the_mighty_bosh

1 hour ago, deyres42 said:

Quite worrying that they see the guy who has taken 8 points from 42 as the one to take it forward...

I agree with you.  Sheridan is the problem and the next manager will be a massive improvement.

On 4/3/2022 at 3:51 PM, Bristolatic said:

 

 

There is no truth in the rumour that the lesser-spotted Rob Purdie is plying his trade down here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Years ago (but after he "played" for us) I spoke to Rob Purdie in my local Sainsbury's in Gloucester with his Hereford team on their way down to play Forest Green.

I've never before been so tempted to say to someone "it's good to know that you actually exist!"

I'm expecting the team to be:

Rogers

Fage

Clarke

Sutton

Hart

Missilou

Hunt

Adams

Keillor-Dunn

Bahamboula

Hope

On my way up with my Exeter-supporting brother.  Genuinely worried that this might be the last Football League game that I'm able to watch live at Boundary Park for quite a while.  At least it's likely to be a buzzing atmosphere and I honestly can't wait to be in the Athleticos stand.

Pidge being suspended is a big blow, especially if McGahey isn't fit.  However it's very likely that Sam Nombe is out for the season which is a significant blow for them too.  Zanzala or Kieran Phillips will be his replacement, I'm hoping for Zanzala as despite him being a real physical threat and a workhorse he's by far the weakest finisher.

They might be undersized at the back as Sam Stubbs is likely to be out too, but Dawson is a very good keeper at this level and Josh Key and Jack Sparkes will get forward well from full back/wing back.  Adams could do well against both of them (if there's actually someone to aim for).

How Missilou deals with Dieng could be key to any success we have.  He's certainly not the undersized but technical centre back we remember any more, he gets into the box from deep and is a real threat in the air.  The fortunate thing is that while their midfielders are good on the ball, they won't be too physical for us.

Finally, Matt Jay and Jevani Brown will get in pockets of space and will need to be given as little time as possible on the ball.

We aren't favourites, but we can be competitive and can get stuck into them with the right attitude.  I don't believe that we should be scared of any team at this level at Exeter are no different.

Get them fired up Shez!  

8 hours ago, Dave_Og said:

90 miles.  I'm not having that as a derby!

I'll be honest, down here that kind of is a local game for Exeter.  Certainly in this division.

38 minutes ago, astottie said:

Banging them in tonight. Lang, Grounds, Dieng, Gardner  and Clarke og.

Grounds and Dieng in the same game banging them past Oxley!  

Aaron Holloway signs for Barrow.

He was one of Shez's first signings in both previous Shezzurections.  Hopefully we bring in someone at least as good as him, he clearly hasn't got the goalscoring touch but his physical presence would've been useful.

On 1/1/2022 at 4:57 PM, disjointed said:

And equalises in the 95th minute. 

That equaliser was quality.

1 hour ago, mcfluff1985 said:

Was quality for us on a number of occasions. Take him back in an instant

I liked him when he played deeper in midfield, less so when in an advanced role.

However his performance at Fulham was on another planet and for that alone I'd be happy to have him back.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/59640906.amp

I'll be honest, like Sylla, I'd have him back at the moment.

I know they lost tonight at Wycombe, but Burton had Hamer, CBJ, Aaron Holloway and Jonny Smith starting for them tonight (and of course Dino as assistant manager) and they are currently 10th in League One.  While we have undoubtedly signed a lot of crap in the recent past, we also clearly haven't got the most out of quite a lot of the players we've signed.

15 minutes ago, Lee Sinnott2 said:

Weren't they losing every week...?

I'll be honest I don't know about their results so you may be right, but there were more academy players who got pro contracts on his watch than previously and the likes of Vaughan, Sutton and Luamba look like they could transition into the 1st team this year (or be sold to a higher league like Emmerson and possibly Vaughan if rumours are true). 

Results matter of course, but I'd rather have people running the academy who can develop players to be ready for the first team or higher.

I know it's less important than both things above, but I liked the way Murray spoke about his role when interviewed by BPAS.

46 minutes ago, Lee Sinnott2 said:

Sounds like Murray according to the Twitter rumours. Although nothing has been confirmed so could just be more nonsense being spread...

It's almost a drop in the ocean at this stage as so many players and staff are being pushed out regardless of ability, but it looked and sounded like Murray was doing a decent job with the current crop of youngsters.

1 hour ago, Chaddyexile84 said:

 

 

On a side note - that team which is far from our best would piss all over the current (last season) one 

I really wanted to like Robinson, he sounded like a decent coach and he was dealt a bad hand with us.  But 12 goals from 24 games is hard to look past.  I preferred last years 72 goal team to that year's 31 goal team (as good as Ripley, Clarke and Shez's comeback were).

Queensy's certainly had some odd moments in his career!

20 hours ago, whittles left foot said:

Wellens gets the Doncaster job.

Interesting.  I think he's shown signs of being a decent manager in his career so far (and signs of being a crap one too) but I can't help but feel that he's failed upwards here.

12 hours ago, LightDN123 said:

Rather than Whelan/McAlmont + Sylla/fane 

For me it's one for column A and one from column B.  I can guarantee that Curle will be looking to bring in a ball winner in alongside Whelan this summer.

14 hours ago, BP1960 said:

 

Explain why this is any better?

With Whelan and McCalmont in the centre of midfield, for all their positives, they would offer very little protection for 2 centre backs.  This is why Ntambwe was used even though he's not a good player at this level.  3 centre backs allows the midfield a bit more freedom.

Our full/wing backs like to get forward and are a bit suspect when defending, so having extra protection behind them from a back three allows them to play to their strengths.

Finally if we played with wingers, who would their crosses be aimed for?  Low crosses would be our only option with DKD and McAleny up front.  It's not perfect but Bahamboula, DKD and McAleny work well as fluid front three.

30 minutes ago, Gary1906 said:

6-4-2 would suit us!

Even if we played a 6-4-0 formation we'd still probably lose 6-4.

5 minutes ago, BP1960 said:

Time for Curle to ditch the 3 centre backs? especially as only 1 can defend.

442 would suit these players better.

 

4-4-2 wouldn't suit us at all.

2 hours ago, TheBigDog said:

If all fit I would make one change to the last time out starting eleven - Adams in for Fage.

 

Walker, Clarke, Piergianni, Jameson, Adams, McCalmont, Whelan, Borthwick-Jackson, Bahamboula, McAleny, Keillor-Dunn 

All things being equal I'd pick Adams over Fage, but I think Fage has earned his spot for now.  If we're playing wing-backs next season I'd be happy having both in the squad.

Other than that, same XI as above for me.

2 hours ago, oafcmetty said:

Haha I think so

It must be Karl Evans.  Is there any way back for him (or whoever said what)?

4 minutes ago, oafcmetty said:

Below

Is Mo part of the board?

The Barrow midfield tonight is basically a Latics time machine.

And of course they lose to bottom of the league.

50 minutes ago, bigfatjoe1 said:

Does anyone really still thing that January was a good business month for the club? Really? I didn't think so at the time and after a few weeks i'm certain it wasn't.

Adams and Hilßner were good additions, keeping McAleny and Bahamboula (albeit probably just to the end of the season) was good.  Losing Hamer and Barnett wasn't really a bad thing and Barnes could come good.

Losing Rowe and not replacing him was the worst thing we did.  Leaving Wheater in limbo was nearly as bad and signing Tasdemir looks like a waste of time.  Also making the squad less balanced than it was before and a reliance on loans so much that we can't even play all of them at once is very stupid.

I'd say we probably moved sideways but definitely not forwards.