The Lounge

[MacWomble]

We are only one point adrift of where we were last season, so any calls for the Gaffer to seek a (no doubt) better job will hopefully have to wait. With the budget he has, I’m surprised the Gaffer has stuck it thus far. We should hope that he does not go, as any replacement would likely also struggle and the home crowd would just have to enjoy a headlong dive back to League 2. It’s a shit league and this is what you get. As for Pompey; how the mighty have fallen. Play up Pompey, the Pompey Dot, the Pompey Chimes – yawn, yawn. We need to hold our nerve until Plough Lane. When is Vinnie going to come back with his hod and start laying the bricks? I fear we could be in League One for an eternity.

[Devon Womble]

For the first fifteen minutes I thought we were going to destroy the Gills by several goals, such was the sense of urgency about the squad; one no doubt stung by criticism of their habitual arrival to the game ten minutes after kick-off.
Naturally it couldn’t last, and after the Gills got back into the game, we resorted to type…. vis-a-vis hoofing the ball up field. The only bright lights being Barcham and LTB who between them chased everything.
However Barcham’s goal went in, I have no idea, but he was worth every yard that ball jinked and bounced into the back of the net.
Cue Deji’s slightly reckless but harmless tackle, worthy of only a ‘ticking off’, but dealt with by a harsh yellow card; neatly followed by the wholesale unpunished destruction of Barcham who was left ignored on the ground, and tempers started to rise.
What better player then than LTB to light the blue touch paper. As he was freestyle wrestled off the ball, he turned to push back on his assailant and all hell broke loose.
The ref, thankfully realising he didn’t know the rules of the game, duly took a few minutes instruction from his linesman before taking his advice and making the right decision by issuing one red card to the Gills and a yellow to LTB for retaliation.
At this point I thought “YES” now we can sit back and watch a five goal fest.
But of course, we are Wimbledon, and that means that it was entirely natural for us to give away a soft equalizer moments later. Still, there was the second half to look forward to after all.

Well, no as it happens. What followed was a demonstration (by the Dons) on how to allow a ten man team to dominate a game.
We were lucky not to lose this one. It was probably only when Kaja made the traditional cameo appearance by one of our young stars that we finally looked like we might win the game. Sadly, we are still practicing missing the Barn Door.

I suspect this squad is the most expensive we’ve ever had, and with that in mind, I have to believe that some of those whose money or commitment has brought it will be starting to ask questions, not of the squad, but of those who manage it.
I think after today the clock might just start ticking…

[MacWomble]

Famous last words, but I just can’t see how bad it can become before the club sack the Gaffer. He has delivered the goods in previous years. He has little money to work with. He would not be replaced by anyone decent. There is surely no money for a new Gaffer or paying-out our old Gaffer (and all the messy back-room changes that occur). The club surely cannot have any appetite for significant changes while the relocation to Plough Lane drags on and on and on. While the nuclear clock (or whatever) may be at 2 mins to midnight, our man in the hot-seat must surely be about quarter past the hour. Anyway, it sounds like the players are the problem. How much managing do people need?

[Colum]

Guys. I don’t doubt there may be some eager for changes at the top, but I don’t think it has reached that point. Look at the criticism aimed at Palace for sacking De Boer after five games. It’s crazy!

Last night was one of those games. Yes we should have won by a country mile, but the keeper played a blinder and all our chances fell to anyone else but our forward line. That’s where the real problems are for me. If we can only get them on the end of some chances.

That said, Appiah didn’t so much look like he’d lost the plot last night, as lost the book and entire library. One free header on the edge of the six yard box that went some 15 yards wide summed him up. He also doesn’t seem to break sweat, preferring others to do the hard work for him. Maybe we’re too used to seeing Elliott, Kedwell, and Midson do just that?

McDonald did OKish coming on, but we didn’t get the ball to him enough unless he had his back to goal.

Hartigan and Nightingale were my stars on the night. Parrott did OK for 30 minutes, then faded. Barchie likewise for 60. LTB ran his socks off as usual, but really should learn how to cross to the centre of the box rather than the opposing touchline.

They’ll be happier with a point than us, but it’s not time to doom and gloom yet. We always expected this season to be tougher, so we should be surprised if we finish below 15th position. It’s certainly not time for talk of sacking anyone.

[Devon Womble]

Well, that was a shock, but a delightful one at that.
Firstly, I have to comment on ifollow. You know that expression “Game of two halves”? Well, that sums up ifollow’s efforts. There was clearly a technical fault at Ewood for not only was coverage jittery during the first 45 minutes, but large parts of the game simply didn’t get transmitted. Some new paperclips and string at half time ensured the second half however, was perfectly smooth. Sigh, ifollow still has much to improve upon.

As for the game, for the first fifteen minutes, Blackburn looked as though they were cruising in first gear, while we were already shifting into third, desperately charging around yet unable to do anything about the well oiled Blackburn passing game. At this point I thought we were done for.
Then somewhere out of nowhere, there was Appiah, finally earning his wages as he took on almost the entire Blackburn defence and somehow let rip a blinder into the top corner of the net.
Cue ‘What the hell was that’ among the Blackburn fans and players.
Blackburn subtly slipped into another gear and I think we were lucky to still have our nose in front at half-time.

A couple of point saving clearances by Long in the second half may well be enough for even cynics like me to conclude that perhaps NA’s abrupt disposal of Shea may have been correct. Other than that, I spent most of it waiting for Blackburn to go into ‘Premiership’ mode and come back at us and still cruise to a win. Despite some very slick football, it never really happened. The Dons fought and won while the Blackburn fans boo’ed and blamed the Ref. A priceless three points.

My personal view on the players performances is that I thought Parrett played a commanding role. He was everywhere, but perhaps most valuably, at the point where he pulled Fuller back from arguing with the Ref after his yellow card. Left to his own devices I’m certain Fuller would have seen a subsequent Red. I tend to think that Parrett has finally done enough to secure his position in the first eleven.
Hartigan, again, was outstanding. Of all our players, he is the one for me that showed a complete awareness of players around him. I don’t think he missed a pass or critical tackle all game. Sadly for us, I doubt he will be with us long.
All said and done though, if pushed to name my man of the match, it goes to Trevor Kettle…
Yup, the Referee. Although the Blackburn crowd considered otherwise, his judgement meant that the game was to see a lot of free flowing football, with few set pieces, which I’d have to argue, favoured us. His control of the hotheads in the game, without losing his own, was also excellent.
Well done Ref. Can we have you refereeing all our games from now on?

[Colum]

You’ve done it now Devon. No doubt if we have the ref at our next home game, he’ll have a shocker. And you know who that is against.

As for the game, it was an excellent individual goal from Appiah. He rode his luck, but it was an excellent finish.

Maybe we were lucky to get all three points, but I’ll take them. I’m still undecided about Trotter. Maybe it’s his tall stature, but he never seems to be break sweat. He’s definitely not a hardworking Parrott, and his distribution is poor. I can’t see him starting many games unless we have further injuries and suspensions.

[Author]

Posts