McGhee got it very WRONG tonight...

[southstandandy]

Just got in - Poor performance all round.

People were slating the linesman for giving the first goal but where was the marking from the free kick for f***'s sake !

It took us until the 83rd minute AT HOME to manage our only shot of the night on goal - take a bow Jakey.

Jarrett looked half decent
Molango tried hard but can't head a ball to save his life and had no support whatsoever.
Nicolas showed a few nice touches - but was too lightweight against the more physical Argyle midfielders.
And as for Currie - utter sh....

To be fair to Currie, Harding had a mare, Mayo was useless, and Virgo looked like he was still playing for Exeter.

4-5-1 formation at home - I don't think so. What was MM thinking.
We need Chippy back desperately, and we have got to sign a big target man for the others to play off - especially if we're going to hoof it a lot like we did tonight.

Still can't believe I only saw 1 shot on target by us in 95mins of playing time.

Roll on Saturday - it can't get any worse.

 

[Trigger]

Well f*** ME LI? Many people agreeing with you?... No doubt your friends will when they get back but ujntil then all these impartial people don't seem to be backing you up...

Paul Brush eat your heart out.

P.S. Sorry for jumping out the pram but if it's good enough for you...

 

[oapdodge]

I very rarely have a go at the manager but I do think he got it wrong tonight.I understand what LI is saying about a target man but I also agree we should have played 4-4-2.
Robinson would have been in a confident mood after Saturday at least playing 2 up you are not just inviting the opposition onto you.The 3 in the middle were getting in each others way playing the ball around and giving it away to much.Yet the back 4 were all still launching it up to Molango who didn't have a chance.Mayo is never a midfield play maker.Still think Plymouth were well organised and might have beaten us but we never put them under any pressure.Will be interesting to see how we line up Saturday.Hopefully 4-4-2 but what side starts ?

 

[babyshambles]

it is well funny reading the forum sometimes.
now it's obviously a place for people to discuss things and put forward their points of view, but you get a few people who think they know everything about football and write these long in-depth posts.

makes you wonder why they don't manage a team themselves or maybe do journalism. (maybe they do)

you know who you are

bless you all, you keep me smiling, thanks.

come on you seagulls,

i surprisingly enjoyed it tonight, had a laugh with me mate, but remember all you long faces, last time we got 4 points from first 2 games in div 1, then lost so many on the trot that we became laughing stocks. lost the first two this time, my money is on us sorting out a young team and staying up, come on!!

 

[London Irish]

Well f*** ME LI? Many people agreeing with you?... No doubt your friends will when they get back but ujntil then all these impartial people don't seem to be backing you up...

Paul Brush eat your heart out.

That's fine Trigger. Everyone thought our season was over on January 10 last year. I demurred then and I'll stick to my views now too, whether they're popular or not.

Easy the simple answer to your question is that McGhee had no confidence that midfield of yours could protect the back 4 adequately. And you've gone way over the top scapegoating Mayo, he had an OK game and was not the disaster you made him out to be. But I guess right now he's an easy target, pardon the pun.

 

[smudge]

One player who seems to escape criticism tonight is Paul Reid. He was so lightweight. Bloody awful game, we were shite!

Looking on the bright side though, we lost to a decent looking side by one disputed goal & one disputed penalty.

Fings can only get better & I'll be back for more on Saturday.

Up the Albion!


(p.s. I hope we play 4-4-2!)

 

[Easy 10]

Easy the simple answer to your question is that McGhee had no confidence that midfield of yours could protect the back 4 adequately. And you've gone way over the top scapegoating Mayo, he had an OK game and was not the disaster you made him out to be. But I guess right now he's an easy target, pardon the pun.

Sorry LI, but at home against Plymouth, McGhee should be looking at how WE can hurt THEM. We were the home team, up against one of the weaker sides in this division, and we need points on the board. You do not do that by fussing over protecting your back four and leaving a striker like Molango completely isolated on his own up front.

As for Mayo - I'm not scapegoating him. I felt sorry for the fella. He is not a midfielder - we all know that. He was asked to play in an unfamiliar formation in an unfamiliar role, and he looked lost. The team had no shape - now that wasn't all down to Mayo, but did you not think that McGhee's team selection and tactics were not on the, uhh, questionable side tonight ? Cos when I heard the names read out, with Harding, Jarrett AND Mayo in the starting line-up, I was already confused. And thats how the players looked for most of the night.

 

[Easy 10]

Looking on the bright side though, we lost to a decent looking side by one disputed goal & one disputed penalty.

Hmmm, whether Plymouth are actually that decent a side is open to debate. I fear we made them look like world-beaters tonight, and there arn't going to be too many weaker teams we see at Withdean this season. Remember they also had their main man Friio missing as well. We play like that against most teams in this league and it'd be a cricket score.

The manner of the two goals is one thing, perhaps we were a shade unfortunate with both of them. But regardless of that, Plymouth totally deserved their win. They siezed the initiative and bitchslapped us all over the park, we can have absolutely no complaints.

 

[babyshambles]

i got the feeling mm will benefit from the unfortunate injury crisis in the long term. many reasons why, but just got a feeling.

we are not going down, it has been written, i'm sure.


and just sit back and enjoy watching us just miss relegation and this time even achieving safety before the end of the season.

 

[Exiled in Exeter]

I was surprised to see us only play one up front with at home against a team we should be looking to beat, and it was also a surprise to see Mayo in midfield.

That said it is easy with hindsight to say how wrong these decisions aided by some below par performances proved. Previously, seemingly odd decisions have proved successful at times.

