Its Make(m) or Break time for the season

[mkowlthesexynewversion]

So break then. Didn't deserve that sadly over 2 legs, simply the lack of tactical abilities of Moore have cost us. If Plan A didn’t work in the 1st leg don't repeat in the 2nd.

We had one bit of quality for the goal,  not much else. Feel sorry for Gregory, he deserves a better service and tactics 

[Canterburyowl]

Moore Out

[Beaconowl]

Listening to DM is painful 

[Laceups]

Glad Clinton Morrison speaks some sense.

[HappyOwl]

WTID 🙌🙌🦉🦉💙💙

[mkowlthesexynewversion]

Can I complain about the traffic in Sheffield, get some roundabouts FFS.

But I promise not to mention Carlos bottling it without referencing Moore. Two fucking wasted opportunities, not through lack of effort simply tactics. But why should we be surprised, Moore is a flat track bully 

 

[mkowlthesexynewversion]

I think next season will have started before I get out this traffic 😫

[Beaconowl]

2 minutes ago, mkowlthesexynewversion said:

I think next season will have started before I get out this traffic 😫

Just drive safe, MK. Just said the same to my lad

[MPB]

That's how you execute a game plan, fair play, showed just how much of a soft underbelly we have....they forced the game narrow and we went long, which we are shite at...

[Skamp]

1 hour ago, Skamp said:

I don't want to ever see a post that Carlos bottled the big games. 

 

2 games totally wasted considering our squad. 

.sorry. 

I'm going to keep this at the top forever 

[Owling_Wolf]

Bugger.  

[Hirstys 12th Pint]

Not quite good enough over 2 games.  Too many 6 out of 10s.  

Goal sloppy.  BPF should have let cross come through to him but Bannan put it out under no pressure and they kept ball.  Mendez Lang did not go with Clark, very lazy and left Storey isolated.

[KrolMong]

That blueprint of pressing Luongo and Byers worked today. It worked at Sunderland and it worked tonight. Just not enough legs to break lines. Pritchard and Robert’s caused chaos behind Luongo all night.

There was no good display from any attacking player in a Wednesday shirt over two legs. We scored with our only bit of quality in 200 minutes but, over the two legs, Sunderland edged it. They were very good shape wise and defensively.

We’ve got a couple of athletes in midfield in Dennis and Dele, and one has to play. We need pace all over the pitch, especially up top. But above all else, we need 22 players who you will get 40 games from each of them, especially up top and at centre half.

Big summer again, we aren’t far off, but, we need to ensure what we sign can play, and any player who we feel we can’t get the games out of, they can go.

[owl71]

They were the best side I’ve see us play this season.  Nobody has pressed us like that.  I can only assume they didn’t get automatic because they didn’t appoint Neill early enough.

Over two games…yeah it’s fair, we didn’t create enough.

The big takeaway for me is, we need to be more consistent and not drop points in lots of silly draws in games against shit teams.  If we’d won three of the games we drew, we’d have gone up automatically.  Shrewsbury home, AFC Wimbledon away, Gillingham home, Accrington home…I could go on.  If you don’t achieve consistency across a season against shit…you end up playing a good side in the play offs.  Moore needs to think about the personalities in his squad.

[bricat]

Chansiri needs to consider his choice of manager. DM is a nice guy but as a manager......Meh.

 

[mkowlthesexynewversion]

2 hours ago, Beaconowl said:

Just drive safe, MK. Just said the same to my lad

You will be pleased to learn I just arrived back, I reckon that was 6.5 hours in a car, half hour walking and 2.5 hours in a stadium.

Yes I am clinically mad 

[pook]

I've spent far, far more time than that in transit for a footy match, and I'm sane as f*ck.  

Rough when it doesn't go your way, but one always comes back.  If one lets the disappointment shake his faith in, or commitment to, the process, that's when one flirts with madness.  It's just another chapter.  

[mkowlthesexynewversion]

5 hours ago, pook said:

I've spent far, far more time than that in transit for a footy match, and I'm sane as f*ck.  

Rough when it doesn't go your way, but one always comes back.  If one lets the disappointment shake his faith in, or commitment to, the process, that's when one flirts with madness.  It's just another chapter.  

Ironically I think that was my last night match - fucked if I am trawling the M1 on a midweek any more. 

