Looking for traction to avoid the blues - Ipswich (H), 3pm Sat 15th Jan

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Looking for traction to avoid the blues - Ipswich (H), 3pm Sat 15th Jan

Post by GhostoftheBok » Thu Jan 13, 2022 7:10 am

Difficult to see this as anything other than a massive game and a very difficult one.

We find ourselves mirroring Ipswich for form. They are 5th from top in the form table, we are 5th from bottom. They have a +4 goal difference in the last 6 games vs our -4.

In their last four games they have hammered Gillingham 4-0, beaten Wycombe and taken points off both Sunderland and Wigan.

McCauley Bonne leads the scoring charts for them with 12 goals this season, whilst James Norwood has scored in four league games in a row coming into this one.

For our "ups" we should have at all three of our new signings available - Fossey, Charles and Morley - along with the recovering Jones, who has been sorely missed.

A bad result will put us firmly in a relegation battle, whereas a positive result could revitalise our season.

We are at home against a team we thumped earlier in the season and we have to see more than a "promising performance."

Points are needed.

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Re: Looking for traction to avoid the blues - Ipswich (H), 3pm Sat 15th Jan

Post by TANGODANCER » Thu Jan 13, 2022 9:38 am

"It's still the same old story, a fight for love and glory, a case of do or die..
You must remember this my friends... as time goes by"


So go'eth the song, and it was never truer than right now. 18th of 24 in the table, all talk of anything except "I will survive" seems more relevant right now. Yes, January is exciting with all the roulette of names whizzing around the Unibol, but come Saturday it's all about beating a team way above us or risking sliding right off the scale. Options are rarer than lottery wins we can't joke about it any more.

We need a New Moon:
"Give me some men who are stout-hearted men, who will fight for the cause they adore.
Just give me ten who are stout-hearted men and I'll soon give you ten thousand more!!"

Get on it Whites, we're at home inCasablanca .. :oyea: :oyea: :oyea:


ae:)
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Re: Looking for traction to avoid the blues - Ipswich (H), 3pm Sat 15th Jan

Post by Prufrock » Thu Jan 13, 2022 9:47 am

I remain unworried about the season but I think the next few weeks are going to be ugly. Hard to see anything other than a loss here given how they are playing and how we are giving away the cheapest of goals, and keep picking up injuries.

MJ, Lee and Charles should be better for having minutes, and Morley will be a step up on GT. But eesh.
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Re: Looking for traction to avoid the blues - Ipswich (H), 3pm Sat 15th Jan

Post by BWFC_Insane » Thu Jan 13, 2022 9:49 am

Evatt has his three new boys. It’s a massive game. Simply can’t afford another defeat. Sit deeper, draw them on and hit them on the break with Fossey, Dapo and Charles. We beat them at their place doing that. And I think we have the front three to play like that. We certainly aren’t up to a full press yet.

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Re: Looking for traction to avoid the blues - Ipswich (H), 3pm Sat 15th Jan

Post by officer_dibble » Thu Jan 13, 2022 10:02 am

I’d be tempted to play Johnston at left back.
Morley will be in for GT I am sure.
Fossey and Jones on the right. Maybe Dapo needs a rest? Would mean starting Baka again. Thin Xav is out. I’d be recalling politic and have him on the bench instead of Delf…but that won’t happen.

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Re: Looking for traction to avoid the blues - Ipswich (H), 3pm Sat 15th Jan

Post by GhostoftheBok » Thu Jan 13, 2022 10:05 am

The 11 can cause Ipswich problems. As against Wycome, we will struggle to do the 90 and our bench offers nothing of note.

Have to think we need a good start and something to protect. Then, as Insane says, we can counter or hold the ball and take the sting out, whichever we fancy.

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Re: Looking for traction to avoid the blues - Ipswich (H), 3pm Sat 15th Jan

Post by TANGODANCER » Thu Jan 13, 2022 10:22 am

BWFC_Insane wrote:
Thu Jan 13, 2022 9:49 am
Evatt has his three new boys. It’s a massive game. Simply can’t afford another defeat. Sit deeper, draw them on and hit them on the break with Fossey, Dapo and Charles. We beat them at their place doing that. And I think we have the front three to play like that. We certainly aren’t up to a full press yet.
I certainly agree we need to do something, but when we sally forth with all bugles blowing, it's like a scene from "The Big Country" in our half. I'm singing the same old song, but we need to forget showing the opposition attack here and there like old time cinema usherettes without the torches. Get stuck into them, that's what this league is about. It's not the Premier, or even Championship. Every team we play attack us like tigers over puyssy-cats. We need to hassle them and it's surely obvious to Mr Evatt that whilst he talks a good fight, we're losing weekly to teams we should be beating, not talking about what might have been.