Hopefully when everyone is back fit and McGhee can do exactly what he wants things will be better.

 

[smudge]

I did say I was TRYING to look on the bright side....back to my post match depression then....we're crap!

 

[BensGrandad]

Trigger, the reason why the ball didn't stick is more complicated than that. We don't have forwards who can hold the ball up front, that's why McGhee is desperately searching for the "Targetman" - what is a targetman? - someone who hold the ball and relieves the pressure on midfield.

What are you arguing Trigger? That Robinson can do that? Suddenly you're a big convert to his skills after constantly doubting them? Come on mate!

Molango unfortunately is not a player who can perform this role either, although he might be a good player to support the targetman.

I thought the 4-5-1 was spot on and McGhee's best option. The problem is there are too may players filling in unfamilar roles. A 5 of Currie, Reid, Nicolas, Mayo and Jarrett didn't gel? Well, big shock. The 5 we played at Reading did for the first half until Charlie's injury. We must muddle on until we get the first choice players back - there are no magic solutions until then.

Munster, 5-3-2? The problem is not the flat back 4 but the defensive cover in front of them. Chippy and Oatway did the biz last year and Roberts was there to perform miracles when they broke through last year.

This evening we had a keystone cops first goal and a bad pass to Harding which played him into trouble. That's all.

When we get the players back, it will be a different story.

The criticism of 4-5-1 is a red herring. Thank heavens Charlie wasn't playing, at least he can't be scapegoated.

This is getting bad I have to agree with you 100%.

I feel sure that Roberts coming back in will give more stability to the defence ie. Butters and Cullip and allow them to defend alittle further out, on the edge of the penalty area as they did last year.

If I had to make a change I would considwer 5 -4 -1 with two wing backs to help out in defence and push up to allow the two wide players Currie/Hart and Jarrett to help Molango. I am sure you will see avastly different performance both against Coventry and then when Leon is back.

Our big problem is that the defence get the ball out the midfield help it on and then it comes staright back to Cullip and Butters.

 

[trueblue]

I think 4-5-1 didn't work, but worth a try given the alternatives.

Jarrett's not a striker; Jakey's too lightweight and arguably still too inexperienced to start; Harty huffs and puffs but never, ever looks like scoring.

So trying a formation where in theory the wingers get some freedom and one of the central midfielder makes late runs into the box might not have been too bad.

As it is, I guess we'll have to settle for Harty's commitment on Saturday, and hope it works out better as a 4-4-2.

 

[Exiled in Exeter]

4-5-1 worked at times for us before when we had Zamora. But that was mainly due to us working the system better and getting midfielders to advance like Paul Rogers and the wingers.

But whether such a system with different players would work at this level is open to debate. Plymouth easily coped, and played the ball forwards and then having players advancing onto it caused us all manner of problems.

 

[Easy 10]

Saturday: McGhee says Hart wasn't picked in the squad because everyone should play in their proper positions and OGH isn't a striker.

Tuesday: Mayo (not a central midfielder) plays as a central midfielder, Jarrett (not a striker) plays as a striker for a couple of minutes in the first half as we briefly move to 4-4-2 before switching back to 4-5-1 (not that it was that easy to tell amid the shambles), and Hart (not a striker) ends up playing as a striker.

WTF is going on?

Add to that the substitution of Jarrett (the one player who had looked threatening) and Molango (leaving Jake up front with a winger) and you have a complete and utter f***-up of Ranieri type proportions.

I do still trust McGhee to get it right this season. I think perhaps he'd been on the Famous Grouse for a few hours prior to kickoff tonight, or perhaps he'd banged his head or something. Normal service will be resumed on Saturday, with a nice steady 4-4-2 and everyone knowing what the frig they are supposed to be doing.

 

[perseus]

Plymouth were even worse hit by suspensions and injuries than the Albion. This is no excuse. For this reason, I expected a win last night.

 

[pasty]

One player who seems to escape criticism tonight is Paul Reid. He was so lightweight. Bloody awful game, we were shite!

Couldn't agree more. When he was subbed, I hadn't even spotted he was playing.

The midfiled was so ineffective, although I can't put any blame on Mayo as yes he was fairly clueless, but being asked to play a role he is unsuited for.

Can't understand taking Jarrett or Molango off either. The obvious change should have been Hart for Currie.

We were absolute bollocks tonight. Glad to see not many poeple blaming the ref. We could have had Collina in charge and we'd still have lost.

Oh, and looking on the bright side - we're playing a good team on Saturday !

 

[Turkey]

By playing 4-5-1 he allowed Plymouth total control of the game and allowed them to take advantage and attack us allowing us to create nothing then he took off the only 2 players that were ever likely to create anything (Jarrett & Molango)... I hope he's man enough to come out and admit his mistake.

So the players take no balme then? McGhee can't make the players tackle and pass. That's their job.

 

[Turkey]

Kerry Mayo got stuck in and fair play to him. It didn't always come off for him but at least he put in some effort tonight.

 

[trueblue]

4-5-1 worked at times for us before when we had Zamora.

The wingers then were a quicker Harty and Brooker - both capable of getting up quickly to link with Zamora and make it a 4-3-3. Bobby was also exvellent at holding the ball up, and Molango needs to work on that.

Obviously Currie won't be bombing forward, and when we're so over-run the wingers are pegged back anyway.

The 5-4-1 suggestion seems a good idea to me... Get Harding and Virgo forward more, and Jarrett and Currie will be able to push on too.