Brentford: How I saw it

[taintedtom2000 0]

To be honest, I wish I hadn''t seen it.

It was by far the most lacklustre, pathetic performance in what is turning out to be an awful start to the season. The problems, I think, started when we didn''t score in the first half. Not that we had by any means dominated play, but we had a few decent enough chances. But with the lack of confidence in front of goal and a frightend approach to shooting from midfield, we just never took advantage.

Brentford, in the second half, decided to build on their solid first half foundation. Something we should have done better, they attacked us from the off. They scored two decent enough goals, but the first was a header without enough pressure on the player from city defenders and the second was a silly freekick given away on the edge of the box. Far, far too many time our midfiled was completely taken out of the game by the combination of Doherty and Askell hoofing the ball forward to Grant Holt, who himself didn''t have a great game.

When our midfield did have the ball on the deck, there were two problems. They appeared to not want the ball in the first place, which led to wayward passes and easy challenges. Citys midfield were also guilty of having absolutely no penetration. The few balls that were played into the channels were awful, otherwise it was to feet or backwards (at least Gary Holt passed it sideways!)

Cody tried hard as weve come to expect, but wasn''t at his best. Grant Holt bustled but never got a look in and Chris Martin missed a good chance by deciding to try and lob the keeper from 8 yards, when a simple ''low and hard'' would have surely given us 10 mins to try and get something from the game.

The positives to come from the game were the amazing support shown from city fans throughout. This, for me, made the evening bareable. Apart from a few choice words between those for and against the board, City fans can be proud of their own performance last night, I was proud to be part of it. The promise of a new manager also gives me confidence going forward, especially as it would appear that organisation is a key part of his game. On last nights showing, we''ll certainly need every ounce of knowledge he has in this area.

In a strange way, after a lot of reflection, maybe it was a good thing that Paul Lambert has now witnessed just how badly we can play twice in a matter of weeks, at least he is now under no illusions and will have an idea of where we need to improve.

OTBC

[Excited Canary 19]

Thanks, good review. Thats what I was thinking, at least if he saw us play bad he will see where we are going wrong & hopefully strip Doc from the captaincy. Anyone out there who you think has the attributes to deserve the arm band?

[can u sit down please 0]

Thats the problem when you buy cheap and free transfers. Players that are League 1 players.

[Mook 0]

[quote user="taintedtom2000"]

Far, far too many time our midfiled was completely taken out of the game by the combination of Doherty and Askell hoofing the ball forward to Grant Holt, who himself didn''t have a great game.

[/quote]If you''ve played football (and i presume you have!) you''ll know what it''s like trying to pass to people in poor positions, or people who don''t want the ball. It''s very easy to say "don''t bypass midfield" but if the midfielders don''t want it, are hiding, already marked and making no attempt to lose their marker or are just plainly in a bad position, how can you pass to them?It''s the midfielders job to drop, want the ball, and take responsibility for using the ball well. No centre backs are renowned for their distribution, and that goes right up to players like Sol Campbell, and John Terry.

[Berkshire Canary 12]

Totally agree with that, found it really difficult to draw any positives after the performance last night and hope that this isn''t a sign of things to come.

Our players looked like rabbits in the headlights and just kept passing the ball around without gaining any ground, balls being supplied by the channels or being pumped into the box were wayward at best and our midfield seemed to be non-existant for most of the match.

The support was fantastic but I must admit I went home feeling very sorry for the poor sods who travelled down from Norfolk to watch that farce.

[Romantic 0]

[quote user="Mook"][quote user="taintedtom2000"]

Far, far too many time our midfiled was completely taken out of the game by the combination of Doherty and Askell hoofing the ball forward to Grant Holt, who himself didn''t have a great game.

[/quote]If you''ve played football (and i presume you have!) you''ll know what it''s like trying to pass to people in poor positions, or people who don''t want the ball. It''s very easy to say "don''t bypass midfield" but if the midfielders don''t want it, are hiding, already marked and making no attempt to lose their marker or are just plainly in a bad position, how can you pass to them?It''s the midfielders job to drop, want the ball, and take responsibility for using the ball well. No centre backs are renowned for their distribution, and that goes right up to players like Sol Campbell, and John Terry.[/quote]Absolutely! The villain of the piece last night was Gill. Very nervy and almost never available for anything more than a safe sideways ball. Get Hughes fit and starting and we improve.

