|
Post by proudhattersince74 on Aug 14, 2022 17:08:53 GMT
I am coming to the conclusion that I don't understand some of the rules anymore. Yesterday (also with Ashley Barnes at Burnley) a Preston player was standing many yards nearer our goal than any of our players at the time Preston launched a long goal kick. Whilst in flight the Preston forward runs towards the ball to contest it with our defenders who lose control of the ball. Why is that not off-side? Surely, at least, he is interfering with play? A player cannot be offside where the ball is re-entering the pitch - so throw-ins and goal kicks are, effectively, tickets to stand wherever you want. I, too, questioned this some years ago when a player regularly started his run to aerially challenge about 10-15 yards behind the Luton defence and won every bloody header that night! Forwards have sometimes been caught out by free kicks from deep in the opposition penalty area which 'look' like goal kicks as they can be taken anywhere inside the 6 yard box - they CAN be offside for those! As long as the linos are attuned to the fact they're not goal kicks as well. With defences these days often being sitting much deeper, the GKs struggle to kick long enough to reach, let alone oversail the defenders' heads - other teams still seem to have forwards who start their runs behind our CBs but we don't appear to try it, ourselves, very often. Interesting that you have picked up on this in the last two matches - maybe we are defending slightly higher up the pitch than previously and the opposition forwards feel their is an advantage to 'hiding' behind our back line to make a meaningful run.
|
|
|
Post by mkhat on Aug 14, 2022 18:44:46 GMT
Well following a possibly overachieving season, it was always going to be a difficult act to follow but I reckon it’s a minimum of 6 games into the season or as JS used to say, 10 games in until we get a good feel for how things may progress particularly if a team is going to struggle in a season. Sitting in the stand it was uncomfortably hot for the passive spectator clutching their water bottles. So, just imagine what it was like for 22 athletes on a pitch playing in that heat. Yes, it was the same for both sides but had we scored the first goal then I am sure Preston would have found it hard to mount sustained pressure to grab an equaliser. You have to give credit to Preston in the way they set up to counter our style and our plan B or is it A, was not helped by injuries picked up by players capable of playing wide and fast; Cornick injured in training and Pereira from Tuesday & oh yes, lets not forget it would have been good to have had Fred Onyedinma & Alfie Doughty available. Our only real wide fast options were the two wing backs; after being superb at Burnley Bell had a poor game and Bree rather mixed and looked to me to be suffering from the heat more than most. So, surprise surprise that left the middle where our efforts were mostly gobbled up by a well-organized Preston defence. We did get through a few times in the second half and maybe Adebayo cutting in from the left could have put one away and Woodrow maybe could have put that “Bradd Potts” like chance away. Thinking of how we stand at the moment, our defence is pretty sound; maybe NJ will bring in another CB to cover the undoubted injury crisis that we will face at some time. I guess having Cornick, Onyedinma, Doughty, Pelly injured is more of a flesh wound than a crisis but I reckon they would have made a significant difference yesterday; the first three with their wide wing pace and Pelly with his midfield physicality. In midfield yesterday I felt that Clarke & Campbell did some very good work as did Freeman yet the skilful Freeman is so left-footed that a defender knows once out wide right there will only be one option for Freeman. I reckon Thorpe looked promising when he came on but I would for sure send him out on loan to hopefully a club where he can get 20 or more games this season. The downside with yesterday's midfield is that whilst Campbell is a superb terrier, the others lack a touch of physicality maybe. In attack, I agree that Morris did not help himself with that clumsy first touch and to my mind he is the type of player who will benefit from balls being knocked into open areas to chase rather than passes to his feet in the middle of the park: maybe the missing wide players would supply that service. Turning to Adebayo, I thought some of his touches yesterday were very good such as the way he brought the long ball down and turned; no worries there for me. What I do maybe have doubts about is that is the combination of Adebayo & Morris the ideal starting combination as they each battle for that middle ground; just not convinced although later on in the game I could see that working. So, on to Bristol & the home to Sheffield United; I would settle for 2 points or maybe 3; fingers crossed. Great summary. Freeman used to have a load of pace when he was at Stevenage but had a bad injury so has lost it sadly. I definitely subscribe to the judge it after 10.
