We need to talk about... | Vital Football

We need to talk about...

I really don't think MA would appreciate any advice from the previous occupier of the seat

Recipe for disaster

See Alex Ferguson's continued roles at Manure for an example
 
I refer you to the threads against Stevenage and Port Vale when we conceded in the last couple of minutes. Apparently on those occasions the Cowleys were mere school teachers who had no idea about game management.

Good game management is winning
Bad game management is losing


But to entertain your theory ...

... they would probably have played Bridcutt, asked Hopper to score a fourth and then brought on Harry Anderson to take the ball into the corners.

Now why didn't Appleton do that.
 
Up to a few games ago, without running into corners, Farman time, etc, it was pretty good. Suddenly, the whole squad need dogs to learn how to hold a lead.

They're missing the experience of Bridcutt and the nous of Walsh.

I think also the use of subs remains MA's Achilles Heel. Withdrawing Rogers, who couldn't find a pass all second half, for Sanders or Jones would have bolstered midfield. Would we have held on to the lead? Conjecture, but we'd have been set up better to defend it.
 
Not being able to bring Harry on is a major loss in this area. He not only runs into the corners but indices red cards.

We're missing several key players and almost overcame that yesterday, with a very young team.
That's the price of living within our means.

Morton will be back in a week or 10 days' time. Imagine him getting on the end of those crosses into the six yard box?

We are still second.
 
I could be wrong but I think that was only the 4th goal we've conceded in the last 10 minutes of league matches this season and I think we have scored 10.
 
The other thing worth reminding ourselves is this is a sport. One of the main reasons we watch it is that the outcome isn't inevitable.

Even if you make all the right decisions as a manager.

On other occasions things go your way when on most occasions they wouldn't.

This is what happened to Plymouth

Plymouth/Lincoln (stats)

Shots 10/15
On Target 5/8
Possession 42/58%
Fouls committed 15/8
 
One more thought...

If you have played enough sport you will know sometimes the flow of matches almost has a life of its own which only the very best and most experienced sides can counter.

Coming back from 2-0 behind isn't possible for poor sides. Even for good sides it takes a monumental effort. The best time to score your third is nine minutes into injury time.

The real danger if you get back infront "too early" like we did, is you subconsciously, even consciously relax and just defend what you have clawed back and encourage the opposition back into the game.

The best thing is usually just to keep your foot hard to the floor and keep doing what brought you back into the lead.

That's in fact just what we did.

Hopper's miss and Johnson's chance which could have been squared to the unmarked Rogers on the penalty spot or could have easily fallen to Rogers after the save, should have been the reward for good game management.

Our strength at the minute is our attacking not our watertight defence (due mostly to availability/fitness).

I think we made rational choices and very nearly executed them as we would have liked.

We might have to get our heads round trying to win a game 4-2 rather than 1-0...

but with Rogers, Scully, Johnson, Hopper and Morton soon to be fit, attack will be the best form of defence, with the players we will have available for the next few matches.
 
Difficult call - if Hopper had put us 4-2 up we would have been praising them for pushing for another goal rather than sitting back on what we had.
Reminds me of MA comments after the Ipswich game last season about how he was glad we went for the 5th rather than trying to hold on for the 4-3, sit back and invite pressure.
 
The other thing worth reminding ourselves is this is a sport. One of the main reasons we watch it is that the outcome isn't inevitable.

Even if you make all the right decisions as a manager.

On other occasions things go your way when on most occasions they wouldn't.

This is what happened to Plymouth

Plymouth/Lincoln (stats)

Shots 10/15
On Target 5/8
Possession 42/58%
Fouls committed 15/8
So we had a lot chances and their keeper had yet another good game against us?