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We have to remember CD hasn’t ‘managed’ in the number 1 role. He is doing a fantastic job, he will be aware of our shortcomings and be working on them we all know. I agree he was deffo in the spotlight post match v Northampton and as you say body language showed that it’s no walk in the park. Let’s get behind him, I know we are. What a change at Blues we have all seen. Joys and sorrows too! Keep up the good work Matt and Gary.
Thank you for your comment Darran which is greatly appreciated. Chris Davies is learning all the time and he is doing a great job. We are very lucky to have him. Even though we are not perfect, what we are watching this season is night and day compared to what we have been used to over recent years. KRO!
I genuinely believe that Davies did all he could in this match. I've said it on multiple other social media and this result was all down to the players. Yeah, we didn't have a great first half, but your could see in the early 2nd half what Chris wanted us to do, play a mid block, being them out of that back line and do an almost pseudo counter attack BEFORE they are able to create That back line. Due to obvious injuries, that was then scrapped and we started to play back into our "normal way" because they them reverted to a back 4 which made it easier to break through and I don't think they little tactical adjustment it's hailed enough because we didn't score enough. And I'm terms is scoring, I think the stats tell enough within themselves 25 shots, 3 on target and 1 goal. The manager and staff can help the players to create goals, but they can't put the ball into the net for them. For me, for this match, I think the players let the manager down BIG TIME and, I know your aren't saying this yourself, but I'm getting sick and tired of people already saying that Davies isn't good enough ALREADY. If they could actually watch the football without watching the score line, they'd know they this one was down to the players, NOT the manager
Im a Northampton fan who subscribes to your channel as enjoy your balanced views on your club and fair opinions on the other teams . As for Saturdays game i dont think the Cobblers have been given enough credit for a great result..We were never going to play an open expansive game as we would have been slaughtered when you think of the players on both sides..We over achieved last season and survival is the most important thing this season as we have always been a yoyo club. This point is even truer with the injury crisis at the club which is quite incredible. Not an excuse just a fact.From the start of the season up until now we have lost Lintott, Koiki, Mbete, Brough, McGowan, Willis,and on Saturday to lose Magloire and Baldwin early in the second half was unbelievable. All those players are defenders and first team players. To add to that we didnt even have a fit striker on Saturday. Morton out for season,Eaves,Fosu,Wilson injured,and Roberts not eligible to play against his parent club. Bench on Saturday made up of 2 youth players,,young loanee, and 2 players signed in past fortnight who hadnt got clubs and no game time..We are not the greatest team in the division but we also dont always play that system either,sometimes needs must.. As a smaller club to go to Birmingham and get a point under the circumstances was great. We dont and never will have the luxury of being able to have a squad like yours,for example Mark Leonard on the bench,best player for us and in the whole division last season. Thats not a gripe its just shows the gulf between the clubs and thats why i think we deserve more credit for the result..To sum up i think you will win the league and I just hope we keep scraping away and stay up. As for the idiots during the minutes silence, can only say sorry,only a minority but thats just a sad state of the shit society we live in now..I will keep on enjoying your channel and good luck for rest of the season.Thanks Stu
Thanks for commenting, Stuart. It is greatly appreciated, and we respect all opinions and fans on the channel. Fair play to you guys. At the end of the day, when the final whistle goes, all that matters is that 1-1 result. I didn't know the full extent of your injury list, which makes it even more impressive. As some of our fans have even pointed out, both sides ended up making noise during the silence, which was really sad and frustrating to see. Good luck for the rest of the season and thank you for the kind words, we really appreciate it!
Totally agree on the Stansfield, May, Willumson situation. Saturday was frustrating, but it’s going to happen a lot this season as teams are coming to Blues and stringing 11 men across the edge of their own box and we need to find effective ways to break them down. Fair play to Northampton as they turned up to play for a point and as far as they’re concerned it was job done, but from the first whistle it was clear their intentions were to spoil, sit in, defend and just rely on a set piece or a breakaway. They’re not great though, at times they were just kicking the ball anywhere! But they closed the spaces down and there was literally no space for Stannno or May to get in behind and I think that’s where we miss Wright and Hanson as they will get their heads down and run at players and commit them into challenges and draw players to them.
Thank you for your comment Matt which is greatly appreciated. Like every team we have played this season, especially at St.Andrew's Northampton worked really hard. We will continue to see teams upping their performances and really working hard against us, which they have to do as they can't match us technically. We have the tools and firepower to win this league however Chris Davies will continue to work out what he sees is the best team/formation to win games. I'm sure he is learning an awful lot and when we get this right we will start to score a lot of goals and win a lot of games. KRO!
We need to be much more effective from set plays corners, never look like we have a plan. Instead of trying to score the "perfect" goal, we need to shoot on site, we have seen some great goals already from distance, we have the players to do it. We will drop a few points here & there, even Man City can struggle when the opposition have a go at them,, so that,s not a worry for me, the mistakes will fade over time, we are still a new squad, and will learn from this. Keep up the good work.. KRO
Thank you for your comment Phil which is greatly appreciated. you make some good points. We do have a tendency to overplay at times in the final third but I'm sure that will improve as the season progresses. It is a different challenge when we play teams that just put 10 men behind the wall but we need to find a solution as I'm sure League One teams will continue to do the same. KRO!
"While the late equalizer against Northampton was undoubtedly frustrating, it's important to maintain a positive outlook. The Blues have shown clear signs of improvement and dominance in recent matches. The ability to consistently control possession and create numerous scoring opportunities is a testament to the team's growing strength. However, it's crucial to capitalize on these chances and secure victories. The team must focus on clinical finishing and game management to avoid late heartbreaks. Let's channel this disappointment into motivation. Every setback is an opportunity to learn and grow. The future is bright for Birmingham City, and with continued hard work and dedication, we can achieve great things. Keep the faith, Blues! KRO!" Great podcast! Keep up the good work!
Thank you very much for your comment Michael which is greatly appreciated. Absolutely. Blues are clearly going in the right direction and we are in a good place. I’m sure we will keep ironing out the niggles all season but once we get firing properly we will score a lot of goals. KRO!
Hi both at half time ,my brother said shall we go back to the pub ! Made no impact ,getting each others way ,no running at them ,not shooting , second half not much different,but scored , their goal was predictable, root one ,blues not getting rid , thats 2 poor games , final point ,may and Stansfield cannot play together , both all over the shop , williamson must start as a 10 , spot on pod
Thank you for your comment Tony which is greatly appreciated. You agree with many of the points we raise in the podcast, especially playing Willumsson at no.10! We will be fine, we are still adjusting and we will continue to get stronger. KRO!
Fantastic football is a stretch it’s side to side with no thrust. For the money we have spent we should have more composure in the Box. Northampton had their reserves out. This is a worrying sign for the season it could become very difficult if this issue is not addressed. To be fair it’s been coming, a lot of our wins have been close and edgy so no surprise and Davis’s lack of experience worries me. Perhaps I am over exaggerating but time will tell.
Thank you very much for your comment which is greatly appreciated. We need to score more goals without a doubt. One goal leads always make us vulnerable and this caught up with us on Saturday. KRO!
Agree with the shift of the front 4 to put Alfie in at 9 and Thor (most creative player) at 10, Stansfield out wide... I'd like to put the following out there from a tactical point of view; A) we need to be able to change formation from a 4-2-3-1 at times, if for no other reason than to ask different questions. EVERYONE in the league knows how we play and that we won't change from a 4-2-3-1...makes planning and preparing to play against us is far too easy. ADAPTABILITY and problem solving is a key attribute of good teams, if we were able to change to a 3-5-2 or a 4-3-3 for example mid game this change of shape would mean opponents having to solve different problems than those they've trained for all week. B) Teams sit in a low block and we are working hard to find ways over, round and through it. But ask yourself this question - "If opponents are most comfortable in a low block when they are organised and have time to set...when are they least comfortable and most vulnerable?" The answer for me is when, on occasion our opponents are caught high, disorganised and out of their low block...we MUST be quicker to counter their counter! If playing quickly through doesn't work then we can slow down and relax into our probing style, but we are simply not spotting the few opportunities to catch teams out with more dynamic forward play. C) Davies plays a lop sided system (on purpose) with Laird high and Cochrane more conservative. I'd still like to see TGH and Cochrane as wing backs (delivery quality is higher) or X2 out and out wingers (Yokoyama, Wright, Hansson).
Thank you for your comment Tim which is greatly appreciated. You make some excellent points. I agree that if we play a fixed system then we just become predicable and there may be occasions when we need to adapt. Chris Davies have completely changed our playing style in a very short period of time and the players are still adapting to this. I'm sure it will take time to continually evolve and I'm glad we have Chris Davies at the wheel. KRO!
Hi both. It was so frustrating to conceed deep into injury time. A 1-0 lead is always edgy. I will try to remain positive and am hoping Chris Davies will make the necessary changes. It is a marathon not a sprint after all and we still have our game in hand. I am glad to see that you are feeling better Matt. KRO
Thank you for your comment Lisa which is greatly appreciated. Yes it was frustrating conceding like that and its a horrible way to not win the game by conceding in the last minute. We are still in a great place and its just a case of ironing out a few rough edges after which we will be back to our best. KRO!