[HoylandOwl]

We had an opportunity, getting level, then there’s the atmosphere too which was mad at the time of the goal, they were rattled… but we had to score quickly because we’d upped the intensity and we’re obviously going to tire. 
I didn’t expect Sunderland to shithouse as much as they did. Yes it infuriated but hey, do what you need to do. The ref was abysmal, for both sides. 
 

They had a bit of quality more than us, Roberts in particular I thought was excellent, again. Clarke we didn’t lay a glove on, really either.  It says a lot that their keeper only really had one shot / header to save. (how the fooooook, did that low smashed cross from Windass not go in, instead of ricochet wide).

Two bits of the game that’ll stick with me though that just showed to me how much football means to us. 

Our young man, at his second game ever, the unbridled joy on his face when we scored. That’ll live with me a long time… 

Secondly; after the goal. When the Kop was bouncing, and the atmosphere was up, a bloke walked past us, looked up at the crowd bouncing and chanting, smiled and just mouthed, ‘fucking hell’ shaking his head in disbelief almost. It was brilliant. 
 

Anyway, it was an opportunity missed, yes the better side shaded it. But I’m more disappointed because I don’t think they’re that good. We completely nullified Stewart, who is apparently the hot shit. 
 

Moore since Christmas has made us generally into a side who play decent football, and we’ve been a winning team. But what we saw last night was the reason why we’ve not gone up, letting in late goals. We’ve done it all season almost it seems, and it bit us on the arse when it hurt most.  
 

who do I want to win the playoffs now? I don’t care. We’re not in it. 

[mkowlthesexynewversion]

Always hard to reflect on the game itself when the outcome is still so fresh in the memory. 

But I actually thought it was destined for extra time. Our goal was a rare moment of quality from us over the 2 legs. Their goal came out of nothing really. The reaction to it was strange, it was almost a stunned realisation of how our season would soon be ending. Not a lot of anger, outside after it was the same, a sad quietness.

You certainly could not fault the effort, the commitment, the desire. By a 52 - 48 margin i will accept Sunderland as the better side over the 2 legs. 

We couldn't get our game going, I still think if you approach game 1 away with a don't lose mentality, with the quick turnaround its almost impossible to switch to the more positive methods. 

I suppose that is my disappointment, we played the same ineffective way again. Credit to Sunderland in they were able to stop us but where was Plan B. Where was it all season 

[HoylandOwl]

Bannan post game

Moore post game

 

[mkowlthesexynewversion]

In terms of the atmosphere it was good, we were patient, it absolutely rocked after the goal, but were any of us convinced even then of victory. Perhaps some were I didn't sense it.

I concur that Sunderland like Huddersfield were not far ahead, but that is the play offs for you. Total lottery, tension ridden, defensive football.

 

[MPB]

10 hours ago, Skamp said:

Fuck all to do with the ref. Wake up. 

100% agree, although he was making some bizarre decisions....

[mkowlthesexynewversion]

The key for the manager and players is to take this horrible feeling and ensure in 12 months time we are celebrating automatic promotion. That is the target, no debate about it. Absolutely no gimme, but a realisation that in September that match matters, a late winner, the not conceding, is as important then as April.

We need to be ready for Match day 1, we need a squad that is balanced from Match 1, we need players that can play week in week out

 

[MPB]

27 minutes ago, HoylandOwl said:

Bannan post game

 

 

It must be hard to do these post match interviews and the usual cliche's and platitudes get trotted out....so in a way it ain't fair to take every word literally but....."we go again....".    No we fuckin don't Darren....we change our philosophy and let the oppos worry about us.....!.

...a wise man once said....the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and then saying "we go again...." when it fuckin fails....again!!

Sort it out DM!!

 

[Mark]

1 hour ago, HoylandOwl said:

We had an opportunity, getting level, then there’s the atmosphere too which was mad at the time of the goal, they were rattled… but we had to score quickly because we’d upped the intensity and we’re obviously going to tire. 
I didn’t expect Sunderland to shithouse as much as they did. Yes it infuriated but hey, do what you need to do. The ref was abysmal, for both sides. 
 

They had a bit of quality more than us, Roberts in particular I thought was excellent, again. Clarke we didn’t lay a glove on, really either.  It says a lot that their keeper only really had one shot / header to save. (how the fooooook, did that low smashed cross from Windass not go in, instead of ricochet wide).

