16-12-2015, 12:33
Carlos Had a Nightmare
Where to start? Let me say a few positive things about MK. They are a much maligned club but have managed to get to the second tier after several years trying with the smallest budget by a distance. They had to sell their star player Alli to Spurs & are still just above the cut line for relegation. They have a nice stadium and know how to use the jumbo screens to build the atmosphere. We still haven't got a clue how to use ours. This is the second time that I have had to deal with ticket issues on the day at MK and the staff couldn't have been more helpful & sorted things our quickly & efficiently. Wednesday could learn something here as well.
I said to Young Padawan after five minutes that we weren't up for this one and that unless Joao & Hooper could do a miracle job then we would lose. In truth, it was lost in team selection. We had no movement up front so that whenever we got the ball we had nowhere to go & with MK pressing hard, we just gave the ball away repeatedly. It seems as though even the better players' heads go down when Nuhiu starts because FF & Bannan were well below their normal standard while Nuhiu & Sougou were statues.
The first goal shouldn't have happened & while Pudil & Loovens might have done better, Westwood made it an easy finish. The only redeeming feature of the first half was that we got to half time only 1-0 behind. Only Turner (and to a lesser extent Loovens) could be satisfied with their first half performance.
Wallace had already replaced Lopez just before half time and Joao replaced Nuhiu at the break. The only surprise was that Sougou escaped the cull and started the second half.
There was an immediate improvement with Bannan & Wallace looking active in CM but the balloon was soon punctured when FF gave the ball away carelessly in CM and Maynard just beat the offside to burst clear & beat Westwood. At the time, it looked offside but seeing the video coverage this morning, the run was brilliantly timed with Turner playing him just onside.
After that, we dominated. Hooper replace Sougou and we were playing with eleven men. Hooper's movement up front makes so much difference. Suddenly we were asking their defence questions. Joao's pace was a threat and FF was wriggling through gaps when he wasn't diving looking for free kicks. Hunt was finding oceans of space down the right although his delivery was shocking.
Thankfully Wallace & Bannan were probing well and Hooper, Joao & FF were providing target. The anonymous Lee started to get involved. FF forced their keeper into a brilliant twisting save after creating the space for a shot cleverly. The goal came from a sweet move on the right edge of the box where Wallace burst clear & cut the ball back to the well positioned Hooper, who fired home from 15 yards.
That gave us 15 minutes to chase an equaliser. We went close a few times but never went closer than MK did on a break when Westwood had to dive smartly to save.
Rating the players is so difficult because the halves were so different so I have marked players by the half and given them an average.
Westwood - 4 + 6 = 5
Hunt - 2 + 5 = 3.5
Turner - 6 + 6 = 6
Loovens - 5 + 6 = 5.5
Lopez - 2
Lee - 2 + 6 = 4
Bannan 5 + 7 = 6
Sougou - 1
FF - 3 + 7 = 5
Nuhiu - 1
......................................
Wallace - 8
Joao - 7
Hooper - 8
We cannot afford to play players that are dead weights at the start and hope to pull it back later with substitutions. Nuhiu & Sougou are nowhere near good enough to play for a top half SBC team and their inclusion means that we are effectively playing with nine men plus it has a debilitating effect on our better players. We are so easy to defend against with that first half team. Nuhiu offers no threat and teams defend high because they know that he cannot turn the defence and get in behind. This squeezes the game when we have possession & with MK pressing, we just kept giving the ball away. We had the joke situation of Nuhiu being set free and clear of the defence but running like he was in a bed of treacle and ending up shooting pitifully from the edge of the box as defenders closed in. Not sure what Sougou was supposed to be doing. He stayed close to one touch line or the other & was barely involved.
CC has to take responsibility for this. It has happened quite a few times now that we have given away the initiative by starting Nuhiu and had to try to wrestle back control with second half substitutions. We have scored six goals after bringing on Hooper against Huddersfield, Cardiff & MK. Maybe he should start?
To me the best solution in the short term is to play 433 with Joao & Hooper up front with FF tucked in behind. Three in midfield from Hutchinson, Bannan, Wallace & Lee and use the FBs to provide width. Hunt is a liability in defence and his delivery is appalling from some good positions. Palmer is a far better option. Without Lees, we are vulnerable to pace at CB but we have to live with that for a few weeks and hope that we get enough goals by attacking for 90 minutes that that won't count too heavily against us.
