Match Thread Coventry City vs Leeds United - Match Thread - Weds 5th Feb 7.45pm KO (126 Viewers)

False9

Well-Known Member
The amount of times they picked the ball off us even when we made a good pass. The class and that extra split second in alertness and speed showed.

Yes I think they're well coached but the individual players are just quicker and sharper
 

Brighton Sky Blue

Well-Known Member
some times it wasn't even a bad pass, one less than perfect touch and they would swarm on our player
Thought Ao Tanaka was the most impressive despite his balloon shot early on. Took clever positions all over the pitch, great vision and range of passing and comfortable with the ball in deep and advanced positions.

Really wanted us to sign him in the summer.
 

harvey098

Well-Known Member
My two pence..

- such a high line was quite mind boggling given their pace upfront.

- Grimes will be class

- Leeds are levels above so I don’t worry too much about the result. Performance and particularly lack of urgency was disappointing though.

- If you had over 2.5 goals on any kind of bet tonight, you have my sincerest empathy. Should’ve been about 8-2 😂
 

Skyblue Bangkok

Well-Known Member
My two pence..

- such a high line was quite mind boggling given their pace upfront.

- Grimes will be class

- Leeds are levels above so I don’t worry too much about the result. Performance and particularly lack of urgency was disappointing though.

- If you had over 2.5 goals on any kind of bet tonight, you have my sincerest empathy. Should’ve been about 8-2 😂
James has pace but isn't very good .
 

Skybluekyle

Well-Known Member
Not long back from the game. Leeds are far and away the best team in the division, no doubt, but what do you expect when you get a fuck ton of money from subsidised failure payments (sorry, I detest parachute payments)

Very poor for both goals, but Leeds could and should have had more, coupled with a goal or two from us, thank god Dan James is utter wank.

Coventry City 0 - 2 Parachute Payments FC. Ah well, onto the next one!
 

Hobo

Well-Known Member
Leeds were just a better side. Kept the ball well and some great creative play.

Still plenty to play for. Grimes looked class and brings something to the table we have been lacking.
 

Great_Expectations

Well-Known Member
Observations;

Leeds were a level above, their speed on and off the ball was too much for us (and most teams in our league in fairness).

However, whether it was tactical, a lack of confidence or just a weak mentality, we looked nervous and allowed them to play.

It also meant most of our team hid, especially first half. Rudoni the notable exception. Simms too in fairness.

It was like watching a kids game at times; all attacking players line up on the half way line/the opponents defence, someone lump it forward and everyone chase after it. And it worked, every single time.

You can’t defend the Dovin howler. But he showed excellent character to then make 4/5/6 excellent saves.

Grimes looks very confident and his awareness is really impressive. How (or if) him and Sheaf play together, especially in this set up, I really don’t know.

Kitching put in a committed performance, but if we had VAR we’d be in trouble! At least twice he wrestled their player to the ground off the ball and in the box!

We move on now. Shame we likely have to rest players for Saturday else I’d fancy us to win.
 

coop

Well-Known Member
Best team won even though we gifted the 2 goals and should of scored a couple of our own.Just seen Kitchin and said unlucky there a good side he said yes they are.But more concerning he was hobling.Grimes will will be class
 

Sky_Blue_Dreamer

Well-Known Member
I’m freeeee!!! Only an hour after the game ended ffs
Animated GIF
 

alexccfc99

Well-Known Member
The goals were disappointing in isolation, but on the whole that is one of those occasions where you just have to admit we were beaten by a far superior football team, nothing to get too disheartened about
 

Offhegoes

Well-Known Member
Simms was good. Unlucky with that clever header 2nd half, but excellent save. Dovin poor for 2nd goal . Good saves 2nd half but most were straight at him.
As someone else said, felt like a game from earlier in the season. No bite in midfield. and being picked off at will on the counter.
Still, there were positives.
Simms continuing his form/aggression
Kitching solid
Rudoni , excellent 2nd half
Grimes looked class
Rodrigues seemed to have a spark in his short time on the pitch
 

Mucca Mad Boys

Well-Known Member
People really do forget how we defended with a 4 under Robins and Lampard before he switched to a 5, the 5 won us 5 in a row.

This is a bit of a trope now. We kept 3 clean sheets playing 4-2-3-1 under Lampard and he’s changed nearly half the starting 11.

If it was the exact same personnel in a new formation, I’d get the argument but it’s not.
 

Sbarcher

Well-Known Member
Why we continued to play such a high line - often in their half, when they have speedy wingers each side was baffling. They caught us out every time, apart when the lino occassionally got it right.
Lucky not to concede 6-7 with the 1 on 1s.
 

JoeCCFCPUSB

Well-Known Member
This is a bit of a trope now. We kept 3 clean sheets playing 4-2-3-1 under Lampard and he’s changed nearly half the starting 11.

If it was the exact same personnel in a new formation, I’d get the argument but it’s not.

Go back and look at how Robins got on with this defence earlier in the season, and Lampard 2 goals a game. Switching to a 5 and having the defenders joint at the hip with our midfield positionally has drastically improved our overall performances, we can't help losing to Leeds, they literally could have won it 10-0 tonight.

We are no where near the promotion level whatsoever, I will never stop point out the fact our defence isn't good enough, but as a 5 we can forge something that may see us land top 6. We can't have it all, most clubs in this league are in the same boat and we mustn't forget that.
 

Mucca Mad Boys

Well-Known Member
Why we continued to play such a high line - often in their half, when they have speedy wingers each side was baffling. They caught us out every time, apart when the lino occassionally got it right.
Lucky not to concede 6-7 with the 1 on 1s.

