Forum | U's 0 - 1 M K Don - Noah's View by noah4x4

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U's 0 - 1 M K Don - Noah's View 08:55 - Feb 18 with 894 views

Football matches are often settled by fine margins and this was no exception; albeit that the difference, Dele Alli, has just cost Spurs £5M, but has rather oddly been loaned back to his seller, MK Dons.

However, other than his well taken goal, the most expensive player ever to visit WHCS in a league match had a quiet game, both before and after Tom Lapslie was fortunate to get only a yellow card for coming close to troubling the Tottenham Hotspur injury insurers. Knowing Tom’s temperament, I doubt if this was tactical or otherwise intentional, but it was a signal that the U’s meant business in defence against a normally rampant MK Dons attack. Unfortunately Alli then got his revenge merely a few moments later in a moment of quality. Sam Walker had no chance. Unlike many recent goals scored by our tormenters, this one was made by the opposition rather than gifted to them. A half decent U's clearance found a Don's player (rather than one in stripes) and a fine ball was promptly slotted through to Dele Alli who jinked and made no mistake. Fair play, we can't always blame our defence when the opposition striker is valued at £5M and scores goals of such quality.

But this was another solid U’s performance that (arguably) deserved better. The visitors were restricted to merely seven shots with two on goal. Contrast that with the twenty five with ten on target back in November when they hit us for six. For most of the match Sam Walker was untroubled; the U’s having adopted the tactics that have served them so well away from home. Unfortunately, once the visitors stole the advantage, they demonstrated that they could be as equally stubborn and effective in defence as we had been against Oldham Athletic after taking a lead. From the start it was a cagy game where both team's lined up seven men behind the ball and it seemed inevitable that the first to score would increase that human barrier to eight; which was exactly what the visitors did, perhaps conscious that they had suffered two rare defeats and needed to get back on the automatic promotion trail. Goal scoring chances were always going to be limited in number and whilst a defeat was disappointing, I don’t think anybody in the modest 2,974 crowd had too many complaints.

Massey and Porter could have secured a point for the home side, but their fierce shots were well saved by Don’s keeper McLoughlin. We also had an early penalty shout when the ball brushed Lewington’s hand, but I am not as blinkered as the ‘blue and white tinted specs brigade’ sat around me. His arm was in a natural position; it was ball to hand; and hence the referee (Andy Davies) would have been harsh to give it. Mind you, I suspect that had the referee instead been Trevor Kettle he might have whistled in our favour; notably having just read statistics that Kettle has awarded 15 penalties in his last 57 matches. It is surely a fan promulgated myth that it is only Colchester United that suffers at his hand; but I digress….

The team made a good fist of things against one of the outstanding sides of Division One that has a plus 32 goal difference having scored an average of 2.03 goals per game (note that the U’s have conceded 1.64 per game too). It was a definite improvement even though we didn’t gain any points. We must take encouragement from this, and thankfully the boo-boys were largely silenced and the faithful got behind the team up to and beyond the final whistle Neither this result nor Saturday’s fixture against run away leaders Bristol City is going to define our season. Our fate will be sealed by the future fixtures against two teams in free-fall; Notts County, Rochdale (away); then at home versus relegation rivals Crawley and Yeovil; then Gillingham (away); a run which will hopefully set us up for the targets that we need to get above; namely Barnsley (home) then Coventry (away). All of these seven are eminently winnable, and I fancy us to take a point in some other remaining fixtures if we play as well as we did against Oldham and MK Dons.

There is not much else to say other than it was a welcome sight to see Alex Gilbey, George Moncur and Rhys Healey back on the bench. Gilbey and Moncur made a second half pitch return as substitutes and didn’t look rusty despite their long absence. Indeed, Gilbey seems to have grown another few inches and looked every inch the ideal player to take over from David Fox in our next starting line up. This is no suggestion that David Fox has played badly (indeed, quite the reverse) but our 31 year old midfielder must be due a ‘rest’ to recharge his weary legs. Similarly, I think I would give the excellent Szmodics a breather against Bristol City. We instead need Sammie with his veins pumping for the later fixtures to come. With the benefit of a squad (almost) restored to full fitness; it’s perhaps wise to have some form of ‘rotation’ policy to avoid ‘burn out’ of our key players. I am sure that Lapslie can fulfil Szmodics role in what will inevitably be another dogged defensive battle against the similarly rampant “Robins”.

[Post edited 18 Feb 2015 9:04]

U's 0 - 1 M K Don - Noah's View on 12:38 - Feb 18 with 847 views

BluenWightExile

Grateful or that Noah4x4.
I'd not expected any points this week. The MK side have lost to two competent and currently confident consistent-form sides which we have not been/had for 3 seasons.
Better that I save my Durham-inspired belief for the later games I think. Realistically we must win 7 more somehow.
I am sure we can!