I grew up to the radio Sports Report at 5-0'clock on Saturdays announcing "Bolton Wanderers Nil" and right now it's back to the future. We went on from there and got in two F.A.Cup finals in 53 and 58, but I've no desire to see a re-run of life in the lower leagues. We need to move on and do it..NOW! :oyea:
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Re: Looking for traction to avoid the blues - Ipswich (H), 3pm Sat 15th Jan

Post by GhostoftheBok » Thu Jan 13, 2022 10:29 am

TANGODANCER wrote:
Thu Jan 13, 2022 10:22 am
I grew up to the radio Sports Report at 5-0'clock on Saturdays announcing "Bolton Wanderers Nil" and right now it's back to the future. We went on from there and got in two F.A.Cup finals in 53 and 58, but I've no desire to see a re-run of life in the lower leagues. We need to move on and do it..NOW! :oyea:
Allardyce's post-promotion season...there was a similar refrain then as we are hearing now, if you recall. Plenty of "He needs to be more like Rioch" too at that stage. Tough job, this management lark. As you say, we need to kick on.
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Re: Looking for traction to avoid the blues - Ipswich (H), 3pm Sat 15th Jan

Post by Worthy4England » Thu Jan 13, 2022 10:30 am

BWFC_Insane wrote:
Thu Jan 13, 2022 9:49 am
Evatt has his three new boys. It’s a massive game. Simply can’t afford another defeat. Sit deeper, draw them on and hit them on the break with Fossey, Dapo and Charles. We beat them at their place doing that. And I think we have the front three to play like that. We certainly aren’t up to a full press yet.
I'm less sure of this. If we draw them on, whether we have the ability to turn it over for the break, or whether it'll just result in them scoring more!

When we gubbed them, I think we'd only lost one and were happy recipients of the promotion bounce, they've changed gaffer since then too and improved a lot.

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Re: Looking for traction to avoid the blues - Ipswich (H), 3pm Sat 15th Jan

Post by BWFC_Insane » Thu Jan 13, 2022 10:45 am

Worthy4England wrote:
Thu Jan 13, 2022 10:30 am
BWFC_Insane wrote:
Thu Jan 13, 2022 9:49 am
Evatt has his three new boys. It’s a massive game. Simply can’t afford another defeat. Sit deeper, draw them on and hit them on the break with Fossey, Dapo and Charles. We beat them at their place doing that. And I think we have the front three to play like that. We certainly aren’t up to a full press yet.
I'm less sure of this. If we draw them on, whether we have the ability to turn it over for the break, or whether it'll just result in them scoring more!

When we gubbed them, I think we'd only lost one and were happy recipients of the promotion bounce, they've changed gaffer since then too and improved a lot.
Sure. I don’t fancy playing Ipswich in a game where they sit in and wait for their chances. I’d rather use our front three which I listed which has pace and direct running in them to hit spaces that they leave behind.

It’s our strength. I agree there are question marks about our ability to win the ball but I’m not suggesting retreat on top of our box I’d just let them have possession up to halfway rather than the other way round. We have to find a way of bringing the front three into the game more effectively and our game currently is not doing this.

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Re: Looking for traction to avoid the blues - Ipswich (H), 3pm Sat 15th Jan

Post by Dave Sutton's barnet » Thu Jan 13, 2022 10:50 am

GhostoftheBok wrote:
Thu Jan 13, 2022 10:05 am
Have to think we need a good start and something to protect.
We have the division's best record when scoring first: 100% win ratio, and only one goal conceded. Trouble is, we've only scored first four times : W4 D0 L0, F8 A1. The victims were Lincoln, Shrewsbury, Crewe and Donny.

On the other hand, we have conceded first in 19 of our 24 league games. It hasn't always been curtains - W3 D4 L12, F22 A36 - but it's the worst in the division (Crewe and Shrewsbury next on 16/25). At home, we've conceded first 7 times out of 11 (W1 D3 L3, F9 A16). The only home win-from-behind was Oxford, which was also the only time we've scored off a set-piece *move* (Doyler's header, as opposed to a DFK). It was also in August.

