I think the problem at the end against Brentford is that we did neither, we didn't go for the kill, and we didn't go back into a proper defensive shape - no-one made a decision, so the defenders, being defenders, drifted backwards, while some were still trying to make breaks - Morrison lost the ball on the touchline just before their goal because he tried to beat two players, and if he had we could have been away on the break, it just bobbled their way off someone's shins if I saw it right, and they went forward and ended up scoring soon after. I wouldn't have minded so much if they had scored as a result of the game going basketball and us trying for the second, but we didn't, we just sort of tried to hang in there.
Basically we had no shape at the end and no-one did anything about it.
Spot on!! It was a real clustermessup.
Players - In a team yet to keep a clean sheet the players hit the panic button and dropped deep to protect the lead. At one point our only means of playing the ball out was to hit Tosin on the half way line who just flicked the ball away each time - again drawing Brentford on.
Management - Regardless of
how they scored it was coming, we could all see/feel that it was coming. The whole stadium fans and players were clenching buttocks. I can understand that a manger with faith in his players would keep things as they were as we had dominated most of the game...but I'm hoping they learn. As much as Brentford's gamesmanship was soooo frustrating I would have been happy to see
us make substitutions just to break up Brentford's impetus and see our players writhe around on the floor like they had been snipered. If we cannot close out a game against a team we have just dominated then we will not challenge for the top 2. Simples.
Still happy with Darren Moore though. Any manager that can set a team up so they should be leading 6-0 at half time is doing something right and he needs to be backed in January with a RB and CM at least as
a. Tosin cannot do the job of an attacking RB so when Brentford closed down Gibbs side in the second half there was no alternative to go wide right.
b. Mozza has made a massive difference to this team, and he looks fitter and sharper than for a few years....but will he last the season?