Player ratings vs Coventry

[Navegante]

The problem is we can’t go more direct without a decent centre-forward. If Robinson is going to persist with his one up front formation, it was imperative that he got the recruitment of that position bang on. He needed to bring in a big mobile player with experience of this division. Someone who could be relied on week in week out. Yes that costs money but it’s arguably the most important player in the team, the talisman. Instead he chase a young inexperienced player all summer which was always going to be a huge risk.

Bang on. Rather than looking at players higher up in the pyramid, be they youngsters lacking game time in men's football (SS) or more "experienced" pros trading on past exploits (Mackie), the recruitment should have targeted hungry, young pros from L1, L2 or Scotish PL who can improve under the right coaching. Surely these exist(ed) ?

 

[MiddleBartonYellow]

Thomas is okay if you play to his strengths, and we did when we had Payne, but he is useless otherwise.Was rightly released and struggled to get a club, eventually signing for Grimsby! He is not the answer.

It was a bit tongue in cheek but the point is that the ones that replaced him have been no better.

 

[The Hawk]

Mitchell positioning for the first is extraordinary
Watch it back
He stays rooted from start of the move and until the shot
When the ball is played in to the guy on the far left of box? Same position
When the ball isnplayed across to the goal scorer? Same position
The angle has changed completely but he hasn’t moved an INCH

 

[Osei Yaw]

Mitchell positioning for the first is extraordinary
Watch it back
He stays rooted from start of the move and until the shot
When the ball is played in to the guy on the far left of box? Same position
When the ball isnplayed across to the goal scorer? Same position
The angle has changed completely but he hasn’t moved an INCH

The first goal is just crap defending. It's unfair to single out Mitchell. Mousinho's 'mistake' is when he slips over, which is harsh to really call his fault, I think it's the bad luck you find yourself getting at the bottom end of the table. After he goes over, he never gets back into position and then he puts a horrible deflection on the ball to wrong foot Mitchell. Anyone who has played a few games in goal will know it's a nightmare when a defender is far enough in front of you to block your view but far enough away from his man to deflect the shot past you. Watching it again I also think Brannagan should have read the danger more quickly and got much closer to the man.

The second goal was also crap defending and again it's easy to point the finger at Mitchell (who definitely shouldn't have run out and nailed the bloke) but I'd ask two other questions first:
1. How did the bloke playing the ball over the top have so much time to do so?
2. What the bloody hell were the back 4 doing? Norman looks like he's trying to play the offside trap, Nelson has switched off and let the man get the run on him, Mousinho is playing the man onside and it looks like Ruffels has charged off up the pitch. Again I think Brannagan has to shoulder some bless - he is way too deep. Surely one, if not both of the midfielders needs to be higher up the pitch and stopping the simple little ball over the top?

 

[tonto]

We slipped over a lot wrong studs? Im sure eastwood wouldnt have let in either of those goals ,though neither of them are totally mitchells fault.

 

[Dubai Yellow]

2 terrible goals to concede. We are gifting teams goals this season. If i was Mitchell id hold my hand up and apologies for the pen, if i was Mousinho, id hold my hand up and apologies for the goal. Slip or not, he slipped, didnt close down quick enough and as a result they scored, his mistake. We can go on and on making excuses and telling hard luck stories but the simple fact is 2 avoidable mistakes have cost us two goals. And lets be honest, this season so far has been one big hard luck story. KR and co, draw the line, get the team in shape, cut out the stupid mistakes and excuses and lets be more clinical in front of goal. Do that and our (hard) luck will change.

(I honestly believe the majority of the squad is decent enough to get us challenging at the top end of this league, but its really now, up to the management team to get them there).

 

[manor96]

Have watched the game back. A few observations:

- Brannagan gave away three needless free-kicks in dangerous areas. He is tidy on the ball but needs to learn defensive discipline.

- We are poor at transitioning. We often look neat knocking he ball around but lack the penetration to move the ball between the lines. Things which would help this: more dynamism from the full-backs, especially LB and more movement from the CF to engage and drag defenders and create space for our wide men. Baptiste has been such a revelation because he’s someone who does play well in transitioning, prepared to drive with ball and play forward passes.

