MATCH: Gateshead (H) 14/02/23

[yarddog73]

I know pressure is probably inevitable when a team is two down with nothing to lose but surely he can see it unfolding like we can? Why wouldn't you bring Clarke on and go 5-4-1 if you are trying to see it out? Do something though and react to what the other team are doing, they just load the areas in front of our back four because we are so rigid in that formation and aren't prepared to deviate from a flat back 4 with the two sat on their toes, we sit in so deep it's like we are petrified to play 10 yards further up the pitch or impose ourselves on the other team.

 

Why do we retreat when we lose possession most successful teams pride themselves on winning the ball back we literally are happy to sit in until the opposition have moved the ball up to our final third, it's so easy for them to gain a territorial advantage almost unchallenged. 

 

I'm going to cut Nuttall a bit of slack here because I think the style we play isn't conducive to getting the best out of him, he spends 80% of his time making aimless runs trying to close the defence down, when he looks behind the nearest blue shirt is 40 yards away, its a soul destroying way of playing, we don't hunt the ball down as a team the front two work the socks off at times for absolutely nothing, once the balls been worked past them they just canter the 40 yards up the pitch unchallenged, Rooney tried to squeeze up at times but suffered the same frustration with nobody behind following suit, ironically the only time we did it in tandem as a team Sheron pinched the ball and we went on to score which you'd think we'd learn from.

[nzlatic]

1 minute ago, yarddog73 said:

I know pressure is probably inevitable when a team is two down with nothing to lose but surely he can see it unfolding like we can? Why wouldn't you bring Clarke on and go 5-4-1 if you are trying to see it out? Do something though and react to what the other team are doing, they just load the areas in front of our back four because we are so rigid in that formation and aren't prepared to deviate from a flat back 4 with the two sat on their toes, we sit in so deep it's like we are petrified to play 10 yards further up the pitch or impose ourselves on the other team.

 

Why do we retreat when we lose possession most successful teams pride themselves on winning the ball back we literally are happy to sit in until the opposition have moved the ball up to our final third, it's so easy for them to gain a territorial advantage almost unchallenged. 

 

I'm going to cut Nuttall a bit of slack here because I think the style we play isn't conducive to getting the best out of him, he spends 80% of his time making aimless runs trying to close the defence down, when he looks behind the nearest blue shirt is 40 yards away, its a soul destroying way of playing, we don't hunt the ball down as a team the front two work the socks off at times for absolutely nothing, once the balls been worked past them they just canter the 40 yards up the pitch unchallenged, Rooney tried to squeeze up at times but suffered the same frustration with nobody behind following suit, ironically the only time we did it in tandem as a team Sheron pinched the ball and we went on to score which you'd think we'd learn from.

I really think we should have Rooney central in a 3 rather than keep with this 4 across the midfield. On the youth team video the other day, the formation was referenced. Does anyone know how they play? I'd hope that going forward as a club we would have a formation/style that runs throughout the age groups so that when young players come into the first team there's a familiarity about how and what position they're being asked to play.

[bigfatjoe1]

First half was dire.

Second half was much better, for 35 minutes. Two very good gaols.

Then we switch off for 3-4 minutes. Nuttall didn't just give the ball away, he trotted back in a half arsed attempt to close the player down. Very lazy, in every respect. The second goal was piss poor defending as well.

 

I genuinely don't get why we paid money for him. He's slow, his first touch is crap and he is easily muscled off the ball. 

 

 

[yarddog73]

10 minutes ago, bigfatjoe1 said:

First half was dire.

Second half was much better, for 35 minutes. Two very good gaols.

Then we switch off for 3-4 minutes. Nuttall didn't just give the ball away, he trotted back in a half arsed attempt to close the player down. Very lazy, in every respect. The second goal was piss poor defending as well.

 

I genuinely don't get why we paid money for him. He's slow, his first touch is crap and he is easily muscled off the ball. 

 

 

Nuttall will do well at some stage, probably not with us. We've had a succession of strikers who've been described similarly yet gone on to do just fine at much higher levels, in the right team he will bag goals.

[Guy Branston Pickle]

Reid looks the much better player of the two for me, glad he finally got a goal as I think he just potentially needed a bit of confidence, but his all round play and work rate are great 

[Lee Sinnott]

We'll end up nowhere near the relegation spots, but survival in this league should not be seen as an achievement, despite what Rothwell and Unsworth have been telling people...

[Frankly Mr Shankly]

In terms of work ethic and wanting to win, I couldn't fault much. And defensively, for most of the game we were sound and well organised. I'd give Gateshead a bit of credit for not letting their heads drop and going at us at a time when most other teams would have been killed off by that second. Think the comments about "a poor Gateshead" team are slightly unfair. In two matches they've caused us a few problems and do try and play tidy football. The lad on loan from Middlesbrough and Campbell who's hitting his prime at the moment are two players who caught my eye.

 

We are so poor without the ball though. Tollitt just doesn't have a clue who to pick up at throw-ins. We are only capable of a high pressing game for very short bursts (the first 15 minutes of each half last night) and the midfield just lost their discipline and shape with ten to go and simply wilted. The equaliser should be force-watched for weeks, it was that bad. We've a tough match at theirs next week.

[BP1960]

24 minutes ago, Lee Sinnott said:

We'll end up nowhere near the relegation spots, but survival in this league should not be seen as an achievement, despite what Rothwell and Unsworth have been telling people...

