Sublime to the ridiculous

Wizaard

Well-known member
Talk about a game of two halves. I genuinely thought we'd go on and win by 4 or 5 at half time after some sumptuous, dominant football. We played with a real style that was just too good for Donny who were chasing shadows.

Second half we started like the game was won. An early concession put us on the back foot and we just collapsed like a bad souffle on Bake Off.

It was like the confidence which has been so gradually nurtured went in an instant. A swift second confirmed it and I was thinking we'll have to settle for a point.

A cheap penalty put the tin hat on it. I say it every week, but it was poor positioning from Husband that let the ball get to the wide man and then allowed the ball in. I really don't get his weekly inclusion.

Of course we should have had our own penalty at the death but it was too little too late by then. Three dropped points and hopefully a big lesson learned. No game involving us is ever won at half time.

Cup game this weekend. I'd expect a number of changes then a big game again next Tuesday. Onwards and upwards.
 
We let Peterborough back in the game last week as well, in a match that should have already been put to bed. As frustrating as it is that we didn't get that blatant penalty, we still put ourselves in that position where we're sick about not getting 1 point - when in reality we should have coasted him with 3.

A real sour feeling that has all left, today and Saturday really sum up the highs and lows of football. I can only see us improving as the season goes on though, UTMP!
 
Yes the thread title sums it up. What amazed me was that it was not until 10 minutes from the end before Critchley made some substitutions when the midfield was nowhere from the start of the second hslf
Said the same thing surely he could see the game was drifting away from us with still 20/25 minutes to go?
Yet he leaves it until the 80th minute to make 4 substitutions? 5 a couple of minutes later, Crazy. 🤔
 
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Knackered after watching that. The pain after the pleasure of Saturday. Never the best feeling when you're the team who loses the momentum in a game. Sometimes you're just powerless if a goal goes in straight away, but they didn't seem to react to Doncaster's sub and moving players around in a 4-2-3-1. And I thought became too focused on and off the pitch by the offside call after it went 1-2.

I can't say I felt over confident at half time because I couldn't believe Doncaster could be that bad in two different halves, or that we'd keep up the press on them overplaying for any more than the first 20.

This is where you need your experienced assistant to be able to step in and see things if your inexperienced head coach can't though whilst your captain is wagging his goalie glove fingers at the linesman.

However looking at the five subs sent on, we might have a squad but it doesn't look right for trying to change a game, protect a point or rescue one. At least when you're starting with the only two available recognised strikers and fit centre mids in the 18. I don't know what we were recruiting for up to 5pm on deadline day but it definitely wasn't a 4-4-2, as good a breather as it's felt after the monotony of the set up at the start of the season.
 
Talk about a game of two halves. I genuinely thought we'd go on and win by 4 or 5 at half time after some sumptuous, dominant football. We played with a real style that was just too good for Donny who were chasing shadows.

Second half we started like the game was won. An early concession put us on the back foot and we just collapsed like a bad souffle on Bake Off.

It was like the confidence which has been so gradually nurtured went in an instant. A swift second confirmed it and I was thinking we'll have to settle for a point.

A cheap penalty put the tin hat on it. I say it every week, but it was poor positioning from Husband that let the ball get to the wide man and then allowed the ball in. I really don't get his weekly inclusion.

Of course we should have had our own penalty at the death but it was too little too late by then. Three dropped points and hopefully a big lesson learned. No game involving us is ever won at half time.

Cup game this weekend. I'd expect a number of changes then a big game again next Tuesday. Onwards and upwards.
Good summary.
We were unlucky with some crucial moments on the game. But in general you make your own luck in football.

Why we can’t make in game changes with the options at our disposal baffles me still, I’m back to being puzzled by Critch’s post match presser if he can’t see why that went wrong second half.
 
Talk about a game of two halves. I genuinely thought we'd go on and win by 4 or 5 at half time after some sumptuous, dominant football. We played with a real style that was just too good for Donny who were chasing shadows.

Second half we started like the game was won. An early concession put us on the back foot and we just collapsed like a bad souffle on Bake Off.

It was like the confidence which has been so gradually nurtured went in an instant. A swift second confirmed it and I was thinking we'll have to settle for a point.

A cheap penalty put the tin hat on it. I say it every week, but it was poor positioning from Husband that let the ball get to the wide man and then allowed the ball in. I really don't get his weekly inclusion.

Of course we should have had our own penalty at the death but it was too little too late by then. Three dropped points and hopefully a big lesson learned. No game involving us is ever won at half time.

Cup game this weekend. I'd expect a number of changes then a big game again next Tuesday. Onwards and upwards.

