by Little Shrimp » Wed Sep 14, 2022 6:22 pm
I think we competed well for around 50/55 mins, then after a very bright opening to the second half we seemed to diminish. Hard to tell if that's legs going, Sheff Weds upping it, a tactical change etc.
I think that second half was indicative of our struggles this season - offering too little on the ball during long stretches and consequently heaping pressure on our defence which is decent, but like any defence will eventually crack without respite. We need to be able to do more with the ball when we win it back, and I think we need a change to a back four to facilitate that. Sheff Weds probably not the game to test that out in fairness, but I think we desperately need that switch against FGR this Saturday. Can get over not offering that much on the ball because we're too focused on defending against a side like Sheff Weds, but coming up against FGR, Cambridge, Accrington Cheltenham etc over the next few weeks we need to take the game to those sides far more than we did vs Fleetwood and Shrewsbury (and arguably Bristol Rovers).
That's not necessarily about possession football either - it's about getting players forward when we win the ball to counter properly, squeezing teams a bit higher up the pitch, forcing a few more sustained spells of pressure and gaining more territory etc.
A lot said about Bannan - I think some are not quite appreciating how ridiculously good he is for this level, and the fact that he was very much on it last night. For sides like ourselves, you either get Shane McLoughlin to follow him all night, or do what we did and pass him along our midfield and be organised to limit passing options for him. Both have advantages and disadvantages - eg, if Bannan gets away from his man marker then we're basically screwed, or the other way can be a bit too passive at times. Bannan was really on one last night, that tactic to defend him worked well in the home game last season, but not so much last night.