Level of Performance

[thehockleyhustler]

Please don't see this as a knee-jerk reaction to yesterday's disappointing result as this has been concerning me for a while.

Results on the whole have been excellent so far but that little voice in the back of my mind which raises concerns over our all round game, won't go away.

I have concerns if we can maintain our position at the top of the league if we continue to play as we are. We have been very fortunate in quite a few games where lady luck has swung our way but that isn't sustainable over a long season.

Our style does seem to be more direct this season which is understandable given the quality we have on the wings and up top.
However, I would like to see us put it down on the floor and play a bit more and would love to see Assombalonga/fryatt put in behind the oppositions defences.

Speaking of Assombalonga, we have been far too reliant on him and Antonio to produce the goods for us and some of the other forward players need to step up a bit.

I do feel a bit dirty starting this thread given where we sit in the league but that little voice keeps suggesting we must up our game to maintain it.

Pearce says there is more to come from this side and I hope we start to see evidence of that soon.

 

[Raymondo Ponte']

I share your concerns.

And I'm sure it wont be too long before nearly all our supporters do.

 

[Beasty]

I agree in a lot of ways, I think we are again maybe missing Reid and also Fryatt quite a bit and there are just certain bits to our game that aren't there because of it. It would be harsh to say anyone had a 'bad game' yesterday because the overall game plan just didn't seem to be working. We didn't really seem capable of breaking them down etc, it wasn't like we were sloppy or lazy.

Feels a bit like when O'Driscoll was here when we were unbeaten for a good while but you could sense a loss was coming, I think we finally lost to Leeds.

 

[Joe Baker's Dog]

Don't panic. The positives are the defence is looking solid again. Darlow, Mancienne & Wilson looked very good yesterday. Mancienne was marking a very good player as well - Mackail Smith (how did Peterborough find him and Assambolonga & Boyd?). We have more young players around the first team than for years, Osborn, Grant & Patterson. Reidy & Fryatt will be fit again soon. Our coaching team are very experienced and know what's needed. The negatives: goals have dried up & players like Cohen and potentially Hobbs could be out for a long time.

 

[Pugwash]

Off the ball movement and general team shape isnt quite right.

Can't keep possession as we should because supporting players aren't always taking up the right positions or making the right runs.

I think we're caught in between route 1 and possession football and need to better define our indentity as a team.

It is early days, but it needs to fall into place very soon if we are to gain promotion this season.

 

[tropix]

Without Reid, Vaughan or Fryatt in the side we were extremely reliant on Lansbury having a good game through the middle yesterday, and he was absolute garbage. We played some gorgeous stuff in the first 20 minutes and then became frustrated and the game went to shit. I really wouldn't worry too much

Overall we've been fairly good, especially for a Championship team. I wouldn't expect truly beautiful football at this level if I were you

 

[TheDudeII]

I'm happy with what I'm seeing at my club.

 

[RRRREDUN]

I'm happy with what I'm seeing at my club.

And so am I. Just need a midfield leader to bully/organize/cajole/argue/encourage the rest of the team. Reidy/Vaughan would both fit the bill.

 

[Pugwash]

Without Reid, Vaughan or Fryatt in the side we were extremely reliant on Lansbury having a good game through the middle yesterday, and he was absolute garbage. We played some gorgeous stuff in the first 20 minutes and then became frustrated and the game went to shit. I really wouldn't worry too much

Overall we've been fairly good, especially for a Championship team. I wouldn't expect truly beautiful football at this level if I were you

We've not clicked, regardless of who's played. Even the players admit as much, saying that it's great to be winning when not in top gear.

Nearly every team we've played against has played better team football than us so far.

Britt, Michail, Mancienne and Darlow have put in immense performances that have delivered us results, but I don't think that's sustainable.

It's nothing to be ashamed of but Norwich, Bournemouth, Watford and Derby look better than us.

 

[sedgred]

Please don't see this as a knee-jerk reaction to yesterday's disappointing result as this has been concerning me for a while.

Results on the whole have been excellent so far but that little voice in the back of my mind which raises concerns over our all round game, won't go away.

I have concerns if we can maintain our position at the top of the league if we continue to play as we are. We have been very fortunate in quite a few games where lady luck has swung our way but that isn't sustainable over a long season.