Spot on that. Onwards. Harrogate on Saturday. It's on IFollow. We start again.
 
Decent summary but I really don't understand why anyone should think we should go on and win more comfortably. When did we last do that? We certainly haven't done it in a league game under Critchley. We have a very bad habit of not killing teams off and allowing them back into games.
 
Decent summary but I really don't understand why anyone should think we should go on and win more comfortably. When did we last do that? We certainly haven't done it in a league game under Critchley. We have a very bad habit of not killing teams off and allowing them back into games.
Agree, we haven't got to that level at all yet. And it's a very rare place to be in fact. Successful sides are always wary, always focussed, and take their chances when they come along more often than we do.

Madine had a shocker, I thought! 😉

First half were dominant, but again the front two were missing for all intents and purposes, for the stuff that really matters. We got a penalty from Madine falling over and a break away goal from KK and CJ to show for it, and very little from the two central strikers.

Discuss!
 
Decent summary but I really don't understand why anyone should think we should go on and win more comfortably. When did we last do that? We certainly haven't done it in a league game under Critchley. We have a very bad habit of not killing teams off and allowing them back into games.
Because we absolutely battered them for 45 minutes and they didn't get a sniff, I haven't watched us play as well as that and then be absolutely turned over in the second half for quite a while. It was so one sided I am still in disbelief how unbelievably terrible they were in that second half.
 
Because we absolutely battered them for 45 minutes and they didn't get a sniff, I haven't watched us play as well as that and then be absolutely turned over in the second half for quite a while. It was so one sided I am still in disbelief how unbelievably terrible they were in that second half.
So you think that there isn't gonna be a re-action from them. To think they are just gonna continue to roll over whilst we rack up the goals.
 
So you think that there isn't gonna be a re-action from them. To think they are just gonna continue to roll over whilst we rack up the goals.
No, but if we carried on playing the same way, they wouldn't have had a chance. Even when they were playing "well" they only really had one player to worry about.
 
That's not how football works though. If, if, if means nothing. Their manager made tactical changes which meant we couldn't carry on playing the same way. We didn't re-act to it. Arrogant and naive if you think there wouldn't be a big re-action from them.
 
Agree with the OP in terms of the first half display. One of the most comprehensive I've seen in a long time, can't remember Doncaster even half looking like threatening our defence.
But in the second as soon as the first goal went in I think we saw the side's vulnerability.
Work in progress - but promising none-the-less.
 
That's not how football works though. If, if, if means nothing. Their manager made tactical changes which meant we couldn't carry on playing the same way. We didn't re-act to it. Arrogant and naive if you think there wouldn't be a big re-action from them.
It's not arrogant, it's eye sight and factual information. Are Doncaster good? No. Are they bad, no. About as average and standard as league one sids come. So, if we played the way we did in the second half as we did in the first. We would have won. Simple as that.

People thought we should go onto win, because first of all they have eye sight and saw how absolutely inept Doncaster were. It's VERY rare you have games swap how one sided they are, a reaction expected yes. I can't remember watching any games this season with us or anyone else where it has swung as much as last night did.
 
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It's not arrogant, it's eye sight and factual information. Are Doncaster good? No. Are they bad, no. About as average and standard as league one sids come. So, if we played the way we did in the second half as we did in the first. We would have won. Simple as that.

People thought we should go onto win, because first of all they have eye sight and saw how absolutely inept Doncaster were. It's VERY rare you have games swap how one sided they are, a reaction expected yes. I can't remember watching any games this season with us or anyone else where it has swung as much as last night did.
I'd be amazed if anyone saw that first half display and thought there's a side that's going to lose the game.
 
It's not arrogant, it's eye sight and factual information. Are Doncaster good? No. Are they bad, no. About as average and standard as league one sids come. So, if we played the way we did in the second half as we did in the first. We would have won. Simple as that.

People thought we should go onto win, because first of all they have eye sight and saw how absolutely inept Doncaster were. It's VERY rare you have games swap how one sided they are, a reaction expected yes. I can't remember watching any games this season with us or anyone else where it has swung as much as last night did.
I'd be amazed if anyone saw that first half display and thought there's a side that's going to lose the game.
Already covered that, if, if, if. We didn't play in the second half because they changed their tactics, they didn't allow us to play like we did in the first half. Games are about two teams not just one. It's not solely about what we do it's about what the opposition do too. They stopped us. So you want to continue to play well but you have to adapt to what changes the opposition make. Of course we were all amazed at what happened in the second half but to be honest you sound like Darren Ferguson post match interview. No credit to the opposition.
 
