MATCH: Wealdstone (A) 30/09/23

[yarddog73]

5 minutes ago, League one forever said:

It’s fine to be disappointed/ want more from a performance, and I’m sure it will come with time and signing someone who can look after the ball.  But, let’s not forget any manager’s Job is to win football matches and Thompson is doing a good job of it so far. 
 

 

Is us setting up and playing like an Unsworth team sustainable though? I'm not convinced we are getting anything different at the minute, of course we'll get a bounce with the new man but this is no different to the rhinoball we witnessed the back end of last season when we did well against teams with little to play for or those in the bottom half of the table.

 

We got mullered Saturday were handed a lesson so to suggest Thompson is doing a good job is stretching it a bit. 2.5 points per game is pretty healthy though and if we can return the same over the next four games I might start getting a bit giddier. 

[League one forever]

8 minutes ago, yarddog73 said:

Is us setting up and playing like an Unsworth team sustainable though? I'm not convinced we are getting anything different at the minute, of course we'll get a bounce with the new man but this is no different to the rhinoball we witnessed the back end of last season when we did well against teams with little to play for or those in the bottom half of the table.

 

We got mullered Saturday were handed a lesson so to suggest Thompson is doing a good job is stretching it a bit. 2.5 points per game is pretty healthy though and if we can return the same over the next four games I might start getting a bit giddier. 

Disagree. 
 

The first two games we played quite well,  or put another way- far more enjoyable than anything Unsworth produced. 
 

Kiddy- we dropped off, but ST made in game changes that ultimately won us the game. Something Unsworth never did. 
 

I didn’t see Sat, but by all accounts we were poor- fair enough. But still took a point. 
 

So for me he’s had one poor performance and has already proved far better than Unsworth ever will. 
 

What is a managers Job? It’s to win football matches. You mention it’s stretching it to say he’s done a good job, and then contradict yourself with his PPG record - which is promotion form. . . 
 

Genuinely- I don’t know what more you realistically expect? 10 points from 12 with a wank midfield is very good in my view. You come across as though, if we don’t play everyone off the park every week it’s not good enough.
 

If that’s wrong- what would make you happy? 
 

 

[oafc1955]

15 minutes ago, League one forever said:

You come across as though, if we don’t play everyone off the park every week it’s not good enough.
 

I don’t expect that every week but most weeks definitely. In the main we are playing part time footballers who have other jobs that come before football!

 

I cannot remember us fully dominating a single match since Unsworth took over in September 22……With our resources we should be wiping the floor with the majority of teams in this league.

 

Unsworth was given far too long and I have seen next to no progress over his year in charge.

 

Our acceptance of mediocrity is hard to take!

[League one forever]

5 minutes ago, oafc1955 said:

Our acceptance of mediocrity is hard to take!

Under Unsworth - definitely.
 

But under ST- when did 10 points in 12 become mediocre? 

[penrhyn]

Simple answer is we dont have the players to play much differently away from home at present . And to be fair I think its unrealistic to expect us to wipe the floor in a league that contains another 11 former EFL teams . I think we need to find our identity which will come with the addition of the right players . Then I can see us dominating more, and certainly having more of and keeping the ball for much longer periods than we currently are doing.

[mcfluff1985]

1 hour ago, oafc1955 said:

In the main we are playing part time footballers who have other jobs that come before football!

 

 

Simply not true. Nowhere near true. 

[Monty Burns]

3 hours ago, oafc1955 said:

I don’t expect that every week but most weeks definitely. In the main we are playing part time footballers who have other jobs that come before football!

 

I cannot remember us fully dominating a single match since Unsworth took over in September 22……With our resources we should be wiping the floor with the majority of teams in this league.

 

Unsworth was given far too long and I have seen next to no progress over his year in charge.

 

Our acceptance of mediocrity is hard to take!

you know we sacked him 4 matches ago, right?

four matches, ten points, nine goals ago?

and your part time players comment is just stoopid n lazy.

[Dave_Og]

8 hours ago, oafc1955 said:

 In the main we are playing part time footballers who have other jobs that come before football!

 

Simply not true 

[oafcmetty]

21/24 are full time professional teams.

[LightDN123]

If ST doesn’t get the job, the new man is fucked anyways as our fans are entitled and unrealistic. 
 

We have 10 points from 12! It’s not pretty away from home and I wish it was, but ST has had Tuesday / Saturday since he came in! That’s just rest and recovery. 
 

Id like to see us use the fa cup game as a reset period and go into the Rochdale game with a bit more of an identity. After that we can start to question the style a bit. 
 

But to expect Unsworths negative play to just be eradicated in 2 weeks is mental. Meanwhile, we are picking up points which is what we need!

 

We was in the relegation places when Unsy left. We are 2 points off playoffs now, give ST some credit and bloody chill out and lose the sense of entitlement to win every game ffs. 

