League Cup 2nd Round: Crewe 2-3 Bolton

So then.......

It's the morning after and the dust has settled.

Are we satisfied with scraping past yet another poor team from a lower league?

Crewe are, by any standards, shit.

They must be - even Beckford bagged a brace against them.

And again, even though we managed a whopping 47% possession, we still managed to maintain our frankly pathetic ratio of 1:2 in terms of shots at goal. (Crewe 21 - 11 Us.)

This system of Freedman's does not suit the players we have at the club and it needs looking at.

It's obvious.

If we keep on handing over the lion's share of possession to the opposition and allowing them to create twice as many goal scoring chances as we do, we will struggle this season and continue losing  games at an alarming rate.

There is a massive problem with the way we are approaching games under Freedman and he either needs to change things or fuck off because were are not going to suddenly bring in half a dozen players who will make his system work before the window slams shut.

his comments about wanting to create only one chance and win 1-0 show his true colours, which is why we will continue to give up the lions share of possession as Dougie seems to think we are good at playing as a counter attacking team and can hit teams on the break.

Trouble is we have a midfield who can't keep the ball for longer than 10 seconds and our centre backs just lump it forward and give the ball back straight away.

It's a win but in some ways now I've seen the 'highlights' and read the press reports I might have preferred a loss because winning has only allowed the plonker to paper over the yawning chasms between him and reality.

A loss MIGHT have been enough to get him out of here. So two minds about this really. I always want us to win but maybe in this case a loss would have served us better in the long term.

A loss last night and one on saturday might just have seen him get fucked off,its a stay of execution hopefully. I want us to have one chance and win 1-0 just about sums the bell end up unfortunately.

Norpig wrote:his comments about wanting to create only one chance and win 1-0 show his true colours, which is why we will continue to give up the lions share of possession as Dougie seems to think we are good at playing as a counter attacking team and can hit teams on the break.

Trouble is we have a midfield who can't keep the ball for longer than 10 seconds and our centre backs just lump it forward and give the ball back straight away.

You've referred to this comment a few times Norpig, but I don't remember Dougie saying it - where did it originate?
The points you and Bread make about possession and "counter attacking" are quite right and whether it can be fixed with a couple of signings or not is debatable, but you'd expect not given the budget.
Dougie clearly believes in sitting back and solid defending as the foundation - and if the bollocking he gave the players after conceding late last night implies he reckons it would work but for individual errors.
My view is that individual errors will always occur, but if they occur further up the pitch there's less chance of conceding a goal as a direct result.
Not having the skill to control possession and dominate midfield is the root cause of it all though and I think that's why he prefers to sit back rather than chase the game and get picked apart.
At least by sitting back the game is not too open which would play into the hands of more skilful teams - and most teams are more skilful than us it would appear. 
MKD looked streets ahead of us last night. Their passes and crosses were accurate, loads of movement off the ball so lots of options when in possession, good control exhibited by all their players, high workrate - all in all a classy performance.

To be honest a League Cup game means absolutely nothing to me, the competition is just a glorified friendly where clubs get to try out fringe players. Win, lose or draw it shouldn't really effect the manager's standing.

It's league games that matter, although there is an argument to say any victory breeds confidence. Hopefully we'll see some of that at Leeds.

FAO Lusty:

Douglas Freedman talking on Monday in the wake of the Brighton capitulation:

“Unfortunately today we were a little bit open – it was a case of ‘you have a couple (of chances), we’ll have a couple’ – but that’s not the way I want to play. I want there to be one chance, and we win 1-0. ”

Natasha Whittam wrote:To be honest a League Cup game means absolutely nothing to me, the competition is just a glorified friendly where clubs get to try out fringe players. Win, lose or draw it shouldn't really effect the manager's standing.

It's league games that matter, although there is an argument to say any victory breeds confidence. Hopefully we'll see some of that at Leeds.

It's true what you say however even if the manager is using it to "try out fringe players" it is still a performance, a test and a measure of where we are up to as well as an exploration of options.
Last night was a disaster in that respect.
Dougie started off with Lester, Threkeld and Wilko and basically subbed them all because they weren't good enough - so that will undermine their confidence for a start.
Worse still, the 3 senior players he brought on to sort things out weren't much better and laboured to see off Crewe.
But most damaging of all was the fact that Crewe dominated us and although they were probably far more fired up for this game than our players (who probably had one eye on the Leeds game) our lot didn't have enough class to compensate for their lack of commitment.

It shouldn't affect the manager's standing, but probably will even though the manager was let down by his players last night.

Breadman wrote:FAO Lusty:

Douglas Freedman talking on Monday in the wake of the Brighton capitulation:

“Unfortunately today we were a little bit open – it was a case of ‘you have a couple (of chances), we’ll have a couple’ – but that’s not the way I want to play. I want there to be one chance, and we win 1-0. ”

Cheers Bread

No problem and even though it flies in the face of my staunchly anti-Freedman agenda, I think all he's guilty of on this occasion, is not choosing his words particularly well.

