AFC Wimbledon match thread

[jimsing]

It's no good complaining about things.

The Club are in a new league, different grounds, with better players, no vocal support and everything is new, even for the coaching staff.

We are only a few games into the season. We will have our ups and downs, especially at the start of the season.

Give the team a chance to gel. Changes in personnel have been made and it will take time for things to get up and running.

Mistakes will be made, we are still finding our feet, the coaching staff are finding their feet. We are yet to find our best team to play.

Some of you guys expect things to be perfect from day one. It doesn't happen that way. It will be a learning process as we go along, and the team will develop with time.

Michael Cooper is our no. 1 keeper and will be playing the majority of our matches. Get used to it. Give him a bit of slack. He will make mistakes, and it will cost us points, but we are not expecting to be promoted this term. If that was the case then Palmer would surely have returned and not gone to Lincoln. Cooper needs the experience and will learn as he goes along, as all the players will. As the coaching staff will. As the supporters will.

This is a season of consolidation. We must go out to win every match, but we will not be successful every time, the players will ALL make mistakes, but it is the way that the players learn NOT to make mistakes that will hold us in good stead for future seasons.

Experience in this division is what we are lacking, and as long as we stay out of the relegation area then all will be well for the future.

 

[Devongreenowl]

It's no good complaining about things.

The Club are in a new league, different grounds, with better players, no vocal support and everything is new, even for the coaching staff.

We are only a few games into the season. We will have our ups and downs, especially at the start of the season.

Give the team a chance to gel. Changes in personnel have been made and it will take time for things to get up and running.

Mistakes will be made, we are still finding our feet, the coaching staff are finding their feet. We are yet to find our best team to play.

Some of you guys expect things to be perfect from day one. It doesn't happen that way. It will be a learning process as we go along, and the team will develop with time.

Michael Cooper is our no. 1 keeper and will be playing the majority of our matches. Get used to it. Give him a bit of slack. He will make mistakes, and it will cost us points, but we are not expecting to be promoted this term. If that was the case then Palmer would surely have returned and not gone to Lincoln. Cooper needs the experience and will learn as he goes along, as all the players will. As the coaching staff will. As the supporters will.

This is a season of consolidation. We must go out to win every match, but we will not be successful every time, the players will ALL make mistakes, but it is the way that the players learn NOT to make mistakes that will hold us in good stead for future seasons.

Experience in this division is what we are lacking, and as long as we stay out of the relegation area then all will be well for the future.

Some good points there. I think the doom merchants get started at the first scent of blood and some even before a ball is kicked. At the end of the day, we are undefeated after two games and we would all have taken that from the off. I don’t know if Palmer was ever available to us though. Perhaps Bilic wanted him to go to a different club, or maybe the player wanted somewhere closer to his base. Maybe someone ITK will let us know. Personally, I don’t think you should take a chance with your goalkeeper. Cooper barely played last season, so in my opinion he should have gone out to a L2 club this season to get some experience. To throw him in at the deep end knowing that in Lowe's system he will get plenty of action, could be a big mistake. Obviously, if he settles quickly and starts turning in mom performances week in week out, it will be a gamble worth taking. I said last summer that we were in trouble if we started with Cooper behind last seasons back three. Well, we haven’t done that but they’ve looked shaky. For me, Canavan is a better player than Wootton so hopefully he will remain in the side. Does anybody know if Lowe has an agreement with Bruce as to how often Watts has to figure?

 

[jerryatricjanner]

It's going to be a rollercoaster this season with RL's approach for sure. If we had set up to keep it very tight yesterday and hope to catch them on the break and come away with a 1-1 I guess most would have been happy with a decent away point. Instead we witnessed a 4-4 thriller with some shocking mistakes at one end and several outstanding goals to add to the quality of some of the goals scored against QPR and Orient. The Lowe way is much more fun isn't it? Remember 3 of the back 4 were different personnel to last season and we have moved up a division so don't be too harsh, give them a chance to form a better understanding. I'm sure RL and his assistants will be aware if we need to add a new face by the time the window closes. Yes, I too have been concerned about some of the goals conceded but it fills me with confidence that we look as if we can hurt a lot of teams going forward in this higher division and a top 10 place is well within our capabilities.

 

[WoodsyGreen]

We've conceded more goals than any other team that has played four matches in the entire Football League. More even than Southend, who are rock bottom of League Two and seemingly in free-fall. More than EFL newboys Barrow and Harrogate combined. Crisis club Wigan - who have just sold practically their entire squad - would need to concede four goals to Liverpool U23s on Tuesday to catch us up.

I'd say we've got every right to complain - and that's coming from a huge RL fan and someone who's usually glass half full.

The fact we've won four points from six is a sign that our attacking players are more than good enough for League One. Some of our football has been a joy to watch but we can't keep giving away schoolboy goals. If RL doesn't sort the defence out then uncertainty and fear will start spreading through the team and that's when the attacking players will stop taking as many risks.

It's a rhetorical question, but what on earth did they do in training between the Orient debacle and yesterday? Shooting practice?

