So, did we miss Grimes then?...

[old cob]

Martin is always harping on about defensive mistakes. Does he realise if they were allowed to follow their defensive instincts and clear the ball up field we wouldn't be caught in possession with the goal within range nearly as much? Instead he has his defenders fiddling about around their own penalty area to build up passing and possession statistics, which I swear he thinks are more important than goals for and goals against.

 

[Jak365]

Back on topic: Grimes. Ofc we missed him, massively.

Russ panicked yesterday.  Russ would not have panicked as much with Grimes holding the reins. Team selection, subs, tactics went to pieces. A proper shambles.

It never ceases to amaze me how the perennial Matty bashers are perennially happy to say out loud how lacking they are in basic, schoolboy level football insight.

They've also clearly never played the game to a decent level and most certainly not through the lens of an overarching controlling, CM role. The skill, courage, presence of mind, tenacity, leadership and vision it takes to do what Matty does is a rare commodity at this level.

Matty is currently our next best thing to Leon, in loads of ways:
- teenage prodigies destined for the top
- England internationals at age level (Matty U21)
- top level vision, football intelligence and maturity
- Leaders by example 
- Inculcated in the Swansea Way, destined to remain proper Jacks - loves it here.
- Both lack the deep drive and ambition to make it big elsewhere.

We should thank our lucky stars.

 

[Cinio Dydd Sul]

Back on topic: Grimes. Ofc we missed him, massively.

Russ panicked yesterday.  Russ would not have panicked as much with Grimes holding the reins. Team selection, subs, tactics went to pieces. A proper shambles.

It never ceases to amaze me how the perennial Matty bashers are perennially happy to say out loud how lacking they are in basic, schoolboy level football insight.

They've also clearly never played the game to a decent level and most certainly not through the lens of an overarching controlling, CM role. The skill, courage, presence of mind, tenacity, leadership and vision it takes to do what Matty does is a rare commodity at this level.

Matty is currently our next best thing to Leon, in loads of ways:
- teenage prodigies destined for the top
- England internationals at age level (Matty U21)
- top level vision, football intelligence and maturity
- Leaders by example 
- Inculcated in the Swansea Way, destined to remain proper Jacks - loves it here.
- Both lack the deep drive and ambition to make it big elsewhere.

We should thank our lucky stars.

We missed Grimes......

In so many different ways

 

[Nocountryforoldjack]

Back on topic: Grimes. Ofc we missed him, massively.

Russ panicked yesterday.  Russ would not have panicked as much with Grimes holding the reins. Team selection, subs, tactics went to pieces. A proper shambles.

It never ceases to amaze me how the perennial Matty bashers are perennially happy to say out loud how lacking they are in basic, schoolboy level football insight.

They've also clearly never played the game to a decent level and most certainly not through the lens of an overarching controlling, CM role. The skill, courage, presence of mind, tenacity, leadership and vision it takes to do what Matty does is a rare commodity at this level.

Matty is currently our next best thing to Leon, in loads of ways:
- teenage prodigies destined for the top
- England internationals at age level (Matty U21)
- top level vision, football intelligence and maturity
- Leaders by example 
- Inculcated in the Swansea Way, destined to remain proper Jacks - loves it here.
- Both lack the deep drive and ambition to make it big elsewhere.

We should thank our lucky stars.

Ok Mrs Grimes

 

[K23]

Of course we missed Grimes. Our possession was only 73% and against opposition as poor a Wigan it should have been in the upper 80s. Seriously though, yes, I think we missed him. Wigan didn't have much and MG would have controlled that game from the word go. Like it or not, Grimes has been the focal point of our playing style for nearly 4 complete seasons and you can't expect a team to adapt immediately to such a fundamental change.

On the stats though, I note that Wigan only had 4 goal attempts, all on target. 2 of them Benda saved and pushed the ball out for a corner, and the other 2 were the goals they scored from those ensuing corners. It also means they didn't muster a single goal attempt after the 16th minute.

 

[PSumbler]

Of course we missed Grimes. Our possession was only 73% and against opposition as poor a Wigan it should have been in the upper 80s. Seriously though, yes, I think we missed him. Wigan didn't have much and MG would have controlled that game from the word go. Like it or not, Grimes has been the focal point of our playing style for nearly 4 complete seasons and you can't expect a team to adapt immediately to such a fundamental change.

On the stats though, I note that Wigan only had 4 goal attempts, all on target. 2 of them Benda saved and pushed the ball out for a corner, and the other 2 were the goals they scored from those ensuing corners. It also means they didn't muster a single goal attempt after the 16th minute.

Other than the free kick in stoppage time

I think one of the early shots he pushes round for a corner was classed as off target

 

[K23]

Yeah, you're probably right!

 

[PSumbler]

Yeah, you're probably right!

It's quite scary though how often we concede two goals in the same game with seemingly two errors of the same variety

 

[NeathJack]

I'd ask the question why Rusty decided, in the absence of Grimes, to play Wood & Cabango as opposed to Naughton and Darling when there was obviously going to be more of a responsibility on the CB's to bring the ball out, as the easy option of a 5 yard pass to Grimes wasn't there and the latter 2 are streets ahead in that respect.

On reflection, that's a baffling decision.

 

[JackSomething]

I'd ask the question why Rusty decided, in the absence of Grimes, to play Wood & Cabango as opposed to Naughton and Darling when there was obviously going to be more of a responsibility on the CB's to bring the ball out, as the easy option of a 5 yard pass to Grimes wasn't there and the latter 2 are streets ahead in that respect.

On reflection, that's a baffling decision.

Made even worse in hindsight by the fact the 2 goals we conceded were from corners. Presumably Wood and Cabango were picked as Martin sees them as more solid defensively, in the air particularly. That didn't go well.

So from what I can tell the majority opinion on the thread question is that yes, we did miss Grimes, but we wouldn't have if Martin had picked a better team/set us up better tactically. Fair?

 

[NeathJack]

Made even worse in hindsight by the fact the 2 goals we conceded were from corners. Presumably Wood and Cabango were picked as Martin sees them as more solid defensively, in the air particularly. That didn't go well.

So from what I can tell the majority opinion on the thread question is that yes, we did miss Grimes, but we wouldn't have if Martin had picked a better team/set us up better tactically. Fair?

I don't think we particularly missed him regardless. Not sure how the game would have panned out differently if he had been there. If anything, our build up play would have been slower.

 

[K23]

I'd ask the question why Rusty decided, in the absence of Grimes, to play Wood & Cabango as opposed to Naughton and Darling when there was obviously going to be more of a responsibility on the CB's to bring the ball out, as the easy option of a 5 yard pass to Grimes wasn't there and the latter 2 are streets ahead in that respect.

On reflection, that's a baffling decision.

Yes, that is a baffling decision but only one of a number of baffling decisions, concerning not only the starting 11 but also the substitutions. I hope RM notices or if not, someone tells him to look at the fans player ratings on this site and see who was the fans MoM. :shock:

 

[Swanjaxs]

To be continued... :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Neath_Jack]

Still a no from me.

 

[Risc]

Superb yet again.