|
|
|
Post by mkhat on Aug 14, 2022 19:01:18 GMT
Four games into the new season and every team (including Newport reserves) has identified our left flank as our weakest and target it. Additionally, they seem to continually test Bell. Okay Doughty was supposed to be our LWB for this season but Bell was mentioned as our LCB in a back three - sorry but Bell has momentary lapses and, at this level, they can be costly, as was his ball watching vs PNE. I read a previous comment that Bell's defensive capabilities were 'adequate' - I beg to differ! Whilst Doughty is crocked, Bell is probably the best LB or left sided defender we have as Potts isn't a Championship standard LB - Bell is not much better. Chatting to a mate this morning, he said the same as me: Naismith displayed some defensive frailties now and then but he had the ability to bring the ball forward from the back line and often passed it through midfield ... instead of relying on long, high inaccurate balls aimed in the general direction of Eli or Morris, none of which were won by either of those two, no matter how many times we tried it. PNE's physical advantage in midfield (height, weight, strength, pace) meant that we had little/nothing to offer in moving the ball between departments and created nothing for the front runners. Worryingly, I cannot see much different in upcoming matches when you look at the make up of their respective midfield departments. We patently miss Pelly's physicality and box-to-box coverage. I keep hearing NJ saying, "small margins" but we don't, thus far, appear to have the upper hand when it comes to winning 50-50 tackles/headers, pick up loose balls in important areas, run with the ball at pace and make the right decisions to create breakaways. Last season, we built a momentum and belief that now appears to have been more reliant upon Naismith than was obvious at the time. I sincerely hope that I'm wrong with that assertion and hope that the weather changes so that our all running, pressing game isn't diminished because the players are knackered playing in dessert temperatures! Speaking of which, PNE reminded me of Pompey in L2 - they seemed to take it in turns to pressurise us. Instead of expecting Eli or Morris to chase the ball all across the PNE back line whilst our midfield and defence are setting themselves into a shape for what's about to happen, PNE's players made (sprinting, not jogging) bursts from midfield towards our defenders and gave them no time to dwell, certainly no time to look for progressive passes. But they did it quite cleverly in that whoever did that chasing could then have an active recovery whilst the next player did the next chasing. COYH. Oh and WTF are the delays about in exiting the Main Stand into KR. Bottle neck in baking conditions caused by stewards who were even more incompetent about their jobs than the referee was at his job. As soon as you cleared the exit gate, there was no crowd whatsoever around the bar/clubshop/ticket office zone so it was entirely the fault of the stewards. Someone mentioned it was a safety issue not letting KR enders walk through the main stand to exit at Maple Road. Safety issue? Exactly how many fans have been hurt or injured doing just that in the last 20-30 years? Hope the club will be reviewing this as it even happened with just 3700 attending the Newport match. Spot on comments about Bell. I've seen the same he loses focus and doesn't track runners or gives the ball away. No slight on him he is outstanding but is definitely a LB or LWB for me. I liked last season when we had Campbell playing behind the strikers. He could get in and press high which worked really well. Let's see what the next few games brings but we will bounce back I'm sure.
|
|
|
Post by bms on Aug 14, 2022 19:58:33 GMT
As Shatter has pointed out, the volume of MDF appears to be inversely proportionate to our given success rate!!!
|
|
|
Post by shatter2 on Aug 14, 2022 20:28:31 GMT
As Shatter has pointed out, the volume of MDF appears to be inversely proportionate to our given success rate!!! Nicely said were you a mathematics teacher?😉
|
|
|
Post by hatter81 on Aug 14, 2022 20:32:22 GMT
Very interesting reading everyone’s assessment of yesterdays game. I’m writing this on a phone so I will be short.
Our work rate was good yesterday & hopefully will continue
We miss Pelly, not sure how long he’s out for & how long he will need to dust off any lack of match practice.
We need NJ to be the manager he was when he retuned to us from Stoke, & not the manger he was in league 2 ! When we should have won the division. PS Mick got us out of league 1. Also as I’m really blunt, we should have got a household name as assistant manager to stand up to NJ. Can’t believe that Morris wasn’t subbed at half time for Jerome yesterday & also Bree really made my blood boil when he delayed a pass to Thorpe &then messed up a simple side footed pass to him.
I’m sure there will be strong words at training & NJ has a big job in galvanising the whole squad & retaining team spirit . If Woodrow was the big signing then play him… why isn’t he starting ?