Two bits of the game that’ll stick with me though that just showed to me how much football means to us. 

Our young man, at his second game ever, the unbridled joy on his face when we scored. That’ll live with me a long time… 

Secondly; after the goal. When the Kop was bouncing, and the atmosphere was up, a bloke walked past us, looked up at the crowd bouncing and chanting, smiled and just mouthed, ‘fucking hell’ shaking his head in disbelief almost. It was brilliant. 
 

Anyway, it was an opportunity missed, yes the better side shaded it. But I’m more disappointed because I don’t think they’re that good. We completely nullified Stewart, who is apparently the hot shit. 
 

Moore since Christmas has made us generally into a side who play decent football, and we’ve been a winning team. But what we saw last night was the reason why we’ve not gone up, letting in late goals. We’ve done it all season almost it seems, and it bit us on the arse when it hurt most.  
 

who do I want to win the playoffs now? I don’t care. We’re not in it. 

Agree with this. I don't think they are that good. Better than us over 2 games though. Really frustrating. I don't like Neil or his style but if he was our manager we would be in play offs, at least 

[Mark]

Just now, Mark said:

Agree with this. I don't think they are that good. Better than us over 2 games though. Really frustrating. I don't like Neil or his style but if he was our manager we would be in play offs, at least 

I mean final. And possibly automatic 

[Winco]

We should’ve never been in this situation with all the last minute points dropped over the season.

ironic that it’s a last minute winner again that’s fucked us.

[Owling_Wolf]

For me the big moment last night, goals aside, was just after we scored. A cracking goal from us that had them rattled for the first and only time. We had our tails up and the crowd really was 'massive' and rampant. At which moment their 'keeper, (Iirc), goes down injured. Not saying he wasn't hurt, I don't know. His treatment took at least five minutes. Both sides wander off for a drink. Have a chat, talk to the coaches. Then he's ready to continue, and after that long break our natural ascendancy is gone, the game's reset and Sunderland carry on from where they were before we scored. So instead of us being right on top of them, as we had been after scoring, our momentum has completely gone. Game changer, just like our goal (briefly) had been. 

[owl71]

I want Sunderland to win the play off final, simply because I don’t want them in this league with us next season.  They have 1 defeat in 17 since Neil took over.  If they don’t go up this season, that’s probably one automatic place spoken for next year.

[HoylandOwl]

2 hours ago, Owling_Wolf said:

For me the big moment last night, goals aside, was just after we scored. A cracking goal from us that had them rattled for the first and only time. We had our tails up and the crowd really was 'massive' and rampant. At which moment their 'keeper, (Iirc), goes down injured. Not saying he wasn't hurt, I don't know. His treatment took at least five minutes. Both sides wander off for a drink. Have a chat, talk to the coaches. Then he's ready to continue, and after that long break our natural ascendancy is gone, the game's reset and Sunderland carry on from where they were before we scored. So instead of us being right on top of them, as we had been after scoring, our momentum has completely gone. Game changer, just like our goal (briefly) had been. 

They did it in the first half too after that backpass balls up IIRC.

[Tylluan]

That Fleetwood lad got on the Kop last night. His vlog is on YouTube. Interesting to hear a neutral point of view

https://youtu.be/3pmMJ1qI4aw

Edited May 10, 2022 by Tylluan

[mkowlthesexynewversion]

3 hours ago, Owling_Wolf said:

For me the big moment last night, goals aside, was just after we scored. A cracking goal from us that had them rattled for the first and only time. We had our tails up and the crowd really was 'massive' and rampant. At which moment their 'keeper, (Iirc), goes down injured. Not saying he wasn't hurt, I don't know. His treatment took at least five minutes. Both sides wander off for a drink. Have a chat, talk to the coaches. Then he's ready to continue, and after that long break our natural ascendancy is gone, the game's reset and Sunderland carry on from where they were before we scored. So instead of us being right on top of them, as we had been after scoring, our momentum has completely gone. Game changer, just like our goal (briefly) had been. 

