MK Dons (Home) High/lowlights
- Thread starter Hank the Imp
- Start date
GrotierBranfootLeigh
Vital Squad Member
Very unlucky 3rd goal but terrible miss by Fiorini
What the hell was TJ doing when their first goal went in. We had the ball in our defensive left side and TJ was on the right touch line near the half way line. They nick the ball and guess what…there is a gaping hole in the right back position. If that is sound tactical coaching I really despair with what’s happening this season.
Brendan Bradley
Vital Squad Member
We were in possession and looking to attack, we weren't defending. Eyoma was in a good position.
The problem, not for the first time, was a terrible pass out of defence and a weak midfield challlenge - if you can call it a challenge. The goal owed something to luck, though, as it seemed to me that Twine wouldn't have received the ball at all if Eisa hadn't failed to control it.
But we shouldn't be losing the ball continually in those areas as those turnovers are the most dangerous of all. Midfield should have been shored up long ago and that is a failure of team management regardless of our personnel issues.
I re watched the last half hour of yesterday's match. The score could have been anything, we had glorious positions and so did they.
We were woefully open at the back and so were they.
Both sides played a high risk strategy.
They have slightly better players overall than we do at the moment. Full stop. That's why they are seventh not us.
It's the same conundrum for MA until he can change the players, that are fit and available
We can set up more cautiously and will create less. If you add in one area you take away in another.
Better players make better decisions and execute better.
But against the teams we will need to beat in the second half of the season, we aren't far off. A couple of good additions / returns to fitness will change that balance I believe
UTI
Brendan Bradley
Vital Squad Member
Absolutely right, you can't do both.
But we won't pick up many wins when we know we have to score two or three to even stand a chance of doing that. At the moment we have to stop conceding goals, the teams that get relegated are nearly always the ones that ship the most.
We have enough creativity, even without some of our best players, to nick goals on the break. We don't have to keep the game wide open all the time, it worked very well at Wigan but that idea seems to have been ditched.
Something along those lines is needed temporarily in order to pick up some points and the confidence that comes with it, and until a full strength side can be put onto the field. As you pointed out, MK Dons have a better team than us right now, one of the best we have played this season.
We were in possession but in a defensive part of the pitch on our left side. We were 2-0 up and number one priority was to stay as a solid unit. So you are ok with our right back being 40 yards out of position with the game situation as it was
Scotimp
Vital Football Legend
No defence for the first goal. Terrible clearance by Bridcutt for the equaliser, sclaffed it straight to O'Riley; not sure why Griffiths didn't move - wrong footed? Poor ball to Fiorini for the open goal, but should have scored nonetheless. Twine's winner was heading for the corner flag. How to turn what should have been a comfortable win into defeat, a mixture of bad luck and avoidable incompetence.
clanford
Vital 1st Team Regular
From where I was sat it looked like Griffiths was unsighted. The ball came out from Liams hash of a clearance and the next thing, the balls in the back of the net. Obviously had no chance for their winner.
We are Lincoln City not Manchester City. You’ve got to be crackers to think our right back should be where he was when the ball was where it was and the state of the game at the time
clanfordimp
Vital 1st Team Regular
Totally agree John. Its all about shape and where we were trying to play the ball from Eyoma was way to far up the pitch.
Having said that the ball into the midfield was abysmul, it gave Fiorini no chance and Brendan it wasn't about him putting a challenge in he was given no chance with a ball like that into him.
NottyImp
Vital Football Legend
I agree but, in a sense, we are Man. City. Or, at least, that's how we're trying to play. In L1, no less with L1 players.
clanfordimp
Vital 1st Team Regular
On the Fiorini miss, he had gone slightly too far beyond the ball and was reaching back with his left foot to hook it in.. Scully did everything right in slightly pulling the ball back but if he had played it forward straight into Fiorini's path he would of been offside.
Having said that he still should of got it right.
It would of been one of the easiest goals he would ever score.
Having said that he still should of got it right.
It would of been one of the easiest goals he would ever score.
Norfolk Imp
Vital 1st Team Regular
Just watched the extended highlights, literally gifted our goals but the rest of it is cringeworthy in the extreme …. the next 4 games look very daunting don’t they? 
the one legged imp
Vital Youth Team
The priority at the moment should be to just get 3 points whatever way we can.
We were incredibly fortunate to be 2 up so early. But it did allow the players to be more open and progressive in their play, and it would not have been a shock to have got a 3rd goal.
However it was pretty obvious to most people that if the MK Don's got 1 goal back we would start to look very nervous.
And so it proved.
The team are playing ok ish football without ever looking like they are ever having any dominate periods.
This of course always leads to eventual problems at the back with what can only be described now as a very fragile and dodgy defensive unit.
I think we all realise that unless we get some incredibly gifted players into the club in January.
The remainder of the season is likely to be a full on relegation battle.
For what it's worth I actually quite the excitement of a relegation battle. It usually weadles out the true football fan as opposed to the fair wethers who only seem to have a voice when the team are doing well.
We were incredibly fortunate to be 2 up so early. But it did allow the players to be more open and progressive in their play, and it would not have been a shock to have got a 3rd goal.
However it was pretty obvious to most people that if the MK Don's got 1 goal back we would start to look very nervous.
And so it proved.
The team are playing ok ish football without ever looking like they are ever having any dominate periods.
This of course always leads to eventual problems at the back with what can only be described now as a very fragile and dodgy defensive unit.
I think we all realise that unless we get some incredibly gifted players into the club in January.
The remainder of the season is likely to be a full on relegation battle.
For what it's worth I actually quite the excitement of a relegation battle. It usually weadles out the true football fan as opposed to the fair wethers who only seem to have a voice when the team are doing well.
But we are also playing like MK Dons and Plymouth and Oxford and ...
are you advocating playing like Shrewsbury or Gillingham or Morecambe ...
The issues are well documented....
but unlike Man City we have less easy options.
None of which guarantee success.
Gene Hunt
Vital Newbie
I was most concerned that there seems to be a gaping hole in the centre of our midfield when we don't have possession. If Bridcut is out of position no one fills in for him and the opposition central midfielder gets to run with the ball almost to our penalty area. No back four can deal with that - there needs to be pressure on the ball.
NottyImp
Vital Football Legend
clanfordimp
Vital 1st Team Regular
As a manager/coach your team has to be able to play more than one way when circumstances dictate.
Your team needs to be balanced with different types of players that all know their jobs.
You need players on the bench who can come on and provide something different.
And sometimes, no matter how good a football team you are and how much you like passing the ball around, you need to know that your manager doesn't mind you putting the ball in the channels or even just lumping it up there.
