Great Win, Still Issues..

The positives.

1. A clean sheet. Absolutely critical last night. Millwall were poor, we won't face many other toothless attacks like that this season... BUT the defence started at the half way line last night and the battle seemed to be significantly better. Goutas was my MOTM, but also a special mention to Bagan who had a great game and NG who also improved. Also Alnwick made saves when required.

2. Rubin & Robertson had their best games this season. Robertson had his best game in a Cardiff shirt. Ralls was a dog, but became less effective as the game went on; but I see Rubin, Robertson & Ralls as our starting 3 in the middle of the park. Ralls' corner was precision.

3. Effort. It felt like one hell of a shift. Even the poor performers gave great effort.

4. It felt like a team performance. Balance felt better, it wasn't a walk in the park but an earned win.

The Issues.

1. Chambers. He just does not fill me with confidence. I think a Goutas MOTM display covered up Chambers' little-to-no impact. He also wasted some passes. It's not working at CB.
Solution: Fish or Daland

2. Tanner. He gave everything last night, you cannot fault his effort. However, he just isn't up to this standard. He was in, and made the decision to shoot with his right. You HAVE to hit the target there, or on your weaker foot, hold it up and roll in Robbo who was in the box - decision making.
Solution: ElGhazi on the right?

3. Meite/a finisher. Twice in two weeks (Meite last night and Kanga last week) we've had strikers, alone, with just the keeper and a wide open goal with alot of options. Twice, the keeper hasn't had to do anything, the target wasn't hit and both were an embarassing flop. MAJOR problem. That kills the game last night and gives us a fighting chance last week. Machauly Langstaff (who was terrible last night by the way) scores at least 1 of those; a lower league purchase. I think Robbo scores both, but doesn't seem to have 90mins in him.
Solution: Robbo should be first name on the team sheet. We then need to work out his impact/replacement at 65mins

4. ElGhazi & Willock. I honestly think O'Dowda is better than both. ElGhazi runs into dead ends, and seems to go down whenever he can. Willock, I just cannot see what his strenghts are. I know them, as he's played well against us previously; like Chambers, it's just not working.
Solution: O'Dowda on the left

All my opinion, of course. Nothing ground-breaking. I hope the negatives are constrained by confidence, and that win kickstarts our season.

For me, our strongest 11 is:

GK: Alnwick
RB: NG
RCB: Daland
LCB: Goutas
LB: Bagan
CDM: Ralls
RM: ElGhazi
CM: Robertson
LM: O'Dowda
AM: Colwill
ST: Robinson

Good post , agree with your points.

Would like to see how Chambers would do as a CDM.

Rather see Rubin closer to the striker instead of coming deep or assisting the wingers (full backs not doing this enough), or on the flip, play in a squarer midfield 3 effecting the game from a little deeper. One or the other it feels like its to inbetween, He is now first name on the team sheet though at last!

Robinson is our best forward (for 70 mins) but is better in the channels and pockets upfront rather than leading the line, would love to see him play off, and in an around Kanga . But that would take 3-5-2 or a 4-4-2

January isnt far away, Meite needs to find another club, if I was Turnbull I would consider the same

Joel Colwill, Eli King back in January for me

We still looked like what we are, a bottom of the table team, in the first half. Should have been losing.

So it's one half decent win but nothing more.

Don't have huge confidence we'll follow it up on Sunday, can see us losing if we play like we did last night.

We still looked like what we are, a bottom of the table team, in the first half. Should have been losing.

So it's one half decent win but nothing more.

Don't have huge confidence we'll follow it up on Sunday, can see us losing if we play like we did last night.

3 points and a clean sheet with some better performances. Baby steps.

It's got to be a different vibe in training this week. Big win Saturday and then 2 very winnable games.

My optimism is pouring out of me after beating (probably) the worst championship performance in Milwall that we'll see all year

Just watched the Millwall highlights. Meite is massively of his depth. He looks clueless running around with poor footwork and too slow to be in this team. Surely we have better players for the first team.

Just watched the Millwall highlights. Meite is massively of his depth. He looks clueless running around with poor footwork and too slow to be in this team. Surely we have better players for the first team.

He's played 43 games for us, returning 2 goals.

1 assist all last season, with 50 shots. 16 on target. Famara Diédhiou out scored him by 1 with only 16 appearances; who is now an unwanted free agent. He scored the same number as the prolific Ryan Wintle.

He shouldn't be near our bench, never mind on the pitch.

I’d take Tanner over El Ghazi every day, living off his name. He’s been awful