Living La Vida Loca..Away to Burton on Toast, Sat 8th March 3-0'clock

[DJBlu]

Absolutely superb results today.

Just keep winning and let's see what everybody else does. SSSWA!!!

[sonicthewhite]

Absolutely superb results today.

Just keep winning and let's see what everybody else does. SSSWA!!!

Thanks for the couch buddy.

[Spartan2]

The worst performance under SS so far for me, nothing like the good performances we've seen. But that's how you get out of this league, glorious performance against Birmingham on Tuesday then fight tooth and nail against Burton on a shit pitch when it's required. SS is ticking every box one after another, I'm glad JDB wasn't playing though. I think we'll catch Wycombe not sure if we'll catch Wrexham though they just manage to keep grinding the points out.

MotM: Forester.

[irie Cee Bee]

If we stay unbeaten in the run in / play offs we go up. Doesn't matter who we play in the play offs, they will be fighting and a difficult match up. We have quality over most of the teams and Schuey has gotten the players to believe in themselves.

Today was always going to be a difficult game against a bogey team for us playing at their home with them fighting against relegation. It was never going to be easy but we did it, and teams above us are now in touching range.
MoTM - Thomason. Lots of energy, pressing, tackling effectively and nice passing..and now a second game without a card. He is looking improved after a bad stint. Toal also looking classy and what a goal by Sheehan.

[sonicthewhite]

Agreed. Thomason seems to have calmed down a bit.

[Bijou Bob]

Not a great performance, but a great result and I’ll take that all day. I spent the afternoon sat in my hotel in Guimarães, scene of one of the greatest days of my entire adult life, watching the game. We’ve fallen a long, long way since that heady night, but if we can grind out the results like we did today, then we might just take a step back in the right direction.

Some decent performances today, my only gripe being the casual way in which we gave the ball away too often in the second half - Randall did it twice in two minutes, which gave them dangerous runs from wide late in the game. We then failed to stop the crosses coming in, basic stuff when you know what Burton are going to try and do.

Next step in to solidify a position in that top six and hang on to it. Another tough match coming up but we’ve no reason to fear anyone and every reason to be positive now.

[DJBlu]

Not a great performance, but a great result and I’ll take that all day. I spent the afternoon sat in my hotel in Guimarães, scene of one of the greatest days of my entire adult life, watching the game. We’ve fallen a long, long way since that heady night, but if we can grind out the results like we did today, then we might just take a step back in the right direction.

Some decent performances today, my only gripe being the casual way in which we gave the ball away too often in the second half - Randall did it twice in two minutes, which gave them dangerous runs from wide late in the game. We then failed to stop the crosses coming in, basic stuff when you know what Burton are going to try and do.

Next step in to solidify a position in that top six and hang on to it. Another tough match coming up but we’ve no reason to fear anyone and every reason to be positive now.

I think that place will forever live in my heart.

What a few days we had.

[TonyDomingos]

Not a great performance, but a great result and I’ll take that all day. I spent the afternoon sat in my hotel in Guimarães, scene of one of the greatest days of my entire adult life, watching the game. We’ve fallen a long, long way since that heady night, but if we can grind out the results like we did today, then we might just take a step back in the right direction.

Some decent performances today, my only gripe being the casual way in which we gave the ball away too often in the second half - Randall did it twice in two minutes, which gave them dangerous runs from wide late in the game. We then failed to stop the crosses coming in, basic stuff when you know what Burton are going to try and do.

Next step in to solidify a position in that top six and hang on to it. Another tough match coming up but we’ve no reason to fear anyone and every reason to be positive now.

Going to Braga v Porto tonight?

[truewhite15]

Games we struggled in under Evatt:

Against the top six.
At home in games with big attendances.
Away against teams with ploughed furrows for pitches.
Local derbies.

In his first month-and-a-bit, Schumacher's given us performances to be proud of in three out of four of those types of game. Long may it continue.

[Bijou Bob]

Not a great performance, but a great result and I’ll take that all day. I spent the afternoon sat in my hotel in Guimarães, scene of one of the greatest days of my entire adult life, watching the game. We’ve fallen a long, long way since that heady night, but if we can grind out the results like we did today, then we might just take a step back in the right direction.