[taintedtom2000 0]

[quote user="Mook"][quote user="taintedtom2000"]

Far, far too many time our midfiled was completely taken out of the game by the combination of Doherty and Askell hoofing the ball forward to Grant Holt, who himself didn''t have a great game.

[/quote]

If you''ve played football (and i presume you have!) you''ll know what it''s like trying to pass to people in poor positions, or people who don''t want the ball. It''s very easy to say "don''t bypass midfield" but if the midfielders don''t want it, are hiding, already marked and making no attempt to lose their marker or are just plainly in a bad position, how can you pass to them?

It''s the midfielders job to drop, want the ball, and take responsibility for using the ball well. No centre backs are renowned for their distribution, and that goes right up to players like Sol Campbell, and John Terry.
[/quote]

 

A really good point Mook, it all ties in with the lack of confidence in midfield. The one thing I would say is that would the lack of leadership from Doc not come into this? It should be his job to make those players drop and look for the ball.

I have a feeling that Lambert might have another player in mind for captain. Doc just isn''t cut out for the job, he''s so so quiet on the pitch. I wouldn''t be surprised if Lambert brought his own leader in? Who was captain at colchester for instance?

[CanaryRyan 0]

We made a horrendous team look like brazil!

[SitTee 0]

I went and i thought that tudur jones was man of the match but that was it. Whaley doesnt seem to cross enough, hoolahan was crap! He takes on so many players then gets tackled when you want him to cross it [:@] As soon as it was 1-0 down we dropped like flies and im fed up with that happening! We looked like we didnt have a clue what to do !

[rjwc22 0]

I thought the only decent players we had were OTJ and Hoolahan. Agreed the latter did not have the end product last night but he put the effort in, tracking back etc.

I thought Spillane looked quite poor but he was still the best of our defence. Doc was a shambles and Gill non-existent.

I was in the home end after losing a bet with a friend and have to say I thought our support was great, until we went 1-0 down and then it quietened down a lot!

[taintedtom2000 0]

[quote user="rjwc22"] I thought our support was great, until we went 1-0 down and then it quietened down a lot![/quote]

 

On the same token, until they scored the Brentford support was shocking!

[ref89 0]

You cant play Gill and TJ together, even a bloody idiot can see that, they are both holding players.  You can''t play Hoolahan on the left with an under-performing left back because you get exposed.  Butterworth and Gunn were idiots.  Thankfully they have gone.

[CanaryJames 0]

[quote user="can u sit down please"]Thats the problem when you buy cheap and free transfers. Players that are League 1 players.[/quote]

I disagree. Not all free signings will fail. It''s just we let the best ones go elsewhere.

We should have targetted the likes of Dean Brill (GK), Alan Mannus (GK), Danny Woodards (DL), Peter Clarke (CB), Magnus Okuonghae (CB), Sam Saunders (MR - who incidently ran us ragged yesterday), Danny N''Guessan (MR), Antony Kay (CM), David Noble (CM), Giles Coke (CM), Billy Clarke (S)

All of those were technically "free transfers", with compensation required for Okuonghae (set at £45k) and N''Guessan (set at around £250k).

That squad would have cost considerably less than the one we built, yet oddly seems significantly better.

And with the money left over we could have added our "marquee" signing in Grant Holt anyway.

[Robornio 107]

As stated on another thread, here''s my views:

Tudor-Jones and Gill were NON-EXISTANT last night as a centre partnership. Excluding the 92nd minute direct free-kick, they were truely awful. Neither of them seem to have any vision or control, and their passing is rather pathetic compared to other centre midfielders in the league. The only chances that did come along were because Grant Holt held the ball up, turned and set-up a play for Cody. That was it!! We might has well turned up with no centre midfield at all.

TJ is lazy. Barring a few tackles he made on Brentford players, who seemed quite enthusiastic to just run through the middle of them, he did very little to contribute to open play. How many times did he get the ball and just ''hoof'' a 40-yard pass up optimistically in the air (even when the away support was jeering him because of it just a minute beforehand)??!

