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There's very few times in my 40 plus years of supporting Town that I have felt ashamed  of my team but today sadly was one of those times.  We were gutless, clueless, hapless and a complete and utter shambles.  We had no tactics, no formation and clearly no idea.  We were terrified oF Exeter from start to finish, and the scoreline certainly did not flatter them, in fact it should have been more.

Bignot clearly has no idea about formations, tactics or anything else for that matter.  He rambles on about Solihull ( wish he was still there ) like he is still in charge of them.  Who cares that he did a bit of admin for them !!!  He is quite simply a YES man brought in by Fenty to say all the right things, and he is quickly becoming no more than a PR man for the club.  I don't think he will last long at this club, because he simply is not up to managing a club in the football league.  We were second best all over the park today and our players looked weak and unfit compared to their counterparts.  I expect the crowd to dip by a 1,000 next week, because who the hell is going to part with good money in freezing cold weather to watch that pitiful display.

Pure and utter rubbish, no more to be said.  Expect a wedge a red crosses but hey who cares, anyone that went today could not pick one positive aspect out of that display.

UTM

Very few times eh?
Clearly youve erased most of the last 13 years from your memory then....

Your'e entitled to your opinion fella.

But for me (and this is my opinion) its another example of the over the top reactions I have come to expect on this forum after every single game. Occasionally positive after a win when we are going to win the league and then how much we are the biggest load of shite after a defeat.

Anyone who was there today will know it was not good enough today. The manager knows it, the players know it and the fans know it. We offered very little threat going forward today. It was a bad day at the office. (though bear in mind we were playing the team with the best away record in league today..just a thought)

But we are still in mid table....nearer the play offs than relegation. After 6 years of non league i will take that right now. Today was bump in the road...there's been a few this year (as well as some good days) and no doubt there will be more along the way. Its not like we are bottom of the league and staring into the abyss. kinnel we could be in York City's position.

Bignot has made the step up to League 2 like most of the players. He has inherited a solid team but one he clearly feels he needs to improve so he can get them playing the way he wants. It's too soon to start demanding for the managers head on a stick.

Hopefully he can get another couple of new faces in during this window and no doubt he will have thoughts on players in and outs during the summer. Once he has put his mark on the squad that will be the time to review how we have progressed (or not) and how Bignot is doing.

Alright it was pretty bad but amongst the worst you've ever seen? Really? Did you go to games in 08/09-09/10?

Those last few results will have raised a few people's expectations - some maybe a bit too high. Exeter are the best away side in the league and we are shite at home.

We have had some good victories this season and some terrible losses ,

We are an average L2 side and need some new players to take us to the next level,

BUT

Having said that any professional footballer should be capable of passing the ball,

Forget this one and get behind the team next week and you never know we might just win 3-0.

Quoted from TheCodfather1966

There's very few times in my 40 plus years of supporting Town that I have felt ashamed  of my team but today sadly was one of those times.  We were gutless, clueless, hapless and a complete and utter shambles.  We had no tactics, no formation and clearly no idea.  We were terrified oF Exeter from start to finish, and the scoreline certainly did not flatter them, in fact it should have been more.

Bignot clearly has no idea about formations, tactics or anything else for that matter.  He rambles on about Solihull ( wish he was still there ) like he is still in charge of them.  Who cares that he did a bit of admin for them !!!  He is quite simply a YES man brought in by Fenty to say all the right things, and he is quickly becoming no more than a PR man for the club.  I don't think he will last long at this club, because he simply is not up to managing a club in the football league.  We were second best all over the park today and our players looked weak and unfit compared to their counterparts.  I expect the crowd to dip by a 1,000 next week, because who the hell is going to part with good money in freezing cold weather to watch that pitiful display.

Pure and utter rubbish, no more to be said.  Expect a wedge a red crosses but hey who cares, anyone that went today could not pick one positive aspect out of that display.

UTM

I can pick a positive, Gunning looks an excellent aquisition judging on the 45 minutes he played. :P

He's right about the crowds though some of the kids there won't want to go again.

A kid behind me today was playing on his ipad all game. I would go on about everything that's wrong with that but at some other kids go free games I've had kids kicking my back all game so it was alright.

