..well at least we can pass back..

[Christies Child]

...'cause we can't pass forward.....can't create any danger....and most certainly can't bloody shoot.

Sorry, but today was absolute dire!

People said O'Carroll wasn't good enough, well what was on show today from the strikers certainly puts O'Carroll head and shoulders above any that we have at the moment.

Unless the Board give Sammy the cash to go and get a striker(s) this season is going to be very, very difficult.

I just hope that our pre-season form isn't carried through to when the real action starts.

[Abbo]

Go easy there CC, you'll be upsetting our friends with the blinkers on !!!!!!!!!!

[Christies Child]

I tell it as I see it..if others disagree.... no problem!

But can anybody truthfully say that there was room for optomism today?

[John L]

But can anybody truthfully say that there was room for optomism today?

Yep, I reckon the players will be fitter after all that running, chasing the ball all afternoon!

[Abbo]

You & me alike CC, but we'll see how many disagree and come out with the same excuses

[parceldave]

I tell it as I see it..if others disagree.... no problem!

But can anybody truthfully say that there was room for optomism today?

Absolute dire. rugby players dont pass back as much as that. I thought freindlies were supposed to be adventurous and bring all the training ground experiments to the fore. First half was a bit better but once Duffy was out of the equation so were we. Not much point looking for a striker if we cant get the ball forward . I thought today would have been a good test playing a team just one league above but , they ran rings round us and whoever said we have got enough central defenders should think again because those on show today were simply not good enough . . Now back to the excitement of the Golf

[Gnasher]

Define "We". Who can pass back? Our regular first team or a mixture of younger lads and traillists? I was having a brew with more than a few of what I would call the regular 11 at half time.

[Pandashrimp]

...'cause we can't pass forward.....can't create any danger....and most certainly can't bloody shoot.

Sorry, but today was absolute dire!

People said O'Carroll wasn't good enough, well what was on show today from the strikers certainly puts O'Carroll head and shoulders above any that we have at the moment.

Unless the Board give Sammy the cash to go and get a striker(s) this season is going to be very, very difficult.

I just hope that our pre-season form isn't carried through to when the real action starts.

Totally agree. Of course we aint going to be firing on all cylinders at this part of the year but there was no promise in that display.

I can see why we have to go backwards as... We have no strength or pace to either hold the ball up or at least knock it into space to worry defenses. We also are not good enough to put 20+ passes together and open up teams. We MUST get someone capable of linking it up (LIKE O'CARROLL COULD) or someone capable of making a nuisance of themselves because I could have defended against that today!

Felt sorry for Hudson today. Really tried to get things going but Taylor and Chadwick just not intelligent or for that matter good enough to work with him.

[Little Shrimp]

I know it was miserable but I've got to agree with CC.

[Naylz]

All Taylor seem to do was pass the ball back to whoever passed it to him, looked like a training ground routine, he never held the ball up.

[Pandashrimp]

All Taylor seem to do was pass the ball back to whoever passed it to him, looked like a training ground routine, he never held the ball up.

noticed this both games. Think they'v realised he can't hold it up so may be a deliberate ploy to not even try to!!

[George Dawes]

Taylor cant even run properly, how people see him as a future goal scorer for Morecambe is beyond me


seriously he should have running lessons, with his long legs he should be a hell of a lot faster

[parceldave]

Define "We". Who can pass back? Our regular first team or a mixture of younger lads and traillists? I was having a brew with more than a few of what I would call the regular 11 at half time.

So out of Artell, Adams , Mcstay ,Moss and Parrish is the trialist . It was like watching the Foxtrot i think it is , side side back back.

[Heysham_Shrimp]

We appear to be playing 4 4 2.

Last year our success was based on 5 3 2 and with a speedy left wing/back in Wilson and Darren Moss on the right that formation would suit us better.

Is the change due to Jimbo being injured ?

If we play 5 3 2 I think that Stanners Drummy and Hudson would form an excellent midfield.

Its the front 2 that is the most worrying. Taylor does not look league 2 standard at the moment. Mr T will be a useful impact sub. but who is going to play upfront ?

