Just back (merged)

In the living room for once as I was too embarrassed to go to the pub in my Town shirt..........Where to start?  .

The keeper - Some argument whether he could have done better for the 3rd but overall I thought the defenders let him down.

The defenders - Poor, very poor IMHO and as well as poor defending showed no composure on the ball and totally missed out the mid field opting to punt it long, Dixon, Collins and Clarke have the head but struggled with the legs and Mills looks the shadow of the player PH threw in at Cambridge last season, his decision making and positional play needs real work..

Center Mid - What center mid? Summerfield tries hard but is not good enough and though a bit early to tell Rose appears to go missing for periods of the game. Though it has to be noted when people punt the ball past you and don't move into space when you have it there's not much you can do. Though I still think both where poor today.

Wide  players - Dembelle, the only one who appeared to want to play football and work hard off the ball.Kelly? All I can say is If I was Bolarinwa I would be well p1ssed off at being left out instead of Kelly as I can't wee what he adds.

Jones - appeared to try hard but should have been more savvy for the sending off as some players will always going to go down like a flayed stag when they have the opportunity.

Hopper - First impressions? Lazy tw@t who appears to be carrying a bit of timber too.

Subs - Cardwell even at this early stage looks like he would benefit from a loan spell and Tombola did not get enough of the ball to make a difference.

The manager - I get 4 -1 -4 -1 away from home but the tactic of "pump it long to Dembelle" is not good enough and he must do better. I also question some of today's selection as above and why the f5$k he did not give McAlister some game time when you could see Rose and Summerfield where making little difference I'll never know, Just listened to the RH post match and he told Matt Dean that the players are in tomorrow, well that's one thing he got right today if nothing else..

The ref - poor, not sure about the sending off  but the player appeared to get back up quickly after "such a hard blow" from Jones or whether the ball was over their line in the first half off but he missed a stone wall penalty just before the sending off and appeared to be very liniment on some of their reckless challenges. .

In summary - We did not pass the ball at all, too many players hid when we went behind and we have a massive problem in center mid and up front. We lacked energy, cohesion and any care on the ball.

Bad day at the office? Yes absolutely but it's the 2nd "bad day" in a row, if all involved do not lift their game it could quite easily turn into a "bad week" which might well leave us looking over our shoulder at another non league trap door.    

I don't usually comment immediately after a game, preferring instead to 'sleep on it' and collect my thoughts. However, today, I feel compelled to make an exception.
THAT was a complete waste of my time. Town were out-thought, out-muscled and 'out' just about everything else too. Spineless, gutless and on and on. Vale fans were right about Kelly (who I said lacked 'conviction' even at Chesterfield) and Hooper and both richly deserved to be substituted at half-time. At least Bolarinwa and Cardwell have some 'heart' and the young Canary should also start for me.  He has imagination and skill second only to Dembele.
I have a ticket and a hotel booking for Tuesday night, but really wish I hadn't bothered. Shocking, shocking, shocking.

Quoted from Gaffer58

Whether it showed today but Matt Dean on the radio said just after kickoff that Slade had told him "when we have the ball its 433, when we haven't its 4141" good job he didn't let that tactical snippet out before kickoff otherwise Stevanage would have soused us out!!!  Also if Hooper is so rubbish why have we got him, he must have impressed someone, somewhere?

Maybe he has a good agent

Quoted from HertsGTFC

Which Just Back thread is the real one?

So just back in the living room for once as I was too embarrassed to go to the pub in my Town shirt..........Where to start?  .

The keeper - Some argument whether he could have done better for the 3rd but overall I thought the defenders let him down.

The defenders - Poor, very poor IMHO and as well as poor defending showed no composure on the ball and totally missed out the mid field opting to punt it long, Dixon, Collins and Clarke have the head but struggled with the legs and Mills looks the shadow of the player PH threw in at Cambridge last season, his decision making and positional play needs real work..

Center Mid - What center mid? Summerfield tries hard but is not good enough and though a bit early to tell Rose appears to go missing for periods of the game. Though it has to be noted when people punt the ball past you and don't move into space when you have it there's not much you can do. Though I still think both where poor today.

Wide  players - Dembelle, the only one who appeared to want to play football and work hard off the ball.Kelly? All I can say is If I was Bolarinwa I would be well p1ssed off at being left out instead of Kelly as I can't wee what he adds.

