Clutching at ever thinner straws..

[shrimper]

..
A draw at Gillingham would have been a decent result. From reports of the opening 15 minutes or so, we took the game to them and looked the better side (then we had the few minutes of madness).

Okay it backfired on us but is there a move to be much more positive in games from the start, instead of our usual cautious approach?

If we CAN pull it round and get a win against Rochdale on Saturday with a positive approach from the off, then we've got three points from two games instead of the usual two from two draws.

Not saying Saturday was anything less than abysmal but Gillingham got spanked only a few weeks ago remember.
I look back to the performances against Bury, Shrewsbury and quite a bit of the Chesterfield match when we were far from looking as useless as Saturday's result would have people believe.

Things aren't great, certain players aren't justifying being brought into the club in preference to others already there - accept all that. But a turnaround in fortunes is not impossible.

[Mr Munnings]

Quite so
However, what some of the supporters are saying though is we have seen different systems
and players switching around which isnt helping.
We have seen players come straight back into the team without sitting on the bench which cant help bonding.
There is a school of thought which believes the manager doesnt know his best 11
Individually we have some great players who haven't fully developed into the finished article
They will need time and I suppose we can only wait and see if they will gel into a solid team. You're right we could turn it around based on the performances you mention but Saturday's performance was deeply worrying for many who witnessed it.
Injuries in the squad never help matters particularly when you consider two of those players are key left sided players.
Also supporters never had an explanation as to why Adam Yates hasn't figured this season

[SkinnyShrimp]

The most worrying thing about Saturday was the way the heads went down so quickly - the body language said to me most of them didn't want to be there and we made a very ordinary side look good.

A very fragile confidence was shattered when the second went in and prior to it we were on top and looked like we could get something.

I think a really positive approach and big response is needed from both the players and the fans this weekend - and yes that's from someone who said we would win on Saturday!!

Was great to see many of those who did stay until the end still clap the lads off

[nobbyshrimp]

How many times! Gillingham have the 3rd best home record in this league Forget the 'they got hammered the other week', they were AWAY On Saturday they were at home and a different kettle of fish. Yes, we lost and yes heads went down but 5 nil, 21 nil or just 1 nil its still only 3 points to them. Its happened, its history, its football lets move on. Bring on Rochdale Up the Shrimps

[badger]

I dont understand why adam yates has gone out on lone.
he was up for player of the season last year along side danny adams.
the reason might be that sammy thought the players he brougt in were far better than yates,but i for one dont think so. i think he deserves a chance to prove himself.

[Number 1]

I dont understand why adam yates has gone out on lone.
he was up for player of the season last year along side danny adams.
the reason might be that sammy thought the players he brougt in were far better than yates,but i for one dont think so. i think he deserves a chance to prove himself.

Yatesy had a whole season last season to prove himself and he was guilty of naivety many times, especially near the end of the season when you'd have thought he'd have learnt. He didn't and I therefore presume that Sammy can only suppose that he's not a League 2 player.

[badger]

NUMBER 1

all i am saying is give yates a chance.
ive got to say that the defence this year do not look like a league 2 defence.
at the moment they look like a load of clowns at times.

[halfwayliner]

Was Adam Yates not carrying an injury towards end of the season and he was still one of our better players

[morecambe mick]

Was Adam Yates not carrying an injury towards end of the season and he was still one of our better players

I believe for a large portion of the season he was playing with an injury, which required injections to be able to play in the first place.

He had to have an operation if my memory serves me right. It does

[sgt major]

I have a theory, I prepare to be shot down in flames but dont wish to upset anyone.

Over the past 2 seasons we have lost in my own opinion 6 influential players in various positions for a number of reasons - none of which I want to go into as a witch hunt but they've for some reasons either got out of the club under the radar, been out of favour or fell into the hands of greedy agents who have managed to lure them away when they had not been offered cast iron contracts earlier. (there Ive said it - I now wait to be shot down)

My list is:

Danny Carlton
Chris Blackburn
Perks
Thommo
Newbs
Carl Baker

All players that could possibly walk into the team now or others, as has been proved.

I dont actually think there is a lot wrong with the current crop of players but to lose those above in a relative short period of time has IMO opinion knocked a bit of stuffing out of what was a tight unit playing great attacking football.

I personally havnt got a magic solution, I leave that to the experts in that field.



I'm waiting for the flack

[marky]

You shouldn't get any for stating the obvious

[P/T Indie]

Thommo, Baker and Newby scored 30 goals between them last season and then add on the assists that baker & Thommo created (did Thommo create about 7 the highest in league 2) and your looking at about 45 goals gone from the team.

That was always going to be a hell of a hard to task to replace those goals and IMO we haven't even got close to trying. We got Howe & O'Caroll who will get some but we have not creative midfielder who will chip in with his fair share and get all the assists.

[nobbyshrimp]

I have a theory, I prepare to be shot down in flames but dont wish to upset anyone.

Over the past 2 seasons we have lost in my own opinion 6 influential players in various positions for a number of reasons - none of which I want to go into as a witch hunt but they've for some reasons either got out of the club under the radar, been out of favour or fell into the hands of greedy agents who have managed to lure them away when they had not been offered cast iron contracts earlier. (there Ive said it - I now wait to be shot down)

My list is:

Danny Carlton
Chris Blackburn
Perks
Thommo
Newbs
Carl Baker

All players that could possibly walk into the team now or others, as has been proved.

I dont actually think there is a lot wrong with the current crop of players but to lose those above in a relative short period of time has IMO opinion knocked a bit of stuffing out of what was a tight unit playing great attacking football.