 

Correct, if Gateshead can bring in a quality young player like Conteh this is what we should be looking for next season.

[Dave_Og]

On 2/13/2023 at 7:31 AM, Dave_Og said:

In all seriousness, who'd take two draws against them?

 

Would we now?

[BP1960]

2 hours ago, C.O.JONES said:

Can't agree, you do not sit back and invite the opposition to come at you in the last 10-15 minutes when you are 2 up, it makes absolutely no sense at all. Why change the way you are playing when you are winning?

 

It's been shown time and time again this season if we sit back we inevitably concede. 

It also gets the fans backs up and I'm sure the players can hear the dissent which must affect them.

When we go on the front foot the fans love and encourage it and we play much better - something I feel the manager just doesn't understand.

If he doesn't change his philosophy I'm afraid we will see these performances throughout his reign.

 

[BP1960]

1 hour ago, yarddog73 said:

Nuttall will do well at some stage, probably not with us. We've had a succession of strikers who've been described similarly yet gone on to do just fine at much higher levels, in the right team he will bag goals.

 

IMO he won't do well anywhere with a half heated attitude.

If the manager keeps putting up with such displays it's poor team selection bordering on favouritism.

[BP1960]

1 hour ago, bigfatjoe1 said:

First half was dire.

Second half was much better, for 35 minutes. Two very good gaols.

Then we switch off for 3-4 minutes. Nuttall didn't just give the ball away, he trotted back in a half arsed attempt to close the player down. Very lazy, in every respect. The second goal was piss poor defending as well.

 

I genuinely don't get why we paid money for him. He's slow, his first touch is crap and he is easily muscled off the ball. 

 

 

 

Fans of other clubs mentioned his poor attitude. But of course fans know nothing despite watching players week in week out.

 

[PeteG]

1 hour ago, nzlatic said:

Our points per game since the start of the year would have us in the play offs over the whole season. Up to Unsworth and the players to continue that improvement for the rest of the season.

It is true that our pts per game tally since the 1st Jan would have us in a play-off position over the course of a whole season, however, 5 of the 7 games have been at home and Notts County apart, most of the sides we have played have been in the bottom half and in poor form (not including Gateshead in that as they are on a decent run). After the next home game it will be interesting to see if this pts per game since Jan will continue or whether there will be a drop off. I'm not overly convinced it's been such a good run of form otherwise we would have pulled away from the relegation zone or still had 3 or 4 games in hand which we had. We have picked up 4 pts from 3 home games against Halifax, Dagenham and Gateshead, i'm pretty sure Notts County, Wrexham, Chesterfield etc. would have faired better than that in those fixtures.

[Sloshed Joe]

53 minutes ago, Frankly Mr Shankly said:

In terms of work ethic and wanting to win, I couldn't fault much. And defensively, for most of the game we were sound and well organised. I'd give Gateshead a bit of credit for not letting their heads drop and going at us at a time when most other teams would have been killed off by that second. Think the comments about "a poor Gateshead" team are slightly unfair. In two matches they've caused us a few problems and do try and play tidy football. The lad on loan from Middlesbrough and Campbell who's hitting his prime at the moment are two players who caught my eye.

 

We are so poor without the ball though. Tollitt just doesn't have a clue who to pick up at throw-ins. We are only capable of a high pressing game for very short bursts (the first 15 minutes of each half last night) and the midfield just lost their discipline and shape with ten to go and simply wilted. The equaliser should be force-watched for weeks, it was that bad. We've a tough match at theirs next week.

I’d say they’ve caused us more than a few problems. They’ve scored 5 goals in two games against us at Boundary Park.

[deyres42]

That goalkeeper...

[League one forever]

10 minutes ago, deyres42 said:

That goalkeeper...

Here until 2026 isn’t he? 

[deyres42]

19 minutes ago, League one forever said:

Here until 2026 isn’t he? 

Dreamy

[Lee Sinnott]

34 minutes ago, deyres42 said:

That goalkeeper...

Not a big problem is what I keep being told, despite the amount of  goals he has cost us...

[deyres42]

1 minute ago, Lee Sinnott said:

Not a big problem is what I keep being told, despite the amount of  goals he has cost us...

Part of this good squad of players we've apparently got that just aren't being coached properly...

[BP1960]

25 minutes ago, deyres42 said:

Part of this good squad of players we've apparently got that just aren't being coached properly...

 

And how is it we were told players would be super fit yet Reid is regularly subbed?

[BP1960]

29 minutes ago, Lee Sinnott said:

Not a big problem is what I keep being told, despite the amount of  goals he has cost us...

 

In the old days we'd call them 'butter fingers'.

Still capable of excellent shot stopping, but not holding on to a ball.

Have we a goalkeeping coach who has noted this?

 

[League one forever]

35 minutes ago, deyres42 said:

Dreamy

I thought you’d be pleased the club are building for the future? You keep reminding us it will take years to finish top half- surely Norman is vital to your lofty long term ambition. 

[nzlatic]

27 minutes ago, BP1960 said:

 

And how is it we were told players would be super fit yet Reid is regularly subbed?

He's just back from an injury isn't he?

[deyres42]

34 minutes ago, League one forever said:

I thought you’d be pleased the club are building for the future? You keep reminding us it will take years to finish top half- surely Norman is vital to your lofty long term ambition. 

Won't take years if they start signing proper players.

[League one forever]

3 minutes ago, deyres42 said:

Won't take years if they start signing proper players.

Your man Unsworth rates him.