Newport County (Hive) The Hot Burton Topic Match Thread

[ninestein]

Our record on TV had been decent until the last month, where we've been tonked twice at home.

Post match, DB alluded to the idea he may have to change our philosophy slightly and be a little more direct, especially now we're in the winter months.

Once a season settles down, good sides learn to adapt, especially if opponents have found a way of playing against us. Having 60% posession is not everything in this league. As good as we are keeping the ball, and we have good players capable of doing so, we're not hurting teams enough. The ball out to Idris is too predictable. And this high defensive line is starting to get exposed too often with the ball in behind. We've seen it on most the televised games this season. The commentators always pick up on it.

This time last year we found a way of tightening up and winning games. We need to find that formula again and put another run together in the league. I'm not saying rip up everything we've been doing, but some subtle tweaks are needed. Give our opponents something different to think about.

[Jimbokav1971]

The other thing about Bogles interview was they worked on improving from first leg knowing how we'd play. We set up the same as always, why not change it to disrupt the opposition plans? Because when we've tried that in the past no one understands what they're doing anymore.

When I saw that Marv and Cropper were starting, and Nicke was on his own up top again, that'e#s exactly what I thought DB would do. I thought we would sit deeper, in more of a 4 with Cropper, soak up pressure, and then look to counter them with Marv running off Nicke & the others picking up the pieces our side of Nicke.

In fact it was nothing of the sort. It was the same ridiculous high line, Marv was like a fish out of water, (there was no space to run into because we were pushing them back), Cropper wasn't sitting at all and was getting as high as possible as often as possible and Hartigan was playing QB again.

It seems to me that DB has a really clear idea/plan of how he wants to play, but for whatever reason we're not good enough on the ball to do this. We're losing possession too often, in poor areas, and we're bot planning at all for what happens when we make the mistakes.

DB commented in his interview that he may have to make adjustments that involve going back to front more quickly, and to be honest it's screaming out for that. a little bit of variety. At the moment it's easy for opposition because they just sit back and we pass these pretty patterns, (until we don't), and then they go uo the other end and have a chance, against a GK who it should be said has not turned into a bad GK overnight, but who perhaps is not suited to the way we're leaving him exposed and the different role he's been asked to play this season. He's a really good shop stopper. He's a flippin amazing shot-stopper! But he's not great with the ball at his feet and he's not great 1v1. That's not a dig at LW at all because I really like him. It's just we're not playing to hos strengths in exactly the same way we're not playing to the strengths of others such as Brunt.

I think the player we're missing most is Gorman, and I would love to see what we're like with 1 less centre-half and Gorman in there instead, (with Hartigan), or even better actually, let Gorman play INSTEAD of Hartigan, but about 15-20 yards further up the pitch. Let him move and drag players away and create space for DC, Oluwo & Potter to advance with the ball. Some of my favourite moments from this season are sing Okimo advance with the ball because nobody is closing him and the, (I think it's called rotation) in midfield has dragged players away from central locations and left their back 4 exposed.

The truth is that Hartigan is often so deep that he's inhabiting the same areas as the central centre-half, and all he's doing is muddling things in there. He also appears to be putting pressure on the likes of Potter to force a Hartigan style pass because they have found themselves on the ball in the QB slot rather than Hartigan because for a change we've moved the ball quicker than Hartigan can run, (which isn't that hard).

Let Hartigan sit slap bang in the middle and direct traffic and DC & 1 of the others can drift wide.

Alternatively bin off Hartigan and let Potter, Okimo & DC try and play the way he does. They might not be able to make the passes he does, but they will eventually find their own level of pass. Someone asked me yesterday if I thought dropping Hartigan was the answer, and although I said no at the time, I think maybe it is ig he insists on playing so deep and passing so laterally.

Gorman then can come and play in the middle where we akk knows he's best and maybe then we might win the ball back in transition centrally AND rather than pass and pass and pass to the side after we've won it, maybe Gorman will just turn it and make a pass that they won't want to defend in behind. Or maybe he will find Brunt free or Idris.

This constant recycling of possession now seems counter-productive & if you are not moving the opposition areound and stretching them, what you're actually doing is giving them time to get into position and reset again.

We don't want set defences when we have players like Idris and Brunt. We want players pulled out of position and these 2 in the gaps.

I really thought yesterday was an enormous chance to not only get past a League 2 side, but also to have a phenomenal opportunity to get to the 4th round again with a home tie against Eastleigh the prize. I don't think we did ourselves justice at all and it was made even worse by being on ITV for all to see.

I don't mind us making mistakes. I mind us making the same mistakes over and over again.

[DSM]

I’d love to know our win rate this season with and without Gorman starting. For me he is key and gives us a steel which we lack otherwise. I really don’t get why he’s in and out of the team

[WhetstoneBee]

(Double post, sorry)

[WhetstoneBee]

Some really idiotic, over the top, comments on here. Mistakes in selection quite possibly, mistakes by players yes. However we're 3rd in the league and still in the FA Trophy. Dean's still learning management at this level. We have a better team than last season, we have to be patient and accept this may be 4 or 5 years to get back into the league but Dean is hopefully going to be the one to get us there. It's football, full of ups and downs, many more ups than downs this season.

