Always lose away to teams in the bottom six

[Corky]

Can you explain it to the rest of us?

 

I actually based it on the thread title, we have lost too many games to sides in the bottom six in this and previous years.

 

The OP is strange as it doesn't cover the thread title and I don't agree with what he said there.

[Freeman's Wharfer]

I wasn't there but I don't get the impression we were muscled out of this game. There was some poor defending/closing down for their goals but we had 59% possession with 15 attempts 8 of which were on target.

 

It seems like it was generally just a poor performance in terms of passing and finishing as I said in another topic that could just a easily be down to being unable to take the pressure of maintaining the top spot as it was about being out muscled.

 

We were.

 

If we'd have got hold of that ball and been able to start playing football then we'd have won that match, it was clear to see that we had more quality than them. But Wednesday showed so much desire and fight that they really got stuck into us and affected our passing. Any scraps or second balls (particularly in the first half) were Wednesday's 99% of the time and their goals followed the pattern of: win the scrap in the middle, lay it out wide, stick it in the box without too much thought, one of their two big strikers gets on the end of it.

 

Our attacks more often than not came down the flanks or, quite bizarrely, by hoisting it above Loovens who was failing to deal with balls over the top or in the air. There was also quite a lot of physicality on their part at times where we looked like breaking with Mattock chopping Knocky in half and their right back taking Dyer out as he was breaking away once. Wednesday went out there willing to fight and battle for everything and we went out there waiting to get a hold of the ball and out-play them.

 

Had we been able to win the little battles and scraps we might have given ourselves the opportunity to play but it just never came because Wednesday were too tough and resolute.

[pazzerfox]

This...

This too

[Guest Col city fan]

The point is a valid one.

Look at the teams that have beaten us away from home this season; Charlton, Doncaster and Sheffield Wednesday. All relegation fodder and yet all beat us.

When there are scraps and physical battles to be won in the middle of the park James, King and Drinkwater can't cut it and in all of these games we've been unable to take a hold of the ball and the match because we've been out-fought. Second half last night Pearson put Hammond on to give us a bit more bite and it worked because we were improved second half. In games away at these poor sides who want to turn the match into a scrap we've got to take a different approach, all the best teams in this league can scrap when they need to.

Whether Hammond is the ideal man for the job I'm not sure. Personally I'd like someone with an even bigger physical presence, a real big unit who might not have as much ability on the ball but who can do the dirty work when required. But he's certainly better at it than King, Drinkwater and James. Hopefully Pearson learns from his mistake (which in reality has been made for the last two years - anyone recall Millwall away where we lost the battle and subsequently the match?) and, when we go to sides that are likely to want to turn the match into a battle because they know they won't beat us playing football, we see Hammond in from the start to help us take a grip on the game early doors. Millwall away on 1st January will tell us if he has.

[DANGEROUS TIGER]

It's not just us who lose sometimes to teams that are low placed. These things happen to EVERY high flying club. It always has, and always will, so lets' stop nit picking. The fact remains we are still in pole position, so let's be realistic about this. Bad results are not the end of the world.

[Guest Col city fan]

It's not just us who lose sometimes to teams that are low placed. These things happen to EVERY high flying club. It always has, and always will, so lets' stop nit picking. The fact remains we are still in pole position, so let's be realistic about this. Bad results are not the end of the world.

Yuck!!

I think I preferred you last season.

[Harry - LCFC]

I'm almost wondering if someone else has taken over DT's account! Can understand why others might be concerned about a repeat of last season but I don't think that's likely, everyone thinks we're a more resilient bunch this year and I can't imagine any rough patch will go on for too long.

[Mark_w]

It's not just us who lose sometimes to teams that are low placed. These things happen to EVERY high flying club. It always has, and always will, so lets' stop nit picking. The fact remains we are still in pole position, so let's be realistic about this. Bad results are not the end of the world.

 

[hackneyfox]

I'm almost wondering if someone else has taken over DT's account! Can understand why others might be concerned about a repeat of last season but I don't think that's likely, everyone thinks we're a more resilient bunch this year and I can't imagine any rough patch will go on for too long.

I couldn't imagine what happened last season.

Hopefully Brighton, Burnley & Qpr will be more interested in their own game than worrying about ours.

[Finn Claw II]

Not wanted to be delusional but with the Donny and Charlton games I think the reason we lost was more down to our own play than the opposition "getting stuck in"

 

Donny was a freak goal and then we pumped the ball long and their 6'5'' defender repeatedly headed it away

 

Charlton we just gave them far too much respect and played 5 at the back.  If we would have played a more attacking game we could easily have beaten them

 

Wassy, Morgan, Hammond, Wood - we have players that can play in a more physical game if needed. 

[DANGEROUS TIGER]

Yuck!!

I think I preferred you last season.

Sorry Col. Just for you "Pearson out" 

[DANGEROUS TIGER]

Whoooooooooosh!     

[Mark_w]

Whoooooooooosh!     

 

You can't back out of it now DT, I know you love Pearson really.

[Guest Col city fan]

Sorry Col. Just for you "Pearson out"

I don't want Pearson out. I hold my hands up, I did, same as you.

It's just strange to see you so bloody positive!

Good, but strange. New woman in your life perhaps?

[Thracian]

It was a diabolical defeat especially after taking such an early lead and having the opportunity to pressure a suspect defence. But, no, I wasn't surprised. We briefly climbed onto the top of the table last season and showed no idea how to hold it and continue to set the pace.

 

Furthermore we seemed to have plan for curtailing the threat of a potential match like Wickham. It was clear very early on that he was a major threat yet we failed to respond.

 

A good few fans got their wish of having a King-less midfield and didn't we do well! The bloke has always been so under-rated and under appreciated yet does the work of two men much of the time.

  

I honestly can't imagine we'll fail to learn from the lessons of last season and suddenly slip into such a run of bad form it's embarrssing but, when a lowly side like Wednesday beat you, it sure gives some hope to everyone else and we've got a lot of important games to play with a still-smallish squad now.

 

Nothing about this season has been convincing to me for all the improved form of certain players and the fact of us climbing to the top of the table.

 

In fact I don't think we've played such convincing football as we did for the first half of ;ast season despite being, man-for-man, a perhaps more capable and resilient outfit.

 

Like I've mentioned before though it's a top two place or nothing for promotion. I've no faith in us going up through the play-offs. And I'm not convinced Pearson will get a new contract whichever way it goes.       

[lavrentis]

Thracian