It was one of the defenders IIRC but that is not relevant per se. It did make a difference but I said to my lad the likelihood is extra time as neither side really looked dominant or likely to score. OK not my best prediction of the season, but the goal was well worked to be fair but not one they should have scored. But I can live with the fatigue factor and we really had very little to give back. The crowd did not turn, there was no mass exit, but I sensed that we the crowd were spent like the players

 

[Chelters]

3 hours ago, Owling_Wolf said:

For me the big moment last night, goals aside, was just after we scored. A cracking goal from us that had them rattled for the first and only time. We had our tails up and the crowd really was 'massive' and rampant. At which moment their 'keeper, (Iirc), goes down injured. Not saying he wasn't hurt, I don't know. His treatment took at least five minutes. Both sides wander off for a drink. Have a chat, talk to the coaches. Then he's ready to continue, and after that long break our natural ascendancy is gone, the game's reset and Sunderland carry on from where they were before we scored. So instead of us being right on top of them, as we had been after scoring, our momentum has completely gone. Game changer, just like our goal (briefly) had been. 

Absolutely this, I said to my mate as soon as the keeper went down that it was a momentum breaker. Maybe he was really injured but my suspicion is that it was the kind of cheating you would expect from an Alex Neil team. 

[Owling_Wolf]

2 hours ago, mkowlthesexynewversion said:

It was one of the defenders IIRC but that is not relevant per se. It did make a difference but I said to my lad the likelihood is extra time as neither side really looked dominant or likely to score. OK not my best prediction of the season, but the goal was well worked to be fair but not one they should have scored. But I can live with the fatigue factor and we really had very little to give back. The crowd did not turn, there was no mass exit, but I sensed that we the crowd were spent like the players

 

Apart from the obvious, the thing that disappointed me most was the way our crowd virtually universally stopped their support for the team when the winning goal went in.

The team looked beaten as they slowly made their way back to half way, no question. But there was a good five minutes left. That's when the crowd needed to really get behind them again, to drive them forwards for one last go at Sunderland. Instead, apart from a few, scattered individuals - as far as I could hear - the crowd just gave up and sat there silently until the end, (apart from those who went before the end.)  I actually had a go at raising some noise twice but with no response whatsoever.  At which point I gave up, too. (And no, I don't want a knighthood.) The difference between a home and an away Owls crowd?  Sad, whatever.  

[MAL]

3 hours ago, Tylluan said:

That Fleetwood lad got on the Kop last night. His vlog is on YouTube. Interesting to hear a neutral point of view

https://youtu.be/3pmMJ1qI4aw

The thing that stood out from his again, very good video, was how he described Sunderland.

"They don't play the best football, but they are very good technically"

The majority of the players are comfortable on the ball and are willing to move into positions to accept a pass, or even just support the player that does have the ball, anywhere on the pitch.

 

[Owling_Wolf]

26 minutes ago, MAL said:

The thing that stood out from his again, very good video, was how he described Sunderland.

"They don't play the best football, but they are very good technically"

The majority of the players are comfortable on the ball and are willing to move into positions to accept a pass, or even just support the player that does have the ball, anywhere on the pitch.

 

The slickness of some of their one or two-touch passing and their receiving of the ball was first class. Two or three of them running with the ball were, too.  Could have done without the runner on the right's legs collapsing quite so often, mind.  

[MPB]

8 hours ago, Owling_Wolf said:

For me the big moment last night, goals aside, was just after we scored. A cracking goal from us that had them rattled for the first and only time. We had our tails up and the crowd really was 'massive' and rampant. At which moment their 'keeper, (Iirc), goes down injured. Not saying he wasn't hurt, I don't know. His treatment took at least five minutes. Both sides wander off for a drink. Have a chat, talk to the coaches. Then he's ready to continue, and after that long break our natural ascendancy is gone, the game's reset and Sunderland carry on from where they were before we scored. So instead of us being right on top of them, as we had been after scoring, our momentum has completely gone. Game changer, just like our goal (briefly) had been. 

Said exactly the same last night about that.....but.....was he fuck injured.....!  That said, if t'boot were on t'other foot....

Edited May 10, 2022 by MPB

[TheExile]

For the talk of Sunderland being much better there wasn’t much in it. They created more in their home leg but it was only a mistake that actually got a goal. I thought they were wasteful and only genuinely threatened in that 92nd minute or whatever it was.

