The Lounge

[MacWomble]

I agree that the goal is survival. Until we move back to the new Plough Lane, then I think our hands are tied. For the past few seasons we have relied on one player to get the bulk of the goals, whether that be a Pigott, a Taylor or Akinfenwa or whoever. Trouble is when that player doesn’t show up. I see a repeat of last season, albeit with a management team that gained our respect towards the end of last season with a gutsy run to the end. Somehow I don’t think it is player this or player that who are important this season, rather it is the gaffer, Wally and team. Rotherham may be an ask too much.

[Windlesham Don]

Football is back!

I agree with all the previous posts, this season is going to be one of survival and it’s going to be tough. Wally has accepted his lack of resources and embraced it – he has a squad of young and hungry players and the group seems pretty ‘tight’. We will try and sneak wins by being fitter, better organised and willing to scrap more than our opposition. Whether that will be enough we will have to wait and see.

Sadly, IMO today’s opponents are probably the worst choice to face first up. Rotherham will be big, physical and well organised, and I expect more so than us. A loss today won’t be a disaster, as I expect Rotherham to be challenging for the title come the end of the season. However, I do want to see the fight and the enthusiasm that we are going to need for the rest of the season.

For me, a 0-2 defeat, but signs of hope for the future…

COYD!!

[Singapore Don]

And so the season starts – with a juddering end to our undefeated run hanging over from last season. This was always going to be a very high mountain to climb, facing a strong Rotherham team tipped for promotion straight back to the Championship, with eleven players all well over six feet tall. After 45 minutes of Men against Boys, it looked like the season ahead would be another long, gruelling slog for survival, such was the one-sided nature of the opening half. But a 15 minute break, no doubt a piercing half time pep talk from the manager, and we were treated to a second half of real fight and determination, some promise perhaps of a season which could offer us something more than pain and frustration. This was the classic game of two halves.

The first half was awful. We sat too deep, allowing them far too much time on the ball, particularly in midfield where they could control the game and set up wave after wave of attack. We showed little nouse, little gumption, and were outplayed all over the park. There seemed to be an element of us just showing them too much respect as a Championship team just relegated, but the fact was that Rotherham outfought, out-thought and outplayed us in every department. We just didn’t get a look in, well not until the very last minute of the half when new boy Reilly had a shot from outside the box which fizzed just past the post. Aside from that shot, it was all Rotherham, who looked a class act, as well as a physically imposing one.

Indeed, the imposing presence of former Don Michael Smith at the back post from a corner was the telling factor in the Millers’ opening goal, a towering header back across goal that Ladapo could just tap in. To be fair, the only other real goal opportunity Rotherham had was a header or shot – I couldn’t make out from the other end of the ground – which young Tzanev in goal did amazingly well to keep out with an instinctive reaction block. It was a superb save, and credit to the young keeper who had been given the number one slot owing to the curious absence of loanee Trott from the starting line-up – apparently injured and explaining the short term re-signing of Joe McDonnell. Whatever the reason, Nik Tzanev I thought did really well, despite some people having digs at him. Thrown in at the deep end for his debut, he produced some stunning saves, caught crossed balls from giant opponents around him, and distributed the ball quickly and efficiently in both his kicking and throwing. Whatever anyone else says, the boy did well!

On to the second half, and it was positives all round. We looked a completely different team. We fought, we hassled, we pressed hard and high, we gave them no space or time, we were in control. And the reward came quickly, with the Dons paying back for the set-piece donation in the first half with our own set-piece gift in the 50th minute. A great Hartigan corner landed square on the head of – of course – Joe Pigott who headed home with aplomb: a fantastic goal which shows we can score from corners! And no mean achievement against the giants in the box defending the Rotherham goal.

Far from sitting back, we continued taking the game to Rotherham, and had other really decent chances – Hartigan poking wide from a few yards when it looked easier to score, new boy O’Neill cannoning a low hard drive from wide which narrowly missed, and Captain Fantastic Nightingale sending a header from a corner inches over the bar. A number of chances squandered to give us that all important second goal. Despite this, heads didn’t fall, the team as a whole continued to press, dig and fight, and give us a performance of real passion which really did lift spirits and noise levels around Kingsmeadow. The Millers’ crowd, which had been raucous and dominant throughout the first half, was silent as they watched in horror their team being seemingly put to the sword by the battling Dons warriors in the second half.

But Rotherham showed their defiance and nouse with a couple of counter attacks, one of which put them in the position to put us to the sword. First, Wimbledon again showed amazing resilience and determination to keep out a goal which looked nailed on certain to be scored, when a crossed ball found Ladapo again, whose shot somehow was kept out by an astonishing block on the line – in a very painful part of the male body (!) – by the imperious Paul Kalambayi. It may well have been this stunning block which swung the balance in his favour for the Man of the Match award at the end of the game.

In the 84th minute, the opposition did find the net – though it really was the weakest of goals to give away. A scuffed corner somehow found its way though the crowded box to find a Rotherham defender, who kicked it unconvincingly at goal – and it crept through the sea of players eluding everyone, even – annoyingly – McCloughlin on the line. A soft goal if ever there was one – and the decisive one to leave us Dons fans frustrated and tearing our hair out. But it was not heartbreak. Because what we had seen in the second half was a performance of high energy, great commitment, dogged determination, and impassioned fight – a promise of a season ahead that may well not be all doom and gloom.

