doctor evil

Sheron should go, we don't need somebody to run about sometimes making tackles who offers nothing on the ball and doesn't know how to find space to receive the ball. So easy for the opposition, stick a man on conlon and press the cb's, we panic and end up hoofing it. They've barely had to get out of 2nd gear....

2 minutes ago, BP1960 said:

His 7 at the back, not unexpected.

If anything the midfield 2 haven't been deep enough, nobody for the CBS to give the ball to so just end up punting it to infinity.

Really need to learn how to keep hold of the ball for 2 minutes....

Think Hobson is just going to play RB.

It's not great, we look devoid of any attacking ideas. It's just so disconnected, looks like they've never played together before. All boreham wood are doing is putting the press on and we just wilt under the pressure of a 1 man press. Pass and move and we'll beat this lot, simple as that. Probably going to watch another half of us hoofing the ball somewhere not near fondop though ...

1 minute ago, LightDN123 said:

We don’t have any goals in that team and no strikers on the bench. 

Yeah it's not a bench with many game changers on it.

8 minutes ago, GKing521 said:

Mark Kitching dropping a solid 2/10.

That's generous....

40 minutes ago, Dave_Og said:

Well, I think that team and bench selection suggests Mellon doesn't think as highly of Sutton as some.

I don't think he's good enough to start, and the 5 subs limits who you can stick on the bench. You're going to want players that can impact a game offensively on there. You can always drop to a back 4 if there's an injury. Though it must be said I'd rather have a defender than Norman on the bench.

Worse than the result was the actual quality of the game so think yourselves lucky if you've dodged this one

2 minutes ago, St92 said:

Walker wins the pen, and then gives them the platform to win it

 

Absolutely crazy decision to run into 3 defenders when he's got a simple pass to Ward on the overlap

I think I'm going to lay the blame at Norman's door seeing as he practically threw it in....

Norman didn't fancy penalties 

Walker has been the 1 positive in this game for me

Sutton has been unimaginably bad 2nd half

Well this is going well. Sutton not covered himself in glory with that one....

2 minutes ago, the_mighty_bosh said:

What formation are we playing?  Can't work it out with this lineup.

442

Hogan LB Gardner RM 

1 minute ago, yarddog73 said:

What the fuck has happened to Lundstrum, in one spell there I counted not far off 20 consecutive back passes, that's fucking criminal against that level of opposition and I'd be dragging him off at half time along with Willoughby, Mellon can't be asking him to do that surely. 

 

Awful football, defence looks solid and that's about it other than Hope whose put himself about, Ward coming back to form and looks fit, rest a crock of shit. Need to get Gardner off the dead ball, fucking awful delivery.

Thought walker was probably the brightest of the forwards, though that didn't take a lot of doing.

A decidedly dull half of football. Very much looked like a team that hadn't played together before for the first 30 minutes. We did start to look a little better towards the end of the half but as BP says it's just been far too pedestrian with the ball. There's been no real danger of us conceding (Gardner's garbage defending aside). We just need to be more aggressive with the ball, quicker passing & movement, try to progress the ball a bit more.

5 minutes ago, GlossopLatic said:

Between the boxes Gateshead are as good a side as any in the division. For the first 30 we were definitely second best however after weathering that storm (pun intended as its now pissing it down) we've done abit better.

They're not a team you want to press unless you do it as a team and for the most part I thought we contained them very well. I'd say we created more than they did. We just need to be a bit better when we turnover possession, can't keep giving them the ball back immediately because it'll just end up forcing us to drop too deep 2nd half.

Lots of subpar performances out there so far. We did grow into the game towards the end of that half but we still need to be a lot sharper with our passing & movement. Positive is that it could easily be 3 for them so we're still well in the game, get an early goal 2nd half and game on.

1 hour ago, Ackey said:

But have Norwoods indiscretions been any less petulant / stupid? It's not like he's a battling ball-winning midfielder is it? 

I think you could argue Norwoods bookings have been more through frustration. And my point originally was that a suspension hurts the team far less than getting sent off 40 minutes into a game and then having a suspension.

18 minutes ago, yarddog73 said:

No he's already had that, it's Fondop with the disciplinary problem - keep up.

There is a quite big difference between a suspension for picking up 5 yellows and getting sent off every 5 games...

1 minute ago, mcfluff1985 said:

I like Reid. But can you tell me ONE good thing he did when he came on

Used his pace to get in behind a few times. Turned a defender and then tried to lay it into Norwood at one point which was a decent idea. I think he just made us look more dangerous, the threat of his pace can cause the opposition to react differently, Alty definitely played a lot deeper when he came on....

I didn't think it was too bad really, we looked more comfortable in possession than we have for a long time. Still need to work on being more aggressive and innovative in the final 3rd.

Hudson 7 - Solid, distribution was ok, didn't think he had an awful lot to do.

Freeman 6 - Took a while to get going and Alty had most of their joy down his side. Nice assist for Norwoods goal and definitely looks more comfortable there than Sutton.

Hobson 8 - Definitely the most crucial of our defenders now, his pace and the way he can read the game is so useful.

Mcgahey 6 - First half he was a bit sloppy on the ball and sent several Gardner style pings straight to the alty midfield. Better as the game went on and does have a decent long ball in him.

Kitching 6 - Didn't think he had his best game, still a threat going forwards but his crosses left a lot to be desired today. Sometimes I wish the ball would reach him a bit quicker because he often has space but it takes 3 or 4 passes to get out to him.

Green 4 - He's never been particularly great at the defensive side of things and again he was caught in no man's land for their goal. Didn't offer enough going forwards (last time I gave him a poor rating he started banging them in so here's hoping ).

Sheron 6 - Scored a cracker, not sure I've seen him hit the ball more cleanly. But he really frustrates me. He needs to be better at showing for the ball from the CBS. Too often he was marked out of the game first half. On the ball, he needs to learn how to advance play. He only ever goes the way he's facing, which is usually backwards, and it just slows us down far too much. Because the thing is, on the few occasions he does drive forward with it, he looks good. I know he isn't going to turn into a playmaker but he just needs to think more positively.

Lundstrum 7 - I thought he looked really good. Great work for the first goal in the corner and always looks to get on the ball and get us moving. The more he plays, the better he'll get as he builds those relationships.

Hope 6 - Had to score early on when booting it over, will always put in a shift and unlucky with the penalty. Would like him to stay wide a bit more because it will create more space in the middle. At times linked well with Kitching and Lundstrum, wanted to see more of it.

Norwood 8 - The guy scores goals, and I like goals. You can see the quality he has when he's on the ball. If we can give him the service he wants, he'll hit 25+. Also he was the one screaming at them to get back after Sheron scored, he's a winner. And that's the mentality we need.

Nuttall 5 - He's just at a low in confidence I think. I think he puts himself about but when you don't have that confidence you make little mistakes. Don't really see a way back for him.

Reid I thought looked good when he came on and his pace will always cause problems. Does seem to be more effective off the bench though.

Just now, GlossopLatic said:

 

I don't think their is such thing as accidental or unintentional handball these days if it hits your hand in the penalty area these days it's a penalty.

It's all about whether it's deemed to be in an unnatural position. The exact wording has changed every other season but I think at the minute they're supposed to take into account the action a player makes, rather than anything other than arms by your side being unnatural.

I thought we played ok for the most part in that half. Switched off a couple of times defensively, especially down the right. Finding it difficult to break these down but we've been neat on the ball mostly. Obviously need to work on chance creation but that's been an issue for ages. Never a penalty, hope slid in, hooked it back with his foot and it kind of rolled up his body and did hit his arm, but he was sliding and it was in a natural position.