Second best all over the park again, for me. Not quite as bad as Winchester, the effort was there, but Merthyr passed through and around us. All three goals stemmed from not closing down the guy who got a goal bound shot in. Can`t be critical from the side, but Paul Strudley surely can`t be happy with three shots from close to/outside the box. 2.3 goals a game still being conceded, which we aren`t going to win many with, especially now the goals have dried up.
"... because I couldn`t... was it 5-3-2, 3-4-3, 4-4-2? Looked like the players couldn`t either, which was quite a problem."
Merthyr are going well, and will surely be up there. Dan has a lot to think about because right now we are drifting towards mid- table, at best. Reidy can`t get back soon enough, and we need Dunny`s leadership, although he can`t solve the midfield tracking problem all by himself. FA Trophy break coming at the right time.
Merthyr were always going to be one of the top teams that aside there is a clear trend in our performances this season that shows little sign of being solved;
We are good enough to be getting into winning positions most games but points lost in second half (or last 30 minutes even); Tiverton, Gosport, Hendon, Merthyr = 9 points (could have been even worse without Struds at Didcot and Beaconsfield). Add in the FA Cup and number of first or second half injury time goals conceded (5 in last 4 games alone, double figures this season already, admittedly some whilst chasing the game) there are clearly fitness or other issues.
We have plenty of attacking players on our squad, but we don't really have any depth of defenders or defensive midfielders protecting them to shut the game down when needed (nor maybe the finance to address these issue). If we did have funds this is the area I'd be looking at first.
In meantime I think we can expect many more nervy last 30 minutes this season, and probably a few more points dropped late.
FA Trophy comes at a good time and opportunity to break our current run of losses,but please no late drama this Saturday
Post by westernwaycasual on Oct 4, 2023 10:05:04 GMT
Obviously frustrating that the game got away from us in such a quick period.
I think it was inevitable that we would face tough spells this season. We're a newly promoted club, this league is a definite step up and it's full of teams who are expecting to challenge for a place in the Conference South. We can't win every week like last year, and injuries are really hurting us at the moment. Having said that it is still fine margins. Missed chances at Hendon and unlucky not to be 2-0 in front yesterday with the disallowed goal.
Might be me being negative but I'm more than happy with mid-table. After going up just bedding into the league is fine I think. Hope the Trophy break allows us to get some players fit.
Five at the back worked well for the first 60 minutes with us pressing them and defenders getting tight. Really good. We kept this up well for 60 minutes when they brought their big bloke on. We got tired I think and they were a tad fitter. Just a shame because it had gone so well. The problem is the protection the defenders get from the outside the box and we missed Cook alongside Atkinson. I was behind the shot for their first goal - Strudley was caught out and it went through him at near post. But that's not the issue, it is how the shooter was not closed down.
