Just back from the game...

[Hog 0]

I would like to say how unlucky we were, how I can see how Roeders team is starting to gel, and enthuse over all the inbetweenies we have.

 

But I can''t, we were crap! Hoolahan was our most effective player (until he was taken off!) but in no way is he a replacement for Hucks, he is clearly not a wide player and what was once our strongest area on the pitch is now our weakest. When we were chasing the game, Roeder decides to go with one up front, there was no movement and no creativity. time and time again we got into the final third and were forced to pass to the side, often to the new playmaker .......Jason Shackel!   We must hope that these players coming in are something really special or I can forsee a real struggle this season.

[Charles 0]

I have to agree with you. As much as i hate to criticise the team, tonight we were dreadful. Lack of movement, creativity and ideas going forward...it was painfully obvious to see we wouldn''t score all night and when we did manage to create a chance were guilty of some wasteful finishing again. A far cry from Saturdays impressive performance. The only player in my opinion who played well and tried to make things happen was shacks! Although it is early days Koroma looked out of his depth and we desperately need  a striker or two by Saturday.

[Hooleyfan 0]

Just in the door myself from a drive back from MK Dons...I''ve got to say it is not looking good at the moment! ...and you are right Salahuddin...if I felt the inclination to give a MOM this evening it would be Jason Shackell...that''s bad isn''t it?

Nothing down the left side, Drury will only be a fill in for injury this term and I would choose Shackell wide left rather than him...he is boringly predictable and mediocre. Too many players went missing and lacked any enthusiasm or creativity...Fotheringham, Russell,  (for most of the game until he moved into a striker role) Otsemebor was dull and lethargic. Koroma was energetic but fluffed his chances in front of goal and Lupoli doesn''t seem strong enough to stay on the ball. We kept possession alright but couldn''t do a damn thing with it in the final third,. Croft runs his heart out on the wing chasing lost causes but even he freezes and cant perform when he gets anywhere near a shooting chance.

A big away following, which seemed to outnumber the home support went away very sombre and quickly, the team barely acknowledged our support at the end of the game, not that most looked that interested and all I can hpe now is that Bell addssomething to our midfield very quickly, Bertrand takes up his place for Saturday and we get that big striker in because ...THE CARROW ROAD CROWD WILL NOT PUT UP WITH WHAT WE SAW TONIGHT. 

[Canary Wundaboy 1,360]

The lack of investment is painfully all too obvious.All Roeder can do with the money he''s been given is paper over the cracks.This team needs investment, and it needs it fast.The board need to put their money where their mouths are, and if they''ve got no money left, give way to the people who do.

[2Cakes 0]

I certainly wouldn''t give MOTM to Shackell. In my opinion the centrebacks were the biggest problem area on the pitch. They looked really fragile. Numerous times MK Dons were able to get straight in between them. One of these lapses led to the goal.

[Jules 0]

[quote user="2Cakes"]I certainly wouldn''t give MOTM to Shackell. In my opinion the centrebacks were the biggest problem area on the pitch. They looked really fragile. Numerous times MK Dons were able to get straight in between them. One of these lapses led to the goal.

[/quote]I think you''re onto something here.  What was the main difference between the team that performed so very well at Cov on Saturday and the team that performed so badly last night?  The defence! On Saturday Kennedy and Stefanovic were for the most part assured in defence and looked comfortable playing the ball out from the back. Shacks had played on the left and while he played okay (anyone remember the dodgy back pass?) he didn''t look as comfortable on the ball as most of the rest of the team. Last night Kennedy and Stefanovic were absent and Shacks played in central defence.  In effect he became the playmaker starting all the moves. Every bleedin'' time it came to him it went out wide right to Ozomusi or left to Drury. Drury, bless him, is just coming back after a long lay off and would have been pleased just to get a decent game under his belt. It was asking too much of him to bomb down the left and support the attack and he didn''t do it. On the right Ozomusi was subdued and didn''t get forward either. Otsemobor was ineffective playing in a more advanced role and hardly posed any threat at all. I expected to see him bombing on and putting their left back under pressure but it didn''t really happen. All of which meant that whenever we did get forward it tended to be through the middle via Clingan and Rusty.  However, time and again these probes up the middle hit a wall of MK Dons players. So the ball went back to Shacks and it all started again. It looked like we had no width when there ought to have been plenty. When Crofty came it gave us more width, but here''s the rub...  What the hell use is width if you''ve got nothing to aim crosses at?!! There''s no way that Lupoli and Curo are going to get on the end of anything in the air! A bigger presence up front would have certainly helped and the Dion replacement we''re after would have added some balance to the side.  That said, it''s clear that essentially the problem started with the defence last night.

[Beauseant 0]

Thanks for the feedback from those of you who went last night,even though it sounds worrying after the optimism engendered by Saturday''s performance.Let''s hope we see at least one impressive new face to lift the mood before Blackpool!