Exeter City AFC v WBA AFC FA Cup 3rd round proper. AD. 06/1/2018.Official Matchday Th

[malcolms]

There comes a point when players have to take responsibility. This constant need to blame Tis is short sighted.

Hold on, three minutes earlier in your previous post, you said PT is "hanging Stockley out to dry" and then in your next post you say "this constant need to blame Tis is short sighted".....Which is it, it can't be both?

 

[east_mid]

Can we play football on a pitch that is getting so poor and unlikely to improve?

 

[Red Devon]

We certainly made a game of it that’s for sure, the introduction of Holmes seemed to lift our performance up a couple of levels such a valuable player for us.....agree with Tisdale that Harley looked a premier league player today passsed it around with quality all afternoon, Stockley too was a real handful for the WBA defence...the downside of the game was once again an over cautious first 45 minutes....what really showed up though was that Sweeney is no right back despite his whole hearted commitment and Tilson really doesn’t cut it in center midfield either but I think we knew all that already.

 

[A Slacker]

Frustrating first half. I was relieved that it was only 2-0 at half-time. I felt that we showed WBA too much respect and weren't tight enough on them. There was no width or pace evident whereas their left hand side ripped us apart time after time. Christy Pym had an excellent half.

In the second half we played the ball out from the back and started to grow in confidence. Rather than hoofing the ball and losing it we kept it much more effectively and Ryan Harley was at his majestic best. Holmes and James both made a positive impact from the bench.

We gave it a go and if Stockley had scored just before half-time it could have been so different.

 

[ramone]

agree with Tisdale that Harley looked a premier league player today passsed it around with quality all afternoon

Cant agree with this Harley looked like he normally does a rabbit caught in the headlights when the ball gets put on his foot.

If we are going to continue with 1 up front at least give the player other's to help out from the midfield. It's too weak and hardly any communication between each other to make a difference going forward.

 

[Snoop Fog]

Harley showed his class today. Tillson and Sweeney showed they can't cut it against higher level opponents.

 

[Steve Moran3]

1st half we looked like a team 3 leagues below them and we were completely outclassed. There was no way Stockley was ever going to beat Hegazi in the air he’s a giant. Think I read Stockley was playing with a broken nose so hoofing balls to him was never a good idea. 2nd half we came out a different team. Stopped the constant 2 on 1s down their left and started passing and Pym rolling out. So we’d improved massively before Holmes and James came on but Holmes made a huge difference. Shame he’d not trained all week or you’d have thought he’d have started.
In summary- poor 1st half but it was arguably our 3rd choice centre back pairing. Great effort 2nd half - Tillson had a shocker McLinden was awol, we have zero pace anywhere - and as usual we looked much better once people were on the pitch together who aren’t scared of the ball ( Holmes, James, Harley).
Fair play to Pardew for fielding the first team was good to see - and Ben Foster applauding the bank at the start of the 2nd half - then pretending to conduct the “who the xxx xxx are you” song. Class act. Always next year!

 

[STURTZ]

Firstly there was no way that was a penalty, I had a clear view and Seabourn put in a brilliant last ditch tackle, got his foot to the ball and their player fell over the ball, not Danny's foot, just as well he missed it.

The team selection was pretty much as we expected although Holmes was left on the bench for Tilson which I was disappointed about, also JMT was out and it could be said that the organisation that he would have given might have stopped those two terrible early goals. In fact I thought that Pym should have had the first, he got a full hand to it but couldn't put it round the post. Pym more than made up for it with some really good saves in what was a poor first half.

The penalty save seemed to wake us up a bit and if only Stockley could have put that chance away then who can tell how the second half might have panned out. Why, so often do we do better second half, is it because we try to just hold them instaed of trying to get at them from the kick off? I don't know but as I say the defensive weaknesses made us somewhat lucky to go in at half time 4 down and yet we were as good as them second half.

Getting at them they looked distinctly average and we created several half chances that could have gone in, their center back (Ghazi?) was a very tidy player though and snuffed out several chances. All in all I didn't rate WBA as any good league 2 side I've seen down here this season and I think they'll get relegated if that showing was anything to go by.

When we got into our attacking mode we looked good and when )eventually) Holmes made it onto the pitch we had them worried, my man of the match was Harley who never lost possession and created a lot, although some of his deliveries from set pieces was poor. He still looked class which I was pleased about.

 

[grecIAN Harris]

Hold on, three minutes earlier in your previous post, you said PT is "hanging Stockley out to dry" and then in your next post you say "this constant need to blame Tis is short sighted".....Which is it, it can't be both?

Read the word constant and digest it. I don't constantly need to blame Tis for everything like some do on here. There are some things that are solely down to Tis, is the set up of the side and there are some things that the players must take responsibility for for not following the instructions. Not everything that goes wrong is the fault of the manager. He can try and change things during the game but it is harder to get that message across during the heat of the battle than it is in the calm of the changing room. The improvement in the second half shows that Tis hot his point across

 

[Moomin Grecian]

Firstly there was no way that was a penalty, I had a clear view and Seabourn put in a brilliant last ditch tackle, got his foot to the ball and their player fell over the ball, not Danny's foot, just as well he missed it.

The team selection was pretty much as we expected although Holmes was left on the bench for Tilson which I was disappointed about, also JMT was out and it could be said that the organisation that he would have given might have stopped those two terrible early goals. In fact I thought that Pym should have had the first, he got a full hand to it but couldn't put it round the post. Pym more than made up for it with some really good saves in what was a poor first half.

The penalty save seemed to wake us up a bit and if only Stockley could have put that chance away then who can tell how the second half might have panned out. Why, so often do we do better second half, is it because we try to just hold them instaed of trying to get at them from the kick off? I don't know but as I say the defensive weaknesses made us somewhat lucky to go in at half time 4 down and yet we were as good as them second half.

Getting at them they looked distinctly average and we created several half chances that could have gone in, their center back (Ghazi?) was a very tidy player though and snuffed out several chances. All in all I didn't rate WBA as any good league 2 side I've seen down here this season and I think they'll get relegated if that showing was anything to go by.

When we got into our attacking mode we looked good and when )eventually) Holmes made it onto the pitch we had them worried, my man of the match was Harley who never lost possession and created a lot, although some of his deliveries from set pieces was poor. He still looked class which I was pleased about.

It was Sweeney who gave away the penalty, not Seaborne. I thought it was a penalty to be honest but need to see it again.

Otherwise I agree with your post. I thought Pym should have saved the first but he also kept us in the game. Second half was decent and today re confirmed that Holmes has to play as much as possible as he’s one of the few players who can carry the ball at pace.

Overall i feel frustrated as we could have made it an interesting game had we played with more intensity in the first half.