Very disappointing result again. First 20 i thought we were way too open and loose in our play.
I was expecting, after the goaless draw at rovers, a similar type of game. Especially to start off with.
Instead we were pushing up and throwing men forward with the 433 in an attacking style similar to last season.
But this team is not the same one anymore. This ones got major problems defensively.
Compounded even further today by an injury to LCB niall canavan within seconds of the game kicking off.
All he did was kick a ball ffs. So wootsie now off the bench to play LCB.
What is it with all these injuries? What with nessie and conor grant out injured as well.
I cant think of any previous argyle manager whose teams have had to make so many changes, so often, because of injury.
We seem incapable of selecting a settled team it seems. So that back 4 today, including niall, had 90 mins together
at rovers. Did well and then trained all week together for today and then within 2 minutes all that time together
is wasted. Sigh!
Whatever, this first 20 lost us the game as the seasiders tore us apart on the counter in this period.
Maybe DA told them to come out on the front foot at the start? Whatever reason, it suited BFC just fine.
It was down our right flank where they benefitted most. Joe rileys home debut, my first glimpse of him at RB,
and what he has to offer. He aint no oscar thats for sure but i thought he did improve as the game wore on.
Now need to see if he can just settle down a bit with his game.
He was like so many today. Too rushed in his play at times, probably trying too hard.
Anyways BFC got their goal from a cross and could easily have been 3/4 up in that early period as they were
murdering us on the counter. With their 5 midfielders in a 4231 causing us no end of problems linking up and
breaking with pace.
Eventually we tightened up our game and went more 4141 which got us back into the game. We did a lot better
but still the team looked disjointed with individual errors and bad decisions hampering our efforts to create.
I thought we missed the nessie/sarce CM combo. With sarce now LCM and the other newbie stuart okeefe at RCM.
No foxy either from last seasons CM trio and perhaps we aint settled in the CM area either? Another sigh!
Yanner has foxys role at the moment, no doubt to give better protection to this current "frail" backline.
Tbf though he had a fine game and his passing is def improving but still he aint no foxy type playmaker which i
reckon the team is still missing in our attacking play.
Up top our front 3 of joel, GC10 and big fred overall did pretty well but whenever we did threaten, BFCs
defending, tbf to them was top notch. Unlike ours. Yet another sigh!
I would say that was the main difference on the day between the 2 sides.
Second half we persisted with 4141 but the seasiders were keeping us at arms length easily so DA made the
attacking changes with 25 or so to go. Back to an attacking 433/4231 now with ryan for big fred up top and rueben
for the more defensive okeefe. We now played our best in the game with the back 4 coping much better with their
attempted counters and yanner/sarce winning plenty of possession in CM. We laid seige to their goal at times
and came close to equalising but their defence remained stout. They were so stout that 2 of em even decided
to stout it out between em right at the end. "Im a stouter defender than you"..."No your not i am" etc etc.
Ref had the last laugh though. "Im stouter than both of you so eff off".
Bit of seaside punch and judy to cheer us all up. Just a pity it couldnt have happened 10 minutes earlier.
My MOM was skipper gaz. Some "proper job" defending from bidefords finest.
No win in 8 now and bottom. BIG BIG SIGH!
Remedies for me after watching 4 games at HP.
We need more "proper job" defending from the team as a whole not just the back 4.
Keep games tight early on and then grow into them.
Somehow keep players fit and team settled.
Cross fingers hard.
Lastly a message to JB. If we keep on losing homies like this dont walk out amongst the green army at the end of games as the
loud grumpies amongst them will continue to hurl abuse and moan big time at you. Same as it ever was, for any board member if
the team start losing regular. Thats pro football im afraid. They pays there monies.
Though if you are stout of heart and possess a thick hide then just carry on and good luck. :scarf:
