Just Back (merged)

Quoted from chaos33

I agree with Maringer and can't add too much more, although that final point can only really be said to apply today. We've been tight defensively through Christmas and new year.

We have got to do much, much better at home, even  when allowing for the obvious shortcomings in the current squad. I don't think it's too much to ask that the team might be able to muster some attacking threat on its home ground, and should also be able to execute some basic footballing skills reasonably competently, if only at times - controlling the ball, moving into space, playing with energy and urgency, passing, and basic decision making.

I know it's a fairly imbalanced squad and that's not MB's fault, but players and manager let themselves and everyone else down today. We've got eyes. Not much point trying to gloss over it with general jovial glibness in the post match interview. There ought to be some sort of visible method to our play, surely.

I would probably prefer to hear the manager tell it like it is. Say it's not good enough when it's not. We ought to have a bit more pride than to try to hide or hoodwink our way through the post match when we've been comprehensively turned over at home by another mid table team, however good their form. In many ways we got ourselves beaten today. Hurst used to do this in his post match too (and in a more infuriating style) - fail to talk straight, but I think we need to set our standards higher than they appear to be, even allowing for the understandable need to stand by the players. I think supporters want to see staff hold their hands up and take responsibility and then say that they will do better, and act on that.

We need central and wide midfielders into the squad as soon as possible.
Next home game is very winnable and absolutely requires marked improvement.

Stuff in bold is spot on Chaos!

Quoted from Davec

Obviously this lady wasn't macca's other half as she claimed, I'll have to make contact with her to apologise.

How about you just stop making stuff up?

Our home form as become a well known problem for ages teams are coming here knowing this not sure playing defensive minded is the way to solve this.

These are the players who, being strictly ruthless, will not be good enough to be challenging for promotion next season.

Boyce
Gowling
Pearson
Disley
Summerfield
Berrett
Vernon
Jackson
Jones
Bolarinwra
Venney
McKeown

That's twelve of the present squad.

Then going forward there's the question of age over Davies and Collins.

Then there's players good enough who belong to other clubs Henderson, Vose and Comley

Then there's Browne who is out on loan at a Conference club

Which leaves us with only Gunning, Bogle, Mills, McAllister, Chambers, Andrew and Yussuf who are actually contracted at the club and are up to standard.

I know one or two of you will have the odd difference in opinion of players, but when you break it down like this, MB has got a massive rebuilding job ahead, so I think we as fans have to take the odd result and performance on the chin, just for the short term. I know you're all disappointed with today and love to analyse everything, but I think we all need to show some patience for now. At the minute I'm pleasantly surprised with the odd win like at Carlisle and disappointed but not too surprised with a defeat like today. I think it's just being realistic about the ceiling of ability of a lot of our players..

Quoted from Bigdog

These are the players who, being strictly ruthless, will not be good enough to be challenging for promotion next season.

Boyce
Gowling
Pearson
Disley
Summerfield
Berrett
Vernon
Jackson
Jones
Bolarinwra
Venney
McKeown

That's twelve of the present squad.

Then going forwards there's the question of age over Davies and Collins.

Then there's players who belong to other clubs Henderson, Vose and Comley

Then there's Browne who is out on loan at a Conference club

Which leaves us with only Gunning, Bogle, Mills, McAllister, Chambers, Andrew and Yussuf who are actually contracted at the club and are up to standard.

I know one or two of you will have the odd difference in opinion of players, but when you break it down like this, MB has got a massive rebuilding job ahead, so I think we as fans have to take the odd result and performance on the chin, just for the short term. I know you're all disappointed with today and love to analyse everything, but I think we all need to show some patience for now. At the minute I'm pleasantly surprised with the odd win like at Carlisle and disappointed but not too surprised with a defeat like today. I think it's just being realistic about the ceiling of ability of a lot of our players..

Don't agree re Shaun and Macca and Venney and Jones cant be assessed as we have not seen them but overall you are right, I suppose that's the upshot of the buying power you have after 5+ years in non league.  

What can telling all the fans that the players aren't creative enough do for their confidence though?

I wouldn't say I was embarrassed today, it doesn't reach the heights of the 5-0 defeat at Braintree or the home defeat to Bath in FA Cup. We were comprehensively outplayed. Thought Reid despite being an bottom on a fat knacker was very effective.

I had been looking forward to seeing Yussuf but apart from a few fouls he was anonymous. Omar ran his socks off, they pressed him and frustrated him really well but he kept going and didn't get too sulky.

Mills was utterly wasted in the midfield, I said before that at home we needed someone more attack minded, play Comley and Dis with Vose in front of them. I thought Dis looked off the pace and Comley played some nice balls and a couple of challenges but took an age to do anything. I thought Andrew was our best player, he was the only one who showed some desire to beat a man and he didn't give anything away defensively.

Collins, I can forgive him for his first mistake but it was a bad one. Gifted them the goal that made it over. Gunning, can't judge him too early and didn't notice him frankly. Hope Pearson wasn't injured he looked very good again in the middle, if he wasn't what was MB thinking?

Henderson pulled off a couple of outstanding saves and showed some enthusiasm with some quick throws and kicks.