Jones - appeared to try hard but should have been more savvy for the sending off as some players will always going to go down like a flayed stag when they have the opportunity.

Hopper - First impressions? Lazy tw@t who appears to be carrying a bit of timber too.

Subs - Cardwell even at this early stage looks like he would benefit from a loan spell and Tombola did not get enough of the ball to make a difference.

The manager - I get 4 -1 -4 -1 away from home but the tactic of "pump it long to Dembelle" is not good enough and he must do better. I also question some of today's selection as above and why the f5$k he did not give McAlister some game time when you could see Rose and Summerfield where making little difference I'll never know, Just listened to the RH post match and he told Matt Dean that the players are in tomorrow, well that's one thing he got right today if nothing else..

The ref - poor, not sure about the sending off  but the player appeared to get back up quickly after "such a hard blow" from Jones or whether the ball was over their line in the first half off but he missed a stone wall penalty just before the sending off and appeared to be very liniment on some of their reckless challenges. .

In summary - We did not pass the ball at all, too many players hid when we went behind and we have a massive problem in center mid and up front. We lacked energy, cohesion and any care on the ball.

Bad day at the office? Yes absolutely but it's the 2nd "bad day" in a row, if all involved do not lift their game it could quite easily turn into a "bad week" which might well leave us looking over our shoulder at another non league trap door.    

Agree with most of that, except the bit about Cardwell, can't blame him for the excrement hoofballs tactics, at least he tried whereas Hooper just looked a lazy twit

Quoted from arryarryarry

Agree with most of that, except the bit about Cardwell, can't blame him for the excrement hoofballs tactics, at least he tried whereas Hooper just looked a lazy twit

Not sure I did blame him but you are right, my point about him being loaned is that he won't develop in such a sh1t set up as we have seen in the last couple of games., he has a good attitude and will do better if we ever get the ball to his feet.

all ive got to say about today is that I'm very very very worried,ggrrrrrrrrr

Been back in London for a while. Having a pint of hophouse 13 in the punch and Judy pub in Covent Garden.

I think the performance of the match overall has been pretty covered by most on here. My quarm at the mo is how their player on a yellow never got a second.

Anywho I didn't go last season as I had a hernia op. But read all post and tweets about stewards and organisation as such and took things with a pinch of salt.

But I'd love to know of the performance of the stewards were as bad today as they were last season? I haven't seen such a shambles ever except dartford.

Maybe a complaint from Mr. Fenty is in order?

I hate going to Stevenage. Crap ground for a crap club in a crap location with a crap away stand and crap organisation and crap stewarding, crap atmosphere from both sets of fans. They're usually a bit crap too but we are absolutely dreadful every time we play there. All in all, it's got to be the worst away day in the league.

We were awful today, no bones about it. I don't understand the tactics, if there are any, that seem to be lump it towards Dembele. He's a good player but will never win a header because he's so small. We pass the ball around the back slowly for 30 seconds, there's no movements or channel runs or anything and that we get an aimless hoof forward. It's dire. We looked a bit better for ten minutes in the second half before Jones got sent off but down to ten and that was it, game over.

There was a lack of fight throughout the team and nobody seemed to take charge which is really concerning. The defence looked slow and ponderous and I'd be bringing Osborne into the back four next game. I also think we need to sign another left back because Dixon has looked dodgy twice now and we can't rely on him being our only option there.

The midfield was crap once again. Rose is slow and ponderous on the ball, some of his passing was embarrassing. Summerfield, as we all know, tries hard but isn't good enough. There were a few times today when they walked through our midfield with ease, the gaps were huge and that's a really worrying development that needs seeing to.

Kelly is useless. He was the only disappointment against Chesterfield and he was absolutely shite today. Looks a complete coward, unwilling to run at his man. Within the first five minutes he got the ball in a good position and instead of running at and engaging the centre back he just dribbled out of play. And it was downhill from there. Tombola at least tries things and isn't afraid to have a go at his man, if he starts behind Kelly again I'll be livid.

Hooper made possibly the worst full debut I've ever seen. Didn't jump once to try and head it, didn't move at all looking to find space either in the channel or coming deeper. Genuinely did nothing, I'd be surprised if he broke a sweat. It was his full debut and he put in a performance that had him deservedly taken off at half time which is shocking. Particularly when you consider his previous club were seriously questioning his attitude and application, you'd expect him to go out and at least put in some token effort but nothing. The service to him was bad but it was for Cardwell as well but at least he tried and put the defenders under pressure.

