Whelans leg v Jimmy Hills chin

[ZAKKY]

First half we were the better team, we played some good pass and move and created some great openings that the final pass just wasn't quite there. You could tell Coventry were very well drilled and had a great method of play but we managed their threat well and were winning the second balls. It was probably the best half of the season after the first against Norwich. I was very pleased at half time - we didn't look like a team adrift at the bottom who's players didn't know if they were going to be paid. The only thing missing was a goal that we deserved.

At the start of the second half Coventry made a couple of changes and went up a gear and we struggled to keep up. We conceded another piss poor avoidable goal and went to pieces completely. We were all over the place and Coventry looked most likely to score again. Maloney made counter intuitive tactical changes that didnt help at all - we were losing midfield but he took off our best tackling def mid and just surrendered it further. We ended up something like a 5-0-5 at times with loads of attacking mids pushing high but no one in midfield to link play so we just went long and lost it continually as Fletcher, Magennis and Wyke are poor target men at this level and barely won a header between them all night.

The most bizarre thing was bringing on our biggest threat in Pearce's crossing to completely nullify it by playing him at centre half yet kept playing McLean out wide on the left despite him failing every to provide any delivery or threat in open play. The eventual own goal equaliser came from the only time Pearce got into a crossing position, Coventry failed to clear it and from the second ball Keane played in Nyambe who up until that point point blank refused to cross a ball all night. But he finally had a go and it took a lucky deflection - but that's the thing if you have a go then anything could happen, if you never make an attempt you guarentee you wont score. Pearce has barely been on the pitch this season but he's still probably put in more dangerous crosses in open play than anyone else, it's absolutely stupid to not have Pearce wide, playing him at centre back was a massive waste.

After we scored we didn't do anything, you felt if we could just get hold of the ball and go at them maybe we could snatch it but we just frustratingly kept giving it away and it was Coventry more likely to get a winner.

First half we deserved to be winning, second half was one of the most frustrating of the season and we deserved nothing. So in a funny way it balanced out but some of these players made it painfully obvious that they aren't Championship standard with their performances in that second half and I think tactically Maloney really got it wrong.

We showed glimpses of what we are capable of in the opening 45 and it was very encouraging but again avoidable mistakes cost us a goal and we are not good enough to give teams a gift of a lead and score twice. You understand the off field fiasco won't have helped so we probably can't be too critical of a draw even though under the circumstances we needed a win. The effort was there but in the second half the performance was really lacking and we just didn't do enough, so it felt like a loss to me coming out of the ground.

If you listen to Shaun's after match comments he explained why he took Christ off and the other substitutions. He said Christ had a great first half but he needed to open the game up as a draw is no good to us now and he wanted us to go for it which is fair enough in my book

 

[Ooooooo to Be a Wiganer]

You don't get it do you. You mentioned "deserve" ... which has got nothing to do with achievement.

We "deserved" to win because we're shit, yet through guts, determination and sheer doggedness, we almost got a second goal. Even with all those shit players hampering the rest of the team, Coventry couldn't beat us. Probably, every single player of theirs was better than ours in a man to man match (maybe Charlie excepted), yet they couldn't score 2 ... and our bunch of losers nearly did.

Personally, I was buoyed by that game. Performance first half, guts the second.

I get that you weren't, and I'm sorry for you for that.

You don't get it do you. You mentioned "deserve" ... which has got nothing to do with achievement.

We "deserved" to win because we're shit, yet through guts, determination and sheer doggedness, we almost got a second goal. Even with all those shit players hampering the rest of the team, Coventry couldn't beat us. Probably, every single player of theirs was better than ours in a man to man match (maybe Charlie excepted), yet they couldn't score 2 ... and our bunch of losers nearly did.

Personally, I was buoyed by that game. Performance first half, guts the second.

I get that you weren't, and I'm sorry for you for that.

I told you weeks ago this team can’t score goals. Not rocket science if you don’t put the ball in the onion bag you don’t win. And that’s been the problem all season.

 

[moonay]

I told you weeks ago this team can’t score goals. Not rocket science if you don’t put the ball in the onion bag you don’t win. And that’s been the problem all season.

And still that has bugger all to do with whether or not we deserved to win tonight.

