Time For Reflection

[Grecian666]

I think there is another fundamental factor about the tactics that hasn't been picked up or mentioned anywhere else. Performances, particularly in sport, is as much about confidence as ability. At SJP I don't think the Liverpool players knew what hit them, we ran at them, got in behind the defence and challenged their territory, this disorientated them completely and help reduce the undoubted skills gap. By setting our stall out so differently at Anfield we allowed them to come forward and play the ball around almost at will and you could sense their ever increasing growth in confidence. From that point they had the upper hand that we could never ever regain.
Similarly think of the dressing room thoughts - Tis tactics tells the team were going to hold on as best we can in the first half and then see if we can pinch it in the second. Already telling the players he doesn't think they are good enough to win it.
We thought they were a "different" Liverpol - but they faced a very different City.
So yes the strange selection was all about tired legs and past their sale by date pro's - but the psychological message he gave out was also very very wrong.

 

[BigBanker]

Sadly, as so often with PT, what he says and what he does differ greatly.... After all, the tie was a bonus and as such, he should have had the courage to "go for it" as he predicted he would in all the pre match interviews that I read. A lot of the goodwill generated by a great home performance has now turned to rightful criticism for a return to type......

1-0 down after 70 minutes. You lot love a moan.

One lucky break at that point and extra time could have beckoned.

There is no doubt in my mind that you'd have been moaning if we started with our 2nd half line up and were 3-0 at half time.

Anyway, enjoy Exeweb today, you must be in your element.

 

[tonykellowfan]

As others have said I would rather the younger players played and we got crucified 6-0 trying to win the game than start with Morrions Butterfield and Oakley.

 

[Terryhall]

When we play against smaller teams, Tis tells us that they are entitled to try to win the game. When we play against bigger teams, we are told that we never had a chance anyway.

There is justifiable room for criticism of the team selection, not because we lost a game that we were expected to lose, but because we set up in a way that made the job of trying to win much, much more difficult.

 

[BigBanker]

There is justifiable room for criticism of the team selection, not because we lost a game that we were expected to lose, but because we set up in a way that made the job of trying to win much, much more difficult.

1-0 down after 73 minutes.

You have no idea whether it made it more difficult. With the 'popularist' line up choice being shouted for on here we could have been hammered first half.

We were playing Liverpool. We were 1-0 after 73 minutes.

I didn't agree with the starting line up, but considering what a calamity it's being made out to be pretty impressive that we were in with a shout with over 3/4s of the game gone.

 

[tonykellowfan]

When I was driving in my car to a mate's house and the bloke of R5 said "there are 3 changes to the Exeter team, in come Morrison, Oakley and Davies", I actually thought thank **** I didnt go to the game.

 

[Terryhall]

1-0 down after 73 minutes.

Up to that point, as well as the goal, Benteke missed a sitter and a half-chance, Jordon Ibe flashed a couple just over the bar, plus a shot that was a fraction on the line and therefore not a goal - it could easily have been 4-0 at that point. To simply repeat "1-0 at 73 minutes" is like saying "la-la-la" with your fingers in your ears.

You have no idea whether it made it more difficult. With the 'popularist' line up choice being shouted for on here we could have been hammered first half.

I have the evidence of my eyes - in the first match against largely the same side (Allen / Ibe aside), Tillson played a vital role between midfield and defence, giving the defenders an out ball and showing bravery to take some ownership with possession and try to feed Noble, Holmes or Nicholls. In the same role last night, Butterfield (and Oakley) spent 45 minutes facing his own keeper and playing passes back to the player he received the ball from, leading to a long ball clearance which Morrison failed to hold up - the result being that any time we did manage to win the ball back from Liverpool, we conceded it back more or less immediately. Picking those 3 players therefore fundamentally undermined our capability to take any pressure of our back four which is a tactical mistake when against such superior opposition as we were yesterday.

We were playing Liverpool. We were 1-0 after 73 minutes.

Since you are fond of repeating yourself, I will too - up to that point, as well as the goal,Benteke missed a sitter and a half-chance, Jordon Ibe flashed a couple just over the bar, plus a shot that was a fraction on the line and therefore not a goal - it could easily have been 4-0 at that point. To simply repeat "1-0 at 73 minutes" is like saying "la-la-la" with your fingers in your ears.

I didn't agree with the starting line up, but considering what a calamity it's being made out to be pretty impressive that we were in with a shout with over 3/4s of the game gone.

