Defining moments

[grecIAN Harris]

I'd combine Mike's post with Pete's - because that Harrogate game also showed how much Taylor has developed in the area of making substitutions to change games - as yesterday showed all over again. Taking Cheik off after around half an hour was a bold, but correct, move - & Coley changed the whole dynamic of the game.

It's also been a season where nearly everyone who has been called on to step up in emergencies has come good - like Diabate & Rowe, to take just two examples. This speaks to the depth of the playing resources at the club, but also to the environment Taylor has created in the team, that enables players to flourish almost immediately.

Just as he did at Swindon. I wish there was a way we could find to get Josh in the side. I think there is a very explosive player waiting to be unleashed for us in him.

 

[Grecian Max]

Just as he did at Swindon. I wish there was a way we could find to get Josh in the side. I think there is a very explosive player waiting to be unleashed for us in him.

He’s been pretty effective from the bench this year, I imagine will get a lot more game time next season.

Like you say the question is where and how, he obviously came here having played wide, I think into the starting line up he’ll either have to adapt and dislodge one of Brown or Jay, or we see what I think is likely which would be a formation change in League 1. MT hasn’t been afraid to switch it about in the time he’s been managing us and I’m not convinced we will be playing with wingbacks next year.

 

[grecIAN Harris]

He’s been pretty effective from the bench this year, I imagine will get a lot more game time next season.

Like you say the question is where and how, he obviously came here having played wide, I think into the starting line up he’ll either have to adapt and dislodge one of Brown or Jay, or we see what I think is likely which would be a formation change in League 1. MT hasn’t been afraid to switch it about in the time he’s been managing us and I’m not convinced we will be playing with wingbacks next year.

From what I could make of his show reel at the beginning of the season and watching the way he played against Rovers in the Pizza Pot he plays as a wide striker and has the ability to make opposite channel runs (ie, comes in from the right to make a run down the inside left channel) which makers him very hard to pick up. It makes him ideally suited to playing as part of a three up front.

 

[arthur]

Not so much a moment, more of a turning point. Went to FGR in early January, more in hope than expectation. They were riding high and we had recently lost to Tranmere and Sutton.

And we played them off the park and should have won! It was then I started to believe that this year could be a bit special

 

[Rosencrantz]

Not so much a moment, more of a turning point. Went to FGR in early January, more in hope than expectation. They were riding high and we had recently lost to Tranmere and Sutton.

And we played them off the park and should have won! It was then I started to believe that this year could be a bit special

With a back three of Kite, Diabate (second game) and Grounds!

 

[scottus86]

Harrogate for me. Our players must have felt invincible after that game.

The come back against Swindon was a pretty big moment.

The run of games where Jay and Nombe were trying to keep their goal scoring runs going.

The last minute goals throughout the season.

The COVID break came just when we needed it because it got us out of a dodgy patch and Port Vale were in good form.

 

[SEA Grecian]

For me the most important thing we've done of late is stop switching between three or four at the back. So you could say recalling Diabate from Truro has enabled that.

I think it was after the Forest Green away game that Matt Taylor said he now had clarity about how he wanted us to play and from then we've only used 4 at the back as a last resort.

 

[SEA Grecian]

The COVID break came just when we needed it because it got us out of a dodgy patch and Port Vale were in good form.

Not sure if it counts as a defining moment but the first half an hour of the Tranmere game where we aimlessly lumped long ball after the long ball in the direction of Jevani was absolutely the lowpoint of the season and had even me, a huge Matt Taylor fan, wondering if our manager had run out of ideas. Thankfully, as you say, the Covid break came at the right the time and Matt Taylor had time to reflect and learn from that game. Since then Colin Daniel and George Ray have never played for City again, we've barely played 4 at the break, Jevani has never been asked to play up front by himself and we've done a much better job of varying our style of football.

 

[Rosencrantz]

Not sure if it counts as a defining moment but the first half an hour of the Tranmere game where we aimlessly lumped long ball after the long ball in the direction of Jevani was absolutely the lowpoint of the season and had even me, a huge Matt Taylor fan, wondering if our manager had run out of ideas. Thankfully, as you say, the Covid break came at the right the time and Matt Taylor had time to reflect and learn from that game. Since then Colin Daniel and George Ray have never played for City again, we've barely played 4 at the break, Jevani has never been asked to play up front by himself and we've done a much better job of varying our style of football.

To be fair, I don't think George Ray has done much (or even anything) too wrong. He had a decent first half of the season but was just unavailable coming out of that Covid break which meant that a fit again Sam and a recalled from Truro Cheick jumped ahead of him. He operated in the middle of a back three pretty well but that's football for you. Leave an inch and others will take their chance.

 

[SEA Grecian]

To be fair, I don't think George Ray has done much (or even anything) too wrong. He had a decent first half of the season but was just unavailable coming out of that Covid break which meant that a fit again Sam and a recalled from Truro Cheick jumped ahead of him. He operated in the middle of a back three pretty well but that's football for you. Leave an inch and others will take their chance.

Agreed, but if we're talking about defining moments the replacement of Ray with Stubbs and Diabate led to a dramatic improvement in our defence. He also had to be substituted off in the game against Tranmere before he got a red card which may have led to Matt Taylor to have concerns about his temperament - it's hard to imagine any of our other centre-halves losing their cool in the same way.
Having seen how well Diabate has continued to play, the decision to back him and loan out Ray seems an obvious one but it is was still a brave decision and one of the many big calls Matt Taylor has got right this season.