Grimsby nil

For the 6th time in the last 10 games - getting a bit of a problem Mr Slade

Jf is the problem imo

Quoted from fleabag1970

Jf is the problem imo

Yeah I thought he was sh1t today, couldn't trap the hoof ball, missed open goals and his looked anonymous on the pitch.

Not sure we need another Fenty bashing thread after the one you've already started TBH..

I wasn't there and only listened to the commentary but sounds like we had a lot of chances and just didn't get a bit of luck.  I'm sure we'll come good soon.

No guesses what position Slade will be looking for in January. Just imagine how well we could do with our defensive record and someone who could score! I can't say I have great faith in Slade's recruitment skills but he's had time to find one good player and not have half a team to look for this time. Fingers crossed.

Who needs a striker when we’ll have a midfielder scoring from the half way line soon 😏

Quoted from LondonMariner43

I wasn't there and only listened to the commentary but sounds like we had a lot of chances and just didn't get a bit of luck.  I'm sure we'll come good soon.

I listened to the commentary too. A goal kick from Macca was made to sound like a 40 yard defence splitting pass that left us with an open goal. Only for an amazing tackle or a brilliant save to prevent the equaliser.  I think I’ll place more store on the ‘just back’ thread.

Quoted from LondonMariner43

I wasn't there and only listened to the commentary but sounds like we had a lot of chances and just didn't get a bit of luck.  I'm sure we'll come good soon.

Perhaps Slade you go out and get some lucky heather and a couple of horseshoes F.F.S.

Quoted from GrimRob

No guesses what position Slade will be looking for in January. Just imagine how well we could do with our defensive record and someone who could score! I can't say I have great faith in Slade's recruitment skills but he's had time to find one good player and not have half a team to look for this time. Fingers crossed.

Probably another Winger or Target man Striker not someone who scores goals

Quoted from Mariner Ronnie

Who needs a striker when we’ll have a midfielder scoring from the half way line soon 😏

Why... who has Lloyd Griffith signed for ?

Imho we missed out on numerous strikers that were available  with the most notable one being amond. As I say, just my opinion

I thought Amond came out and said he'd had no contact from us

i seem to think it was fairly common opinion that we were in for Tyler Walker pre season...... maybe waited too long for that to come to fruition and by the time it didnt we were then back pedalling.

Now the "unbeaten run" has been broken maybe there is a chance that Slade will consider at least changing the strikers around...he knows the defence is relatively solid so changing the strikers shouldnt effect that but it may just bring us a goal.

The fact of the matter is we have a severe lack of quality up front and on the wings.

Scott Vernon- less than 10 goals in the last 3 years, and I know people say that he offers more than goals and I agree but to what effect? And when you don't have anybody else who can score goals it is a big problem.

Harry Cardwell- before this season he had no football league experience and only a few unsuccessful loan spells in non league football before us, he looks a hard worker but he looks a long way short in terms of quality.

Jamille Matt- 3 goals last season in 32 games for Blackpool, he seems to have a half decent record to date for Fleetwood but that counts for nothing atm, he looks lazy lethargic and bang out of form, and in November he's had enough time to get fit so you can't even use that excuse now.

JJ Hooper-10 goals in 51 for Port Vale in league 1 with many of those 51 games off the bench and playing out wide suggests to me that there is a half decent player in there but he's not a hard worker and he lacks application.

Sam Jones- now obviously there is a goalscorer in there but he doesn't look like he's enjoying football atm, he doesn't buy into Slade's way of playing and it looks as so he doesn't appreciate the poor players around him, I don't think he will ever hit form under Slade.

Akwasi asante- injury prone with 3 goals in 21 games above non league, looks decent on paper but realistically will he make it? I have my doubts.


Now on to the wingers.

Sam Kelly- 3 goals in 60 games is not good and to me he looks very poor, he lacks conviction, he lacks heart and he lacks fight.

Tom Bolarinwa, 2 goals in 40 ish league 2 games doesn't exactly look threatening, no doubts over his pace but very little end product and Slade clearly doesn't rate him much.

Dembele, very talented obviously but still extremely raw and therefore lacks some end product and it isn't good when he's our best player and our only hope when he's extremely inexperienced.

Jayesimi (however you spell it) again he's got virtually zero experience in the league and Slade obviously seems unwilling to give him a chance in the league.

Woolford- obviously a good player with a good pedigree but does he have the legs still? It's alright saying he would look better with a quick agile left back behind him but the fact of the matter is that he hasn't got a quick left back behind him so therefore he looks decidedly average.

I think generally a combination of poor planning and poor recruitment has let RS down this season.

Firstly, our striking options are poor. He started with Jones, Vernon and Asante. One has a history of injury problems, one had limited football league experience despite being 26 and the other isn't a bad player but has never been a prolific goalscorer. So it wasn't the best starting base but this made it absolutely crucial that we got in at least one striker that would make a big difference. It was widely reported that we were after Nicky Maynard and Tyler Walker and both of those players would probably be a significant improvement on what we currently have, particularly Walker. For whatever reason, it didn't happen but this is where I think planning was poor. Managers should know that you need a list of good targets because you often won't get your first, second or maybe even third choice. As it is, we signed two players after trials which is never normally a sign that they're going to significantly improve your starting eleven. Cardwell had never played in the FL before and we were all told how lazy Hooper is (which has seemed the case in some games, not all). We then belatedly signed Jamille Matt who has a decent record and reputation around L2 and the NL so on paper wasn't a terrible signing but it doesn't seem to have come off. I can forgive the loan signing of Matt but to have both Cardwell and Hooper on two year deals when you're already struggling for top strikers seems pretty negligent to me. It means that at the start of next season we'll still have Hooper, Cardwell and Jones for sure which isn't the strongest forward line by any stretch.

