Hard truths

[campdave]

My POV:

Man for man, this is probably the best defence we've had at the club. Artell probably has been the weak link in the last few matches, but he'd been in the form of his Morecambe career up til then.

The teams with the best defensive record don't just rely on the defence for defending. I think our defence have been doing a good job (Artell and especially Haining seem to be able to snuff out several chances per game), but the consequence of our more attacking style means the midfield are pushed further forward, exposing the defence, and too often opposition are able to run with little challenge through either the centre. Even the best defenders in this league (of which Haining is one, no doubt) would struggle with the lack of cover. Swopping Bentley in for Atell won't solve it.

We lack steel in midfield. I think we come unstuck against "lesser" teams because they scrap for everything and it disrupts our play. Against some of the top teams we're afforded more space on the ball as they also play attacking football, and we can play to our strengths.

There isn't much difference in skill level between us and the top teams, but the difference is players producing their skill week in week out. Man for man, I think we can hold our own, but week in week out we don't seem to be able to produce it on the pitch, and I don't think consistency is something that can be taught - you've either got it or you haven't.

Our proximity to the play-offs is artificial due to Notts County's volume of matches in hand. They might not be firing on all cylinders not they're in the finanical slag heap, but they'll pick up several points along the way.

The football has been more enjoyable this season since we got promoted. Obviously I'd rather be conceding less goals and winning more matches, but I'd rather be watching the current side than the more defensively minded team of last season.

[George Dawes]

Christies Child Last time i checked, you weren't ever a player, you have no coaching experience or qualifications, you don't know the players or staff,

just curious but who the hell are you some ex professional? in the know with coaching or something ?

By the way, im a huddersfield town fan, and i know more than you do. Up the shrimps.

are you Jevons or Craney ? in disguise

[Little Shrimp]

I reckon the new defence should be:

Parrish Bentley Haining Wilson

... hell...somebody agrees with me..

Yeah, but he's only twelve!

Shame about todays result, but no need for knee-jerk reactions.
Bet Utd don't sack fergie.

Don't go against my knowledge of footy. I'm 1st place in my school's fantasy league and playing probably alot more football from you so shut up and don't under estimate 12 year olds !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Christies Child]

Thank goodness they banned lynching otherwise I've a feeling I'd be a prime target...

Having slept on it (with thanks to Mr Dalwhinnie) the only thing I'd change in my original post would be to replace the word 'crap' with the word 'poor' when describing our defence to date. Otherwise I stand by everything I wrote.

And for what it's worth, replacing the Manager is not an option I would subscribe to. He might not be the most popular in my eyes but he has almost guaranteed League football for another season and that takes priority over any other issues. We HAVE to start the next chapter in our clubs history not only in a superb, self financing arena but fundamentally as a Football League club.

League 1 would be nice; but League 2 is a dam sight better than Conference...anyday of the week!

[outsider]

Thank goodness they banned lynching otherwise I've a feeling I'd be a prime target...

CC you dont honestly think that will make a difference do you?

[Christies Child]

Thank goodness they banned lynching otherwise I've a feeling I'd be a prime target...

CC you dont honestly think that will make a difference do you?

If I plead insanity due to old age, would that save me....

[ezz]

... hell...somebody agrees with me.. [/quote]



Yeah, but he's only twelve!

Shame about todays result, but no need for knee-jerk reactions.
Bet Utd don't sack fergie. [/quote]

Don't go against my knowledge of footy. I'm 1st place in my school's fantasy league and playing probably alot more football from you so shut up and don't under estimate 12 year olds !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!![/quote]

I play more football than you, does that make me better at being Sammy MC? Hell Andy Gray used to be a pro along with Jamie Redknapp and Collymore and we all know what plonkers they are...

[james456]

My POV:

Man for man, this is probably the best defence we've had at the club. Artell probably has been the weak link in the last few matches, but he'd been in the form of his Morecambe career up til then.

