[madsteve]

One Step Closer to Playoffs!

CC went with the expected starting eleven with Hutchinson replacing Bannan and Hunt returning to replace Palmer. As I have said many times, we struggle when we play 442 and we set up that way and we struggled again first half. We created next to nothing and only a loopy FF header forced their keeper into action. McGeady had to move inside as he cut a lonely isolated figure on the left wing for half an hour.

Our better moves came down the right but poor delivery meant that FF & Hooper were hardly involved.

Hutchinson committed two bad fouls. The first one could easily have been a red card on its own but sympathetic refereeing allowed him to go unpunished so he remained on the field when he cynically brought down a quickly breaking Charlton player & took a yellow for the team.

Everything changed pretty quickly in the second half.

Some will say it was the introduction of Nuhiu. Others will point to Lopez. Both helped massively but the biggest factor was switching to 4321 as happens so often. If we just started this way, we would probably win every match comfortably.

Well before we scored, you could feel the mood changing. The passing was sharper, FF & Hooper were finding space, the band were playing, the fans were singing and we played with far greater intensity. The place was buzzing and it was only a matter of time before we scored.

Nuhiu fluffed a good chance from 12 yards but the chances kept coming and it was no surprise when Lees headed home Wallace's corner. Hunt finally hit an accurate cross, Nuhiu headed against the post and FF was following in to head home. Lopez's 25 yard shot was deflected in after a well worked corner to put the result beyond doubt.

Not sure why Nuhiu, FF, Lee & others thought it was a good idea to time waste at 3-0 because it only caused Charlton to lose it and resulted in Hunt getting injured when Harriott gave him a two footed calling card. Why not go looking for a fourth goal?

Westwood - 6 - no shots to save
Hunt - 6 - one great cross, otherwise poor delivery
Lees - 7 - solid as ever, goal
Loovens - 7 - led by example
Pudil - 7 - professional performance
Wallace - 8 - main source of danger
Hutchinson - 6 - looked rusty
Lee - 8 - linked play well
McGeady - 6 - good flashes but not involved enough
FF - 8 - came alive second half, goal
Hooper - 6 - tidy but no chances
..............................................................
Nuhiu - 8 - gave attack a focal point
Lopez - 8 - gave CM some intensity
Matias - 6

Stat Attack:

Goals: 1 - Lees, FF, Own Goal

Assists: 1 - Wallace, Nuhiu, Lopez

Touches: 68 - Wallace, 64 - Loovens, Lees, Lee, 58 - FF, 55 - Hunt, 47 - Pudil, 46 - Westwood, 44 - Hutchinson, 39 - Hooper, 33 - Nuhiu, 28 - Lopez, 21 - McGeady, 7 - Matias

Tackles: 7 - FF, 5 - McGeady, 4 - Loovens, 3 - Lee, 2 - Pudil, Wallace, Hutchinson, 1 - Nuhiu, Lopez

Interceptions: 4 - Lee, 3 - Hunt, Pudil, 2 - Loovens, Lees, 1 - Wallace, Hutchinson, Nuhiu, Lopez

Clearances: 7 - Lees, 4 - Loovens, 3 - Pudil, 1 - Hunt, Nuhiu

Attempts: 7 - FF, 3 - Pudil, Nuhiu, 2 - Wallace, Lee, 1 - Loovens, Lees, Hutchinson, Lopez

Attempts On Target: 4 - FF, 1 - Lees, Wallace, Lee, Nuhiu

Key Passes: 3 - Wallace, 2 - Hunt, 1 - Lees, Pudil, Lee, McGeady, Lopez

Dribbles: 2 - Lee, FF, Nuhiu, 1 - Hunt, Pudil, Wallace

Dispossessed: 3 - Nuhiu, 2 - Lee, Hooper, 1 - Hunt, FF

Bad Control: 1 - Wallace, Lee, FF, Hooper, Nuhiu, Matias

Crosses (Accurate in brackets): 13 - Wallace (4), 4 - Hunt (2), 2 - Pudil (1), 1 - Lee (0), McGeady (0), FF (0), Hooper (0)