Some final thoughts on a few individuals. New left back Nesta Walker did not look out of his depth despite the big jump in levels for him with this League One start. He tired towards the end, but during the game was positionally sound, drove forward to good effect, and crossed well. A solid showing.

Luke O’Neill was rock solid at right back, a mature presence with speed and ability to drive down the right, have a shot on goal or put in a decent cross; while back in defence being tough tackling and resolute. Another solid performance.

Nik Tzanev I’ve already talked about and will be more than happy to see between the posts again in the games ahead. Playing more games will only give him more confidence and experience, and he really could fill the number one boots to give us our own permanent keeper rather than another loanee fill-in.

Callum Reilly was rather invisible in the first half, and I was disappointed that the player I thought was going to be our new Jake Reeves/Danny Bulman was off the pace and lightweight. But in the second half we saw – I hope – the really McCoy…an in-your-face, ball-winning, no nonsense tough tackling midfielder who is exactly what we need to scrap and win possession in that vital part of the field. If he can continue to put in performances as he did in the second half, he’ll cement his position in the Dons midfield.

Will Nightingale was ok in the holding midfield role – but it’s clear his strength is as a defender and he really should play back there. I’d put him alongside Paul Kalambayi, who was magnificent at the heart of our defence and a player we’ll struggle to hold on given the attention he’ll attack with his towering physical strength, speed and ability. Kalambayi is fast becoming the real deal as a centre back, and will be the guaranteed player in that centre back line-up while McDonald and Thomas yo-you I imagine as the one to be dropped.

Pigott of course got us our vital goal, but he looked out of his depth at times and not at all a Championship player when compared against the Rotherham forwards. He’s just not as big, and critically not nearly as quick as he needs to be if he’s to be a higher level striker. As long as he bangs in goals for us, great, and he’ll always be our number one choice up front – but for me, he’s not totally convincing still.

Michael Folivi was quick, agile, and a nuisance to the big Rotherham defence. His one problem is decision making. Too often he looks to off-load the ball with a pass to Pigott or another team mate, when he could have a shot on goal – this happened a few times yesterday. Having said that, his pace and intelligence are great attributes and will serve him well.

I wasn’t sure why Downes had included Hartigan in our starting line up over say Wagstaff, but his selection was justified with a solid battling performance in which he showed one or two touches of creativity – the lack of which is holding us back as a team. If he can develop the creative side of his game, all power to him and his place in the team.

The subs who came on – Appiah, Connolly and McCloughlin – didn’t really have enough time to show their mettle, so no real conclusions there. The only thought I had on the subs score was why on earth was Tommy Woods not on the bench. A big, physical presence, he would have been ideal to take on the big, physical brutes of Rotherham, and his pre-season record of scoring was one that surely justified a try-out in the League itself. No doubt we will see him make his mark before long – unless another striker is miraculously signed to shore up our critically important and historically low goalscoring column.

Well that’s enough from me. My conclusion of our first showing of the season? A frustrating result, but signs of real promise to suggest that this season may not be as torturous as the last two. COYD!

[Windlesham Don]

Thanks, Singapore, for a detailed summary of the game.

I agree with 99% of it, but in my opinion Hartigan shouldn’t have started. For me, the game passed him by and he was neither athletic enough, nor physical enough to impose himself. Knowing the type of game it was going to be I would have started Wagstaff and brought Ant on for the last 20 minutes where he may have been able to get on to the ball and utilise his passing ability.

Sadly, Wally doesn’t seem to fancy Wagstaff, something that has been apparent since the beard-dyeing episode of last season…

[Singapore Don]

Windlesham, I share your thoughts on Hartigan starting. As I said, I was surprised he was chosen over Wagstaff – but as you say, WD seems to have something against him. Like the rest of the team, Hartigan was missing in the first half – our whole midfield was invisible. But I thought he did ok against a big, physical team in the second half – and at least he got an assist! As for the starting place, if Wordsworth had been fit, he would definitely have started. It would be great to know why WD won’t go for Wagstaff – he’s such a battler.
PS I tried to find you before the game outside the bars, but couldn’t find you or Graham et al.

[Colum]

I can’t disagree with Singapore’s excellent match report. It puzzles me how a team can be so bad one half, and the complete opposite in the second. This match perfectly highlighted what we already know. Namely:

– It will be a long, hard season near/at the bottom of the table.
– We’re not nearly big or strong enough.
– We can battle hard and create chances.
– We lack a Raheem Sterling or a Frank Lampard.

Talking after the game some of us felt we were unlucky not to get a draw. Perhaps, but Rotherham should really have won by a larger margin. Looking at the match stats indicates that over 90 minutes we nearly matched Rotherham in all but two departments:
– The first is the scoreline.
– The second is the shots on target column. We’d 11 attempts with just Pigott’s goal on target. Compared to their 14 attempts with 8 on target.

QED

[Author]

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