The teams with the best defensive record don't just rely on the defence for defending. I think our defence have been doing a good job (Artell and especially Haining seem to be able to snuff out several chances per game), but the consequence of our more attacking style means the midfield are pushed further forward, exposing the defence, and too often opposition are able to run with little challenge through either the centre. Even the best defenders in this league (of which Haining is one, no doubt) would struggle with the lack of cover. Swopping Bentley in for Atell won't solve it.

We lack steel in midfield. I think we come unstuck against "lesser" teams because they scrap for everything and it disrupts our play. Against some of the top teams we're afforded more space on the ball as they also play attacking football, and we can play to our strengths.

There isn't much difference in skill level between us and the top teams, but the difference is players producing their skill week in week out. Man for man, I think we can hold our own, but week in week out we don't seem to be able to produce it on the pitch, and I don't think consistency is something that can be taught - you've either got it or you haven't.

Our proximity to the play-offs is artificial due to Notts County's volume of matches in hand. They might not be firing on all cylinders not they're in the finanical slag heap, but they'll pick up several points along the way.

The football has been more enjoyable this season since we got promoted. Obviously I'd rather be conceding less goals and winning more matches, but I'd rather be watching the current side than the more defensively minded team of last season.

Good post.

I went yesterday and Artell was perhaps our best player IMO (Ok, no one was great but Artell was one of the few that did himself justice). If you're not going to go to a game, you shouldn't then suggest that players be dropped on the basis that we lost and you want a change in personnel as a result (ie you want a scapegoat).

Like CD says, we need a tougher presence in midfield. It was the same old story yesterday...

1. We want to pass it but they close us down
2. We can't deal with that and hoof it forwards.
3. The aerial balls do not work and the other team recovers possession, allowing them to carry on applying pressure whilst we back off.

Step four, we recover possession eventually. Go back to step one and repeat.

If you throw in someone like Hunter/McLachlan (when he's available) into the midfield, play gets broken up and we have more opportunity to play the passing football that wins matches.

Another point to make is that Adams didn't play well I thought. I'm not one of those people with a vendetta against him playing but he looked very slow and it did Wilson no good to be playing on the left wing.

Having said all that, the team performance as a whole was bad yesterday and more than anything, a kick up the backside is what's needed. If Sammy can do that then we have every chance of bouncing back from this. It would be quite typical for us to lose against a 21st placed Cheltenham side and then beat 2nd placed Bury. Keep the faith.

[Burnley Shrimp]

For Tuesday night I'd go back to the team which started against Burton i.e. bring Duffy back in and put Grizzly back on the bench. I would not replace the Moose with Jimbo for the simple reason that Artell has been playing some good stuff and has also posed a threat up front in certain recent away games, Accy and Macc spring to mind. Plus there is no way Jimbo can be match fit and Tuesday is going to be a toughie, make no mistake about that!

[Curly]

Don't go against my knowledge of footy. I'm 1st place in my school's fantasy league and playing probably alot more football from you so shut up and don't under estimate 12 year olds !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thats not very nice, Little
If you look at what i was saying, you'll see i suggested only kids agree with CC.
It's like saying he's a big kid, and I know he's tough enough to take the joke.
Now, after you've had chance to think about it, was i having a go at you? or your superior
football knowledge?
By the way, keep posting, yooof

[shrimper]

I think CC's jerky knees have, eventually, extracted some decent points here - on various aspects.

I like campdave's view of our defending. I think all our defenders have played well this season but, as he says, we're set up to try to push forward and we don't have the players to do that effectively for 90 minutes while not leaving gaps.

We went for it from the off at Accy and just came unstuck (albeit to a freak wonder-strike).

We set about Burton from the first whistle and it worked eventually - but we left gaps on occasions from which they could have scored more than the two they got. How exciting, though!

We don't have the dangerous, pacy strikers to set opposition teams on the back foot so we need to use a pressing midfield game to get service to Jevons and Mullin.

And our midfielders can't sustain that all through games.

But, generally, we are where we deserve to be at the moment. We're a good side on our day but lack one or two extra quality players, with a bit of pace, to help us be good more consistently.

