Away at the MK Dons Saturday 20/02/21

[BackOfTheNet]

What chance do you have when your keeper plays as bad as that?

To a man the onfield players played well - all let down by the useless Mitchell.

What a turnaround in playing style though. For me, Brady should be appointed.

So much better again, I can see us putting a run together if we can just get that first win. Starting Tuesday. Up the **** Cobblers.

Really disappointing.

A very decent attacking display. So refreshing to see proper overlaps and interplay between full backs and wingers - not sure we ever really saw that under Curle. The likes of Marshall, Watson and even Hoskins seem to enjoy having the shackles lifted and were a pleasure to watch.

That was an entertaining game and I probably enjoyed watching it more than many dour Curle-ball 1-0 wins, regardless of the final result. It was a proper game of football played in the right spirit and I've missed that. 

However, you have to say the game management was poor. Fully back the substitution of McWilliams when we were looking for a winner at 2-2 but it was always going to leave us exposed in the middle once we had the lead and MK were chucking the kitchen sink at us. If Brady had brought Sheehan on at 3-2 to calm things down then it might have been a different story.

Agree with others on Mitchell. Time to bring Arnold in. He's not perfect but when you're in a dogfight you need experience at the back.

I agree with all of these. Real cause for optimism at the moment despite our league position. If we can keep going with this style of football and create this many chances we'll either survive or at least make a damn good fight of it, and at this point I'd be happy with either outcome.

[Clint]

A massive improvement in quality of play under Brady, decent attacking passing football. Unfortunately it all comes to nothing without a really good keeper. I think Mitchell needs a rest.

[guest3338]

Despite poor defending for goals 3 and 4, their 4th goal was a result of very poor refereeing. Firstly, it was clear obstruction by their player on Marshall and they get the free kick, which is taken about 10 yards from where the foul happened and with a moving ball. We really should be in the ref's ear about that. That's 3 wrong decisions in the space of 5 seconds. What do they get paid for?

Other then that, what looked like a good performance worth 3 points turned sour. Our defence was literally at walking pace for their fourth. Absolute disgrace. Having said that, a thoroughly entertaining game and if we keep playing this well going forward we'll win some games. We'll just have to hope we'll win enough.

Poor refereeing doesnt put the ball into our net though.
Agree the defending was piss poor.
Conceding 4 goals in a game like that worries me. It's alright looking much better going forwards but if it comes at that cost...
 Maybe Sheehan coming into the back four will improve things, but I'm not sure who you drop. New captain or Horsefall I suppose.

[OCoole]

Poor refereeing doesnt put the ball into our net though.
Agree the defending was **** poor.
Conceding 4 goals in a game like that worries me. It's alright looking much better going forwards but if it comes at that cost...
 Maybe Sheehan coming into the back four will improve things, but I'm not sure who you drop. New captain or Horsefall I suppose.

I thought Horsfall was one of our best players today, it would be very harsh to drop him IMO.

[Dan]

Just think what might have happened if Curle had been sacked back on the 14th November when the Curle Out thread was started. We'd have stayed up for certain.

Massive improvements in playing style, attack and set pieces.

Woeful goal keeper. Send him back and look at unattached goal keepers. They will not do worse than Mitchell managed today.

[Saint Cobbler]

JB needs to win big against the dale or he’s gone, as I said football is much much better BUT the results are the same.

Not JB's fault that he's been handed 2 not very good goalies. Give him the job now, I already feel much happier the way things are going. Even if we go down we might have a good next season.

[Jim Hall Fixit]

Just think what might have happened if Curle had been sacked back on the 14th November when the Curle Out thread was started. We'd have stayed up for certain.

Massive improvements in playing style, attack and set pieces.

Woeful goal keeper. Send him back and look at unattached goal keepers. They will not do worse than Mitchell managed today.