Our style does seem to be more direct this season which is understandable given the quality we have on the wings and up top.
However, I would like to see us put it down on the floor and play a bit more and would love to see Assombalonga/fryatt put in behind the oppositions defences.

Speaking of Assombalonga, we have been far too reliant on him and Antonio to produce the goods for us and some of the other forward players need to step up a bit.

I do feel a bit dirty starting this thread given where we sit in the league but that little voice keeps suggesting we must up our game to maintain it.

Pearce says there is more to come from this side and I hope we start to see evidence of that soon.

Think you raise justified points, I was going to post on a similar subject, but I will just add to this well thought out thread.

My concerns are our fan base and reaction to disappointing results. Early season Forest were not considered as promotion candidates, that has changed and Forest along with the wonderful level of support they receive are at the moment in the spotlight.

This means that sides preparations against Forest as ever will be thoroughly professional as expected, but with an extra bite, the players going that extra yard, because they are paying Forest.

A couple of seasons ago, Forest under SOD destroyed Charlton in an early season game, television and Charltons manager praised Forest to the skies. I mentioned to my son as we left the ground, teams will alter the approach to playing us, Forest have now got to fight to earn he right to play the way they want. It took time and patience which I feel SOD wasn't granted ( Not a debate in his thread ).

Pearce, the back room staff and the fans face the same dilemma now, sides view Forest as a serious threat. For fans that will mean some frustrating games and patience, that for what ever reason is in short supply as tomorrow will not come soon enough.

For the playing side it means a great deal harder work, for all concerned.

I feel under Pearce that the patience factor will be a great deal longer than grant SOD, but we so have to be careful, I couldn't believe the moaning and whining about team selection in the match thread on Wednesday night, to avoid depression, I have not read yesterday's thread, but can guess.

Patience is the watchword.

 

[Mr RayReardon]

Pearce hasn't had a fully fit midfield/forward line to choose from yet... players have been fit, but all at different times. I'm not sure it's tactics, chemistry between players that makes the team click. Antonio has been poor every game I've seen him - but then be pops up with a goal or assist! Very hard not to pick him.

Fryatt back as part of a 4-4-2 would make a big difference. I like Osborn and Tesche looks ok but they're the same player. If fit perhaps Vaughan and Lansbury in the middle would gel more, with Reid out left. 5 across the middle always leaves us short up top with a spare part in the middle

 

[Ravi]

We've not clicked, regardless of who's played. Even the players admit as much, saying that it's great to be winning when not in top gear.

Nearly every team we've played against has played better team football than us so far.

Britt, Michail, Mancienne and Darlow have put in immense performances that have delivered us results, but I don't think that's sustainable.

It's nothing to be ashamed of but Norwich, Bournemouth, Watford and Derby look better than us.

Yes this is how I see it. Other than the second half v Reading and yesterday for half an hour I've not seen us play well as a team. I can understand us trying to use the long ball when this tactic has been so effective, but it's made us a bit one dimensional and now teams have got wise to it. I've been saying for a while that we can't keep being outplayed every week and stay in the top two. That half an hour spell in the first half yesterday was very encouraging - we passed the ball quickly and incisively and dominated possession and should have gone infront. I've seen precious little of that dominance so far this season.

I'm optimistic though. We have some very good players, an excellent defence and keeper, two top quality strikers and a number of midfielders who are capable of passing the ball and keeping possession. I'm sure SP and his staff are aware of the situation and we'll see more and more minutes in games like the first half yesterday.

 

[bgd]

Agree with the OP.

For me, our style is one that's not a developing style into nice passing football maintaining possession and creating plenty of opportunities.

I said it in the match thread yesterday, but I think we play quite an old fashioned style of football which teams can contain with relative ease. What we do have is some real quality players who can create individual moments to win us games.

It feels like we're a team of quality individuals over a quality team, and whilst I respect we are a 'new' side in most respects, I don't see it changing all too much.

It's not a concern with regards to winning games, I think we have the quality to do it to be very competitive in this league, but I just think we have the potential to become a quality team that also has quality individuals, which would make us extremely formidable. I'm just not sure it will happen.

How do we make it happen? It's hard to say because we're not privy to how it all goes down on the training ground, in the changing room... etc but there just needs to be some minor tweaking in my opinion and we'll be far too good for the opposition most weeks.

