Pigs into the Lions' Den: Trotters @ Millwall, 18th Feb

[Ianmooreslovechild]

Compared to Macc away it was a blinding performance.I like the idea of us not playing very well and winning 2 0 without the keeper being worked regardless of the opposition. The double save was good but the ref had already blown so Steinsson's slice was the closest they came in 90 mins and with plenty possession.Defensively we looked solid and it's been a while since you could say that against any opposition.

[Armchair Wanderer]

Was more a response to plenty folk saying how impressed they were with how well we played.

I was personally just trying to be positive. Instead of complaining when things go wrong I can also climb out of the woodwork to say something nice too

In a dogfight I'd be happy with that every week til the end of the season, re-assess at the end of the season.

If anyone thinks our version of 4-4-2 with the current healthy players is good football they have worse eyesight then me

[TANGODANCER]

P.O.S relates his solo trip to Lion country:

http://www.the-wanderer.co.uk/bolton/th ... -the-lions" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Sponge]

P.O.S relates his solo trip to Lion country:

http://www.the-wanderer.co.uk/bolton/th ... -the-lions" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Nice one, P.O.S.

[boltonboris]

I didn't watch the full match, as my broadband was being touchy and I couldn't get a stream to operate properly. But I've heard loads (on here) about how Millwall had loads of possession and we were strugglung to get the ball.

BBC has us at having 53%
Sky has us at having 50%

[thebish]

I didn't watch the full match, as my broadband was being touchy and I couldn't get a stream to operate properly. But I've heard loads (on here) about how Millwall had loads of possession and we were strugglung to get the ball.

BBC has us at having 53%
Sky has us at having 50%

R5 commentary certainly sounded like Millwall had about 87% of the possession - and on the two occasions we had the ball - we scored!

[Montreal Wanderer]

(Tuncay) did well for N'Gog though. Interception and moved it quickly. Goal was about 10% him, 60% N'Gog and 40% keeper.

mmmm

mmm, indeed. Tuncay made a great interception, an excellent pass and, just as important, carried through on his run taking two defenders with him creating space for N'gog to turn. The keeper had to watch out for a return pass to Tuncay so couldn't cover the right corner completely. I'd give him more than 10%.

[Verbal]

(Tuncay) did well for N'Gog though. Interception and moved it quickly. Goal was about 10% him, 60% N'Gog and 40% keeper.

mmmm

mmm, indeed. Tuncay made a great interception, an excellent pass and, just as important, carried through on his run taking two defenders with him creating space for N'gog to turn. The keeper had to watch out for a return pass to Tuncay so couldn't cover the right corner completely. I'd give him more than 10%.

I think bobo "might" be referring to Pru's adding up of percentages...

[malcd1]

(Tuncay) did well for N'Gog though. Interception and moved it quickly. Goal was about 10% him, 60% N'Gog and 40% keeper.

mmmm

mmm, indeed. Tuncay made a great interception, an excellent pass and, just as important, carried through on his run taking two defenders with him creating space for N'gog to turn. The keeper had to watch out for a return pass to Tuncay so couldn't cover the right corner completely. I'd give him more than 10%.

I think bobo "might" be referring to Pru's adding up of percentages...

We expect them to give 110% don't we?

[Montreal Wanderer]

(Tuncay) did well for N'Gog though. Interception and moved it quickly. Goal was about 10% him, 60% N'Gog and 40% keeper.

mmmm

mmm, indeed. Tuncay made a great interception, an excellent pass and, just as important, carried through on his run taking two defenders with him creating space for N'gog to turn. The keeper had to watch out for a return pass to Tuncay so couldn't cover the right corner completely. I'd give him more than 10%.

I think bobo "might" be referring to Pru's adding up of percentages...

We expect them to give 110% don't we?

Only Americans one hopes - but yes, Verbs, I'm sure that was what Bobo was referring to - that or the standard of secondary education in Pruland.

[bobo the clown]

bobo was ... either or ... or both.

110% is a guarantee to have me shaking my head & muttering things like "what's the World's come to ..." etc.

[thebish]

bobo was ... either or ... or both.

110% is a guarentee to have me shaking my head & muttering things like "what's the Worls come to ..." etc.

I'm shaking my head too!

[bobo the clown]

bobo was ... either or ... or both.

110% is a guarantee to have me shaking my head & muttering things like "what's the World's come to ..." etc.

I'm shaking my head too!

what ??

[Prufrock]

I typed it 10:50:40, then decided I hadn't given N'Gog enough credit, so put him up to 60 and evidently forgot to knock down the ol' keeper's mark. My bad.

As for the possession Boris, I said it felt like we had about 25%.

I'm SURE possession stats are bollocks. We get loads added on for when its in the air from being twatted up field, and it carries on after it's bounced off the striker and into touch and on until they actually throw it in. I reckon.

Anyway, they looked a lot more composed than us on it until the final third. There they fell to bits, whereas the couple of times we unconvincingly got there you could see the difference in class in that we looked dangerous. We'd be a decent team if they combined the two. Milton Wanderer Lions!