- Browne is at his best taking the ball and driving at defenders. With Coventry sitting relatively deep, he was seldom afforded the opportunity to do so outside the first 10 minutes. As a result, he cut an increasingly frustrated figure.

 

[Madox80]

For what it's worth...

Mitchell: 5 Nowhere near good enough for me. Doesn't command his area, slows the game down when we should be looking to break. Obviously at fault for the penalty, if you come there you have to get it.

I think that's a little bit harsh on Mitchell if I'm honest!

Having had a couple of days to take it all in without making all sorts of silly comments.

I got frustrated for him on Sunday when he was trying to get the game going again all the Oxford players had back to him so he didn't have any options.

His distribution wasn't the best when kicking but with the formation we play I can see why kicking for the wings is an option. It was also quite windy and I seem to remember a few balls being held up in the wind.

He also has a safe pair of hands and from what I've seen commands his area well.

I was a goalkeeper when I played so I always watch the keepers closely. It's easy to blame a goalkeeper after a loss but I've only seen him make one mistake and that was to give away the penalty on Sunday. I think he has been pretty solid as a keeper so far. He is still learning the game and hasn't got a great deal of experience at first team level.

One thing he isn't is Simon Eastwood and we were never going to get a Simon Eastwood type replacement.

#gkunion

 

[The Hawk]

I think that's a little bit harsh on Mitchell if I'm honest!

Having had a couple of days to take it all in without making all sorts of silly comments.

I got frustrated for him on Sunday when he was trying to get the game going again all the Oxford players had back to him so he didn't have any options.

His distribution wasn't the best when kicking but with the formation we play I can see why kicking for the wings is an option. It was also quite windy and I seem to remember a few balls being held up in the wind.

He also has a safe pair of hands and from what I've seen commands his area well.

I was a goalkeeper when I played so I always watch the keepers closely. It's easy to blame a goalkeeper after a loss but I've only seen him make one mistake and that was to give away the penalty on Sunday. I think he has been pretty solid as a keeper so far. He is still learning the game and hasn't got a great deal of experience at first team level.

One thing he isn't is Simon Eastwood and we were never going to get a Simon Eastwood type replacement.

#gkunion

We might have been capable of getting someone who covers the angle when the ball is shifted ten yards across goal instead of standing in exactly the same position. Unbelievable

 

[Shosho]

Have watched the game back. A few observations:

- Brannagan gave away three needless free-kicks in dangerous areas. He is tidy on the ball but needs to learn defensive discipline.

- We are poor at transitioning. We often look neat knocking he ball around but lack the penetration to move the ball between the lines. Things which would help this: more dynamism from the full-backs, especially LB and more movement from the CF to engage and drag defenders and create space for our wide men. Baptiste has been such a revelation because he’s someone who does play well in transitioning, prepared to drive with ball and play forward passes.

- Browne is at his best taking the ball and driving at defenders. With Coventry sitting relatively deep, he was seldom afforded the opportunity to do so outside the first 10 minutes. As a result, he cut an increasingly frustrated figure.

This is the root of our problem. The midfield get walked through, straight on the the back 4.

Hanson and Baptiste need to be considered, possibly pushing Brannagan in to the 10 role.

Another point, we dont have anyone that can play from the back. Lundstram used to pick the ball off the CBs and play to strikers feet/wide. We dont have anyone that can do this...hense the side to side

 

[Madox80]

We might have been capable of getting someone who covers the angle when the ball is shifted ten yards across goal instead of standing in exactly the same position. Unbelievable

If that's reference to the first goal. If you actually look at where the ball would have gone had it not taken a deflection then he would have saved it. He actually shifted his body weight slighty to his right which meant he wasn't able to get to the ball once the deflection had happened.

I don't see how any goalkeeper can be blamed for that whatsoever.

It's easy to make certain players scapegoats when we aren't performing.

Maybe we can arrange for you to have a game in goal for the Wycombe game to see how you get on?

 

[Berliner]

I think that's a little bit harsh on Mitchell if I'm honest!

Having had a couple of days to take it all in without making all sorts of silly comments.

I got frustrated for him on Sunday when he was trying to get the game going again all the Oxford players had back to him so he didn't have any options.