[PUNKISDEAD]

Is the pre season about looking at new players, or getting your squad up to speed and match fit

I think the latter, we have shed our existing strikers, seem to have a few players injured or drinking tea at half time, aq forum that gets sniffy if you ask questions, and an official board that tells yer nowt, oh and a lack of fans!!

[mfcbro]

Hang on a minute,it was pre season friendly,what do you expect?We are missing several players who would definely have featured in the 1st team if they hadnt been injured.Lets make a judgement after a few games.Looking positive i thought Duffy showed a lot of promise 1st half.C.C i am disappointed at you condemning them after 3 games.Trust Sammy and the board to get it right.It wasnt a good performance but it was a pre season friendly.

[campdave]

Glad I missed that one today, sounds like we were poop.

Good to see the usual doom-mongers out

We're going down with the Stanley, down with the Stanley

[PUNKISDEAD]

Against a very good team, with a very good center forward, with a manager with a very good name

I do not know cc, but he keeps us informed better than the team do and he seems to take stick like water off a ducks back, so i think he is entitled to a gripe, even if he may be wrong

[seasonsinthesun]

Agree about sticking the ball in the net being the big issue, and do you all remember that most of the teams (except Chester) who came to Christie had good solid tough defences and were usually hard to break down, which makes our good run in even more astonishing as to how we did it.

[marky]

Huddersfield had a really good second half of last season and are expected to be in the mix for a play-off place or better this time round, so whilst they may be just a league above, they are in the top 8 in teams of League 1 quality. However, reading these after match reports/opinions confirms my belief that Sammy is barking up the wrong tree persisting with 4-4-2, even with players injured.

As for the purpose of friendlies, I actually think that the first 3 or 4 are about building up fitness levels and testing out trialists, etc. However, the remainder ARE about creating a settled team and system. That's why I think it's important to sort out the striker situation NOW, otherwise we could again find ourselves struggling in the early stages of the season with a team that looks totally disjointed and like strangers.

[Bryan]

If we don't play three at the back with that squad we will be down near the bottom this season. No pace across the pitch anywhere. So we have to make it hard for teams to play and deny them space. If we don't the likes of Artell, Adams, Parish (the list goes on) will be dreadfully exposed by any team with a bit of pace.

Ditto it also means we've got another midfielder in there which also can help break up play. The wingback system worked for us last season so why change it now? Perhaps it's the injury list? As for the lack of strike power it could cost us dearly.

Yes we've got experience but the lack of pace and firepower is worrying even at this early stage. Pre-season isn't the be all and end all but the fans need to know we're going in the right direction. It would seem that quite a few don't. Still time to iron things out but i think it's clear we're going to have work bloody hard with this squad to be competetive this season.

[PUNKISDEAD]

I will re state my opinion, what we have is what we support, we cannot buy anyone, our revenue governs our wages etc, the people on here are all supporters, but we have a better team than the town deserves anyway, we cannot compete with anyone on the striker front, because if you can bang em in you command big bucks, I commend Sammy and the board, but i will be amazed if we finish top half this season, our average attendance will be embarassing

[heysham_mfc]

I will re state my opinion, what we have is what we support, we cannot buy anyone, our revenue governs our wages etc, the people on here are all supporters, but we have a better team than the town deserves anyway, we cannot compete with anyone on the striker front, because if you can bang em in you command big bucks, I commend Sammy and the board, but i will be amazed if we finish top half this season, our average attendance will be embarassing

at least Barnet Accy and the daggers will get a lower average attendance then us this season to be honest I think our average will go up what with it being our last season at CP

[Mark S]

What makes everyone think we will be playing 442?

Its pre season and about match fitness. The three games we have played do not in anyway represent what I think our squad or shape will look like come Aug 8th.

We have played trialists that have liitle or no hope in signing, we have injuries of first team players that will be back before August 8th (in CC style!)

Sammy also knows that the Preston and possibly Hereford's managers will be watching.

Great game of poker!

Get a Striker and a fit defence and midfield and we are sorted.

Trust in Sammy! Dont panic!

[Blackburn shrimp]

Spot on Mark S keep the faith people let Sammy and the backroom team get on with it its early days yet