Morning guys, thoroughly enjoyed your longer podcast on the Northampton game. Full of good points and passion! My takes from the game: fully agree that May needs to be 9 and Williamson @10, Jay off the left. Eustace was guilty of trying to force square pegs into round holes and Jay's transfer fee may be persuading Davies to do the same. Also, I believe we need a new set piece coach. We look fragile in our own area and predictable from our own set pieces. Corners are Paik inswingers from the left and Cochrane inswingers from the right, it's all more of the same. As for direct free-kicks, we never look likely to score. All that said ...we're second, so KRO!!
Thank you very much for your comment Mark which is greatly appreciated. I like the idea of a set piece coach. We could definitely do with a little help in that department. KRO!
100% correct we have no killer instinct... the worry is is that Wrexham do and so do Wycombe we are unfortunately a one trick pony in respect to the way we play ... unless we use May the correct way as the out and out stricker we risk the play offs
Very interesting review thanks. Agree May needs to move to the 9 position. Same problem at Real Madrid with where to play Jude in his best position as well in England team!.Team full of great players in attack. Stano has pace and a rocket shot need to play on the right as you say. Mbappe similarities now at Madrid where to play him just like Stano v May. KRO from Brazil 🇧🇷 Glad you’re feeling better Matt!
Thank you for your comment Andy which is greatly appreciated. It really is a conundrum for Chris Davies, working out the right mix in our forward line. I'm sure he will work out the best combination. KRO!
Good balanced content again guys - I also came away from the game frustrated and a bit angry tbh, but a couple of pints calmed me down, reminded me where we've come from and that we are still a plan in process but we absolutely need to convert possession into goals with quality final balls as we will have these sucker punches... Or as Neo said - Neo: What are you trying to tell me? That I can dodge bullets? Morpheus: No, Neo. I'm trying to tell you that when you're ready, you won't have to.
Thank you for your comment which is greatly appreciated. It was frustrating but as you point out we have come a long way in a short period of time so there is little point in being too down hearted. Onto the next game we go! KRO!
Hi Guys, great work and analysis. When you have 18 players within 35 yards of the opposition goal, there is not the space for over the top balls behind the defence. our forwards do not have the time on the ball and snatch at chances. I agree with Williamson at No. 10 but breaking teams down who are playing a low block is probably the hatdest tactics to play against. We will play better against more competitive sides who are at least prepared to play a semi-open style of football. We just need to be more patient and lucky!!! KRO
Thank you for your comment Lawrence which is greatly appreciated. I'm sure we will continue to improve as the season goes on. We have a strong squad. It's just a case of putting the pieces in the right places. KRO!
I genuinely believe that Davies did all he could in this match. I've said it on multiple other social media and this result was all down to the players. Yeah, we didn't have a great first half, but your could see in the early 2nd half what Chris wanted us to do, play a mid block, being them out of that back line and do an almost pseudo counter attack BEFORE they are able to create That back line. Due to obvious injuries, that was then scrapped and we started to play back into our "normal way" because they them reverted to a back 4 which made it easier to break through and I don't think they little tactical adjustment it's hailed enough because we didn't score enough. And I'm terms is scoring, I think the stats tell enough within themselves 25 shots, 3 on target and 1 goal. The manager and staff can help the players to create goals, but they can't put the ball into the net for them. For me, for this match, I think the players let the manager down BIG TIME and, I know your aren't saying this yourself, but I'm getting sick and tired of people already saying that Davies isn't good enough ALREADY. If they could actually watch the football without watching the score line, they'd know they this one was down to the players, NOT the manager
Great podcast again gents. Small margins very true. Game management poor with the throw in In extra time last two minutes. Cd was screaming to hold the ball in the corner. Yet we played out looking for a second goal. Need a player to beat his man and make the other team shape have to change. Wingers going past their defender or centre midfield going past their opponent all creates space as the other team changes shape to cover. And totally agree with Stanno out wide. Keep the faith gents. Great listen again
Even before their keeper played the long ball in the 97th minute, why was we trying to attack in the 96th. At 1 - 0 , 96th minute, just keep possession, it's one thing we are good at. We should not be trying to attack at that time. Great podcast again lads. KRO
Thank you for your comment which is greatly appreciated. I made that point as well in the podcast. There are times when we need to manage games out better. With two minutes to go if the ball comes anywhere near our box just clear it. I think that is one of the reasons why we conceded the late goal against Northampton, as Iwata was looking for an out ball rather than just clearing it. KRO!
Good analysis guys! I'm not sure what is more frustrating, another self inflicted goal that costs us points or our predictable play in the final third? For me, we need to start mixing up our approach in that final third. We need to put more crosses into the box and especailly early balls inside the box too. Less cutting inside and more going around the outside! Most of our better moments on Saturday were from early balls into the box from wide areas, whereas every time we were cutting inside and playing the ball across the box, it was just allowing Northampton time to block up the gaps around the penalty box and we'd either get shots blocked or it would come to nothing. I thought the second half we were unlucky not to score another couple of goals bar the one we scored, our tempo was much better and there were more balls into the box from wide areas which seemed to unsettle Northampton a lot more. I do think the general way we are playing in the final third would probably suit the Championship more, but dropping down a level, every team is just going to bank up against us in central areas and it's going to be tough to unpick spaces against teams constantly banking up like Northampton did. I do think our front four is a conundrum that Davies needs to solve, but it's more about our approach play than personnel in my opinion. KRO
Thanks for commenting mate. Greatly appreciated and some really interesting insights. I totally agree that League One so far has been a "park the bus" style of opposition. Need to get more creative at breaking through. KRO! :)
Hi guys, hope you are on the mend Matt! My thoughts as follows: 1 The Alfie May situation needs to be addressed quickly. When he signed he was the 20 goals a season man that we all wanted and was on fire for the first few games. Now his goals have dried up and he doesn't look confident. Something needs to change. 2 When Pep was at Barcelona they had a huge amount of possession and most teams couldn't handle it. It was Jose Mourinho who came up with the idea of defending deep, having no space between the lines, not panicking when not in possession and hitting teams hard on the break. So teams now know how to defend against this type of football and so of course us and fair play to them for doing that. It's up to us to come up with something a bit different to break them down. As we saw with England in the summer having a lot of possession with no end result can be counter productive. 3 There are shades of how we were under Tony Mowbray emerging now. Lots of possession, lots of shots, but not many goals! It might be argued that we are too overelaborate sometimes, particularly against League 1 defences. 4 Individual mistakes really, really hurt us badly last season and they kept being made. It's starting to look a bit like that this season. While I can accept the odd mistake due to changing the way we play, the mistakes that led to the goal against us were nothing to do with that. 5 I'd like to see us sign a quality centre back in the next window, preferably with a long throw. 6 Feel really sorry for Marc Leonard. Hopefully his chance will come. Hopefully none of this will come across as being too negative, it's just the way I see things at the moment. Like Wycombe we're averaging around 2.3 points per game so at this stage that's very reasonable. KRO
Thank you for your comment Chris which is greatly appreciated. Your comment makes for a great read and you make some fantastic points. I’m sure others who read your comments will be equally interested. KRO!
Totally agree with you Dad we were too slow to start with in the first half and allowed them to set the pace . I hope CD does swap the playing positions for May . I feel he has been pushed into playing into a position jusy for Stansfield. Its great to have the choice but we are in overkill at the moment what you said makes sense. Glad your feeling better Son 🤗 😅
Thank you for your comment Linda which is greatly appreciated. It’s weird having the problem that we have so many good players that we can’t work out the best way to use them effectively. I’m sure Chris Davies sees what we see however he is the one who needs to make the hard choices. When we do get firing, we will score a lot of goals, but we do need to have players in their most effective positions. KRO!
I think Blues are playing good football. I think it’s been an excellent start, still. And I think they’re still adjusting to crash, bang, wallop opponents. We knew it would be difficult and this is us experiencing that. If League 1 teams can do one thing well it’s defend. Add that to the ‘raising’ the game factor and we are where we are. Would we rather be any of the teams we’ve played. No way. Trouble with fans is we never put up. But such is football. Well done Stansfield. Good lad. KRO
Thank you for your comment which is greatly appreciated. We just need to find a away of dealing with opponents who continually park the bus and score a few more goals. At the end of the day we are in a great position and there is still plenty more to come from us! KRO!
I agree totally with your comment's but I do think there may be a little unjustified panic by a few fans. Dont forget when Wolves won league 1 in 2013/ 2014 they won 31, drawn 10 and lost 5 matches. There is still a long season left and I have every confidence that we are only a few matches away from everything starting to click together.
Thank you very much for your comment Chris which is greatly appreciated. As you point out there is still plenty of football to play this season. We are in a great position and we are bound to drop points from time to time, that is just the nature of football. KRO!
