No Steps Forward Today

By a strange combination of circumstances I got to watch today’s game (or most of it, when my international stream wasn’t deciding to periodically cut the access), my first since the opener against Sheffield Wednesday. If the world wasn’t turned upside down enough, being in a lower league than certain other teams, recently Brentford v Brighton is listed as a top-flight game, we get beaten at home by Cheltenham, and today we go into a game against Wycombe as underdogs. No matter, fair play to these other teams (except the ‘certain other teams’), and at the end of today’s game nobody was in any doubt about who deserved the points.

Ahead of the game there was I think almost a certain relief (not mixed with pleasure) that we didn’t have to be thinking about whether or not Inniss would be fit to start, and if he was how long he might last. We live without him for the foreseeable future, apparently also someone called Schwartz. So for me much of the focus of the game would be on Lavelle, to see if he looks like stepping up quickly, as we need him to do. Before all of that, we had to see just what combinations Adkins would decide to go with, with nobody confident of what the formation and starting line-up would be after the recent signings and the shocker last Saturday.

In the event he went for changes, six in fact from the Cheltenham game. No DJ, no Kirk (both absent from the bench as well), no Matthews, Morgan among the subs. Instead in front of MacGillivray would be a back three/five, with Lavelle and Famewo joined by Pearce and Gunter and Souare operating as wing-backs. Dobson and Arter would take the central midfield slots, with Leko and Washington either side of Stockley. A 3-4-3 if you like, with two debutants (if you count Arter as such). On the bench would be Harness, Elerewe, Clare, Morgan, Lee, Blackett-Taylor and Davison.

I thought it looked like an odd structure. Wing-backs fair enough, but then having a front three in tandem seemed curious. Also, as pointed out often in the commentary by Steve Brown, there were quite a few on the pitch with very little match time in their legs, while there were combinations being tried for the first time in a real game.

We actually played quite well in the first 15, perhaps 20 minutes. Arter was seeing a fair amount of the ball, Stockley was giving ample evidence that he had the beating of another back line in the air, while Leko and Washington both probed. Nothing in the way of clear-cut chances, best being a combination of the front three leading to Leko shooting from a narrow angle.

However, as the game progress Wycombe started to take control – and to look threatening when the ball was around our area, with McCleary increasingly influential. Just after the 20-minute mark Pearce mishit a clearance which led to a squared ball in and a prodded shot, one which came back off the post with MacGillivrey beaten. It seemed to lay down a marker as quite frankly for the next 60 minutes we barely got a look-in and were thoroughly outplayed. For the remainder of the first half it was a case of whether Wycombe would turn their increasing dominance into goals, or whether we could make it to the break and regroup.

We didn’t make it. A few near misses, some last-ditch interventions kept the scoresheet blank until beyond 40 minutes. But then we found ourselves with a number strung across in a line defending the box and not enough bodies outside it to prevent McCleary, who’d already put one shot narrowly wide from a similar position, setting himself up with a jink inside and hit a decent shot low into the far post. It looked like one that MacGillivrey should have got to, despite some bodies in the way, and Bob Bolder pretty much confirmed that impression during the break.

There was still time for Wycombe to almost extend their lead a couple of times, with a guy sent through poking his shot wide then a cross to the far post headed back across goal but not converted.

The stats at half-time showed we actually had 51% possession but three shots, one on target, against 12 for Wycombe. Decisions for Adkins to make as Wycombe’s forward line was pulling us apart. Change players? Change the formation? Or give it more time. Proved to be the last as no changes were made and there was an ominous feeling that if Wycombe got a second it could get very messy.

The second half saw more of the same, with no sign we might be able to turn things around and looking more likely to go further behind. McCleary turned Gunter, who took him down and collected a yellow, with the shot from the free kick curled just over. And before the hour mark Adkins did make a first change, withdrawing Leko, who had faded along with the rest after a bright start, for Lee. Another 10 minutes passed and then it was Blackett-Taylor on for Souare, who had also picked up a yellow.

