Rant time.
How did Ryan Lowe watch that first half, watch Rochdale pull the same trick on us over and over again, and not do anything to counter it?
4, 5 maybe 6 times in the first 45 (or 64!), Rochdale's 4-4-2 cut us open on the counter. We'd have possession on the right hand side, and (as Lowe likes), the opposite wing back needs to get into the box for a deep cross or pass. However, our cross is aimless, and the Rochdale right winger hares off downfield. Obviously our left wing back is too far forward, so Watts has to come across and cover. Then the right striker hits the channel, dragging Canavan across. Leaving a lovely big gaping hole in our defence (which you'd want Fornah to fill, but the less said about his defensive covering ability, the better, which is a shame because he played some good passes tonight). This happened time and time again. All we had to do to counter it was to drop our left wing back back 10 yards. Did Lowe do anything? No.
Credit to Rochdale - whilst their back line looked shaky defensively, going forward they were excellent. Knew exactly how to play us. Out of possession as well, their forwards and midfielders did what Fleetwood did to us - not pressing our back 3 and cutting off the midfield supply. Forcing us to go long. When we do that, we're rubbish.
When this happens, our back 3 need to be better passers of the ball. Wootton can't pass. Neither can Aimson. Watts is normally ok in this regard but he wasn't last night. However, what I will in say in their defence is - how bloody static were our forward players off the ball?! When we went 3 up front, they were terrible! Just standing there waiting. It was like watching a Sheridan performance - absolutely no cohesion, movement or desire.
Individually, despite the issues highlighted above tactically, the defenders were a mess. All 5 of them who played last night were on a scale between below par and absolutely calamitous. The 3rd goal is a pi$$take. The main blame is with Wootton (why on EARTH did he leave it?!) but also, Canavan and Edwards shamefully got nowhere near their men and let them head it wherever they wanted. Edwards at right back in a back 4? No thank you.
As I said in the other thread, we MUST play 2 DM's. One centre back pushes forward to overlap and support the attack, whichever DM is closest slots into the back 3 as cover. It would just balance us so much more.
We actually created a few chances last night - the best of which Jephcott fluffed. But when our defensive players are that bad, even if we'd taken all of our good chances, we'd probably still only be looking at a draw.
I'm starting to worry about Hardie's form, too. I'd start him on Saturday but also be telling him - if your form doesn't pick up soon, then it's goodbye.
BIG reaction needed on Saturday.
Cooper 5
Wootton 3
Canavan 3
Watts 4
Fornah 5
Edwards 5
Reeves 4
Grant 5 MOTM (did well at left wing back, again)
G Cooper 4
Jephcott 4
Nouble 4
Subs: Moore 5, Hardie 3, Aimson 5, Opoku 4, Camara 5.