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Post by shatter2 on Sept 7, 2018 20:07:13 GMT
Second away league match in a row tomorrow at Doncaster, a couple of years ago when we played them we were mugged by a late equaliser after dominating the game.
Will be trying a pub near the station pre match, the "Tut and Shrive" hope to see you at the bar!
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Post by Lake on Sept 8, 2018 6:57:45 GMT
Second away league match in a row tomorrow at Doncaster, a couple of years ago when we played them we were mugged by a late equaliser after dominating the game. Will be trying a pub near the station pre match, the "Tut and Shrive" hope to see you at the bar! Is there a Cranstons equivalent nearby? See you at the pie counter  |
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Post by shatter2 on Sept 8, 2018 9:30:15 GMT
Sadly not, have to make do with Gregg's!😎
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Post by flathatter on Sept 8, 2018 9:44:47 GMT
Put me down for a "Greggs Dummy"
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Post by 8two on Sept 8, 2018 13:01:16 GMT
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Post by Batch996 on Sept 8, 2018 13:15:55 GMT
No Hylton....
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Post by Wimbo on Sept 9, 2018 8:14:06 GMT
Well, that’s four away games and turning that into half games, 8 x 45minutes. Of those 8 periods, I would say we have dominated for 6 periods. We are doing so much right and the right far outweighs the wrong; so, as we are playing well, I can’t say we as Hatters supporters should be down. The corner count yesterday in our favour was simply massive and a good indication of our true domination. Yet, scoring goals & preventing the opposition from scoring them, win games. The areas we need to improve on are IMO: - The CBs sorting themselves out and I include Glen Rea here; maybe it’s just the fact that Rea, Bradley and Pearson have got to tune into each other play yet; all decent players so let’s hope that happens soon.
- The closing down in midfield: Rea ok with his CB limitations; all too often he looks like a CB forced into a holding midfield role. Good player no doubt and I hope he grows into the role but he is not there yet. Pelly very good but Grant, rather like Shinnie last week, is not that good at closing down the runners. Had the fitness of McCormack and O’Kane permitted, then that midfield would have been so much stronger.
- Up front, Lee looks so dangerous; I think he will have a cracking good season. Whereas Collins is really struggling; is L1 a leap too far for his style. However, I can't criticise Collins for his effort, as ever he works really hard but this time around looks a little out of his depth against the better, smarter opposition.
As I say, overall loads of positives and maybe just finding the right midfield combination is the key along with Hylton returning or Jarvis emerging. So, overall we have a very decent side that simply should have the objective of developing together and aiming for comfortable safety during this season. |
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Post by shatter2 on Sept 9, 2018 8:33:59 GMT
Agree with that, we were by far the better team yesterday.But goals are what it's all about I'm sure it will come good.
Pelly yesterday was the.best player on the pitch although he tired towards the end.
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Post by proudhattersince74 on Sept 9, 2018 15:36:23 GMT
issues with yesterday's match:
1. Pearson is as brave as they come and you know he won't shirk a challenge. However, he simply doesn't win enough headers CLEANLY and has the infuriating habit of heading (and kicking) the ball into touch when we really need him to keep it on the pitch. If he really did cost as much as Bransley's chairman intimated then I hoe we kept the receipt. Starting to wonder whether he is actually any better than we had in Cuthbert. Whilst he's certainly not a bad defender, he's not exceptional and the step up to L1 really needed us to recruit players that are markedly better than we witnessed in L2 (either in Luton's colours or anybody opposition).
2. With Rae covering for the absent (but only 50 or so metres from the play) McCormack and Collins proving to be a poor replacement as a front line leader, the spine of our team was severely compromised. Grant was far too wishy-washy in challenges for my liking and his non-tracking of Blair only exposed Rae and the defence for their first goal. Mind you, Lee didn't offer much in terms of tracking their player either. If McCormack had been there, I seriously doubt he would have been given a ceremonial freedom of the pitch to go where and when he wanted. It's that kind of reading/anticipation where Rae is a poor substitute for McC.
3. Potts simply isn't functioning using last season's blueprint. Maybe he was that much better because he thought a summer move was on the cards but didn't then materialise. But his performances thus far haven't been a patch on the player we know is somewhere in there. I have little doubt that his knee is still troublesome (he still plays with it strapped) and it could possibly be a confidence thing as he's backed out of some challenges that last season would have seen him being much more robust.
