Prediction for Today ?

We’d bloody better be up for this one because they will be.

Maloney and the players cannot, must not, fuck it up!

Sam Tickle was outstanding today and but for him and those crucial saves he made we’d probably be talking about another defeat.
Mid table now and very likely going to remain there but it’s a dreadful watch at the moment.

I thought we played well the first half against an underperforming Reading side but the second half was a different story.
I think this time (unlike Doncaster 2nd half) Reading threw everything at us and took chances by piling everyone forward. At one stage 21 players were in the last 1/4 of the pitch and we didn’t have a player beyond the semi circle of the box.

The big big problem is, we didn’t or I should say, we don’t have a forward with pace someone to stand on the halfway line centre halfs shoulder while we’re under the cosh waiting for the breakaway. This also forces the opposition to leave to men back.

Having Humphrys there is no good he’s simply not quick enough, and as for Magennis ??? don’t even go there. The one time Humphrys did break the greedy get hung on far too long when he only had to simply lay it off to Shaw on his right. Humphrys again deciding to roleplay Roy of the Rovers and take on 3 Reading players.

And the short corner again, Humphrys stood there, tippy tappy, loses ball chases back gets booked. Who ever devised that on the training pitch needs call it a day.
Adeeko needs a rest, he looks knackered and he’s starting to give the ball away far too cheaply.

But this lack of pace will have to be addressed in the summer. If L1 organised a 4 x 100m team per club comp we’d be lapped.

At the end of the day it’s 3 points but, it could have easily gone pear shaped had Reading nicked one. It’s a mish mash “I’m not quite sure what we’re doing” team who are dragging themselves out the doom and gloom of relegation.
I’m not quite sure what’s happening with Lang but it needs to be sorted asap as were a valuable squad member down. He would have been ideal to come on yesterday just to put their centre halfs under a bit.
So for me I can’t really blame Maloney for the 2nd half I blame the lack of pace up front from what he has to choose from.

Not a huge fan of Magennis but the way we play any striker is going to be starved of service. No crosses coming in even corners are taken short. Not sure with this system we play we need a big tall out and out striker. Callum Lang would be more suited as a number 9 for his nuisance value but it looks like his days with us are numbered. Something has obviously gone on in the background ,sure we will find out in the next few weeks.

I watched MOTD and the way Arsenal use their corners, no short jobs there. Now I know it’s Arsenal but still, good set pieces and everyone doing their job it can be a very good weapon.
Why the hell we insist on short corners I really don’t know it just beggars belief especially when 9 times out of 10 f**k all comes of it.

To have a corner then 5 seconds later get a yellow just shows what a waste of time they are

I see it , you see it , 100’s more see it only Maloney doesn’t.
Short corners don’t work for us,
Rarely does anything come from a short corner,
And why why why have a forward over it ?.
Clear sign of Martinez stubbornness coming out in Maloney, sticking by his principles no matter how many times it’s sh!te and dramatically fails.

When we do eventually score off a short corner it will never come close to the sheer number of wasted ones that lead to nothing