Butter

Even when in poor form Stephens will score you a goal or create a goalscoring chance or cause havoc with a set-piece. That is why you don't 'rest' Stephens. Even when poor he is still capable of having a positive influence.

 

Back off him.

Agree with that. Apart from his set pieces, they have been :censored:e.

He doesn't need a 'rest' he had 5 weeks of it at the end of 2010!!

Rest being the polite term for drop the out of form, passenger in midfield.

Dale started the season brilliantly, but has IMO lost his way as the season's gone on.

 

His strength was IMO that he could get his foot on the ball, look nice & composed, shield it from the opposition, then play a simple pass to set a move going / keep a move going............he now seems to think that to make an impression, he has to hit a Hollywood 50 yard pass every time.

 

He looked off the pace yesterday, almost lazy in possession if you will, and he consistently miss-placed passes, both short & long. As Ive posted elsewhere, his corners were dire too. He did stick the penalty away very well to give him his due.

 

He made a rod for his own back with his early season displays - they should have the standard that he aspired to reach in every game, instead they look to have been part of a 'purple patch' if you will, one that's he's massively struggling to hit again.

Very well put, agree completely. I'd say rest him but an out of form Stephens is a better option than our reserves. If Jones is fit maybe give him a go? Saying that he was poor at Accrington- needs more than 1 chance and all that.

Sounds a much better game than this :censored:e on channel 5.

Who bagged for Latics?

That was a joke by the way ha.

Dickov might be on the shortlist for the Toon job.

What a horrendous decision to sack Hughton by that idiot Ashley.

The free kick should have been given to M'voto, not against him.

 

The centre halfs were ok. Left back worries me more.

+1 where Black was going for their goal. I have no idea.

After the first game, when the same thing happened with standing fans just on the steps, why on earth didn't they allocate people seats?

Exactly. My seat was on the front. Couldnt see anything. Apparently they could only open up that extra block of seats when they'd cleared it with the FA

I didn't see any of the first half an hour due to having about 10 stewards 20 coppers in front of me. Would be when we played the better football! Typical.

Nicky Adams on the wing for them played well. I'd take a point we were crap 2nd half.

If you mean the fans' team, they are nothing to do with OWTB and haven't been for a couple of years. And seriously, no .

But we'd put the effort in. It seems to be what most players are judged on these days

Just what i was thinking, trouble is he's obviously gagged on this one.

 

The club is in a crisis situation, the debt on the club is not sustainable, the one amigo we have left doesn't have a financial plug big enough to stem the torrent of cash pouring out of the club and no-one seems in any hurry to come and bail us out

 

In short, we're nigh on trading insolvently, the balance sheet won't and can't balance and then Mr Hardy intimates that we were reliant on a cup run to keep us going!!

 

I overheard a conversation outside Prenton Park earlier in the season that intimated we would enter administration sooner rather than later, unless we could attract a backer. I won't tell you who this was talking but i'm sure you can guess!!

 

We're seriously in the mire, i hope in all hope that we can get through this but i fear this could really see us become another football statistic!!

Not really surprised though.

"We will never leave the club in as bad a position as it was when we arrived here" Blahh! Just as bad if not worse.

I find it embarassing that in this day and age, a League One game can be called off due a waterlogged pitch. Even more so when 10 minutes down the road Bury managed to complete their game.

I bet the police cant wait to do it all again. The whole thing was handled woefully, but thats due to it being a derby, if it was Plymouth at home the game would have been off a lot lot sooner.

Letting both sets of fans out at the same time wasnt the brightest idea in the world either.

Edit Chances of Accrington being postponed at weekend?

The heads of History i've come across have tended to devote more time to GCSE and A-Level than anything else. Fortune and glory and all that! (Blue Coat, Crompton House etc.)

 

I can see why your dad has often encountered the opposite though given the amount of extra-work teaching A-level entails, and the amount of work heads of department have to do any way is ridiculous. So if you can delegate I would!

 

I'd jump at the chance to teach anything at the moment with there being very slim-pickings out there at the moment. Certainly round here anyway!

