The Lounge

[Devon Womble]

Ummm…. Let me see if I’ve got this right….
We field NA’s ‘First Eleven’ against average Rochdale and achieve a draw (having missed the Barndoor a dozen times…)…. then our kids go out and beat a PREMIERSHIP team and score FOUR goals in the process…. (OK so three then with one for ever improving Parrett.)

I am at a loss for words…

[Colum]

Devon. I don’t think you can compare the two games really. Both sides fielded so many changes. That said, it was interesting to see that Cody McDonald played 56 minutes yet only got a mention once in the match report, and that a “flick on” from a corner. He is proving to be a real liability. If he doesn’t turn things around soon, we may just turn out to be Neil Ardley’s worst signing to date.

The positives have to be all the youngsters. They came out of this with a lot of credit. Perhaps, just perhaps, you have a point in giving some more of them a go. It may come to that if things remain as they are in the league, but it would be a last throw of the dice move.

[Windlesham Don]

Certainly not worth reading anything into last night’s game. The Spurs’ kids were technically gifted, but had no clue how to control (or win) a football match. I am sure all of them could give us 50 ‘keepy uppies’, but win a tough tackle or header – no chance!

The introduction of these PL academies to the EFL Trophy was designed to give these talented youngsters experience against League sides. Spurs supposedly have a talented Academy, but what last night demonstrated is that once they have been taught the technical skills they need to learn how to play competitive football – this means playing in the lower leagues full time to toughen them up.

I am NOT advocating the introduction of ‘B’ teams to the lower leagues here, far from it, but if English football is to improve then the talented kids need to be exposed to proper competitive football whilst they are developing.

Of course, these kids are never going to get a chance in the PL, as we know, so in my view the solution is more flexibility in the loan system. PL clubs should want their kids to play in the lower leagues and should not place ridiculous restrictions on any lower league club wishing to take a youngster on loan. At the Meet the Manager evening pre-season, NA explained that if a club wanted to take a Chelsea youngster on loan then they had to make a formal presentation on how they intended to develop the player! Many clubs also charge more if a loanee isn’t played than if they are – what incentive is that to take a PL youngster?!

This is a crazy situation, PL clubs should be happy that their talented youngsters will get toughened up in the lower leagues and not place crazy restrictions on loaning clubs.

The lower league clubs do not need PL ‘B’ teams, they need the flexibility and freedom to take PL youngsters on loan (at the expense of the loaning club). This would help the finances of the lower league clubs and improve the quality of English footballers being produced from PL Academies.

[Windlesham Don]

And now back to Saturday, and the phrase that for some reason keeps popping into my head is “sleepwalking to relegation”.

I am getting increasingly concerned that our tactics are not working, and are not going to work however much we stick at them. 4-3-3 should be an attacking system, but IMO we are using the formation in the wrong way at the moment.

First, let me put my cards on the table, I have no UEFA coaching badges and haven’t worked in football. All I have is 40 years experience spectating and a keen interest in tactics and how they are implemented.

My concerns relate to our midfield and attack, as the defence is looking pretty solid at the moment.

Up front, we seem to have settled on a three of Barcham (left), Taylor (right) and McDonald (centre). Barch is a natural winger and although Taylor is a striker he has adapted to stick wide right.

Barcham is playing well, as demonstrated on Saturday when he repeatedly skinned his full back and got to the line. The problem is that once at the line Barch only has two options, the dink to the far post and the drag back on the floor to the edge of the area.

McDonald rarely wins a ball in the air and so like most smallish strikers will want to run near post to use his speed in front of his marker. Thus he is not going to be where Barch generally delivers the ball, as Barch either advances too far into the box crowding the near post, or he doesn’t whip in a low ball to the near post. Also, Barch doesn’t seem to have the ability to get his head up and pick a pass, something I doubt he will learn now.

Thus, using Barch effectively means Taylor coming in off his wing to attack the far post, someone with height also getting into the box from midfield (Trotter?) and another midfielder getting to the drag back area on the edge of the box for a shot (Parrett?)

None of this is happening at the moment. Trotter will not break sweat to drive into the box (not my favourite player!) and Parrett doesn’t seem to want to hit a shot with his left foot when he does get the chance, preferring to switch to his right foot by which time the chance is normally snuffed out.

I could go on, but I don’t want to bore everyone with my own personal tactical analysis! However, the issue as I see it is that our tactics are currently not going to work however much we keep trying them as they are basically flawed for the personnel we have…

[Colum]

I’ve been looking back at the highlights of Tuesday’s game. I’ve never seen anyone score two goals and look as miserable as young Sibbick. Neal said he is harsh on himself. He certainly didn’t look happy. But I think Neal is right. For their second goal in particular, it looked like Toby was caught out of position. But in the lead up to it, I don’t think he was. Robbo was! Toby had been up field but was running back. The Spurs youngster who scored was in the middle of the park. Robbo was slow to come forward, and was caught in no mans land. The result of this was the Spurs player running past Robbo into space. Poor old Toby was did a brilliant job in getting back, and so nearly getting a tackle in. Cheer up Toby. I think you’ve got a bright future ahead of you.

[Devon Womble]

It’s not even sixty minutes into the game and I’m predicting that Ardley, for all his great moments, will be gone in less than a month… if not by the time you read this.
An utterly, utterly, hopeless, abject, clueless, dysfunctional, disjointed, abysmal performance. Comfortably the worst I’ve ever seen in 45 years of supporting our club.
From the point when three Dons players watched the Oxford forward set up the first goal, you knew this was going to be a yet another pathetic display on our part.
“The greatest squad we’ve ever had” couldn’t beat a Sunday league team down Wimbledon Common.
Ardley out. Haydon in… in fact, anybody in who knows where the damn goal is and has the ability to use the talent we have that never gets a chance to play.

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