We’ve led for a total of 247 minutes split across eight games out of the last 2070 minutes / 23 games.
We’ve yet to take the lead twice in a game - meaning that if we’ve conceded (which we’ve done in 14 of his 23 games) we’ve won only once, when we came from behind in stoppage time against Rotherham.
We’ve also managed to pick up just 6 points from losing positions. A position that we’ve been in in - again - 14 games. So, in the 14 games where the opponent has scored first against us they’ve won 10 of them, three were draws and one a win.
I hate to be Rafa Benitez bringing “facts,” but I’d love to Mike to explain why he thinks this is happening under him (and happened under him at Sunderland) but didn’t happen to us prior to his arrival.
In fairness what manager can legislate for that ridiculous goal we gave away v Doncaster, Grimmer’s inexplicable own goal last night, and a couple of other bits and pieces?
I’d counter with… you have a new keeper that’s basically never played men’s football before.
Do you use pre-season friendlies:
a) to change every player after 45 mins; or
b) try to establish a shape and key personnel at the back to give the lad a bit of consistency?
And once the season starts do you:
a) change shape and personnel after game 1, changing it again after game 2 when you realise leaving the entire right flank empty is a bad idea; or
b) try and keep a consistent shape and personnel, ideally the formation you worked on in the friendlies and the majority of those players?
And that’s before we get onto us looking massively more threatening at the point we’re chasing the game so that the players throw his system out of the window. If the system is not remotely threatening (as we’ve worked out so far this season) and the players disregarding it is when we look dangerous, it begs the question as to why we’re bothering with the system in the first place.
Yes, he did so well with the L1 top goalscorer and player of the season that I’m certain whoever comes in will suddenly score a hat full while also holding up play on the half way line with any crosses being pinged about 40 yards ahead of him.
It’s genuinely terrifying that he believes we’re creating loads of chances when we’ve been toothless for almost his entire tenure.
Since he started deviating from Blooms’ style - which began with the move to 3 at the back against Rotherham we’ve scored 12 goals in 16 games.
This includes:
Seven games we’ve failed to score in
Seven games we’ve scored one goal
One game we’ve scored 2 goals (including one in injury time)
One game we’ve scored 3 goals in (including 2 in injury time)
Five victories
Eight defeats
Three draws
And the eagle-eyed will have spotted that since moving to a more Dodds-ball approach we’ve not managed to score more than once in normal time, and only scored once in the first half of a game.
And he thinks we’re creating the chances? If you’re creating the chances you don’t fail to score this much over such a long period of time. Fine, one or two unlucky games where the woodwork/opposition keeper thwart you, but 16 games? And take out the Rotherham outlier and it’s 9 goals in 15 games. Which is a neat parallel because that’s identical to what he managed while managing Sunderland for 15 games.
Given that, unless I’m mistaken, 3 of the 6 goals we’ve conceded thus far this season have been defensive howlers, maybe Dodds hasn’t got to the chapter in the manual that explains which end we should try to score at!
The ‘a’ options would describe someone with very little real world experience of getting results in a highly competitive environment. Someone with a more ‘theoretical’ approach to the game. Hmmmm.
Not sure if this fact has been previously posted but we have only scored in the first half in 3 of the 25 games Dodds has been in charge. A very telling statistic that we start games too slowly. Disappointed no new forward through the door. Surely we can’t start Udoh upfront on Saturday assuming ‘ sick note’ Fink is still injured. Got a similar ring to when the Danes came in.
It’s a really shocking stat but has been debated at length in fairness.
Would love to know what the worst runs for goalless first halves were under the likes of Smith, Adams and Smillie. Cannot believe their records are anywhere near as bad.
Didn’t we have a run before Christmas when we couldn’t NOT stop scoring before halftime?
I have a vague recollection of going in at halftime having not scored and someone (on here?) mentioning it was the first time in weeks/months we hadn’t scored a first half goal.
In the event that a new striker isn’t recruited in time for the Reading game, how about giving an academy player with pace and a bit of height a chance to show that he’s capable of leading the line? Even if they had to be subbed after, say, 70 minutes through sheer exhaustion?
Or how about adapting how we play to push the likes of Lowry and Mullins further forward looking for cutbacks rather than hit high crosses in at Udoh for 90 minutes? Assuming that we’re only going to have Fink as the main number 9 and that he’s likely to have injuries at some point again in the future I think it’d make sense to work out how can play when he’s not available.
A good suggestion. Or, how about we get Dodds & Rice to pull on a shirt and have a go. Might at least give them an idea how the game is played for real instead of just on an iPad screen.
Presumably the two 16 year olds who played against Orient are far and away our best prospects. Neither of them are tall or pacy by adult levels, but must be well ahead of the rest to be selected first?