Passing Accuracy (Total Passes in Brackets):

Loovens - 94% (51), Lee - 93% (45), Lees - 87% (54), FF - 87% (38), Hutchinson - 85% (39), Hunt - 84% (38), Lopez - 84% (25), Hooper - 82% (34), Pudil - 81% (31), Matias - 80% (5), Wallace - 72% (47), McGeady - 69% (13), Nuhiu - 63% (19), Westwood - 52% (31)

We are moving comfortably towards the Playoffs. We are better than all the teams behind us and pretty close to the teams ahead of us. It is all about making sure that we reach the Playoffs with the right momentum to give us the best chance of promotion.

For me, CC is still making mistakes to our starting formation but he corrects these quickly by decisive changes and substitutions. I just have to ask, why not start with our best formation and our best eleven? Maybe CC does this because he likes the shift in momentum towards us during a match.

We survived the FF suspensions and now have to survive the Bannan suspension. We missed him first half but once Lopez came on then Bannan was hardly missed. If we can survive the next two matches as well then we will go into our final six matches with a full strength squad, pretty refreshed to take on a mini season of six (hopefully nine) matches.

If we look at potential Playoff opponents (Brighton, Hull & Derby), we have had five draws from five matches so little to suggest which way it will go. However, we have improved the most throughout the season and in FF, we have probably the best match winner for the Playoffs, which could well be decided by one moment of magic.

We all need to hold our nerve. We have an exciting couple of months ahead of us. The quality of our bench yesterday was there for all to see and we can change matches better than others.

There is only one team in England that has a 100% record of winning Playoff matches and I have a feeling they will be winning the Playoffs again in May.

[dubaiowl]

Me too. I provisionally booked my hotel in London in May. Sometimes dreams come true.

[Statesideowl]

I'm starting to think Carlos lures the opposition into a false sense of security by starting 442. He waits until they're comfortable with it then changes to our effective 4321.

Perhaps he is the master tactician after all

[madsteve]

I'm starting to think Carlos lures the opposition into a false sense of security by starting 442. He waits until they're comfortable with it then changes to our effective 4321.

Perhaps he is the master tactician after all

CC often talks that he plays 442 then starts 442. It's as though he thinks other teams will fall for it.

They do.

[Owlkev71]

Wouldn't have called it 4321, FF spent a lot of time on the left but being allowed to cut in similar to Wallace on the right. I would have called it a very flexible 442/4231 with lots of movement.

[madsteve]

Wouldn't have called it 4321, FF spent a lot of time on the left but being allowed to cut in similar to Wallace on the right. I would have called it a very flexible 442/4231 with lots of movement.

I think this is where CC is really clever.

He has even convinced a lot of our own fans that we play 442 even though when you look at player heat maps and touch maps, we clearly don't. 

FF rarely plays on the left wing. You could argue we play 4231 at times but second half, we were nothing like 442.

[peiowl]

Yes, I agree, NUhiu was a game changer.

[Statesideowl]

Nuhiu clearly has a role to play in our current set up, he actually proved himself as an impact sub!

[madsteve]

Nuhiu clearly has a role to play in our current set up, he actually proved himself as an impact sub!

While Nuhiu (& Lopez) both played well, it was more the presence of a big guy ahead of Hooper & FF that made the biggest difference.

I prefer Nuhiu starting than as an impact sub. Actually yesterday & Birmingham away are the only two matches I can recall him having an impact. More often, he softens up teams which allows others to take advantage later, sometimes after he has been substituted.

[Statesideowl]

I'd be much happier with a more talented forward of Nuhiu's stature but as you say, he has his uses. He loves a celebration too & gets the crowd going.
It's a shame for him that he isn't the future of the club, we need as many player as we can that love the shirt.