That change might have been the catalyst for an improvement, as Blackett-Taylor was to go on to be our best player by some distance. But before that could be seen we went 2-0 down and the game was effectively up. It was a horrible goal for any defence to concede, a dire one when there were three centre-backs out there. A Wycombe free kick caused problems as Stockley found himself up against two down their left, allowing their guy all the time in the world to pick out a cross. That was half-cleared but it went back in, a free header back across goal, and there was McCleary to nod into an open goal from a yard or so off the line. Our defenders were all static.

It was getting embarrassing and Wycombe could easily have made it three. Pearce picked up a yellow. But with the game seemingly in the bag, Wycombe made substitutions themselves, and in a short space of time the threat to our back line was effectively removed, leaving a team just waiting for the final whistle. They nearly didn’t make it.

With about 10 minutes left we had a free kick in a decent position and a good ball in was nearly met by Stockley. From the corner Lee made himself available for a short one and almost made something happen. Then – understandably in the context of the overall position of the game but very strangely for anyone picking up on a possible momentum shift – Adkins withdrew Stockley, for Davison. He had been getting little joy or support, but with Wycombe’s attacking threat having now disappeared there was surely a case for leaving him on and getting more bodies alongside him.

Indeed, Blackett-Taylor was by now causing them all sorts of problems down the left. None of this mattered as long as Wycombe had a two-goal cushion, but we were forcing the pace now and as we moved into five minutes of stoppage time we pulled one back. A Washington snap shot was diverted behind for another corner and from this one, Lavelle powerfully attacking one to the far post and heading it firmly into the roof of the net.

Only a few minutes left but even so we nearly made Wycombe pay for their complacency as two scrambles in their box saw one hoofed off the line and the other not converted. There was just time as Wycombe broke for Famewo to take a yellow for the team, making it four of our back five, which perhaps said it all. And with that the ref brought down the curtain.

A serious optimist might say we started and ended the game well. But nobody’s going to be fooled by that. Once the good start faded we were outpassed and outplayed, conceded two goals and might have let in five, and had no meaningful attempt on goal until the final period after Wycombe had made their substitutions. We seemed in defence to be caught between defending the box in numbers and being unable to pick up players (or the ball) outside it, ending up conceding from a shot just outside the area and two free headers, betwixt and between, which suggests a lack of communication and familiarity. With our wing-backs not offering much going forward, our central midfield was outnumbered and overrun, while the service to the front three was non-existent.

To say there is a lot of work to be done getting players to gel and settle into formations they are comfortable with is a massive understatement. For me the only plus point of the game was Blackett-Taylor. Never seen him before, but he stood out. That was, unfortunately, it.

Player Ratings:

MacGillivray – 5/10. Do feel it was an error for their first goal, should have saved it. Mistakes are made and we know he’s still very heavily in credit for the season so far.

Soare – 6/10. Started brightly and seemed to link up well getting forward. But that didn’t last, took a knock with a poor challenge to get a yellow and was subbed.

Famewo – 6/10. Plenty of effort and good stuff, important interceptions and blocks. But the defence didn’t work well collectively today and for that they all have to take some blame.

Lavelle – 6/10. Hard to tell from the game overall, obviously took the goal well.

Pearce – 5/10. Looked uncertain at times and some poor clearances.

Gunter – 5/10.  No sign of him playing today as a wing-back.

Dobson – 6/10. Decent contribution in terms of last-ditch challenges around the box, good second half free-kick.

Arter – 6/10. Another who started the game well and progressively found himself unable to hold or use the ball effectively.

Leko – 5/10. Faded after good start, like the others up front found himself feeding on scraps.

Stockley – 5/10. Not he day today as he was unable to turn his arial superiority into a real threat.

Washington – 5/10. Some good moments but no more.

Subs:

Lee – 5/10. Unable to make a decisive contribution.

Blackett-Taylor – 8/10. Might have been against a tiring defence but he was a real threat.

Davison – 5/10. Only on for the final 10 minutes.