Away Match Day Thread 10/10/2020 L1 Gillingham v OUFC

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Why exactly both led to a Goal...there were similarities to both watford and Wycombe goals but one keeps being brought up whilst the other is overlooked.

Just trying to keep things balanced

You didn't respond re Rovers pen, maybe you didn't see the game or it's easily erased because nobody cares about that competition?
Sorry the Watford and Wyc goals were completely different and as for the Rovers Pen that Jones put in a good tackle for ...I miss your point compared with two rash misjudged clattering of opponents. Easty is a steady keeper who is making a few saves and letting in a few that you would hope he would keep out.
 
An experienced central defender is a priority above all else isn’t it.
We sell a guy who was a top defender and don’t replace him, sorry but I don’t get it. Unless of course people think that a guy who has never played a league game before this season is that replacement. Personally I think it’s unfair on Atkinson to just throw him in at this level, he should be introduced gradually in my opinion. If they don’t it will unravel, they have already let in 8 in 4 games.
These were the exact concerns I was repeatedly raising throughout preseason, but apparently I was wrong, as we needed more attacking options.

Well as we've now seen in our last two games, going forward and attacking isn't going to be our problem this season...
 
i've said it before that if you want our model then sometimes you have to accept there will be the odd blip here and there

if you want to just chat about the value of our players and the millions (cough) we will get for the likes of Dickie etc then you always have to be prepared as a fan for what might just follow.
 
i don't get the obsession with Cadden, unless my memory is playing tricks he had quite a few indifferent performances towards the end of his time here?
He was head and shoulders above anyone else we had or have had since, and was the most effective right back in the country for chances created outside of Trent Alexander-Arnold - Shosho ran and posted the stats at the time. He was integral to how we played. His pace and energy, and his dynamism going forward were excellent - he drove the other team back and stopped them attacking us because he was such a threat himself. The Scotland manager was personally watching him towards the end of his spell here.

For the last month before he went he was being publicly pressured by KR, and being told it was up to him to strike a deal to stay, and that he’d made a mistake going to America in the first place etc. Wasn’t very helpful for a young lad getting ready to move thousands of miles away, to have his manager putting all that on him in the media. I was put in touch with the player to offer help in getting him set up over there, because I have contacts in Columbus who own property and so forth. So while he was getting publicly pressured into staying, and everybody was being told it was on him to tell them he wanted to stay here, and the usual foam finger brigade were saying it was potentially on and it was close to being sorted etc, he was in the process of sorting a place to live in a new country. Because that was the deal since the day he signed. Still, doing things right and behaving with integrity and player mental health and so on.

Anyway. Was he the best right back we’ve had since Gorgeous George? Probably. Was he markedly better than what we’ve had since he left? Absolutely no question. Not sure that constitutes an obsession, merely an acknowledgment that Clare or Long aren’t as good as he was.
 
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Sorry the Watford and Wyc goals were completely different and as for the Rovers Pen that Jones put in a good tackle for ...I miss your point compared with two rash misjudged clattering of opponents. Easty is a steady keeper who is making a few saves and letting in a few that you would hope he would keep out.
Mate they were very similar long ball beyond the back post that neither keeper or defender got to and an opponent heads back across goal..
The only difference was the execution, one hitting the net via a deflection the other a striker does an air shot taking away 2 defenders and his team mate taps it in.

One keeps getting highlighted as a mistake by a keeper whilst the other overlooked by the keeper you're asking to replace with.Previously someone suggested Archer was a better option until it was pointed out errors he made but got away with.

But as i keep pointing out a keepers mistake often goes punished.
 
Mate they were very similar long ball beyond the back post that neither keeper or defender got to and an opponent heads back across goal..
The only difference was the execution, one hitting the net via a deflection the other a striker does an air shot taking away 2 defenders and his team mate taps it in.

One keeps getting highlighted as a mistake by a keeper whilst the other overlooked by the keeper you're asking to replace with.Previously someone suggested Archer was a better option until it was pointed out errors he made but got away with.

But as i keep pointing out a keepers mistake often goes punished.
Seriously so different but see what you want. One the keeper from a corner makes a complete misjusdgement and flaps then the ball headed back across where it isn't going in until it hits the completely taken out keeper . Wat keeper stays put as not sure then is in a position to block but a miskick takes him out.
 
Didn't see or hear anything of the game yesterday because I was working, but watched back this morning.

The comparisons to Blackpool last year were annoyingly accurate. We played some really nice football, and unlike at Lincoln, this included a number of great chances to score. The misses from Brannagan and Taylor were criminal, but there were several others where you would have also expected us to score.

Defensively we just not there. Comments about a Duberry type player are fair. We need a nasty bastard there who is going to scream and shout at his players to get into position. Elliott Moore is a decent centre back, but is not a leader. Sam Long is a player every club needs, but is also very quiet (and too small to player CB regularly). I like Atkinson and think he'll be a great player for us, but is also a quiet character. The defence is crying out for a Craig Short, and maybe that's something we can do more of behind the scenes.

In the same way, I don't see Henry as a leader on the pitch. Maybe Brannagan was struggling a little with the responsibility of being captain, but we need someone who can drag the team through these difficult games. It might not be a popular view, but I think we're missing Mackie on and off the pitch.

The questions over Eastwood are fair, he's made errors in most games this season which have cost us. But he's also made some fantastic saves, including at least 2 yesterday that he had no right to make. But he's got a makeshift defence in front of him and it's been a very stop start kind of season. I'd stick with him, and look to these next block of games to get back into top form.

Overall, a very disappointing result but a performance that was much more promising. With everything around covid and the way Crewe acted, I expect a real backlash on Tuesday and a thumping home win to hopefully get us back on track.