What else could we do being 2-0 down in the second half against a team that could keep the ball all day long.

I’m glad we had a go at them and it’s a shame we didn’t make them work for their first half goals. Even so, if Simms header creeps in or that chance that hits the crossbar goes in, we had a chance to recover something from the game.
 
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Legia Sky Blue

Well-Known Member
Leeds are clearly the best team in the league, but plenty of other Championship teams have provided them more of a test away from Elland Road than we did tonight. Hopefully its a lesson learned for Lampard as we were set up far too passively in the first half. The only way to beat Leeds was to get in their faces from the start, get the crowd involved and make it uncomfortable for them. It might still not have been good enough but that was the approach we should have taken and hopefully one we will take when we play the likes of Burnley and Sunderland later in the sesaon at the CBS.
 

alexccfc99

Well-Known Member
Really disappointed Grimes didn’t start

I know they say don’t piss about with a winning side, but you’ve just spent big money on supposedly one of the best midfielders in the division and you are playing the League Leaders, so start your best players available to you
 

Sbarcher

Well-Known Member
What else could we do being 2-0 down in the second half against a team that could keep the ball all day long.

I’m glad we had a go at them and it’s a shame we didn’t make them work for their first goals. Even so, if Simms header creeps in or that chance that hits the crossbar goes in, we had a chance to recover something from the game.
We played the high line from 1st minute. Gave them encouragement to play through us every time.
It was a case of Ange ball.
 

Mucca Mad Boys

Well-Known Member
Go back and look at how Robins got on with this defence earlier in the season, and Lampard 2 goals a game. Switching to a 5 and having the defenders joint at the hip with our midfield positionally has drastically improved our overall performances, we can't help losing to Leeds, they literally could have won it 10-0 tonight.

We are no where near the promotion level whatsoever, I will never stop point out the fact our defence isn't good enough, but as a 5 we can forge something that may see us land top 6. We can't have it all, most clubs in this league are in the same boat and we mustn't forget that.

Context is everything Joe. We don’t give up as many chances in the second half if we’re not chasing the game. At that point, it was more important to score the next goal even if it risked conceding a goal or 2 more.

To the topic of formation, our defence since Lampard took over had ‘improved’ irrespective of the formation we played. We played 3-4-1-2 under MR and Carr and conceded many goals.

The formation wasn’t revolutionary, the key differentiator is the following personnel changes:
Allen > Eccles
Torp > Sheaf
Simms > Bassette
Kitching > Binks
BTA > Sakamoto
Dovin > Collins

The run where we conceded around 2 goals a game wasn’t because teams created lots of chances against us. At one point, we’d conceded 13 goals from 16-17 shots on target faced which is a statistical outlier and a rate that is unlikely to be maintained.

It also helps having a goalkeeper who can actually save the shots they face.
 

Mucca Mad Boys

Well-Known Member
We played the high line from 1st minute. Gave them encouragement to play through us every time.
It was a case of Ange ball.

In the first half, they didn’t threaten us that much. They ruthlessly punished our mistakes which were pretty basic.

Where was the defence for their first goal and Dovin should be glad he’s had a good run of performances otherwise he’d have been pelted for that mistake.

It’s academic now, but the most disappointing thing about today’s performance was the number of basic errors that made it easier than it should be for a superior team.
 

JoeCCFCPUSB

Well-Known Member
Context is everything Joe. We don’t give up as many chances in the second half if we’re not chasing the game. At that point, it was more important to score the next goal even if it risked conceding a goal or 2 more.

To the topic of formation, our defence since Lampard took over had ‘improved’ irrespective of the formation we played. We played 3-4-1-2 under MR and Carr and conceded many goals.

The formation wasn’t revolutionary, the key differentiator is the following personnel changes:
Allen > Eccles
Torp > Sheaf
Simms > Bassette
Kitching > Binks
BTA > Sakamoto
Dovin > Collins

The run where we conceded around 2 goals a game wasn’t because teams created lots of chances against us. At one point, we’d conceded 13 goals from 16-17 shots on target faced which is a statistical outlier and a rate that is unlikely to be maintained.

It also helps having a goalkeeper who can actually save the shots they face.

I hope you're right mate, I want us to do well, as do we all.

I think Kitching is decent but I don't rate any of the other 3 tbh, and I've constantly preached we go all out for Tanganga, as you have probably seen.

It's not doom and gloom, we've lost to a far better side, I just think 5 at the back we are stronger and so much harder to breakdown.

I do believe next season if we keep Wright and Milan we have everything set up to finish 5th or 6th, so like I said it's not doom and gloom, quite the opposite.
 

SkyBlue_Bear83

Well-Known Member
Was important to not get hammered for morale, was just hugely disappointing the first 25 minutes we made error after error. Latibaudiere made a huge error which we were let off but we didn't learn and continued making errors, both goals came from errors from us.
 

Mucca Mad Boys

Well-Known Member
I hope you're right mate, I want us to do well, as do we all.

I think Kitching is decent but I don't rate any of the other 3 tbh, and I've constantly preached we go all out for Tanganga, as you have probably seen.

It's not doom and gloom, we've lost to a far better side, I just think 5 at the back we are stronger and so much harder to breakdown.

I do believe next season if we keep Wright and Milan we have everything set up to finish 5th or 6th, so like I said it's not doom and gloom, quite the opposite.

I am ready to be called deluded for what I’m about to say… We will make the playoffs.

Grimes looks to be the midfielder we’ve missed since Hamer and he’ll make a brilliant partner with Sheaf in midfield. We’ve still got EMC, Haji and Sheaf to return so we’ll pack a bigger punch at full strength.
 

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