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Re: Looking for traction to avoid the blues - Ipswich (H), 3pm Sat 15th Jan

Post by BWFC_Insane » Thu Jan 13, 2022 11:03 am

Dave Sutton's barnet wrote:
Thu Jan 13, 2022 10:50 am
GhostoftheBok wrote:
Thu Jan 13, 2022 10:05 am
Have to think we need a good start and something to protect.
We have the division's best record when scoring first: 100% win ratio, and only one goal conceded. Trouble is, we've only scored first four times : W4 D0 L0, F8 A1. The victims were Lincoln, Shrewsbury, Crewe and Donny.

On the other hand, we have conceded first in 19 of our 24 league games. It hasn't always been curtains - W3 D4 L12, F22 A36 - but it's the worst in the division (Crewe and Shrewsbury next on 16/25). At home, we've conceded first 7 times out of 11 (W1 D3 L3, F9 A16). The only home win-from-behind was Oxford, which was also the only time we've scored off a set-piece *move* (Doyler's header, as opposed to a DFK). It was also in August.
Early season, a buoyant group and a supportive fan base conceding first was obviously less terminal.

Now with confidence and spirit seemingly rock bottom and a fan base that is more frustrated than previously conceding first visibly hurts the team for obvious reasons. I guess it’s the old thing about two boxes and being good enough in each. It’s easier in football to organise a team to keep clean sheets than to find a way to make them free scoring. So I’d say if we stop leaking goals we likely find a way to score at least one or two and that changes perspective radically.

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Re: Looking for traction to avoid the blues - Ipswich (H), 3pm Sat 15th Jan

Post by Dave Sutton's barnet » Thu Jan 13, 2022 11:25 am

BWFC_Insane wrote:
Thu Jan 13, 2022 11:03 am
Early season, a buoyant group and a supportive fan base conceding first was obviously less terminal.

Now with confidence and spirit seemingly rock bottom and a fan base that is more frustrated than previously conceding first visibly hurts the team for obvious reasons. I guess it’s the old thing about two boxes and being good enough in each. It’s easier in football to organise a team to keep clean sheets than to find a way to make them free scoring. So I’d say if we stop leaking goals we likely find a way to score at least one or two and that changes perspective radically.
Aye, largely. TBF, we've also come back to draw in two of the last three home league games we've conceded first - Gillingham (from 2-0 down) and Shrewsbury (twice) - so the spirit hasn't disappeared. We didn't manage it against Wycombe but then that fits a predictable pattern: we've largely been bettered by the top half and better than the bottom half (or at least as good as them).
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While I can't deny the table isn't glorious reading, those results are some succour. We've been able to score against potential relegation rivals, and five of the games we've lost to top-half teams have been 1-0. if we can start to score, and crucially score first, I think it changes a lot of games in our favour. Cleary, clearly we need to tighten up at the back too, because we still feel like a stranger to clean sheets, but I genuinely think that if we score first it takes a lot of that problem away. Not quite "Once we get one we'll get more", but "Once we get one we'll have more chance."

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Re: Looking for traction to avoid the blues - Ipswich (H), 3pm Sat 15th Jan

Post by Worthy4England » Thu Jan 13, 2022 11:48 am

Dave Sutton's barnet wrote:
Thu Jan 13, 2022 10:50 am
GhostoftheBok wrote:
Thu Jan 13, 2022 10:05 am
Have to think we need a good start and something to protect.
We have the division's best record when scoring first: 100% win ratio, and only one goal conceded. Trouble is, we've only scored first four times : W4 D0 L0, F8 A1. The victims were Lincoln, Shrewsbury, Crewe and Donny.

On the other hand, we have conceded first in 19 of our 24 league games. It hasn't always been curtains - W3 D4 L12, F22 A36 - but it's the worst in the division (Crewe and Shrewsbury next on 16/25). At home, we've conceded first 7 times out of 11 (W1 D3 L3, F9 A16). The only home win-from-behind was Oxford, which was also the only time we've scored off a set-piece *move* (Doyler's header, as opposed to a DFK). It was also in August.
Some more defensive stats....

