MATCHWATCH : Millwall (a)

[Millsy]

Halilovic, Hoilett and Azeez were soft tissue injuries. We don’t know about Drinkwater or Yiadom. Most other clubs have very few out. So even allowing for the impact injuries we have at least three out with hamstring injuries.

I don’t agree about the tiredness thing. When we played Blackpool it was only the second game back after the international break and the poor little flowers are tired, Bless them. Something isn’t right.

Our fitness/medical/science team is woefully underperforming. End of story. Have been for a while since certain changes made.

[URZZZZ]

This does look like a scrappy 1-0 home win to me.
I would ordinarily agree with Ian and play Laurent at CB but then who plays at CDM as I think Drinkwater has to be dropped?
Either way I would bring in Holmes and drop Drinkwater.

Sadly the outcome was oh so predictable.
I fully expect another defeat on Saturday. I’m hoping for a miracle but I just can’t see it.
It has to be last chance saloon for Pauno because he is taking us down.

He has drawn a short straw with the points deduction but the squad is just an unfit, injury prone mess. The unfitness is at his door. The level of injuries is ridiculous. I don’t believe it’s just bad luck. Conditioning of the players has to be questioned. It’s not acceptable to say they are too tired because they are playing all the time. That’s bollocks. Swift is the only ever present.

Every game we fall away in the second half and no changes are made. FFS bring on the youngsters to give the side fresh legs. Azeez and Ashcroft have come into the side and been fine. Just leaving it until the opposition score and then being too timid to play Clarke and Puscas up front when we need a goal is pathetic.

I was shocked at how weak we were v Blackpool. I thought then we were in a relegation battle. Now I’m certain of it. Wr are in deep trouble.

Most of this is spot on. What the most depressing thing isn’t the fact we’ve lost four in a row. It isn’t the fact we’ve had 0 shots on target. It isn’t the fact that our (only) striker hasn’t scored in over 1000 minutes of football. It’s the fact it’s so predictable

Everyone knew the game tonight was a game on fine margins. Our recent scoring record has been awful. Millwall rarely score more than one. It was always going to be a 1-0 or at most 1-1. Yet was inevitable we’d be on the losing side

Chasing the game? Most teams throw the kitchen sink at it. Pile men in the box, cross it in, cause havoc. We just never do that under Paunovic. It’s the same thing every time. Clarke for Puscas again? Just awful. Feels like it’s an inevitable loss every time we concede the first goal

The amount of so called “flair” players we’re supposed to have and then the amount of chances created is a huge concern. We simply don’t create anywhere near enough opportunities. Passing to Swift and hoping he does something isn’t viable. Even with our run at the start of last season, it wasn’t built on a sustainable foundation

Problem isn’t just down to Paunovic though. We haven’t created enough chances and opportunities for a while now. Ever since our last relegation from the Prem, the squad has underperformed relative to the capabilities of the squad almost every season. Stam’s was an anomaly but arguably that squad was one of the weakest on paper? It’s just a shambles all round from top to bottom

[CountryRoyal]

Really sorry to say this, but Pauno is the Stam of a few years ago, we need TWO up front if we're chasing a game - he just doesn't seem willing to change!

We're in the poop for sure - and I'm no longer confident in the manager to sort it.

Exactly. I've been banging on about this for months and Pauno doesn't seem to learn. I can't believe he doesn't dive into HNA to take my advice!

He did allegedly go 2 up front with Swift and Clarke but a) Puscas was doing FINE and came close a couple of times one of his better games for us... no reason to take him off, didn't look half as tired as Swift b) Swift is not a striker c) as per b we had times where we were streaming forward with Rahman abotu to put a cross in and... no Swift in the box, just defaulting to his midfield position outside the box. Surely you'd keep Puscas up there. He really doesn't like Puscas. If you're going to use a midfielder up front then they better be bloody well drilled to know how to play that role if it's asked of them. Otherwise you're just staying 451 and trying to dick around with formations that won't work.

