BFIT - Wycombe (H)

[Zip]

I thought Ejaria was our biggest threat by a distance yesterday and against Boro. He does need to start getting those shots on target thought - thats 4 or 5 from similar positions that have all gone wide in the last couple of games. Wasn't a pen imo.

Yes agree on the shooting. He kept going near post and shooting well wide. He needs to work on that. He was very creative though. I thought he played well and was surprised at the 5’s and 6’s for his performance.

yep - against Boro kept going far post and missing, and this time was near post.

If he'd capped the last two performances with one or two of those flying in, we'd all be praising him.

Again, like with Puscas, feel a bit sorry for Aluko who looks set to be his understudy. Meite's a bit of an issue has his last few performances have been pretty poor - but then he does always offer that goal threat. We looked a lot better with him subbed off last night

Yep both Puscas and Aluko must feel hard done by having played so well v Watford. I think Yaks needs to be benched for now. There is competition for places and he needs to be more of a team player. He has become a bit greedy and needs to look up more.


It will be a test for him if he gets dropped. He is a big character in the dressing room and important in keeping things upbeat. If he is dropped will he remain so upbeat? Will the dressing room still seem so together?

[Hound]

Yes agree on the shooting. He kept going near post and shooting well wide. He needs to work on that. He was very creative though. I thought he played well and was surprised at the 5’s and 6’s for his performance.

yep - against Boro kept going far post and missing, and this time was near post.

If he'd capped the last two performances with one or two of those flying in, we'd all be praising him.

Again, like with Puscas, feel a bit sorry for Aluko who looks set to be his understudy. Meite's a bit of an issue has his last few performances have been pretty poor - but then he does always offer that goal threat. We looked a lot better with him subbed off last night

I agree but I have to say Holmes took the joint second most touches on the pitch last night and did very little with them. We struggled down the right for a reason, the 2 of them struggled with the hard press and the introduction of Esteves and movement of Olise over to the right meant we had players with better first touch allowing us to make more of the lack of space and time.

If Esteves had started we might have seen a very different game first half and a more productive evening from Meite.

Of course if Meite had buried that header none of this would matter.

YEah Meite/Esteves may have been interesting

Did love some of the interplay between Olise/Esteves though. Got me more excited than anything else in the match bar Joao's bit of magic

[Sanguine]

Overall I think (obviously) it has been a really encouraging start to the season. An in-form defence, signs of creativity in attack and enough of an end result to win five from six, with the promise of more to come in the final third. I hope we can sustain this through the weekend - we should beat Rotherham, it feels like a long time since we won games that we should. Then it gets tougher at Blackburn before winnable games at Coventry, and at home to a struggling Preston, and Stoke.

If we could enter a tough set of fixtures from late November that starts away at Bournemouth with eight wins on the board from our first 11 matches (i.e. beat Rotherham then win two of the other four), that would be just terrific.

And, it wasn't his most effective game last night, but there's real quality in Olise, isn't there? He makes the game look very simple when he on the ball.

[NewCorkSeth]

yep - against Boro kept going far post and missing, and this time was near post.

If he'd capped the last two performances with one or two of those flying in, we'd all be praising him.

Again, like with Puscas, feel a bit sorry for Aluko who looks set to be his understudy. Meite's a bit of an issue has his last few performances have been pretty poor - but then he does always offer that goal threat. We looked a lot better with him subbed off last night

I agree but I have to say Holmes took the joint second most touches on the pitch last night and did very little with them. We struggled down the right for a reason, the 2 of them struggled with the hard press and the introduction of Esteves and movement of Olise over to the right meant we had players with better first touch allowing us to make more of the lack of space and time.

If Esteves had started we might have seen a very different game first half and a more productive evening from Meite.

Of course if Meite had buried that header none of this would matter.

YEah Meite/Esteves may have been interesting

Did love some of the interplay between Olise/Esteves though. Got me more excited than anything else in the match bar Joao's bit of magic

Yes they certainly seemed on the same wave length. They had a beautiful moment late on where they strung 3 or 4 passes to each other in a really tight space.

I am very excited by Esteves. His driving angled run was one of the first moments of direct attack we had all game. As debuts go I thought it went very well.

[Snowball]

Joao's got 6 goals. He's just had a mare, working his way back from a dislocated shoulder and he still won the game.

No way he doesn't keep playing.

