THE CONCRETE ROUNDABOUT (TCR)

I don't see positions as fixed but able to be rotated during the game.

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Disclaimer: All my comments are my opinions unless stated otherwise. I'm just a fan following my club.

It was a shambolic display, sack Williamson and get Rooney in……….

Resurrecting this zombie thread as Im starting to change my mindset a little. Im beginning to think that MW has a bit of a blind spot with regards to away performances. Of course some will point to games such as away to mansfield and they would be correct to do so but its also true that we have suffered some quite heavy defeats away, culminating in this weekends Jekyll and Hyde performance.

20 minutes of some of the best play we have produced for several seasons and 70 minutes of spineless capitulation. For me, its time for a bit more pragmatism away from home and not so much of the gung ho stuff that sees up ship 3+ goals on far too many occasions. The first was a clusterfuck for sure but by no means should have led to the total collapse of the team. We must be one of the best teams in this league going forward, I dont think we score enough but we do create a lot of chances. Its in transition where we are not so good, I would go as far as to say we are really very bad and make it easy for any half decent side to play through our lines straight onto a back three that is by a mile the weakest area of the team. Leaving them exposed time after time when we are away is suicidal.

All managers have their blind spots over certain things, hopefully MW can do something about what seems to me to be his

We've got Pep in the building

Just a repeat of Bradford and Doncaster. Mansfield was the exception because we equalised quickly.

The team absolutely capitulates when conceding away from home. There is a critical weakness along that entire defence. I'd like to see Lewington in there but then again, he was in the team against Doncaster, so I am not sure.

We've always used that reasoning of the pitch being small and in poor quality, but Stockport's pitch was in better nick than our own. Even if we got to a Wembley final, those previously optimistic thoughts of how the pitch would suit us were destroyed by Stockport.

Daniel Harvie has become a big, big problem for me. He is a mess defensively and his passing has been wayward. I am really struggling to understand what he is offering us at the moment. Passion?

I'm telling you now, we ain't beating Walsall with this defence. I know our home form has been decent, but after the anilation on Saturday, I can't see us bouncing back like we usually do. That was a sickener.

To be fair, I think we would need players of the calibre of VVD, Martinez and Stones in the backline to cope with the exposure we often leave the backline with. I dont think Lewington is the answer anymore. He used to be but not anymore for me.

We miss a Kasumu type player for playing that way away from home. When we dont score early the opposition start to exploit our awful transition and even worse back lines. When we are shipping 3, 4 and 5 goals away from home on a consistent basis then its not champions league level knowhow to understand that there is a fundamental issue that need addressing. So far either MW isnt addressing the issue, which is plausible or the players just arent good enough.

I truly dont know which of those scenarios I currently believe.

Spot on. But strong defensive skill married to the ability to drive the game forward or spray a good pass after a tackle is rare.

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I don't need your ill-informed, half-baked, idiotic opinions. I have plenty of those myself.

I actually think Bate offers that, but obviously not in the same way as Kasumu. Bate has bailed this defence out a few times recently by covering for them.

The first goal was all down to Kelly making a terrible mistake and then the 2nd reminds me of Barrow away. Williams gets caught out of position, doesn't have the pace to make up for it and their player is through on goal. Once it went 2-0, it was game over. We don't have the mental state of mind to get back from that.

Indeed, that is why we dont have one! in the absence though, playing a way that requires one is a bit confusing!

We all know by now how to play against us and have a good chance of winning. Really up to the coaching team to find answers. With so many players likely to leave in the summer, MW & co can shape the squad for a lasting solution. As for this season, bugger knows if there's enough to get us up.

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Three cheers for his nut brown arsehole, hip hip.....