Pinault-noir

U's 0 - 1 M K Don - Noah's View on 13:48 - Feb 18 with 834 views

Leadbelly

Not often I disagree with you Noah but if I may...

Whilst no doubt the franchisees were not at their best I thought they were far, far better than the U's last night. Better in possession, better movement off the ball, more organised and stronger.

I agree that Sam Walker had no chance with the goal, mainly because someone had gone walkabout to leave Alli all alone. I see it as yet another soft goal due to an individual error rather than a good goal by the opposition.

There were very few satisfied punters in my area of the south stand or on the bus back to Bruff Close. "The worst side we've ever had" "Worst side I've seen for a very long time" "No chance I'm buying a season ticket with if Humes is in charge". Not my words, just comments overheard on my way home.

In the EADT Humes bemoaned the lack of penetration last night. It's within his control to change that. Porter must be desperate for closer support up front but there appears no chance he will get it as 4-4-2 has been forgotten entirely...at least by the management.

I didn't expect much from last nights game but still came away feeling very despondent. The side huffed and puffed but we just don't look good enough to compete at home. Tactics, motivation, quality? Possibly a combination of them all. What we need to survive is to extract the maximum from what we have in every game for the rest of the season. I doubt very much that Cowling will make any change but I really don't think Tony Humes is the right man for the job.

Poll:

Safe standing at football; yes, know or don't know?

U's 0 - 1 M K Don - Noah's View on 15:37 - Feb 18 with 815 views

noah4x4

That's the beauty of football opinion Leadbelly. I respect your alternative viewpoint. Frankly I was surprised to read the Hume's comment in the Gazette after I had written my "report" that a player had "shirked his responsibility". I must have blinked and missed that.

I am not a fan of 4-4-2. The pressure it puts on defenders to get forward would (IMHO) leave us more exposed. However, I wholly agree that Porter (and Sears before him) is becoming isolated from his supporting runners. Against Oldham I described how the 'back four' had moved "closer" and were now moving together as a "unit" with three midfield in the 'gateway' to the 'channels' between them. Now we have to do something similar in attack i.e. get closer together. But whether 4-4-2 or 3-5-1 or 4-3-3 it's exactly the same challenge. We are being driven wide and it's easy to defend a cross from the corner flag. Why can't we play our 'triangles' in more central positions. Not saying we don't need width, but not to the exclusion of all else.

As regards this being the " worst side ever", that is fair comment as regards results. But I think individual players are potentially more talented than past. What is the point of replacing Humes when we have no money, the transfer window is shut, and we are improving (notably away).

U's 0 - 1 M K Don - Noah's View on 16:52 - Feb 18 with 793 views

durham_exile

U's 0 - 1 M K Don - Noah's View on 15:37 - Feb 18 by noah4x4

Noah I would be interested in your views on why our results are so shocking at home.

10 league defeats, mostly 2-1 or 1-0, it is so very disappointing.

Don't worry about previous seasons, that is in the past, this season is the one. Without doubt if home results do not improve then we will be relegated.

Keep the faith

Up the U's

Durham_exile

U's 0 - 1 M K Don - Noah's View on 16:59 - Feb 18 with 792 views

Leadbelly

U's 0 - 1 M K Don - Noah's View on 15:37 - Feb 18 by noah4x4

I'm not suggesting 4-4-2 cures all ills but we do seem welded to a system/formation which leads to more goals conceded than scored. We also seem to commit the same type of errors game after game, especially at home, but nothing changes.

Since I started watching the U's in 1992 I have seen far less talented sides. That's what makes the current situation so much more frustrating.

I would be amazed if Humes was replaced before the end of the season, partly for the reasons you state, partly because he is absolutely the chairman's man, but I can't help but think we would be in a better position with a more experienced manager.

Poll:

Safe standing at football; yes, know or don't know?

U's 0 - 1 M K Don - Noah's View on 17:26 - Feb 18 with 789 views

pwrightsknees

In some ways, both LB and Noah are expressing the same frustrations. I tend to agree.

"Talented side" but "poor results". By definition, that is a management problem. It may be tactics, formations, team selection, fitness, motivation or any or all of those things.

We mustn't forget that football is a results industry, and clubs fail or succeed by that alone.

Of course, we can't buy in, so we have to work with what we've got. But is TH the right person to mould those "talented" players into a unit that can get the results that the club's customers so earnestly crave? Or could someone else get better results with the resources available?

U's 0 - 1 M K Don - Noah's View on 19:19 - Feb 18 with 767 views

noah4x4

Think it fair to suggest Tony Humes is "learning on the job". But this is different from "learning THE job". It has been said by Nigel Clough he "still doesnt know his best Blades eleven". Van Gaal at Manure has similarly been criticised. Why do we expect more from Humes?

