12 hours later ..,,

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

The defeat yesterday felt far more encouraging than that inept and inert performance on Tuesday. Just ran up against a better team on the day with a ludicrous number of quality strikers to choose from.

 

[SeafordBHA]

Ok maybe it wasn't a chance to make it 2-0 but he still fluffed his chance when he had it in front of goal and as for the Reading game, obviously Sky also made it up when he missed from a yard out as well then
He is a striker and gets a lot of money to put the ball in the net and when you miss chances like he does he deserves criticism
I and many others on here pay his wages every week and if he isn't doing his job properly we are entitled to criticise, just like your boss would at work

When is this chance? Don't remember him once having the ball in front of goal?

With regards to the Reading game? Are you talking about the chance where he slid in to meet the cross, where the keeper saved it onto the post?? Don't think he really could've done any better there. Bit harsh.

Do you still expect your boss to criticise you about your job if not provided with the resources to do it? Think your being bit harsh when we haven't even managed to get the ball to him in front of goal.

All in all, we know we don't convert anywhere near as many chances as we do. From Lualua and Crofts last night wasting chances, and Buckley in the past. Ulloa, CMS and Barnes all have done it too. Compared to most clubs our chance conversion rate's poor. Oscar's said how shocked he was too. Need to sort that too. Supplying Barnes with chances first though might help.

 

[BensGrandad]

Good strikers make their own chances out of nothing or scraps hence Barnes is not a good championship striker..

 

[el punal]

Inept tactics? When the players stuck to the gameplan they went 1-0 up and gave Forest a hard time. It was the players' fault that they fell apart in the second half, and they were always going to struggle to break down 10 men behind the ball.

I genuinely don't understand the criticism Oscar, his tactics and approach to the game is getting. Not sure how much football experience the people making these observations have, either..

Good post. We were asleep with that free header for Forest's first goal. That gave them the momentum which we could'nt match, good night Vienna. If only we had been alert from the restart perhaps there would have been a different outcome.

 

[BensGrandad]

The only criticism that I would level at Oscar is IMHO he made a mistake by playing JFC and not Ince or somebody else as the defensive midfielder in front of the back four in the Bridcutt role.

 

[Twinkle Toes]

Yes we were flattered to be ahead at HT but ahead we were. It was necessary to take their sting for first 15 mins of the second half. We held out for 45 seconds. Poor concentration, nobody picked up Lansbury. 1-1.
Then at 1-1, Crofts hit the inside of the post and Calderon missed an absolute sitter. Calderon then got caught out of position ( regular occurence )..1-2...ok regroup...cue Greer, who decides to pass straight to a Forest player ( regular occurence ) then compounds the problem with a clumsy, ill-timed lunge....1-3.
Forest lost their composure in the last 15 mins of the first half and that was our chance. We needed to start strongly for the second half. Caught cold, we then could and should have gone 2-1 up. We didn't and that was that. An under-strength team making too many mistakes.
At present, we have too many players underperforming for comfort.....Calderon, Lopez, Greer ( fans yesterday were saying it was a one-off....wrong...he's had other below par games this season and his distribution hasn't been good enough ) Barnes, Conway ( yes..I know we haven't seen much but what I've seen has been unimpressive ) Agustien, JFC ( needs to impose himself more ) and Bruno ( help! )
Plus points....KLL ( Outstanding...carrying the whole front-line on his own back ) Crofts ( clearly struggling with fitness but battling on ) Upson..dependable...TK...usual good form.
Ok but nothing better...Buckley, Ward, Andrews.
Should be playing.....Rohan Ince....what the hell is going on there?
Four players performing up to expectation is not enough. Forget all the injuries, we need better from those available. TB has indicated that a striker will be in place by Yeovil. Thank God. It is painful watching Barnes upfront on his own. ( Like a fish out of water..can't hold the ball, can't head the ball....that rehearsed free-kick which found Barnes on the edge of the box was embarrassing ) Why not gamble yesterday and throw in Upson or El Abd upfront at 1-3. There was nothing to lose...we were losing anyway. Their physical presence might have made a difference. But no..we got the diminutive George Barker!
I still think we will have a good second half of the season but we need more from those at present until we get our ' big ' players back. It's not Oscar's fault. He is being let down by too many indifferent displays. These players are being given their chance. If this carries on, some of them won't get second chances.

Really good post there Mo.

As far as I'm concerned, the performances from several of our apparently 'fit' players recently has brought me to the conclusion that they either: aren't good enough to perform effectively in our first team; aren't sufficiently motivated to play to the levels they have attained in the past; don't understand the way in which the new manager requires them to play; don't really want to be here any more.

It's a given that the current injuries situation has had a massive effect on our ability to play at the required level to win Championship football matches, but it's up to OG to get a better tune out of those available. With the lack of options up front & the alarming dip in form of those we all know can do far better, he has one helluva job on at present. I hope to God the club will give him a quality addition or two via the loan market, otherwise I can envisage a scenario where his first season in English football will be his last. Let's hope the international break gives him the opportunity to make progress on & off the pitch and instill some confidence & belief in his charges. I've no doubt that Watford will be viewing their next league fixture as eminently winnable; & they're certainly more than capable of ripping us another new one if essential improvements aren't forthcoming...

 

[Twinkle Toes]

Good strikers make their own chances out of nothing or scraps hence Barnes is not a good championship striker..

Good strikers thrive on a quality of service that plays to their strengths. What's Barnes supposed to do as a loan target man who receives the majority of passes launched three feet over his head with a huge Centre Half or 2 constantly up his backside? It's mend & make do at present - as you should know.

 

[Seagulltonian]

I still Bridcutt is a massive miss at the moment in midfield, and the quicker he comes back the better!