Which is why I agree that some of the more, as I'd describe them, 'OTT' comments are, IMO, knee-jerk.
It's like we're brilliant after one particular game, then crap after another, when the truth is that we're capable of being either on any given day (so you can choose your day to have your 'rant' or 'eulogy') BUT, actually we're somewhere in between those two extremes if you take a longer term (not knee-jerk) view.

I hope future seasons may see us add those bits of quality that help us be brilliant more often.

But, in any case, I prefer the ups and downs more than when we've trundled along playing it safe.

[Burnley Shrimp]

I think CC's jerky knees have, eventually, extracted some decent points here - on various aspects.

I like campdave's view of our defending. I think all our defenders have played well this season but, as he says, we're set up to try to push forward and we don't have the players to do that effectively for 90 minutes while not leaving gaps.

We went for it from the off at Accy and just came unstuck (albeit to a freak wonder-strike).

We set about Burton from the first whistle and it worked eventually - but we left gaps on occasions from which they could have scored more than the two they got. How exciting, though!

We don't have the dangerous, pacy strikers to set opposition teams on the back foot so we need to use a pressing midfield game to get service to Jevons and Mullin.

And our midfielders can't sustain that all through games.

But, generally, we are where we deserve to be at the moment. We're a good side on our day but lack one or two extra quality players, with a bit of pace, to help us be good more consistently.

Which is why I agree that some of the more, as I'd describe them, 'OTT' comments are, IMO, knee-jerk.
It's like we're brilliant after one particular game, then crap after another, when the truth is that we're capable of being either on any given day (so you can choose your day to have your 'rant' or 'eulogy') BUT, actually we're somewhere in between those two extremes if you take a longer term (not knee-jerk) view.

I hope future seasons may see us add those bits of quality that help us be brilliant more often.

But, in any case, I prefer the ups and downs more than when we've trundled along playing it safe.

As per usual a very reasoned post from Shrimper. Just about sums it all up for me.

[marky No.1]

I But, in any case, I prefer the ups and downs more than when we've trundled along playing it safe.

Yes, when we were drawing games it was often mentioned that we would prefer to win 2 and lose one (=6pts) rather than draw 3 (=3pts)... This is what has happened this last week and nearly everybody moans!


"As per usual a very reasoned post from Shrimper. Just about sums it all up for me."

He has the knack of being to the point without the need for slagging people off. Something that not everyone can manage on here.

[shrimper]

I But, in any case, I prefer the ups and downs more than when we've trundled along playing it safe.

Yes, when we were drawing games it was often mentioned that we would prefer to win 2 and lose one (=6pts) rather than draw 3 (=3pts)... This is what has happened this last week and nearly everybody moans!


"As per usual a very reasoned post from Shrimper. Just about sums it all up for me."

He has the knack of being to the point without the need for slagging people off. Something that not everyone can manage on here.

What do you know, you sycophantic muppet? You weren't even at the Burton game, you part-timer!

[Curly]

It hasn't been played yet Glen! Are you in a timewarp?

[shrimper]

Wot you on about?

[marky No.1]

I But, in any case, I prefer the ups and downs more than when we've trundled along playing it safe.

Yes, when we were drawing games it was often mentioned that we would prefer to win 2 and lose one (=6pts) rather than draw 3 (=3pts)... This is what has happened this last week and nearly everybody moans!


"As per usual a very reasoned post from Shrimper. Just about sums it all up for me."

He has the knack of being to the point without the need for slagging people off. Something that not everyone can manage on here.

What do you know, you sycophantic muppet? You weren't even at the Burton game, you part-timer!

I knew there would be a way to get a bite Yeah I was a part timer this week, had to miss my 1st game for 18 months as I had planned a trip around the fixture list

By all accounts I would rather have seen that one than bother to fly back specially from La France to Whaddon Road via Bristol!

Oh well this part timer had better zip off to Bury

[steve mfc]

Is the age of the squad a problem, with several players over 30 maybe its a case of the mind is willing but not the body. It might explain the lack of consistency especially when we have to play two games a week, im not suggesting that it is the only reason but it could be a contributing factor.