ANY ONE ELSE NOT CONVINCED

Without the ball on Saturday we were OK. Yes, Portsmouth had a lot of possession in midfield and sometimes in wide areas. But we were a compact unit where it matters in the middle. This resulted in them creating no real clearcut chances. You'd have to accept having less possession when playing a team like Portsmouth who have a better standard of player throughout their side.

With the ball is what let us down. If you're not going to have much possession in a game then when you have it, you've either got to keep it for a bit, or break quickly to exploit defensive disorganisation. Sloppy simple passes and poor touches when running with the ball meant we were surrendering possession within a few seconds. Even when we weren't hounded by the impressively quick and intense Portsmouth press.

I disagree with people saying the formation left Bogle isolated. It didn't. What left Bogle isolated was that we didn't keep the ball long enough to give the attacking players time to get higher up the pitch before we lost it again. And then Bogle, perhaps being allowed too much freedom to wander where he wants, was dropping far too deep and far too wide so that when we won it in midfield, we didn't have an option for a forward pass into a striker. OB needs to play between the width of the penalty area.

Quoted from Tommy

Without the ball on Saturday we were OK. Yes, Portsmouth had a lot of possession in midfield and sometimes in wide areas. But we were a compact unit where it matters in the middle. This resulted in them creating no real clearcut chances. You'd have to accept having less possession when playing a team like Portsmouth who have a better standard of player throughout their side.

With the ball is what let us down. If you're not going to have much possession in a game then when you have it, you've either got to keep it for a bit, or break quickly to exploit defensive disorganisation. Sloppy simple passes and poor touches when running with the ball meant we were surrendering possession within a few seconds. Even when we weren't hounded by the impressively quick and intense Portsmouth press.

I disagree with people saying the formation left Bogle isolated. It didn't. What left Bogle isolated was that we didn't keep the ball long enough to give the attacking players time to get higher up the pitch before we lost it again. And then Bogle, perhaps being allowed too much freedom to wander where he wants, was dropping far too deep and far too wide so that when we won it in midfield, we didn't have an option for a forward pass into a striker. OB needs to play between the width of the penalty area.

Exactly what I said on Saturday plus he seemed to be in one of his 'Why me?' moods - he seems to make a run then stop and wait for the ball to come and when it doesn't he sulks.

Quoted from Cloudy

someone posted that the player had suggested he would be available for the end of this month? I assume the Blackpool/Carlisle game?

'Twas me. My nephew asked him on Saturday when he would be fit to play and he said 2 weeks. Of course, he will need to get back up to speed with some game time, so doubt he will be playing 90 mins from the off.

As for the comment about MB changing too much too soon, i don't agree with that. Why wait? Give the players the chance to adapt to the new regime and if they can't, then Jan is the time for changes. I think some are losing site of the fact that we have had a tough run of games. We won't be playing that standard of opposition every week.

I agreed with MB's assessment after the game about too many back passes and sideways passes. He said they are negative and boring and he clearly wants the players to be more forward thinking and not take the easy option. If they can't adapt, then find players that can. He was clearly exasperated, as was i, that Tombola decided to play a cross field pass, very poorly as it happens, when we were breaking on the wing. I'm still trying to fathom what he was thinking.

Quoted from ginnywings

'Twas me. My nephew asked him on Saturday when he would be fit to play and he said 2 weeks. Of course, he will need to get back up to speed with some game time, so doubt he will be playing 90 mins from the off.

As for the comment about MB changing too much too soon, i don't agree with that. Why wait? Give the players the chance to adapt to the new regime and if they can't, then Jan is the time for changes. I think some are losing site of the fact that we have had a tough run of games. We won't be playing that standard of opposition every week.

I agreed with MB's assessment after the game about too many back passes and sideways passes. He said they are negative and boring and he clearly wants the players to be more forward thinking and not take the easy option. If they can't adapt, then find players that can. He was clearly exasperated, as was i, that Tombola decided to play a cross field pass, very poorly as it happens, when we were breaking on the wing. I'm still trying to fathom what he was thinking.

He clearly wants to play progressive football - I think two out of the three centre mids were trying to play the ball forward on Saturday but Portsmouth's pressing and the poor movement in front made it difficult for them to do so. More and more, I think we should praise Pompey's abilities as opposed to berating our own inability to deliver what the manager clearly wants us to do.

Quoted from ginnywings

'Twas me. My nephew asked him on Saturday when he would be fit to play and he said 2 weeks. Of course, he will need to get back up to speed with some game time, so doubt he will be playing 90 mins from the off.

