My thoughts on today and this season.

[FFC1987]

So I managed to finally get to the cottage this week and my thoughts are below:

So I basically thought we looked ok, average really. Thought the backline minus Ryan look good defensively. Button was impressive but failed on 2 passes I think? He did handle a few dodgey backpasses too so weighing it up, i'd say he had a good game. Handled everything quite well but he did lack some communication with his defense, Kalas for the goal and there was a dodgey header from Ryan when he had no one near him and he clearly didnt get the shout to which Ream went and spoke to Button, assuming to remind him to talk!

Ryan is overall good enough but I think he needs to start converting chances and making opportunities into assists so they cover up his defnsive frailties. Yer he got the assist today but he has ample opportunities to  be a match winner today especially after getting his marker carded in the first 15 minutes. Maybe he just needs some form to get him there or maybe we need a fox in the box striker to get on the end of his balls.....

I thought Norwood looked poor today and its having an impact on Stef's/Macs games. Don't get me wrong, at times they looked good but I just didnt see any creativity for a goal from any of them.

Fonte is a strange one. I got glimpses of a good player, but he wasn't very effective overall and I'm not sure he's the goalscorer we're looking for. Hopefully I'm wrong. I thought Ayite was poor today. Lots of times Ryan/Ream/Kalas were begging for an outlet in behind to pull Boro around but he just kept central hogging the space for the midfielders to flow into. Kebano looked good when he came on, lots of flair and offered what I thought Ayite didn't.

AK47........ felt terrible for the guy on his miss as he was running his socks off, putting himself about, letting defenders know he was on their heels but when he played some lovely pass and move football and eventually got in on goal.......that finish was absolutely dreadful.........Showed good character to come back from it, beating two men? at the back post for his goal so hats off to him. Still looks very raw but its always encourgaing when a striker misses an easy chance and comes back with his head up and clearly determined to score!

I've been quite critical of this squad/team recently and this might not go down well but.....I think this squad could easily end up finishing like 9th/10th. We seem to lack character especially when asked questions in teh last 10 minutes (or when we lead at all). I don't think Slav should take full brunt of criticism but he certainly needs to up his strategy timings. He's made some very questionable subs recently and timing of said subs have been strange. An example, today, sub after the goal. I'd of personally made the sub straight after our goal giving the players a bit more time to get second wind and time for Ream/MC to organise.

I also thought the feeling/attitude of the players looked strange today. Looked like maybe a lack of belief? The subs for instance all seemed a bit sluggish at half time warming up whereas the Boro lot seemed far more active and enthusiastic. Maybe I'm reading far too much into it but the players seemed like that when they walked on/off the pitch. Maybe its nothing but it just seemed a bit off to be fair. After the game I can understand as it must be dissappointing but I didnt see that spirit I saw last year so often. Maybe its missing Cairney bantz.

I know a lot of talk on here recently is essentially 'calm down dear its fine' or 'we're ruddy awful and won't get promoted' and I guess I'm more in line with the doom and gloomers but still think this is a good team and has some of the mechanics to be a great team in this league. A lot is riding on Cairneys shoulders when he comes back and I'm worried for us. We're dropping points both away and at home at the moment and the more this continues, the harder the seasons going to be for our season objective. Yes, things could click and we could go unbeaten and get right up there but this is a tough league and if we're to get top 2, we need to recover 9 points to get there currently, whereas top 6, we're 4 points adrift. Doesn't sound too bad BUT we need to start winning games especially at home and start picking up points away against top sides. Its a tall order and one, I can't say confidently we'll achieve. Thats the concern for me as after last year, I don't think we should be in this position.......