My Manager Ratings

Marks out of 10 in each category.

Players Out  - 7 Good

Most of the players supporters wanted out were got rid. Perhaps in hindsight a few more should have gone but there cant be too many arguments with what was kept.  I would have kept Watt as I thought he was a better player than most gave him credit for and after the CB pairings we have had so far this season his stock must have risen.

Players In - 5 OK (certainly no better or worse than Woods last season)

The rumours were correct and sure enough Boston or ex Boston players soon arrived. I would argue that Arthur is no worse than McKeown (tho as yet this season we havent had chance to see Arthur play, fingers crossed he is in Friday).

Church - Runs a lot but low on quality. Possible potential but is not helped by the tatics and shape of the team.

Pearson, at this moment looks a dreadful signing. Play him with a pacey centre back and you may be able to form a partnership but seeing as "pace" seems to be a dirty word to Smashy and Nicey thats not going to happen.

Spencer, comedy signing. Always injured, already up for loan and guess what. No takers. Says it all.

Elding, harshly treated by a few on here, has managed a few goals. If we got the ball down and played I think he could play well with Hearn but we prefer to "smash the ball up the park and re-organise".

Disley - Good signing, not alot else to say. Fingers crossed he stays a couple of year and is free from injury as you could build a proper team round him. Luckily he is not quick which means he should be able to stay at a similar performance level even as he enters his early thirties.

Artus - Has some skill but does not seem to be able to cut it with the rough and tumble. I may be a little harsh here as he hasnt had too many runs in the side for any period of time. If the formation was right there may be a place for him (4-5-1 like AB used to do with 5 proper midfielders not 3 CM and 2 strikers).

Hearn - Best signing of the lot. Effort, commitment and the odd goal. Why we arent building the whole team round this man is just a joke.

Set Pieces  1 - Disgraceful

We have had loads of corners and never threaten.
We look like the opposition are going to score from every corner they have.

Set pieces are floated in constantly.

Style of Play -3 Poor

Occasional periods of good football are spoilt by long hoofs and needless punts. Are a long ball team, are we direct or are we a football team? I dont know, others on here dont know and Id suggest Smashy and Nicey dont know.

Media - 3/4 Poor to OK

Honest but also too honest. Too much talking and not enough delivered on the pitch. Saying your team will do this and that is always going to make you look like a fool when they dont. Effort and commitment have been held up by these two as the Holy Grail of football and they havent delivered.

Screaming at the home fans, although funny is not really what our manager should be doing.

Admitting we are not favourites at home (ala Hurst last night) is disgraceful.

Tactics 2 -Very Poor

What are our tactics?? 4-4-2 or 4-3-3. Make your mind up and stick with it. Yes tweak it a little for teams when you want to expose a wekness or counter another team but keep the base the same.

WE DONT DO ANY OF THAT. Playing your striker that has just scored a shed load of goals on the left wing is criminal.
Playing a LB with no pace and not getting the team to double up, criminal.
If they dont drop McKeown now too then that too is an awful decision.


Overall. 3 Very Poor.

They have had enough games to identify areas and improve them and this is not happening. Its not even looking like happening. They have been very lucky with two big home wins otherwise they would be under the cosh as we speak.

They must win Friday and the better send the team out with some fire in their bellies.
They must win against Ashington.
They must drop Ridley and McKeown.
They must get a CB on the pitch who can defend (Ianson, Pearson or a loan signing I dont care).
They must win against Bath

Otherwise for me they are getting towards the chop.

If ‘the league doesn’t lie’ is a true statement then I think you may want to look again at this.  

Players In - 5 OK (certainly no better or worse than Woods last season)

Seem to agree with most of what you say. But don't see how set pieces are anything to do with the managers.

Quoted from TAGG

If ‘the league doesn’t lie’ is a true statement then I think you may want to look again at this.  

Players In - 5 OK (certainly no better or worse than Woods last season)

I think with the transfers a 50% sucess rate is the norm for most managers. We have managed to get one striker that will, by the end of the season be a very hot prospect in Hearn. Disely and Church are without doubt better than last season in the middle of the park and McKeown despite some ropey displays of late has potential to be a good goalkeeper for the club.

The signings have been OK, as I stated. What they have done with them in the team is questionable and thus we are not performing to a standard that is acceptable.

Quoted from codhead91

Seem to agree with most of what you say. But don't see how set pieces are anything to do with the managers.

Delivery at a set piece is all down to the player, true, but what do the players work on in training.

We have seen teams come with plans to put the ball to the near post, 6 yards box or back post and the players have set runs, dummies etc to get the best header of the ball to the space the ball is delivered into so they have a header on goal.

Opposite to this, when defending information is passed onto players regards the oppositions tactics so they know and expect the corner or free kick coming in.

We can neither cope with a defensive free kick or score from an attacking free kick.

This is definately part of a managers remit to sort out!

Quoted from lowerfindus

Delivery at a set piece is all down to the player, true, but what do the players work on in training.

We have seen teams come with plans to put the ball to the near post, 6 yards box or back post and the players have set runs, dummies etc to get the best header of the ball to the space the ball is delivered into so they have a header on goal.

Opposite to this, when defending information is passed onto players regards the oppositions tactics so they know and expect the corner or free kick coming in.

We can neither cope with a defensive free kick or score from an attacking free kick.

This is definately part of a managers remit to sort out!

Yes, some teams have plans for set pieces. However the issue for us is the simple matter that we don't have a player who is capable of putting in a consistently good enough delivery. So until this is resolved, us having a routine is irrelevant for me.

From a defending perspective, we need to learn to man mark effectively. Something that we've been unable to do so far this season.

Defending 3 very poor, does no matter which combination of the central defenders are in they lose there man run around like headless chickens and get separated too often leaving space. Agree no one seems to be able to double up and someone cover and clearances are woeful never into row Z always headed out or cleared to opposition.

The two experienced lower division defenders need to get this motley bunch on Cheapside for extras with the basics marking, positioning and clearances .

Borbs, surely defensive issues that you mention (losing their man, poor clearances, becoming separated etc.) are an issue for the players? The management obviously don't expect the defenders to not track their man or come out of position. If there can be any criticism of the management over the defenders, it is their reluctance to make the sweeping changes that many think are necessary.

Agree my point is motivating them and work on a system so they play to there strengths and not allow teams to expose our weakness with pace and reading the play, anticipate. Game after game we see teams looking to get the ball out down our left side.

Hopefully Jaime Green will return to fitness soon and we might solve some of our problems.