4.
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Post by proudhattersince74 on Sept 9, 2018 15:50:01 GMT
4. Thought Collins was left on the pitch too long by NJ. Given that he'd beet yellowed and spoken to at length by the referee, he was walking a tightrope and didn't contribute anywhere near enough after we went 2-1 down IMO. Running about a lot doesn't achieve anything when the opposition know that he cannot really challenge for fear os a second yellow. NJ should have made a swap at HT or, once we were chasing the game again, fairly soon afterwards. That's not just hindsight, it's what I and many others around me hoped once his ineffectiveness was highlighted by some pretty average Doncaster defenders.
5. Concerned that we have become so reliant upon Pelly. At one point in the first half, he was the only one doing what it says on the tin. His recent performances must be attracting attention from higher leagues and losing him would be a massive blow to how we play and how the team functions as a unit. Whilst I appreciate we are not a one man team, there were times yesterday when we looked like a one man midfield.
6. Yet again, our narrowness allows teams to find acres of flank space and offers midfielders/defenders fairly easy 'out' balls if they are pressurised. How many times did their GK deliberately target drop kicks to Marquis on the left wing? Even if the wide players are then pressed, they've usually had time to take the ball under control, look up and decide what to do, let alone throw crosses into the danger area.
Missed the BBC 3CR interview with NJ so not quite sure what some folks are talking about WRT potential unrest in the camp. It wasn't repeated on the post-match interview with Statto so I'm in the dark on that. Not what I wanted to read as we approach the sacking season - NJ would be a target for many a club so we don't want him disenchanted and influenced with behind-the-scene issues.
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Post by Wimbo on Sept 9, 2018 17:01:18 GMT
Seems that the Donny fans have really taken to Pelly, five comments from their fans site and a topic in itself:
Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu. Thought he was at the heart of most of their attacks. Looked to have real pace & strength, a good passer, a box to box midfielder with a great engine (as they say). One of the best opposition midfielders I've seen at The Keepmoat. Just wish he was wearing a red & white hooped shirt!
17 (Pelly) a pleasure to watch - really noticed him
Class player
Definitely a good player got in so many great positions.
He was indeed there stand out player, but I don’t think we ever got close enough to him to stop him playing. Didn’t make it hard enough to stop him getting on the ball and influencing there play
Very impressive player, think he'd do a job for a Championship side.
Back to me: come on Nathan, give him a midfield that will actually support him, get in some tackles etc.
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Post by 8two on Sept 9, 2018 17:33:09 GMT
We'll be bloody lucky to retain him past the next transfer window.
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Post by bms on Sept 9, 2018 18:09:21 GMT
Many thanks for match reports/comments/observations.
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Post by shadylane on Sept 9, 2018 18:46:32 GMT
Our away form is a concern. Although no harm whatsoever was done from the late dropped points at Chavnidge and Cambridge, and Notts County was 'poetry in motion' last season, these results are indicative of our crap (2 wins) form on the road in 2018.
Apart from the obvious and usual failings yesterday, I enjoyed the game and the football we played. That's a good hour of football we've played at Wycombe and Doncaster combined that's comfortably as good as anyone has played at KR this season. But we don't have that experience of grinding out an away win anymore. Hopefully if we can actually, you know, do some defending for a change and take the lead in an away game we'll keep calm and play our football like yesterday and that away win will come.
Until then we are totally reliant on remaining very good at home.
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Post by shatter2 on Sept 9, 2018 19:23:54 GMT
Some are saying that Collins is rubbish, I think he's just lost confidence. It happens to the best strikers, a goal famine.
When he had a chance to score at home he missed the penalty, that's nothing to do with being crap, it's about confidence and form.
If the boo boys start on him his confidence will drop more.
Let's hope he gets a "fair go" and goes on to be the second best goal scorer as he was last season.
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Luke Berry? Nooooo! My sincerest thanks to Luke for so many occasions that he got me jumping around like a big kid. Berry epitomises your average player who exceeds his level by sheer hard work and it seems that so many Hatters can relate to that.
