Today’s Performance

T

Therealwaldo

Vital 1st Team Regular
This was uncomfortably close to some of our performances last season albeit not so sterile in attack. Most of the problems appeared to come through a lack of pressing of their back line and giving them far too much space in midfield. However, a bit of credit for the resilience and getting a point in the face of adversity.

Scores.

Holy 6 generally sound but was lucky a couple of times in the first half when he came to the edge of his area unnecessarily.

O’Neill 5 got caught in possession too often. Disappointing corners and crosses.

Zakuani 7 countless blocks and last ditch tackles kept us in it.

Ehmer 6 lost quite a few headers but kept going as always.

Garmston 5 very poor for a lot of the game but seemed to finish the game more strongly making a couple of good clearances.

Byrne 6 ok but nothing special until forced off by injury.

Bingham 5 still in a run of poor form. However, along with Reilly, he started to put in a few aggressive tackles in the last 20 minutes just sufficient to get us moving forward and to get a point.

Charles-Cook 6 lots of effort and pace again but couldn’t quite fashion a goal scoring opportunity.

Parker 5 another mixed bag from Josh. Some decent passes some woeful ones.

Eaves 6 decent enough with, yet again, no protection from the ref.

Hanlan 6 creates some of our best moments in the first half but faded as the match went on.

Subs.

List 7 very lively coming off the bench. Excellent individual goal.

Reilly 5 poor until he seemed to wake up towards the end when he and Bingham seemed to get a bit of midfield possession.

Wilkinson 6 despite some negative comments elsewhere, I thought he brought a bit more composure to the front line when he came on. Trouble was practically nothing was coming to either him or Eaves from midfield.

Overall we used a get out of jail free card here. I’m beginning to think we need Parret back asap. UTG
 
I'd be happy with seven points from every 5 games would give us a total of 64, 1 point from 3 on the other hand would give us about 15 points.
 
If Parrett isn't back soon then I'd like to see Nasseri or Stevenson given a go. Outside of one (admittedly beautiful) ball to set up a first half run and chance from Hanlon, Parker hasn't really looked at home in the attacking midfield role in the last two games. We lacked width at the start of the game with the full backs not getting forward (I lost count of the amount of times one of our forwards held the ball in one one of the corners in the first half and got no help, even a simple pass down the line backwards) and the first 10-15 mins of the second half was downright poor all round. On the up-side? I thought we looked a lot better when we went to a flat 4-4-2 in the second half, List is starting to apply his skill and speed to better effect and could be a hell of an asset and most importantly... we didn't lose. A point gained against a Coventry side who will most likely be comfortably mid-table come May.
 
IMO the diamond formation is causing us all kinds of defensive issues when we haven't got the ball, and even when we have the ball, our positioning of players when we turn the ball over is a massive issue, we're so all over the shop. Our diamond leaves far to many holes and spaces for opposition to play and move into, as either our full backs are to high and teams play into the space behind them or they sit back in a back four and our midfield 3 get outnumbered and are constantly chasing shadows. Very seldom does whoever's at the tip of the diamond drop back in to make it a compact midfield 4. If you give any team time and space in this division they will pass it round you if they have any kind of movement in their team.

What we do without the ball is as crucial as what we do with it, and at the moment were giving away way to many chances, 50 chances in our last 3 games.

Didn't see the game today but we looked so much more settled and organised against Sunderland after we went to a four in midfield, both defensively and offensively, but by that time we were already 3-1 down.

When we had Dack playing at the top of the diamond it was different, he had creative and goalscoring ability, plus the discipline and know how to drop into midfield when to lost the ball, sadly at the moment we haven't got someone of his quality playing in the role. 4-4-2 is a much simpler formation to play (or should be) and should make you more compact without the ball, something we desperately need at the moment.
 
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Looking at O'Neill's marking of 'his' winger, I think I'd rather go with 3-5-2. I don't think he's 'got it' at the moment, and Bingham is still looking lost and probably needs more game time at a lower level.
 
What a frustrating performance that was. In one sense, we were lucky to come away with anything, but like us against Sunderland on Wednesday, Cov didn't look like they could hit the target if their lives depended on it with the one exception. Saying that, we had plenty of decent chances too and were generally equally as wasteful. However, justice was done in one sense as Coventry's approach to the game was abysmal - a clear pre-meditated game plan to dive and cheat wherever possible, ably assisted by an abysmal referee who rather than stamping it out, as he should have, lapped it up and continually rewarded Coventry players diving and theatrics. The Coventry number 23 was a disgrace to his profession - how he didn't at least get a yellow card, I will never know, the number 18 and number 26 were not a lot better and should equally be ashamed of themselves. However, this does not excuse our disorganised mess of a performance.

Our main problems seems to stem from two areas defensively. Central midfield and especially the holding role - where a lot of the time there seems to be no protection of cover for the centre backs. Bingham seems off the pace and I question whether his tackling is good enough. The two full backs look a liability defensively at the moment and their crossing and corners in O'Nei's case going forward are poor. Im not sure Ehmer, Zak and Holy had their best games, but it I still difficult when you are exposed in front of you and either side. Our passing was also generally lacks and our forward players, whilst individually dangerous on occasions gave the ball away too much. Parker has had two poor games in a row now. Hanlan whilst offering something different in not being afraid to run at people, too often made the wrong choice when a pass or shot were the best options. I'm afraid Eaves, whilst you can't fault his effort, live for up to the away fans jibes, which he usually rams down their faces. He seemed to do a strange pogo dance every time he got the ball, although his job wasn't helped by the lack of support or product to him and constantly being fouled - maybe he should have learnt from the Cov players and rolled about every 10 seconds, as it worked for them. List was the massive bright spark - changed the game for us and have the Cov defenders backing off and worried as soon as he go at it.

I'd like to see us got 4-5-1 / 4-3-3 next week with the same back 4 (not sure we have any other option) a strong midfield three of Byrne / Bingham / Reilly playing barrow and List Andrew Hanlan playing wide of them but pushing on as a three with Eaves when going forward.
 
1pt from 9 is not good.

7 from 15 is acceptable.

But playing Barnsley next means a probable 7 from 18 which is not too great. A loss will have the doomsdayers among our fans out in force.
 
The team now has character and fights to the end plus we now have pace.
For me the football is already better than last season and we still have more players to be given a run, we are only five games in and we will improve as the season progresses.

I am positive we will do well this season.
 
3 defeats in a row before today, if you included the Millwall penalty shoot out League Cup loss, and today was comfortably the worst we have played at home so far this season. So although we got a point, we seem to be on a downward period.

Most Gills fans thought we’d win today, so the fact we didn’t makes it more important to get something at Barnsley or we will start falling down the table. Wimbledon up next at home won’t be easy - similar size and budget to us, can see it being a scrappy tight game.
 
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