As for his interview, he was insulting to both JT and the fans who JT effectively represents. He has never answered questions straight but today was the worst. I have some sympathy for him, he was angry with his players but you don't air your dirty washing in public and as for the excuse about their player who's going to go for x million, who scored a worldy, what about our prized asset, they defended him well. Hurst never turned on JT like that, he never said the players weren't good enough, he usually talked sense and he never ever went public with transfers, I know MB doesn't discuss them in interviews but it's strange that everything's creeping out now he's arrived. I'm happy to give him two windows, this and the next one to put his mark on but Hurst was always astute and could get a good player to sign.

By the way, McKeown and Pearson are definitely good enough to be here challenging higher up the league next year, they were in the side when we were 6th earlier in the season and we can't judge Jones and Venney.

The second half was dire.  However, only some timely interceptions and blocks in the first half prevented them taking the lead.  Their goal seemed only a matter of time.

The BBC had Exeter with 9 shots on target, and us with none.  That seems about right - and are damming stats.  

Very bad day at the office for us today. 6 points in the last 2 away games it's hard to get too down about it when looking at the bigger picture though.

No-one had what you'd call an above average game. Every single player was either poor or just average. Struggling to pick a man of the match for us.

We just moved the ball too slow. I can see why this formation has been successful away from home because it allows you to keep the ball in your own half with lots of bodies there. But we couldn't keep it for more than 3 seconds as soon as we crossed the half-way line. Bignot's right about the level of technical ability in our squad. None of them (bar Vose and Bogle) can cope with having the ball whilst theyr'e under pressure.

People saying Comley was having a good game. He wasn't. He just had loads of time on the ball because he was sitting in front of the back 3 on his own so he had all the time in the world to get it and switch it.

Bogle and Yussuf were poor, offered very little movement. Neither came short to receive a ball to feet. Didn't hold the ball up well enough.

Whenever either of the wingbacks had the ball they had nothing ahead of them and not enough forward movement inside of them.

I think if we want to play 3-5-2 at home it'd be better off how we ended the game, with Vose as an attacking midfielder behind the strikers, and two deeper central midfielders behind him. I said at half time that's what I'd do, but by the time we did it (at 0-2) we were never going to come back really as Exeter grew in confidence.

Not going to be critical of Collins for his mistake as he's been immense since he joined.

To be fair to Collins the ball took an awful bobble as he went to play it, he was trying to pass square across the back though  

Quoted from Mariner_09

What can telling all the fans that the players aren't creative enough do for their confidence though?

I wouldn't say I was embarrassed today, it doesn't reach the heights of the 5-0 defeat at Braintree or the home defeat to Bath in FA Cup. We were comprehensively outplayed. Thought Reid despite being an bottom on a fat knacker was very effective.

I had been looking forward to seeing Yussuf but apart from a few fouls he was anonymous. Omar ran his socks off, they pressed him and frustrated him really well but he kept going and didn't get too sulky.

Mills was utterly wasted in the midfield, I said before that at home we needed someone more attack minded, play Comley and Dis with Vose in front of them. I thought Dis looked off the pace and Comley played some nice balls and a couple of challenges but took an age to do anything. I thought Andrew was our best player, he was the only one who showed some desire to beat a man and he didn't give anything away defensively.

Collins, I can forgive him for his first mistake but it was a bad one. Gifted them the goal that made it over. Gunning, can't judge him too early and didn't notice him frankly. Hope Pearson wasn't injured he looked very good again in the middle, if he wasn't what was MB thinking?

Henderson pulled off a couple of outstanding saves and showed some enthusiasm with some quick throws and kicks.

As for his interview, he was insulting to both JT and the fans who JT effectively represents. He has never answered questions straight but today was the worst. I have some sympathy for him, he was angry with his players but you don't air your dirty washing in public and as for the excuse about their player who's going to go for x million, who scored a worldy, what about our prized asset, they defended him well. Hurst never turned on JT like that, he never said the players weren't good enough, he usually talked sense and he never ever went public with transfers, I know MB doesn't discuss them in interviews but it's strange that everything's creeping out now he's arrived. I'm happy to give him two windows, this and the next one to put his mark on but Hurst was always astute and could get a good player to sign.

By the way, McKeown and Pearson are definitely good enough to be here challenging higher up the league next year, they were in the side when we were 6th earlier in the season and we can't judge Jones and Venney.

Some interesting stuff in there................

So put yourself in the position of a Town player ........the manager who signed you or you have been with the ages leaves , the new manager comes in and immediately starts talking about this and that and everything else, he gets you in for double sessions indicating your not fit enough or have not worked hard enough when you thought pre season was in July?? Also you do an afternoon or two in the class room.

You then change the shape from the 4 - 4 -2 you are comfortable with and has took you to a play off position to a 4 - 3 - 3 and suffer some mixed results including 3 defeats in a row . The manager is still talking about "entertaining football" though and how he "wants to be involved in everything in the club"? He also says everyone will get a chance in the team but you are now thinking is that chance actually a trial? All this is going on and our most creative player gets injured for a few games and the star striker is struggling with a thigh strain.

Christmas comes with "another" shape change and actually some decent results so maybe things are looking up? Or are they as the manager is going public saying that he needs to add some more quality to the squad, so as a player are you thinking you are not good enough and may be moved on?

The above is of course all supposition but as well as a coaching curse I sometimes wonder if football managers should do a change management course as part of their coaching badges. "Less is more", "keep it simple", "evolution rather than revolution" all of those things for the next month or two please.  Players can only adapt to so much change in so short a time.