Playoffs what's best for us

[Andyben]

Looking at Heathrow flights...

Book client meeting in London Tuesday means work pays...

[Andyben]

...all to watch a Kieran Lee 95th minute winner 😂

[Kiwi Owl]

On 29/04/2023 at 19:58, KrolMong said:

When you look at Bannan under Carlos in that first season.

Inside him he had, Lee, Hutch, Lopez and Wallace. Up top he had Forestieri and Hooper, plus Nuhiu and Joao.

In that team, he had a specific role but Carlos made that team interchangeable, so Bannan could come inside from that left flank.

When Carlos left, every manager we had thought Bannan could play in central midfield, but that was borne out of the fact that the options around him had weakened. Hutch could no longer do it in there. Lee was injured, the subsequent players that came in were just poor.

Moore is the first manager to use him right. He recognized the fact that you need to give him the ability to play higher up the pitch, so we go to a three in midfield with Luongo and Byers last season and Vaulks and Byers this season and we take the shackles of Bannan and tell him to get on the ball in the final third. Bannan is expected to keep shape and drop to the left of that three, but when we have the ball, Byers and Vaulks move central and allow Bannan to follow the ball.

Now, in terms of players from 30 yards out, there’s not many better in the division. His one and two touch is very good, his weight of pass, his mobility and ability to get out of tight spaces. It’s very good. However, because we are missing Byers, he’s now having to play more central again purely because the other three are currently not good enough to play at this level. Byers is even more important than Vaulks in this system, but, we are never going to get a full season out of him.

Windass is equally important, and I said it that had he been fit last season, we’d have won the league. A player with Bannans range of passing needs runners to hit, and without Windass or Wilks, or indeed midfield runners, he’s basically having to thread an eye of the needle pass to a forward or, drop something on Gregory, Pato’s or Smiths head from a left of central position, especially if Johnson and Palmer are going past people.

Bannan is a very unique player in that he’s between a 10 and an 11 in terms of his best position.

There's also Daniel Pudil who was outstanding as a full back in that first season. The number of times where he knew when to make a forward run to help Bannan play the ball forward to him was a lot. However, Pudil was part of arguably our best back 4 since the PL days (Hunt, Lees, Loovens, Pudil). 

If we continued to have a solid attack minded full back, Bannan would have probably stayed in that position. Carlos thought he had that in Adam Reach but he was never ever an attack minded full back, he was either a left winger or a wing back (where he was fantastic with Preston on loan there). Morgan Fox was never an attack minded full back either. Hence, he then moved Bannan to a central midfield role to accommodate

[Tylluan]

You forgot the signing of European pedigree attacking full back genius Urby Emanuelson 

[HoylandOwl]

10 hours ago, Kiwi Owl said:

There's also Daniel Pudil who was outstanding as a full back in that first season. The number of times where he knew when to make a forward run to help Bannan play the ball forward to him was a lot. However, Pudil was part of arguably our best back 4 since the PL days (Hunt, Lees, Loovens, Pudil). 

If we continued to have a solid attack minded full back, Bannan would have probably stayed in that position. Carlos thought he had that in Adam Reach but he was never ever an attack minded full back, he was either a left winger or a wing back (where he was fantastic with Preston on loan there). Morgan Fox was never an attack minded full back either. Hence, he then moved Bannan to a central midfield role to accommodate

Fair point well made

[JBO]

2nd leg of the play off semi at Hillsborough now Thursday 18th May 8pm

[holmesfield_owl]

What's this police advice shit all about and moving it from the Saturday?

[holmesfield_owl]

Could screw our players recovery if there's any sort of muscle tightening 

[Otto_Man]

9 minutes ago, holmesfield_owl said:

What's this police advice shit all about and moving it from the Saturday?

My thoughts exactly H, they don't even know who we're playing so what exactly are they advising against?

[Chelters]

Marvellous. Absolutely fucking marvellous.