 

[Njaal Helle]

I have concerns if we can maintain our position at the top of the league if we continue to play as we are.

First world problems. Better this than Cotterill.

 

[Njaal Helle]

I agree in a lot of ways, I think we are again maybe missing Reid and also Fryatt quite a bit and there are just certain bits to our game that aren't there because of it. It would be harsh to say anyone had a 'bad game' yesterday because the overall game plan just didn't seem to be working. We didn't really seem capable of breaking them down etc, it wasn't like we were sloppy or lazy.

Feels a bit like when O'Driscoll was here when we were unbeaten for a good while but you could sense a loss was coming, I think we finally lost to Leeds.

SOD played Leeds once, won 4-2, got sacked.

 

[Ravi]

The real big positive so far is the defence. Darlow, Mance, Wilson/Hobbs, Hunt, Lichaj/Fox are beginning to look like a settled and tight unit. It gives us a strong platform in every game when the opposition are being restricted to very few chances. 'The best teams are built from the back'.

 

[gedlingred]

Individual's, particularly the new players, have performed sensationally and given us a better start than our collective team play has deserved. But we're only 9 league games in, so it's not that surprising that the team as a whole is still finding it's feet.

Lots more to come from this team.

 

[The Vicar]

We did have five important players missing today, Reid, Vaughan, Cohen, Hobbs, Fryatt. Players who would all walk into virtually every team in this league. Antonio will always blow hot or cold and today was cold! We just need a more settled side and a Quality striker, perhaps on loan. With Fryatt injured we are very short of options. Bamford would have been ideal.

 

[bgd]

The real big positive so far is the defence. Darlow, Mance, Wilson/Hobbs, Hunt, Lichaj/Fox are beginning to look like a settled and tight unit. It gives us a strong platform in every game when the opposition are being restricted to very few chances. 'The best teams are built from the back'.

Really agree with this.

We have some fantastic defenders. I agree with what you said elsewhere re: Fox getting undeserved criticism. I think cos he came from a Prem club, people were expecting a Prem quality left-back. He's not, he's a solid Championship left-back. He definitely gets caught out occasionally, but then he makes some fantastic challenges for balls you might not expect him to win. He has a very good left-peg and from how he plays, it's clear as day he's under instructions to play the big channel ball and big switch. I prefer Lichaj, but I have no issues with Fox playing.

 

[Brolin]

We have really missed Fryatt to link the midfield and Assombalonga.

I'm confident once he's back everything will purr like the Queen.

At least our defence is tight enough to keep us in games when the attack isn't quite hitting its straps.

 

[George cooney]

I feel we are like wigan atm..we have 3-4 players who are currently out of form,and the rest of the squad are carrying them with their workrate.

 

[Kjetil Osvold's Cat]

I prefer a cohesive midfield with the play mostly going through it (in general build up and also on quick breaks when we gain possession).

The long switches etc are ok as a surprise tactic, like when Pearce himself played one to Tommy Gaynor in the Littlewoods Cup Final!

 

[George cooney]

I was a bit alarmed with hunt yesterday..having the opposition pass it inside him 3 times was not good defending imo..

 

[Kelvin's Local]

I echo this to a degree. We're not playing attractively at all, but i'm not sure we've been lucky as much as just efficient. Our defence has been mostly solid (Bolton and Fulham aside) and we've simply been clinical up front when we've made our chances. It's not as though we're ever getting heavily outshot (Bournemouth aside) and fluking a win, it's that we just look like we're up against it a lot when in reality we're probably just letting them wear themselves down against our brick wall. Saying that, there's a number of individuals who need to improve. Burke has been disappointing of late, since his goal at Wednesday we've not seen a thing from Lansbury and Fox is just terrible every night.

Leicester did this a lot last season (especially earlier on) and won the league at a canter. I'm still clinging to the hope that it's all down to a mostly-new team gelling. Pearce has instilled a great degree of defensive responsibility throughout the XI and this is earning us points in my opinion, not luck.

It would make me feel a lot better if we put in a solid 90 minutes on Tuesday though.

 

[rogerthecat]

With injuries kicking in and the team in flux to fill gaps It'd be naive to expect to run top all season. I reckon this will be a hard campaign. I have already told my wife's cousin not to take it for granted that my daughter and I will be at her wedding on 25th May.

If we are up against Wolves I can see her rescheduling