Back in November we lost Magnus and Kent. It took him a while to learn our best combination from what little else we had. First foray into loans was a disaster (Packwood & Kepekawa). But Humes improved the side, first Gorkss then Wynter & Briggs. Whilst we lost on Tuesday it was a massive defensive improvement, as it was against Oldham.

Humes has been tackling midfield introducing Szmodics and Lapslie whilst hindered by long term injury to Gilbey. Lets be brutally honest with ourselves. Since the MK Dons disaster he has had only three months with no money to spend. Why are U's fans so impatient and reluctant to embrace new ideas? The three "experienced" managers we had that brought an inkling of success all walked out inside a season. Everbody else we are on their backs and moaning from their first game in charge. There is no prospect of a change of manager now (who will come?) so let's just get on with our lives; get behind the team and manager. It is totally unproductive to be constantly moaning given where we are. The players must sense the nasty undercurrent of personal abuse. That's maybe one reason we perform better away in front of fans that will give team and manager a break whilst they sort out a legacy of five years of failure.

[Post edited 18 Feb 2015 21:35]

U's 0 - 1 M K Don - Noah's View on 20:32 - Feb 18 with 746 views

pwrightsknees

Absolutely right, Noah. It is scandalous that some sections of the crowd undermine he team and manager when they should be getting behind them. The one thing the team needs right now is a confidence boost both on the field, from the crowd and in the dressing room.

And, of course, we should give any of the managers time to put things right. That's where the problem is. It's not right, and hasn't been for some time. I must confess that I have, and that It's quite natural, to have become impatient after 4 seasons of dismal displays and scrapping against relegation.

I also think that expressing opinions, asking questions and other healthy debate on a football message board is not preventing any of us getting on with our lives.

U's 0 - 1 M K Don - Noah's View on 21:12 - Feb 18 with 715 views

noah4x4

The great thing about this message board is the quality of debate and courtesy expressed by all contributors even when they disagree. Sadly, this is not the case on others where the anonymous destructive 'trolls' seem to dominate. Similarly amongst a small minority of the WHCS crowd.

Individual players don't need to be told every other minute that they are "f''' ing useless" nor even every time they make an error, or when their workrate (or more likely energy levels) drops. An army of analysts and sports scientists record precisely their every movement. Imagine such pressure in one's own workplace. I don't have a problem with a collective "boo" at the final whistle, nor spontanous groans during a game, but the level of personal abuse directed at manager and players occuring during a home game from some quarters has (IMHO) become shocking.

Tony Humes is picking up a legacy of five years of mediocrity and is progressively making changes. I have already described above huge changes to back four and midfield that has taken a degree of experimentation (and loans) to get right. Further examples can be found in attack; playing Hewitt forward; introducing Sembie-Ferris; the signing of Porter. How many more 'changes' does Humes need to make to stop people moaning about the absence of change? The fact that we are struggling to get results may have far more to do with the quality of the squad at his disposal and notably its youth, but next year they will be older, more experienced etc.

Frankly, I don't think Humes has a cat in hell's chance of refining 'tactics' until he knows his best player combinations. The back four has only just come together in the last four matches and it is only now he can play Moncur, Gilbey and Szmodics together. Yes; they did play in the second half but Gilbey has been out for months and we were up against the second best team in the league that put eight men behind the ball from half time to snuff out our threat. People keep going on about Humes not knowing how to 'change a game'. As regards changing things up front; Healey has only just become available again and Watt is sidelined with illness. So what else could he have done on Tuesday other than freshen up the midfield and bring on the more attacking Moncur? Fox was also injured so had to be replaced. None of our squad are Premiership players, and inexperienced players can't easily change from one tactical formula to another without making even more errors. Arsene Wenger has always said good sides must be built from the back; and it seems to me that is exactly what Humes is attempting to do.

Only time will ultimately prove if Tony Humes will be a good or bad manager; but 26 fixtures is only half a season and for most of that time a significant number of the better quality core players from the senior squad of the Dunne era have been injured. Others have shown petulance that cannot be tolerated. I saw Dominic Vose's last U21 game. He might as well have not been on the pitch for the effort he made. We had only ONE point when Joe Dunne departed. At least we have now won a few. I believe the signs are encouraging but respect the opinion of those that disagree.

[Post edited 18 Feb 2015 21:48]

U's 0 - 1 M K Don - Noah's View on 01:48 - Feb 19 with 675 views

pwrightsknees

Humble words of wisdom from one of the greatest:

In his autobiography, Bill Shankly wrote: "Right from the start as a manager (i.e., when he was at Carlisle) I tried to show that the fans are the people that matter. You've got to know how to treat them (and) have them on your side". This was particularly true at Liverpool "where the people that matter most are the ones who come through the turnstiles".

Something that all football managers should take on board.

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