STFC vs Coventry - Matchday Thread

[RedRag]

Well, fuck me with the rough end of a pineapple

Thanks. 

I'd rather have a Bounty.

Actually, fully satisfied with a gutsy point and a little of that fragile notion - hope

[Frigby Daser]

Just caught the end of Power - 3 interviewed, 2 more to come. What else did he have to say?

[Skinny Pete]

Any new signings depend on the success, or not, of an imminent bank job

[ibelieveinmrreeves]

Some thoughts:

Kasim is not captain material. He is half the player he used to be, sadly, and this reflects in the teams performance. Doesn't help that he is partnered by Anton Rodgers who couldn't pass a stool, never mind a football.

Liked Brophy, sad to see him go off and be replaced by obika on the wing, which I am not a fan of.

Defence was better with the out-of-position Turnball back (who had Ryan "the saviour according to Audrey" Kent in his back pocket first half).

Ojamaa was better but doesn't seem to have any pace. Robert was brilliant when he came on, urgent and penetrating.

Some green shoots of recovery? I think so. We appeared more purposeful with the ball, and were at least causing their keeper to make a few saves. A deserved point.

[Skinny Pete]

Did I say that?

Did I?

[Reg Smeeton]

 Good comeback....nice that Coventry still haven't won a League game at the CG since 1960.

[Bewster]

My first game this season and I thought we did ok compared to what I've been reading. The team looks scared and we have some very young very inexperienced players. Their goal was soft and the pen was a stupid decision by El Bow who had had a good game up till then.

We looked better with Obika and Robert on, Gladwin took his goal well but showboated like someone who is too good for this league - which is isn't. Ajose isn't a lone striker but worked hard. Branco was also solid, Kasim.....meh he got better as the game went on.

Pyjama isn't good, Brophy needs a target to aim at for his crosses or at least someone bigger than Ajose.

Glad we got the point we deserved and we showed some fighting spirit.

[Ginginho]

Great comeback, feels like a win. A much better performance, if Obika and Ajose had started the game I reckon we could've won that.

A draw is a fair result, and i'm actually really happy.

I don't like singling out players for criticism but Anton Rodgers shouldn't be paid to play football let alone be anywhere near our first XI. The most ineffectual and gutless player I think i've ever seen.

[Batch]

Much much better performance that Tuesday's limp affair. We held shape well, put tackles in and competed with Coventry.

It wasn't perfect, but it was a step in the right direct.

It'll be interesting to see whether the performance was down to it being against a top 4 side, whether the criticism they received after Tuesday stung them into life, or whether its the coaching - surely not given they likely had a light session Wednesday, so only had 2 days of it.
===
As for the game - Rodgers was pretty poor again, but at least he doesn't hide from the ball. Gladwin tries to shot from stupid places and Barry is being generous adequate.

Other than that we did OK. Even at 2-0 down I didn't think we deserved to be losing, and we showed character to come back . Both penalties looked soft and how their #8 didn't get booked for his pathetic attempt to con the ref in another in-the-box incident I'll never know.

[ibelieveinmrreeves]

Did I say that?

Did I?

Its not a direct quote, no.

[ronnie21]

Overall I enjoyed that game, quite open and Coventry are a decent side, although they are like us and have defensive problems!  We had a lot more fight but some players still seem to lack passion.  Gladwin scored a good goal but wasted several more opportunities by shooting from 25 yards, for the goal he ran into the box and opened them up by dropping his shoulder.  Really taking to Brophy, seemed a strange decision to take him off, another strange decision was to play Obika on the left wing!  Both penalties I would have no argument about, El Abd was the victim of some trickery for theirs and Ajose was pulled over, although the ref seemed to take an age to make the correct decision.  Minus points to me were Barry - who needed Branco to back him up on several occasions - Pajama and Rodgers, get them out and decent players back in and we will be ok.  MOM was given to Turnbull who had a decent game, although I thought Branco edged it with Brophy not far behind.  Oh, and Coventry are a cheating lot of cunts trying to con the ref who was having none of it - he was a decent ref but could have booked one or two of theirs for simulation.

[pauld]

Disagree about Barry, thought he did well, as did Brophy. Kasim looked off the pace first 10-15 minutes and both he and Gladwin guilty of not doing the basics when receiving (surely "check your mirrors" is something you learn as a kid?). But Kasim settled in and looked much better, Gladwin looked like the big kid at school who'll never pass because he reckons he can run thru the whole team, but got to forgive that because he got the goal that got us back in it. Ridiculous playing Ajose as a loan striker if we're just going to lump balls up for him to battle against 6'+ centre halfs against. Rodgers was poor, but nowhere near as bad as Ojaama who either just doesn't understand football or was deliberately hiding because he didn't want the ball.

But for all that, we were good today and certainly good value for a point. Even at 2 down, I was much happier because of the way we'd played. To bring it back to 2-2 felt like a win. Bet it felt like a loss to them, too. Question is now, can we build on a good performance or do we revert to type?

[Flashheart]

Really taking to Brophy, seemed a strange decision to take him off,

The commentators seemed to think he was knackered.

[pauld]

The commentators seemed to think he was knackered.

That's what we thought, otherwise it was a strange one. He was doing well

[pauld]

Oh, and props to the dickheads who left at 2-0 down, but a special mention to the bloke in our row who left a few minutes after we pulled it back to 2-1. We've just scored, we're back in the game, pushing for an equaliser, there's about 3 minutes left and the game's in the balance and you decide to leave then. WTF?