OneSizeFitz

10 hours ago, lookersstandandy said:

Shez talking to Plastics about being their next manager according to Nixon.

They really must be desperate... 

19 minutes ago, Lee Sinnott said:

Flip side of that is that Paddy McEleney couldn't buy a game for us but is one of Dundalk's main men...

He was before he moved to us, yep. He's scored three goals in two years since he moved back... 

Guess my argument is more that if the League of Ireland is a 'pub league', then ours probably isn't far off either. Which might well be true... 

13 hours ago, adamoafc said:

Oh come on! It’s abit of rivalry. Let’s be fair the only reason he is there is for pocket money. Any job in pro football in England and he would be back. 
 

He isn’t far wrong with the standard though is he? 

Just thought it was a bit disrespectful, really, and can understand why it's not gone down well. 

Not sure the standard is all that different to the standard he was managing over here, really - he was at the bottom of the Conference with Chesterfield. Dundalk and Shamrock Rovers have both had decent European campaigns in recent years. Players get called up internationally from time to time (Jack Byrne being one example). Cameron Dummigan can't buy a game at Dundalk and he played regularly in League 1 for us...

He's the one who decided to move over there - no-one's forcing him. If he doesn't like it he should give someone else the opportunity. No doubt there are lots of hardworking and capable people who'd jump at the chance. 

12 hours ago, adamoafc said:

Never change shez

Latics legend or not, he really does lack class sometimes.

He's the one whose career's nosedived to the extent that he's managing in this "pub league"...

Willy Gros on the bench for Madagascar as they make it through to the Quarter Finals of the Africa Cup of Nations. They beat DR Congo in the Round of 16, having already beaten Nigeria in the group stage.

Gutted about Clarke, disappointed about Baxter and Gardner. But not surprised.

Absolutely terrifying that we're in contract negotiations with Benteke...

21 hours ago, BP1960 said:

 

So you think one up front is working well for us at the moment and carry on regardless?

You know perfectly well that's not what I was saying...

21 hours ago, BP1960 said:

I see that old chestnut 'tiredness' has been churned out again, two games a week seems too much for some of them even though they haven't started every game.

I've seen part time non league players play three times a week and still look fit at the end of the season.

I was there today and and it appeared to me it was lack of willingness to take the game to the opposition in the 2nd half which was the problem.

I thought PS said he was bringing exciting football back, but we have yet to see two strikers up front?

 

 

Completely different intensity though, isn't it? In the Cup non-league teams always seem to tire towards the end of games against League opposition, partly for that reason. 

Some of the best football I've ever seen has been from teams who've played with one striker. If it were as simple as just playing two up top, everyone would be doing it...

Thought Bury were the best side I've seen in this league all season, and the scoreline was a fair reflection of the game.

We looked very much like the mid-table side we are...

Thought 1-1 was a fair result.

Today serves to highlight just how lacking we are in quality outside the first XI, and that's why I don't think we'll make the playoffs.

1 hour ago, mad4it said:

Edmudson gave a way the 1st penalty, had enough chance to win it, but poor finishing let us down (again) 

He didn't...

45 minutes ago, BP1960 said:

 

I have said many times I don't like it, that's my opinion.

You're of course entitled to your view, but I think it's far too simplistic to blame a performance like today on the fact that we played with two holding midfielders...

1 hour ago, BP1960 said:

 

No coincidence played 2 holding midfieders in both games giving the initiative to the opposition.

Very disappointed with Wild for bringing back that negative tactic.

We also played two holding midfielders against Port Vale, Notts County and Fulham; were you disappointed in him then too?

10 hours ago, deyres42 said:

Looks set fair so one for the stattos, have we ever gone through a season without having a match postponed because of the weather?

 

I guess we might have done a whole home season on the plastic?

We haven't gone this season without having a match postponed because of the weather... 

26 minutes ago, yarddog73 said:

Doesn't mean it couldn't be better, if you think being 10th in the league is fine then fair play but personally I'd of paired Surridge and Lang as a front two months ago but it's all about opinions.

Bit unfair on O'Grady, that. He's been excellent for a good few weeks now...

1 hour ago, kowenicki said:

 

Wellens got us relegated. Should never have happened.  I refuse to accept anything else.  He’s a crap manager as he will prove once again in time, because I doubt such an arrogant man can learn. 

Sheridan, Corney, Abdallah and the players all bear some responsibility too...

It was a team effort to get that lot relegated.

He's a bit of a Football League legend isn't he? 700+ games and counting and player of the season at five different clubs.

Seems a thoroughly decent chap too.

Happy Birthday, fella.

21 minutes ago, losesome said:

Had too many visions of stepping back into the early season tactics today.

Playing an extremely poor side at home with one up front.

At least 3 times in the first half both Hamer & Lang couldn't cross the ball because there was nobody in the box.

A win is a win but any top 6 side would have made us pay today and if that's what Wild has picked up from Bunn then we need a fresh face in.

 

 

Spurs, Liverpool and City all play with one striker...