Thats a :censored:ter that, I was contemplating doing my PGCE as well. My mate walked into a job at Royton and Crompton after doing her placement there.. others I know are struggling big time like you.

A Levels, I'm more proud of achieving them than my degree, should be the other way around surely but meh. Lecturers are probably the least dedicated of any teachers i've met throughout my education. And you're paying decent money to be there. It pissed me right off.

Wasn't arsed he went didnt get a chance, so will nor boo or clap.

It's all down to Keith Hill the footballing messiah that O'Gradys a better player, a lot of Dale fans seem to think he takes :censored: players off us and manages to make them into superstars overnight and sends them back a better player. What a load of bollocks.

How many goals has Lee / Black / Evina set up this season?

 

11? maybe more?

 

Says everything you need to know about our style of football.

Unlucky not to score first half Lee as well. God knows how that stayed out.

Didn't someone say Lewi had got his nose broke on Saturday when he got elbowed??

If he has then he may not play?

 

if all fit from plymouth then i would go for:

 

GK: Brill

RB: Lee

CB: Hazell

CB: Mvoto

LB: Jacobsen

RW: Jones/Alice

CM: Stephens

CM: Furman

LW: Evina

CAM/ST: Taylor

ST: Tounkara

 

Subs: Jones/Alice, Fleming, Brooke, Kelly, Jarret, That french midfielder christophe? Millar/Holdsworth

Jacobson is a bit of a gamble. But apart from that I agree with that team.

I hope Stephens finally pulls his finger out for this one. People calling for Jones to be dropped to the bench, Stephens before anyone. Couldnt dictate a game against a team with 9 men.

Dean Brill's save at 2-2 won us that game.

Taking Wright Phillips off also helped!

Stephens, first touch gets worse every week.

Think Evina was took off as he would have been knackerd, never seen a left back make so many runs forward. He saw most of the ball in the 2nd half.

The annoying thing he was quite easy to stop, he was all right foot, had Latics seen him before I wonder and instructed the defenders what to look out for ?

Well i'm going off one performance. He looked pretty hard to stop but then we barely put a tackle in on him. Was all right foot but was bloody rapid. Black couldnt get near him.

Stephens, Black and Feeney had shockers.

Like Underdog says Furman was doing the job of 2 in the middle of the park and has been for some weeks. Stephens should be dropped for a horrendous free kick in the 2nd half alone and a Gareth Barry esq "tackle" on the touchline. I'd rather Jarrett or Jones be given a chance at centre mid. We've been carrying Stephens for too many games now.

If the lad they brought on who scored and hit the post, after walzing around our whole team had started I reckon we would have suffered a much heavier defeat. We couldnt handle his pace and direct running. Something our team is lacking as well as a goal scorer.

Feel sorry for Furman having to do the work of Stephens who has been off the boil for weeks.

MOTM today was Furman totally different player this season.

Jones was poor first half but turned it round 2nd half, was much better.

Weetwood is the area Boddington Hall is the place.

 

That isn't too far from me. Give us a shout when you're playing I'll come and watch then we can Otley run it into Headingley.

Otley Run, started at 4pm got in at 4am, how I lasted I'll never ever know.

Is it a coincidence that our performances have dipped now that stephens has gone off the boil?

Yep, of the games I've been to he hasnt played well since Notts County @ home.

I'd put Jarrett in the midfield personally.

Problem is i would sooner have Stephens than either Taylor or Jones in midfield on current form !!!!!!!

Jones has been one of our best players all season along with Lee & Furman.

Stephens for me needs a rest, was blowing out of his arse after 10 minutes at Peterborough. He was one of the reasons we got over run that day as he went missing. Young player though, barely played any first team games, never mind for us. Always going to be inconsistent.

Worried about the form of Stephens. Since the Notts County game, hes gone off the boil. Being such a young player (like most of our team at present!) inconsistency is a massive danger this season. The loss at Peterborough might be the kick up the arse he needs.

6aside league. Trek down to Kaskenmoor, other team doesnt show. Riled!