Some decent performances today, my only gripe being the casual way in which we gave the ball away too often in the second half - Randall did it twice in two minutes, which gave them dangerous runs from wide late in the game. We then failed to stop the crosses coming in, basic stuff when you know what Burton are going to try and do.

Next step in to solidify a position in that top six and hang on to it. Another tough match coming up but we’ve no reason to fear anyone and every reason to be positive now.

Going to Braga v Porto tonight?

I considered it, but it’s pishing down, cold and miserable, so a decent steak it is instead

[BWFC_Insane]

The thing that I think Schuey needs most credo for is how we can now defend our box in a compact way. No more splitting centre halves all the time and leaving huge space in behind all the time. We can do that. But we also know there are times in games you simply have to get players in and around your centre backs bring them in tight and defend the box and hope you hit the channels on the break.

It’s a joy to see us once again defending like we mean it - not perfectly but certainly with real desire and attitude and as a team. Pressing matters. You can’t do it all the time. Your defence can’t be reliant on that all the time or on one man.

I’m fascinated to know what happens when santos comes back. He’s made every other defender look the business, will the same happen with Santos?

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

The thing that I think Schuey needs most credo for is how we can now defend our box in a compact way. No more splitting centre halves all the time and leaving huge space in behind all the time. We can do that. But we also know there are times in games you simply have to get players in and around your centre backs bring them in tight and defend the box and hope you hit the channels on the break.

Yep. He deserves plenty of credit for plenty of stuff, but perhaps most of all for his flexibility. And we seem so much savvier on transitions than we were. No matter what formation we employ in possession, when the oppo get it we snap back into place.

I’m fascinated to know what happens when santos comes back. He’s made every other defender look the business, will the same happen with Santos?

Aye. We've seen with Forrester among others how simplifying the defenders' job can make them perform much better. Much of the criticism surrounding Santos wasn't actually his fault so much as the tactical set-up which often left him on the ball, and thus the target of derision when his passing avenues were closed off (Wembley the most horrific example).

The main criticisms of Santos weren't defensive - apart from the odd game where he got bullied and didn't quite seem to know how to react, and certainly once we'd figured out he was more use defending set pieces as the spare man rather than a man-marker. Whereas in his favour he's got speed, height, strength and calmness. I think it'd be a foolish manager that didn't fancy making the best of his talents, and Schumacher does not strike me as a foolish manager.

[dave the minion]

Loving the way we make I game changes to respond to the opposition - bringing Forino on was so important to counter Sweeney being pushed forward for example.

Really good to see

[Worthy4England]

Not won in 5 visits. Tick.

Couple of derbies coming up - let's put those to bed too and the one later in the year.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Eight games under Schumacher: nine different scorers, eight different 'assisters'.

[Tails07]

Not won in 5 visits. Tick.

Couple of derbies coming up - let's put those to bed too and the one later in the year.

Enjoying the usual problem games of the last few years being ticked off on this run; results at top 6 teams & burton away on a tight pitch. With the Stockport/Blackpool/Wigan triple header to come we'll definitely see how much the mentality of this team has changed.

[BorsdaneWhite]

Mad that even a point against Wigan will feel like a huge step—although I’d love to hear an “it’s happened at last” chant…

[sonicthewhite]

Not won in 5 visits. Tick.

Couple of derbies coming up - let's put those to bed too and the one later in the year.

Enjoying the usual problem games of the last few years being ticked off on this run; results at top 6 teams & burton away on a tight pitch. With the Stockport/Blackpool/Wigan triple header to come we'll definitely see how much the mentality of this team has changed.

Time we stuck it to all three of those feckers.

[Worthy4England]

Loving the way we make I game changes to respond to the opposition - bringing Forino on was so important to counter Sweeney being pushed forward for example.

Really good to see

Agree DTM - watch the game. As an aside I'm expecting future "We'll shit 'ems" to contain no goals for the oppo.

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

Loving the way we make I game changes to respond to the opposition - bringing Forino on was so important to counter Sweeney being pushed forward for example.

Really good to see

Agree DTM - watch the game. As an aside I'm expecting future "We'll shit 'ems" to contain no goals for the oppo.

To be fair, it was more a try than a goal