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Post by alanb on Feb 18, 2024 21:41:59 GMT
Yeah, today's game was ( eventually, that is ) a great one; the second best so far in the reign of Robinson. I've an annoying trait of never being quite satisfied with the way things have gone. And, like Chip, I just cannot stop speculating on - good as we are doing at present - just how much further up the league we would now be sitting if only we had got our house in order a few weeks earlier than we did.
No point crying over spilt milk Alan. Just be thankful that Neil Wooden finally got the chop because if he hadn't we would have been right in the doo-doo in terms of league position and who knows how many fans we would have haemorrhaged due to his mind numbing boring tactics. Karl Robinson is the messiah and that's official! Ah... so that would explain why - when he walked across that waterlogged pitch after the game - his trainers never got wet.
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Post by je85 on Feb 19, 2024 1:05:16 GMT
Bit late to the comments after Saturday, but at no point during or since did I believe I watched a Salford side that could fashion five goals, let alone a Barrow side capable of scoring three. I actually felt first half neither side gave each other the respect either side deserved but it was fascinating the way both teams approached phases of that game.
Barrow’s set up was awkward, the way they went from a back five into a 4-4-2 or even 4-2-4 at times with an emphasis early on of hitting our left was a test for Garbutt. Garbs gets little protection when Connor Mac is in the side but I thought he did well against Tyrell Warren pushing on supported by Spence and Gotts. I was impressed with Gotts industry, the former Ammie’s work rate and passing caused headaches for Watson in midfield. The highlight of the first half was Hendry’s strike, he hits that any harder or with a tad more swazz it goes wide or the keeper gets closer to it. The goal seemed to force Barrow to go more down their left, and that spell from 40” til the half showed Wild enough to get after the left footed John.
With that one frustration that really is starting to grind my gears is Cairns hesitancy at sending the ball out his hands to the right of the pitch. Laumba caused the left back Ogungbo aggro all afternoon and on 3 or 4 occasions could’ve got away from him if cairns could play a ball out to the right. Just prior to the Stockton goal Laumba makes a run and Cairns following a set piece has the ball in his hands, I was stood to the left of the goal and I didn’t understand how he couldn’t see the separation Luamba had from the LB. For a keeper who hits 5-10 side wider passes out to Torrence next to our dug out in warm ups, he can’t do it in games and it’s so frustrating because Luamba had the measure of his opponent til he was subbed because he was blowing out his backside on 78”.
Continuing the theme of our right side, John just after the break dangling his foot to try and stop the ball getting knocked past him led to the corner which resulted in Warren’s goal. It wasn’t good enough, DannyBoy has noted that our right side is being targeted and yesterday the spell from 40” to McAleny’s equaliser really showed that. Dan Chester’s introduction at RB was a surprise, with the ball at his feet he looks a talent. I can see why Robinson would want a player like that and in combination with N’Mai off the bench will keep us in games to the very end.
The period from the equaliser to 80” was from a Salford perspective some of the best and most aggressive form of control I have seen from this side in my time at ML. It wasn’t just hitting shots and winning corners. Territorially we penned them in high up and were really switched on, whether it was the throw for McAleny’s goal, the touch and shot for Hendry’s second (with majority of the side in the box) and the short pass and cross in for Smith’s text book header it was all excellent.
So much of Saturday was poor, but so much of it was effective and shows a side playing a style of football they are comfortable with and finding enjoyable despite the tricky conditions. KR deserves a lot of praise for winning the chess match with Pete Wild, he was tweaking at 4-2 as the lads were celebrating wanting Cairns and Watt to get the ball to Chester’s. Seeing us win at Home is great and ML has never really been a fortress. But it could be under KR and following on from Mansfield on the road, the back to back home games against Colchester and Gillingham will I believe predicate that idea further. ML should be a tough day out for teams when we play like we did Saturday. Great result and still more to come from this group - UTA!
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