Willumson is so much more effective in the 10 it’s starting to grind on me. I also think we might have to accept we have 2 exceptional number 9’s that possibly won’t be able to start together but hopefully Davies will recognise a few things just aren’t right atm and address them swiftly. KRO!!
just before the goal, we had the opportunity to keep the ball with approximately only 90 seconds to play but instead we chose to take a pretty lame shot straight into the Northampton keepers hands.. I think everyone agrees that Sanderson looked nervous when he came on and made the mistake of taking his eye off the ball at a critical moment, but the utterly brilliant Iwata also mistakenly played the ball into the path of the Northampton player who scored. This isn’t all on Sanderson as many blues fans have suggested. Anyone who thinks it is simply trying to find someone to blame, as that’s the easiest way to process the disappointment. In reality, it was a draw based on the team’s performance as a whole and as you say, we’ve got to get better at killing off games. Besides… we’re still second with a game in hand and it looks pretty much assured we’re not gonna get relegated this season, so things are definitely on the up 😉 KRO!
From recent history mate it's still odd seeing us in second. The table needs flipping upside down 😂😆 Good points and insights mate. Thank you very much for commenting, KRO! :)
Totally agree I think it’s May or stansfield it’s one or the other. We are not prolific enough in front of goal with the amount of chances. On facebook people claim I am slating the team when I make these comments
Thank you for your comment Ian which is greatly appreciated. I think most Blues fans can see the issues and you are entitled to your opinion as much as anyone else! KRO!
Hi both. All of the decades I've watched , and to a degree played, the most effective attacking football is get BEHIND the defence. Winger goes to the byline, pulls it BACK. Defenders are facing the WRONG way. C.D. hopefully changes the way we play. Possession in FRONT of the defence is nothing. I repeat many times, May and Stansfield cannot play in the same starting 11. Good analysis, especially about May getting in the way. Not his fault. Well done breaking the game down. Speedy recovery for Wright. Thank you.
Thank you very much for your comment Mikey which is greatly appreciated. It will be good to see Scott Wright back when he is fit. He offers us a lot of energy and directness. KRO!
Loads of comments!! We all agree that we are not taking the chances we are creating and not turning our possession into something more clinical. We also have crazy predictions from fans who believe we should be steamrollering everyone. May has to start as CF with Thor, Stanno and one other behind him. We need to remember that we’ve only lost one this season but dropped 6 points with the 3 draws we’ve had. Carry the points tally from these first 13 games and we’re Champions!! 🏆😉 KRO 💪🏼FEA
Can’t believe you haven’t been playing Marc Leonard. One of if not the best player in the league last season. Would have been perfect to bring on to see the game out for you guys. Best of luck for the season
Thank you for your comment Luke which is greatly appreciated. Yes, we feel sorry for Marc Leonard as he hadn’t had enough game time so far and he is an excellent player. We have lots of games coming up thick and fast after the international break and I’m sure we will see more of him. I’ve been impressed every time I’ve seen him. Good luck to your lads as well for the rest of the season. KRO!
Hi guys I look forward to your pod cast it's like a relief to my own feelings I love it. I would say Stansfield can't play on the left or right in Christ Davis system because we haven't paid 15M to see Stansfield on the edge of our box. C Davis wants his flankers to track back. I would put Alfie May on the bench and Stansfield at no 9. I have seen much quality from May recently and J has to play and like you Williamson has to play at 10. What do you guys think? Thanks again KRO from sunny 😎 Spain
Thanks Duncan. I think it's a fair point an opinion. The split I am seeing and reading is wether Stansfield is the 9 or May however the general agreement is the experiment with them both hasn't worked. We love Stansfield and not against him in the 9. If that happens though, May can not play in the 10 as it's clear it isn't working and is just clunky / shoehorned. Thanks for commenting, KRO! :)
I'm glad you're well again Matt. Although I'm a season ticket holder, I listen to most of the blues matches on Radio WM. It's torture1 A team who are so skillful, with 70-80% possession can't put away lesser teams. God help us in the Championship.
Thank you for your comment Geoff which is greatly appreciated. Matt is feeling much better thank you. We are still evolving as a team and I'm sure the players are still learning a great deal about each other and how to play teams in League One. We are currently second in the league and not playing at full throttle so its a good place to be as we will continue to improve. I also think the style of football we are playing would be better suited to the Championship, as teams in that league will not sit back, they will come at us, which will play into our hands. KRO!
Cheers Lads .. Stevie Wonder Saw that coming tbh ... They had 3 great chances in the First half and was lucky to go in all square ( At HT ) .. But once We finally broke through ( for Me We didn't look to Add ) Then Smack in the face with Ronald McSanderson ( What is He doing ) Come on He his a pro Footballer ( Our answer to Tyrone Mings )
Thank you very much for your comment which is greatly appreciated. As you point out they had a few chances. Allsop made a couple of good saves and he is definitely our nailed on No.1 now! KRO!
Sorry to hear Matt not been well, good to see you back to fitness. Like you & many Blues fans I agree that May should be our 9 - I don't really understand why CD doesn't do it - in May's first few games for us when he was leading the line he was scoring, now not as prolific - do you think that CD may be under pressure from powers that be to play Stansfield at 9 - seen as a return on investment especially if he scores?
Thank you for your comment Paul which is greatly appreciated. That crossed my find as well that CD might feel the pressure of how to utilise Jay to his potential. I think we should always start Alfie at no. 9, Willumsson at no.10 and Jay on the left or right then work the rest of the team around this. KRO!
@@BCFCRoyalBlue Thanks for the reply, I also totally agree with you about our tempo, need to quicken it up especially in the last 3rd. I was hoping that not being able to beat lower placed teams than us was a thing of the past.
I completely agree with May up top, Thor 10 and Stano wide. I’m old fashioned but let’s play our football in their half, not ours, nothing wrong with putting it in row Z when necessary. I was pleased to see Davies was clearly frustrated, hope it serves to make the changes we all seem to want. If we don’t convert the possession stats into goals it’s completely meaningless.
Just to remind you, far more Blues fans shouted abuse, and quite obscene abuse, at the Northampton fans during the minutes silence, than the original clowns who made a noise. Didn't it occur to these cretins that they could have waited until the silence ended before they responded? These muppets bring shame down on our club Thankfully the vast majority have more class than them, not that that is difficult.
I completely agree that shouting back just makes the whole thing worse! Thankfully, it was just a small minority on both sides, so it didn't spiral into something huge, but it's a real shame people can't even keep their mouths shut for one minute. KRO!
I agree Gary, it was a long drive home absolutely gutted! Such a disappointing goal to concede, but we should have put the game to bed earlier. I can see Stanno signalling for the ball on the run all the time, but it’s like they can’t see him, it’s like they want this perfect team goal when Stanno can just take the keeper on. May has opportunities but he just can’t seem to finish at times wasted opportunities , I don’t think May is up to it. I think the front 4 needs to be built around Stanno end of, he has that finish and the pace. Stansfield never on the bench, he brings so much more than goals. Can we also talk about Klarers knee slide behind Stanno?! 😂😂 he was like I am having a piece of that 🤣🤣 Imagine when he scores his first league goal? The place will absolutely erupt! 🎉🎉🎉 Nice to have you back Matt KRO!
Interesting thoughts on Cochran, always seems to start slow, also thought it opened up for him to shoot twice in the first half and didn’t take it, and we seem to be worse now laird has come back in the team, he looks the part, great feet but no end product.
Thank you for your comment Paul which is greatly appreciated. Both Cochrane and Laird are good players without a doubt and I’m sure we will see their end product improving as we go through the season. They are both attacking wingbacks so they should be an important supply line for us. KRO!
Thank you very much for your comment Russell which is greatly appreciated. We do need to play Alfie at no.9. That is where he had scored all of hid goals from in the past few seasons. KRO!
This is why the other lot should get a chance during international breaks instead of postponed fixtures, no fear of getting dropped , can see this happening more often as we are not taking our chances kro
Agree that 3 of our forward 4 are being played out of position.. with Thor playing 10 and may at 9, it gives the option of stanno wide and which side depends on if either anderson, hannson, Yokohama or wright are selected.. Believe this is the answer to scoring past the parked bus..
Possession football is NOT 1 or 3 points, Won and moving up this league, why doesn’t CB realise and react to our elephant in the room (swap Stansfield for May and put Stansfield out wide). KRO
Hi guys, let's be positive we didn't lose we gained another point, it's been frustrating but we are going to get games like this all season, we will smash some teams though so kro and keep the faith
Thank you for your comment Steven which is greatly appreciated. Absolutely, we've made a good start to the season and we are in a good position. We always remain positive but at the same time try to be as honest as we can based upon what we see. Conceding the late goal in the manner we did was frustrating however I'm sure Chris and the boys will learn from that as we march onto the next game. KRO!
Really love the podcast. Unfortunately I have to disagree about playing Stansfield wide. If he plays wide he will have to track the oppositions full back and that will not get the best out of him. I do agree that WW needs to be in the 10 though!
Thank you for your comment Steve which is greatly appreciated. Jay's work rate is fantastic and I think he would work well wide as it would also give him space to run into. I'm just glad I'm not Chris Davies who has to make all of these decisions! KRO!