We are not good enough yet to be consistent with positive results, we were poor but gifted the best away form team in the league ATM two goals and took an age to get from our half into there`s.
We require a couple or three players of a different ilk to help out, today apart, our position in the league and results over Christmas suggest we are not far away from a decent team.

Yrs. Scunthorpe is only 28 miles away

Quoted from BottesfordMariner

Your'e entitled to your opinion fella.

But for me (and this is my opinion) its another example of the over the top reactions I have come to expect on this forum after every single game. Occasionally positive after a win when we are going to win the league and then how much we are the biggest load of shite after a defeat.

Anyone who was there today will know it was not good enough today. The manager knows it, the players know it and the fans know it. We offered very little threat going forward today. It was a bad day at the office. (though bear in mind we were playing the team with the best away record in league today..just a thought)

But we are still in mid table....nearer the play offs than relegation. After 6 years of non league i will take that right now. Today was bump in the road...there's been a few this year (as well as some good days) and no doubt there will be more along the way. Its not like we are bottom of the league and staring into the abyss. kinnel we could be in York City's position.

Bignot has made the step up to League 2 like most of the players. He has inherited a solid team but one he clearly feels he needs to improve so he can get them playing the way he wants. It's too soon to start demanding for the managers head on a stick.

Hopefully he can get another couple of new faces in during this window and no doubt he will have thoughts on players in and outs during the summer. Once he has put his mark on the squad that will be the time to review how we have progressed (or not) and how Bignot is doing.

Sounds about right t me, though one concern that I have is that Marcus has said openly that the current group is not strong enough how does that make you feel if you are part of that group?

Quoted from Grimal

I can pick a positive, Gunning looks an excellent aquisition judging on the 45 minutes he played. :P

Really? from where I sit we had a pretty good view of him and I am not sure what he added, he has a lot of work to do on fitness and is looking "chunky" to say the least. Also backed off the player for the 3rd goal when he should have put his foot in.

Quoted from HertsGTFC

Really? from where I sit we had a pretty good view of him and I am not sure what he added, he has a lot of work to do on fitness and is looking "chunky" to say the least. Also backed off the player for the 3rd goal when he should have put his foot in.

What did Pearson do wrong first half, was he injured? :(

Quoted from HertsGTFC

Really? from where I sit we had a pretty good view of him and I am not sure what he added, he has a lot of work to do on fitness and is looking "chunky" to say the least. Also backed off the player for the 3rd goal when he should have put his foot in.

He made one or two forages into midfield but had no-one to help him. The midfield just stood watching as though they were afraid to go into the opposing half. Andrew was obviously asked to play more as a winger but was only covered when Gunning came on. Andrew was often unmarked on the wing but non of the midfielders had the sense or skill to pass to him. Actually I could see Andrew making a better midfielder than any of our present crew. I think Gunning will make a vast improvement and feel he is a very clever signing

Quoted from Garth

What did Pearson do wrong first half, was he injured? :(

Did MB spit his dummy out with Pearson for not taking a free kick fast enough.
They were having a bit of a row about it.

Quoted from golfer

He made one or two forages into midfield but had no-one to help him. The midfield just stood watching as though they were afraid to go into the opposing half. Andrew was obviously asked to play more as a winger but was only covered when Gunning came on. Andrew was often unmarked on the wing but non of the midfielders had the sense or skill to pass to him. Actually I could see Andrew making a better midfielder than any of our present crew. I think Gunning will make a vast improvement and feel he is a very clever signing

But forget about Andrew Gunning stood and watched when he should have tackled the lad for the 3rd goal he didn't make the tackle as he was knackered. So from what you have seen of Gunning to say how he will add? 45 average mins today and You Tube? He may be a good player but I am mystified why he replaced Pearson unless Shaun was injured. If Shaun was pulled off for his role in the first goal then surely after the 2nd Collins wont start the next game.

BTW I agree about the mid field.

