BFTG - Wimbledon away (pre-season friendly)

[winchester_royal]

Surely it's no surprise to see lots of sideways passing during a pre-season friendly played in temperatures of 25c+ heat?

Also important to note I think that we were missing our likely two first choice wingers who will be likely to provide much more impetus going forward, and then we can move Swift inside to give us more creativity in midfield.

Not the end of the world by any means, but I do think it highlights our need for a proper striker and better options in defence.

[tmesis]

Not the end of the world by any means, but I do think it highlights our need for a proper striker and better options in defence.

Unless this striker is going to create all of his own chances, I'd have thought the problem is more about creativity. Few strikers would do well with the service they get currently.


By the way, did anyone else having trouble with traffic?

I know of one fan who only got there shortly before half time, only to find he couldn't get in, so he went home.

[winchester_royal]

Not the end of the world by any means, but I do think it highlights our need for a proper striker and better options in defence.

Unless this striker is going to create all of his own chances, I'd have thought the problem is more about creativity. Few strikers would do well with the service they get currently.


By the way, did anyone else having trouble with traffic?

I know of one fan who only got there shortly before half time, only to find he couldn't get in, so he went home.

Well if you'd chosen to quote all of my post rather than just take one line out of context you will have seen where I believe the extra creativity will come from.

[Lower West]

Positives - Stam saw first hand what we endured towards the end of last season. Of far more use than an easy win against a lower league team. The team to be drilled to be focused from the kick off. The (starting) formation didn't work very well yesterday. Plenty of possession but little movement up front to open up the Dons. For those that are complaining about the possession at the back. In European teams every player is comfortable on the ball.

As for the new players. Mendes was too isolated. Swift was wasted on the left. Far more effective when more central. As for Joey VDB , if he's a defensive midfielder then the position on the pitch did little to influence the game.

Expect to see a different team formation next week.

Negatives - shows that changing the manager doesn't get you any further forward.

[Lower West]

By the way, did anyone else having trouble with traffic?

I know of one fan who only got there shortly before half time, only to find he couldn't get in, so he went home.

Did he use Satnav. Traffic was avoidable.

[sandman]

Positives - Stam saw first hand what we endured towards the end of last season. Of far more use than an easy win against a lower league team. The team to be drilled to be focused from the kick off. The (starting) formation didn't work very well yesterday. Plenty of possession but little movement up front to open up the Dons. For those that are complaining about the possession at the back. In European teams every player is comfortable on the ball.

As for the new players. Mendes was too isolated. Swift was wasted on the left. Far more effective when more central. As for Joey VDB , if he's a defensive midfielder then the position on the pitch did little to influence the game.

Expect to see a different team formation next week.

Negatives - shows that changing the manager doesn't get you any further forward.

What about Championship teams? There is a difference between being comfortable on the ball and there is unnecessary risks around your own box because you're trying to impersonate Real Madrid.

Possession is fine, possession without purpose is not.

[Lower West]

Positives - Stam saw first hand what we endured towards the end of last season. Of far more use than an easy win against a lower league team. The team to be drilled to be focused from the kick off. The (starting) formation didn't work very well yesterday. Plenty of possession but little movement up front to open up the Dons. For those that are complaining about the possession at the back. In European teams every player is comfortable on the ball.

As for the new players. Mendes was too isolated. Swift was wasted on the left. Far more effective when more central. As for Joey VDB , if he's a defensive midfielder then the position on the pitch did little to influence the game.

Expect to see a different team formation next week.

Negatives - shows that changing the manager doesn't get you any further forward.

What about Championship teams? There is a difference between being comfortable on the ball and there is unnecessary risks around your own box because you're trying to impersonate Real Madrid.

Possession is fine, possession without purpose is not.

Was only a friendly yesterday.

[sandman]

Didn't suggest it wasn't. Point still stands though and we've had this situation before under Adkins and Rodgers where we're trying to play like other clubs instead of concentrating on our own strengths.

[Ian Royal]

Didn't suggest it wasn't. Point still stands though and we've had this situation before under Adkins and Rodgers where we're trying to play like other clubs instead of concentrating on our own strengths.

Playing possession football badly does not mean you should stop trying to play possession football. The problems with the possession football was a lack of willingness to be positive and take the initiative / responsibility. You can play a more direct style, but that doesn't make those problems go away. It just results in hopeful punts up field and hopeful crosses that result mainly in a turnover of possession and an opposition attack.

Success in football is about having the confidence to take responsibility and try to make something specific happen. Usually with a change in pace or direction to catch the opposition by surprise. Whether that's through keeping possession with short passes or going forward quickly doesn't really matter. Our recent problems have consistently been that we're slow, uncertain and predictable. Whether we play direct or possession based.

[Rea Ding]

Didn't suggest it wasn't. Point still stands though and we've had this situation before under Adkins and Rodgers where we're trying to play like other clubs instead of concentrating on our own strengths.