I don’t mind a bit of long ball to not concede possession in our own final third in the first half, but we should be looking to play on the deck in the second from the off at home.
|
|
|
Post by braminghamrover on Aug 14, 2022 23:59:46 GMT
Some summery summaries.
|
|
|
Post by clappers on Aug 15, 2022 7:07:14 GMT
I am coming to the conclusion that I don't understand some of the rules anymore. Yesterday (also with Ashley Barnes at Burnley) a Preston player was standing many yards nearer our goal than any of our players at the time Preston launched a long goal kick. Whilst in flight the Preston forward runs towards the ball to contest it with our defenders who lose control of the ball. Why is that not off-side? Surely, at least, he is interfering with play? A player cannot be offside where the ball is re-entering the pitch - so throw-ins and goal kicks are, effectively, tickets to stand wherever you want. I, too, questioned this some years ago when a player regularly started his run to aerially challenge about 10-15 yards behind the Luton defence and won every bloody header that night! Forwards have sometimes been caught out by free kicks from deep in the opposition penalty area which 'look' like goal kicks as they can be taken anywhere inside the 6 yard box - they CAN be offside for those! As long as the linos are attuned to the fact they're not goal kicks as well. With defences these days often being sitting much deeper, the GKs struggle to kick long enough to reach, let alone oversail the defenders' heads - other teams still seem to have forwards who start their runs behind our CBs but we don't appear to try it, ourselves, very often. Interesting that you have picked up on this in the last two matches - maybe we are defending slightly higher up the pitch than previously and the opposition forwards feel their is an advantage to 'hiding' behind our back line to make a meaningful run. Thank you for your input Proud although I am still a little bit puzzled for the following reason. I knew that you couldn't be off-side from throw-ins because of the "ball re-entering the pitch" rule but has not the ball already re-entered the pitched from the moment it is placed on the pitch for the goal kick to be taken? If so, then the scenario I described previously ought to be off-side?
|
|
|
Post by rutlandhatter on Aug 15, 2022 12:25:39 GMT
Thanks for the reports everyone. Despite everything I still wish I could have been there!
|
|
|
Post by proudhattersince74 on Aug 15, 2022 16:05:25 GMT
Clappers: "I knew that you couldn't be off-side from throw-ins because of the "ball re-entering the pitch" rule but has not the ball already re-entered the pitched from the moment it is placed on the pitch for the goal kick to be taken? If so, then the scenario I described previously ought to be off-side?"
I think it's an archaic thing. IIRC from my boyhood football magazines (antiques by now!), as there were no 6 yard boxes, the ball was kicked back into play from the goal line. Someone then decided that the kickers should be entitled to a run up and the 6 yard line was added to the pitch markings.
FWIW, I recall my school's debating society discussing offside rules and they came to the collective conclusion that players shouldn't be ruled offside if the ball is passed from your own half. Mind you, at that time players were regularly being caught offside when they were just a yard into the opposition half, which is something you hardly ever see nowadays ... except for Adebayo being caught a yard into PNE's half at one point!
|
|
|
Post by clappers on Aug 16, 2022 5:48:12 GMT
Clappers: "I knew that you couldn't be off-side from throw-ins because of the "ball re-entering the pitch" rule but has not the ball already re-entered the pitched from the moment it is placed on the pitch for the goal kick to be taken? If so, then the scenario I described previously ought to be off-side?" I think it's an archaic thing. IIRC from my boyhood football magazines (antiques by now!), as there were no 6 yard boxes, the ball was kicked back into play from the goal line. Someone then decided that the kickers should be entitled to a run up and the 6 yard line was added to the pitch markings. FWIW, I recall my school's debating society discussing offside rules and they came to the collective conclusion that players shouldn't be ruled offside if the ball is passed from your own half. Mind you, at that time players were regularly being caught offside when they were just a yard into the opposition half, which is something you hardly ever see nowadays ... except for Adebayo being caught a yard into PNE's half at one point! Proud - I am both embarrassed and dumbfounded to discover this after playing and watching football for over 65 years. Am I alone in this regard or are there other confused and red-faced "Fools" on this site?
|
|
|
Post by MatttheHatter on Aug 16, 2022 16:47:32 GMT
Tomorrow will be my 1,932nd Luton match attending and 1,256th at Kenilworth Road. It will be the 12th time I've seen P.N.E here since 1971 with current standings of 5 Luton wins, three draws and 3 defeats. Probably going to be the hottest temperature I've ever seen a game at Luton..............though do recall our 1-0 opening 1998 win at Wycombe was a scorcher, when South of France recent signing Herve Bacque said post match - "that was much hotter than any game I've ever played in France" ! Nearly 2000 games Wow That’s something else 👍
|
|