I'll tell you what a disgrace is on how bloody fickle you lot really are. You want instant success and when we do well you still find time to moan about something. I hate town losing just as much as anyone else...but im intelligent to know that mid table is were we will finish as well as winning games we are expected to lose and vice versa. Its a huge learning for the players as well as having a fairly new manager trying to make his mark. Of course your all entitled to your opinion but sometimes i wonder why BP is like a graveyard. We've just got back into league 2 and i think some of you have forgotten that we aren't gonna win all the time. Keep the faith, enjoy the ride and stop putting so much pressure on the team and yourself.

Sorry to rant but after a while i couldn't keep quite.

Quoted from HertsGTFC

Sounds about right t me, though one concern that I have is that Marcus has said openly that the current group is not strong enough how does that make you feel if you are part of that group?

It gives you a kick up the derriere and rightly so.

Quoted from promotion plaice

It gives you a kick up the derriere and rightly so.

But he's been saying it for a couple of weeks so on the basis of today is it working?

Apparently Childline were inundated with phone calls last night.

Mainly from Reynolds Street school kids, Shaun gave free tickets to. :)

Nice touch though Shaun, shame about the game.

Nobody can argue that the quality of the game was poor and personally I had no problems with our formation just the players selected for a home match. Mills is, on todays evidence, a midfield player who can receive a ball from the back four and get it through to our forwards quickly.

That said it is for me our ability to turn defence into attack that is our major problem not least the speed at which this is done. Thinking about the game some hours later I can reflect that most of the first half was actually pretty even and much like the Blackpool game neither side looked like scoring until an untidy goal for them makes us put a different reflection on the first half. Within that time I believe we put in four of the best crosses I have seen all season but we did not win one of these, or, in truth look like we would and our lack of aerial anility up front is another problem. Sean headed over from a very good position from a corner and from some attacks we actually got men into the box but never troubled their keeper.

Second half nearly brought what would have been a fantastic goal from Andrew and two quality passes from Gunning but then came the Collins error and from then on we were abysmal rather than poor. Big disappointment was the inability of two very experienced players, Disley & Davies, to influence our midfield and shape during the game. I did a few weeks back suggest they play together but just shows armchair management is not always correct either.

Thought Vose should have started and could not understand Sean going off, unless injured which put Collins out of his comfort zone, nor bringing Tom on up front, why not retain the two strikers with a proper wide player?

So MB said we would always go for the three points but did not see how hfe planned to go about this with the changes he made. Going to BP is not for the faint hearted thats for sure and hopefully MB will have learned a lot today and we will see a couple of new signings arrive this week which will help lift the gloom.

Whatever we do need to improve our home form otherwise we will be losing a lot of home fans which will only impact on our budget and players we can bring in.

I honestly feel that 6 or 7 players out there in the first half were afraid to accept passes with the sheer speed of Exeter's harassing tactics.

The amount of frantic passes across the field and back to Henderson was indcative of how well Exeter set out a game plan for the first 20 minutes and executed it brilliantly.

Yussuf found good space but often had three defenders surrounding him with "no shows" for his next pass.

Grimsby passing accuracy was abysmal - so many going behind players or straight into touch.

Exeter just seemed stronger, faster and more organised and the players had no answers to how they played - just thought our guys should have put up a better fight of it !

Quoted from acko338

I honestly feel that 6 or 7 players out there in the first half were afraid to accept passes with the sheer speed of Exeter's harassing tactics.

The amount of frantic passes across the field and back to Henderson was indcative of how well Exeter set out a game plan for the first 20 minutes and executed it brilliantly.

Yussuf found good space but often had three defenders surrounding him with "no shows" for his next pass.

Grimsby passing accuracy was abysmal - so many going behind players or straight into touch.

Exeter just seemed stronger, faster and more organised and the players had no answers to how they played - just thought our guys should have put up a better fight of it !

This would back up Bignots post match comments. He wants to play out from the back and keep possession.

Of course you need to have players who are able to do that. Hence Bignot bringing in Gunning and looking at other new faces. And if thats how teams know you play they will counter that with a high tempo pressing game. Exeter did it well yesterday (and Pompey did the same great job on us recently). It is a bit alien to the English game and you wonder how a traditional stopper centre half (and a good one) like Shaun Pearson fits into the long term plans.And i am not having a pop at Shauny. It is not an easy transition to change the way you play ..just ask Pep Guardiola...and he has £30-£40M players struggling to adapt...we are League 2.