 

[Number 6]

I thought we deserved to win on the first half alone. If we had decent strikers it’s game over. A few weeks ago that Cov goal would have been the first of many, but we dug in even though our play had gone very ragged. Someone mentioned Hughes. The lad plays with such confidence. A few senior pros could learn a lot from him which says a lot about his character. It’s a shame we are going down as Sean could have had a good go at the championship next season with a decent summer window.

 

[king_dezeeuw06]

If you listen to Shaun's after match comments he explained why he took Christ off and the other substitutions. He said Christ had a great first half but he needed to open the game up as a draw is no good to us now and he wanted us to go for it which is fair enough in my book

Opening the game up is one thing if you are in control, but if you are losing midfield you can't get the ball to your attackers in good areas to hurt the opposition.

 

[Th10]

I thought Christ and Sinani got us playing some decent stuff in the first half and we should’ve gone in front. I’d like to see them both stay at the club but can’t see it now with us pretty much relegated and all the uncertainty at the club. They are both more comfortable on the ball than other players we have and are able to move with it as well as play different types of passes. On the other hand I thought Power slowed things down too much again and is far too predictable. It was him that lost possession in the build up to the goal and I lost count of how many times he gave it away last night. I’d like to see Naylor alongside Christ which would allow him to move forward more.

Second half Coventry came into it but thankfully we managed to get the point I think we deserved overall. The attendance was poor, I think with everything going on behind the scenes and the bad weather quite a few didn’t bother. Unless the owners sort things out and communicate clearly with the fans I think we could see attendances like that every week next season.

 

[hindleymonwafc]

i thought the lads did us proud tonight.played with passion and fought for everything!One bit of news is that Shaun is going to Bahrain at the weekend to meet the owner!Bit of hope in that!!

Oh Jesus...its the old sign a 3 year deal and sack the bastard con trick.

 

[hindleymonwafc]

That first half was the best I've seen us play all season....quick to the ball, crisp slick passing all played at a decent tempo. There was some sublime little passes moving quickly up the pitch but then it seemed like we wanted to walk the ball into the net. On a wet n cold night shots on the deck on target could have gone in but we were reluctant to shoot. Coventry's 2 subs at half time changed the game & for large parts of it we were chasing shadows. As to their goal.....cluster fuck by Mr 'I'm coming for the ball...er no I'm not coming for the ball Amos....he was shite & has been for a fair few games now. In the 1st half he almost carbon copied the mistake he made for the Preston penalty...as to his distribution & overall effort I'd best leave it or this post would be longer than a KDZ match summary (). Fletcher imo is a thin version of Grant Holt who CANNOT jump or challenge for the ball, barely manages to get around 6 inches off the ground.
Such a shame that we couldn't continue our 1st half performance into the 2nd half & when they scored their goal it sort of knocked us for 6 but fair play to the lads they battled hard despite the best efforts of the little gimp in orange being absolute dog shit. A draw wasn't enough but it just about sums us up ...I can most definitely hear a well proportioned lady singing in the distance.....

Saw the incident 1st half jock where it was 100% his ball and just needed dropping on but he backed out for fear of a penalty. Poor lads confidence seems to have suffered but he needs to be more assertive and start talking to his defense...highlighted by the defender heading the ball for a corner when a bit of communication was needed to leave it. He's a good shot stopper but needs to command his area far better.

 

[runcornfan1978]

Next thing you will say they deserved to win

On the first half performance - 100% yes! The fact we clawed our way back into the game having gone a goal down despite being second best in the second half - again 100% yes!

 

[jocklatic]

Saw the incident 1st half jock where it was 100% his ball and just needed dropping on but he backed out for fear of a penalty. Poor lads confidence seems to have suffered but he needs to be more assertive and start talking to his defense...highlighted by the defender heading the ball for a corner when a bit of communication was needed to leave it. He's a good shot stopper but needs to command his area far better.

There was also an incident late on the 2nd half when a crossed ball came over from East stand side with NO Coventry player near it & was 100% going out of play...Amos must have shouted to Nyambe to leave it but he headed it our for a corner....he either has ZERO trust in Amos or communication is at an all time low between keeper n defence....