Goals against = 16th - this might not be all bad - there are clearly >4 teams worse, at the moment - some with a significant lead.
Goals against (H) = 16th
Goals against (A) = 14th
Goals conceded first 15 minutes = Top - yaya
Goals conceded first half = joint 2nd - Whoop, whoop

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Re: Looking for traction to avoid the blues - Ipswich (H), 3pm Sat 15th Jan

Post by LeverEnd » Thu Jan 13, 2022 11:53 am

Can't make this game. Usually preface that statement with 'unfortunately'. Not this time, and can't give my ticket away either.
Can't see anything other than defeat against a form team. Best case we play ok and get the new lads integrated.
Said before Wycombe I think we'll get no wins and possibly not a point from our 4 tough Jan games. We seem to able to flat track bully the weaker sides though, so let's hope that at least continues from Feb and it's enough.
...

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Re: Looking for traction to avoid the blues - Ipswich (H), 3pm Sat 15th Jan

Post by TANGODANCER » Thu Jan 13, 2022 12:17 pm

It's no use denying that in this league here is a strategy of "If you can't get the ball, get the man" and, with the poor quality of referees teams are allowed to get away with it. In the last half-a-dozen games everybody we've played has beaten us not by their dazzling displays of pure football, but because of our weak-kneed terror of balls into our box whereby we back off and do the Strictly come conceding reverse foxtrot.

In said games, and particularly against Wycombe after the first 25/30 minutes, we were forced into row 6's coconut shy welliies from goalkicks (forced by aggressive forward packs man marking our outlets, or we lost out to hyena defenders). I've already made comment of Wycombe's first goal when five white shirts plus Dixon, allowed one man to walk through them and score. It's more than a little worrying that such can happen to a supposedly good side (us). I've ordered a delivery of man-sized Weetabix for Saturday. They can either eat them and man-up, or pack the goalmouth with them.
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Re: Looking for traction to avoid the blues - Ipswich (H), 3pm Sat 15th Jan

Post by Dave Sutton's barnet » Thu Jan 13, 2022 12:18 pm

Worthy4England wrote:
Thu Jan 13, 2022 11:48 am
Some more defensive stats....

Goals against = 16th - this might not be all bad - there are clearly >4 teams worse, at the moment - some with a significant lead.
Goals against (H) = 16th
Goals against (A) = 14th
Goals conceded first 15 minutes = Top - yaya
Goals conceded first half = joint 2nd - Whoop, whoop
There's the problem. If we want to score first, history suggests we have to do it damn quick. TBF we did come out at top speed Tuesday and had a promising first 30. But then, guess what...?

It's a different thing to last season and the famous "they'll tire after 60 minutes". Since the Sheffield Wednesday game, we've conceded before the hour in 8 of 11 games; in two of the others we'd scored first and went on to win with clean sheets. (The exception was Wycombe away, where their winner came after 72 minutes.)

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Re: Looking for traction to avoid the blues - Ipswich (H), 3pm Sat 15th Jan

Post by The_Gun » Thu Jan 13, 2022 12:19 pm

It'd be good to get another signing in the door before this one to boost morale up a bit. Not confident, of course, but I do feel more positive knowing Jones is back in the fold.

Dixon

Jones Santos Aimson John

MJ Morley

Lee

Fossey Charles Dapo


Looking at that team, we could definitely do with another '10' in, as we're still in square peg/round hole territory.

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Re: Looking for traction to avoid the blues - Ipswich (H), 3pm Sat 15th Jan

Post by Dave Sutton's barnet » Thu Jan 13, 2022 12:23 pm

The_Gun wrote:
Thu Jan 13, 2022 12:19 pm
Dixon
Jones Santos Aimson John
MJ Morley
Lee
Fossey Charles Dapo
Looking at that team, we could definitely do with another '10' in, as we're still in square peg/round hole territory.
Switch the midfield triangle from an 8-8-10 to a 6-8-8 - MJ sitting behind Morley and Lee - and it makes more sense. But then that does require a lot of recovery runs from the 8s to help MJ out on defensive transitions, which have been a weak spot all season (up to and including Tuesday).

To my mind we still only have one defensive midfielder, assuming Tutte's dead. (Even he's not always been a sitter.) Morley can play deep but he's more quarterback than lawnmower.

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Re: Looking for traction to avoid the blues - Ipswich (H), 3pm Sat 15th Jan

Post by Prufrock » Thu Jan 13, 2022 12:25 pm

Yeah, wtf happens if MJ is out is still a question that looms large even if we sign all those we seem to be after.
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