[Tylluan]

They're probably reckoning on it being Derby and SYP don't want thousands of Derby fans turning up at the Bankers Draft for breakfast. 

Work with quite a few Derby fans and they reckon they'll be turning up en masse if it's them. 

[Tank_Owl2,0]

13 minutes ago, Otto_Man said:

My thoughts exactly H, they don't even know who we're playing so what exactly are they advising against?

Indeed, what on earth could the logic be for this decision- other than Sky want it to be on Thursday.

[Tank_Owl2,0]

29 minutes ago, holmesfield_owl said:

Could screw our players recovery if there's any sort of muscle tightening 

It’s long enough. I’d be more worried about us over training / thinking it.

[JBO]

Nowt to do with Sky. There was going to be a playoff game on Thursday anyway

 

Police have crapped themselves at us and Barnsley at home on the same day but at different times, presumably easier to police if same kick off times like this Sunday

 

Shite all round

[mkowlthesexynewversion]

13 minutes ago, Tank_Owl2,0 said:

Indeed, what on earth could the logic be for this decision- other than Sky want it to be on Thursday.

Why blame Sky this time ?

Presumably the tie originally scheduled for the Thursday will be moved or it will be a double header on that evening

Sky would have wanted to keep it for the Saturday 

 

[HoylandOwl]

We get longer to recover for the final…..

[Tank_Owl2,0]

Longer to save for a nice day out…..

Come on MK! 😀

[Tank_Owl2,0]

Tbh I always think night games are a better atmosphere, although it probably wouldn’t make much difference when it was - subject to how the 1st leg goes!

Edited May 2 by Tank_Owl2,0

[mkowlthesexynewversion]

9 minutes ago, Tank_Owl2,0 said:

Longer to save for a nice day out…..

Come on MK! 😀

Or the sooner the misery of the play offs is over the better !

[HoylandOwl]

If we get Bolton…. 3k tickets ish available for the away leg. 
Only upper in their away end available for away fans. 

[Tank_Owl2,0]

Must be confident they’ll sell out the home tickets. I suppose that’s the advantage of playing the 1st leg at home, your supporters haven’t got to worry about still being in the tie.

Unlike the home team for the 2nd leg. Didn’t impact our home ticket sales last season when we were a goal behind though.

[Andyben]

Demblades got 21k at home second leg v Swindon.

Shower of a club

[mkowlthesexynewversion]

Our record of course is 2/2 playing the home leg first

0/2 playing it 2nd and depressing drives home. 

[TheExile]

Playing at home second is an advantage in my view but you’ve got to be much braver in the away leg knowing there is something to fall back on in the second leg. Brighton nearly overcame a 2nil deficit quite quick at home. At Huddersfield and Sunderland away we were really poor on the ball and you’re chances of winning many playoff semis whichever way around are so low doing that. If we’d nicked a goal in either of those games (or avoided a blunder at Sunderland) the outcome could have nudged in our favour.

Not looking forward to the playoffs, stressy games. Especially if it’s derby and those ex players  

[HoylandOwl]

3 hours ago, mkowlthesexynewversion said:

Our record of course is 2/2 playing the home leg first

0/2 playing it 2nd and depressing drives home. 

Not this year….. 

[mkowlthesexynewversion]

1 minute ago, HoylandOwl said:

Not this year….. 

True cant be arsed to drive this year for the defeat 

[Tank_Owl2,0]

I feel a little more confident that we are back to being difficult to score against.

Famewo is a real miss but we have Palmer, Flint, Icky, Iorfa, Johnson and possibly James to pick from. With Adeniran and Brown as back-up both of which have looked decent-ish in the last few games they have played. Im not saying we wont concede at all in the playoffs but with those defenders and Smith, Paterson and potentially Gregory also providing aerial power for defensive situations it looks better.

IF Windass is back and able to play a full part particularly in the 2nd leg and hopefully a final, we have the goal threat to worry any of the playoff teams.