I understand injuries make it hard, but there's no issue swapping Ashcroft with Clarke, 442 and two out and out strikers up front. Injuries irrelevant there. You've just got to make it work with Puscas you can't take him off when he's doing well.

Really disappointing defeat.

I wouldn’t have taken off Ashcroft, his delivery was pretty good. Would have sooner taken off Holmes (Moore ideally but you know that would never happen).

[Stranded]

This the Stranded who lives in Germany and hasn’t watched a reading game live for probably over a decade? Telling a season ticket holder about our tribulations

Yep, that's me. Happy to admit that my distance from events probably allows me to look at things a bit more dispassionately/realistically.

Yes, I've barely attended a game since I left the UK but have seen approximately 80% of all games live since iFollow started what 5 seasons back now

[windermereROYAL]

Early season goals from midfield really kept us afloat, that was never really sustainable in the long term, now the lack of manpower up front has come back to bite us on the bum, who couldn`t see that coming?

[Stranded]

First half decent. How Millwall #6 didn't walk I'll never know. Probably should have had a pen for the challenge on Rahman.

2nd half is what happens when you have less than a full 11 of established players available. Tired minds, tired bodies.

Writing Saturday off and hoping we have players back by the Forest game.

Sorry Stranded I think you’re hopelessly optimistic.

You have to blood some youngsters. It is utterly insane to have not done so with our injury situation this season.

He also should have changed the way we play to try and accommodate the only experienced striker we have.

I don't consider myself an optimist at all. As said, I guess watching from a distance helps me view things in a different slightly impassive way, I don't know. I don't tend to get too carried away by form, good or bad these days. I see the issues but understand the solutions aren't always as easy as chuck in a youngster.

Think we haven't used them as much as we should and when you see Ashcroft perform as he did, you have to ask why he hasn't made a few cameos to date to give Drinkwater or someone a rest.

Issue we also have is there is a spat this year of in game injuries at u23 level as well, so those who were the next in line aren't available either. I don't know what we can do about those but if injuries don't start to clear up, with the deduction, it may well become a long trudge to L1.

[Millsy]

Really sorry to say this, but Pauno is the Stam of a few years ago, we need TWO up front if we're chasing a game - he just doesn't seem willing to change!

We're in the poop for sure - and I'm no longer confident in the manager to sort it.

Exactly. I've been banging on about this for months and Pauno doesn't seem to learn. I can't believe he doesn't dive into HNA to take my advice!

He did allegedly go 2 up front with Swift and Clarke but a) Puscas was doing FINE and came close a couple of times one of his better games for us... no reason to take him off, didn't look half as tired as Swift b) Swift is not a striker c) as per b we had times where we were streaming forward with Rahman abotu to put a cross in and... no Swift in the box, just defaulting to his midfield position outside the box. Surely you'd keep Puscas up there. He really doesn't like Puscas. If you're going to use a midfielder up front then they better be bloody well drilled to know how to play that role if it's asked of them. Otherwise you're just staying 451 and trying to dick around with formations that won't work.

I understand injuries make it hard, but there's no issue swapping Ashcroft with Clarke, 442 and two out and out strikers up front. Injuries irrelevant there. You've just got to make it work with Puscas you can't take him off when he's doing well.

Really disappointing defeat.

I wouldn’t have taken off Ashcroft, his delivery was pretty good. Would have sooner taken off Holmes (Moore ideally but you know that would never happen).

Yep, agree, enough options.

[leon]

First half decent. How Millwall #6 didn't walk I'll never know. Probably should have had a pen for the challenge on Rahman.

2nd half is what happens when you have less than a full 11 of established players available. Tired minds, tired bodies.

Writing Saturday off and hoping we have players back by the Forest game.

Sorry Stranded I think you’re hopelessly optimistic.

You have to blood some youngsters. It is utterly insane to have not done so with our injury situation this season.

