CCFC - The Season Thread

Think he might have confused Joe with Gordon in the prem.

 

I can certainly remember Rallsy tearing up Lucas Moura's legs....

 

And Bennett did a nice job on Sané in the cup.

 

Well last night eh? 8 times out of 10 we win by 2-3 clear goals.

So do we put it down to just one of those nights, as we did create a lot of chances and we’re punished for one error, or is there an underlying problem? For me it’s the latter and it’s our no 9.

I’m glass half empty as clearly we don’t have a striker who can be in the right place at the right time and has the ability to score. Moore has missed so many chances this season that it’s now evident he’s not a consistent enough goal scorer but just a nuisance player.

Glatzel has already showed he’s not likely to score enough. Ward left. So there we go.

 

Agreed. Moire does not seem a natural goal scorer. I raised that fear when we first talked about signing him in January. Yes, he is a big lump and a nuisance but needs an intuitive goal scorer by his side who can read his nods on and deflections. Where is Michael Chopra when you need him?

How many goals did Moore score for a poor Wigan side last season? Was it 13? How did he manage that?

 

So here we are then, 11 games in and another stagnant fortnight to endure thinking what might have been. No disrespect intended to the Wurzels at all, but we lost that game rather than them winning it.

Apparently Barnsley are crap but have the same points as us in the table - so what does that make us?

Coincidentally, Warnock left at exactly this time last year (November 11th) when we in about the same league position through a poor start.

We may have played a few less games this time than last year due to the late start, but are we any better overall?

 

In some areas yes, Wilson is better than anything we had last season, Tomlin when fit will bring his bag of tricks to the party and I like Desmond at right back. Perhaps not as defensively solid as Pelts but balanced out by what he does going forward.

Against all that our midfield has not clicked - missing Bacuna I think - and so many schoolboy errors at the back. Terrible giveaway by Bennett and how Morrison let Martin get to the ball I don't know. And that is just last Saturday. I don't recall Bagan making any cock ups so as others have suggested perhaps he should get a shout over Bennett?

We definitely miss a fit and focused NML. Hoilett has played well for the last few games but at his age he can't do it week in and out. Ojo has promise but is very inconsistent and makes basic errors. Murphy? Nuff said!!! and as far as I can see Whyte has not progressed.

Last but not least, up front. I have to concede that Glatzel is not the player we expected for £6m. And Moore, is he little more than an upgrade on Masky's mate Madine. I had reservations when we first wanted him last January. He does well for Wales but has a wealth of creativity to support him. We have Wilson, Hoilett and Tomlin when fit. He has his uses as a focal point and wins lots of battles but we create little from them. He won't score with his back to goal 20/30 yards out. He needs wide players getting to the by line, getting crosses in front of him and he needs to be in the right place. He failed on that several times last week.

A year ago Warnock appeared to have lost the changing room, Harris came in, reorganised and got everyone pulling together. We appear to have lost that cohesion again and still have a lack of goals up front.

We are probably in much the same position in many ways as we were a year ago. Harris needs to get everyone on the same line on the hymn sheet and galvanise team spirit again. The next game v Millwall would be a good place to start.

Oh yes, and sign another competent right back in January.

 

Just had a look at this time last year - quite some amazing coincidences.

On the 11th November 2019 we'd just lost at home to Bristol City 0-1 and were in 14th spot with 21 points from 16 games - that's 1.31 points per game. Warnock leaves (sacked?) because he felt he was starting to get some negatives from supporters etc.

On the 11th November 2020, we'd just lost at home to Bristol City 0-1 and are in 15th spot with 13 points from 11 games - that's 1.18 points per game. Harris stays despite getting some negatives from supporters saying he has confidence he can turn things around.

Not saying Harris should roll over and quit (nor be sacked!) for one minute, but we need to turn the corner in the whole manager/team/tactics scenario before we find oursleves playing out the season in mid table.