A really silly post. We are the second/third best team in the league so why on earth should it take half a decade to get back into the league? It’s the same for managers as for players - the odd mistake is inevitable but when they become repeated and costly, things have to change and change quickly. The failings last night were exactly the same issues that have been on display for weeks and weeks: we play too high a line without enough pace, are ridiculously vulnerable on the counter, are carrying players who don’t deserve to be in the team on current form (Brunt, Pritchard) while inexplicably but consistently dropping probably our most important player after Kabamba (Gorman), and have no other way of playing that doesn’t involve constantly working the balls out to the wings.

We can all see the problems so why can’t the management team? I am a fan of DB, I think he has some really good qualities - his recruitment is generally excellent, he had created a good team spirit and he’s started to rebuild the relationship between club and fans. That said, I don’t see him as a brilliant tactician and we have thrown away too many big games (Gateshead last season, Chesterfield and Newport this year) because of bizarre tactical decisions. It is blindlingly obvious that a back three of Okimo, Collinge and Potter is going to be susceptible to pace and quick counter-attacks and yet nothing was done last night to mitigate it. Why is Kanu playing wing back when Coker and Beard are both better there? Why is Armstrong playing as an attacking midfielder when we have Kanu, Stead, Gorman and Senior who are all better there? In fact, what has Marvin Armstrong done at any point this season to warrant starting him in such a key game? I can deal with us being outplayed but the way we often just big throw games away because we are set up completely wrong, or are outthought by the opposition manager, is very frustrating.

As I say, DB has many many qualities but from what I have seen he benefits from an experienced, astute tactician alongside him to help out. John Dreyer and Mel Gwinnett provided that role but I fear no one currently is, and it’s showing.
[/quote]

[AJwilla]

I’d love to know our win rate this season with and without Gorman starting. For me he is key and gives us a steel which we lack otherwise. I really don’t get why he’s in and out of the team

With Gorman starting: 8 W, 3 D, 3 L
Without Gorman starting: 8 W, 2 D, 4 L

League, FA Cup and FA Trophy

[Psycho]

I'm just thankful that there was Champions League and Championship football on TNT Sports and Sky respectively to hide a bit of the embarrassment last night.

The tip over from Kanu's rising shot at 1-3 would have got us right back into the game. What a save. Clubs will be interested in Kanu when the transfer window opens in January

I felt numb and sick with the own goal calamity. Still feel bad now (although I had my flu jab yesterday and can hardly move my left arm today). Eastleigh manager Richard Hill couldn't hide his frustration - going to a League Two side he isn't too familiar with will be far more difficult.

All in all, a night to forget but hopefully Burton Albion were watching because I like Deano now and want him to stay at Barnet FC. He'll learn from last night - I hope.

[Bee_Forever]

I agree with Psycho. It was a bad night but one we will learn from.

Sadly the messageboard guardiola's are back out telling us how Deano's tactics were to blame. Give it a rest guys. I don't need 17 paragraphs on our phases of transition. Save that for your sunday league team.

We started badly, gifted Newport a 3-0 lead and then could not break them down despite the best efforts of Kanu. Lessons learned and we move on.

[wearebees]

Hand of Harry

https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/25035620 ... al-barnet/

[Jimbokav1971]

I agree with Psycho. It was a bad night but one we will learn from.

Sadly the messageboard guardiola's are back out telling us how Deano's tactics were to blame. Give it a rest guys. I don't need 17 paragraphs on our phases of transition. Save that for your sunday league team.

We started badly, gifted Newport a 3-0 lead and then could not break them down despite the best efforts of Kanu. Lessons learned and we move on.

Just out of interest, what lessons do you think we learned yesterday that we didn't learn in any games prior to last night?

[letchbee94]

Not a good night but we kept going even though it was game over really after going 3 down.

Have not seen it back yet but had heard from 2 people who was watching it at the time that we was fortunate Kanu was not sent off for a stamp on 1 of their players.

[Bee_Forever]

I agree with Psycho. It was a bad night but one we will learn from.

Sadly the messageboard guardiola's are back out telling us how Deano's tactics were to blame. Give it a rest guys. I don't need 17 paragraphs on our phases of transition. Save that for your sunday league team.

We started badly, gifted Newport a 3-0 lead and then could not break them down despite the best efforts of Kanu. Lessons learned and we move on.

Just out of interest, what lessons do you think we learned yesterday that we didn't learn in any games prior to last night?

Hopefully how to start games well and with the right level of intensity and focus

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[BigBee]

Not a good night but we kept going even though it was game over really after going 3 down.

Have not seen it back yet but had heard from 2 people who was watching it at the time that we was fortunate Kanu was not sent off for a stamp on 1 of their players.

No Excuse, but if I got kicked and fouled as much as he does, then I could visualise myself retaliating.

Not good I know, but I might have stamped on somebody’s neck.

[pletch99]

I'm not convinced Walker deserves some of the criticism he's been getting, although I agree that his decision making about when to stay and when to come is an area that he could improve on. Last season we were defending much deeper so his shot stopping and generally reliable handling made many regard him as one of the best keepers we've had for years.

This season two things have changed - we're playing a high line which means he's faced a lot more situations where a player is running through on him and I'd also so suggest that overall he's had a lot less to do and I'm not sure that really suits him.

[pgbee]

Not a good night but we kept going even though it was game over really after going 3 down.

Have not seen it back yet but had heard from 2 people who was watching it at the time that we was fortunate Kanu was not sent off for a stamp on 1 of their players.

No Excuse, but if I got kicked and fouled as much as he does, then I could visualise myself retaliating.

Not good I know, but I might have stamped on somebody’s neck.

With little protection from referees, doesn't help his case when he goes down easily though.