I personally havnt got a magic solution, I leave that to the experts in that field.



I'm waiting for the flack

Well that seems to have put an end to that thread The truth always hurts You could have waited a bit longer though

[Christies Child]

Thommo, Baker and Newby scored 30 goals between them last season and then add on the assists that baker & Thommo created (did Thommo create about 7 the highest in league 2) and your looking at about 45 goals gone from the team.

That was always going to be a hell of a hard to task to replace those goals and IMO we haven't even got close to trying. We got Howe & O'Caroll who will get some but we have not creative midfielder who will chip in with his fair share and get all the assists.

....and in fairness to Sammy he has said that we haven't replaced the likes of Baker and Thommo for the simple (?) reason that players like that are few and far between.

I don't rate Dufffy but the manager obviously sees him as being able to provide that wee bit of magic that we saw with CB. There must be others out there in Conf land or in Premiership Res teams (ie Tracey at Rovers) looking for an opportunity. Unfortunately we all know why we can't bring 'em in......financial constraints.

[shrimper]

Danny Carlton
Chris Blackburn
Perks
Thommo
Newbs
Carl Baker


Not shooting anyone down because it's all good debate.

If you're saying we've lost some good players and not replaced them with players who are as good, then I don't think you'll get much of an argument.
If you're suggesting the club could have done something different with regards to those players, I'm not sure I'd agree.

With the exception of Newby all those above left our club to join others from a higher division. I don't think the club could do much about losing Danny, Blacky, Thommo and Carl Baker.
I think they were all offered improved contracts to stay with us - in Thommo's case it was reported as being a record offer for a Morecambe player. Anyway, there's no doubt that we wanted them to stay and they decided to leave.

With Perks he was kicking up a fuss (and you may say rightly) about not being first choice every week but, at the time, I didn't hear many Shrimps fans saying he should have been. There were others performing well in the positions he usually occupied. He asked for a transfer.

Newby may have still been here had he been on a longer contract but, with the need to get new players in, he was one who could easily be discarded to make way. Now you can argue about whether, say, O'Carroll is better than him - but that was the swap at the time.

Baker and Thommo would be hard for anyone in our division to replace. They had pace and skill and, whether they were playing brilliantly in a game or not, they always put opposition defenders on the back foot.

We don't have that at the moment (but it's not easy to find - we looked at Smith but he didn't prove the answer) and sides are not being cautious against us.

That's why we are really having to work hard to grind out results. But - until Saturday - that was kind of working okay and we were at least hard to beat.

Gillingham may turn out to be a turning point and we may go from bad to worse. We all hope not and that, instead, it can serve as the kind of boot up the proverbial that makes everyone realise just how hard it will be for us this season (if they didn't already) and the need to graft and keep concentrated for 90 minutes each week.

[sgt major]

Can agree with all the replies so far - my main point is that we have had the players that would deffo be in the team now, it seems that a spine has been ripped out of the squad that at the moment is being hard to replace.

I just hope our present crop can turn a corner and produce the sort of football we were privillaged to watch at the begining of last season.

[shrimper]

Taylor and Howe to spark a winning run that takes us to the verge of the play-offs!




























Nurse, I'm ready for you to inject the other arm now!

[Mr Munnings]

Spine 2006 Drench Bentley Sorvel Carlton
Spine 2007 Lewis Bentley Drummond Blinkhorn
Spine 2008 Roche Bentley Drummond Howe

I think the changes are more significant around the spine rather than the spine itself

[John L]

Spine 2006 Drench Bentley Sorvel Carlton
Spine 2007 Lewis Bentley Drummond Blinkhorn
Spine 2008 Roche Bentley Drummond Howe

I think the changes are more significant around the spine rather than the spine itself

You'll have to change last year's spine, Mr M, as Lewis and Drummond passed each other at the gates!

[marky No.1]

Spine 2006 Drench Bentley Sorvel Carlton
Spine 2007 Lewis Bentley Drummond Blinkhorn
Spine 2008 Roche Bentley Drummond Howe

I think the changes are more significant around the spine rather than the spine itself

You'll have to change last year's spine, Mr M, as Lewis and Drummond passed each other at the gates!

Yes Drummy took over after Xmas as Damian Allan was moved along

[shrimper]

Aye - but I think the point remains. The spine of Roche, Bents, Drummy and Howe isn't too shabby at all, I'd agree with Mr M. It's certainly on a par with Drench, Bents, Sorvs and Danny IMO.

It's the lack of pace and trickery out wide plus consistency at full-back that have been the main areas of concern so far for me.

[ezz]

Thats the spine of an ok but uncreative team, infact looking at it i can see why we play so many long balls. We need someone who will collect the ball off artell and bentley and pass it....then we need a decent winger for him to pass to....it goes on

[shrimper]

Thats the spine of an ok but uncreative team, infact looking at it i can see why we play so many long balls. We need someone who will collect the ball off artell and bentley and pass it....then we need a decent winger for him to pass to....it goes on

Mmm? Again, I don't think Drummy is particularly 'uncreative'. He's the one who does collect the ball and try to pass it intelligently. Indeed he's probably the most creative central midfielder we've had consistently in that 'spine' - ditto Howe up front - and that was the original point Mr M was addressing. A comparison had been made between the current spine and previous ones.

We all agree that we need the wingers (or wide midfielders) with pace, though.

[Christies Child]

I remember JH once saying that Drummy had the perfect balance and footballing abilty to be a centre half who could play it out of defence rather than the old fashioned type who relies on the big boot.

Somehow can't see Sammy going down that route.