I think he should have done better for 3 of the 4 goals. It’s easy to blame the keeper when you ship 4 goals but when youve got your backs to the wall like we have you need you keeper to make a few crucial blocks to keep you in the game. We seem to be missing this.
This is such a hard one to swallow but well done JB. A huge week coming up now. 4 out of 6 points would be ok.

[the grumpy old man]

James Heneghan thought the third goal, by Jerome, was offside. If he has the same view as us I don't see how he can tell. It was just an up and under that wasn't defended very well, at least that's how I remember it.

[threeinabed]

Style of play is irrelevant.
We are too weak, physically and mentally. Too much of a soft centre, and too many liabilities in the team.
Everything a team destined for relegation has.

Some of these posts read like we won the game today. We lost, again, and will continue to do so until he players are changed.

[guest3338]

James Heneghan thought the third goal, by Jerome, was offside. If he has the same view as us I don't see how he can tell. It was just an up and under that wasn't defended very well, at least that's how I remember it.

it was an up and under, so much so I wondered if Mitchell could have come and collected it.
In any event the defender (Jones?) was pushed off the ball far too easily. As much his fault as the keepers.

[BackOfTheNet]

Style of play is irrelevant.
We are too weak, physically and mentally. Too much of a soft centre, and too many liabilities in the team.
Everything a team destined for relegation has.

Some of these posts read like we won the game today. We lost, again, and will continue to do so until he players are changed.

I partially agree but I think you are being very unfair on Brady. You are saying the players are the problem and I think you are right. But in a fairly short spell of time he's got them playing good football. He can only play the cards he's dealt and any other manager coming in will have to play with the same hand. Given that the players mental frailties will make it hard to get a result, I'd suggest the style of play is far from irrelevant; it shows what Brady wants to do and in fact can do.

[Gonzales]

At least we are scoring goals but the defensive fragility that’s existed all season seems to have yet again been our undoing.

[Welly Cobb]

Next game is the decider for me. Get the result, keep Brady. Don't, appoint someone else.

[Knockingonabit]

I thought it was a free kick to us so I am tending towards the view that the Referee and our goalkeeper cost us that game. I hope it doesn't cost Brady the job.

[Welly Cobb]

Also, just to mention that everyone on twitter from MK seems to be a teenager obssessed with banter and memes. It might be obvious considering the club itself is that age, but very noticeably more childish than most other clubs.

[guest3355]

Also, just to mention that everyone on twitter from MK seems to be a teenager obssessed with banter and memes. It might be obvious considering the club itself is that age, but very noticeably more childish than most other clubs.

It's legitimately embarrassing.

[bungle]

Next game is the decider for me. Get the result, keep Brady. Don't, appoint someone else.

Agreed - although I might extend this to the next two games with a minimum target of 4 points.

So far Brady has proven that he can drastically improve the style of play, create chances and (finally) produce goals. What he hasn't proven yet is that he has the street smarts and game management to achieve wins at this level. We have also conceded 6 goals in his three game tenure - the leakiness has to change pretty rapidly too.

If he gets results against Rochdale and Swindon then I'd be supportive of giving it to him until the end of the season. (I'd avoid any longer-term commitment after what happened with Austen.)

[Welly Cobb]

So far Brady has proven that he can drastically improve the style of play, create chances and (finally) produce goals. What he hasn't proven yet is that he has the street smarts and game management to achieve wins at this level. We have also conceded 6 goals in his three game tenure - the leakiness has to change pretty rapidly too.

I agree with your agreement  But will add that one statistic is somewhat skewed by the 4 today of course.

[Manwork04]

Just think what might have happened if Curle had been sacked back on the 14th November when the Curle Out thread was started. We'd have stayed up for certain.

Massive improvements in playing style, attack and set pieces.

Woeful goal keeper. Send him back and look at unattached goal keepers. They will not do worse than Mitchell managed today.

Spot on Dan, imagine if Brady had been given the Jan window, still KT knows everything better.

[EB Claret]

It's legitimately embarrassing.

Or, embarrassing illegitimates