Yes, I was one of the alleged 19009 attendees...
It was a similar team but with a very different feel. Back 5 the same
as Saturday...and played pretty much the same as they did on Saturday.
The midfield was the difference - Bridcutt as the lynch pin protecting
the back 4 until he went off injured, Sakko and Dallas wide...and
intermittently very effective (at other times anonymous) O'Kane and
Hernandez tucked inside nearer to Bridcutt. And just Antonsson up
front. We were set up pass, on the ground, move and support - and for
the best part of the first half that is exactly what we did - if you
give some leeway for being a team low on confidence and not comfortable
at home.
We pressed well when they had the ball - O'Kane in particular looked
useful, at least for 60 minutes or so. Sakko ran their left back
ragged...but too often chose to double back and try to beat him again.
B'burn quickly got to double/triple marking him at times. And we did
have several shots on goal.
We lost our shape after Bridcutt went off early in the second half -
he'd been clattered towards the end of the first - and Phillips came
on. That cost us some of the energy and certainly some of the bite. Not
long after that Wood came on for the hard working Antonsson. And almost
immediately got gifted a goal - Sakko beat 2 or 3 coming down the
right, got to the dead ball line and then cut in before delivering a
low hard cross which came to Wood 4 yards out on his own at the back
post - he just had to let the ball bounce off him. We were saying that
Antonsson never once got a pass like that all game. But fair play, Wood
was where he needed to be.
We had another five minutes of pressure and it looked like a second was
imminent...then of course it didn't come...we sat back/were forced back
as B'burn upped their game...they were getting a lot of joy down our
right - Ayling isn't all that and his positional play can be suspect,
but he wasn't getting much cover from Sakko. Eventually a decent move
down that flank came across the edge of the box and one of their guys
let fly a similar goal to Town's on Saturday. Personally I think
Silvestri would have saved both. But then Green made and excellent
double stop minutes later...
Mowatt came on midway through the half...which proved useful when we
got a free kick in the 85th minute out on the right wing 10 yards from
the deadball line. Swung in with reasonable pace, up went Bartley, in
off the post 2-1.
It should have been 3. Sakko, on the half way, best one then two, slips
it inside to Hernandez AND KEEPS RUNNING...Hernandez returns it first
time round the back and Sakko is through on goal...coming in from the
right and he kept running and kept running and in the end almost ran
into the keeper before toe-poking wide. It was a lovely move, deserve a
goal...and he fluffed it.
GREEN - not convinced - 2 very good saves at 1-1; clownish injury in
the first half, coming a long way out for a ball that was never his and
not getting it, but smacked heads with one of theirs - cue a long break
for treatment and a very sad bit of head bandaging.
AYLING - again, not convinced...one paced...sometimes out of
position...and often not that much of a bonus going forward. Made one
rash challenge which I described as the stupidest tackle by a full back
in a long time...immediately followed by an even worse one that got him
a yellow
TAYLOR - whatever is ailing this lad needs sorting, he is a shadow...he
does not press forward as before and does not look like a threat going
forward.
BARTLEY - solid - good goal
JANSSON - won absolutely everything in the air - which is just as well
cos they had about 8 corners
SACKO - hot and cold - when hot, too hot for B'burn - did really well
for the first goal and should have scored for himself at the death
DALLAS - as above with less of the dramatic contributions, but more
solid in terms of team work and cover with Taylor
BRIDCUTT - best player for 45 minutes - snuffed everything out, moved
the ball quickly, a few over ambitious longer passes (was missed when
he went off)
O'KANE - good hard working performance - if he keeps up like this he'll
forma good partnership with Bridcutt and Hernandez
HERNANDEZ - a bit in and out - but when on it, really on it - several
really good passes almost went through...just not quite, except the one
for Sacko at the end
ANTONSSON - like this guy, he's a grafter and has an eye for a
chance...just needs a couple of breaks is all
subs
Phillips - I know he's home grown but I think he's a yard off the pace
and a definite second choice behind Bridcutt
Wood - came on, scored...what more can you ask
Mowatt - why do we end up with people like Harte and McPhail and
Mowatt...its odd. Nice free kick for the winner.
what is it with injury time - something like 12 minutes on Saturday and
about 14 last night...
...and boy oh boy, that storm was something else...
On 14 September 2016 at 12:19 {broken-address} Richard Walker
<[email protected]> wrote:
anyone go ?
I'm slightly ashamed to say that I made a decision not to go after
paying -L-33 for the Town debacle. I did listen on Radio Leeds and
they seemed to think the team selection , tactics and performance
were much improved.
As for Rob Green , yes he looks a bit small and old to me but last
night he apparently saved the game for us with a brilliant double
save to stop them taking the lead. They also said Jansson won
everything in the air and seems to have temporarily resolved our set
piece weakness. Both goals in the last 2 games have come from long
range shots where the man should have been closed down.
On to Cardiff. Is it on Sky ?
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