Last night reminds me of when Ollie was with us. Pool were a Hovercraft in the first half, scooting along on air, just like the PL until the New Year. We all knew in that time, that if the air cushion failed, the craft would drop to earth, and never rise up again. The second half last night was like that. As soon as the cushion was reduced, then removed, it all fell down. Hull were two up last night at HT. No comeback there. They dug in, and then , late on , added a third.
Blackpool are flakey. They don’t really believe, even when they get off to a flyer. In the deepest recesses of their collective hopes and fears, they don’t really believe.
 
Last night reminds me of when Ollie was with us. Pool were a Hovercraft in the first half, scooting along on air, just like the PL until the New Year. We all knew in that time, that if the air cushion failed, the craft would drop to earth, and never rise up again. The second half last night was like that. As soon as the cushion was reduced, then removed, it all fell down. Hull were two up last night at HT. No comeback there. They dug in, and then , late on , added a third.
Blackpool are flakey. They don’t really believe, even when they get off to a flyer. In the deepest recesses of their collective hopes and fears, they don’t really believe.
I agree, the players lack resilience and are not helped by a coach who doesn't appear to be a quick learner.
 
Do you recall what the possession stats were last night at HT?
We had 31% possession!!
I'm not sure how that figure is arrived at but it's probably heavily influenced by the number of passes between their back 4 and the keeper.
But at HT I still felt we had dominated the first 45 minutes. We were clearly effective even if not actually dominant.
I actually though Yates and Madine were effective with Yates doing what he does best, chasing and harrying defenders and Madine won quite a few headers.
So "what happened next"?
Donny clearly had a half time bollocking and came out fired up which obviously we should have expected.
Now I've no idea what Critchy's HT talk was but we should have planned for 10/15 mins of hard press from Donny and set ourselves up accordingly.
Obviously you can't account for decisions not going your way with the offside not given but that's just making excuses. It was pleasing to hear Dougall in the post match not blaming the officials.
They say you learn from your mistakes so it's another lesson learned but once again the hard way.
We've proved we can play well but we need to adapt better to changing circumstances within the game.
I think last night showed a lack of leadership on the pitch in the absence of an outfield captain right down to the little things like Kaikai's consistently poor delivery from free kicks and corners.
All IMO of course.
 
Already covered that, if, if, if. We didn't play in the second half because they changed their tactics, they didn't allow us to play like we did in the first half. Games are about two teams not just one. It's not solely about what we do it's about what the opposition do too. They stopped us. So you want to continue to play well but you have to adapt to what changes the opposition make. Of course we were all amazed at what happened in the second half but to be honest you sound like Darren Ferguson post match interview. No credit to the opposition.
The comment was valid because there was an expectation we'd continue in the same vein. That's why I thought we'd win comfortably. It's not like you to pick holes in something everyone else thinks is a perfectly acceptable comment. It's alright with hindsight, but at half time did you expect us to win the game?
 
The comment was valid because there was an expectation we'd continue in the same vein. That's why I thought we'd win comfortably. It's not like you to pick holes in something everyone else thinks is a perfectly acceptable comment. It's alright with hindsight, but at half time did you expect us to win the game?
Of course we hope to continue in the same vein but it's not solely down to us is it? As I've already explained. Have you not realised that from watching us for fifty years. There's two teams on the pitch . Thinking the game is won at half time is arrogant and naive. There's is always an "expecration" but expectation is not always reality. Far from it. There's a time to be smug and arrogant and it's at the end of the game not at half time when were only half way thru a game. See some of dodgys posts. [Sorry dodgy]
 
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Of course we hope to continue in the same vein but it's not solely down to us is it? As I've already explained. Have you not realised that from watching us for fifty years. There's two teams on the pitch . Thinking the game is won at half time is arrogant and naive. There's is always an "expecration" but expectation is not always reality. Far from it. There's a time to be smug and arrogant and it's at the end of the game not at half time when were only half way thru a game. See some of dodgys posts. [Sorry dodgy]
Here's black, no it's white.
 
Talk about a game of two halves. I genuinely thought we'd go on and win by 4 or 5 at half time after some sumptuous, dominant football. We played with a real style that was just too good for Donny who were chasing shadows.

Second half we started like the game was won. An early concession put us on the back foot and we just collapsed like a bad souffle on Bake Off.

It was like the confidence which has been so gradually nurtured went in an instant. A swift second confirmed it and I was thinking we'll have to settle for a point.

A cheap penalty put the tin hat on it. I say it every week, but it was poor positioning from Husband that let the ball get to the wide man and then allowed the ball in. I really don't get his weekly inclusion.

