Just Back

Keep shooting ourselves in the foot time and time again. Nothing game but 2-0 down before half time. Get it back to 2-1 but Collins gets sent off. Come back to level and let Akinfenwa score a soft winner.

Wycombe weren't a good side and still scored three against us, which isn't great. We're not defending well and we're barely creating any chances. Other than that, we're alright   But no, we need to step it up fast or it's gonna be a struggle.

So firstly can someone explain why Slade who by trade is a school teacher can be at times so dim? Dembelle should have started out wide and Hooper is not a lone striker FFS......... anyway first rant over.  

Second rant! There are so far undiscovered tribes in South America who knew today that Akimfemwa would need dealing with so why the hell did we not appear to have a plan for him? The only thing Gunning ever did right when he was here was get in his face and stop him from playing before he got knocked out and taken off in the home tie last season. If Gunning can do it I am sure at least one of the ageing former internationals we have at the back can?

Third rant, Danny Collins, keep your mouth shut in the press please as you personally have a fair bit to answer for today.

Fourth rant. Why with a couple of minutes and losing 2 - 3 did we not go 3 at the back and sling Osborne up front.

Final rant, for a bit anyway, are we a long ball side or a passing side? I can't tell and it feels like the players are not sure either.      

And breath....................!  

Actually for the first 25 mins or so I think we actually did o.k. in a number of areas but often it came to nothing as in the final third it was all wrong. Their goal was a soft one and if I recall right their first proper attempt and the 2nd was a moment of idiocy to be honest. Actually during the first half when we got the ball down we tried to do some decent stuff and you can see that we do have a few decent footballers in the squad who if the back 4 did not insist on hitting it long could do something if given the ball. .  

I thought the changes where positive at half time and made us more balanced, we in snap shots did some decent stuff and deserved to come back to 2 - 2. Special mention for Mitch Rose who actually grabbed the game and showed took responsibility not just with the penalty but also in his general play. The mid field and forwards at time actually had some cohesion for once.

If the sending off had not happened we would have got a point at least I think. Really disappointed with the 3rd as Macca needs to be more positive and at least look like he wants to come for the ball and Mills got out muscled, maybe if Collins had been on Zack would not have had to be left with trying to tame the beast.

The team,

Macca - Bang average and did not look interested
Mills - Overall much, much better than last week despite the 3rd goal
Dixon - OK and better than last week.
Collins -  Hmmmm.... I think he has the brain but I am starting to question what he has left in his legs.
Clarke - As above
Berret - Did o.k. but nothing more (which is the issue) to be honest, and if we can get him the ball he could have more of an influence.Don't expect him to start once Clements is fit,    
Rose - Good game and took responsibility he will get better still.
Dembelle - Is a wide player FFS, but did his best.
Tombola - Felt for him as in the 2nd half before the sending off he looked like he was linking up well with the offensive players.
Kelly - ????? How he's playing ahead of Cardwell (with Dembelle out wide) I'll never know  
Hooper - Did better today but needs a partner as he needs it to feet, I actually think him and Vernon up front could work to a degree.
Subs - All did o.k. to be fair.

The Manager? - I hope I'm wrong but it feels like he Is the problem IMHO at the moment as we need to get the ball down, play 2 up front, get a a game plan and start dealing with the discipline issues. What also worries me is that too many of the players seem to want to get rid of the ball as soon as they get it which is the sign of a struggling side.

Today did tell me one thing though that actually we do have a few lads that can play when we pass the ball and the shape is right - over to you Mr Slade I think!

UTM!!

BTW - If we go down this season after a lot of years that will be it for me    .

Quoted from MuddyWaters

Changed - Berrett was far from the worst player in a Town shirt today and was arguably MOTM on Tuesday - were you there?

You're right, he wasn't. I was there today, and at Chesterfield, and the Cov game. He isn't good enough.

Remember Slade is ace and the least he will do is set us up so we are well organised and hard to beat. His teams are always full of hard working players. The supporters of our new signings former clubs always say the players that left are rubbish but its just sour grapes because they are jealous they did not get to keep them.    UTM    See I'm still on message, see where we are at Christmas

Quoted from HertsGTFC

So firstly can someone explain why Slade who by trade is a school teacher can be at times so dim? Dembelle should have started out wide and Hooper is not a lone striker FFS......... anyway first rant over.  

Second rant! There are so far undiscovered tribes in South America who knew today that Akimfemwa would need dealing with so why the hell did we not appear to have a plan for him? The only thing Gunning ever did right when he was here was get in his face and stop him from playing before he got knocked out and taken off in the home tie last season. If Gunning can do it I am sure at least one of the ageing former internationals we have at the back can?