I know its a bit of a lottery and the Dingles have done the double over us, but I really dont think we have anything to fear - other than more injuries.

Lets get behind them tomorrow to send us into the playoffs on a high.

Edited May 6 by Tank_Owl2,0

[HoylandOwl]

1 hour ago, mkowlthesexynewversion said:

True cant be arsed to drive this year for the defeat 

That means we’ll win then. 

[HoylandOwl]

6 minutes ago, Tank_Owl2,0 said:

I feel a little more confident that we are back to being difficult to score against.

Famewo is a real miss but we have Palmer, Flint, Icky, Iorfa, Johnson and possibly James to pick from. With Adeniran and Brown as back-up both of which have looked decent-ish in the last few games they have played. Im not saying we wont concede at all in the playoffs but with those defenders and Smith, Paterson and potentially Gregory also providing aerial power for defensive situations it looks better.

IF Windass is back and able to play a full part particularly in the 2nd leg and hopefully a final, we have the goal threat to worry any of the playoff teams.

I know its a bit of a lottery and the Dingles have done the double over us, but I really dont think we have anything to fear - other than more injuries.

Lets get behind them tomorrow to send us into the playoffs on a high.

If we have anything to fear, then don’t bother….

Absolutely we have nothing to fear. 

[TheExile]

A lot seem to prefer the home leg first because of the past but if you won the away leg first you are in a great position. The only time I think we have looked truly comfortable was against Brentford over two legs. Vs Brighton they looked a real threat but started dropping like flies at Hillsborough and I thought at the time we should have scored more than 2 to press home that advantage. They defended incredibly with what was it? 10 men? Carlos refused to use wingers to get around the outside. The first 20 mins of the subsequent away leg was one of the hardest watches I think I’ve had supporting Wednesday. 

[HoylandOwl]

1 hour ago, TheExile said:

A lot seem to prefer the home leg first because of the past but if you won the away leg first you are in a great position. The only time I think we have looked truly comfortable was against Brentford over two legs. Vs Brighton they looked a real threat but started dropping like flies at Hillsborough and I thought at the time we should have scored more than 2 to press home that advantage. They defended incredibly with what was it? 10 men? Carlos refused to use wingers to get around the outside. The first 20 mins of the subsequent away leg was one of the hardest watches I think I’ve had supporting Wednesday. 

That Brighton away leg… I watched through my hands. It was horrible. 
But our goal, just absolutely lifted the anxiety. Although it was a foul in the middle

[JBO]

8 hours ago, mkowlthesexynewversion said:

Our record of course is 2/2 playing the home leg first

0/2 playing it 2nd and depressing drives home. 

We're 2/2 when we've been in the first semi final

 

We're 0/2 when we've been in the second semi final 

 

First semi final this time...

[TheExile]

6 hours ago, HoylandOwl said:

That Brighton away leg… I watched through my hands. It was horrible. 
But our goal, just absolutely lifted the anxiety. Although it was a foul in the middle

Yeah it was the perfect example of how a goal changes a game and momentum. Stockdale in goal. He did he usual parry into trouble later in the game too but typically we didn’t punish him 

[Owling_Wolf]

8 hours ago, HoylandOwl said:

That Brighton away leg… I watched through my hands. It was horrible. 
But our goal, just absolutely lifted the anxiety. Although it was a foul in the middle

I watched through our goal net. It was worse than horrible, it was like being physically attacked!  🙀

[mkowlthesexynewversion]

10 hours ago, Owling_Wolf said:

I watched through our goal net. It was worse than horrible, it was like being physically attacked!  🙀

I am sure that was the game when we equalised a chap went flying over about 5 rows of seats and got carted out by the medics.

In hindsight there was a tad too much celebration at FT, the absolute realisation is if we do get thru in the 2nd leg it is very much a job not yet done moment 

[Skamp]

I agree. There did appear to be far too much celebration when the real job still needed to be done.

