Just got back from Oxford - yeah it's been a really long day

[Bryan]

Clearly you don't have to be Einstein to realise it was crap today. People that know me know i'm not known for bullshit. Thing is we've just made a 420 mile round trip at great expense so feelings were bound to be high at the game and after it.

We reached rock bottom today - quite literally. It was appalling. No excuses.

The 4-5-1 debacle? Seems to have upset a few fans. Er, we're kind of bottom of the League, have scored only three goals and seem to be leaking them in at the other end. Is that actually evidence that this system is working? (By the way i wasn't one of the fans having a pop during this game and will continue to support the players and manager, but understandably want a few answers... yet totally understand fan's frustration at the moment.)

I thought the general idea was to put that white thingy in the net type thing and this practice is more commonly known as scoring a goal. Whatever that is. Can't recall having seen one for ages now. Oh well must be going senile. To enhance said moment it is often regarded as a good idea to have players in something called a 'box'. I.e. the opponents box. Apparently goal thingy's win matches. (Yes, winning. Nope, don't remember that either.)

I just wish Sammy would come out and say what his philosophy is regarding the shape of the team this season. Give us a clue as to what you are trying to achieve. I'm confused to hell with where we're going with this system BECAUSE WE ARE BOTTOM OF THE LEAGUE. As far as i'm concerned goals win matches and we're not giving ourselves a chance at the moment.

There's talent in this team but no steel, no grit and no determination to win football matches. No organiser on the pitch. No one really taking charge when things are going wrong. No challenge for the second ball. A lack of closing down in pressure situatuions. Poor passing and an almost total absence of shooting from range. Our better crosser's of the ball like Wilson are shackled behind our own half way line. But who is there to cross the ball to anyway? IT'S NEGATIVE FOOTBALL!

Football teams are all about balance. Yet we're simply two-dimensional at the moment.

I hope Sammy pulls a few Rabbits out the hat as usual and proves us all wrong again. But surely even he can see why fans are getting a bit frustrated this season. When were we last at the bottom of any Leaugue?

I will continue to try to understand what's going on and back Sammy and the players. It's not that long ago we were in the play-offs. We can turn it round. But like i say we're heading down a cul-de-sac at the moment. Fans just seem confused as to where we're meant to be going.

Keeping the faith (just)

[parkyboy]

Are the team happy with the system i cant really believe that they can be . As you say Brian we have some very good players who have come to us because of the way they have played for other sides and are maybe being asked to do something different to what they expected and are used to, Does anyone except sammy think that 4 at the back and 5 in midfield can work surely there are too many trying to defend and leaving situations to others,

[Suffolk Shrimp]

We seem to be lacking a leader on the pitch, Barry is a fantastic goalkeeper but i do not believe keepers make good captains. The captain needs to lead from the front, make the strong challenge, he needs to organise and give out the bollocking when its required but we just don't seem to have anyone to do this at the moment.

Stanley is possibly the only current first teamer who stands out as a leader, either that or a recall for Jim Bentley

[Heysham_Shrimp]

We seem to be lacking a leader on the pitch, Barry is a fantastic goalkeeper but i do not believe keepers make good captains. The captain needs to lead from the front, make the strong challenge, he needs to organise and give out the bollocking when its required but we just don't seem to have anyone to do this at the moment.

Stanley is possibly the only current first teamer who stands out as a leader, either that or a recall for Jim Bentley

Stanners should be team captain IMHO

The man we are missing is Artell , a huge loss when he went to Crewe.

[Caged Lion]

Agree totally about this captaincy issue. For me Roche was our MoM and we lost 4-0 but we need a player out in the centre of the field to urge the lads on. Stanners is the only one giving it 100% and is in the battle zone every game, but as a leader of men?

Without a strike force the players have got be scratching their heads and wondering what game they are supposed to be playing. Goals give the fans hope and the players a purpose.

My desktop is a pic of a small cluster of Morecambe fans at Burton after one of our goals. EVERY face is full of the joy of the moment, and it makes me happy to see it every time I open my computer. The dressing room should have huge poster pics of this and players celebrating a goal to remind them of the absolute delight we all get from goals being scored.

[George Dawes]

nothing against Barry as a leader, but i just dont think goalkeepers make good captains and i agree with Heysham Shrimp and not in hindsight a few of us said it at the time

The man we are missing is Artell , a huge loss when he went to Crewe.

right now id give it to Craig Stanley the armband, or get Jimbo back and move Parrish over to right-fullback where i prefer him while he's still learning the game, i think we should go back to basics, and get that team back together what finished 4th last year

[mfcbro]

I agree with you Dawzi,lets get back to basics 4-4-2 like we ended last season.10 games won 8 drew 1 lost.Get Bentley back in to give the team a backbone.No leaders out there at the moment.Hes had a few games recently and should be about match fit.My team would be Roche
Parish Bentley McCreadie Wilson(after suspension)
Stanley fleming hunter drummond
mullins jevons(when fit)hendrie or spencer
Let the new boys work their way into contention.Same happens every season,putting the new boys in straight away and they dont have time to gel.Lets not forget we were at least 2 weeks behind pre season and some of the new players didnt come to till late.The old boys couldnt do any worse.