Third rant, Danny Collins, keep your mouth shut in the press please as you personally have a fair bit to answer for today.

Fourth rant. Why with a couple of minutes and losing 2 - 3 did we not go 3 at the back and sling Osborne up front.

Final rant, for a bit anyway, are we a long ball side or a passing side? I can't tell and it feels like the players are not sure either.      

And breath....................!  

Actually for the first 25 mins or so I think we actually did o.k. in a number of areas but often it came to nothing as in the final third it was all wrong. Their goal was a soft one and if I recall right their first proper attempt and the 2nd was a moment of idiocy to be honest. Actually during the first half when we got the ball down we tried to do some decent stuff and you can see that we do have a few decent footballers in the squad who if the back 4 did not insist on hitting it long could do something if given the ball. .  

I thought the changes where positive at half time and made us more balanced, we in snap shots did some decent stuff and deserved to come back to 2 - 2. Special mention for Mitch Rose who actually grabbed the game and showed took responsibility not just with the penalty but also in his general play. The mid field and forwards at time actually had some cohesion for once.

If the sending off had not happened we would have got a point at least I think. Really disappointed with the 3rd as Macca needs to be more positive and at least look like he wants to come for the ball and Mills got out muscled, maybe if Collins had been on Zack would not have had to be left with trying to tame the beast.

The team,

Macca - Bang average and did not look interested
Mills - Overall much, much better than last week despite the 3rd goal
Dixon - OK and better than last week.
Collins -  Hmmmm.... I think he has the brain but I am starting to question what he has left in his legs.
Clarke - As above
Berret - Did o.k. but nothing more (which is the issue) to be honest, and if we can get him the ball he could have more of an influence.Don't expect him to start once Clements is fit,    
Rose - Good game and took responsibility he will get better still.
Dembelle - Is a wide player FFS, but did his best.
Tombola - Felt for him as in the 2nd half before the sending off he looked like he was linking up well with the offensive players.
Kelly - ????? How he's playing ahead of Cardwell (with Dembelle out wide) I'll never know  
Hooper - Did better today but needs a partner as he needs it to feet, I actually think him and Vernon up front could work to a degree.
Subs - All did o.k. to be fair.

The Manager? - I hope I'm wrong but it feels like he Is the problem IMHO at the moment as we need to get the ball down, play 2 up front, get a a game plan and start dealing with the discipline issues. What also worries me is that too many of the players seem to want to get rid of the ball as soon as they get it which is the sign of a struggling side.

Today did tell me one thing though that actually we do have a few lads that can play when we pass the ball and the shape is right - over to you Mr Slade I think!

UTM!!

BTW - If we go down this season after a lot of years that will be it for me    .

Oh yeah, the ref..............Just like everyone we have had in this league season to date, blatantly inconsistent knew the rules but did not know how to apply them and lacked fitness.

Also, I'll say it again but getting rid of Bignot was a mistake. He was building a project that would've cost money and Fenty panicked. Now we've a cheap squad with no real strengths but staff that we for some reason couldn't get under Bignot?

Slades getting a lot of flack but none directed at ' one of our own ' Paul Wilkinson . Hooper and Kelly are his boys make no mistake . Louth twit

Akinfenwa can't even walk properly but he was the best player on the pitch today. His warm up was just hitting the ball in the air and controlling it but we gave him too much space for the first and the second should have been stopped.

Much better performance from Hooper but he needs to learn how to get up and win a header. Kelly was anonymous and Dembele was marked out of the game.

Another red card so there is obviously a discipline problem. Berrett shoved a player first half and Rose took a player out from behind for his yellow card. Both could easily have been a red.

Slades the manager, and is ultimately the man who makes the final decision on signings, and the tactics. So he should be the one who receives the flak.

Quoted from Grantley

Also, I'll say it again but getting rid of Bignot was a mistake. He was building a project that would've cost money and Fenty panicked. Now we've a cheap squad with no real strengths but staff that we for some reason couldn't get under Bignot?

Flipping heck, I personally wouldn't have sacked Bignot at that point last season, but the idea he was somehow 'building a project' is revisionist history at its finest. He signed loads of players, played them in all sorts of strange and unusual formations but clearly didn't have any sort of a plan what should be happening on the field.

Slade's current attempts at tactics/a formation clearly aren't working but let's not delude ourselves that they somehow negate what Bignot wasn't doing. Two wrongs don't make a right.