Following our star Eastwards. Lincoln City away, Boxing Day 26th Dec 1500 hrs.

[knobpolisher]

And Oxford v Derby Peterborough v Barnsley up this Saturday.

Actually Friday night

[BWFC_Insane]

Pompey looking anything but foolproof too.

It’s a strange division. Wigan who thumped us earlier in the season are in a relegation battle and 22 points behind us (8 points off even taking that aside they are struggling). Many said they’d be challenging top 8 early doors.

[Mar]

Can we talk again about how good Thomason was first half? I’m trying to think of a better midfield performance and I’m going back to Stu Holden days.

Don't recall Holden having that consistent range of long passing. That being said I don't think Thomason is at Holdens level at closing down.

Both providing a clear impact on the squad and very impressive. I'm struggling to think of ways Thomason can improve his game at this point. His shooting and strength has improved massively over the last few seasons. No obvious weaknesses.

[GhostoftheBok]

Can we talk again about how good Thomason was first half? I’m trying to think of a better midfield performance and I’m going back to Stu Holden days.

Don't recall Holden having that consistent range of long passing. That being said I don't think Thomason is at Holdens level at closing down.

Both providing a clear impact on the squad and very impressive. I'm struggling to think of ways Thomason can improve his game at this point. His shooting and strength has improved massively over the last few seasons. No obvious weaknesses.

Thought Thomason was excellent. How good he was was hard to tell in that first half, as they were attacking away from us. Hs work towards his own goal was very good.

Thommo can improve. Pass selection/appreciation is a big one. He needs to consistently pick the right pass forward and hit the correct foot or stride of the player. That's high level stuff and needs experience (usually). He quite often picks a difficult pass (a good thing) and ends up playing it behind or beyond a runner. It'll come.

[BWFC_Insane]

Can we talk again about how good Thomason was first half? I’m trying to think of a better midfield performance and I’m going back to Stu Holden days.

Don't recall Holden having that consistent range of long passing. That being said I don't think Thomason is at Holdens level at closing down.

Both providing a clear impact on the squad and very impressive. I'm struggling to think of ways Thomason can improve his game at this point. His shooting and strength has improved massively over the last few seasons. No obvious weaknesses.

Thought Thomason was excellent. How good he was was hard to tell in that first half, as they were attacking away from us. Hs work towards his own goal was very good.

Thommo can improve. Pass selection/appreciation is a big one. He needs to consistently pick the right pass forward and hit the correct foot or stride of the player. That's high level stuff and needs experience (usually). He quite often picks a difficult pass (a good thing) and ends up playing it behind or beyond a runner. It'll come.

His short passing consistency was my answer to what he could improve on.

But I’d say that’s nitpicking. He’s playing at a level the others we have aren’t capable of. First half he was incredibly good. His passing range was outstanding. Shame the strikers weren’t up to finishing off some of the moves that he instigated as at least one would have been an outstanding move and his ball deserved a goal.

[The_Gun]

Thomason has improved immeasurably and has certainly proved me wrong. My feeling is that his lack of athleticism is what will ultimately hold him back from becoming a top level player, but I now think he can definitely succeed in the Championship.

[GhostoftheBok]

I've always been very confident Thommo will go as far as his technique allows. His brain for the game is excellent and his work rate is second to none. Everything he needs to play at a high level can be taught.

John McGinn isn't athletic, but he's developed every part of his game to allow him to compete at the top.

No idea how high Thommo can go (can't from outside), but he's developing at some click and if/when he's in the Championship with us I'd expect him to continue that.

[BWFC_Insane]

Thomason has improved immeasurably and has certainly proved me wrong. My feeling is that his lack of athleticism is what will ultimately hold him back from becoming a top level player, but I now think he can definitely succeed in the Championship.

I think he’s got the athleticism short of being a Muamba/Holden. I’d agree it’s the only area that could hold him back but I think honestly he could make the top level given how far and fast he’s developing.

[DJBlu]

Was driving for second half, listening to the couch. Did the goal come from a short corner? Maybe they know what they’re doing….

It was a short corner we ballsed up. And just had to put a cross in. Too many short corners that went nowhere late in the game. Short is ok if there is a plan. But we take them then it looks like we are making it up as we go.

Define short?

The goal came from a corner pass to Williams on the edge of the 18 yard box. The ball was played to Sheehan on the left via Morley. His cross found Toal who headed it home.

One hell of a balls up.

[GhostoftheBok]

This was my May 2021 take on Thommo:

"George Thomason
Hard working and with a good brain for the game, let down too often last season by his technical execution. George will see a pass nobody else in the midfield would have, but then knock the ball 20 yards past where he wanted it to go. If Evatt and the staff can improve that side of his game there’s no reason he can’t play at a decent level. As he gets older and his strength and stamina improve that willingness he has to run himself into the ground and get stuck in will make him a handful. For a young man I think he had an impressive breakthrough campaign."

I think that's about right.

He's finding those passes now, along with just generally gaining experience.

You can tell he works hard in training. His technical work is night and day from where it was 2 1/2 years ago.

Shame he's not technically "one of our own"...

[GhostoftheBok]

Define short?

The goal came from a corner pass to Williams on the edge of the 18 yard box. The ball was played to Sheehan on the left via Morley. His cross found Toal who headed it home.

One hell of a balls up.

Wasn't a balls-up.

The idea was to force them to close the ball down. If they don't, we get a shot off. If they do, we go back wide and the ball goes back in when they're not marking up because they pressed.

Resulted in a goal. Can't argue.

[nicholaldo]

I have to agree I'm bemused as to why the routine that led to our goal would be considered a balls up.