Stanno was playing out wide on the left for Fulham when they beat us in the league cup, he has even said he can play in that position & cut in on his right foot
@@nkskro80 He definitely can. The debate is about the balance of the side. IMO if everyone is fit the balance is better if only 1 of May or Stansfield starts
I’m still so frustrated about the performance on Saturday. Sick of seeing us have all this possession & we don’t offer much on the opposition goal, I think teams have figured us out now as the last 2 league games have been poor. Sanderson was at fault with Northamptons goal as he misjudged the long kick but what was iwata thinking playing the ball straight to the guy that scored in our box! Sorry for the rant guys but with the squad of players we’ve got at our disposal we should be smashing teams just like Peterborough, Stockport & Wycombe are doing!
It's fair enough mate. I think you have commented what is on the mind of a lot of blues fans. The lack of goals from the levels of possession and domination we have is certainly frustrating. Really irritating way to end the game but we move onto the next one. KRO! :)
Also Willumson doesn’t work on the right! It’s so obvious Alfie May doesn’t work as a 10. We need to put Alfie at 9, Thor at 10, Keshi on the left & Stanno on the right! I’m so convinced these 4 would work better like this.
Totally agree mate. I get some fans will think to keep Stanno up top and that's cool, everyone is entitled to their opinion and we all see things differently but I agree to stick him out wide. KRO! :)
I think we'll see plenty more of this bus parking for the rest of the season as it's shown to work against us. Still, we're still in the top 2 - my only worry is the pile up of games with International breaks, FA Cup games we keep missing.
Thank you for your comment Paul which is greatly appreciated. I must admit it really is a different type of challenge this season. I think the type of football we play will win a lot of games its just working out a way to get through solid defensive walls. We will get there, its just a case of finding the right mix. KRO!
I've been beating this drum for weeks, May 9, Willumsson 10, Stansfield off the left. It's obvious to everyone other than the manager. His stubbornness is infuriating. Does make we wonder if he has been told he has to play Stansfield as a 9. Hope it's not the case.
Evening Gents, Very disappointing performance in final 3rd, especially with a full week of prep. May should be on the bench. Will at #10, I agree with. Stan #9 needs to happen. Thinking past the short term vision, Stan has been added to be our front-line for years to come. He needs to master this role and style of play. I agree partly with your dad; Stan doesn’t make enough runs to break the line (but granted it’s hard when they sit so deep). Yet, this is something Stan needs to learn and master. Given how Laird plays as a right winger; I don’t think putting Stan out there makes sense, as it undermines that outlet. So that only leaves him playing left wing; which he could do, but I don’t think you’d get the best out of him there as it tends to be a congested part of the field. Other small issue. I know your old man likes Anderson; however, he’s a fantastic work horse, but doesn’t have that clinical edge in the final 3rd. As always, enjoyed the video. Take care both!
Thank you for your comment Phil which is greatly appreciated. Some very interesting points you make about Stanno especially. It’s interesting that even we as fans have different views on where to play various players so it makes you appreciate how tough it is for Chris Davies. I’m sure that we will start to fire on all cylinders very soon and when we do we will score plenty of goals! KRO!
It’s like chaos in the box there all trying to score and imo it should be one or the other, Stansfield will score a lot of goals in this division and if people keep saying play may instead of stansfield he gets quite emotional and might play mind games and he might have a bad few games because things in his mind he takes things quite to heart like last year when he thought the fans were getting in his back. Just my opinion lads KRO
I agree with Alfie going up top mate but that's harsh on Davies, if we win our game in hand we still go top of the league. We just need to get that clinical edge and finally kill teams off. KRO! :) Thanks for commenting, greatly appreciated.
Hi guys the wife and i love podcasts. The Alfie May, Stano question 🥱 playing Stano wide brings up another question, he would expected to track back , covering Laird or Cochrane, do we really think that's where we want to see him, can you imagine Cochrane bombing down the left ready to cross and Stano is behind him ? Something to ponder.😏
Thanks for the kind words, greatly appreciated. Stanno actually prefers to play out wide and look at the game against Fulham against us where he did. Clinical. Not sure of the answer to be totally honest but all we know is that something just isn't working up top. Thanks again, KRO! :)
What was Sanderson doing?! He weren’t even looking the right way, I’d be upset if a schoolboy did that yet alone a professional footballer I think we need to move away from playing may in 10, Completely agree with Matt get Willumsson in 10
That is the crux of the matter, we paid 10 mill plus for Jay to play at no 9, but, hes not the best no 9 at the club, Stanno wasnt bought for that kind of money to be played out wide. Our football is great to watch, but sides have sussed us out, let us play our fantastic football, for 80 per cent of the game, keep it at one nil, and rely on us to mess up somewhere, defenders mistakes, goalkeeping errors, and the thing is its becoming a very bad habit, and very predictable. Im sure Tom Wagner hasnt paid out all of that money to watch us struggle against some of these sides, its a joke. And you right Lairds final ball is atrocious , but thats nothing new, bit it isnt been addressed, Jay should have had a hat trick,
Thank you very much for your comment Keith which is greatly appreciated. I think we definitely have the players it is just a case of Chris Davies working out the most effective way of using them. I'm sure he will do that and we will get stronger as the season progresses. KRO!
Davies is partly to blame relying too much on his favourites. Paik and Iwata are too similar and Laird is being given too much to do and can’t play a ball in the final third. I would play a 4-4-1-1. Leonard for Iwata. Anderson on the right in front of Laird and Yoko in front of Cochran then Willamson behind Stanno.
Thank you for your comment Iain which is greatly appreciated. There is no question that your lads worked hard and did well to score right at the end, so fair play. We are looking at our team's performance and why, at the moment we seem to not be able to see games out and score more goals. We learnt a lot from the Northampton game and I'm sure the performance and the result will focus us for the rest of the season as we play similar teams. Good luck to you and your lads for the rest of the season. KRO!
Still possession obsessed and shot shy. Everyone wants to beat us and enjoy us dropping points. If the wheels come off we will be ridiculed. We need to address our attacking issues!
Is the priority now the Football League Trophy and a trip to Wembley ,11. Goals in last 2 matches against 2 goals in last 2 matches in league and only 2 points gained ,play offs may be more realistic
If we win our game in hand we still go top and we've played all the teams in the top 6. I still think we will win the league but it's a reality check that we need to be more clinical and finish teams off. Thanks for commenting, KRO! :)
At the start of the season every shot that left mays foot went in even in pre season,now he looks lost and I feel.hes lost a bit of confidence,but when you've paid 15 mill for a player I bet he's gota play jay every game but I agree willumsun no 10 and may 9,he's not the leagues top scorer 2 seasons in a row for nothing,he needs to try sumat else coz we have to finish these games off and in style lol kro
Thank you for your comment which is greatly appreciated. Alfie is not as effective if you play him in any other position than the No.9. Hopefully CD can find a way of accommodating that. KRO!
Thank you for your comment Ade which is greatly appreciated. I mentioned that we should play with a higher tempo from the beginning as we look slower at the start of games. KRO!
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We have to remember CD hasn’t ‘managed’ in the number 1 role. He is doing a fantastic job, he will be aware of our shortcomings and be working on them we all know. I agree he was deffo in the spotlight post match v Northampton and as you say body language showed that it’s no walk in the park.
Let’s get behind him, I know we are. What a change at Blues we have all seen. Joys and sorrows too! Keep up the good work Matt and Gary.
Thank you for your comment Darran which is greatly appreciated. Chris Davies is learning all the time and he is doing a great job. We are very lucky to have him. Even though we are not perfect, what we are watching this season is night and day compared to what we have been used to over recent years. KRO!
I hugely sensible answer Darran.
I genuinely believe that Davies did all he could in this match. I've said it on multiple other social media and this result was all down to the players. Yeah, we didn't have a great first half, but your could see in the early 2nd half what Chris wanted us to do, play a mid block, being them out of that back line and do an almost pseudo counter attack BEFORE they are able to create That back line. Due to obvious injuries, that was then scrapped and we started to play back into our "normal way" because they them reverted to a back 4 which made it easier to break through and I don't think they little tactical adjustment it's hailed enough because we didn't score enough. And I'm terms is scoring, I think the stats tell enough within themselves 25 shots, 3 on target and 1 goal. The manager and staff can help the players to create goals, but they can't put the ball into the net for them. For me, for this match, I think the players let the manager down BIG TIME and, I know your aren't saying this yourself, but I'm getting sick and tired of people already saying that Davies isn't good enough ALREADY. If they could actually watch the football without watching the score line, they'd know they this one was down to the players, NOT the manager
Im a Northampton fan who subscribes to your channel as enjoy your balanced views on your club and fair opinions on the other teams . As for Saturdays game i dont think the Cobblers have been given enough credit for a great result..We were never going to play an open expansive game as we would have been slaughtered when you think of the players on both sides..We over achieved last season and survival is the most important thing this season as we have always been a yoyo club. This point is even truer with the injury crisis at the club which is quite incredible. Not an excuse just a fact.From the start of the season up until now we have lost Lintott, Koiki, Mbete, Brough, McGowan, Willis,and on Saturday to lose Magloire and Baldwin early in the second half was unbelievable. All those players are defenders and first team players. To add to that we didnt even have a fit striker on Saturday. Morton out for season,Eaves,Fosu,Wilson injured,and Roberts not eligible to play against his parent club. Bench on Saturday made up of 2 youth players,,young loanee, and 2 players signed in past fortnight who hadnt got clubs and no game time..We are not the greatest team in the division but we also dont always play that system either,sometimes needs must.. As a smaller club to go to Birmingham and get a point under the circumstances was great. We dont and never will have the luxury of being able to have a squad like yours,for example Mark Leonard on the bench,best player for us and in the whole division last season. Thats not a gripe its just shows the gulf between the clubs and thats why i think we deserve more credit for the result..To sum up i think you will win the league and I just hope we keep scraping away and stay up. As for the idiots during the minutes silence, can only say sorry,only a minority but thats just a sad state of the shit society we live in now..I will keep on enjoying your channel and good luck for rest of the season.Thanks Stu
Fair play to the Cobblers. The draw was deserved.