[ezz]

I personally think Scott could be the best player to step up and lead the team! We usually do this kind of start where we apparently 'have something to lose attitude' then when theres nothing left to lose we go all out and stuff a load of teams in a row, a lttle like Rafa's liverpool when they came 2nd.
Chances are the team will be taken off the leash soon and go on a decent run, right now we look too terrified to win, or too conceed which actually leads to our own downfall

[Posh]

I think is where it concerns me. Last season 5-3-2 was ditched and we went to 4-4-2. We then went on a run including five clean sheets. The side then was:

Roche
Parrish - Artell - Haining - Wilson
Hunter - Drummond - Stanley - Twiss
Jevons - Mullin

Since then we let Arts go who was a huge influence in the dressing room and contributed up front; there's been a big falling out with Will Haining; Loz Wilson was an attacking threat who scared the hell out of the opposition but now never gets over the halfway line; right back looked solid but is now a lottery currently occupied by a player who has clearly stated he doesn't like playing there; there was a falling out with Garry Hunter who despite giving his all barely gets a game; Twissy has gone; Drummy has struggled recently; and we've dropped Mullin who was part of a 30 goal plus partnership.

Let's hope there's a Plan B like last season that put together a confident winning side. It just seems odd how quickly that side has fallen away.

[ockers]

this season we have two points from five matches
last season we had three points from five matches including that 5 2 defeat at burton?
the next five last season brought seven points when we should have got wins over rochdale and bradford i seem to remember
I think it will be interesting to see how we do over the next five a win will give us all a real confidence booster
someone on here made the point we had a poor preseason(think it might have been ned) and we were a couple of weeks behind everyone else
well hopefully we will catch up and the lads will put in some good performanc es
as rants go bryan its nowhere near your exeter rant from 2003 mate and the 4 0 defeat i still have it
so maybe its not all that bad!!!
lets hope they have a good week and surprise chesterfield who we have a good record against!!

[Blackpool Shrimp]

our record at home to chesterfield is not good sean !!

[james456]

We've only lost once against Chesterfield - which was last season where they grabbed one against the run of play and a poor performance from us meant we just couldn't get the ball in the net.

I think we'll win (and play a 4-4-2!)

[HALMA 1983]

our record at home to chesterfield is not good sean !!

Unlike the last meeting this is a much stronger side and we will be severely tested make no mistake.
Like Sammy i'd be scratching my head as which way to go with this one as they will no doubts bag a few but on the brightside they also concede.

Looking forward to the tactical match up of Sammy v Shez

[parceldave]

Let's hope there's a Plan B like last season that put together a confident winning side. It just seems odd how quickly that side has fallen away.

I think some of the reasons why the side has quickly fallen away is what you mentioned in your post about the falling out with certain players , ie - Stanners for a spell last season and Gaz Hunter when he was playing so well and recently seems to be Will Haining . Yesterday as early as the 4th or 5th minute you could see the writing was on the wall that we were in for a bad afternoon . The players were simply not interested, Scott who has looked quite good playing in front of the back four was moved to right back and obviously wasn't happy , Loz Wilson had his worst game ever that i have seen , normally he closes his man down but yesterday he gave his opponent time to control the ball and either go past him or put the ball into the penalty area, Drummond and Stanley are a bit like the Lampard & Gerrard situation for England in that they both like to get forward but one doesn't seem to know what the other one is doing(both had mares yesterday). I think if you read Brian's post you will have a pretty good idea of what went on yesterday and why some fans got so upset.

I like you hope there is a Plan B before we get stuck down there , i just can't understand why we have to make it so difficult for ourselves season after season.

[ockers]

our record at home to chesterfield is not good sean !!

sorry i forgot about that one although didnt we murder them that game only for them to take all three??
i just thought we had a good record against them
will be tough satdi no mistake
im sure bryan got it spot on sounded a bad day at the office yesterday
i missed cheltenham last season thankfully
but so far this season in the league i thought we looked good at wycombe stronger in the second half and worthy of a point
at burton we were coasting and threw it away
didnt see rotherham but a good point and i thought we were fortunate to be in the game in the second half v gillingham but wasnt panicing so surprised at yesterdays result in all honesty
hopefully a good following from Chesterfield could bump the crowd up to around 2800

[parceldave]

wasnt panicing so surprised at yesterdays result in all honesty
hopefully a good following from Chesterfield could bump the crowd up to around 2800

If you were there yesterday Sean then you wouldn't have been surprised, we were lucky that we weren't playing a good team.

As for next Saturday , people want to be entertained and see some action but at the moment all the action is at the wrong end of the pitch with Baz Roach being the MoM last week and the home game before that it was Andy Parrish i think . .

With the novelty of the Globe starting to wear off and the fickle fans seeing our league position i think the crowd levels are going to fall a bit until we start getting goals and seeing somebody from the forwards getting a MoM award .

By the way Sean who and when was that please.

[ockers]

Paul Mullin received the man of the match award last league game v Aldershot Town at Christie Park nominated by The Bay