It isn't impressive. It was lucky. It could have been better if we'd started with players that made sense - Tillson, Noble, Nicols, Reid, Hoskins, Oyeleke, McCready... these players cannot all have been injured.

 

[BigBanker]

Up to that point, as well as the goal, Benteke missed a sitter and a half-chance, Jordon Ibe flashed a couple just over the bar, plus a shot that was a fraction on the line and therefore not a goal - it could easily have been 4-0 at that point. To simply repeat "1-0 at 73 minutes" is like saying "la-la-la" with your fingers in your ears.


I have the evidence of my eyes - in the first match against largely the same side (Allen / Ibe aside), Tillson played a vital role between midfield and defence, giving the defenders an out ball and showing bravery to take some ownership with possession and try to feed Noble, Holmes or Nicholls. In the same role last night, Butterfield (and Oakley) spent 45 minutes facing his own keeper and playing passes back to the player he received the ball from, leading to a long ball clearance which Morrison failed to hold up - the result being that any time we did manage to win the ball back from Liverpool, we conceded it back more or less immediately. Picking those 3 players therefore fundamentally undermined our capability to take any pressure of our back four which is a tactical mistake when against such superior opposition as we were yesterday.


Since you are fond of repeating yourself, I will too - up to that point, as well as the goal,Benteke missed a sitter and a half-chance, Jordon Ibe flashed a couple just over the bar, plus a shot that was a fraction on the line and therefore not a goal - it could easily have been 4-0 at that point. To simply repeat "1-0 at 73 minutes" is like saying "la-la-la" with your fingers in your ears.


It isn't impressive. It was lucky. It could have been better if we'd started with players that made sense - Tillson, Noble, Nicols, Reid, Hoskins, Oyeleke, McCready... these players cannot all have been injured.

Part of me agrees with the moaners on here, it's not the team or tactics that I'd have gone with, but the full on turning on Tis after he achieved what so many have derided him for not achieving (a money spinning cup run) smacks of a load of spoiled brats with an inflated sense of entitlement.

Like it or not, we did not disgrace ourselves last night. We certainly didn't cover ourselves in glory either. But we lost at Liverpool 3-0 away having drawn 2-2 at home. In a few years it might sink in that there's only one of these results that everyone should be getting so emotional about.

 

[grecianstew]

Bizarre as it seems, Saturday's game against Accrington is probably a bigger game than last night. Win last night and promise you, we still were not going to win the Cup but to keep any Play Off hope alive a win Saturday is crucial. Would we prefer a gutsy, battling, sinew straining honorouble defeat last night which then left players drained for the weekend?

 

[Mackster]

And yet aside from Butterfield, who I thought was poor especially in comparison with his excellent performance on Saturday, who really "let the side down" on that score? I thought Oakley played well, Davies was industrious as ever.

One of the major key differences was that we lost our heartbeat in Noble while they added one in Allen, who was immense. Oakley, for all that he did fine, is not Noble (nowadays anyway).

I will agree re: the team selection in terms of our options - I'd had Morrison down to start but alongside Nichols. Without an outlet for his flicks the ball kept coming back when it needn't have done.

As I said at half time I'd rather we lost 3-0 showing a bit of attacking intent than lose 1-0 playing on the edge of our own box. At least we did that.

Liverpool were simply miles better than they were in the first game, which in all honesty was our chance.

This is why I was amazed Tom didn't start. Morrison was a wasted shirt for this reason.

If you are going to get heavily pressed, you have to resort to the long ball, especially if you don't have the players such as Noble & Harley who are skilled enough to work in tight positions. Tisdale stubbornness didn't see this happen, we were encamped in our own final third coughing the ball up time after time. It he adopted a more pragmatic approach, Morrison might have received more service and relieved the pressure, and Tom might have got a sniff at goal.

Klopp did a good job of motivating his young team, and agreed they played well with tempo and freedom. Tisdale sent out a mixed message with what he what he was trying to achieve and we looked confused from the outset with no leadership from anyone who could react to what was happening. Some are claiming that to go in 1-0 down proved his tactics were not far off, but my eyes tell me a different story. That was the most one-sided half of football I've seen in a long time and we could have easily gone in 5-0.

We were better for the changes in the 2nd half, but understandably tired in the last quarter having chased shadows for most of the evening.