Luton Town v AFC Bournemouth

Braithwell said:
Quite correct Billings aimless wanderings are pointless against a team of Luton's intensity.
Click to expand...

The game happens around him. Not his fault, hes a big guy, he simply cannot zip around like the others. He got easily turned for their goal. Hes a nice guy and a good player in the right team but hes not what we need coming on as he cannot fill the role of midfielder like the others.
 
AFCBmattjamr said:
Crusing for 60 mins then poor subs killed us.
Probably ends the European charge but hopefully those points keep Luton up at the expense of either forest or hopefully Everton
Click to expand...
For a team that scraped past Luton, Everton and Crystal Palace, and managed a draw against Sheffield United, I always thought talk of a European charge somewhat premature.
 
kirsikka said:
It's an interesting one as this is surely one of the games they have targeted as a must-win if they want to survive. Therefore, they should come out all guns blazing with a pretty vociferous crowd behind them.

It does mean from their perspective the psychology of the game is a bit different. Instead of a "give it all you've got but if you lose then that's to be expected" attitude, their players will know they need something from the match and so nerves might creep in.

If we can put them under some pressure or sneak an early goal then they might start to panic a bit, whereupon they could make more mistakes. I don't expect their heads to drop as their spirit has been strong all season but there is a little more pressure on them for this game than there has been for others.

On the other side of things, if they get ahead their belief could really rocket.
Click to expand...

They gave it a go and never stopped and neither did the crowd, whereas we slacked off a touch after going ahead and that was the difference. It was always the danger the match could play out like that.

It was a very English football style game rather than Premier League style and I wonder if Iraola wasn't too sure what was happening as we seemed to make some very odd decisions on and off the pitch.

Threw it away really but these things happen. We have to remember he's still learning about the game here.
 
Obviously every time AFCB take to the pitch I want a win but this was one of those games that you just go meh .. certainly not a weekend ruined type of result .
The whole game seemed a lot more Championshipy to me . Very physical and the ref let the game flow really well considering how niggly both teams were , it was fun watch .

The only difference at the end of the day was a team desperately battling for survival and another comfortably mid table . Having said that we are not “ on the beach “ the players put in a very good shift
Good luck Luton .
 
table said:
Agree with the Dibster, enjoy the day tomorrow Rob, find a bar, use your natural charm and get them to show the match. At sometime find a "Red Lion" pub, get a pie and chips with a traditional bottle of Estrella and start the sing-a-long (tell them pie and chips is Boscombe paella) : )

Rob did have "words" with the Sky crew last time we were there. We were pitch side in the corner, in front of their fans. The ramp down to our places was as steep as the ramps Eddie the Eagle would launch himself off. The finish on the concrete was very much a "job and finish" on a Friday just after you've been paid ( the pub was calling very loudly I'd say). Sky's technical stuff, cables, plugs and boxes were all in our way. Added to this their 3 man technical crew just stood there in front of us, plugging/unplugging things , scratching themselves. All the time oblivious to the people behind them. So Rob had some words with them : )

Having said all that I'm still looking forward to returning, they're a club very much like the club I fell in love with. Wish 'em well but we've got a 3 points space on the Riverside Rocket that needs filling. It's our mission to bring them safely back to Dean Court : )

Safe travels everyone, let's enjoy the day and sing the lads to victory
: )
Click to expand...
Just got back - to the hotel room. Missed the first ten minutes and when we scored I thought we could win. But as the game progressed they took control and we were really sloppy.

Oh well, you can’t win em all.

Spotted @table, the Good Lady, Phil a Rocketeer driver and @Rob151060 .
 
wallmth said:
Obviously every time AFCB take to the pitch I want a win but this was one of those games that you just go meh .. certainly not a weekend ruined type of result .
The whole game seemed a lot more Championshipy to me . Very physical and the ref let the game flow really well considering how niggly both teams were , it was fun watch .

The only difference at the end of the day was a team desperately battling for survival and another comfortably mid table . Having said that we are not “ on the beach “ the players put in a very good shift
Good luck Luton . Hope we can do them a favor vs Forest .
Click to expand...
Haven’t we played Forest twice?

Spot on summary.
 
AI got it wrong by trying to win the middle of the pitch battle. Luton deserved the win, it was a great game. We were excellent in the first half, but lacked fight and leadership in the second. Semenyo was levels above.
 
Very very disappointing that. Losing to an opponent due to quality is one thing, losing because they want it more than you do is unacceptable in my eyes. Judging by the look on Iraola’s face he feel the same.

Both goals resulted in a series of duels in which they just wanted it more. Kelly shows again that he’s elite level when defending a ball over his head, but he’s as shaky as they come when he actually has to stand up and defend his own area. Got to be stronger with that tackle on the edge of the box that led to the first, especially considering he left his position to make it. Fed up of seeing him linked to every club going and then watching him cost us goals with his poor penalty area defending.

Zaba I won’t be so hard on because he is a young player and the reality is that mistakes will happen now and then, he’s actually made very few of them since the Everton away debacle. He really has to be stronger in that moment though.

The game was lost the moment we bought Billing on for Kluivert. Billing just doesn’t have the attributes needed to play the number ten role in this team. His lack of intensity out to of possession was infuriating as well. This team needs Kluivert and if he has to go off then it needs Unal supported by Solanke. The moment the forward becomes isolated when we play in this direct style we just can’t get out of our own half. Billing, Scott, Christie, it doesn’t matter. None of them should be playing as the second attacker, they just don’t have the natural attacking instincts to get close enough to or to get beyond the centre forward.

Christie was poor today too, I don’t know if he wasn’t fully fit but he was chasing shadows and was so poor on the ball, why was he attempting so many silly flicks all of a sudden?

You have to mention Solanke too, he did not seem up for the fight at all today and didn’t really manage to hold the ball up at all against their centre backs. He was very ineffective. At least Unal put himself about and attempted to battle with them. I think Dom’s hold up play is the biggest (and perhaps only) weakness to his game. Today we needed him to be strong and he wasn’t.

I know Luton needed it more than us today, but to lose in the manner that we did is still very disappointing.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

;