[Dave_Og]

26 minutes ago, LightDN123 said:

 

 

Id like to see us use the fa cup game as a reset period

Meaning?

[oafc1955]

7 hours ago, Monty Burns said:

you know we sacked him 4 matches ago, right?

four matches, ten points, nine goals ago?

and your part time players comment is just stoopid n lazy.

Maybe so but I’m just so frustrated at the lack of progress. ST has steadied the ship no doubt but our last 4 games were hardly against the cream of the division!

 

Progress off the field has been fantastic and continues to evolve, however, on the pitch where it matters most, we continue to flounder!

 

I still maintain that with our resources and fan base we should be up at the top alongside Chesterfield.

We need 3 player’s minimum and whether it’s ST who brings them in or not it needs to happen quickly.

 

In my opinion the period under Unsworth was a complete waste of 12 months and we cannot afford a repeat!!

 

The next appointment has to be right!!

 

[LightDN123]

10 minutes ago, Dave_Og said:

Meaning?

Meaning, after the D&R game that will be the first full week ST will have on the training ground with the players. 
 

I would like to see him begin to implement his style of play for this game and build upon it the week after for the Rochdale game. 
 

These next two games, I just want results and for us to catch up to the pack. 

[Londonboy]

29 minutes ago, LightDN123 said:

If ST doesn’t get the job, the new man is fucked anyways as our fans are entitled and unrealistic. 
 

We have 10 points from 12! It’s not pretty away from home and I wish it was, but ST has had Tuesday / Saturday since he came in! That’s just rest and recovery. 
 

Id like to see us use the fa cup game as a reset period and go into the Rochdale game with a bit more of an identity. After that we can start to question the style a bit. 
 

But to expect Unsworths negative play to just be eradicated in 2 weeks is mental. Meanwhile, we are picking up points which is what we need!

 

We was in the relegation places when Unsy left. We are 2 points off playoffs now, give ST some credit and bloody chill out and lose the sense of entitlement to win every game ffs. 

 

Not all our fans are entitled and unrealistic, in fact not that many of us are in my view.

 

Like it or not we are are the only ex Premier League team to play in the National League, so surely we are allowed some level of expectation based on this, our pre season investments and board ambition?

 

I also dont think anyone is saying Thomo is not doing a great job because he is!

 

I just think that he has dropped on with a run a reletively easy games that even Rhino would have probably done OK in. Our next 4 games also look pretty friendly, with games against more bottom 8 teams in the main.

 

This is coupled with our "star" midfield signing getting fit and Ward and Gardiner coming back, so let's just keep things going as we are for a while and see how he does in November when the tougher games begin.

 

This should give him enough time to get the team playing with his clear identity and then make a call from then.

 

No rush to change anything at the moment until we are 100% sure.

 

[yarddog73]

We went to part time Wealdstone at the weekend and were given a footballing lesson, apparently Wealdstone are not even having a training session this week given they are away at Gateshead on Tuesday evening so it is just work-rest-play for that group, now is it too much to ask for us to be competitive against them or even have a mindset that we are better than teams like that? If nothing else we should have a competitive edge? Talking them up is part of the problem it's defeatist for me.

 

Now I know it's early days for Thompson but this mindset about worrying about others has to change particularly when we go to these shitty little grounds with a few hundred fans, we shouldn't be fearing no one.

 

Listen to opposition managers post match, they all bar none know we are going to sit in, surrender possession and hope to nick one on the break, that has to change. I don't care who we play from Chesterfield to Kidderminster we should be showing more and taking it to teams particularly with the forwards we have at our disposal.

[LightDN123]

1 minute ago, yarddog73 said:

We went to part time Wealdstone at the weekend and were given a footballing lesson, apparently Wealdstone are not even having a training session this week given they are away at Gateshead on Tuesday evening so it is just work-rest-play for that group, now is it too much to ask for us to be competitive against them or even have a mindset that we are better than teams like that? If nothing else we should have a competitive edge? Talking them up is part of the problem it's defeatist for me.

 

Now I know it's early days for Thompson but this mindset about worrying about others has to change particularly when we go to these shitty little grounds with a few hundred fans, we shouldn't be fearing no one.

 

Listen to opposition managers post match, they all bar none know we are going to sit in, surrender possession and hope to nick one on the break, that has to change. I don't care who we play from Chesterfield to Kidderminster we should be showing more and taking it to teams particularly with the forwards we have at our disposal.

I think ST has said in every interview he has done that we need to let the opposition worry about us. 
 

I get what you mean, but the fact of the matter is Sheron and Shelton cannot control a game of football. 
 

It is no coincidence that that last two games we have looked poorer as Gardner is a lot better than people give him credit for. 
 

Until we get that CM sorted, we won’t control a game of football. I cant emphasis how shit they are, and yes, they are worse than part timers, as Wealdstone proved. 

