Farlz Posted October 23, 2018 Share Posted October 23, 2018 Didn't agree with the Hogan sub tonight, knew straight away it wasn't going to benefit us. Kodjia should've replaced Tammy. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest av1 Posted October 23, 2018 Share Posted October 23, 2018 I may quickly be proved wrong when we line up against QPR but Smith doesn't strike me as someone that will simply "go again". I wouldn't be suprised to see 3 or 4 changes, nor would i be suprised to see Doyle Hayes and Callum O'hare make the match day squads before too long. The fact we were blowing out of our arses in the second half will have concerned him, so injecting some youthful energy could be tempting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vreitti Posted October 23, 2018 Share Posted October 23, 2018 17 minutes ago, markavfc40 said: I think the players are trying hard to pass the ball around more but look really hurried at times and a number of times we lost the ball in tight situations. At the moment, especially until we become more used to this way of playing, there still have to be times you simply have to get it forward and can't play your way out from the back or out of trouble every time. This. At times it felt they were far too focused on not giving up possession, needlessly trying any crazy pass available. It's actually a miracle we didn't get punished more. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terrytini Posted October 23, 2018 Share Posted October 23, 2018 6 minutes ago, DaveAV1 said: Spot on, we really missed his energy. We’ll need him on Friday, QPR currently 3rd in the form table. Hopefully every day we get a little bit fitter, because one of the reasons we can’t play for 90 minutes, with the intensity Smith wants, is that we don’t have the fitness levels. Norwich were definitely fitter than us in the second half. This is what I’m referring to when I mention having a Plan B. As Manager he cant just say “this is how we play” regardless of whether the players can do it for 90 minutes. ( I’m not saying he IS saying that btw). He needs a plan for when we run out of steam, or when the opposition counters our approach. Of course one of the key ways is to be more savvy at when, and how, to press, which will come with time. But until then we might just have to hope we go 2 up quickly in a fair few games ! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KHV Posted October 23, 2018 Share Posted October 23, 2018 3 minutes ago, Farlz said: Didn't agree with the Hogan sub tonight, knew straight away it wasn't going to benefit us. Kodjia should've replaced Tammy. Hogans introduction gave the game away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest av1 Posted October 23, 2018 Share Posted October 23, 2018 I know Smith has had, in the past implemented this idea of rotating the captaincy in the belief that there should be 5/6 leaders on the pitch, but it is clear to me that we don't even have one. The whole squad (McGinn aside) is full of followers, we are desperate for a leader on the pitch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnnyp Posted October 23, 2018 Share Posted October 23, 2018 5 minutes ago, av1 said: I may quickly be proved wrong when we line up against QPR but Smith doesn't strike me as someone that will simply "go again". I wouldn't be suprised to see 3 or 4 changes, nor would i be suprised to see Doyle Hayes and Callum O'hare make the match day squads before too long. The fact we were blowing out of our arses in the second half will have concerned him, so injecting some youthful energy could be tempting. I don't think they'll start games yet but i agree definetely need to be in the squad now. Thought doyle-hayes was like a rabbit stuck in headlights against yeovil. But the age profile of the squad needs to be lowered to play the football we want to play. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeyp102 Posted October 23, 2018 Share Posted October 23, 2018 I think Hogan and El ghazi came on instead of Kodj and Bolasie (yes I know he wasn’t in the squad), to give them a kick in the ass. Yes it backfired, but for me it was Smith saying neither of you worked hard enough Saturday so I’m putting someone else on instead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keyblade Posted October 23, 2018 Share Posted October 23, 2018 38 minutes ago, Stevo985 said: Can you? Honest question. Because if we didn't know that we had a new manager I'm certain none of us would have noticed tonight. That's not a dig at Smith. I am happy to give him a lot of time because he has a big job to do if he is going to change the way we play. But I think people are kidding themselves if they think we've changed style already. Tonight was as bad as we've seen all season, imo. There's definitely been a shift, shown mostly in the first half of both games. We seem to tire by the 55th minute and revert to type which is concerning. We press a lot more than we did, and higher up the pitch. We were trying to get on the front foot as soon as we won the ball back. The defence played higher up the pitch and tried to spring counters quickly when we won back possession etc. It all faded in the second half and it looked like a typical Bruce game out there. But I've seen enough to tell me that there's a concerted effort to change our style. It might take a while though as we all expected. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Demitri_C Posted October 23, 2018 Author Share Posted October 23, 2018 Baddecision to br8n* hogan on. Struggled tonight didn’t know what to do second half Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zatman Posted October 23, 2018 Share Posted October 23, 2018 Rome wasnt built in a day 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest av1 Posted October 23, 2018 Share Posted October 23, 2018 Just now, Johnnyp said: I don't think they'll start games yet but i agree definetely need to be in the squad now. Thought doyle-hayes was like a rabbit stuck in headlights against yeovil. But the age profile of the squad needs to be lowered to play the football we want to play. You may be right about those 2, but there are countless teams in this division (tonights opposition being one) that seamlessly promote a lot of youth into there squads and benefit from it. We more than matched Norwich in the first half tonight before being blown away after the interval. I genuinely believe that second half was more to down to energy levels than superior quality. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRO Posted October 23, 2018 Share Posted October 23, 2018 This will not be a quick fix. he just needs to be left alone to get on with it. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest av1 Posted October 23, 2018 Share Posted October 23, 2018 I know its a standard excuse for incoming managers to blame fitness levels, but i think in this instance it is a valid excuse for Smith. Yes he is asking them to press more, but many teams press and aren't dead on their feet after 60mins. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillanousOne Posted October 23, 2018 Share Posted October 23, 2018 I hope he gives the players an absolute rollicking and quickly makes changes to personnel. I think tactically he already has given the team shape and purpose, but i don't think he has found the best eleven yet at all. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRO Posted October 23, 2018 Share Posted October 23, 2018 2 minutes ago, av1 said: I know its a standard excuse for incoming managers to blame fitness levels, but i think in this instance it is a valid excuse for Smith. Yes he is asking them to press more, but many teams press and aren't dead on their feet after 60mins. We have been like this for some time.....that's why we haven't pressed in the past. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stratvillan Posted October 23, 2018 Share Posted October 23, 2018 In terms of the tiredness, I remember reading an interview of a Huddersfield player after Wagner took over. He said the first couple of games they blew up after 60 minutes, the third or fourth after 70 and so on. He was asking them to press in a way they never had. The whole rotation thing is in the knowledge that this will happen. It's a realisation of the actual by the manager, not a failure. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spoony Posted October 23, 2018 Share Posted October 23, 2018 Today was a failing of the players and it’ll be like this for a while. As for bringing on Hogan, I think that was the right decision. I imagine he thought he’d be pumped and well up for impressing him. And Hogan failed. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillanousOne Posted October 23, 2018 Share Posted October 23, 2018 3 minutes ago, Spoony said: Today was a failing of the players and it’ll be like this for a while. As for bringing on Hogan, I think that was the right decision. I imagine he thought he’d be pumped and well up for impressing him. And Hogan failed. Abraham and Hogan aren't like for like swaps though, I don't think Hogan can be played as lone front man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
osmark86 Posted October 23, 2018 Share Posted October 23, 2018 3 minutes ago, VillanousOne said: Abraham and Hogan aren't like for like swaps though, I don't think Hogan can be played as lone front man. Or at all 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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