I would seriously question the notion that he only wants to create one chance in a game and given the wider context of the statement, I think he was saying that we need to defend better and stop the opposition from having so many chances and in turn, be more clinical ourselves.

(I can't believe I just typed that.....)

However, I may be wrong and he may just be a dick who genuinely thinks you only need to create one chance in a game.

(That feels better.....)

We should be good for a mid-table finish with this current crop of players. But with this bloke in charge I feel we are heading for a relegation battle for most of the season. If that's good enough for Big Eddie & Fat Phil then so be it.  
If Doog goes around Christmas say....and we hear the club wants to go in a "different direction"...then wasn't this the "direction" they all agreed upon before?  Shouldn't all who agreed be canned pronto?
Just saying...

Young Threlkeld had his ass handed to him on a number of occasions based on the highlights - I've seen him play a lot better. Certainly showed me why White is preferred. "Twatley FFS" seems to have had a decent game - got into positions and took his goal well.Even Beckford took his goals well. It's not all doom and gloom, lads - cheer up.

Keegan wrote: It's not all doom and gloom, lads - cheer up.

Things always look better sitting on a Jamaican beach sipping a Pina Colada.

Report: Crewe 2-3 Bolton (AET)

IN BRIEF

Bolton Wanderers progressed to the third round of the Capital One Cup courtesy of Jermaine Beckford’s extra time winner at Crewe.

The hosts started the game at a real tempo and took the lead inside two minutes through Bradden Inman.

Though Bolton eventually gained their composure and gained a real stranglehold of the game towards the end of the first half when Darren Pratley headed an equaliser.

And at the end of a pretty eventless second period Beckford slammed home what seemed a late winner, only for Marcus Haber to restore parity.

But Beckford and Bolton were not to be denied, with the striker guiding home the winner in the second period of extra time following Lee Chung-Yong’s sublime pass.

TEAM NEWS

Dougie Freedman made a total of nine changes to the starting line-up that had previously taken to the field at Brighton.

Youngsters Chris Lester, Conor Wilkinson and Oscar Threlkeld were the notable inclusions from the off.

FIRST HALF

With two minutes on the clock the hosts had opened the scoring.

Wide man Inman was afforded space on the left flank. After skipping forward into the Bolton half, he then cut infield before bending a right-footed effort into Andrew Lonergan’s far corner.

The home side were clearly buoyed.

Inman continued to be the primary threat, as he once again checked on to his right side before firing a 30-yard shot wide of the top corner.

Defender George Ray then looped a header onto the bar from a corner kick before Vadaine Oliver volleyed wide following Lonergan’s smart save from Inman’s run and shot.

As the half-hour mark approached Bolton began to gain a stranglehold of the tie.

Liam Feeney saw a low cross taken off the toe of Jermaine Beckford, who seemed certain to convert.

Feeney was then heavily involved as Bolton levelled on 40 minutes.

After being released down the left following a clever pass from Beckford, Feeney skinned his marker before sending over a looping cross from the byline which an unmarked Pratley nodded home.

Prior to the half’s conclusion, Inman once again worked Lonergan from the left channel whilst Liam Trotter was forced from the field of play with a seeming knee complaint; Neil Danns his replacement.

SECOND HALF

Bolton started the second half the better of the two sides, forcing a flurry of corner kicks which were scrambled clear by the hosts.

On the hour Beckford then played a neat give and go with Wilkinson before firing a low shot into the midriff of Crewe stopper Ben Garrett.

Lee and Joe Mason were thrown into the action in an attempt to break down a resolute Crewe backline.

As the game wore on chances were at a real premium.

Crewe skipper Matt Tootle galloped forward from right-back before lashing an effort narrowly over the bar whilst Danns saw a low daisy-cutter from the edge of the area blocked.

The remainder of the game passed by until into stoppage time Wanderers seemed to have ground out a winner.

A cross from the right deflected up into the air, with Beckford showing superb poise to crash home a full volley into the net.

But out of nowhere Crewe had a late response.

From the right side Inman flighted a cross to the back post, with substitute Marcus Haber heading home to send the game into extra time.

EXTRA TIME

Both sides fashioned a couple of half chances in the opening period of extra time.

Lonergan once again had to be on his toes to tip Haber’s shot on the spin on to the woodwork before Billy Waters fizzed a low shot wide from distance.

Up the other end Mason did see a header from Feeney’s centre loop narrowly over the bar.

SECOND HALF EXTRA TIME

At the start of the second half of extra time a moment of real quality saw Wanderers regain the lead.

Lee’s delightful ball over the Crewe rear-guard was superbly guided beyond the onrushing goalkeeper by Beckford’s clever first-time shot.

Crewe responded but for all their endeavours were unable to muster a second equaliser, as Bolton booked their place in the third round of the competition.

FULL TIME EXTRA TIME


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Chelsea away next up...

Can we let in 10?

Wonder how many they will win by? Hopefully generate a bit of revenue for us though.

In each half.....?

Yes, very possibly.

Is the Chelsea thing a joke?

I can't find a reliable source!

It's true. Somebody had better call Rioch.