TheBigDog

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I posted this prior to the Southend game… it’s still valid for this evening’s match I reckon: I’ll be watching this on National League TV. Three things I hope: 1. Whichever eleven start the game, they play with commitment and confidence 2. David sets us up to play on the front foot 3. The fans get behind the team and the atmosphere does not turn toxic The result is important and so is the performance. Between the Dorking home game and the New Years Day home game we have lost two thousand home fans Something has to change before we completely lose the feel good factor that we witnessed just a few months ago

Me? I’ll wait until I’ve seen him play and then make comment

Ha ha ha ha

Is he any relation to the Ellis Chapman that has been particularly underwhelming for us this season?

Yawn It’s not even funny anymore

I think that you’re trying too hard with this… We competed well against Notts County and deserved the draw - so drop that one And your comments on the Dorking game are based on reports as you were not there. I was there and to say that we were battered is way off the mark.

Nobody is saying that it was - but it was a good effort following the Boxing Day debacle

In one way, the fact that the upper hierarchy is sticking with Unsworth, despite the very slow on pitch improvement, is admirable. We often hear talk of ‘backing the manager’ and giving him ‘more time’ - one good recent example is how Forest stuck by Cooper despite their dreadful start to the season. The question is though “How long is enough time?”

First thing for me is NOT to extend the loans of Chapman and Peck. I cannot accept that Rooney, Burgess are not as good as the aforementioned pair Then recall Vaughan and say to Unsworth that he works with the squad he’s got.

“This is a massive club…” ”When I heard that <insert club name> were in for me, I couldn’t wait to get the deal done” etc etc

Typically though, they go down holding their head I do agree that refs should call on the trainers as soon as a player goes down injured and that there should be a two minute time lapse from when they exit the pitch to when they re-enter… just to be sure that they’re okay obviously

I’m with @HarryBoschon this one obvs Many on this board are well into their sixties (and seventies for some) and have actually picked up a lot from watching football for so long. I agree that ‘experience’ does not automatically make anyone better qualified to speak on footballing matters, however by the same token, it can bring a greater insight to some.

You don’t have to be a ‘football genius’ to spot patterns of play and how teams setup. It comes with the experience of watch Latics, and live football in general, for more than 57 years

It is evident, to me at least, from watching Latics under Unsworth that the players are more concerned about holding their shape than actually closing down or attacking the ball. The opposition know this and that’s why so many teams simply play around and through us…

He’s our captain for chrissakes - I’m sure that a five minute interview won’t interfere too much with him concentrating on his game

Every good team has a balanced set up - why anyone, let alone Unsworth, thinks that throwing on three attackers/strikers is going to work is beyond me. We needed to strengthen the midfield but he left Gardner & Rooney on the bench - baffling decision. As for Wealdstone - given the weather forecast for next week, I doubt it will be on

Two for McAleny

Retired… possibly

It also doesn’t justify the huge amount of criticism he gets from some either

And yet… He was captain at Salford. He was our captain. He captained Stevenage in their victory at Aston Villa. He’s playing for the team in second place in League Two He’s played over 400 games in his career to date As I said “Haters gonna hate” I wonder if he would have got so much stick if he hadn’t had that man bun?

“Haters gonna hate”

He has played over 200 games but his career to date has gone from the playing Championship football down through the leagues to where he is now. I suppose that was what I meant with the comment ‘he’s probably past his best’’