Substitutions said it all!

[Bryan]

Still no need to panick.

But i notice Forest Green are top of the Conference as i write this which won't help Sammy's mood! Thing is when both central midfielders are subbed at the same time i think it says it all. Both are far too lightweight for this level and me thinks Carr needs some rehab in the reserves.

Drummie has experience and quality and above all is an organiser on the pitch. Give him some extra responsibility instead of falling out with him. As for a lack of pace there's no reason why he couldn't become more of a holding player in there. We need that extra bit of defensive ability at the moment.

Hunter should never have been left out. If he has had an injury then fair enough but why go into tough League Two games with two green players in the centre of the park. It's really odd. Clearly Hunter was fit enough for the Daggers game.

O'Carroll? What can i say. Scored with his second touch of the game. Compliments Howe better than Blinkhorn (clearly a fave of the boss). But what is the point of all this retoric? Stanners, Yates (what's he done wrong?) and Twiss all rumoured to be off. Yet are they any worse than players brought in?

I don't think we are playing that badly. But the attitude and confidence just isn't geared up to winning matches. The Daggers are flying because they have regained their feelgood factor. No consistency at all at the back for us (Roache?). A lightweight midfield and a striker who never looks like he is ever going to score again. What are the fans to think?

I will try to remain positive but we can't keep kicking ourselves in the foot with poor team selection. We need to get back to what we know and dig a result out the hard way if we have to. At the moment the Shrimps faithful need a positive result above anything else and that's the bottom line.

[morecambe mick]

Contradiction Brian?

How can

At the moment the Shrimps faithful need a positive result above anything else and that's the bottom line.

... not be a contradiction?

[slackAlice]

Bryan

Hunter should never have been left out. If he has had an injury then fair enough but why go into tough League Two games with two green players in the centre of the park. It's really odd. Clearly Hunter was fit enough for the Daggers game.

This is still a mystery to me and to most of those stood around me in the North Stand. At the very least he should of come on at half-time. The only criticism I've heard from a fellow fan this season is that he's a 'bit short' , but what he gives you is 100% effort / passion ; matched only in that dept I think by Jimbo. He gets amongst things and apart from a very poor pass towards the end yesterday when we were on the attack , he made a good contribution.
As for being short I think it was Dalglish[L'Pool] who was sent packing from Glasgow Rangers at the start of his career for being too short wasn't it ? IMO and its only my opinion , he as much as any other player has earned the right to be in the starting line -up.

[PottedShrimp]

Drummie has experience and quality and above all is an organiser on the pitch. Give him some extra responsibility instead of falling out with him. As for a lack of pace there's no reason why he couldn't become more of a holding player in there. We need that extra bit of defensive ability at the moment.

Hunter should never have been left out. If he has had an injury then fair enough but why go into tough League Two games with two green players in the centre of the park. It's really odd. Clearly Hunter was fit enough for the Daggers game.

O'Carroll? What can i say. Scored with his second touch of the game. Compliments Howe better than Blinkhorn (clearly a fave of the boss). But what is the point of all this retoric? Stanners, Yates (what's he done wrong?) and Twiss all rumoured to be off. Yet are they any worse than players brought in?

Agree with all of that Yes, we were a different team after the substitutions. There **was** a midfield for a start, something sadly getting to be conspicuous by its absence. I wonder if O'Caroll is going to be the new Newby and suffer the same fate.

As for there being no need to panic, I'd be more happy if there wasn't the whiff of complacency about the place. It's no use saying we're playing well. Playing well means winning matches and that we ain't....

[Martin]

I think it may be a good idea to start with Drummond and Hunter next week, though their positive effect on Saturday has to be seen in the context that we had to throw a little caution to the wind to try and salvage a result.

Michael Carr has been thrown straight into the first team having played last season for a struggling Conference side. I think he should be withdrawn from the starting line up and built up gradually so he can acclimatise to the step up in pace and fitness. I'm sure he will come good, but it's perhaps too much to expect too soon.

I also think it's time Blinks was given a rest. He works very hard every time he turns out, but perhaps a spell on the bench is required as his impact is not great right now. O'Carroll looked hungrier for goals and that hunger can mean the difference between scoring or fluffing a chance.

It wasn't a great performance on Saturday, but nor was it dire. The frustrating and worrying thing is that the match was so winnable and to lose it damages further the team's confidence.

[Christies Child]

Remember..remember...the days we used to be a goal up with only a minute to play.

They WILL return along with the confidence.



Bye bye for now!

[Martin]

Remember..remember...the days we used to be a goal up with only a minute to play.

They WILL return along with the confidence.



Bye bye for now!

A goal up with a minute to play? That was almost as nerve-wracking as the torment we're suffering now!

[baldrick]

Bloody hell mate i was gonna type a topic stating exactly what you thought.

The only problem i have is that i would have started with drummond and hunter from the begining and i think its time o'caroll started instead of blinks.
I haven't seen much of mccann but carr well he is c- - p! Of all the midfielders we have hes the worst. Maybe given time in the reserves he can prove me wrong but what does he have?
He's no pace, never wins a header and never wins a 50 50 ball.
Do we have scouts by the way?
What ive seen of O'caroll i like so hopefully he can be given a few games from the start with blinks on the bench.
Oh and as for Roach im not sure. He has a good kick and has made some good saves but is he prone to making mistakes. Why not bring in Davies he didn't do anything wrong last season.
My team for next week would be;

Roach (two games before being dropped)

mcstay Bentley Artell Adams

wainright hunter drummond curtis

o'caroll howe

bench; davies,
howard
parrish
frazer
blinkhorn (notice no carr)

[Christies Child]

I've got a feeling in my water that our midfield options could be greater come Monday night.

Quality wise?????????

[marky]

What continues concerns me is the defence. It's all very well blaming a non-existent midfield, but the players we're all crying out for were all with us in the second half of last season, when our defence was equally as bad. I don't think a more competent midfield is necessarily the answer (though it obviously will help a little).

[Shrimpsscene]

What continues concerns me is the defence. It's all very well blaming a non-existent midfield, but the players we're all crying out for were all with us in the second half of last season, when our defence was equally as bad. I don't think a more competent midfield is necessarily the answer (though it obviously will help a little).

despite the previous posting Marky Sammy has said that he is looking at a forward and a defender.

I think the previous poster is implying that Craig Stanley will still be with us on Tuesday which could be the case of course
Anything can happen in next couple of days

[marky]

I doubt anyone will know, but has Sammy been working today? He's gonna have his work cut out tomorrow, what with it being the last day.