Stat Attack:
Goals: 1 - Hooper
Assist: 1 - Wallace
Tackles: 2 - Hunt, Loovens, Lee, FF, Bannan, Nuhiu, 1 - Sougou, Wallace
Interceptions: 6 - Turner, 5 - Lee, 4 - Bannan, 2 - Hunt, Pudil, 1 - Loovens, Lopez, Sougou, Wallace
Clearances: 6 - Loovens, 3 - Turner, 2 - Pudil, Lee, 1 - Hunt, Hooper
Attempts: 2 - Nuhiu, Wallace, 1 - FF, Bannan, Joao, Hooper
Attempts On Target: 1 - FF, Hooper
Key Passes: 1 - Westwood, Lopez, FF, Bannan, Hooper, Wallace
Dribbles: 3 - FF, 2 - Bannan, 1 - Hunt, Joao, Wallace
Dispossessed: 5 - FF, 2 - Hunt, Pudil, Joao, 1 - Lopez, Lee, Bannan, Hooper, Wallace
Bad Control: 3 - FF, 2 - Joao, 1 - Lopez, Lee
Crosses (accurate in brackets) 7 - Hunt (1), 6 - Wallace (1), 3 - Bannan (0), 2 - Pudil (1), FF (0), 1 - Loovens (0), Lee (0), Sougou (0), Hooper (0)
Passing Accuracy (Total Passes in Brackets)
Sougou - 100% (8)
Lopez - 96% (22)
Hooper - 94% (16)
Wallace - 85% (34)
Loovens - 85% (27)
Pudil - 82% (28)
Lee - 81% (37)
Bannan - 77% (53)
FF - 76% (25)
Turner - 74% (27)
Joao - 67% (12)
Westwood - 63% (30)
Nuhiu - 60% (15)
Hunt - 57% (35)
I did mention on Saturday that we create so much more after Hooper comes on and the stats show perhaps why. On top of his better movement, he also has better passing figures that our other strikers which means we are keeping the ball live better.
We have five days before our next match while Wolves play on Thursday night so we have to use this advantage to work them from the first minute. It is not the end of the world if CC has learned from his errors of last night but to start Nuhiu & Sougou again would be a criminal error.
Where to start? Let me say a few positive things about MK. They are a much maligned club but have managed to get to the second tier after several years trying with the smallest budget by a distance. They had to sell their star player Alli to Spurs & are still just above the cut line for relegation. They have a nice stadium and know how to use the jumbo screens to build the atmosphere. We still haven't got a clue how to use ours. This is the second time that I have had to deal with ticket issues on the day at MK and the staff couldn't have been more helpful & sorted things our quickly & efficiently. Wednesday could learn something here as well.
I said to Young Padawan after five minutes that we weren't up for this one and that unless Joao & Hooper could do a miracle job then we would lose. In truth, it was lost in team selection. We had no movement up front so that whenever we got the ball we had nowhere to go & with MK pressing hard, we just gave the ball away repeatedly. It seems as though even the better players' heads go down when Nuhiu starts because FF & Bannan were well below their normal standard while Nuhiu & Sougou were statues.
The first goal shouldn't have happened & while Pudil & Loovens might have done better, Westwood made it an easy finish. The only redeeming feature of the first half was that we got to half time only 1-0 behind. Only Turner (and to a lesser extent Loovens) could be satisfied with their first half performance.
Wallace had already replaced Lopez just before half time and Joao replaced Nuhiu at the break. The only surprise was that Sougou escaped the cull and started the second half.
There was an immediate improvement with Bannan & Wallace looking active in CM but the balloon was soon punctured when FF gave the ball away carelessly in CM and Maynard just beat the offside to burst clear & beat Westwood. At the time, it looked offside but seeing the video coverage this morning, the run was brilliantly timed with Turner playing him just onside.
After that, we dominated. Hooper replace Sougou and we were playing with eleven men. Hooper's movement up front makes so much difference. Suddenly we were asking their defence questions. Joao's pace was a threat and FF was wriggling through gaps when he wasn't diving looking for free kicks. Hunt was finding oceans of space down the right although his delivery was shocking.
Thankfully Wallace & Bannan were probing well and Hooper, Joao & FF were providing target. The anonymous Lee started to get involved. FF forced their keeper into a brilliant twisting save after creating the space for a shot cleverly. The goal came from a sweet move on the right edge of the box where Wallace burst clear & cut the ball back to the well positioned Hooper, who fired home from 15 yards.