 

[moonay]

There was also an incident late on the 2nd half when a crossed ball came over from East stand side with NO Coventry player near it & was 100% going out of play...Amos must have shouted to Nyambe to leave it but he headed it our for a corner....he either has ZERO trust in Amos or communication is at an all time low between keeper n defence....

Same had happened with Darikwa earlier on too. It seemed like very little communication went on ... though their fans were singing loudly at the time.

 

[Kenny Morris]

Same had happened with Darikwa earlier on too. It seemed like very little communication went on ... though their fans were singing loudly at the time.

Saw the two incidents as well, it seems that Amos has little or no ability to command his box. I can't believe that Darikwa and Nyambe both didn't hear Amos, looks to me like he just didn't shout in either case. Could easily have lead to another Cov goal from the corners.
For the goal Amos was very poor and just doesnt come for crosses at all, and don't get me started on his abysmal kicking. Time for a change and bring in Jones, Amos does make a few decent saves but is a liability at present and needs to be dropped.

 

[hindleymonwafc]

We have to be careful not to destroy the lad's confidence altogether but he needs to trust himself more and claim the ball. Command his area better and that's a great asset that Jamie has so maybe he can work with Ben on this. There's a good goalkeeper in there he just needs to believe it himself and be confident.

 

[jocklatic]

Same had happened with Darikwa earlier on too. It seemed like very little communication went on ... though their fans were singing loudly at the time.

Good job we don't have 'big' crowds like Blunderland - They'd never hear a bloody thing

 

[Kendal Blue]

All in all I thought it was an excellent performance. We showed a lot of fighting spirit and a little bit of class in the middle. Again, points dropped due to the inability to take chances. Some of our balls into the box were tailor-made for Fletcher, but he was either a yard behind or unwilling to take that gamble. His confidence level was no more evident than the first half when he pointed to someone else (Keane I think), to take the ball in the box rather than back himself to swing a boot at it.
Despite his limited ability, I don't think anyone can criticise Max's leadership qualities or his engine. I think that's why he stays out there for 90 minutes.
Charlie Hughes was again the best player on the pitch. It's a sign of how far he's come that he was noticeably frustrated with his odd mistake. Unpopular opinion it may be, but at the other end I feel Thelo has stalled. He still has that potential threat with the ball, but he's not showing that bravery that makes him special. His spacial awareness hasn't improved either.
We showed a lot of spirit and professional pride last night, and although I think it's too late for this season, I can't ask for more other than their best

 

[king_dezeeuw06]

All in all I thought it was an excellent performance. We showed a lot of fighting spirit and a little bit of class in the middle. Again, points dropped due to the inability to take chances. Some of our balls into the box were tailor-made for Fletcher, but he was either a yard behind or unwilling to take that gamble. His confidence level was no more evident than the first half when he pointed to someone else (Keane I think), to take the ball in the box rather than back himself to swing a boot at it.
Despite his limited ability, I don't think anyone can criticise Max's leadership qualities or his engine. I think that's why he stays out there for 90 minutes.
Charlie Hughes was again the best player on the pitch. It's a sign of how far he's come that he was noticeably frustrated with his odd mistake. Unpopular opinion it may be, but at the other end I feel Thelo has stalled. He still has that potential threat with the ball, but he's not showing that bravery that makes him special. His spacial awareness hasn't improved either.
We showed a lot of spirit and professional pride last night, and although I think it's too late for this season, I can't ask for more other than their best

I don't think it's an unpopular opinion as much as it's a statement of fact Thelo has stalled badly. He's had 33 apperances this season, he's had a couple of good cameos along the way but i don't think he's had that many unfortunately.

He's nowhere near a Championship player right now. Not to say he couldn't eventually go onto the become one eventually but i don't think he's as good as we thought he was.

 

[Thedriver]

1st half was the best football all season - just couldnt finish

Think the referee was awful is positioning was shocking - in the way for several passes and tackles. Lines man shocking on offside missed when he was at least 6 foot offside - fortunate that nothing came of it.

2nd half changes by coventry changed the game - for 25 mins - then felt the team dug in and got the goal and think we where the stronger team at the end of full time.