[Monty Burns]

2 minutes ago, yarddog73 said:

We went to part time Wealdstone at the weekend and were given a footballing lesson, apparently Wealdstone are not even having a training session this week given they are away at Gateshead on Tuesday evening so it is just work-rest-play for that group, now is it too much to ask for us to be competitive against them or even have a mindset that we are better than teams like that? If nothing else we should have a competitive edge? Talking them up is part of the problem it's defeatist for me.

 

Now I know it's early days for Thompson but this mindset about worrying about others has to change particularly when we go to these shitty little grounds with a few hundred fans, we shouldn't be fearing no one.

 

Listen to opposition managers post match, they all bar none know we are going to sit in, surrender possession and hope to nick one on the break, that has to change. I don't care who we play from Chesterfield to Kidderminster we should be showing more and taking it to teams particularly with the forwards we have at our disposal.

theyve been together ages and were clearly good Footballers.

yeah we got out of jail but we started SaS. lets see how it is with Lundstrum, Gardner, Dickenson and Ward all knockin about.

he has also spoken of players coming in..

[nzlatic]

Patience. It's a word that just doesn't exist for some people. This squad have clearly been coached to play a certain way for a year, especially away from home. That will take time to undo. And until a permanent manager is appointed that process can't really be expected to start properly.

 

In the meantime, our caretaker manager has won both home games and won one, drawn one away. If we're picking up those kind of results while the manager's job and overall style of play gets sorted then I cannot understand the panic at all.

[yarddog73]

All very valid points but the one common denominator in all our posts is this issue surrounding our midfield, it's fucking awful and needs addressing quicker than the manager issue in my opinion.

 

Lundstrum isn't the baller many are predicting either although I do feel he's an upgrade on Shelton we still need that midfielder who moves the ball like Gardner can at times, Lundstrum's main strength is his ability to get up and down the pitch and drive us forward he's not going to be playing the killer pass.

 

 

[League one forever]

5 minutes ago, yarddog73 said:

All very valid points but the one common denominator in all our posts is this issue surrounding our midfield, it's fucking awful and needs addressing quicker than the manager issue in my opinion.

 

Lundstrum isn't the baller many are predicting either although I do feel he's an upgrade on Shelton we still need that midfielder who moves the ball like Gardner can at times, Lundstrum's main strength is his ability to get up and down the pitch and drive us forward he's not going to be playing the killer pass.

 

 

Yeah, I see Lundy as the upgrade on Sheron. We desperately need the upgrade on Gardner to play along side Lundy. 
 

Then we’re in business. 

[nzlatic]

8 minutes ago, yarddog73 said:

All very valid points but the one common denominator in all our posts is this issue surrounding our midfield, it's fucking awful and needs addressing quicker than the manager issue in my opinion.

 

Lundstrum isn't the baller many are predicting either although I do feel he's an upgrade on Shelton we still need that midfielder who moves the ball like Gardner can at times, Lundstrum's main strength is his ability to get up and down the pitch and drive us forward he's not going to be playing the killer pass.

 

 

The midfield has been bypassed though largely when it comes to our style of play. Used as a shield for the defence rather than playing an active role in our attack. We don't have horrific midfielders, they have been succesful at other teams. It might be possible to get them to play effectively together. It might also need new signings. Again, no need to panic about that. Whoever the permanent new manager is should make that decision though.

[yarddog73]

I also don't see the problem with playing one upfront against these possession based teams, if Lundstrum wasn't fit to start we could of gone Norwood upfront Tollitt and Green on each flank with Sheron, Shelton and Dickinson central. It nullifies their threat and you'd get more out of your wide men, it worked to a degree at Gateshead who keep the ball better than anyone.

[Dave_Og]

33 minutes ago, yarddog73 said:

All very valid points but the one common denominator in all our posts is this issue surrounding our midfield, it's fucking awful and needs addressing quicker than the manager issue in my opinion.

 

 

 

 

Unless there's a serious quality short term loan available we can't really, can we?

[Dave_Og]

1 hour ago, LightDN123 said:

Meaning, after the D&R game that will be the first full week ST will have on the training ground with the players. 
 

I would like to see him begin to implement his style of play for this game and build upon it the week after for the Rochdale game. 
 

These next two games, I just want results and for us to catch up to the pack. 

Asking a lot, I think, for an interim manager to have a complete reset and implement his own preferred style.  He's not going to get the job by playing in a different style and not getting results

[Worcester Owl]

4 hours ago, Dave_Og said:

Simply not true 

Yes, and even if it were true, just because players might be part time it doesn't mean they are no good or not fit. Plenty of semi-pros earn a good living from combining a job outside football with playing part time. Gives them more security and I suspect they play all the better for that.

 

This league is very tough to get out of. We are in it for a reason and while we're moving in the right direction, it's going to take time and patience, short of spending crazy money (and even that won't guarantee promotion).