Thanks for commenting, Stuart. It is greatly appreciated, and we respect all opinions and fans on the channel. Fair play to you guys. At the end of the day, when the final whistle goes, all that matters is that 1-1 result. I didn't know the full extent of your injury list, which makes it even more impressive. As some of our fans have even pointed out, both sides ended up making noise during the silence, which was really sad and frustrating to see.
Good luck for the rest of the season and thank you for the kind words, we really appreciate it!
@stuartcoles3713 good luck to ya mate, you did wat you had to do, your players ran their guts out for ya 👏
Totally agree on the Stansfield, May, Willumson situation. Saturday was frustrating, but it’s going to happen a lot this season as teams are coming to Blues and stringing 11 men across the edge of their own box and we need to find effective ways to break them down. Fair play to Northampton as they turned up to play for a point and as far as they’re concerned it was job done, but from the first whistle it was clear their intentions were to spoil, sit in, defend and just rely on a set piece or a breakaway. They’re not great though, at times they were just kicking the ball anywhere! But they closed the spaces down and there was literally no space for Stannno or May to get in behind and I think that’s where we miss Wright and Hanson as they will get their heads down and run at players and commit them into challenges and draw players to them.
Thank you for your comment Matt which is greatly appreciated. Like every team we have played this season, especially at St.Andrew's Northampton worked really hard. We will continue to see teams upping their performances and really working hard against us, which they have to do as they can't match us technically.
We have the tools and firepower to win this league however Chris Davies will continue to work out what he sees is the best team/formation to win games. I'm sure he is learning an awful lot and when we get this right we will start to score a lot of goals and win a lot of games. KRO!
We need to be much more effective from set plays corners, never look like we have a plan. Instead of trying to score the "perfect" goal, we need to shoot on site, we have seen some great goals already from distance, we have the players to do it.
We will drop a few points here & there, even Man City can struggle when the opposition have a go at them,, so that,s not a worry for me, the mistakes will fade over time, we are still a new squad, and will learn from this.
Keep up the good work.. KRO
Thank you for your comment Phil which is greatly appreciated. you make some good points. We do have a tendency to overplay at times in the final third but I'm sure that will improve as the season progresses.
It is a different challenge when we play teams that just put 10 men behind the wall but we need to find a solution as I'm sure League One teams will continue to do the same. KRO!
"While the late equalizer against Northampton was undoubtedly frustrating, it's important to maintain a positive outlook.
The Blues have shown clear signs of improvement and dominance in recent matches. The ability to consistently control possession and create numerous scoring opportunities is a testament to the team's growing strength.
However, it's crucial to capitalize on these chances and secure victories. The team must focus on clinical finishing and game management to avoid late heartbreaks.
Let's channel this disappointment into motivation. Every setback is an opportunity to learn and grow. The future is bright for Birmingham City, and with continued hard work and dedication, we can achieve great things.
Keep the faith, Blues! KRO!" Great podcast! Keep up the good work!
Thank you very much for your comment Michael which is greatly appreciated. Absolutely. Blues are clearly going in the right direction and we are in a good place. I’m sure we will keep ironing out the niggles all season but once we get firing properly we will score a lot of goals. KRO!
Hi both at half time ,my brother said shall we go back to the pub ! Made no impact ,getting each others way ,no running at them ,not shooting , second half not much different,but scored , their goal was predictable, root one ,blues not getting rid , thats 2 poor games , final point ,may and Stansfield cannot play together , both all over the shop , williamson must start as a 10 , spot on pod
Thank you for your comment Tony which is greatly appreciated. You agree with many of the points we raise in the podcast, especially playing Willumsson at no.10! We will be fine, we are still adjusting and we will continue to get stronger. KRO!
Absolutely spot on lads as always, I thought this was going to be about Matt's replacement and bringing in somewhere on loan, great to see you back
Thank you for your comment David which is greatly appreciated. Matt was fully fit so first name of the studio team sheet! KRO!
brilliant little podcast, unbiased. PERFECT
Thank you for your comment Ralph which is greatly appreciated. We are really pleased you enjoy our podcast. KRO!
Fantastic football is a stretch it’s side to side with no thrust. For the money we have spent we should have more composure in the Box. Northampton had their reserves out. This is a worrying sign for the season it could become very difficult if this issue is not addressed. To be fair it’s been coming, a lot of our wins have been close and edgy so no surprise and Davis’s lack of experience worries me. Perhaps I am over exaggerating but time will tell.
Thank you very much for your comment which is greatly appreciated. We need to score more goals without a doubt. One goal leads always make us vulnerable and this caught up with us on Saturday. KRO!
Agree with the shift of the front 4 to put Alfie in at 9 and Thor (most creative player) at 10, Stansfield out wide...
I'd like to put the following out there from a tactical point of view;
A) we need to be able to change formation from a 4-2-3-1 at times, if for no other reason than to ask different questions. EVERYONE in the league knows how we play and that we won't change from a 4-2-3-1...makes planning and preparing to play against us is far too easy. ADAPTABILITY and problem solving is a key attribute of good teams, if we were able to change to a 3-5-2 or a 4-3-3 for example mid game this change of shape would mean opponents having to solve different problems than those they've trained for all week.
B) Teams sit in a low block and we are working hard to find ways over, round and through it. But ask yourself this question - "If opponents are most comfortable in a low block when they are organised and have time to set...when are they least comfortable and most vulnerable?" The answer for me is when, on occasion our opponents are caught high, disorganised and out of their low block...we MUST be quicker to counter their counter! If playing quickly through doesn't work then we can slow down and relax into our probing style, but we are simply not spotting the few opportunities to catch teams out with more dynamic forward play.
C) Davies plays a lop sided system (on purpose) with Laird high and Cochrane more conservative. I'd still like to see TGH and Cochrane as wing backs (delivery quality is higher) or X2 out and out wingers (Yokoyama, Wright, Hansson).
Thank you for your comment Tim which is greatly appreciated. You make some excellent points. I agree that if we play a fixed system then we just become predicable and there may be occasions when we need to adapt.
Chris Davies have completely changed our playing style in a very short period of time and the players are still adapting to this. I'm sure it will take time to continually evolve and I'm glad we have Chris Davies at the wheel. KRO!
Hi both. It was so frustrating to conceed deep into injury time. A 1-0 lead is always edgy. I will try to remain positive and am hoping Chris Davies will make the necessary changes. It is a marathon not a sprint after all and we still have our game in hand. I am glad to see that you are feeling better Matt. KRO
Thank you for your comment Lisa which is greatly appreciated. Yes it was frustrating conceding like that and its a horrible way to not win the game by conceding in the last minute. We are still in a great place and its just a case of ironing out a few rough edges after which we will be back to our best. KRO!
Morning guys, thoroughly enjoyed your longer podcast on the Northampton game. Full of good points and passion! My takes from the game: fully agree that May needs to be 9 and Williamson @10, Jay off the left. Eustace was guilty of trying to force square pegs into round holes and Jay's transfer fee may be persuading Davies to do the same. Also, I believe we need a new set piece coach. We look fragile in our own area and predictable from our own set pieces. Corners are Paik inswingers from the left and Cochrane inswingers from the right, it's all more of the same. As for direct free-kicks, we never look likely to score. All that said ...we're second, so KRO!!
Thank you very much for your comment Mark which is greatly appreciated. I like the idea of a set piece coach. We could definitely do with a little help in that department. KRO!
100% correct we have no killer instinct... the worry is is that Wrexham do and so do Wycombe we are unfortunately a one trick pony in respect to the way we play ... unless we use May the correct way as the out and out stricker we risk the play offs
Thank you very much for your comment which is greatly appreciated. KRO!
Very interesting review thanks. Agree May needs to move to the 9 position. Same problem at Real Madrid with where to play Jude in his best position as well in England team!.Team full of great players in attack. Stano has pace and a rocket shot need to play on the right as you say. Mbappe similarities now at Madrid where to play him just like Stano v May. KRO from Brazil 🇧🇷 Glad you’re feeling better Matt!
Thank you for your comment Andy which is greatly appreciated. It really is a conundrum for Chris Davies, working out the right mix in our forward line. I'm sure he will work out the best combination. KRO!
