Coalville Updates

[DJ]

Thanks and well done to rising star Tom on the PA this afternoon. Great knowledge and attention to detail in the difficult conditions of a waterlogged press box.

[Rich]

Another 3 points on the board which is always great and an excellent crowd... but.... I found the game boring today!! Donnelly and Taylor stand out players for me but I found nothing exciting about that game. Perhaps wind played a bigger part than it looked but I was not impressed with our style of play.
Can see why our skill players like Manning and Holmes arent getting game time with this style.
I know its a new set up and next season will be the target but hope we get more entertainment going forward.. and more 3 points which I guess is the main thing

Not there today due to work. Be interested to know, whether you think we would have won that game, prior to Penn's appointment. By that I mean how we were set up to play.

As a side note, by god he looks like his Dad!!!

Difficult one.
Coalville showed no real urgency and at time the game was slower than walking pace.
Very few chances created by both sides (thought our defensive organisation was excellent). Apart from one excellent Platty save cant think of another save by either keeper.
No real interest to play from the back which was very much the 'old' style, much more long ball up to the front two.
So very hard to say how the previous set up would have done.
Commitment cant be criticised at all, just entertainment value lacking for me but as I said the 3 points is all that really matters.

[drummyb]

Another 3 points on the board which is always great and an excellent crowd... but.... I found the game boring today!! Donnelly and Taylor stand out players for me but I found nothing exciting about that game. Perhaps wind played a bigger part than it looked but I was not impressed with our style of play.
Can see why our skill players like Manning and Holmes arent getting game time with this style.
I know its a new set up and next season will be the target but hope we get more entertainment going forward.. and more 3 points which I guess is the main thing

Not there today due to work. Be interested to know, whether you think we would have won that game, prior to Penn's appointment. By that I mean how we were set up to play.

As a side note, by god he looks like his Dad!!!

Difficult one.
Coalville showed no real urgency and at time the game was slower than walking pace.
Very few chances created by both sides (thought our defensive organisation was excellent). Apart from one excellent Platty save cant think of another save by either keeper.
No real interest to play from the back which was very much the 'old' style, much more long ball up to the front two.
So very hard to say how the previous set up would have done.
Commitment cant be criticised at all, just entertainment value lacking for me but as I said the 3 points is all that really matters.

Bit surprised by that line. Id have said we relied much more on long balls up to Miracle before, rather than playing it out, and one thing I have noticed is that we definitely have avoided that since Russ took over.
Appreciate the viewpoint though.

[Rich]

Not there today due to work. Be interested to know, whether you think we would have won that game, prior to Penn's appointment. By that I mean how we were set up to play.

As a side note, by god he looks like his Dad!!!

Difficult one.
Coalville showed no real urgency and at time the game was slower than walking pace.
Very few chances created by both sides (thought our defensive organisation was excellent). Apart from one excellent Platty save cant think of another save by either keeper.
No real interest to play from the back which was very much the 'old' style, much more long ball up to the front two.
So very hard to say how the previous set up would have done.
Commitment cant be criticised at all, just entertainment value lacking for me but as I said the 3 points is all that really matters.

Bit surprised by that line. Id have said we relied much more on long balls up to Miracle before, rather than playing it out, and one thing I have noticed is that we definitely have avoided that since Russ took over.
Appreciate the viewpoint though.

Was referring more to goal kicks and when Platty had the ball in his hands rather than in open play

[TractionJackson]

Looked solid except for the trademark late goal to make it interesting that happens most times we are up by two. Under the previous regime that would trigger a load of "it's bit concerning" / "something's not quite right" comments here.

Saying that, my guess is the last guy would have made 3 subs at 60 mins, killed the momentum and we'd have drawn yesterday.

[410viawednesbury]

"You can only beat what's in front of ya!"

[Josh1873]

In terms of the actual game, I agree, it was a tough and maybe a boring watch. That being said, I thought we played very well and were full value for the 3 points. It was pleasing to see us scrap, roll our sleeves up, and fight for the win. A matter of a few weeks ago we'd have shirked the battle, shown little fight, and gone on to lose that game against a decent Coalville team.

To concede a set piece, after the vast recent improvements in this area, is obviously frustrating and had that been under Paul Smith, I'd have been seething. But I can see we've worked hard on this area, so I can't really complain. It happens, as frustrating as it is! Also, yet another example of giving the opposition a lifeline from a position of comfort is a worrying trend that continues. Is this fitness related?

I can understand the criticisms in style, I don't agree with them, but we have definitely looked to go more direct. However, there is a clear game plan, and it has been effective as Miracle now has support and is no longer stranded on his own with no team mate within 20 yards of him.

Ultimately I don't care for style, as long as there is a clear structure, organisation and game plan, and players show they clearly know what their individual job and role is. That hasn't been the case for the majority of the season - but it is now, and I am more than pleased with that.

One of the long term criticisms of this team has been that we aren't big enough, we get bullied too often and we're not physical enough. Well, it looks like Penn will address this. I for one welcome that. If you want to watch free flowing attacking football, then non-league isn't the place for you. Even when we were at our best under Paul, and we did play some superb possession based football at times, we still went long and direct a lot of the time in order to utilise Sim's pace by playing it 'over the top' (again, a valid tactic that worked for a period, so that's not a criticism of PS). I think people need to take rose tinted specs off and remember that. Not aimed at anyone on here, but if you don't like direct football, stay at home and watch Man City - which for me is as boring as watching grass grow, but that's an entirely different argument.

Between Alvechurch, Royston and yesterday (I've missed the two defeats so I've missed the chance to be negative!) the difference in attitude, structure and organisation of this team in night and day. You could argue we're not playing as well with the ball, but without it we're a different team, and that's why we've suddenly started to get results. It's very pleasing, but frustratingly too little, too late.

Ahhhh, what could have been. We really have squandered the chance of a very good season and a tilt at the play-offs, haven't we? This group of players are much better than their current league position. It's worth noting that if you combine the first 9 games of the season and the 5 games since Penn has taken over we average 2 points per game. A pretty irrelevant stat, but it does illustrate what this group is capable of. For what it's worth, 2pts a game would put us second. An unrealistic expectation across the whole of the season, but just imagine if we didn't go on such a wretched and avoidable run. It's just frustrating (have I mentioned that word enough?).

[drummyb]

The main thing Im getting is that we're playing football in a way that suits this league, and a way the teams around have been playing. Ultimately results speak. And at the minute we are doing much much better.

[Magnus]

It’s not boring when you only get the score at 4 pm Sunday afternoon at 55 degrees south on the Chile/Argentine border. But no Black Country radio

[Westyeltz]

It’s not boring when you only get the score at 4 pm Sunday afternoon at 55 degrees south on the Chile/Argentine border. But no Black Country radio

Your satnav sent you all that way to avoid BCR?