Owls Tuesday (H).

[Irchy cob]

You said we played ok when we blatantly did not play any where near ok. Oldham were well organised and strong and basically JED got completely out thought (the performances of the players didn't help either). why did we revert from the diamond to a flat midfield with the left footed Wylde on the right - no one seemed to know where they were supposed to be.

[guest2487]

The way teams walz through our midfield is ridiculous.

We had Boateng on the right wing at one point. Ridiculous.

[Starmer87]

Absolutely awful performance .
The midfield didn't exist and JJOT particularly looked like he has been on the p1ss.
The only players to come out of it with any credit were Nyatanga and Zakuani .
Crowd were terrible as well .
Poor night for the football club .

what did us as a crowd have to shout about tonight.          Nothing

[BackOfTheNet]

Like Caroline Densley, I'm generally a half glass full kind of guy, but how bad were we tonight? A woeful team performance with some truly shocking individual performances; Taylor, Michael Smith and Wylde in particular were dreadful. Buchs had the worst game I can recall seeing him have. Anderson is physically too weak and gets bullied too easily.

How many times did we get into good positions before dithering about and losing the ball without even getting a pass away?!? Wylde was the main culprit but he wasn't alone - all the other midfielders were the same (even JJOT) and so were Anderson and Buchanan. It's like they had no idea what to do next and so did nothing until Oldham relieved them of the ball.

Overall,  s***e. We could yet be in serious trouble this season, you know...

Edit: a special mention also for the worst atmosphere I can remember under the lights at Sixfields.

[ajp]

The way teams walz through our midfield is ridiculous.

We had Boateng on the right wing at one point. Ridiculous.

Exactly what I was thinking, he can create through the middle so we stick him wide!!

[GrangeParkCobbler]

I thought performance (finishing aside) was OK, could have scored a hatful first half especially. I thought Eardley was our best player and Wylde was bright in patches, Taylor was awful, get McCourt in centre mid we need someone to get a tackle in, Boateng was a luxury again and Adam Smiths kicking was back to last seasons poor form.

I do wonder what planet you are on!! Tonight was garbage, so many misplaced passes, so many missed tackles. Taylor should have walked for his challenge, not even his set pieces could redeem him tonight.
Smith?? Why oh why? Wylde made a couple of runs...he's half a Hoskins. Eardley?? I thought he was awol tonight.
Anderson was poor, in fact most were poor. I'm afraid that when the going gets tough, a team half full of loaners doesn't get going!!
To be fair I don't think Oldham were much better, but they were better drilled and more committed, that's what won them the game in the end!!

[Cobbler78]

You said we played ok when we blatantly did not play any where near ok. Oldham were well organised and strong and basically JED got completely out thought (the performances of the players didn't help either). why did we revert from the diamond to a flat midfield with the left footed Wylde on the right - no one seemed to know where they were supposed to be.

I thought we did play ok (apart from the finishing) had those 5 huge 1st half chances gone in, we would have been 5-1 up at the break, would the performance have been bad then.

To clarify, performance was fine, finishing was very poor.

[Insider]

Interesting to see some of my fiercest critics now seeing the light with Taylor, had Oldham not scored he would I am sure have seen red.  Too many of our players simply aren't good enough at this level.  Wylde and Anderson were diabolical tonight. We are starting to look like dead men walking in this division.

[Cobbler78]

I do wonder what planet you are on!! Tonight was garbage, so many misplaced passes, so many missed tackles. Taylor should have walked for his challenge, not even his set pieces could redeem him tonight.
Smith?? Why oh why? Wylde made a couple of runs...he's half a Hoskins. Eardley?? I thought he was awol tonight.
Anderson was poor, in fact most were poor. I'm afraid that when the going gets tough, a team half full of loaners doesn't get going!!
To be fair I don't think Oldham were much better, but they were better drilled and more committed, that's what won them the game in the end!!

It's a game of opinions, I agree with some of yours (Taylor, Smith, too many loans) disagree with some others (Eardley, Wylde)

[southofthecounty]

Buy the players some boots with long studs.

[The Rauldinho]

Really, really **** off with that performance.

Decent crowd in awful weather and we have to sit and watch that, keep that form up and we'll be in real trouble.

Zak came back and didn't look comfortable for me, the back four were poor. Wylde looked totally out of place, M.Smith did well in holding the ball up and in his movement but missed a sitter along with Keshi and JJ. Keshi drifted around without doing much.

JJ for all his good stuff looked like he had been on the beer all day, fell over several times including when in front of goal with it begging to be put in. Boateng was in and out of the game but worked as hard as he could, just too many errors.

Smith made some great saves to keep us in it but his kicking was atrocious.

Taylor was dog ****. His touch was awful, that's what brought about his wild lunge that instead of getting sent off for the ref played a great advantage for Oldham and they scored from it. His set pieces were shocking, he is well off the pace and needs to be dropped. It doesn't matter how many assists you get if the opposition can just walk through you and get one back.