Good balanced content again guys - I also came away from the game frustrated and a bit angry tbh, but a couple of pints calmed me down, reminded me where we've come from and that we are still a plan in process but we absolutely need to convert possession into goals with quality final balls as we will have these sucker punches...
Or as Neo said -
Neo: What are you trying to tell me? That I can dodge bullets?
Morpheus: No, Neo. I'm trying to tell you that when you're ready, you won't have to.
Thank you for your comment which is greatly appreciated. It was frustrating but as you point out we have come a long way in a short period of time so there is little point in being too down hearted. Onto the next game we go! KRO!
Hi Guys, great work and analysis. When you have 18 players within 35 yards of the opposition goal, there is not the space for over the top balls behind the defence. our forwards do not have the time on the ball and snatch at chances. I agree with Williamson at No. 10 but breaking teams down who are playing a low block is probably the hatdest tactics to play against. We will play better against more competitive sides who are at least prepared to play a semi-open style of football. We just need to be more patient and lucky!!! KRO
Thank you for your comment Lawrence which is greatly appreciated. I'm sure we will continue to improve as the season goes on. We have a strong squad. It's just a case of putting the pieces in the right places. KRO!
You seem as if you will be OK as long as teams play the way you want them to. They won't do it! Sorry!
I genuinely believe that Davies did all he could in this match. I've said it on multiple other social media and this result was all down to the players. Yeah, we didn't have a great first half, but your could see in the early 2nd half what Chris wanted us to do, play a mid block, being them out of that back line and do an almost pseudo counter attack BEFORE they are able to create That back line. Due to obvious injuries, that was then scrapped and we started to play back into our "normal way" because they them reverted to a back 4 which made it easier to break through and I don't think they little tactical adjustment it's hailed enough because we didn't score enough. And I'm terms is scoring, I think the stats tell enough within themselves 25 shots, 3 on target and 1 goal. The manager and staff can help the players to create goals, but they can't put the ball into the net for them. For me, for this match, I think the players let the manager down BIG TIME and, I know your aren't saying this yourself, but I'm getting sick and tired of people already saying that Davies isn't good enough ALREADY. If they could actually watch the football without watching the score line, they'd know they this one was down to the players, NOT the manager
Thank you for your comment which is greatly appreciated. You are quite right. Once the players cross the white line it is down to them. KRO!
Great podcast again gents. Small margins very true. Game management poor with the throw in In extra time last two minutes. Cd was screaming to hold the ball in the corner. Yet we played out looking for a second goal. Need a player to beat his man and make the other team shape have to change. Wingers going past their defender or centre midfield going past their opponent all creates space as the other team changes shape to cover. And totally agree with Stanno out wide. Keep the faith gents. Great listen again
Thanks Tony, greatly appreciate the insights and comment. Not the result we wanted but we go again, KRO! :)
Even before their keeper played the long ball in the 97th minute, why was we trying to attack in the 96th. At 1 - 0 , 96th minute, just keep possession, it's one thing we are good at. We should not be trying to attack at that time.
Great podcast again lads.
KRO
Thank you for your comment which is greatly appreciated. I made that point as well in the podcast. There are times when we need to manage games out better. With two minutes to go if the ball comes anywhere near our box just clear it. I think that is one of the reasons why we conceded the late goal against Northampton, as Iwata was looking for an out ball rather than just clearing it. KRO!
Agree with everything you've said. It did feel like a loss but I've no doubts CD will get it right. Hope you're feeling better now Matt. KRO
Thank you for your comment which is greatly appreciated. Matt is feeling much better thank you. KRO!
Good analysis guys! I'm not sure what is more frustrating, another self inflicted goal that costs us points or our predictable play in the final third? For me, we need to start mixing up our approach in that final third. We need to put more crosses into the box and especailly early balls inside the box too. Less cutting inside and more going around the outside! Most of our better moments on Saturday were from early balls into the box from wide areas, whereas every time we were cutting inside and playing the ball across the box, it was just allowing Northampton time to block up the gaps around the penalty box and we'd either get shots blocked or it would come to nothing. I thought the second half we were unlucky not to score another couple of goals bar the one we scored, our tempo was much better and there were more balls into the box from wide areas which seemed to unsettle Northampton a lot more. I do think the general way we are playing in the final third would probably suit the Championship more, but dropping down a level, every team is just going to bank up against us in central areas and it's going to be tough to unpick spaces against teams constantly banking up like Northampton did. I do think our front four is a conundrum that Davies needs to solve, but it's more about our approach play than personnel in my opinion. KRO
Thanks for commenting mate. Greatly appreciated and some really interesting insights. I totally agree that League One so far has been a "park the bus" style of opposition. Need to get more creative at breaking through. KRO! :)
One positive in my opinion was Allsops ball distribution.
This is a great point! KRO :)
Hi guys, hope you are on the mend Matt! My thoughts as follows:
1 The Alfie May situation needs to be addressed quickly. When he signed he was the 20 goals a season man that we all wanted and was on fire for the first few games. Now his goals have dried up and he doesn't look confident. Something needs to change.
2 When Pep was at Barcelona they had a huge amount of possession and most teams couldn't handle it. It was Jose Mourinho who came up with the idea of defending deep, having no space between the lines, not panicking when not in possession and hitting teams hard on the break. So teams now know how to defend against this type of football and so of course us and fair play to them for doing that. It's up to us to come up with something a bit different to break them down. As we saw with England in the summer having a lot of possession with no end result can be counter productive.
3 There are shades of how we were under Tony Mowbray emerging now. Lots of possession, lots of shots, but not many goals! It might be argued that we are too overelaborate sometimes, particularly against League 1 defences.
4 Individual mistakes really, really hurt us badly last season and they kept being made. It's starting to look a bit like that this season. While I can accept the odd mistake due to changing the way we play, the mistakes that led to the goal against us were nothing to do with that.
5 I'd like to see us sign a quality centre back in the next window, preferably with a long throw.
6 Feel really sorry for Marc Leonard. Hopefully his chance will come.
Hopefully none of this will come across as being too negative, it's just the way I see things at the moment. Like Wycombe we're averaging around 2.3 points per game so at this stage that's very reasonable. KRO
Thank you for your comment Chris which is greatly appreciated. Your comment makes for a great read and you make some fantastic points. I’m sure others who read your comments will be equally interested. KRO!
Totally agree with you Dad we were too slow to start with in the first half and allowed them to set the pace . I hope CD does swap the playing positions for May . I feel he has been pushed into playing into a position jusy for Stansfield. Its great to have the choice but we are in overkill at the moment what you said makes sense. Glad your feeling better Son 🤗 😅
Thank you for your comment Linda which is greatly appreciated. It’s weird having the problem that we have so many good players that we can’t work out the best way to use them effectively.
I’m sure Chris Davies sees what we see however he is the one who needs to make the hard choices. When we do get firing, we will score a lot of goals, but we do need to have players in their most effective positions. KRO!
I think Blues are playing good football. I think it’s been an excellent start, still. And I think they’re still adjusting to crash, bang, wallop opponents. We knew it would be difficult and this is us experiencing that. If League 1 teams can do one thing well it’s defend. Add that to the ‘raising’ the game factor and we are where we are. Would we rather be any of the teams we’ve played. No way. Trouble with fans is we never put up. But such is football. Well done Stansfield. Good lad. KRO
Thank you for your comment which is greatly appreciated. We just need to find a away of dealing with opponents who continually park the bus and score a few more goals. At the end of the day we are in a great position and there is still plenty more to come from us! KRO!
1- 0 up late in the game, defence substitutions. Disrupted the defence for no reason, a major mistake in my eyes, and I said it at the time.
Thank you for the comment which is greatly appreciated. Not the result we wanted a terrible way to end the game but we go again, KRO! :)
I agree totally with your comment's but I do think there may be a little unjustified panic by a few fans. Dont forget when Wolves won league 1 in 2013/ 2014 they won 31, drawn 10 and lost 5 matches. There is still a long season left and I have every confidence that we are only a few matches away from everything starting to click together.
Thank you very much for your comment Chris which is greatly appreciated. As you point out there is still plenty of football to play this season. We are in a great position and we are bound to drop points from time to time, that is just the nature of football. KRO!
Willumson is so much more effective in the 10 it’s starting to grind on me. I also think we might have to accept we have 2 exceptional number 9’s that possibly won’t be able to start together but hopefully Davies will recognise a few things just aren’t right atm and address them swiftly. KRO!!
Thank you for your comment which is greatly appreciated. Definitely agree with your comment, spot on! KRO!
just before the goal, we had the opportunity to keep the ball with approximately only 90 seconds to play but instead we chose to take a pretty lame shot straight into the Northampton keepers hands..
I think everyone agrees that Sanderson looked nervous when he came on and made the mistake of taking his eye off the ball at a critical moment, but the utterly brilliant Iwata also mistakenly played the ball into the path of the Northampton player who scored.
This isn’t all on Sanderson as many blues fans have suggested. Anyone who thinks it is simply trying to find someone to blame, as that’s the easiest way to process the disappointment. In reality, it was a draw based on the team’s performance as a whole and as you say, we’ve got to get better at killing off games.
