Northampton 0-1 Bolton - Match Report Post #29

Since PP came in he has done a great job in sorting out a defence that was as poor as anything I've ever seen and we now look solid and difficult to beat, however we don't seem to be able to get any kind of consistency in attack.
I believe we have players easily good enough to score a hatfull against some of the crap in this league but we don't ever seem to convert superiority into a proper beating for someone, even a few of the 2-0 wins were in the balance until a late goal.
I think a big part of that is down to belief and we go out not believing we should be dicking teams and that we should expect hard games, some of the games so far have been anything but hard but we have endeavoured to make them look like it.
We need more players going out believing the have the opportunity to fill their boots and looking to score from anywhere because as it stands at the moment if Zach gets injured (not beyond the realms of possibility) I would be worried where the goals were going to come from.

King Bill wrote:Agree with Nick. We bossed the game after going one up, yet struggled to kill Northampton off in the second half. To be honest, we were a tad lucky to get the win, but our defence including Alnwick were superb once again and managed to see us home.

Do you think that the reason for this is that in order to stay solid at the back, our midfield tends to sit deep and so when we do get the ball forward we don't have the numbers to cause problems?

I ask because the top counter attacking sides like Chelsea also sit deep but when they get forward, everybody goes at once and they strike quickly with 6 or 7 players bombing forward - and still have the legs to get back quickly when it breaks down. Whereas we don't have really quick, talented, superfit box-to-box midfielders to play that way ATM so we have to accept that we either defend well or attack but not both.

whatsgoingon wrote:Since PP came in he has done a great job in sorting out a defence that was as poor as anything I've ever seen and we now look solid and difficult to beat, however we don't seem to be able to get any kind of consistency in attack.
I believe we have players easily good enough to score a hatfull against some of the crap in this league but we don't ever seem to convert superiority into a proper beating for someone, even a few of the 2-0 wins were in the balance until a late goal.
I think a big part of that is down to belief and we go out not believing we should be dicking teams and that we should expect hard games, some of the games so far have been anything but hard but we have endeavoured to make them look like it.
We need more players going out believing the have the opportunity to fill their boots and looking to score from anywhere because as it stands at the moment if Zach gets injured (not beyond the realms of possibility) I would be worried where the goals were going to come from.

Defence is better but keep in mind the level we are at now......not sure that would be the case if/when we go back up.  Lately it seems we are only playing 45 minutes of football. Don't know why that is but for now I'll take it of course. 
Still feel we need a couple more players in the window if we want a top two finish.  But who know about that with the on-going financials.  Sheffield have a home game tomorrow....figure we will be third in the table tomorrow night. Can't complain too much about that.

wanderlust wrote:

King Bill wrote:Agree with Nick. We bossed the game after going one up, yet struggled to kill Northampton off in the second half. To be honest, we were a tad lucky to get the win, but our defence including Alnwick were superb once again and managed to see us home.

Do you think that the reason for this is that in order to stay solid at the back, our midfield tends to sit deep and so when we do get the ball forward we don't have the numbers to cause problems?

I ask because the top counter attacking sides like Chelsea also sit deep but when they get forward, everybody goes at once and they strike quickly with 6 or 7 players bombing forward - and still have the legs to get back quickly when it breaks down. Whereas we don't have really quick, talented, superfit box-to-box midfielders to play that way ATM so we have to accept that we either defend well or attack but not both.

I think that just about sums it up wanderlust. Take Satdy's match, Thorpe and Spearing paired in midfield are never going to rampage forward on the counter attack. But on the flip side they do an incredible amount of work on and off the ball when the opposition are in our half. I think we'd all like to see an attacking Wanderers side but at this moment in time, if this is as good as it gets, then who are we to argue.
Personally I'd like to see Derik swap with Thorpe, as when in midfield, Derik can see the killer pass that Thorpe maybe can't. I have been impressed with Thorpe at CB when he's played in that position.