Playing possession football badly does not mean you should stop trying to play possession football. The problems with the possession football was a lack of willingness to be positive and take the initiative / responsibility. You can play a more direct style, but that doesn't make those problems go away. It just results in hopeful punts up field and hopeful crosses that result mainly in a turnover of possession and an opposition attack.

Success in football is about having the confidence to take responsibility and try to make something specific happen. Usually with a change in pace or direction to catch the opposition by surprise. Whether that's through keeping possession with short passes or going forward quickly doesn't really matter. Our recent problems have consistently been that we're slow, uncertain and predictable. Whether we play direct or possession based.

Ian did you actually go to the game, it was pretty terrible and shit football

[Ian Royal]

Didn't suggest it wasn't. Point still stands though and we've had this situation before under Adkins and Rodgers where we're trying to play like other clubs instead of concentrating on our own strengths.

Playing possession football badly does not mean you should stop trying to play possession football. The problems with the possession football was a lack of willingness to be positive and take the initiative / responsibility. You can play a more direct style, but that doesn't make those problems go away. It just results in hopeful punts up field and hopeful crosses that result mainly in a turnover of possession and an opposition attack.

Success in football is about having the confidence to take responsibility and try to make something specific happen. Usually with a change in pace or direction to catch the opposition by surprise. Whether that's through keeping possession with short passes or going forward quickly doesn't really matter. Our recent problems have consistently been that we're slow, uncertain and predictable. Whether we play direct or possession based.

Ian did you actually go to the game, it was pretty terrible and shit football

It's not a comment on a specific game. It's a general point about a a general point.

[Lower West]

Didn't suggest it wasn't. Point still stands though and we've had this situation before under Adkins and Rodgers where we're trying to play like other clubs instead of concentrating on our own strengths.

Yesterday looked like back to square one again in so many ways. Not sure what our strengths have been for a while.

[3points]

I was looking forward to the new season. But reports here of possession based sideways football fills me with dread again. And no decent centre forward again. Is Glenn Murray available?

[Steve_Upper_West]

I believe Glenn Murray has gone back to Brighton - so expect to see him scoring against us in the near future

[Extended-Phenotype]

Didn't suggest it wasn't. Point still stands though and we've had this situation before under Adkins and Rodgers where we're trying to play like other clubs instead of concentrating on our own strengths.

Playing possession football badly does not mean you should stop trying to play possession football.

Er, yes it does. Especially if you've been doing it badly for a number of years.

Take the fcuking hint. Move on.

[Ian Royal]

Didn't suggest it wasn't. Point still stands though and we've had this situation before under Adkins and Rodgers where we're trying to play like other clubs instead of concentrating on our own strengths.

Playing possession football badly does not mean you should stop trying to play possession football.

Er, yes it does. Especially if you've been doing it badly for a number of years.

Take the fcuking hint. Move on.

If you'd been doing it badly for a few years under the same manager and with the same players, absolutely. But you're not going to get good at something without persistence and effort. You need to work at it, with the right players and the right training. There's no reason we can't get there. And there's no reason to think we'd be any better at any other system.

We've simply had a shit mix and a host of other problems, largely financial and back office preventing us from transitioning properly. Which way we go doesn't really matter. We just have to pick one, back it and stick with it. Seems Stam has picked. Now we've got to back it and stick with it.

[Extended-Phenotype]

A club that can't compete in the transfer market should be playing to the strengths of the players, the manager adapting the style to them, not the players adapting to the style of the managers.

There is a reason a team with Readings budget has performed better with a faster, more direct, counter-attacking style over the years, compared to the inconsistent, mistake-laden rubbish we've had when successive managers insist on forcing the "in" tactic on a team of incapable players.

[North Somerset Royal]

By the way, did anyone else having trouble with traffic?

I know of one fan who only got there shortly before half time, only to find he couldn't get in, so he went home.

Did he use Satnav. Traffic was avoidable.

My sat nav made it worse! After being stuck on the M25 I decided to leave at the M23 following which my sat nav got me stuck in a 5 mile queue on the A308. I got there about 5 mins after ko and of course missed the first goal. The guy who could not get in was lucky. I then had to watch the rest of that shit performance

[Ian Royal]

A club that can't compete in the transfer market should be playing to the strengths of the players, the manager adapting the style to them, not the players adapting to the style of the managers.

There is a reason a team with Readings budget has performed better with a faster, more direct, counter-attacking style over the years, compared to the inconsistent, mistake-laden rubbish we've had when successive managers insist on forcing the "in" tactic on a team of incapable players.

This was maybe a good point about 3 years ago. But a team that can't compete for the beat players can't afford to keep changing tack. And it's important to remember that we have one of the best Academies in the country that has been geared towards producing players for a passing type of football for about 10 years. Given we're going to be reliant on its graduates because our limited financial power, focusing on that club ethos they've established and puahing on with it is really the only sesnible solution.

But this has gone really rather of topic.

[genome]

No need to panic, just a friendly.

Watford's first team drew 1-1 with Woking. Friendlies don't matter.