Birmingham 2-0 Bolton

He clearly picked a team to frustrate for 60/70 minutes and then do the usual of bringing on mcatee and vic for 20 minutes and try and nick a goal. 

If you’re going to do that clearly need Vic to start.

karlypants wrote:

EVANS out!!!

I'm sick of reading his excuses!!

Sad to say but he has lost the plot.

I couldn't understand the team he picked (still can't)?

I couldn't understand why he signed Arfield (still can't)?

And I couldn't understand what the point of his 3-5-2-1 is (and still can't!)?

Birmingham away was always going to be difficult and playing the side and tactic's we did meant we basically played them all of the first half with 10 men because Charles was never going to get in the game without a decent service and 3-5-2-1 playing with two number 10's clearly doesn't work and playing it with Arfield and Dempsey as midfielders (or link players to him - or whatever the plan was?) turned out to be even worse)

I could understand the idea of digging in for 60 minutes then going for it with 30 to go but you might as well start the game with a false 9 (say Sheehan) and an extra player in midfield and bring Charles on with 30 to go.

I don't think Birmingham was that impressive, they had the ball for much of the game and got a goal from a player who was unmarked and unchallenged at the edge of our penalty area (unforgivable really - but it happens a lot under Evatt) and a bit of an iffy penalty with about 2 minutes to go - hardly steamrolled us really did they - and McAtee had two chances on goal which tbf were not as easy as many seem to be making out - but they were chances and on another day one or both might have been scored.

They may well walk the league but that isn't because they are a great team but because I reckon the rest of us are all a much of a muchness to each other but all lesser than Brum is.

Tippy tappy does work up to a point, what we lack is an ability to move away from it in those games when it isn't.

There is no alternative variation to change things with the players we have signed - our substitutions are like for like for the players being substituted and slot into the same system and roles as the players who have been taken off.

What's the point when Plan A isn't working to replace it with other Plan A clones?

When was the last time we changed from a back 3 to a back 4 during a game and go 4-3-3, or take off a striker and close the game down when we are winning?

It's just like for like all the time basically.

They say the only thing certain in life is death and taxes - well I would add to that Evatt's inflexibility.

We need a Rodri type player to make Evatt's system work properly and we simply don't have one.

Thomason is the closest we have but we need a more defensive minded player to either play with him until he develops more into the role (if that is what is role is since MJ Williams left?).

Anyway what do I know.

I don't think everything is bad but equally everything is not currently good - is it?

When you go into a place scared and defensive you get what you deserve. We should have gone in all guns blazing - score two and make them score three......as others have said they were not that great of a team - we just let them control the ball. To the larger point if we now presume that Brum will be Champions that leaves us to shoot for second place but if Ian goes to places like Wrexham and plays 10 at the back.....well playoffs at best.

As an aside. The ref was absolutely shocking as well. 

Was a nailed on pen on though. And what was forrester doing at the end heading an open goal into the sky. He’s utterly useless.