Besides… we’re still second with a game in hand and it looks pretty much assured we’re not gonna get relegated this season, so things are definitely on the up 😉
KRO!
From recent history mate it's still odd seeing us in second. The table needs flipping upside down 😂😆
Good points and insights mate. Thank you very much for commenting, KRO! :)
Spot on. KRO 💙
Totally agree I think it’s May or stansfield it’s one or the other. We are not prolific enough in front of goal with the amount of chances. On facebook people claim I am slating the team when I make these comments
Thank you for your comment Ian which is greatly appreciated. I think most Blues fans can see the issues and you are entitled to your opinion as much as anyone else! KRO!
Hi both. All of the decades I've watched , and to a degree played, the most effective attacking football is get BEHIND the defence. Winger goes to the byline, pulls it BACK. Defenders are facing the WRONG way. C.D. hopefully changes the way we play. Possession in FRONT of the defence is nothing. I repeat many times, May and Stansfield cannot play in the same starting 11.
Good analysis, especially about May getting in the way. Not his fault.
Well done breaking the game down. Speedy recovery for Wright. Thank you.
Thank you very much for your comment Mikey which is greatly appreciated. It will be good to see Scott Wright back when he is fit. He offers us a lot of energy and directness. KRO!
Loads of comments!! We all agree that we are not taking the chances we are creating and not turning our possession into something more clinical. We also have crazy predictions from fans who believe we should be steamrollering everyone. May has to start as CF with Thor, Stanno and one other behind him. We need to remember that we’ve only lost one this season but dropped 6 points with the 3 draws we’ve had. Carry the points tally from these first 13 games and we’re Champions!! 🏆😉 KRO 💪🏼FEA
Thank you for your comment which is greatly appreciated. Some more great points! KRO!
Can’t believe you haven’t been playing Marc Leonard. One of if not the best player in the league last season. Would have been perfect to bring on to see the game out for you guys. Best of luck for the season
Thank you for your comment Luke which is greatly appreciated. Yes, we feel sorry for Marc Leonard as he hadn’t had enough game time so far and he is an excellent player. We have lots of games coming up thick and fast after the international break and I’m sure we will see more of him. I’ve been impressed every time I’ve seen him. Good luck to your lads as well for the rest of the season. KRO!
Hi guys I look forward to your pod cast it's like a relief to my own feelings I love it.
I would say Stansfield can't play on the left or right in Christ Davis system because we haven't paid 15M to see Stansfield on the edge of our box. C Davis wants his flankers to track back.
I would put Alfie May on the bench and Stansfield at no 9. I have seen much quality from May recently and J has to play and like you Williamson has to play at 10. What do you guys think?
Thanks again KRO from sunny 😎 Spain
Thanks Duncan. I think it's a fair point an opinion. The split I am seeing and reading is wether Stansfield is the 9 or May however the general agreement is the experiment with them both hasn't worked.
We love Stansfield and not against him in the 9. If that happens though, May can not play in the 10 as it's clear it isn't working and is just clunky / shoehorned.
Thanks for commenting, KRO! :)
I'm glad you're well again Matt.
Although I'm a season ticket holder, I listen to most of the blues matches on Radio WM.
It's torture1 A team who are so skillful, with 70-80% possession can't put away lesser teams.
God help us in the Championship.
Thank you for your comment Geoff which is greatly appreciated. Matt is feeling much better thank you.
We are still evolving as a team and I'm sure the players are still learning a great deal about each other and how to play teams in League One. We are currently second in the league and not playing at full throttle so its a good place to be as we will continue to improve.
I also think the style of football we are playing would be better suited to the Championship, as teams in that league will not sit back, they will come at us, which will play into our hands. KRO!
Probably be easier in the Championship because we won't be the big boys so teams won't put 9 people on the edge of their own box.
@@BCFCRoyalBlue Thanks Gary. I tend to get depressed easily!
Cheers Lads .. Stevie Wonder Saw that coming tbh ... They had 3 great chances in the First half and was lucky to go in all square ( At HT ) .. But once We finally broke through ( for Me We didn't look to Add ) Then Smack in the face with Ronald McSanderson ( What is He doing ) Come on He his a pro Footballer ( Our answer to Tyrone Mings )
Thank you very much for your comment which is greatly appreciated. As you point out they had a few chances. Allsop made a couple of good saves and he is definitely our nailed on No.1 now! KRO!
Sanderson wasn’t solely at fault for their goal. Iwata literally passed the ball to the guy that scored in our box!
We're good at setting up the opportunity to create a chance, i.e. getting in threatening areas, but actual chance creation is poor
Thanks for commenting which is greatly appreciated, KRO! :)
Sorry to hear Matt not been well, good to see you back to fitness. Like you & many Blues fans I agree that May should be our 9 - I don't really understand why CD doesn't do it - in May's first few games for us when he was leading the line he was scoring, now not as prolific - do you think that CD may be under pressure from powers that be to play Stansfield at 9 - seen as a return on investment especially if he scores?
Thank you for your comment Paul which is greatly appreciated. That crossed my find as well that CD might feel the pressure of how to utilise Jay to his potential. I think we should always start Alfie at no. 9, Willumsson at no.10 and Jay on the left or right then work the rest of the team around this. KRO!
@@BCFCRoyalBlue Thanks for the reply, I also totally agree with you about our tempo, need to quicken it up especially in the last 3rd. I was hoping that not being able to beat lower placed teams than us was a thing of the past.
I completely agree with May up top, Thor 10 and Stano wide. I’m old fashioned but let’s play our football in their half, not ours, nothing wrong with putting it in row Z when necessary. I was pleased to see Davies was clearly frustrated, hope it serves to make the changes we all seem to want. If we don’t convert the possession stats into goals it’s completely meaningless.
Couldn't agree more Joe. Thank you very much for commenting, it's greatly appreciated. KRO! :)
Just to remind you, far more Blues fans shouted abuse, and quite obscene abuse, at the Northampton fans during the minutes silence, than the original clowns who made a noise. Didn't it occur to these cretins that they could have waited until the silence ended before they responded? These muppets bring shame down on our club Thankfully the vast majority have more class than them, not that that is difficult.
I completely agree that shouting back just makes the whole thing worse! Thankfully, it was just a small minority on both sides, so it didn't spiral into something huge, but it's a real shame people can't even keep their mouths shut for one minute. KRO!
I agree Gary, it was a long drive home absolutely gutted!
Such a disappointing goal to concede, but we should have put the game to bed earlier.
I can see Stanno signalling for the ball on the run all the time, but it’s like they can’t see him, it’s like they want this perfect team goal when Stanno can just take the keeper on.
May has opportunities but he just can’t seem to finish at times wasted opportunities , I don’t think May is up to it.
I think the front 4 needs to be built around Stanno end of, he has that finish and the pace. Stansfield never on the bench, he brings so much more than goals.
Can we also talk about Klarers knee slide behind Stanno?! 😂😂 he was like I am having a piece of that 🤣🤣
Imagine when he scores his first league goal? The place will absolutely erupt! 🎉🎉🎉
Nice to have you back Matt KRO!
Thanks Donna, some interesting points which we greatly appreciate. Disappointing end to the game but we go again. KRO! :)
Interesting thoughts on Cochran, always seems to start slow, also thought it opened up for him to shoot twice in the first half and didn’t take it, and we seem to be worse now laird has come back in the team, he looks the part, great feet but no end product.
Thank you for your comment Paul which is greatly appreciated. Both Cochrane and Laird are good players without a doubt and I’m sure we will see their end product improving as we go through the season. They are both attacking wingbacks so they should be an important supply line for us. KRO!
Totally agree need change players round and may is running round like a headless chicken
Thank you very much for your comment Russell which is greatly appreciated. We do need to play Alfie at no.9. That is where he had scored all of hid goals from in the past few seasons. KRO!
This is why the other lot should get a chance during international breaks instead of postponed fixtures, no fear of getting dropped , can see this happening more often as we are not taking our chances kro
Thank you for your comment Kevin which is greatly appreciated. KRO!
Agree that 3 of our forward 4 are being played out of position.. with Thor playing 10 and may at 9, it gives the option of stanno wide and which side depends on if either anderson, hannson, Yokohama or wright are selected..
Believe this is the answer to scoring past the parked bus..
Thank you for your comment Paul which is greatly appreciated. If we can get the forward line right then we will score a lot of goals! KRO!
Possession football is NOT 1 or 3 points,
Won and moving up this league, why doesn’t CB realise and react to our elephant in the room (swap Stansfield for May and put Stansfield out wide). KRO
Thank you very much for your comment which is greatly appreciated. KRO!
Hi guys, let's be positive we didn't lose we gained another point, it's been frustrating but we are going to get games like this all season, we will smash some teams though so kro and keep the faith
Thank you for your comment Steven which is greatly appreciated. Absolutely, we've made a good start to the season and we are in a good position. We always remain positive but at the same time try to be as honest as we can based upon what we see. Conceding the late goal in the manner we did was frustrating however I'm sure Chris and the boys will learn from that as we march onto the next game. KRO!