Of course we should have had our own penalty at the death but it was too little too late by then. Three dropped points and hopefully a big lesson learned. No game involving us is ever won at half time.

Cup game this weekend. I'd expect a number of changes then a big game again next Tuesday. Onwards and upwards.

Fair summary. After feeling gutted overnight and musing about it more all day ... I have come to the conclusion that I need to consider this to be a two season project and that this one will be spent building a team and weeding out the wheat from the chaff. I thought we were fantastic first half, in all departments. I'm still not sure how the collapse happened so completely, although a shocking ref didn't help.

I don't think NC is starting his best 11 at the moment, for some reason. Ballard is better than the Viking and Ekpotato. I'd expect Virtue to come in and Husband/Turton need to be moved to back up.

I'm relieved that we have discovered some confidence (although it disappeared in the second half) and Dougal is a hell of a player. Madine and Yates would get in most teams and Kaikai and CJ will thrive once the rest of the side is sorted.

I think some posters on here need to realise (like I have) that a promotion winning side will take some time to refine.
 
Here's black, no it's white.
Cheap shot again Wiz.

I know if I was talking to you at half time at a game Wiz and we were 2-0 down you'd be saying we just need to do this and that and we could get back into the game and win it. Yet you don't seem to think the opposition can do the same to us. When it's perfectly reasonable to think they could. Football has a history of many teams coming from two goals down at half time. Sure we all hoped we'd win but shouldn't take anything for granted.

And I agreed with your summary did I not? People have given Donny credit for realising that they had to do something. You have not.
 
Cheap shot again Wiz.

I know if I was talking to you at half time at a game Wiz and we were 2-0 down you'd be saying we just need to do this and that and we could get back into the game and win it. Yet you don't seem to think the opposition can do the same to us. When it's perfectly reasonable to think they could. Football has a history of many teams coming from two goals down at half time. Sure we all hoped we'd win but shouldn't take anything for granted.

And I agreed with your summary did I not? People have given Donny credit for realising that they had to do something. You have not.
For the nth time, I was talking about the position at half time. I expected us to go on and win. That was a realistic expectation AT THAT TIME. What happened subsequently is irrelevant. As borne out in the very title of the piece.
 
I had a feeling beforehand that Donny would create problems for themselves from the off, their stats show very high possession and very high passing accuracy but they show it mostly in their own half. Second half they came out with a bit more intention and we dropped the intensity at the same time. Second half a few players were looking tired, but in general they let Donny dominate. I think it will be a valuable learning moment. From a fans perspective probably best forgotten.
 
For the nth time, I was talking about the position at half time. I expected us to go on and win. That was a realistic expectation AT THAT TIME. What happened subsequently is irrelevant. As borne out in the very title of the piece.
Nope you said you expected us to go on and win by "four or five". That is decrying the opposition and the inevitable reaction that was likely to happen. Sure, you'd hope to win when you're two up at half time but it's arrogant to expect us to go on and win by "four or five". It's totally dismissive of our opponents.
 
It was as a naive 2nd half I've ever seen. Just to sit back and let it unfold was bizarre from the sidelines.

Again the early season problem of conceding within minutes of a restart surfaced.

I feel the players went out unprepared on how to go about things and didn't know how to react. Not surprising as the bench didn't either.
 
Nope you said you expected us to go on and win by "four or five". That is decrying the opposition and the inevitable reaction that was likely to happen. Sure, you'd hope to win when you're two up at half time but it's arrogant to expect us to go on and win by "four or five". It's totally dismissive of our opponents.
It's not arrogant to hope your side go on to win by more. It's what being a fan is all about. You want them to win well. The day I don't want that will be the day to pack up.

As a Spurs fan with Mourinho in charge you'll be an expert in arrogance 😉
 
It's not arrogant to hope your side go on to win by more. It's what being a fan is all about. You want them to win well. The day I don't want that will be the day to pack up.

As a Spurs fan with Mourinho in charge you'll be an expert in arrogance 😉
Seems you can't apply that to England then eh! You love to put them down. Oh and you know full well I'm a Blackpool fan.
I'd say you hope they go on to win by more. You first said "expect to"
 
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20's

Just my twopennyworth, while I agree with just about everything you said regarding the second half turnaround, I must agree with Wiz in that I don't think arrogant was the correct word to describe Captain Kurt's opinions.

Naive perhaps but I don't think he was arrogant.
 
20's

Just my twopennyworth, while I agree with just about everything you said regarding the second half turnaround, I must agree with Wiz in that I don't think arrogant was the correct word to describe Captain Kurt's opinions.

