Whelans broken leg
Vital Reserves Team
Wigan fans won’t watch crap,to much choice around here. And that’s the same with the rugby
It's happened again,
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king_dezeeuw06
Vital Champions League
That is my issue - when people say we are just inconsistent it's not, we consistently perform one way against the better sides and consistently perform a different way against the weaker sides. Tactically from the manager and effort wise on the pitch it's unrecognisable approaches.
It's clearly not down to a lack of quality or even an inability to battle it's a completely different mentality on display in the different types of games.
One mentality is up for it and has urgency, hard work, pressing and aggression while the other is lacklustre, casual, stands offs and easily out worked.
AbramLatic1
Vital Reserves Team
While he's got a lot wrong, all things considered this season, he's got a lot more right than wrong. We do need to iron out this inconsistency against the poorer sides, though I think today's on the players. Do agree with the point that's been made about today (and other similar games), that 2nd half was crying out for a Morsy, Naylor etc, not necessarily a s/house, just someone who'll get stuck in.
AbramLatic1
Vital Reserves Team
Talk a lot of sense KDZ as per, one of those who seem to "get" where we're at at the moment, not getting too carried away with Bolton, P'Boro, Oxford etc but not too down with the Bristol R, Burton, today etc
St. Column Major
Vital Reserves Team
It wasn't down to the players bringing Clare back into the side who is one of the worst players I have seen in years, I cannot believe the stick this board gave Darikwa last two seasons yet let Clare off with much criticism.
It wasn't down to the players leaving Godo on the pitch when he was totally lost in the game and constantly gave away the ball.
It definitely wasn't down to the players taking a striker off who is a main goal scoring threat to replace him with one who poses no goal threats.
It NEVER IS down to the players, setting the team up so defensively and getting them to drop back deep into our own half allowing the oppositions goalkeeper or defenders to bring a ball at least 40 yards further up feel than the should.
We made Fleetwood's centre backs today look like a dream combination of Franz Beckenbauer and Bobby Moore the way we stood off them and IT WAS DOWN TO THE MANAGER that he didn't make his players close them down as every man and dog except Maloney could see was desperately needed.
king_dezeeuw06
Vital Champions League
The thing I really dislike is that we can more often that not predict if we will turn up based soley on the opposition. Going into games against the top 6 we are far more optimistic of getting a result or performance than we are against teams in the relegation places.
The players are clearly fired up and well prepared for the better sides but are not motivated and poorly prepared for the lesser sides. That falls on both the manager and players - absolutely nothing to do with a lack of ability purely down to a different mentality.
We aren't inconsistent we are just complacent.
king_dezeeuw06
Vital Champions League
Clare makes Darikwa look like prime Cafu.
moonay
Vital Football Legend
Maybe we're inconsistent because we're complacent ... amongst other reasons.
king_dezeeuw06
Vital Champions League
But when you look at the performances against the stronger sides they are quite consistent in one sense and our performances against the poor sides are quite consistent in another sense.
So I'd say that is a mentality issue in how we set up and perform between the 2 senarios rather than a consistency one as there is a clear pattern that is consistent.
moonay
Vital Football Legend
... and therein lies the inconsistency.
We can play well ... but we don't always do so.
king_dezeeuw06
Vital Champions League
As I say there's clearly more to the vast disparities in performance than just inconsistency when we nearly always play well in games against one type of opponent then nearly always play poorly in games against another type of opponent.
moonay
Vital Football Legend
Haha ... this is the point where (as with you & TB), we agree to disagree.
You've now put it down to mentality, opponents, approach, complacency ... I've just grouped all of those things under "inconsistency". EDIT ... for all of those reasons.
TRUE BELIEVER
Vital Football Hero
What you are describing is the reason for the inconsistency, in essence the complacency shown against perceived lesser opponents, which is a problem associated in most quarters to youth and lack of experience. Which we have within the squad.
Who would you have us bring in that we would have been able to attract without a signing on fee, a transfer fee or a loan fee?
That's the reality of our situation this season.
How can you say that he set the team up defensively and got them to drop back in our own half? That is what you saw the team doing - I accept that. But were you in the changing room and listening to a team talk that told them to do that? If not, then we don't know what was said and whether it was the manager's decision or not.
Personally, I doubt that is how he sent the team out to play, but once they cross the touchline then it is in their hands and not Maloney's. Yes, he can tell them from the touchline to change, but if they lack the confidence to do that it's hardly his fault. I can't comment on the substitutions etc., but SM is limited by the squad he has. Most reports I've seen say that we were lacking in energy/enthusiasm for the fight - which is ALWAYS down to the players on the pitch!
hindleymonwafc
Vital Champions League
Pointless having a manager then if it's the players who dictate tactics.
St. Column Major
Vital Reserves Team
I am not talking of one match, on the odd occasion it can be accepted that the players don't perform as told to, however when the overwhelming majority of games under Maloney have been like that and that is not down to the players.
The limited squad claim is a lame excuse, unless you are blind or don't look at what is going on you will have seen the ability of the team at times, please read an observation of the team that has been brought up on a regular basis by KDZ, he has it spot on, why does the team seem to be able to perform against better teams yet are pretty pathetic against the poorer sides we encounter as we saw on Saturday.
While you are at it please look again at my post on things that Maloney did in that game that were plain baffling, bringing the worst player in our squad back into the starting line up, keeping a player doing nothing on the field, then worst of all taking off a player who was a constant goal threat and replaced him with a player that has never been a goal threat in his whole career.
Can you tell me why you claim we have a limited squad yet don't touch on the possibility that many of our issues are because we are managed by a person with limited ability.
jeffs right
Vital Football Hero
Is our squad as limited as say Stevenage Borough? They seem to be cracking on.
Yes! ….I don’t think it’s necessarily a case of ‘raising our game’ against the big guns and being guilty of complacency against the strugglers, it's more that we are most ineffective against ‘up and at em’ opponents.
The teams nearer the top *for the most part play more passing and possession football and we are more suited to a game of that type and are likelier (not definitely!) …to come out on top.
(Not sure we’d have lost the Barnsley and Portsmouth home games had we kept 11 men on the pitch …but we’ll never know)
A generalisation I’ll admit but the teams near the bottom especially when they are fully motivated, are more physical, direct and come at us and that is what we struggle most to cope with, hence our poor record against them.
* Play off candidates Stevenage are an exception to the footballing teams at the top end and unsurprisingly they’ve done the double over us.
We beat both Exeter (away) and Fleetwood at home when they were at the absolute arse end of their form and confidence….since then both have picked up somewhat, prior to our recent games and they’ve both done us
It seems today to most managers that stats are more important than results who gives a toss if we have 70% possession and yet don't win the game. This tippy tappy playing across the back 4 shite is ok if you have players the calibre of City and Barca. We don't and the longer you spend in your own half pissing about the less chance you have of scoring its not rocket science. God I miss the old days when 442 was king and football was exciting wingers flying down the flanks proper strikers full backs . Loved it back then