[Wandering Willy]

Anyway, they looked a lot more composed than us on it until the final third. There they fell to bits, whereas the couple of times we unconvincingly got there you could see the difference in class in that we looked dangerous. We'd be a decent team if they combined the two. Milton Wanderer Lions!

Wash your mouth out.


With gravy.

[Lord Kangana]

Teams with less % possession of the ball win about 55% of games was the stat doing the rounds a while ago. Something like that anyway, could even be 60%. I know Hoddle used to bang on about it all the time. I'd be surprised if Allardyce didn't at some point.

Its not a panacea by any stretch.

[Prufrock]

Hoddle? He used to come out with all sorts of shite about keeping the thing. Read a book about football quotes when I was about 12 and remember thinking what a wazzock even then. He came out with something along the lines of 'you should treat the ball like a diamond; you don't give it away, you offer it'. Apart from not even making sense, it is self serving shite of the kind that sticks in your mind for 11 years!

Anyway, they're shit. And we really struggled to build attacks. It was the same old four passes in our half back to the keeper nice person it forward. From a manger who prides himself on 'good football'. Don't get me wrong, I'm looking for things to pick at, because everyone else seems to be uber-positive, and I'm a contrary kind of guy; however, I'd be quite happy not playing well with the ball, but being solid and taking our chances (one goal quick thinking on a free-kick, one pressing them into a mistake and capitalising) if I thought there was any chance we'd take that into the league games. Instead we'll sack off Muamba, put another striker up front (any striker, it doesn't matter) maybe do something mental out wide, still never see the ball, but not be solid either, and get bummed. Again.

Thought he'd learnt in January. Faith now well and truly shaken.

I'd not be surprised if we got a point or two off Chelsea and City, stayed in contention, then for QPR at home change everything to put on more 'attacking' players, and get beat. Coz the man is a fool.

[Hoboh]

People moaning about performance so soon after abject deafeats! the way I see it is we played a banana skin game away from home scored two kept a clean sheet and won a feckin' game, job done! Now lets have more of that till the end of the season and next term when we cast off the dross and get our good injured players back in fine fettle head for a comfy top half table finish, you know safe by March ish and Owen can tinker with his blood and guts in two cups as well.

[Sponge]

People moaning about performance so soon after abject deafeats! the way I see it is we played a banana skin game away from home scored two kept a clean sheet and won a feckin' game, job done! Now lets have more of that till the end of the season and next term when we cast off the dross and get our good injured players back in fine fettle head for a comfy top half table finish, you know safe by March ish and Owen can tinker with his blood and guts in two cups as well.

(till he next drops Muamba and plays 4–4–2)

[Ianmooreslovechild]

[quote="Prufrock"]Hoddle? He used to come out with all sorts of shite about keeping the thing. Read a book about football quotes when I was about 12 and remember thinking what a wazzock even then. He came out with something along the lines of 'you should treat the ball like a diamond; you don't give it away, you offer it'. Apart from not even making sense, it is self serving shite of the kind that sticks in your mind for 11 years!

Anyway, they're shit. And we really struggled to build attacks. It was the same old four passes in our half back to the keeper tw*t it forward. From a manger who prides himself on 'good football'. Don't get me wrong, I'm looking for things to pick at, because everyone else seems to be uber-positive, and I'm a contrary kind of guy; however, I'd be quite happy not playing well with the ball, but being solid and taking our chances (one goal quick thinking on a free-kick, one pressing them into a mistake and capitalising) if I thought there was any chance we'd take that into the league games. Instead we'll sack off Muamba, put another striker up front (any striker, it doesn't matter) maybe do something mental out wide, still never see the ball, but not be solid either, and get bummed. Again.

Thought he'd learnt in January. Faith now well and truly shaken.

I'd not be surprised if we got a point or two off Chelsea and City, stayed in contention, then for QPR at home change everything to put on more 'attacking' players, and get beat. Coz the man is a fool.[/quote

Hope you're wrong on the last point,would he really be stupid enough to repeat the wigan fiasco?

That working the ball back to the keeper was an odd feature against millwall. I suppose if the opposition are organised in two banks of 4 and there is no pass on it kind of makes sense that if the ball is worked back the opposition midfield may be drawn forward so when Bogdan lumps it skyward there is a chance for midfield players to break into the space behind them from the second ball. It also means we are in a more compact shape defensively should the ball fall to the opposition.It's a long way from what coyle appears to want to play but very reminiscent of the sort of pragmatic approach a recent highly successful Bolton manager often employed and far less risky than commiting players forward giving it away and being wide open to a break. We were leading at the time.

Those possession percentages are misleading too in that if you are leading and trying to play on the break you want the opposition to have possession without threat in order to have space to exploit when their moves break down.Hence there are occasions when less possession but incisive breaks are the most effective tactics.I havent looked it up but I wouldnt be surprised if arsenal had more possession than Milan in their midweek hammering.

Just checked arsenal 53% possession