Definitely what you need when you have 26 chances is a centre forward who doesn’t score goals. Not got a clue about off the pitch but Mackie not being available has had no effect on it.

Agree with you defence wise, just whether we can afford an experienced centre back but a big talker and organiser would sort that area out.
 
Why exactly both led to a Goal...there were similarities to both watford and Wycombe goals but one keeps being brought up whilst the other is overlooked.

Just trying to keep things balanced

You didn't respond re Rovers pen, maybe you didn't see the game or it's easily erased because nobody cares about that competition?
Both may have led to a goal, but only one was a glaring error.

Not watched a tinpot game since the prem kids were allowed to join, including Wembley.
 
Eastwood should have been replaced long ago by an adequate league one keeper. That bloke from millwall would have been a good option. Stevens may be better, no idea havent seen him play enough. Eastwood is weak on crosses, poor distribution and gets beat too easily from long shots. It happens too often to pass it off as a 'oh well hes only a league one keeper'.

As everyone is saying. We need a new experienced CB to replace dickie. It has to be a priority. If we cant sign one then loan one. Then if we dont have anyone else long and ruffels need to play full back.

There is no need for a leftwinger with agyei more than adequate and being the best player on the park yesterday.
 
Good to see the team play in the clubs proper colours which we had until i believe 1971. Brought back a lot of memories to the Big Ron Atkinson years when we first came into the league.
No - the actual designation of our strip in the late 60s and early 70s was 'Old Gold and Black' - it wasn't as orangey as yesterday's...but undoubtedly a step in the right direction.
 
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I think some of it stems from how lucky we were with injuries to our key defensive positions last season. In all competitions last season we played 52 games including the playoffs. Our defenders managed:

Chris Cadden 23 games
Josh Ruffels 44 games
Rob Dickie 47 games
Elliott Moore 31 games
Sam Long 27 games
John Mousinho 33 games

A few others made sporadic appearances (Berkoe, Jones, Hanson who may have filled in at RB), but largely we had a set and settled defence that barely mustered an injury between them, especially Ruffels. We were so lucky we didn’t need to reconsider another left back at any point.

Dickie moves on as we all knew he would and we brought in Atkinson who we all know is learning but I said repeatedly before the season began that the defence was the main area where at most we had plateaued from last season. Whilst early to say, Clare doesn’t look as good an option as Cadden, we’ve already lost Ruffels and Mousinho and have resorted to playing Long who has developed into a dependable RB back into his less effective utility role at LB and CB.

For all the attention put into the flashier positions we’ve overlooked the need for another option in the defence. A dependable 25-30 year old with 100+ games at League 1 level who say can ‘yeah, I play centre back but I played half a season at LB’. Omar Beckles (who we’ve all talked about for different reasons recently) would have been the perfect player. I just hope there’s another one similar out there.
He also played Forde at RB which could be another option - Forde seems to have moved up a gear over the Covid period...his passing is excellent, his tackling solid and his crossing the best at the club.
 
No - the actual designation of our strip in the late 60s and early 70s was 'Old Gold and Black' - it wasn't as orangey as yesterday's...but undoubtedly a step in the right direction.
You beat me to it. Old gold and Orange are completely different to me.
 
1st goal conceded - Clare beaten. Second goal conceded Eastwood un-sighted. Third goal conceded Ruffles tired and beaten and Graham unmarked in penalty area. Defence seems a shambles. Missing DF or proper defenders? Think Crewe will see the fightback begin - if not we're in the sh*t. Can't see a young loanee cutting it; hope KR has some proper irons in the fire.
 
EkCReuSUYAEDS2f
 
Hang on a second...his ‘penalty heroics in the play-offs’ were only after he’d been beaten at his near post at Pompey and just preceded his and Moore’s complete catastrophe at Wembley!

Since then, he’s been at fault for a goal at Lincoln, he’s conceded a penalty at Accy after punching a player in the head and he was at fault for the first goal yesterday. We’ve only played 4 league games for Christ sake! How many mistakes are acceptable in your opinion?
Yep agree with you.
I have said on here a few times in the last year or so that Easty is a top class shot stopper. But, all other areas of his game are average to poor.
He is hesitant at coming for crosses and off his line. His kicking and distrubution is poor for a L1 keeper and he doesn't seem to communicate with his defenders. A keeper needs to be very vocal all through the game but he seems very quiet and indecisive at set pieces especially.
 
An experienced central defender is a priority above all else isn’t it.
We sell a guy who was a top defender and don’t replace him, sorry but I don’t get it. Unless of course people think that a guy who has never played a league game before this season is that replacement. Personally I think it’s unfair on Atkinson to just throw him in at this level, he should be introduced gradually in my opinion. If they don’t it will unravel, they have already let in 8 in 4 games.
Agree entirely. Almost exactly the point I was making several pages back.
 
I watched the game yesterday and couldn't believe the team's bad luck in front of goal. When we attacked with tempo we made them look lost but my god we slow the game all too often. Is it the stats that stops the courageous pass. Are players scared of recrimination on Monday!! Agyei was excellent on the ball looking to go forward. Kelly hardly passed anything forward. We have players with the skill to go past a man which is how you cause chaos - very rarely do you score by passing the opposition to death. We are like a toothless Arsenal all promise and no end product. Let's hope we find a forward gear on Tuesday
 
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i don't get the obsession with Cadden, unless my memory is playing tricks he had quite a few indifferent performances towards the end of his time here?

At times in games he was our only outlet, I remember early on in his time with us he was constantly free but we didn’t find him, then we started passing to him and he was by far our biggest threat. He also had multiple good crosses that just weren’t turned in as at the time we had no Matty Taylor snuffling around the box.

He was great and I’d have him back in a shot - quick, strong, tall, loved to get forward but was ok at defending, could sling a great low cross in
 
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