Really love the podcast. Unfortunately I have to disagree about playing Stansfield wide. If he plays wide he will have to track the oppositions full back and that will not get the best out of him. I do agree that WW needs to be in the 10 though!
Thank you for your comment Steve which is greatly appreciated. Jay's work rate is fantastic and I think he would work well wide as it would also give him space to run into. I'm just glad I'm not Chris Davies who has to make all of these decisions! KRO!
Stanno was playing out wide on the left for Fulham when they beat us in the league cup, he has even said he can play in that position & cut in on his right foot
@@nkskro80 He definitely can. The debate is about the balance of the side. IMO if everyone is fit the balance is better if only 1 of May or Stansfield starts
I’m still so frustrated about the performance on Saturday. Sick of seeing us have all this possession & we don’t offer much on the opposition goal, I think teams have figured us out now as the last 2 league games have been poor. Sanderson was at fault with Northamptons goal as he misjudged the long kick but what was iwata thinking playing the ball straight to the guy that scored in our box! Sorry for the rant guys but with the squad of players we’ve got at our disposal we should be smashing teams just like Peterborough, Stockport & Wycombe are doing!
It's fair enough mate. I think you have commented what is on the mind of a lot of blues fans. The lack of goals from the levels of possession and domination we have is certainly frustrating. Really irritating way to end the game but we move onto the next one.
KRO! :)
Also Willumson doesn’t work on the right! It’s so obvious Alfie May doesn’t work as a 10. We need to put Alfie at 9, Thor at 10, Keshi on the left & Stanno on the right! I’m so convinced these 4 would work better like this.
Totally agree mate. I get some fans will think to keep Stanno up top and that's cool, everyone is entitled to their opinion and we all see things differently but I agree to stick him out wide. KRO! :)
I think we'll see plenty more of this bus parking for the rest of the season as it's shown to work against us. Still, we're still in the top 2 - my only worry is the pile up of games with International breaks, FA Cup games we keep missing.
Thank you very much for your comment Steve which is greatly appreciated. That is something we will need to get used to and to find a way past! KRO!
Hi both I hate saying it but don’t think this type of football suits league 1 it’s very hard to break teams down
Thank you for your comment Paul which is greatly appreciated. I must admit it really is a different type of challenge this season. I think the type of football we play will win a lot of games its just working out a way to get through solid defensive walls. We will get there, its just a case of finding the right mix. KRO!
I agree May has to be the number 9 and Stansfield wide right or left, Thor in the 10. It has to be changed it’s not working with May in the 10.
Thank you very much for your message which is greatly appreciated. KRO!
I've been beating this drum for weeks, May 9, Willumsson 10, Stansfield off the left. It's obvious to everyone other than the manager. His stubbornness is infuriating. Does make we wonder if he has been told he has to play Stansfield as a 9. Hope it's not the case.
Thank you for your comment Shaz which is greatly appreciated. I’m sure Chris Davies will work it out. Definitely need Alfie in the no.9 KRO!
Evening Gents,
Very disappointing performance in final 3rd, especially with a full week of prep.
May should be on the bench.
Will at #10, I agree with.
Stan #9 needs to happen. Thinking past the short term vision, Stan has been added to be our front-line for years to come. He needs to master this role and style of play. I agree partly with your dad; Stan doesn’t make enough runs to break the line (but granted it’s hard when they sit so deep). Yet, this is something Stan needs to learn and master.
Given how Laird plays as a right winger; I don’t think putting Stan out there makes sense, as it undermines that outlet. So that only leaves him playing left wing; which he could do, but I don’t think you’d get the best out of him there as it tends to be a congested part of the field.
Other small issue. I know your old man likes Anderson; however, he’s a fantastic work horse, but doesn’t have that clinical edge in the final 3rd.
As always, enjoyed the video. Take care both!
Thank you for your comment Phil which is greatly appreciated. Some very interesting points you make about Stanno especially. It’s interesting that even we as fans have different views on where to play various players so it makes you appreciate how tough it is for Chris Davies.
I’m sure that we will start to fire on all cylinders very soon and when we do we will score plenty of goals! KRO!
It’s like chaos in the box there all trying to score and imo it should be one or the other, Stansfield will score a lot of goals in this division and if people keep saying play may instead of stansfield he gets quite emotional and might play mind games and he might have a bad few games because things in his mind he takes things quite to heart like last year when he thought the fans were getting in his back. Just my opinion lads KRO
Thanks Darren, greatly appreciated mate. KRO! :)
Any manager would put Alfie May at centre forward it’s absolutely ridiculous what Chris Davis is doing is ruining our promotion season
I agree with Alfie going up top mate but that's harsh on Davies, if we win our game in hand we still go top of the league. We just need to get that clinical edge and finally kill teams off. KRO! :)
Thanks for commenting, greatly appreciated.
Hi guys the wife and i love podcasts. The Alfie May, Stano question 🥱 playing Stano wide brings up another question, he would expected to track back , covering Laird or Cochrane, do we really think that's where we want to see him, can you imagine Cochrane bombing down the left ready to cross and Stano is behind him ? Something to ponder.😏
Thanks for the kind words, greatly appreciated. Stanno actually prefers to play out wide and look at the game against Fulham against us where he did. Clinical.
Not sure of the answer to be totally honest but all we know is that something just isn't working up top. Thanks again, KRO! :)
Need urgency , speed and clinical. Seems like we think we have hours to score or in a training
Thank you very much for your comment Russell which is greatly appreciated. KRO!
What was Sanderson doing?! He weren’t even looking the right way, I’d be upset if a schoolboy did that yet alone a professional footballer
I think we need to move away from playing may in 10,
Completely agree with Matt get Willumsson in 10
Thank you for your comment which is greatly appreciated. We completely agree that Mat has to be played at No.9 and Willumsson at no.10! KRO!
That is the crux of the matter, we paid 10 mill plus for Jay to play at no 9, but, hes not the best no 9 at the club, Stanno wasnt bought for that kind of money to be played out wide. Our football is great to watch, but sides have sussed us out, let us play our fantastic football, for 80 per cent of the game, keep it at one nil, and rely on us to mess up somewhere, defenders mistakes, goalkeeping errors, and the thing is its becoming a very bad habit, and very predictable. Im sure Tom Wagner hasnt paid out all of that money to watch us struggle against some of these sides, its a joke. And you right Lairds final ball is atrocious , but thats nothing new, bit it isnt been addressed, Jay should have had a hat trick,
Thank you very much for your comment Keith which is greatly appreciated. I think we definitely have the players it is just a case of Chris Davies working out the most effective way of using them. I'm sure he will do that and we will get stronger as the season progresses. KRO!
Davies is partly to blame relying too much on his favourites. Paik and Iwata are too similar and Laird is being given too much to do and can’t play a ball in the final third. I would play a 4-4-1-1. Leonard for Iwata. Anderson on the right in front of Laird and Yoko in front of Cochran then Willamson behind Stanno.
Thank you very much for your comment Neil which is greatly appreciated. KRO!
Mate we have 14 first team players out plus the 3 that went off
Thank you for your comment Iain which is greatly appreciated. There is no question that your lads worked hard and did well to score right at the end, so fair play. We are looking at our team's performance and why, at the moment we seem to not be able to see games out and score more goals.
We learnt a lot from the Northampton game and I'm sure the performance and the result will focus us for the rest of the season as we play similar teams. Good luck to you and your lads for the rest of the season. KRO!
Still possession obsessed and shot shy. Everyone wants to beat us and enjoy us dropping points. If the wheels come off we will be ridiculed. We need to address our attacking issues!
Thank you Terry, greatly appreciated. KRO!
Is the priority now the Football League Trophy and a trip to Wembley ,11. Goals in last 2 matches against 2 goals in last 2 matches in league and only 2 points gained ,play offs may be more realistic
If we win our game in hand we still go top and we've played all the teams in the top 6. I still think we will win the league but it's a reality check that we need to be more clinical and finish teams off. Thanks for commenting, KRO! :)
Sanderson is our tyrone mings im afraid . Kro.
Thanks Paul, KRO!
At the start of the season every shot that left mays foot went in even in pre season,now he looks lost and I feel.hes lost a bit of confidence,but when you've paid 15 mill for a player I bet he's gota play jay every game but I agree willumsun no 10 and may 9,he's not the leagues top scorer 2 seasons in a row for nothing,he needs to try sumat else coz we have to finish these games off and in style lol kro
Thank you for your comment which is greatly appreciated. Alfie is not as effective if you play him in any other position than the No.9. Hopefully CD can find a way of accommodating that. KRO!
How about motd I'd watch
Thank you for your comment Bill which is greatly appreciated. KRO!
Stockport 5 Bolton 0 for example
Thank you for your comment which is greatly appreciated. KRO!
May is not at number 10 Thor is not a winger and Laird is not a winger the honeymoon period is now over the pressure will be on 😮
Thanks Gazza! KRO :)
Too much Possession football , need to get at em , with aggregation, pace , energy, pass,pass,pass,pass
Is becoming a bit boring now .
Thank you for your comment Ade which is greatly appreciated. I mentioned that we should play with a higher tempo from the beginning as we look slower at the start of games. KRO!