Didn't see the sending off offence but we need to get Jones further forward and closer to the lone striker. He's clearly not happy. Had a couple of driving runs at their defence but if we want to get the best out of him we need to change the system. We also need to do something going forward. I don't even mind long ball as long as there's movement in, around and beyond the target (e.g Gary Jones) or balls for a runner into the channels (e.g Michael Reddy). As it is, teams can get two defensive lines sorted safe in the knowledge that we won't make any sort of movement to try and pull them about. Then a token amount of pressure on the centre backs sees us lump it forward and give them possession back. Far too easy to play against.

Early days yet but that was seriously worrying. Lack of fight, lack of leadership and lack of direction. I thought Bignot was useless but that was as bad as anything we had under him. We've got some players to come back who should improve us but unless we improve or change the gameplan then we're still going to seriously struggle and we'll end up in a relegation battle. Sort it Slade.

Quoted from mariner91

I hate going to Stevenage. Crap ground for a crap club in a crap location with a crap away stand and crap organisation and crap stewarding, crap atmosphere from both sets of fans. They're usually a bit crap too but we are absolutely dreadful every time we play there. All in all, it's got to be the worst away day in the league.

We were awful today, no bones about it. I don't understand the tactics, if there are any, that seem to be lump it towards Dembele. He's a good player but will never win a header because he's so small. We pass the ball around the back slowly for 30 seconds, there's no movements or channel runs or anything and that we get an aimless hoof forward. It's dire. We looked a bit better for ten minutes in the second half before Jones got sent off but down to ten and that was it, game over.

There was a lack of fight throughout the team and nobody seemed to take charge which is really concerning. The defence looked slow and ponderous and I'd be bringing Osborne into the back four next game. I also think we need to sign another left back because Dixon has looked dodgy twice now and we can't rely on him being our only option there.

The midfield was crap once again. Rose is slow and ponderous on the ball, some of his passing was embarrassing. Summerfield, as we all know, tries hard but isn't good enough. There were a few times today when they walked through our midfield with ease, the gaps were huge and that's a really worrying development that needs seeing to.

Kelly is useless. He was the only disappointment against Chesterfield and he was absolutely shite today. Looks a complete coward, unwilling to run at his man. Within the first five minutes he got the ball in a good position and instead of running at and engaging the centre back he just dribbled out of play. And it was downhill from there. Tombola at least tries things and isn't afraid to have a go at his man, if he starts behind Kelly again I'll be livid.

Hooper made possibly the worst full debut I've ever seen. Didn't jump once to try and head it, didn't move at all looking to find space either in the channel or coming deeper. Genuinely did nothing, I'd be surprised if he broke a sweat. It was his full debut and he put in a performance that had him deservedly taken off at half time which is shocking. Particularly when you consider his previous club were seriously questioning his attitude and application, you'd expect him to go out and at least put in some token effort but nothing. The service to him was bad but it was for Cardwell as well but at least he tried and put the defenders under pressure.

Didn't see the sending off offence but we need to get Jones further forward and closer to the lone striker. He's clearly not happy. Had a couple of driving runs at their defence but if we want to get the best out of him we need to change the system. We also need to do something going forward. I don't even mind long ball as long as there's movement in, around and beyond the target (e.g Gary Jones) or balls for a runner into the channels (e.g Michael Reddy). As it is, teams can get two defensive lines sorted safe in the knowledge that we won't make any sort of movement to try and pull them about. Then a token amount of pressure on the centre backs sees us lump it forward and give them possession back. Far too easy to play against.

Early days yet but that was seriously worrying. Lack of fight, lack of leadership and lack of direction. I thought Bignot was useless but that was as bad as anything we had under him. We've got some players to come back who should improve us but unless we improve or change the gameplan then we're still going to seriously struggle and we'll end up in a relegation battle. Sort it Slade.

Bang on!

After 3 games it's time for Plan B. Very disappointing to have another player sent off (although I never saw it so the incident so can't comment). I think we've lost more players this season than last and it's still light leaving the ground! The only consolation is we were just as bad there last year.