I’m bringing in Puscas for Meite

Puscas would be awful wide right

He was rubbish against Cardiff last season

[From Despair To Where?]

Yep. So far we've played:
Derby - 2 goals in 5
Barnsley - 3 goals in 5
Cardiff - 3 goals in 4
Watford - 3 goals in 4
Boro - 5 goals in 5
Wycombe - 1 goal in 5

Excluding our games.

Yet to meet anyone with a particularly potent attack. The likes of Bristol, Bournemouth, Blackburn, Brentford are all scoring fairly well and will prove an interesting test for the defence.

We're not playing especially well, but we have the quality to pick up goals and the base to keep clean sheets.

I wonder, because I don't want to do the work, if any of those teams have faced anyone particularly good in defense? Watford for example? I suppose Bristol played Boro who looked pretty tidy.

Defences are very much on top in the Championship this season. Only Blackburn are currently averaging more than two goals per game. I think there are 7 PL teams averaging more than two goals per game.
There are simply not that many goals being scored in the Championship this season. Well down on the top flight for goals. Just look at last night’s games. Very low scoring.

Blackburn haven't scored for 2 games. They rinsed Wycombe and Derby but have only 2 gosls and 1 point in their other 3 games.

We are the 3rd highest scoring team in the Championship.

[Snowball]

Whisper it but we have won three home games on the trot.

How many games before we can say the hoodoo is gone?

[Hound]

Whisper it but we have won three home games on the trot.

How many games before we can say the hoodoo is gone?

noticed that. The performances have still be a bit laboured and we do need to work out how to take the game to the oppo while still being strong at the back. We just always look a better side away from home to me - seems to suit our players better with the opposition taking the game to us a bit more.

FWIW I think we look a really tough nut to crack away.

[NewCorkSeth]

I wonder, because I don't want to do the work, if any of those teams have faced anyone particularly good in defense? Watford for example? I suppose Bristol played Boro who looked pretty tidy.

Defences are very much on top in the Championship this season. Only Blackburn are currently averaging more than two goals per game. I think there are 7 PL teams averaging more than two goals per game.
There are simply not that many goals being scored in the Championship this season. Well down on the top flight for goals. Just look at last night’s games. Very low scoring.

Blackburn haven't scored for 2 games. We are the 3rd highest scoring team in the Championship.

Still though. Second most shots per game and first in shots on target per game.

Interestingly we are top for dribbles per game and also the most fouled per game. Teams are really hacking us down to try and stop the likes of Ovie, Joao and Olise from roaming free.

[Snowball]

I agree but I have to say Holmes took the joint second most touches on the pitch last night and did very little with them. We struggled down the right for a reason, the 2 of them struggled with the hard press and the introduction of Esteves and movement of Olise over to the right meant we had players with better first touch allowing us to make more of the lack of space and time.

If Esteves had started we might have seen a very different game first half and a more productive evening from Meite.

Of course if Meite had buried that header none of this would matter.

YEah Meite/Esteves may have been interesting

Did love some of the interplay between Olise/Esteves though. Got me more excited than anything else in the match bar Joao's bit of magic

Yes they certainly seemed on the same wave length. They had a beautiful moment late on where they strung 3 or 4 passes to each other in a really tight space.

I am very excited by Esteves. His driving angled run was one of the first moments of direct attack we had all game. As debuts go I thought it went very well.

Someone said bring in Esteves at RW instead of Meite, keep Holmes

Ejaria-Olise-Esteves being Joao would be awesome!

[NewCorkSeth]

Whisper it but we have won three home games on the trot.

How many games before we can say the hoodoo is gone?

when did we last win a midweek home game?

[NewCorkSeth]

YEah Meite/Esteves may have been interesting

Did love some of the interplay between Olise/Esteves though. Got me more excited than anything else in the match bar Joao's bit of magic

Yes they certainly seemed on the same wave length. They had a beautiful moment late on where they strung 3 or 4 passes to each other in a really tight space.

I am very excited by Esteves. His driving angled run was one of the first moments of direct attack we had all game. As debuts go I thought it went very well.

Someone said bring in Esteves at RW instead of Meite, keep Holmes

Ejaria-Olise-Esteves being Joao would be awesome!

I would rather see Olise out wide right personally. He does great work out there.

[Snowball]

Whisper it but we have won three home games on the trot.