He also should have changed the way we play to try and accommodate the only experienced striker we have.

I don't consider myself an optimist at all. As said, I guess watching from a distance helps me view things in a different slightly impassive way, I don't know. I don't tend to get too carried away by form, good or bad these days. I see the issues but understand the solutions aren't always as easy as chuck in a youngster.

Think we haven't used them as much as we should and when you see Ashcroft perform as he did, you have to ask why he hasn't made a few cameos to date to give Drinkwater or someone a rest.

Issue we also have is there is a spat this year of in game injuries at u23 level as well, so those who were the next in line aren't available either. I don't know what we can do about those but if injuries don't start to clear up, with the deduction, it may well become a long trudge to L1.

It’s not been working for some tome and I’d argue that it hasn’t worked up front all season. No manner of dispassion can make you ignore that.

We have to augment the first team with young players. We have to. The first team look unfit so actually we have to get some (any) fresh legs in.

The biggest (only?) improvement Pauno has implemented was entirely forced on him. Ironically due to injury. His stubbornness is taking us down.

(And the 1st half might have been decent but how many chances did we make? See my first point.)

[Snowflake Royal]

This the Stranded who lives in Germany and hasn’t watched a reading game live for probably over a decade? Telling a season ticket holder about our tribulations

Stranded watches online a lot. Which means he's probably seen way more games than most STHs in recent times.

[Zip]

Sorry Stranded I think you’re hopelessly optimistic.

You have to blood some youngsters. It is utterly insane to have not done so with our injury situation this season.

He also should have changed the way we play to try and accommodate the only experienced striker we have.

I don't consider myself an optimist at all. As said, I guess watching from a distance helps me view things in a different slightly impassive way, I don't know. I don't tend to get too carried away by form, good or bad these days. I see the issues but understand the solutions aren't always as easy as chuck in a youngster.

Think we haven't used them as much as we should and when you see Ashcroft perform as he did, you have to ask why he hasn't made a few cameos to date to give Drinkwater or someone a rest.

Issue we also have is there is a spat this year of in game injuries at u23 level as well, so those who were the next in line aren't available either. I don't know what we can do about those but if injuries don't start to clear up, with the deduction, it may well become a long trudge to L1.

It’s not been working for some tome and I’d argue that it hasn’t worked up front all season. No manner of dispassion can make you ignore that.

We have to augment the first team with young players. We have to. The first team look unfit so actually we have to get some (any) fresh legs in.

The biggest (only?) improvement Pauno has implemented was entirely forced on him. Ironically due to injury. His stubbornness is taking us down.

(And the 1st half might have been decent but how many chances did we make? See my first point.)

Yep not using younger players when the starters are being over-run in the second half is inexcusable. It’s even more stupid as we are having to actually start some of these youngsters now anyway so they need to get used to playing in the senior team.

[leon]

This the Stranded who lives in Germany and hasn’t watched a reading game live for probably over a decade? Telling a season ticket holder about our tribulations

Stranded watches online a lot. Which means he's probably seen way more games than most STHs in recent times.

Not sure about that.

[Stranded]

Sorry Stranded I think you’re hopelessly optimistic.

You have to blood some youngsters. It is utterly insane to have not done so with our injury situation this season.

He also should have changed the way we play to try and accommodate the only experienced striker we have.

I don't consider myself an optimist at all. As said, I guess watching from a distance helps me view things in a different slightly impassive way, I don't know. I don't tend to get too carried away by form, good or bad these days. I see the issues but understand the solutions aren't always as easy as chuck in a youngster.

Think we haven't used them as much as we should and when you see Ashcroft perform as he did, you have to ask why he hasn't made a few cameos to date to give Drinkwater or someone a rest.

Issue we also have is there is a spat this year of in game injuries at u23 level as well, so those who were the next in line aren't available either. I don't know what we can do about those but if injuries don't start to clear up, with the deduction, it may well become a long trudge to L1.