Positives for me were Rico and McCourt. Rico put himself about well and got things moving up the pitch better and I thought the ball had crossed the line for him rather than JJ (I'm on the halfway so may be lying). Barring one errant pass, McCourt got stuck in and tackled well, as well as getting hold of the ball in the middle and trying to be the playmaker. Looked much more like he did at the start of the season and I pray that JE will start him instead of Taylor on Saturday.

Not sure if we were a diamond, a square or whatever tonight. It was just a mess, a mess that needs sorting ASAP. Not a happy supporter tonight, even got **** off with the idiots that appeared second half in the East to yell "forward" every five seconds and shout expletives at anyone that ignored them.

Rant over and see you all Saturday.  

[Moultoncobb]

Just watched the goals back. 1st goal Lewin/Buchs lose their man he ghosts in a taps home, second Buchs doesn't do enough to stop the shot. Midfield too static all night, teams just run through. s***e all round.

[BackOfTheNet]

the idiots that appeared second half in the East to yell "forward" every five seconds and shout expletives at anyone that ignored them.

That generally annoys the s*** out of me and I think it normally shows a complete lack of tactical awareness on their part, but tonight they might well have had a point! We seemed singularly reluctant to get the ball forward, at least in any sort of controlled manner.

[Wolvo]

Not seen it mentioned yet... Looked an absolute clear penalty for a foul on JJ whilst at 1-1.

But our performance was poor. Boateng, Wylde and Taylor just didn't seem up for it sadly. I think it's about time to get Mccourt back into the side whilst we need to be battling for everything.

[guest2487]

Not seen it mentioned yet... Looked an absolute clear penalty for a foul on JJ whilst at 1-1.

But our performance was poor. Boateng, Wylde and Taylor just didn't seem up for it sadly. I think it's about time to get Mccourt back into the side whilst we need to be battling for everything.

Kind of agree. I'd probably go completely long ball from now on. Stick McCourt and Boateng in front of the back 4 so they've got some protection.

Just listened to JED post match and thought he gave a good interview.

[guest2677]

It was a blatant penalty. How the ref didn't see it I'll never know. Too many players out of position, too many not seeming to know what they should have been doing, Richards dropped to the bench when he is the only genuine goalscorer we have, no players warming up before Smith was pulled off, contrast the two teams subs at halftime Oldham going through drills our lot just fcuking around.
Scarily reminiscent of what we were like under Page.
Really poor tonight.
If Port Vale turn a couple of their games in hand (or turn us over) we are in the dogfight.

[everbrite]

That generally annoys the **** out of me and I think it normally shows a complete lack of tactical awareness on their part, but tonight they might well have had a point! We seemed singularly reluctant to get the ball forward, at least in any sort of controlled manner.

I agree with the comment "reluctant to get the ball forward" - backward passes when a forward pass looked on. Defensively we were shoddy and lacked any sort of cohesion. The times JJOT had the opportunity to drive with the ball but laid it off - sideways. Smith the centre forward was poor and seemed to miss a very good chance 1st half. Taylor was also poor ; even so some of his centres from the wing desrved better. Thought that Richards failed to inspire the team. Wylde is a waste of space at the moment, but he had ;a slightly better 2nd half but thats not saying much. Typical face saving equalizer from JJOT; Oldham suddenly realized that there was a game to be won. We had nobody at the back capable of putting their foot on the ball and pass it out of defence. We resorted to our all to familiar "headless chickens" at the back and paid the penalty. Stupid really. Just glad there are at least 4 or 5 sides below us just as bad. Cobblers78 is daft with his opinions of the game. We never looked like scoring 1st half  even when presented with decent opportunities.

[#Frank]

Now, I am usually a quite positive kind of chap but what I witnessed tonight was abysmal. Taylor Woeful and lucky to stay on, the fact that they scored saved him. Can someone please lock the changing room door just after the others come out.

Anyone else fancy seeing Holmes on the Charlton right wing V Buchanan?

Smith up front? World class ball in from Eardley tonight and Smith does what he does best and puts it wide.

No man of the match announced tonight unless I missed it?

[everbrite]

what did us as a crowd have to shout about tonight.          Nothing

Crowd were poor tonight hardly any effort to get going.

[Irchy cob]

I thought we did play ok (apart from the finishing) had those 5 huge 1st half chances gone in, we would have been 5-1 up at the break, would the performance have been bad then.

To clarify, performance was fine, finishing was very poor.

I agree entirely that the finishing was poor but so was the build up play, crossing into the box, tracking men in midfield, closing down all over the pitch - basically an all round poor display, not OK in any shape or form. As for your contention that we should have been 5-0 up at half time I can only really remember the horrendous miss by smith from the only decent cross that was put in all night by eardley and possibly another couple of half chances.