[mkowlthesexynewversion]

7 minutes ago, Skamp said:

I agree. There did appear to be far too much celebration when the real job still needed to be done.

Tbh it seemed appropriate at the time, but in hindsight it always seemed for that group of players the getting to Wembley was the win. 

 

[Neville Facking Bartos]

1 hour ago, mkowlthesexynewversion said:

I am sure that was the game when we equalised a chap went flying over about 5 rows of seats and got carted out by the medics.

It was Mayhem, I was at the bottom of what felt like 20 bodies after our equaliser 

[Andyben]

2 hours ago, mkowlthesexynewversion said:

Tbh it seemed appropriate at the time, but in hindsight it always seemed for that group of players the getting to Wembley was the win. 

 

Bearing in mind Brighton just beat Man U and are looking like a Europa League place this season...

[Owling_Wolf]

Well, today's preliminary round of the Play Offs went rather well, didn't it?     😋

[Otto_Man]

We should have let them equalise, they were toss, I'd have been happy to get them in the play offs 

[holmesfield_owl]

12 hours ago, Otto_Man said:

We should have let them equalise, they were toss, I'd have been happy to get them in the play offs 

I'll take Peterborough ta. Already lost 17 league games this season. That must be close to a record for defeats and being in playoffs!

[mkowlthesexynewversion]

1 hour ago, holmesfield_owl said:

I'll take Peterborough ta. Already lost 17 league games this season. That must be close to a record for defeats and being in playoffs!

Yep 24 wins though and only 5 draws 

 

 

[Andyben]

Still fewer wins than us 

[Owling_Wolf]

Remarkably, after what we went through, we're the form team going in.  

[owl71]

On 07/05/2023 at 22:56, Otto_Man said:

We should have let them equalise, they were toss, I'd have been happy to get them in the play offs 

I’m inclined to agree with this.  We beat Derby while conserving energy and trying not to get injured in a game that meant did all to us, but was a must win for them.  I wouldn’t have been in the least bit disappointed if Dawson had gifted them a late equaliser, would definitely have fancied us against them.  I agree that Peterborough’s defensive record isn’t great, and we go into it as favourites.  Clarke-Harris is my only real worry, just the kind of match winner you really don’t want to go up against in the playoffs.

[Tylluan]

54 minutes ago, owl71 said:

Clarke-Harris is my only real worry, just the kind of match winner you really don’t want to go up against in the playoffs

Shouldn't worry about Clarke-Harris, we've already bought him.

All part of the Chansiri/Moore master plan. Wilks, one of the top scorers in 20/21, buy him. Smith, one of the top scorers in 21/22, buy him. Next on the list Clarke-Harris. 

 

 

He's being brought in to replace Flint at centre half.

[TheExile]

Peterborough is a rough place to go. Tight pitch and we never do that well there but I think if we got through that we have the huge advantage. 

Having said that I think derby would have been similar to Sunderland last year. Very tight but also having to deal with a huge crowd at derby. Derby weren’t up to much the other day despite needing to win but I still think they have some of the most potent attackers on their day in NML and McGoldrick, Collins, Dobbin looked handy. I’m glad we didn’t give them a second chance in the playoffs as imagine if they’d equalised late on in that game and we then had to go there. A bit of a wierd psychology to it with the needle that is evident between the two sets of fans.

[Otto_Man]

Pfft, they made heavy work of beating us at their place despite us having 10 for nearly an hour following the cheating ***** getting Reece James sent off. We also had a stonewall penalty turned down iirc too.

[HoylandOwl]

A 'super computer' reckons we've a 33% chance of going up....

The Owls have been given a 33 per cent chance, compared to 27 per cent for South Yorkshire rivals Barnsley. Bolton are rated at 23 per cent likely to earn promotion with Peterborough given a 17 per cent chance by the data experts.