You feel if it doesnt happen they may be the next Derby. If Dapo does command that fee he has to be doing it in the championship. No one will pay that for L1. So we either get there. Please. Or we are a stepping stone. At the moment i'd say we would aim for £7M, add ons, and probably take £5M up front with add ons. And we look down the line for the next one. Hard to see another Dapo going for cheap though isnt it.
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Post by chip on Feb 3, 2022 11:02:04 GMT
On Santos the debate will go on until the season is over and beyond. If you read the comments on the B.E.N. he is the next Terry Butcher or Van Dyke and you are called rotten if you have a bad word to say about him. Well sorry but yes he has improved but he is still a goal waiting to happen, now if he just cleared his lines and got the rest of the defence organized and stopped pissing about he would be a better than average centre back he is still work in progress for me. Stay safe one and all COYWM
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Post by whitesince63 on Feb 3, 2022 21:39:14 GMT
On Santos the debate will go on until the season is over and beyond. If you read the comments on the B.E.N. he is the next Terry Butcher or Van Dyke and you are called rotten if you have a bad word to say about him. Well sorry but yes he has improved but he is still a goal waiting to happen, now if he just cleared his lines and got the rest of the defence organized and stopped pissing about he would be a better than average centre back he is still work in progress for me. Stay safe one and all COYWM You may be right chip but let’s not ignore the fact that the likes of Butcher, Van Dyke or Terry for example had other top players besides them whereas Rico hasn’t had the benefit of that for most of his time here. In fairness, he did well when paired with Baps, who guided him and now he’s recently benefitted from having Jones back alongside him in defence. He does have weaknesses but he’s still relatively inexperienced at this level and above so with better players around him he may be able to better show the obvious skill he does have in certain areas. I like the way he goes forward and his long passing is often superb. I think he needs to do it in the Championship before we can really tell how good he can be, hopefully next year? 😉
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