At least we have plenty of pace up top so we can sit deep and play on the break🤦🏻‍♂️

2 minutes ago, Iceman said:

poor team selection, but its also an indication how lack of investment is going to hurt us this season

Who else do you play? - it's slim pickings throughout the squad.

That was pathetic defending from Pickering. Completely misjudges the bouncing ball, then brings down the man. He was saved by Pears a couple of minutes earlier. 

This will end up 3 or 4. 

Hull were looking much  the better side against 11. 

Very lucky to be on level terms here.  Hull look much more fluid. 

Surely this is Dolan's last chance.  

Lack of anything resembling quality out wide - on the pitch or bench.

Think we will struggle today. 

Just watching the Plymouth game. They look very solid if unspectacular.  May Struggle for goals but will he hard to beat.

I just pray that Russell Martin lasts till at least Christmas.  He's killing Southampton's chances.  Plymouth had far more shots with much less possession. 

If Southampton sat back and played on the break, their attacking pace would rip up this league. 

3 minutes ago, BigBar said:

All good my man. Happy to clarify...I do agree Pears in competent, if be happy if he just kept going about his business and made zero headlines. The addition of Leo makes it very interesting.

Yup. High hopes for the new lad. 

3 minutes ago, BigBar said:

Missing the point? The point being discussed was the goals we conceded against Rotherham on Saturday. I added to that conversation. No one was discussing game saving saves l, I think you are missing the point on this occasion. Completely different point you made. 

Apologies - your post was under mine - thought it was in reply👍

33 minutes ago, simongarnerisgod said:

if you want keepers in that class,they cost a fortune,don`t play in the championship and we can`t afford one,leave pears alone,since his  debacle at wigan he`s reinvented himself,fair play to the lad,we`ll see who has the no 1 in the coming months,we hav`nt spend nearly a million quid for a keeper to sit on the bench,bring on the battle

Ironically, the last keeper we had that could do that was Raya.

Back then, he might also give a pen away a minute later though!  

58 minutes ago, BigBar said:

Pears is alright for me. Couldn't do anything about either imo. Looking to point to him for blame is clutching. Sammie teed it up perfectly for the first and he buried it and the second was poor defending and a bullet header into the top corner. If it's not Pears in goals there isn't even a discussion on it.

Think you're missing the point with the post.  He wasn't at fault for the first - he's competent ..but he rarely seems to pull off a save that keeps you in a game - like the better keepers do.  

2 hours ago, philipl said:

Not his fault but zero reflex reaction.

It's interesting - Although he couldn't be blamed for the first goal, I had absoloutely zero confidence of him saving it/putting the striker off.  

If that had been Friedel for example, you would be  half confident he'd still save it. 

That's  when you know your keeper is a good one - the expectation  that they  will pull off saves that keep you in a game.  

Pears doesn't seem remotely capable of that.  The new keeper might... 

1 hour ago, philipl said:

Liked the way Szmodics had enough presence of mind to run back to half way after both his goals.

Any celebration would surely have a second yellow.

JDT instilling excellent discipline.

I noticed that.  Lad had his head screwed on.  Could easily have over celebrated the equaliser.

21 minutes ago, joey_big_nose said:

Early days to judge on Tronstad. My assumption is that he will be more aggressive and physical in the tackle.

What I did like yesterday though is how stuck in Wharton gets. He isnt a creative focussed passenger in the midfield, he wins quite a few tackles. If we took Travis or Tronstad out of the midfield and played Wharton and JRC / Buckley I'm not sure we would actually lose that much in terms of robustness.

Something I hope we give a shot to.

Agree. It would be very interesting to see those 3 play together. 

1 hour ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

That’s my thinking as well. We’d got a point that looked very unlikely 20 minutes earlier. Chuck it in the mixer and you risk another Preston away style goal.

11 v 11 and the opposition have something to play for, I take your point. 

Yesterday though, Rotherham were physically shot and hanging on. They had everyone back. There was literally time for the corner to be swung in.  Even if the keeper got it, he'd have led on it till the whistle went.

It should have been swung in the mixer. It was a free cross at that stage of the game.

Teams that get promoted, come back and win those games late on.   

Last year, I reckon we'd have lost it 2-1 though so we are progressing!

1 hour ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

I was expecting us to sign someone with physical presence when we signed Tronstad. I know it’s early days yet and David Batty wasn’t very tall but I was surprised when I saw that we’d signed another pretty short player.

Was going to post exactly the same earlier.  I was expecting someone 6ft plus.  Tronstad seems a strange signing.  He looks slow, yet no doubt tidy enough in possession.  Not sure what else he will bring that Buckley/Travis/Wharton/Garret can't already do though.

Based on JDT comments at the end of last season, I expected an Nzonzi type or a Rothwell type. Something different to the existing midfield dynamic.

Tronstadt is a decent  free signing - if he's seen as a squad filler.

3 minutes ago, Exiled_Rover said:

JRC moving to CM for me. 

Agreed. JRC is quality running into those spaces. 

Thought Ennis was ok...but he's another who runs in treacle. 

Hedges just has no right foot. Play him on the left or not at all.  Thought he was disappointing tbh. 

That corner should have gone straight in.  Footballers are thick at times. 

goal disallowed for offside. Ennis needed to bury that but poor shot prodded in by offside player.

Don't f'kin lose now.

Is Ennis on? 

This better be Dolan's last game for a while. 

Can't believe Szmodic still on.  They are Mowbray subs.

unmarked header.  Rotherham highlighting the basics if the championship. Height and pace cause problems. 

We have neither - been like that for 3 yrs.

2 minutes ago, Bethnal said:

I don’t think pace is 100% of the equation out wide anymore. I think Markanday is getting near to making better decisions when taking a man on, more often than not. Making the right decision can beat a man as often as being just a bit faster than your opposing number, if not more often.

Dolan needs a lot of work to help him along on that front, agreed. Looked very right early on and was trusting his instincts more. You can see him get worked up trying to find the right thing, rather than being instinctive and committing.

Couldn't disagree more.  Markanday is too slow to play on the break - as is Dolan. If we are building the ball around the box he gets away with it because his touch is decent. He could play as a '10' I think. 

We could have field day out wide the way we play - if we had some real  pace. 

Jesus wept Carter