I was slightly more optimistic when i got to the Hall and heard the starting team. Was a bit miffed as to why JCR lost his place, but very pleased to see Bailey starting.
Well I'm not going into great detail here, but I was really pleased with the way we played today. We played a team who should be up there come may off the park and bar the last 10 mins, I felt we dominated. However, there lies my niggling problem. Our performance was brilliant and deserved another couple of goals. In fact, most teams in the division had they played like us today WOULD have scored more goals. But the lack of firepower up front prevents us from doing that, and I knew before the game that in we were to score today, It'd come from a midfielder. The last 10 mins were nervous - Tilly simply can't keep telling the players to sit deep and defend the lead for the last 10 mins, inviting Millwall to bombard the goal, when our lack of firepower means that we only score one goal, even if we dominate. If we'd been 3 goals up like we should have done, then it wouldn't have mattered too much if Millwall had put away one of their chances at the end. But as it stands, we will struggle to score goals without a bit more firepower up top, and when you're just a goal up, you just don't sit back like we did today for the last 10 mins. It's suicide, and an equaliser would have been heart-breaking.
I thought the defence was great today and looked much more solid. More alert at set pieces, strong in the headed clearances. Clarke and AB worked brilliantly together, sweeping up everything, heading some good clearances and making some good tackles. Gilbert was solid, even though his positional sense was a little off. I was very impressed with Che. Made one error that could have let them in, but he was strong in the air as ever, passed the ball around well and got forward. His cross was brilliant.
The midfield was supreme. Gower seemed a little bit off colour, gave the ball away a bit toomuch and didn't seem to be running at and taking on defenders as much. Bailey was brilliant, passed the ball around well and got forward, and he and Macca were hard in the tackle - loved it. Maher was as solid as ever too, but gave the wall away a bit too much. Maher, maca and Bailey in the middle should scare any opposition and I liked the tactics in the midfield today. When we went forward, Bailey drifted inside so that he, Maher and Macca could pull the strings in tandem, which worked a treat, and that left Gilbert to get forward run the wing, which was no problem as it's a strength of his. Then when Millwall attacked, Bailey moved out to defend the wing in front of Gilbert when need be, and I think it al worked brilliantly. Black was a revelation when he came on. Quick, skillful and very strong, and he looks like he's the proper creative midfielder we've been crying out for. Needs to start the next game really.
Up top, not sure what to say really. Harrold wasn't bad...he just didn't look like he could get anywhere NEAR scoring a goal. He held up the ball and laid it off well though, but he can be so lazy at times. Charlie MacDonald impressed me. He has great positional awareness, which was shown on the two occasions when he did Richard Shaw, and he never stops running and harrying. Didn't look like scoring much today, but if he keeps going, and he has a creative midfielder like Tommy Black playing to give him his chances, I think he could start banging them in. Hooper didn't have long enough to do anything really. Neither did Flavs til the last 10. I counted 2 shots from Millwall up to the last 10.
Flavs - 7
Gilbert - 7
Che - 7
Clarke - 8
AB - 8
Gower - 6
Maher - 7
Macca - 7
Bailey - 8
Harrold - 6
C Mac - 7
Black - 7 (would have been an 8 if he'd had all match to do his stuff)
Hooper - 6
Get us another stiker who can score a bit and we'll do fine. I know everyone says that. But we can't go all season dominating matches and only being a goal up, because there will be teams who WILL equalise at the end if we start playing deep like that.
