Back from Gresty....

[Jam_Man]

The fact that our management team don't seem to bombard the squad with extensive tactical instructions, 90% of which will be forgotten by the players the second they leave the dressing room, doesn't make them naive tactically. Steve Tilson & Paul Brush have been in the football for a very long time and I'm sure that they both know what they are doing.

Our success under Tilly & Brush has always been based around playing a system that the players are comfortable with (a flat 4-4-2) and trying to give the players the confidence and freedom to play the game to the best of their ability.

Very true and Tilson has said as much.

Its funny howwhen you are losing people think making drastic changes will change the results, that will only confuse matters in my book.

I was on Col U's forum and saw people criticising Williams for being tactically inept for using 442, doubt they criticised that formation when they got promoted or did well last season.

The only "criticism" Id have, if any, is that our away form is woeful this year and we conceded far too many goals away from home whilst scoring plenty.

That could be because we dont adjust enough when we are away. However its also very likely that the lack of confidence we had in the first half of the season following a year of relegation. Either way it seems fine now, hope we get a solid performance in the away leg of the semi finals because if we were to lose by 2 that will kill us off. Tranmere and Carlisle away will give us a benchmark of how far we have come...

 

[C'mon you Shrimpers]

tactically naive is one of those stock phrases invented by ex player pundits on TV who have decided it's too tough to coach or manage (and they're right). File along with other meaningless soundbites like defended too deep, they/he were pooooor all afternoon, sort it out Tilson etc etc.

 

[C'mon you Shrimpers]

The only "criticism" Id have, if any, is that our away form is woeful this year and we conceded far too many goals away from home whilst scoring plenty.
...

I'd like to see it when our away form is good. Only Swansea, Leeds and Doncaster have a better away record this season.

 

[Jam_Man]

I'd like to see it when our away form is good. Only Swansea, Leeds and Doncaster have a better away record this season.

Form isnt quite I what I meant, I was referring more to our defensive frailties on the road.

Defensively though we are about 17th.

Look at games against Doncaster, Leeds,Swansea and Brighton and we conceded 3 or more in each game.

We cant afford to do that in a two leg semi final.

 

[leeblue]

defence schmence attack attack, attack attack attack

 

[Ozzer]

Form isnt quite I what I meant, I was referring more to our defensive frailties on the road.

Defensively though we are about 17th.

Look at games against Doncaster, Leeds,Swansea and Brighton and we conceded 3 or more in each game.

We cant afford to do that in a two leg semi final.

All those games were in the first half of the season and we are a different team since January. Ok we let in 4 at Hartlepool but that was a freak result as we didn't have a current forward playing and still scored 3.

The arrival of a couple of goalscoring forwards has given everyone a lift and a reduction in goals conceded. Just have to keep it going until the end of the season and, hopefully, beyond in the playoffs!

 

[Jam_Man]

They certainly were and I fancy us more now, even so we havent had a good result against many of the top teams away so the Tranmere and Carlisle games are a good measure of how far we have come.

Get trounced in them and Id be very worried, but I think we can get a draw at either.

 

[Richard_Cadette]

Form isnt quite I what I meant, I was referring more to our defensive frailties on the road.

Defensively though we are about 17th.

Look at games against Doncaster, Leeds,Swansea and Brighton and we conceded 3 or more in each game.

We cant afford to do that in a two leg semi final.

You forgot to mention the 4 conceded at Forest too, which looking at the table, is probably most relevant!!

You're absolutely right though, we could not afford to concede that amount of goals in the away leg of a play off semi final. Whilst the form has improved unrecogniably from earlier in the season, which is on the most part, down to having strikers who can score, there is no getting away from the fact that those same defensive frailties still exist in the team now.

Nigh on every goal we concede these days is from a set piece - the one on Saturday was as soft as they come, and the better teams in this league would no doubt try and explot that in sich an important game as a playoff semi final.

The flipside to that is, I believe we will create, and take, chances against any side in this division, including those we may face in the top 6.

From my own personal point of view, it's too late in the season to do anything about it, and we have to play the cards we've got so to speak. We know we're fragile at the back, so we must make sure we score enough at the other end to give ourselves every chance of success over the remaining 5 games, and hopefully, beyond. I truly believe if we continue to play as we have done over our last few games, we will take some stopping!

The confidence and togetherness which Tilly and Brush have got running through the side is clear to see, and it is also clear to me that the players themselves genuinely believe they will get promoted this season.

 

[Jam_Man]

We know we're fragile at the back,

Im not sure we actually are now, Im hoping that we have turned that corner.

Our home record is pretty good and comparitive to most the teams around us, its only away we have conceded a lot. If we had a poor defence Id expect a poor record at home too.

As most of these heavy defeats were earlier in the season as somone pointed out we havent been bad defensively since we started getting results in February and since we have been playing better our defensive issues have reduced.

As for set pieces, tilson has already stated the amount we concede is average nothing worse and we havent conceded many at home in the last couple of months. Im still nervous at every corner though....