I couldn't be more pleased for Thomason. We don't have anyone else who looks to, and is capable of, moving it forward as quickly as he does and it really makes him stand out. He's now a pivotal part of our best starting eleven, even if I probably share the view his lack of athleticism might prevent him reaching the very top.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Define short?

The goal came from a corner pass to Williams on the edge of the 18 yard box. The ball was played to Sheehan on the left via Morley. His cross found Toal who headed it home.

One hell of a balls up.

Wasn't a balls-up.

The idea was to force them to close the ball down. If they don't, we get a shot off. If they do, we go back wide and the ball goes back in when they're not marking up because they pressed.

Resulted in a goal. Can't argue.

Evatt: “We had moments that we didn’t take but we kept the belief, kept knocking on the door, but again we saw the value of set plays.

“It would have been easy to throw the ball in at that point but against 10 men it is easier when you utilise the short (corner) and the edge of the box and we did that, space opened up and Toally put it away.”

[Mar]

Define short?

The goal came from a corner pass to Williams on the edge of the 18 yard box. The ball was played to Sheehan on the left via Morley. His cross found Toal who headed it home.

One hell of a balls up.

Wasn't a balls-up.

The idea was to force them to close the ball down. If they don't, we get a shot off. If they do, we go back wide and the ball goes back in when they're not marking up because they pressed.

Resulted in a goal. Can't argue.

Evatt: “We had moments that we didn’t take but we kept the belief, kept knocking on the door, but again we saw the value of set plays.

“It would have been easy to throw the ball in at that point but against 10 men it is easier when you utilise the short (corner) and the edge of the box and we did that, space opened up and Toally put it away.”

Watched it back on replay.

It looks like Randall isn't ready for it, judging by his movement. Very much seems like its come further towards goal than he was expecting. Which I think genuinely gave the impression it was a botched corner rather than what we'd expected. Maybe that was the case.

It looked like a previously worked strategy, so I think the plan was deliberate. Don't think it was perfectly executed, but that doesn't matter. It came off in the end and thats all that mattered.

[GhostoftheBok]

Watched it back on replay.

It looks like Randall isn't ready for it, judging by his movement. Very much seems like its come further towards goal than he was expecting. Which I think genuinely gave the impression it was a botched corner rather than what we'd expected. Maybe that was the case.

It looked like a previously worked strategy, so I think the plan was deliberate. Don't think it was perfectly executed, but that doesn't matter. It came off in the end and thats all that mattered.

That's the point, though, I'd suggest. The ball goes out and if we can't sort it out to shoot before the player is closed down it gets recycled. Not something we could reliably do against 11.

We got a couple of shots in, but mostly the touch wasn't great or they closed well and we looked to shift back for a cross.

One of Morley's efforts looked very close, but was hard to tell. Dion and Dempsey looked like they should have done better with some chances. So it was clearly working to get efforts on goal.

Was that sitter Dad Bod missed from one of those set ups too? Either way we looked like scoring as soon as someone decided to take one.

Delighted it was Toal. I thought he was good all game (much more calm with Rico in there) and deserved a goal.

[BWFC_Insane]

Watched it back on replay.

It looks like Randall isn't ready for it, judging by his movement. Very much seems like its come further towards goal than he was expecting. Which I think genuinely gave the impression it was a botched corner rather than what we'd expected. Maybe that was the case.

It looked like a previously worked strategy, so I think the plan was deliberate. Don't think it was perfectly executed, but that doesn't matter. It came off in the end and thats all that mattered.

That's the point, though, I'd suggest. The ball goes out and if we can't sort it out to shoot before the player is closed down it gets recycled. Not something we could reliably do against 11.

We got a couple of shots in, but mostly the touch wasn't great or they closed well and we looked to shift back for a cross.

One of Morley's efforts looked very close, but was hard to tell. Dion and Dempsey looked like they should have done better with some chances. So it was clearly working to get efforts on goal.

Was that sitter Dad Bod missed from one of those set ups too? Either way we looked like scoring as soon as someone decided to take one.

Delighted it was Toal. I thought he was good all game (much more calm with Rico in there) and deserved a goal.

The only sitter (and I’d probably not call it that) that anyone missed was Charles on the follow up shot after they’d blocked a (I think) Morley effort.

Don’t recall Bod having a chance bar a header that a defender blocked right in front of him.

[dave the minion]

Don’t recall Bod having a chance bar a header that a defender blocked right in front of him.

Defender was lucky to be in the right position then I guess to make the block?

[BWFC_Insane]

Don’t recall Bod having a chance bar a header that a defender blocked right in front of him.

Defender was lucky to be in the right position then I guess to make the block?

If he had an open goal and picked out the only man on the line then you’d say Lincoln were fortunate. Given it was nothing like that then it makes no sense.

[boltonboris]

I thought we played well. Dion missed 5/6 scoreable opportunities. He has days like that sometimes.

Dominant throughout and on another day we absolutely paste them. Delighted for Toal, who does score some big big goals away from home. A fine evenings work and sets us up nicely for Fleetwood Town's Friday Night Lights.

Dempsey played very well when he came on and I hope that instills a bit of confidence back into him

[GhostoftheBok]

The only sitter (and I’d probably not call it that) that anyone missed was Charles on the follow up shot after they’d blocked a (I think) Morley effort.

Don’t recall Bod having a chance bar a header that a defender blocked right in front of him.

Bod was past the defender and headed sideways into him, the defender wasn't between him and the goal. It was a free header from about 8 yards out. Absolute gimme and a terrible header.

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