Lots of time left but we've got to find the way. As far as management goes, it seems like our season so far is like our play on the pitch - passing the ball sideways and backwards without really knowing how to go forwards unless we lump it.

 

Some so called football journo in WoL recommends we should ditch the passing game and just lump it up to Moore, more often.

Cut out the middle man!!!

Thankyou Tom Coleman clearly a fan of Warnockball and dinosaur football.

 

Maybe it's just me, but I've been quietly encouraged by our last 2.5 performances.

We could just as easily have picked up 7 points from the last 9 with just the tiniest differences in luck/reaction times etc.

On another day, the worldy winner for QPR doesn't go in.
On another day, Nelson closes his legs and fraction and the cross for the Wurzles goal deflects away harmlessly for a corner, or Morrison reacts just a fraction of a second quicker and gets a toe on the ball before Martin nips in.
Moore should have scored his header. Someone could have followed in Bacuna's spilled shot etc.

Really fine margins that aren't quite running for us...

I will caveat it all though by saying we MUST have Wilson or Tomlin fit in every game....

Oh and dear Santa, please can we have another right back for Xmas.

 

Brizz - tend to agree with your point about an improvement over recent games, but I don't want to look back and see the win over Barnsley as the highpoint of the season nor the home defeat by Bristol as just bad luck. This one step forward and one back spells mid-table.

Only improvement in consistency and adapting our game to the circumstances will push us up the table. On top of that, the quality of our passing is sometimes shocking.

Attempting to move the ball forwards and failing to complete the move is one thing and at least shows some ambition, but passing it sideways and backwards and failing to find your man is criminal.

With all due respect, we can't go bemoaning our luck and "what might have been" in the face of the fact that we are constantly giving teams at least a goal start through some suicide passing and sloppy defending.

Bristol, QPR, Derby, Middlesbrough, Bournemouth, Sheff Wed and Reading all scored first and then we have to try to salvage something. We've just not been good enough so far.

 

Always better not to be snookered before you take your first shot.

 

Hey Sparky. Can't really argue with any of your points and comments but I guess my thread and head are just going along the lines that we actually ARE improving...

Think we all just want it to happen a little quicker than it is though.

Personally I think we're destined to finish somewhere between 6th and 10th but equally, no one is going to run away with it at the top either.
Very, very competitive this year.

 

OK Brizz.

I think my (our?) lack of patience with Harris and the squad is just out of dissappointment for the poor start to the season, particularly after the capture of Wilson. It always reminds me of the Queen song - "We want it all and we want it now!".....

The opening game against Sheff Wed was an unexpected bummer and the games since have been a patchwork of inconsistency to the point where euphoria like after the wins at Forest, Preston and again against Barnsley gives way to despair like after QPR and even Bristol last time out.

I agree this is going to be a very competitive Championship season for those top 6 spots - I also don't see anyone running away with it like Wolves in our promo year and Leeds last year.

The problem for me is when I look up the table such as it is so far, I see the relegated sides Watford, Norwich and Bournemouth in a different class footballwise. Reading may have blown up a bit recently, but they are a good side, and I must say the Jacks look capable too. Warnock and O'Neill will keep pushing Boro and Stoke into the mix as well.

Where does that leave us? Unless we start stringing some match winning performances together, the gap may become too big to close come the New Year and we'll be left scrambling for the 6th spot from mid table relying on those above us at the time failing. It worked last year but that's the hard way to do it.

 

I don't want to start a new thread and not sure where else to post this so here it is.

Great to see Marshie save the last penalty for the Jock's last night.

He is still Scotland's No. 1.

 

Yes - that must make the rest of the Derby side absolute ****.

 

I think their league position reflects that. Wonder if Marshie regrets that move. He's having to work as hard there as at Wigan.

 

Well chuffed for him and Pato.

Not so pleased for that lanky chav McBurnie though...... he's such a useless streak of urine.

 

More like a last gap stream of urine that dribbles down his leg.