That gave us 15 minutes to chase an equaliser. We went close a few times but never went closer than MK did on a break when Westwood had to dive smartly to save.
Rating the players is so difficult because the halves were so different so I have marked players by the half and given them an average.
Westwood - 4 + 6 = 5
Hunt - 2 + 5 = 3.5
Turner - 6 + 6 = 6
Loovens - 5 + 6 = 5.5
Lopez - 2
Lee - 2 + 6 = 4
Bannan 5 + 7 = 6
Sougou - 1
FF - 3 + 7 = 5
Nuhiu - 1
......................................
Wallace - 8
Joao - 7
Hooper - 8
We cannot afford to play players that are dead weights at the start and hope to pull it back later with substitutions. Nuhiu & Sougou are nowhere near good enough to play for a top half SBC team and their inclusion means that we are effectively playing with nine men plus it has a debilitating effect on our better players. We are so easy to defend against with that first half team. Nuhiu offers no threat and teams defend high because they know that he cannot turn the defence and get in behind. This squeezes the game when we have possession & with MK pressing, we just kept giving the ball away. We had the joke situation of Nuhiu being set free and clear of the defence but running like he was in a bed of treacle and ending up shooting pitifully from the edge of the box as defenders closed in. Not sure what Sougou was supposed to be doing. He stayed close to one touch line or the other & was barely involved.
CC has to take responsibility for this. It has happened quite a few times now that we have given away the initiative by starting Nuhiu and had to try to wrestle back control with second half substitutions. We have scored six goals after bringing on Hooper against Huddersfield, Cardiff & MK. Maybe he should start?
To me the best solution in the short term is to play 433 with Joao & Hooper up front with FF tucked in behind. Three in midfield from Hutchinson, Bannan, Wallace & Lee and use the FBs to provide width. Hunt is a liability in defence and his delivery is appalling from some good positions. Palmer is a far better option. Without Lees, we are vulnerable to pace at CB but we have to live with that for a few weeks and hope that we get enough goals by attacking for 90 minutes that that won't count too heavily against us.
Stat Attack:
Goals: 1 - Hooper
Assist: 1 - Wallace
Tackles: 2 - Hunt, Loovens, Lee, FF, Bannan, Nuhiu, 1 - Sougou, Wallace
Interceptions: 6 - Turner, 5 - Lee, 4 - Bannan, 2 - Hunt, Pudil, 1 - Loovens, Lopez, Sougou, Wallace
Clearances: 6 - Loovens, 3 - Turner, 2 - Pudil, Lee, 1 - Hunt, Hooper
Attempts: 2 - Nuhiu, Wallace, 1 - FF, Bannan, Joao, Hooper
Attempts On Target: 1 - FF, Hooper
Key Passes: 1 - Westwood, Lopez, FF, Bannan, Hooper, Wallace
Dribbles: 3 - FF, 2 - Bannan, 1 - Hunt, Joao, Wallace
Dispossessed: 5 - FF, 2 - Hunt, Pudil, Joao, 1 - Lopez, Lee, Bannan, Hooper, Wallace
Bad Control: 3 - FF, 2 - Joao, 1 - Lopez, Lee
Crosses (accurate in brackets) 7 - Hunt (1), 6 - Wallace (1), 3 - Bannan (0), 2 - Pudil (1), FF (0), 1 - Loovens (0), Lee (0), Sougou (0), Hooper (0)
Passing Accuracy (Total Passes in Brackets)
Sougou - 100% (8)
Lopez - 96% (22)
Hooper - 94% (16)
Wallace - 85% (34)
Loovens - 85% (27)
Pudil - 82% (28)
Lee - 81% (37)
Bannan - 77% (53)
FF - 76% (25)
Turner - 74% (27)
Joao - 67% (12)
Westwood - 63% (30)
Nuhiu - 60% (15)
Hunt - 57% (35)
I did mention on Saturday that we create so much more after Hooper comes on and the stats show perhaps why. On top of his better movement, he also has better passing figures that our other strikers which means we are keeping the ball live better.
We have five days before our next match while Wolves play on Thursday night so we have to use this advantage to work them from the first minute. It is not the end of the world if CC has learned from his errors of last night but to start Nuhiu & Sougou again would be a criminal error.
The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.
who only plays one twos with himself or the other team 
and the tactic of the game moulded round them and for them 
wolves possibly the hardest game to win as we havnt beat tham at hillborough in the league for almost 40 years 