His distribution wasn't the best when kicking but with the formation we play I can see why kicking for the wings is an option. It was also quite windy and I seem to remember a few balls being held up in the wind.

He also has a safe pair of hands and from what I've seen commands his area well.

I was a goalkeeper when I played so I always watch the keepers closely. It's easy to blame a goalkeeper after a loss but I've only seen him make one mistake and that was to give away the penalty on Sunday. I think he has been pretty solid as a keeper so far. He is still learning the game and hasn't got a great deal of experience at first team level.

One thing he isn't is Simon Eastwood and we were never going to get a Simon Eastwood type replacement.

#gkunion

I am (or was at least) a keeper as well. Properly trained by pro keepers and everything up to university. So I can't take the low ground when it comes to the keeper's union, I'm afraid.

My opinion, for what it's worth, is that Mitchell isn't commanding enough of his area. Some keepers do it effortlessly, some can do it but choose not to (the safe option) and others either don't have it in their locker and/or are stronger elsewhere (stronger on the line, shot stopping, distribution etc.). One example was in the fifth minute or so when Mitchell was baulked at a corner and had a right old flap...was very lucky indeed.

As was Burge on several occasions , by the way, for balance.

Regarding his distribution, I'm not sure who's to blame...it might very well be that there's a lack of options for the quick break. In which case this is a job for the training ground. However, from what I've seen, with Mitchell it's:

1. Get hold of the ball
2. Spring up as quickly as he can
3. Run around his area back and forth
4. Stops, grasps the ball to his chest, shakes head or gives some form of annoyance
5. Either short ball to the LB or RB that then goes back across the middle OR
6. Hoof upfield, on more than one occasion straight out into touch

I seek no scapegoat and hope Mitchell succeeds in his future career, he just has his weak points, nothing more and nothing less.

 

[ZeroTheHero]

Re: Mitchell

To me he looks exactly like what is is: a young keeper who has talent but lacks experience. I hesitate to criticise his distribution (as in rolling the ball out to a defender) because he is obviously doing this under orders. Bloody stupid orders mind you. His kicking has been wayward, but again there are two or three men waiting on the touchline where he is aiming it so it is intentional but he has to be very accurate for it not to look stupid - and that is made more difficult by the wind that swirls around our ground is there is a mild breeze outside!

I'm still not convinced that Stevens might not have been an equally good option.

Most of the problems aren't to do with a young goalkeeper though, it the the failure of the management team to consistently create a team out of a load of individuals.

 

[The Hawk]

If that's reference to the first goal. If you actually look at where the ball would have gone had it not taken a deflection then he would have saved it. He actually shifted his body weight slighty to his right which meant he wasn't able to get to the ball once the deflection had happened.

I don't see how any goalkeeper can be blamed for that whatsoever.

It's easy to make certain players scapegoats when we aren't performing.

Maybe we can arrange for you to have a game in goal for the Wycombe game to see how you get on?

Oh ffs. That’s your level of arguement is it?
A goalkeeper who does NOT move when the ball shifts in a pass ten yards across goal has made a mistake.

 

[Madox80]

Oh ffs. That’s your level of arguement is it?
A goalkeeper who does NOT move when the ball shifts in a pass ten yards across goal has made a mistake.

I've just watched the goal again. I'd definitely say it wasn't a ten yard pass accross goal. His positioning for that shot was spot on in my opinion. You can't blame him for a deflection and letting that goal in.

 

[dabigfella]

Deja Vu early Appleton.
4-2-3-1 formation
19 passes to reach the half way line then lose it. Leaving the opposition to attack at will.
No penetration up front and very few goals.

Appleton finally realised that it wasn't working and changed to 4-4-2 and brought I the players to work it.

Trouble is I don't think Robinson will change.

Very depressing.

 

[Peterdev]

You’ve got a good point. A Charlton supporting friend of mine told me that KR will not change the formation unless he’s desperate.
I hope I’m wrong but he really needs to change it if we are struggling near the foot

 

[Sarge]

You’ve got a good point. A Charlton supporting friend of mine told me that KR will not change the formation unless he’s desperate.
I hope I’m wrong but he really needs to change it if we are struggling near the foot

we are struggling...one place above the foot! .... hopefully that'll change after our next few games