The answer's not always 4-4-2. It's playing individuals in positions that get the best out of them that's important. You can play one up front and tear teams apart, and equally you can play two up front and be utterly toothless. This formation seems to get the best out of our wingers, Maouche, and both Missilou and Lyden, so it's fine by me.

Thought we deserved to win, without playing brilliantly. County were poor in truth; hoof to Stead and hope. We had a ropey period in the second-half where we seemed to be tiring and / or panicking, but thankfully Oxlade-Chamberlain jr contrived to get himself sent off and it was plain sailing after that.

Lyden, Clarke, Lang in particular played well. Nice to see young Robinson have a run out.

Judging by Lang and Surridge's reactions at the end, I'd be surprised if we see them at BP again... they'll be tough to replace.

2 hours ago, IceStationLatic said:

On expectations...

 

My fear, as we hurtled down the table..., was we’d be another Chesterfield. 

 

My expectation, given the performance of the majority of relegates clubs in L2, was play-off contention.

 

I accept budget talk and impact etc. 

 

But how how would you assess the quality of teams we have faced.....?

 

And with the players we have, should we be doing better?

 

They say the table never lies. But should be closer to the play-offs for me. 

 

We’ve got the players. We appointed a manager who evidently needed to learn with regards substitutions (still appeared to be a weakness there) and tactics (although it seems our good run was based on the manager being bullied into playing two up top...!).

 

Patience must have run out, after a near-miss with the FA Cup late show. Our league position could be, or could have been, key to attracting good loan signings?

 

We desperately need a good run early this year; otherwise, if we lose at Fulham, a dangerous ‘season over’ mentality could take over. I assume AL is desperate for us to stay in the play-off picture to avoid attendances spiralling off. 

Just to fact-check this assertion...

2017-18

Coventry - 6th (P)

Swindon - 9th

Port Vale - 20th

Chesterfield - 24th (R)

2016-17

Doncaster - 3rd (P)

Blackpool - 7th (P)

Colchester - 8th

Crewe - 17th

2015-16

Leyton Orient - 8th

Notts County - 17th

Yeovil - 19th

Crawley - 20th

2014-15

Shrewsbury - 2nd (P)

Stevenage - 6th

Carlisle - 20th

Tranmere - 24th (R)

2013-14

Scunthorpe - 2nd (P)

Bury - 12th

Portsmouth - 13th

Hartlepool - 19th

So over the last five seasons,  only 6/20 (30%) of relegated teams reached either the playoffs or were automatically promoted in their first season. 9/20 (45%) finished 17th or lower...

How many points closer to the playoffs do you think we should be?

My view, for what it's worth, is that we're about where we should be. On average attendances, we're 13th, and by all accounts we cut our wage bill fairly sharply over the summer. We tend to beat teams below us in the league, and not beat teams above us. At the start of the season, some pundits were tipping us for relegation (FourFourTwo had us 24th; Guardian as relegation candidates) - largely because of our off-the-field issues - whilst others thought we'd fare slightly better.

We're a mid-table team, with mid-table players, mid-table attendances, and up until Boxing Day a steady if unspectacular manager. That's not to say we shouldn't aim higher than that, but to "expect" us to be further up the league than we are seems a little ill-founded.

8 minutes ago, Gaz_Oafc said:

Doesn't Gary Bowyer tick those boxes?

He does, which is precisely why I don't think he'd want to go through it again...

So all we need is a manager willing and able to:

• Challenge for promotion in League Two with a mid-table squad assembled by somebody else.
• Work under an allegedly trigger-happy, unpredictable and interfering chairman.
• Perform despite a climate of financial instability and regular late payment of wages.
• Placate an expectant but disillusioned fanbase.

Easy as that. Can't wait to find out who it is...

2 hours ago, the_mighty_bosh said:

It's all about timing.

 

AL goes in the dressing room after yesterday to give the players a piece of his mind then I doubt a single fan wouldn't do the same.  But doing it after the Exeter game and the run we'd been on would be absolutely the wrong time to do it. 

 

If I was a player and that happened to me I'd feel alienated by my boss and thinking that I could do better than this.  Hopefully Surridge, Lang et al aren't feeling this way.

Can't imagine it's improved our chances of keeping Surridge, put it that way... 

1 minute ago, nzlatic said:

Clarke on the 5th

 

Watched about 30 mins (cheers for the link kig), we had about 90% possession with little threat, they had 3 attacks and scored all 3. Bizarre stuff. 

 

The o’grady chance should have been buried but how on earth did we not get a penalty for the handball? And the free kick that they scored from? He barely touched him. Add this to Rochdale and something very funny going on with the referees. 

 

But this has highlighted the weaknesses in the squad. We’re a mid table squad at best so need to spend money if we want to achieve anything. 

This is the crux of it for me. Mid-table League 2 teams win some, lose some, and every now and then are on the receiving end of a hammering.

That's where we are, unfortunately. We're not good or consistent enough to challenge for promotion at the moment.

2 hours ago, Kusunga_Is_God said:

I honestly despise referees. They bring on the abuse they get themselves, i’m certain they like it in some twisted way.

Would you rather we played without them...?