We went to the pub after the game yesterday, had three different Charlton fans come up to us and congratulate us on the win. First guy says to us "I've seen every game this season and you are the best team we've played, you lot keep playing like that and you are in for a good season". I replied our expectations were modest and we just want to keep away from the relegation scrap to which he replied you should be looking at top half with that team. I thought that was interesting.
On the whole a really good day out yesterday for the 500 odd die hards who made the trip, really nice ground, great atmosphere and superb first half display from the team who played Charlton off the park with some excellent passing and movement.
Best team we've played
Moderators: Admin, Ralph, asl, Robin
-
RegencyCheltenhamSpa
- Posts: 29814
- Joined: 21 Nov 2009, 03:27
Good to hear sensible Charlton fans. Nice they recognise that some of our players are amongst the best in L1.
-
RegencyCheltenhamSpa
- Posts: 29814
- Joined: 21 Nov 2009, 03:27
Full match analysis incoming?Hubert Parry wrote:Charlton were particularly poor yesterday.
Having seen most matches this season (Missed Fleetwood and Charlton) I would say we have shown we are capable of matching anyone in this league. Admittedly MK Dons outplayed us last week and Wycombe were probably just more streetwise at this level and managed to grind out a result similar to what we did to teams last season.
What has surprised me is how you can be average yet still seem to pick up points. I did expect there to be a bigger quality gap between the bigger clubs in this league but so far that doesn't seem to be the case.
What has surprised me is how you can be average yet still seem to pick up points. I did expect there to be a bigger quality gap between the bigger clubs in this league but so far that doesn't seem to be the case.
-
RegencyCheltenhamSpa
- Posts: 29814
- Joined: 21 Nov 2009, 03:27
That’s the Duff bonus. The bigger club’s individuals are paid more and might be better and more experienced, but our team tactics and positioning due to Duff’s superiority can nullify that. I cannot see us being out-coached or be tactically second best many times this season.Benctfc wrote:Having seen most matches this season (Missed Fleetwood and Charlton) I would say we have shown we are capable of matching anyone in this league. Admittedly MK Dons outplayed us last week and Wycombe were probably just more streetwise at this level and managed to grind out a result similar to what we did to teams last season.
What has surprised me is how you can be average yet still seem to pick up points. I did expect there to be a bigger quality gap between the bigger clubs in this league but so far that doesn't seem to be the case.
I said before the first game Duff will be worth around 15 points to any L1 team just by being so much better than the other managers and that looks more and more evident as the season progresses.
Some of our young players are hopefully going to get even better with experience and match fitness improving game by game,we may have to revise our ambitions for the season ?Robin wrote:We went to the pub after the game yesterday, had three different Charlton fans come up to us and congratulate us on the win. First guy says to us "I've seen every game this season and you are the best team we've played, you lot keep playing like that and you are in for a good season". I replied our expectations were modest and we just want to keep away from the relegation scrap to which he replied you should be looking at top half with that team. I thought that was interesting.
On the whole a really good day out yesterday for the 500 odd die hards who made the trip, really nice ground, great atmosphere and superb first half display from the team who played Charlton off the park with some excellent passing and movement.
They did, but I'm not sure how much of that was down to the fact that we were 1-0 up and panicking. I mean, we were all over them before the goal and once they got the equaliser we looked more positive again and actually had possession in their half a couple of times, albeit too late to really wrestle any momentum back. The basic difference between the MK Dons and Charlton games, to me, was that we kept going after scoring the goals and had more belief and composure...most of the time. It did help that Charlton didn't press anywhere near as much which allowed us to let that belief grow.Benctfc wrote:Admittedly MK Dons outplayed us last week
-
RegencyCheltenhamSpa
- Posts: 29814
- Joined: 21 Nov 2009, 03:27
Don’t confuse MK Dons having lots of possession with them outplaying us. We had more shots on target than them so we played the more effective attacking football.
Us hoofing the ball to anywhere for most of the last 70 mins and them passing it around and dominating territorially is almost the definition of outplaying us, I'd say. Luckily they didn't outscore or outshoot us.RegencyCheltenhamSpa wrote:Don’t confuse MK Dons having lots of possession with them outplaying us. We had more shots on target than them so we played the more effective attacking football.
-
RegencyCheltenhamSpa
- Posts: 29814
- Joined: 21 Nov 2009, 03:27
Each to their own opinions. I personally think possession is a misleading stat which people obsess about and shouldn’t be reported. I would happily go a whole season letting the opposition have 20-30% possession but I also very much enjoy and appreciate that Duff prefers to have possession if possible. What I do like is that Duff does look to not want possession just for the sake of it and also recognises there are times when it is better not to have it so at least he is not obsessed like some possession fetishists are.Shade wrote:Us hoofing the ball to anywhere for most of the last 70 mins and them passing it around and dominating territorially is almost the definition of outplaying us, I'd say. Luckily they didn't outscore or outshoot us.RegencyCheltenhamSpa wrote:Don’t confuse MK Dons having lots of possession with them outplaying us. We had more shots on target than them so we played the more effective attacking football.
I agree, but there is no denying that MK Dons were the better team for the majority of the match and if they hadn't had their top 3 strikers out then they almost certainly would have comfortably beaten us. They had 3 or 4 extremely good chances that they fluffed. It wasn't just them having possession and us nullifying them. They cut us open but couldn't finish before finally burying a chance late on. Most of our efforts on goal came in the first 20 minutes, with the very occasional trip towards their goal after that. However, as per my point above, I think part of that was mentality, and MD said as much after that game. Mark Halliwell alluded to it on Saturday as well, that MD would be much happier that we haven't sat back after getting the goal and were going for the second, and then the third.
I think it is very noticeable we struggle most when teams press us high up the pitch and pin our full backs back. MK Dons is a good example of that we seem to stuggle to break teams down who can pin us back especially as we don't tend to play with a striker capable of holding the ball up so we don't have that long ball option. It was almost like Charlton didn't do any homework on us Saturday and didn't react until it was too late. Even last season we seemed to struggle more against teams that were more physical and in our faces than teams who were technically better but didn't work as hard off the ball.
-
PittvillePundit
- Posts: 129
- Joined: 05 Feb 2021, 20:54
- Location: Er, Pittville
Seen every League game (Burton on TV). Thought one time we were outplayed was Wycombe 2nd half. Ipswich good first 15/20 but Duff tactical adjustments sorted that.
Performance against Charlton, first half especially, best I've seen. Thought we were superb.
Bumps in the road ahead to be sure but a very decent start imo.
Performance against Charlton, first half especially, best I've seen. Thought we were superb.
Bumps in the road ahead to be sure but a very decent start imo.