 

[Guiri Green]

So, we are a massive 180 minutes into the L1 season, unbeaten and 6th in the table. Using the same logic being applied to ripping into the players, I'd say we are looking good for promotion.

Appreciate it's been a long lockdown and quite a time with no footy to watch, but there's some pent up pre-written doomsday stuff going on.

This seasons' whipping boy seems to be the young keeper. Apart from ignoring the 10 players in front of him, writing him off after being the hero in the previous game doesn't do anyone any favours.

We're going to get lots of games like yesterday I think. Not ideal but the score more approach is a lot more entertaining than the concede less mindset of the previous regime.

 

[justanotherfan]

Palmer was outstanding for us last season. Great command of his box, superb range of distribution and excellent shot stopper - all the reasons why he has been with a Premier league club for so long. Also the reason why he was in last season’s League 2 team of the year and finally why he has been one of the best Argyle keepers ever.

Not totally relevant, I give you Mr Macey.

 

[xmastree]

Recent posters have talked about "complaining" - I find that a strange word in the circumstances.

Firstly, in the main tournament (the league), we're unbeaten after just 2 games. Yes, there are some alarming trends, but there are positives too. Ok, we've blown a chance to play a "big club" in the League Cup, and therefore lost possible TV revenue, but it's not us that's directly lost anything we've paid for.

More broadly, what gives us the right to complain? Usually it's when we've bought something that does not come up to scratch. Those who renewed season tickets did so in the full knowledge that they had no guarantee of seeing games live, and have the iFollow alternative for the games they've paid for. If your iFollow doesn't work, then complain. If Scott Wootton (for example) makes a mistake, you've a right to comment on it if you must, but not to complain about it. I don't actually think many are complaining, although there's a little too much extreme knee-jerk comment for my liking. Sadly the desire for instant gratification is the way of the world nowadays.

Despite Simon Hallett's generosity, Lowe is working on a tight budget and the club is missing massive income streams. You may not agree with RL's decision to make Mike Cooper first choice, but a bit of support for a young player finding his way into the team would surely encourage the young goalkeeper. Likewise, why not actually support our players whilst the team settles down, rather than seeking every opportunity to moan? Fair comment I've no problem with, and constructive criticism on this and other media can provoke realistic discussion, but what does overt negativity actually achieve apart from spreading additional negative vibes? Be more realistic in your early expectations, and you might actually enjoy yourself a little more.

 

[Biggs]

We've conceded more goals than any other team that has played four matches in the entire Football League. More even than Southend, who are rock bottom of League Two and seemingly in free-fall. More than EFL newboys Barrow and Harrogate combined. Crisis club Wigan - who have just sold practically their entire squad - would need to concede four goals to Liverpool U23s on Tuesday to catch us up.

Ryan Lowe made it very clear on joining the club, that he prefers 4-3s to 1-0s. And after all those goals conceded, we’re 6th.

Strap yourself in and enjoy the ride :thumbup:

 

[oldage]

It's going to be a rollercoaster this season with RL's approach for sure. If we had set up to keep it very tight yesterday and hope to catch them on the break and come away with a 1-1 I guess most would have been happy with a decent away point. Instead we witnessed a 4-4 thriller with some shocking mistakes at one end and several outstanding goals to add to the quality of some of the goals scored against QPR and Orient. The Lowe way is much more fun isn't it? Remember 3 of the back 4 were different personnel to last season and we have moved up a division so don't be too harsh, give them a chance to form a better understanding. I'm sure RL and his assistants will be aware if we need to add a new face by the time the window closes. Yes, I too have been concerned about some of the goals conceded but it fills me with confidence that we look as if we can hurt a lot of teams going forward in this higher division and a top 10 place is well within our capabilities.

Top 10 ? You cannot be serious. Unless we sort the defence out the "bigger " teams in the division will have a field day against us.

 

[monkeywrench]

Too much negativity on here.

Would you rather see an Adams 0-0?

4 points from 6 in a league up. Surely we take that?

 

[jerryatricjanner]

You always have been a glass half empty merchant Oldage. Not sure there are that many "bigger" teams this season with the financial state of some of them. Oh for sure we will get the odd hiding with Lowe's approach but we will also dish out a few thumpings as well. As Biggs said, "Enjoy the ride."

 

[Cobi Budge]

Whilst we're conceding goals, we aren't exactly being torn open and I'm not sure we look overly exposed. I think we're more conceding goals in relation to collective and individual errors. For that reason I'm not worried about the system itself. If we can stamp out errors I think we'll be absolutely fine. We're gifting goals rather than them being a result of our opponents being better than us, which is reassuring in a way. Also, if we'd have been offered 4 points from our opening two games (with a win against QPR thrown in) I think we'd all have taken that gladly.

 

[monkeywrench]

Some people are never happy unless they are moaning.

 

[davie nine]

Oldage is glass half empty, he has admitted it, but, at least, he is not one of those criticising young Mike Cooper after 3 competitive games when, in my opinion, the only goal he could feel disappointed about was QPR’s second.

 

[IJN]

This team is what football should be all about.

Attack attack attack.

Love it.