How many games before we can say the hoodoo is gone?

noticed that. The performances have still be a bit laboured and we do need to work out how to take the game to the oppo while still being strong at the back. We just always look a better side away from home to me - seems to suit our players better with the opposition taking the game to us a bit more.

FWIW I think we look a really tough nut to crack away.

Agreed, but the failing-at-home thing was becoming a huge millstone.

Seems like we've cracked it. Wasn't it one home league win in 2020 before Pauno?

[paultheroyal]

That was oxf*rd abysmal. Joao with the get out of jail free card after spending most the game trotting around looking like he’d won a competition to play football.

Cue “you can only beat what’s in front of you” and “sign of a good team to win when you’re playing badly” but that was abject pretty much from start to finish. Fair play to Wycombe but I don’t think I’ve ever felt so negative after a win but if we play like that we won’t get too many more.

What a turd of a post.

[Snowball]

Yes they certainly seemed on the same wave length. They had a beautiful moment late on where they strung 3 or 4 passes to each other in a really tight space.

I am very excited by Esteves. His driving angled run was one of the first moments of direct attack we had all game. As debuts go I thought it went very well.

Someone said bring in Esteves at RW instead of Meite, keep Holmes

Ejaria-Olise-Esteves being Joao would be awesome!

I would rather see Olise out wide right personally. He does great work out there.

As far as I'm concerned they could do what they liked.

Forget which three it was that looked great last season for a while. Blackett-Ejaria and? They played some lovely stuff.

[URZZZZ]

Ejaria should have had an assist for a brilliant cross to Meite. He was in on goal following brilliant link up play with Joao but Yaks got in the way. He put in a very good cross which fell for Semedo who should have done better. So yeah three of our best moments came through him.

When he plays at a high tempo, he’s dangerous and tough to handle. The problem is he doesn’t do it enough, too much dawdling on the ball, twisting in and out

The most frustrating thing is if you rewind 10/11 months, people are saying the exact same thing about him. His decision making is what is stopping him from becoming a much better player, but then I guess he wouldn’t be playing for us if that was the case

It will come. He has all the ability in the world and if he’s creating three excellent chances per game as he did last night then he really is doing his job. Very surprised at the negative comments about his performance last night. Can anyone name a player who created more than he did last night?

Not sure they were three “excellent“ chances. Meite’s was, was an excellent cross which makes it even stranger considering he seems reluctant to cross most of the time. And yes, don’t recall anyone creating more than he did last night although that wasn’t saying much

It still doesn’t stop people observing his constant walking pace football though. It’s a real concern that he’s still doing this given people were mentioning it nearly as soon as he joined which was nearly 2 years ago

His goals/assists tally last year was underwhelming and needs to be improved this year (granted he should have had an assist last night)

Do still think he’s a better player out on the left though, he’s crowded out too much in the middle, much prefer Olise in there

[Sanguine]

Whisper it but we have won three home games on the trot.

How many games before we can say the hoodoo is gone?

Odd thing about last season's awful home record is that of the seven home games we won, three of them were in a row (Preston, Millwall, Luton) and that was part of a run of five wins in seven at the Madejski.

Prior to that, the last time we had done it was the 16-17 season (playoff final), where we won four on the trot, twice.

So in short, not yet - not least with Rotherham and a struggling Preston next to visit.

[Snowball]

Whisper it but we have won three home games on the trot.

How many games before we can say the hoodoo is gone?

when did we last win a midweek home game?

No idea. Never look at stats

[Hound]

Yes they certainly seemed on the same wave length. They had a beautiful moment late on where they strung 3 or 4 passes to each other in a really tight space.

I am very excited by Esteves. His driving angled run was one of the first moments of direct attack we had all game. As debuts go I thought it went very well.

Someone said bring in Esteves at RW instead of Meite, keep Holmes

Ejaria-Olise-Esteves being Joao would be awesome!

I would rather see Olise out wide right personally. He does great work out there.

I like Holmes but he really isnt a RB. He offers very little going forward and will get beaten by a decent winger on the floor. A very good CB prospect though.

[Sanguine]

Whisper it but we have won three home games on the trot.

How many games before we can say the hoodoo is gone?

when did we last win a midweek home game?

Technically, Boxing Day last year when we beat QPR. But a 'proper' midweek home game - Blackburn in February 2019. Which in turn was out first midweek home win since we beat Barnsley in November 2017.