At left back we've gone from one of our best players in Danny Andrew to arguably the weak link in the starting eleven. To compound matters, he is the only available left back. I don't think Dixon is as terrible as some make out but he is severely limited and is often targeted by the opposition. I seem to recall that we were wanting to sign Adam Chicksen who is undoubtedly a better player, as well as Sam Hart who was also signed by a L1 side. Again, we were left scraping the bottom of the barrel desperately trialing desperate players and although Dixon was probably the best trialist we had, he's still limited. It is also inexplicable that we have only one left back.

Out wide we have two exciting young prospects who are just about the only two good players signed this season. Yet for some reason RS seems reluctant to start DJ. Woolford isn't a bad player but would clearly benefit from having a player behind him who could offer more athleticism and pace. The fact that both left sided players lack pace and that it is so painfully obvious that we're limited because of this makes it even more perplexing that RS won't even attempt DJ out there. Particularly yesterday when no league points were at stake. Bad management. Tombola is a PH signing and obviously isn't fancied by RS. He's very raw and lacking end product and I think would be a better option from the bench than Kelly because he is at least unpredictable. Kelly is predictable in you know that he'll do precisely nothing. Kelly was clearly a Wilko-endorsed signing and I think it was probably the early realisation that he's pretty useless that led to us signing Woolford who is, at least, an improvement on him. Wilko has to take the blame for that one and again we're stuck with him for two years.

Defensively we're solid, if a little slow at the back. You could argue if Slade released the handbrake a little we might score more going forward and that our conservative approach is the main problem. Personally, I think RS has realised how limited our squad is (mainly his doing it has to be said) and after the horror shows at Stevenage and Mansfield has taken it back to basics to stop us conceding easily. Clean sheets means no defeats. A pragmatic if somewhat boring approach. Whilst that seems to have stopped that problem, I'd also argue that he caused the problem with his poor recruitment. I don't think he ever set out for our squad to look anything like it does now but it was his poor planning after missing out on top targets that led to such bad recruitment.

In January we desperately need a good striker to come in and make a difference but you don't get them for free mid-season.

My thoughts are that Slade would rather stick with an experienced player than player a young but faster one,

If we are honest most manager would do the same,

BUT

He will have to find a striker who can score in the next window or the crowds will just get lower,

Leaving him less money to bring the right player in.

Clearly a striker is required and maybe we will have to look in the league below or U23's at a big club to bring someone in as what could be available in the EFL may not make the difference.

One thing for sure whoever we get will need better service than the current ones have had this season.

Quoted from LondonMariner43

I wasn't there and only listened to the commentary but sounds like we had a lot of chances and just didn't get a bit of luck.  I'm sure we'll come good soon.

excrement teams dont get luck , having the ability to play well and lose is a sign of a excrement team.

Quoted from grimps

excrement teams dont get luck , having the ability to play well and lose is a sign of a excrement team.

You make your own luck as they say, the harder you work the more you practice the luckier you get.

We do not seem to have a striker who will take a chance on a cross coming in from wide areas and make a run in towards the 6 yd area or get across in front of a defender. We have played dangerous balls across the face of the goal several times in recent games with no-one to get on the end of them. So frustrating when we have worked hard to create an opening. Likewise rarely does anyone go to the back post area for corners or freekicks when so many chances can come from there. Again frustrating.

Why have vernon and woolford become first choice in their positions every week ??? Vernon is not a goal scorer it’s as simple as that yes he can bring players into the game etc blah blah blah but he’s paid to score goals and it’s a fact he can’t and isn’t his goals record will show you that, now onto woolford what exactly has he done to warrant starting every week ? To me he just mopes around looking at the floor looks knackered after half time and this has also been noticed by fans who sit around me it’s time for a change RUSS why not try jaiyesimi who’s looked sharp everytime he’s come on give him a go, upfront has to be changed also surley one of them is capable of hitting the back of the net ??? He seems like he has his favourites and yes most managers do BUT when there not performing or doing there job they must be dropped it’s quite boring to watch especially at home time for a change in personnel for me

Michael Owen and Alan Shearer wouldn't reach double figures with the lack of service due to the 'if you don't concede you don't lose' policy set out by the manager.
His saving grace last time was the very special Michael Reddy
I have never been so bored

Is Woolford the new Monkhouse.

Have we had a genuinely exciting wide left mid/winger since Dave Gilbert?

Nope

Were did Andy Parkinson play....was it left midfield?

Four meaningful league games in succession without a goal

And the clean sheet is looking a bit sh*tty now

Can't blame the players for the way they are set up to play. Sladeball is one ball to rule them all, or not so much as the case may be.

Frankly Collins interview a few weeks back explains it all. It works to a degree but has a saturation point. We will grind out points here and there, that is all we have now until it's over.

Quoted from chaos33

Have we had a genuinely exciting wide left mid/winger since Dave Gilbert?

Ivano !!

Once in the first half I got up off my seat thinking we might score, ONCE. LondonMariners you sure you wasn't listening to a different game?

The worst part is our only proper shot on target that required a save yesterday was a header by an Exeter player