As for the comment about MB changing too much too soon, i don't agree with that. Why wait? Give the players the chance to adapt to the new regime and if they can't, then Jan is the time for changes. I think some are losing site of the fact that we have had a tough run of games. We won't be playing that standard of opposition every week.

I agreed with MB's assessment after the game about too many back passes and sideways passes. He said they are negative and boring and he clearly wants the players to be more forward thinking and not take the easy option. If they can't adapt, then find players that can. He was clearly exasperated, as was i, that Tombola decided to play a cross field pass, very poorly as it happens, when we were breaking on the wing. I'm still trying to fathom what he was thinking.

My counter argument to that Ginny is come through a tough run of games with a few points & clean sheets then go into the easier games winning and secure your safety earlier, then tamper. As it stands we potentially will come through this run with a small points haul which will add pressure to games that we should win.

If our boss changed most of your daily routine whilst extending your working hours with additional "theory" and also the style in the way you worked and asked you to work quicker with a heavier workload than before could you do that? I am not sure I could.

Marcus is a really good guy everybody can see that and he will see us through but he just for a while at least needs to stop talking about us being a good footballing side as we (those that where around in the 70s/80s/90s if not before ) all know what that looks like and we have a fair way to go before we fall into that category...................Though we are capable of it if we build at the right pace.

  

Quoted from grimsby pete

A lot of people said Dave Boylen was not big enough when we first got him,

How wrong was they ?  

Exactly Pete if you don't give them a go the question will remain unanswered

Quoted from realist

I am probably one of the most negative posters on here, but at the moment I am still full of optimism and hope.   I think we have a manager that really wants us to play attractive attacking football, but has been hampered with the quality of players he has inherited. I never agreed with all the happy clappers comments that Hurst could find a good player.
Lets all stick together and at least give MB the chance to get in a few of his own players and see what happens then.
After 4 years of Hurst and I wanted him out there was a strong contingent on here that wanted to give him more time. After 4 games you are giving MB a hard time. Give over.

We have the best squad of players we have had in years, and Hurst found them all.

When we played Cambridge away we were excellent in all areas. That week the news broke about Hurst possibly leaving and bar the Plymouth game we haven't got the results we hoped for.

There are lots of reasons for that, mainly I assume about players getting used to new ideas from a new manager but, I dont think there was a lot wrong before.If he has tried to get his ideas over too quickly then that has been a mistake.

I heard the managers interview after the game and it was the polar opposite of what Hurst would say, but I thought it was a bit rambling and he seems to be trying a bit too hard to become "one of us".

He may be able to build a team full of attacking intent, on the budget he will be given, and it will be great if he does obviously, but I think we need to tread carefully. We dont want to throw the baby out with the bath water so to speak.

Those players who have been excellent earlier in the season had stinkers on Saturday; it could be that Portsmouth were a division above in quality, but I also think some players might not have bought into Bignots methods yet.

Quoted from HertsGTFC

My counter argument to that Ginny is come through a tough run of games with a few points & clean sheets then go into the easier games winning and secure your safety earlier, then tamper. As it stands we potentially will come through this run with a small points haul which will add pressure to games that we should win.

If our boss changed most of your daily routine whilst extending your working hours with additional "theory" and also the style in the way you worked and asked you to work quicker with a heavier workload than before could you do that? I am not sure I could.

Marcus is a really good guy everybody can see that and he will see us through but he just for a while at least needs to stop talking about us being a good footballing side as we (those that where around in the 70s/80s/90s if not before ) all know what that looks like and we have a fair way to go before we fall into that category...................Though we are capable of it if we build at the right pace.

  

lot of sense in there herts

If we can manage a win and a draw from our next 2 games (should be possible )

That will take us to halfway through the season with 30 points,

Which means we only need another 20 points to be safe,

So no need to panic a mid table finish is ok by me this season,

Let Marcus start next season with a few new signings and see where we go from then.

Jesus, we're are an impatient bunch. How many games has Bignot had in charge?! It's League 2 and he's unable to bring in any real new signings until January at the earliest and it's not like we can afford anything like a new squad overhaul even if we needed one.

We're sat 12th in League 2, having just come up, a mere four points off the play-offs. No we haven't been convincing of late but we've player Carlisle (lost one all year) Plymouth (top) and Pompey (4th) in 3 of the last four games. From the nine points available in those games we've brought home 4. It's more than I was expecting!

The Crawley defeat may have been disappointing but most of the squad retained are playing at this level for the first time and probably still finding their feet. We should be focusing on making a great atmosphere (for those going) at Donny away and supporting the team to the fullest home and away, trusting our new manager to do his job.

A coach can't implement his style or system 8 matches into his tenure. Ask Guardiola.