Wednesday didn’t play well and weren’t allowed to by a very dogged Sunderland side who deserve credit for that. They seemed to just be slightly on our heels in most situations and you’d think some of our players with experience at a higher level could shrug that off but sadly not. Too many floated and hopeful balls into the box. One decent delivery from Hunt nearly got us in there and one from MJ did. Sadly also one from Clarke at the end made the difference.

I think it was a titanic clash for this level, low on quality but perhaps like two old school heavy weights they just cancelled each other out and it was very fine margins in the end. 
 

I was dissapointed with how poor our subs played and how we generally played like we were in a school playground when we got into the lead. We had the whole of extra time to work on them and committed too much forward and couldn’t be bothered to defend that killer ball.  It reminded me of Derby where we didn’t even need a goal but we were wide open and let Derby back in at 3-2. That really concerns me about Moore as in the key moment the whole team has lost the plot twice now a year apart.

 

 

[JBO]

For those interested in these kind of things, Wycombe have allowed Sunderland to have some of their allocation, taking the total of tickets for Sunderland fans to 44k

[mkowlthesexynewversion]

11 minutes ago, JBO said:

For those interested in these kind of things, Wycombe have allowed Sunderland to have some of their allocation, taking the total of tickets for Sunderland fans to 44k

And about 10k with a Sunderland post code awaiting Wycombes general sale to start 

[Tank_Owl2,0]

I know it's hypocritical question but if we had lost on the final day and faced MK in the playoffs do you think we'd be playing in the final?

[Tylluan]

8 hours ago, Tank_Owl2,0 said:

I know it's hypocritical question but if we had lost on the final day and faced MK in the playoffs do you think we'd be playing in the final?

No.

[mkowlthesexynewversion]

Its the play offs, the 2 better footballing sides got done by 2 better sides at winning a 2 legged tie.

So who knows but I can imagine either us or MK would have lost the final as the pragmatic usually wins thru.

The mantra for next season is aim for top 2, that the play offs simply offer a 2nd bite at the promotion cherry but its a 1 in 4 lottery

[MPB]

We won't finish top two while DM shits himself at havin 3 games in a week.....or because we've got Cambridge away.......the absolutely ridiculous and quite frankly pointless chopping and changin will cost us again, we can all see it and nowt will change.....

But he's putting together a happy happy family who play nice tippy tappy football.....so all's good in the world right?

[HoylandOwl]

Here he is, Negative Nigel before a ball’s even been kicked.

[Andyben]

He's right 

[Tank_Owl2,0]

3 hours ago, mkowlthesexynewversion said:

Its the play offs, the 2 better footballing sides got done by 2 better sides at winning a 2 legged tie.

So who knows but I can imagine either us or MK would have lost the final as the pragmatic usually wins thru.

The mantra for next season is aim for top 2, that the play offs simply offer a 2nd bite at the promotion cherry but its a 1 in 4 lottery

Hang on a minute MK, you talk a lot of sense BUT.

Ill admit Carlos's blew a golden opportunity to get into the PL but when he became more pragmatic in his 2nd season he got slated for it by you in particular. Whilst I agree with you on this point I don think it's that easy to have it both ways i.e. one game be fast passing football and the next shithousery of the highest order - unless you have super intelligent footballers with some quality (unlikely in L1). 

What I suppose I'm saying is Wycombe have played pragmatic football all season and Sunderland have become more pragmatic since Neil arrived, and they stuttered a bit in his first few games. DMs version of pragmatic football is simply to sit deep - a low block.

Others have also suggested DM is incapable of getting the team to flex their game but a) it's partly down to the players available and b) partly down to what will work against the opposition. So, if we were playing like Wycombe against Pompey would it have been as enjoyable  - I really doubt it, then the following week away at Sunderland - on the basis he can't change the side (which is what he's been criticised for) is the same team going to a) be sufficiently capable of shithousery or b) attacking but not losing the game in the first leg? I guess what I'm suggesting DM is in a no win situation with some of our fans, ie can't change the team, needs to be pragmatic but also need to be playing fast flowing football. I don't think it's possible to the extremes ppl would like.

[Reesh]

13 hours ago, Tank_Owl2,0 said:

I know it's hypocritical question but if we had lost on the final day and faced MK in the playoffs do you think we'd be playing in the final?

Hypocritical? 

[Otto_Man]

1 hour ago, Reesh said:

Hypocritical? 

He means hyperbole