It’s not been working for some tome and I’d argue that it hasn’t worked up front all season. No manner of dispassion can make you ignore that.

We have to augment the first team with young players. We have to. The first team look unfit so actually we have to get some (any) fresh legs in.

The biggest (only?) improvement Pauno has implemented was entirely forced on him. Ironically due to injury. His stubbornness is taking us down.

I agree it's not working up front - maybe we do need to push a 2nd striker up there but unfortunately I have seen nothing in Clarke yet, that suggests he would offer much from the start (but he may help Puscas, who knows) and that typifies are biggest problem at the moment - we are hoping, that if someone from the youth ranks gets a start they will do well - as Ashcroft did last night . That is all we have, hope, whereas at the moment (with the possible exception of Derby) every other squad has options that they know what they can do - even if they are shit.

That is a small but pretty significant difference.

[Stranded]

This the Stranded who lives in Germany and hasn’t watched a reading game live for probably over a decade? Telling a season ticket holder about our tribulations

Stranded watches online a lot. Which means he's probably seen way more games than most STHs in recent times.

Not sure about that.

Average watching around 35 games a season in full, not that it matters really. 4pm kick offs generally mean I'm at home by that point on Saturdays.

[Snowflake Royal]

First half decent. How Millwall #6 didn't walk I'll never know. Probably should have had a pen for the challenge on Rahman.

2nd half is what happens when you have less than a full 11 of established players available. Tired minds, tired bodies.

Writing Saturday off and hoping we have players back by the Forest game.

Sorry Stranded I think you’re hopelessly optimistic.

You have to blood some youngsters. It is utterly insane to have not done so with our injury situation this season.

He also should have changed the way we play to try and accommodate the only experienced striker we have.

I don't consider myself an optimist at all. As said, I guess watching from a distance helps me view things in a different slightly impassive way, I don't know. I don't tend to get too carried away by form, good or bad these days. I see the issues but understand the solutions aren't always as easy as chuck in a youngster.

Think we haven't used them as much as we should and when you see Ashcroft perform as he did, you have to ask why he hasn't made a few cameos to date to give Drinkwater or someone a rest.

Issue we also have is there is a spat this year of in game injuries at u23 level as well, so those who were the next in line aren't available either. I don't know what we can do about those but if injuries don't start to clear up, with the deduction, it may well become a long trudge to L1.

You may not consider yourself an optimist, but you always take the most optimistic slant on things.

You think your distance helps, but in many ways you're the other side of the negative nancy coin, not the realistic medium between.

How you can say your take earlier in the season that we'd continue to score goals and stop conceding given the form we were displaying and reliance we had on Swift was incredibly naively optimistic. Yeah, we had a little run where it looked like you might be right. But we're now back in a losing streak and it's clear you weren't.

Reality does seem to be starting to penetrate some of your recent posts though. And I'd take your intelligent but poorly founded optimism over the knee jerk negative stupidity we're subjected to week on week.

[leon]

I don't consider myself an optimist at all. As said, I guess watching from a distance helps me view things in a different slightly impassive way, I don't know. I don't tend to get too carried away by form, good or bad these days. I see the issues but understand the solutions aren't always as easy as chuck in a youngster.

Think we haven't used them as much as we should and when you see Ashcroft perform as he did, you have to ask why he hasn't made a few cameos to date to give Drinkwater or someone a rest.

Issue we also have is there is a spat this year of in game injuries at u23 level as well, so those who were the next in line aren't available either. I don't know what we can do about those but if injuries don't start to clear up, with the deduction, it may well become a long trudge to L1.

It’s not been working for some tome and I’d argue that it hasn’t worked up front all season. No manner of dispassion can make you ignore that.

We have to augment the first team with young players. We have to. The first team look unfit so actually we have to get some (any) fresh legs in.

