This isn't really a new point, but as it's topical based on today, thought I'd bring it up again - if nothing else, it gets me nearer to 1,000 posts on here :)
Yorkshire Blue and myself (actually, probably most people) have long been saying the problem we have yet to properly resolve with our team is the lack of a creative spark in midfield, and never was that more evident than today. With Lee Sawyer, although no Glenn Hoddle in the passing stakes, we created a lot of opportunities, and scored a fair few goals, from his overall attacking play. He had the ability to make things happen, whether it be through an incisive pass, hassling someone in midfield, or busying himself around the edge of the box.
Today, up until just after we scored, we pretty much controlled the game, but apart from the one spark of magic to create our goal, really didn't create anywhere near as much as we should have with the excellent possession we enjoyed. With no Sawyer until at least January 1st, it worries me that we will start to struggle to create and score goals with Christophe and Macca in the middle. Both excellent players in their own right, but neither are going to cause sides too many problems with their accurate and ultimately incisive passing.
I would hope that Tilly will venture into the loan market again this week to bring someone in who can perhaps fill that void, because if not, and the goals start to dry up, it could be a long run until the beginning of January.
Secondly, and I guess more obviously, is our inability at the moment to defend with any sort of conviction. Whilst it almost went under the radar while we were not losing games, it was again clear to see today it remains our achiles heel. We are conceding at least 2 goals everytime we go onto the pitch in a League game at the moment, and that is undermining everything we do as a team. Today, for instance, is a prime example. In a game where we struggled to create, when we did finally score, we ought to have been able to see the game out, but somehow, threw it away.
The Colchester game should have been dead and buried by half time, and yet staggering, we almost lost it. Another 2 goals shipped at Tranmere, and without Feds, it could have been a whole lot more, conceding 4 against Ricky Lambert, sorry Bristol Rover and another 2 today - whilst we did keep a clean sheet at home to Telford, which is no great shakes, without Mildenhall, that could easily have gone wrong.
There are many theories as to why we are so lapse in this area, is it the back four, is it the fact we don't defend well as a team, are we lacking a commanding centre half, but whatever the reason, Tilly absolutely has to address this otherwise we have zero chance of competing for honours come May. Everything you do is underpinned by your defence - a good one allows you to win tight games 1-0, or sneak a 0-0 when you could have otherwise lost, and at the moment, we need to score 3 goals a game to win - and that is not sustainable.
Tilly has many, many virtues as a manager, and continues to surprise me with the positive things he does, but this has been this way for some time, and whether he is blind to it, or he simply has other priorities, surely he now must be thinking we have to try and do something to make us more water tight?
I probably could have chosen to post this at another time as opposed to just after a defeat - this is not a knee jerk, doom and gloom, post, but it's certainly relevant.