Carlisle/Tranmere will be a big indicator whether we can grind out away results against the better teams though.

 

[Richard_Cadette]

Im not sure we actually are now, Im hoping that we have turned that corner.

I'm not convinced I'm afraid.

The defending against Crewe on Saturday was really not very clever, especially when you consider how dominant we were in the game overall. They could, conceivably, have got a point out of a game they deserved nothing from, and that was down to 2 penatlies being given away and arguably their most talented players being totally unmarked from a set piece to nod in.

I'm certainly not saying we haven't imporved - I think we have, but I think that is as a team overall. We are playing with confidence at the moment, which is a big factor, but we always look vulnerable when defending set pieces and balls into the box generally.

The flipside of that, as I said, is we're scoring plenty. We have a poor goals against record on our travels, yet still have a positive goal differnece away from home, so if nothing else, we're certainly exciting to watch at times!!

Not trying to be over critical, in fact, the way we're playing at the moment, it's the complete opposite. Saturday at times was a joy to behold, but definate concerns about our ability to defend still remain, and I just hope and pray they don't undermine what is turning out to be a cracking end to the season.

 

[Andy_S]

Has to be said I am slightly worried about the threat of Murray from set pieces tomorrow.

 

[Beefy]

Whilst I wouldn't disagree with Richard_Cadette's claim that we look dodgy at the back, we haven't conceeded from open play in two months which surely must make our defence currently one of the best in the division.

Are we lucky? Have we not been tested in that time? it's odd. I'd definitely agree that Carlisle and Tranmere are going to be massive tests of how far we've come.

 

[Richard_Cadette]

we haven't conceeded from open play in two months which surely must make our defence currently one of the best in the division.

Presume you mean just in away games? Forest scored against us in open play at the Hall a couple of weeks back?

We have rode our luck a bit, but to be fair, I think we've deserved it in all honesty - you make your own luck and all that! And as someone once said, I'd rather be lucky than good!

 

[Jam_Man]

Whilst I wouldn't disagree with Richard_Cadette's claim that we look dodgy at the back, we haven't conceeded from open play in two months which surely must make our defence currently one of the best in the division.

Thats interesting.

Whilst some will then claim that therefore we are weak at set pieces Id suggest that if we are only beaten by set pieces agree we must be doing something right.

We do look suspect at set pieces due to a lack of height. but I bet we dont concede many more than other teams anyway.

 

[Irate Ian]

Weaknesses

You forgot to mention the 4 conceded at Forest too, which looking at the table, is probably most relevant!!

You're absolutely right though, we could not afford to concede that amount of goals in the away leg of a play off semi final. Whilst the form has improved unrecogniably from earlier in the season, which is on the most part, down to having strikers who can score, there is no getting away from the fact that those same defensive frailties still exist in the team now.

Nigh on every goal we concede these days is from a set piece - the one on Saturday was as soft as they come, and the better teams in this league would no doubt try and explot that in sich an important game as a playoff semi final.

The flipside to that is, I believe we will create, and take, chances against any side in this division, including those we may face in the top 6.

From my own personal point of view, it's too late in the season to do anything about it, and we have to play the cards we've got so to speak. We know we're fragile at the back, so we must make sure we score enough at the other end to give ourselves every chance of success over the remaining 5 games, and hopefully, beyond. I truly believe if we continue to play as we have done over our last few games, we will take some stopping!

The confidence and togetherness which Tilly and Brush have got running through the side is clear to see, and it is also clear to me that the players themselves genuinely believe they will get promoted this season.

OK if we accept we have some weaknesses, it is those we must continue to work upon to enable even greater improvement than since January.

Lets consider playing to our strenghs [midfield & attack] & do even less defending or using our weaknesses to our advantage.

You might ask how we might achieve an advantage from a weakness and that is a good thread maker in itself. Have a few ideas other than outright attack, as no team can dominate 90 mins.

You are a perfectionist ?? We all seek same but rarely, if ever achieved in any ball game/sport; so the next best thing & the simplistic answer Score more than we concede.

What do you think may be the answer ????

 

[Irate Ian]

Those were the tactics used by Cloughie when he was successful - let the opposition worry about us rather than us worry about the opposition.

Agree 100%. Simplicity is effective.

Always place players in positions in which they most comfortable. Keep in the comfort zone generally ?

Controlled agression and ruthlessness.

Teamtalk = : 1 word: Ruthless

 

[Irate Ian]

Don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking it one bit. It's a hugely successful formula if you get it right - particularly in the lower leagues.

I suppose when we do hit a bad patch and lose a few it becomes very easy for the impatient Tilly-bashers to spring into life. Tilly's style is not to make changes but believe in his players and let them play their way out of it and regain confidence. It's patient (a rarity in modern football) and brave and he should be praised for it - by fans and players alike.

Yes well said. The patience and trust in those on the field of play are factors are not often referred to. Equally applies to us supporters.