The biggest (only?) improvement Pauno has implemented was entirely forced on him. Ironically due to injury. His stubbornness is taking us down.

I agree it's not working up front - maybe we do need to push a 2nd striker up there but unfortunately I have seen nothing in Clarke yet, that suggests he would offer much from the start (but he may help Puscas, who knows) and that typifies are biggest problem at the moment - we are hoping, that if someone from the youth ranks gets a start they will do well - as Ashcroft did last night . That is all we have, hope, whereas at the moment (with the possible exception of Derby) every other squad has options that they know what they can do - even if they are shit.

That is a small but pretty significant difference.

As Zip points out our hand will be forced anyway so we have to look at (should have from day 1) whatever limited options options we have.

Rather try and help Puscas get the best out of him than not surely?

Throwing our hands in the air and saying we don’t have anyone is insane and will cost Pauno his job.

[leon]

Stranded watches online a lot. Which means he's probably seen way more games than most STHs in recent times.

Not sure about that.

Average watching around 35 games a season in full, not that it matters really. 4pm kick offs generally mean I'm at home by that point on Saturdays.

Good show. Then you more than anyone can see the problems we have and therefore agree with my rather sensible suggestions!

[Snowflake Royal]

Halilovic, Hoilett and Azeez were soft tissue injuries. We don’t know about Drinkwater or Yiadom. Most other clubs have very few out. So even allowing for the impact injuries we have at least three out with hamstring injuries.

I don’t agree about the tiredness thing. When we played Blackpool it was only the second game back after the international break and the poor little flowers are tired, Bless them. Something isn’t right.

Our fitness/medical/science team is woefully underperforming. End of story. Have been for a while since certain changes made.

Stop alluding to it like you're special and just tell us your secret knowledge or stfu about it Millsy.

[Snowflake Royal]

This the Stranded who lives in Germany and hasn’t watched a reading game live for probably over a decade? Telling a season ticket holder about our tribulations

Stranded watches online a lot. Which means he's probably seen way more games than most STHs in recent times.

Not sure about that.

Most STHs only go to home games, or the odd away game, or away attendances would be far higher. Watching online means you can see most home and away games.

No one went to live games for most of the last 18 months, but they were available online. Demand spiked, but there's no way all 8/9 thousand STHs bought IFollow passes. Plenty who post on here, probably a sample more dedicated than average didn’t.

Its a simple numbers game. I’ve see 90% of our matches online the last two seasons, home and away. Stranded's similar. We'll have seen more games than 80% of fans who go turn up at least.

Not that seeing more or less games is a reason to criticise anyone's opinion on us.

[Coppells Lost Coat]

Hard game to digest. How is Wallace still at Millwall??
Nice to see a new formation and a few of the youngsters get a chance, hopefully that gives us a couple of new options now.....Bored of seeing the exact same second half performance.
I am sick of seeing too many of our players just go through the exact same patterns of play, even if we are 1,2,3 goals down. As an above poster said, other teams would be desperate to get balls into the box we are extremely happy just to pass sideways near the box. You can say injuries, no squad depth blah blah blah but I am fairly sure even i can put balls into the box for striker to attack.

Anyway on to Brum. Lets hope we have a few fitness boosts.

[leon]

Stranded watches online a lot. Which means he's probably seen way more games than most STHs in recent times.

Not sure about that.

Most STHs only go to home games, or the odd away game, or away attendances would be far higher. Watching online means you can see most home and away games.

No one went to live games for most of the last 18 months, but they were available online. Demand spiked, but there's no way all 8/9 thousand STHs bought IFollow passes. Plenty who post on here, probably a sample more dedicated than average didn’t.

Its a simple numbers game. I’ve see 90% of our matches online the last two seasons, home and away. Stranded's similar. We'll have seen more games than 80% of fans who go turn up at least.

Not that seeing more or less games is a reason to criticise anyone's opinion on us.

I’ll take that as another +1!