Gill was even worse. Multiple loose passes going straight out of play, back to the goal-keeper or to an opposition player? Terrible! He doesn''t seem to have any physical presence either - so what is he?? Defensive midfielder or attacking midfielder? At the moment he is neither!

To be fair, in the only way possible, we had no midfield what so ever last night. We played 90 minutes without a left-winger. And to be totally truthful, we played 75 minutes without a right-winger.... Whalley can''t run past players, he can''t cross, he doesn''t make runs nor setup plays and he sits on the half way line waiting for ball-to-feet only (if you haven''t seen him play yet, imagine him a ''Lee Croft'' without pace or any creativity). And Wes Hoolahan.... if there is ever a call to play him in the centre ONLY, last night was the proof. He doesn''t stay on the left AT ALL. He is not a winger, and to play him there leaves that flank completely exposed when he goes on one of his cross-pitch wanders.

I''m sure everyone agreed, how much Hughes looked better in the centre whne he came on. But why only bring him on after 82 minutes, 2-0 down?!?! And why did we end up playing with 3 centre mids, 3 strikers?? We had no width at all. And Good luck Paul Lambert, your job is going to be an Everest-climb!!!

P.S. need I even mention Doherty?? Stop being over optimistic about him. He makes a few headers but cant handle people with pace or skill. He does not organise the back-line nor motivate the rest of the team. Take that band away from him IMMEDIATELY and then sell him.... Please someone take him off us!!!

[taintedtom2000 0]

Just found this review i did of the Brentford away game in 2009, Paulm Lambert had just been announced as our manager.

WOW OH WOW how things have changed....just incredible, genuinely incredible!

Thank you Mr Lambert!

[Bury Yellow 2]

Thanks for finding that. Really interesting thread and how accurate were the comments and observations of our play.

I was there for that game too and yes we were truly awful. So many bad memories. Thanks be on high to Messrs Bowkett, McNally and Lambo.

From the terraces of Hartlepool (great club though) to the Premier League. Unbelievable.

OTBC

[Norwich or die tryin! 0]

It''s actually kind of scary reading that. Made me remember just how bad we where back then. Whaley on the right, hoolahan on the left and gill and Otg in the middle, doc at the back. It''s incredible how far we''ve come since then. At that time,we HAD to get the appointment right, we,appointed Lambert and the rest they say is history. If we had got that appointment wrong I don''t think its inconceivable to think we could be in league two now and find ourselves in the same sort of situation as Sheff Wednesday and Plymouth.

Thankyou Mcnally for getting it right appointing Lambert and saving the club.

It''s actually quite. frightening to think what could have been and how much the history of our great club changed in that moment.

[Graham Paddons Beard 2,431]

This is strange because I said to my son on Monday night that this was the absolute low point for me, losing to Brentford. I was there ,with my son and his mate and it was truly horrible. We stood right behind the goal , OTJ scored a very late ,deflected free kick but we were all gutted. Even the Chip shop ran out of chips.

Progress since then has been miraculous. It is this rise, and the exceptional football we have played that makes this so very exciting.

Actually thought at the time that we were doomed for many years in League 1.

Phew.

[OTBC 0]

How long do Gill and OTJ have left on their contracts? It seems the club couldn''t even give them away, they must be on pretty cushy contracts at Norwich is all I can imagine. A lot has been made of the close knit group, how even the non starters have felt part of the team, does this extend as far as the likes of Askou etc?

[Harry 0]

The contracts of Matthew Gill, Jens Berthel Askou, Sam Habergham and Josh Dawkin run out this summer, Owain Tudur Jones is under contract for another year.

[Carra Rud 0]

This for me, was worse than the Colchester disaster.

[taintedtom2000 0]

[quote user="Carra Rud"]This for me, was worse than the Colchester disaster.[/quote]

I''d have to agree, we''d just got rid of Gunn and had no real proff that Lambert could do anything with what we had. How has he done it?!?! amazing!

[paul moy 235]

I was also at this game and in contrast I was optimistic as Lambert was there as an observer having just been appointed, and Butterworth was temporarily in charge. All was not doom and gloom as we had just won 4-1 at Yeovil and got a draw at Exeter, both of which I also attended. It was definitely a turning-point but no way was I as low as after the 7/1 defeat. Quite the opposite in fact.