Tyrone Shoelaces

We play the ball backwards and sideways as much as we play it forward. WBA mixed it up much more. They went long at times, packed the area where they anticipated the ball would land and won plenty of possession in our half that way. On our first goal kick we played our usual game of pass it around at the back until we lose it. They went direct with their first goal kick and actually won the ball in our half. On one of their attacks I counted 7 players in or around our penalty area. We never seem to have more than 4 or 5.

I’d have brought Gueye on sooner and had Yuki playing off him. I’d have gone a bit more long ball, we weren’t creating much as it was. Neither of those two are much more than nuisance value playing up there on their own. Siggy offers nothing at the moment, at least Baker or Buckley would be more involved and would maybe stop them playing through us. Bringing Britain on made sense. It depends whether Eustace wanted to hold on to 1 point or go all out for 3. To me it looked like he was happy with 1. WBA wanted all 3 and went for it at the end. However them subbing players on in time added on was bizarre to say the least. I’ve watched the last two home games now and the entertainment value was very low. Any neutral would have switched off before half time.

10/10. We are way too casual in possession. We don’t respect the ball anything like enough.

Siggy won’t be doing much pressing ever so bringing him on with that expectation was a bit optimistic.

On another point I would have made the subs earlier. However Weimann and Siggy did next to nothing when they came on so different subs next time please.

At least we won’t need to wash his kit.

Maja looked to be exactly what we are short of.

As they said during the game - when did we last score direct from a free kick ?

I thought Dolan looked better playing wide on the right in the second half. Hedges doesn’t do enough for me.

Not the most exciting game unless you think passing the ball around the back four with a West Brom player breathing down your neck is exciting. Having said that we gave a very good West Brom team a problem or two. They’ll be up there in the play off zone at the end of the season. Our defence was a bit harum scarum at times but the scoreboard said West Brom 0 at the end so I’ll take that. We did look toothless in attack, too many players are taking the ball either facing our goal or stood still. We rarely get a run on the opposition back four. When we do we look dangerous but we don’t do it often enough. When they attacked there were occasions when they’d 7 players in or around out box, we usually have 3 or 4 at the most. I won’t bother with the scores tonight. Nobody played really badly or really well. The pick of our lot was - Pears for once, Cantwell, a class act wasted out wide, Tronstad, his usual performance. Why he brought Siggy on is a mystery. Did he actually touch the ball ? He won’t be needing a shower that’s for sure.

Well that wouldn’t be my starting 11 but let’s see how it goes. I suppose it’s hard to drop a couple when only Beck played well.

That’s the problem as I see it We have two water carriers in central midfield plus a back four. One is our captain and the other is possibly our most consistent player. So un droppable. In an ideal world one of centre mids would have a bit more of the Andy Wharton about them. That’s why we look turgid at the moment.

Definitely, but he’s somewhat injury prone.

Yeah, do it now, he’s got his whole career ahead of him.

You still need to know what your best starting 11 is going to be irrespective of whatever changes are made later on. We don’t.

That’s my expectation as well.

You’re right about our recent form. I think we don’t know our best starting eleven, that’s never a good position to be in.

Yeah, I wonder who Beck would prefer to be helping him out on the left hand side ?

Play like we did on Saturday and we will.

There’s something about the way Gueye strikes the ball I don’t get. You’d think that a long time pro player would have a cleaner, smoother action on the ball.

Sums up my feelings on those players you mention.

I don’t know what Hedges brings to the party. Most of the time you don’t know he’s playing. One of our many strange signings. We paid a fee when we could have had him for nothing a few months later.

I’d forgotten about that. He let the ball get away from him.

Me too. I’ve never had a season ticket for a variety of reasons in the past.

How many times yesterday did we pass the ball out of the back four to a player running back towards our goal with an opponent one yard behind him waiting for the mistake ? Nobody can thrive in that situation. I lost count of times it had to be passed backwards again. We need to mix it up with the odd ball into space but we can’t because we’re a team without any real pace with the exception of Beck.