Naive perhaps but I don't think he was arrogant.
i think when you fail to give credit to the opposition or be as dismissive as Kurt was in his 11:42 post then there's an arrogance to your train of thought. Not saying he's generally like that but that's what I perceived from that post.
 
Professional teams that are away from home and 0-2 up make sure that the game is “killed” for 15 mins into the 2nd half. They take no chances. Row Z is a legitimate target. They take time out of the game, delaying free kicks and throw ins. They defuse any momentum that may have been infused into their opponents at HT by their coach. Pool don’t. They are Amateurs.
One wonders what the coaching staff do all day at SG. The quality of Pool’s set piece delivery is appalling , matched only by their inability to defend them.
 
i think when you fail to give credit to the opposition or be as dismissive as Kurt was in his 11:42 post then there's an arrogance to your train of thought. Not saying he's generally like that but that's what I perceived from that post.

No problem 20's and certainly no big deal.

It's just as was thinking "arrogant" was harsh when you first responded and then agreed with Wiz that it wasn't the word.
 
Knackered after watching that. The pain after the pleasure of Saturday. Never the best feeling when you're the team who loses the momentum in a game. Sometimes you're just powerless if a goal goes in straight away, but they didn't seem to react to Doncaster's sub and moving players around in a 4-2-3-1. And I thought became too focused on and off the pitch by the offside call after it went 1-2.

I can't say I felt over confident at half time because I couldn't believe Doncaster could be that bad in two different halves, or that we'd keep up the press on them overplaying for any more than the first 20.

This is where you need your experienced assistant to be able to step in and see things if your inexperienced head coach can't though whilst your captain is wagging his goalie glove fingers at the linesman.

However looking at the five subs sent on, we might have a squad but it doesn't look right for trying to change a game, protect a point or rescue one. At least when you're starting with the only two available recognised strikers and fit centre mids in the 18. I don't know what we were recruiting for up to 5pm on deadline day but it definitely wasn't a 4-4-2, as good a breather as it's felt after the monotony of the set up at the start of the season.
I can't help but feel that a decent captain in the mid field, someone with experience and who had the players respect, would have taken the team by the scruff of the neck and got their heads back up following their first. I have never seen the point of goalies being designated captain.
 
I'd be amazed if anyone saw that first half display and thought there's a side that's going to lose the game.
Very rare in football for a second half to follow the same pattern as the first, it just doesn't usually happen.

Critchley should have made a couple of subs, he would still have had another 3 up his sleeve.

I actually thought Doncaster looked better than Peterborough and thought there would be a reaction from them, I certainly didn't think we would coast to a 4 0 win.

We should have brought Ballard on and put another body in midfield, gone 5 3 2. Good managers will take advantage of the 5 subs rather than saying at half time "same again lads".

Same again rarely happens in 2nd halves.
 
Very rare in football for a second half to follow the same pattern as the first, it just doesn't usually happen.

Critchley should have made a couple of subs, he would still have had another 3 up his sleeve.

I actually thought Doncaster looked better than Peterborough and thought there would be a reaction from them, I certainly didn't think we would coast to a 4 0 win.

We should have brought Ballard on and put another body in midfield, gone 5 3 2. Good managers will take advantage of the 5 subs rather than saying at half time "same again lads".

Same again rarely happens in 2nd halves.
I thought Donny looked better than Peterborough too. Posh were pretty poor. I wouldn't have gone 5 at the back. That's the kind of thing you say after a game that's been thrown away like that. "Why didn't put another defender on...?!!
Shit happens sometimes. Refocus and be determined to avoid a repeat. Go on an unbeaten run, use it as a catalyst. Quit all the navel gazing and finger pointing.
 
This is only a suspicion, but I suspect that Pool will go to 3 at the back and 5 in midfield, the wide men being wing backs.
Marvin, Ballard and Greta would be the back three. After that, name your own. Pool are just too flakey with their current full backs in duty.
 
Agreed it was a most unusual game so unusual in fact that something still doesn't sit right with me?

Did we just fall to pieces? It was so very strange

Also the ref was fantastic 1st half couldn't believe how many free kicks we were getting not one yellow dished out.

2nd half it was like he had taken a bung? Still think the 1st goal that there was an offside player or 2?

Penalty? I've watched it over and still think we got the ball 1st

Doncaster got free kick after free kick for the slightest touch. We were not getting the free kicks as easy

It was a definite handball that everyone could see no players in the way, no posts or players to block a clear view.

The whole 2nd half was so bad it just didn't seem right to me?
 
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