The header by Nyambe - out for a corner (twice) was not his fault - a defender will always play the ball out of play - unless his team mates tell him otherwise - louder voices required by team mates to ensure he gets the right info.

 

[moonay]

I don't think it's an unpopular opinion as much as it's a statement of fact Thelo has stalled badly. He's had 33 apperances this season, he's had a couple of good cameos along the way but i don't think he's had that many unfortunately.

He's nowhere near a Championship player right now. Not to say he couldn't eventually go onto the become one eventually but i don't think he's as good as we thought he was.

I kind of agree, but feel that it's not all his fault. I think he's seen as a very versatile player, who can perform in a number of different positions, and so he never seems to be given the chance to excel in any.

Take this season ... he's been used as an attacker (not necessarily winger) down the left (predominantly ... though sometimes down the right (which was the case in the U23s game at Leyland Motors)... as one of the two (more) defensive midfielders alongside Power, and in the No 10 role vacated by Keane. He doesn't get the stability of playing in the same role on a consistent basis.

If we stay up, then he's going to have to learn quickly how to adapt, but if we go down (as many consider we are already), then I'd imagine that he'll be one of the cornerstones of our re-building for next season.

 

[king_dezeeuw06]

I kind of agree, but feel that it's not all his fault. I think he's seen as a very versatile player, who can perform in a number of different positions, and so he never seems to be given the chance to excel in any.

Take this season ... he's been used as an attacker (not necessarily winger) down the left (predominantly ... though sometimes down the right (which was the case in the U23s game at Leyland Motors)... as one of the two (more) defensive midfielders alongside Power, and in the No 10 rile vacated by Keane. He doesn't get the stability of playing in the same role on a consistent basis.

If we stay up, then he's going to have to learn quickly how to adapt, but if we go down (as many consider we are already), then I'd imagine that he'll be one of the cornerstones of our re-building for next season.

Ii really think we did Aasgaard a massive disservice by sitting him in the stand most of last season here rather than getting him out on loan at lower L1 or L2 team. I think the benefit he'd have got from playing every week would've been probably much greater than a handful of good cameos he had for us. Even this season he probably could've been better served going out on loan if it meant he would get a full season of regular football under his belt.

I think rather than his position constantly changing in the side the biggest issue is that he's never got used to starting games or even playing regularly, so asking him to try and do both at a level that so many great L1 players struggle to adapt has been far too much. It also hasn't helped he's a flair player coming into a struggling team that has often been kicking the ball over his head.

By the time we asked Lang to pull on a Latics shirt he'd already had 4 good loan spells to learn, he had the experience and was ready to sink or swim on ability. I think we haven't given Thelo enough of that - hopefully we can get him back on track in L1 next season. But i really do feel a sense of frustration that we haven't done the best by him in the short term and us in the long term by not getting him first team football.

 

[TRUE BELIEVER]

Opening the game up is one thing if you are in control, but if you are losing midfield you can't get the ball to your attackers in good areas to hurt the opposition.

I think both managers last night would disagree with you on that KDZ.

Maloney said his thinking was to get more attacking flair on the pitch whilst Robbins, in his interview, admitted he thought his men looked leggy and were pushed back by our changes.

It is interesting how we all view games differently, for instance I came away last night with a feeling of optimism having been buoyed by the fight back after conceding yet another soft goal. I also thought the reaction of most of the fans in the stadium at full time agreed with what I saw as they certainly gave the lads a good send off.

In my opinion I think the first half performance from Will Keane deserves mention as well. I think that is the best he has performed for the whole season.

I agree that the second half performance was not as dominant as the first but in most part that was because Robbins introduced Sheaf to midfield to close play down. Something he admitted to in his interview as he thought we were far more in control in the first half.

The soft goal, which incidentally was entirely down to Amos' hesitancy, changed the dynamics and Maloney thought he had no option but to go for it and made the attacking changes necessary. I must admit that when he did so I was stunned that he had taken Christ off and said so to those around me, but having seen the response from the players I am happy to admit my mistake. It was the right call and, in my opinion led to us getting the point we did.

My MoM was Charlie Hughes for a battling performance against one of the best centre forwards in the league and his goal line clearance that kept us in the game.