Just back

Quoted from arryarryarry

So if he isn't fit why hasn't he been sent out on loan as other have?

Not sure TBH but I suspect it's a number of reasons one being that prior to his arrival nobody had nailed the LW/LMF position as Sam Kelly flattered to deceive and at this stage in his career you would not expect to sign a player with that level of experience and then loan him straight out.  

Well for what it's worth I reckon Slade is starting to get things right , he's steadied a ship that was leaking goals under Bignot , we seemed to be getting Walloped 4 or 5 every other week under him and that was the reason he was sacked.
Given that we're not even half way though his first season in charge he has already made us hard to beat.
Now we need to take it that step further and turn these draws into wins , were not for off the play offs and I reckon when we've got a fully fit squad plus a couple more singings in the new year we might be in with a shout.

Now anyone that knows me will know I'm no happy clapper , in fact I wanted rid of Hurst and Bignot and often made my views heard.
I've just got a good feeling about Slade even if the football is boring to watch or be happy if we was in the play offs watching it

Yesterday reinforced my belief that Slade will not get us out of this league. His signings in the summer , apart from Dembele, are just mediocre  and certainly not the kind of players to build upon for a promotion winning team. The left side is weak with Woolford just a waste of a signing and Dixon often getting caught out of position. A better team than Cambridge would have sussed out our weak left side early in the game and worked on it. We need a better mid-fielder alongside Summerfield, who has really come on over the last six games. Berrett isn't dynamic enough and I would rather see Rose playing as a screen in front of the back four. The fact that Slade didn't try to bolster the mid-field instead of subbing strikers like for like demonstrates to me that he thinks the mid-field is ok which IMO it isn't. We need to create more chances through mid-field and the goals will come.

Quoted from rancido

Yesterday reinforced my belief that Slade will not get us out of this league. His signings in the summer , apart from Dembele, are just mediocre  and certainly not the kind of players to build upon for a promotion winning team. The left side is weak with Woolford just a waste of a signing and Dixon often getting caught out of position. A better team than Cambridge would have sussed out our weak left side early in the game and worked on it. We need a better mid-fielder alongside Summerfield, who has really come on over the last six games. Berrett isn't dynamic enough and I would rather see Rose playing as a screen in front of the back four. The fact that Slade didn't try to bolster the mid-field instead of subbing strikers like for like demonstrates to me that he thinks the mid-field is ok which IMO it isn't. We need to create more chances through mid-field and the goals will come.

Our weaknesses are the left side and lack of a striker - the central midfield are doing fine, show me a holding screen midfielder in L2 that's playing any better than Berrett is at present. It's the least of our problems.

Quoted from MuddyWaters

Our weaknesses are the left side and lack of a striker - the central midfield are doing fine, show me a holding screen midfielder in L2 that's playing any better than Berrett is at present. It's the least of our problems.

Well we will agree to differ on this as I think Rose shows more potential than Berrett.

Quoted from rancido

Well we will agree to differ on this as I think Rose shows more potential than Berrett.

As an attacking threat, yes, but not as a holding midfielder?

I wish we had just one better than Rose or Berrett. That would improve us a notch. I think all 3 have done well at times, especially Berrett and Summerfield lately, but they are pretty average and quite alike in many respects. How many goals have they got between them this season? 1 maybe? Assists? Not many.

I know Slade likes his stats - hopefully he's working on this. I think you need some form of threat from centre mid, and a much wider range of attributes/types. We've got three hard working, tackling players who are decent at passing and good positionally. Where's the runner, the clever ball player, the one who can beat a man with skill, the one who can arrive late in the box, or split a defence ?(fair play to Summerfield at Vale and Dembele at Chesterfield.)

Pretty similar situation up front where we are lacking a quality player, even though we've got 5 forwards, and the left side, which is absolutely average at best, with no alternative at left back. Limited is probably more accurate. Little to no attacking threat at all from that side.

We seem destined to be a functional, unexciting and unadventurous team, if solid, until January. It'll keep us safe most probably, which is good, but boy will it be tedious.

Like the Vader quote below, I will keep the faith and hope that the glaringly obvious shortcomings in the squad are addressed in January and then we can muster some sort of attempt on the play offs.

Back from my weekend in Lincs. Fish n Chips excellent as always, BP, well nice to clap for Dave Boylen a hero of mine.
First half an improvement on last 3 games but too many poor descisions in final 3rd and virtuaslly no real goal threat. Issue is centre mids sit so deep that we never have more than 3 players, often only 1 in or around the box if the ball comes ie. 3 of the 4  wingers and strikers in total. 2nd half  Meh! a couple of attacks but as no support for strikers resulted in nothing then 40 mins of hoof into the air and lucky not to concede. Why not play it on the deck or at least if playing the percentage game direct low balls between the CB and Defs to run onto, oh wait forgot that wont work as he took the only striker with any pace at all off and replaced him with JJ, brilliant.  Then our other only attacking threat removed leaving a pl;ayer that was knackered before half time on. We were defending deep so why not get our quickest players out there for the last 20 mins tyo counter attack. To quote Slade he wanted to change the dynamic, Hooper wouldn't be dynamic even if you shoved a cattle prod up his @rse.

Disappointed with the clubs pre match stuff, we had presentations to the youths, Dave B etc. then a dance routine in the corner, why not get it on the big screen so people at the other side/end of the pitch can see it as it happens.

Quoted from headingly_mariner

You can count on one hand the times he's given the ball away. He's been excellent this season and it makes a change for our problems not to be in centre mid. I can't think of a team that have overrun us in midfield this season.

yet can you say either of those have overrun the opposition or torn them a new one either ?

They are both playing to their limit at the moment IMO but neither presents a threat to the opposition...Summerfield has played one key pass all season when he put Dembele through.....cant recall another one yet he has played 13 games ??
They are both playing well currently but just not offering enough on the attack side of things.

Quoted from Madeleymariner

Back from my weekend in Lincs. Fish n Chips excellent as always, BP, well nice to clap for Dave Boylen a hero of mine.
First half an improvement on last 3 games but too many poor descisions in final 3rd and virtuaslly no real goal threat. Issue is centre mids sit so deep that we never have more than 3 players, often only 1 in or around the box if the ball comes ie. 3 of the 4  wingers and strikers in total. 2nd half  Meh! a couple of attacks but as no support for strikers resulted in nothing then 40 mins of hoof into the air and lucky not to concede. Why not play it on the deck or at least if playing the percentage game direct low balls between the CB and Defs to run onto, oh wait forgot that wont work as he took the only striker with any pace at all off and replaced him with JJ, brilliant.  Then our other only attacking threat removed leaving a pl;ayer that was knackered before half time on. We were defending deep so why not get our quickest players out there for the last 20 mins tyo counter attack. To quote Slade he wanted to change the dynamic, Hooper wouldn't be dynamic even if you shoved a cattle prod up his @rse.

Disappointed with the clubs pre match stuff, we had presentations to the youths, Dave B etc. then a dance routine in the corner, why not get it on the big screen so people at the other side/end of the pitch can see it as it happens.

I don't really know why you bother going.