Quoted from Grim74

He's right about the crowds though some of the kids there won't want to go again.

Considering most of them didn't seem to be watching the game at all I doubt it'll make any difference. Half the kids in the pontoon seemed more interested in running around the stands after the first 5 minutes of the game.

As for the game it was bad, not the worst game I've seen us play but just lacked anybody trying to get the ball moving forward we played way too defensively for a home game and paid for it. I lost count of how many backpasses we made and how many passes in our own area.

Quoted from BottesfordMariner

This would back up Bignots post match comments. He wants to play out from the back and keep possession.

Of course you need to have players who are able to do that. Hence Bignot bringing in Gunning and looking at other new faces. And if thats how teams know you play they will counter that with a high tempo pressing game. Exeter did it well yesterday (and Pompey did the same great job on us recently). It is a bit alien to the English game and you wonder how a traditional stopper centre half (and a good one) like Shaun Pearson fits into the long term plans.And i am not having a pop at Shauny. It is not an easy transition to change the way you play ..just ask Pep Guardiola...and he has £30-£40M players struggling to adapt...we are League 2.

I hope the "playing out from the back" style is not too ambitious for a "4th division" team who are currently importing players from the lower end of the SPL and looking at more NL stars. Teams often win promotion by being pragmatic rather than artisan.

Yesterday as we have been all season our mid field and the CBs playing out from the back where so ponderous on the ball I think my granddad could have played a pressing game against them. We can play out from the back as much as we like but if players in the same coloured shirt don't move into space and demand the ball it will never work.

To move forward we need a blend of energy, skill and savvy at the moment we lack that mix and it will take more than the Jan window to fix it.

I agree with what you say but they also have to have spacial ability. When I played I knew where my team mates where before I got the ball and knew who to pass to when I received it. Surely they must have seen Andrew unmarked time and time again and have it in their mind to try to bring him into the game if they received the ball. Comley tried to do this but like the rest of the midfield took too long for his brain to come into sync. the fullback sees what is going to happen and if the pass is made he has time to cut it out. The other times they just can't be bothered to try to create something so take the easy option and pass backwards or sideways to give the responsibility to someone else. A lot of them don't seem to know how to do any thing different. I dare say it's a form of laziness. We all see how Bogle reacts when he gets frustrated-that's because he wants to win. It seems to me that a lot of the others want the pay cheque but dont want to have to work for it

Quoted from golfer

I agree with what you say but they also have to have spacial ability. When I played I knew where my team mates where before I got the ball and knew who to pass to when I received it. Surely they must have seen Andrew unmarked time and time again and have it in their mind to try to bring him into the game if they received the ball. Comley tried to do this but like the rest of the midfield took too long for his brain to come into sync. the fullback sees what is going to happen and if the pass is made he has time to cut it out. The other times they just can't be bothered to try to create something so take the easy option and pass backwards or sideways to give the responsibility to someone else. A lot of them don't seem to know how to do any thing different. I dare say it's a form of laziness. We all see how Bogle reacts when he gets frustrated-that's because he wants to win. It seems to me that a lot of the others want the pay cheque but dont want to have to work for it

Agree with this, and would add that the tempo and energy has been missing for a while, there are too many players who are not busy enough off the ball and in possession.

Quoted from golfer

I agree with what you say but they also have to have spacial ability. When I played I knew where my team mates where before I got the ball and knew who to pass to when I received it. Surely they must have seen Andrew unmarked time and time again and have it in their mind to try to bring him into the game if they received the ball. Comley tried to do this but like the rest of the midfield took too long for his brain to come into sync. the fullback sees what is going to happen and if the pass is made he has time to cut it out. The other times they just can't be bothered to try to create something so take the easy option and pass backwards or sideways to give the responsibility to someone else. A lot of them don't seem to know how to do any thing different. I dare say it's a form of laziness. We all see how Bogle reacts when he gets frustrated-that's because he wants to win. It seems to me that a lot of the others want the pay cheque but dont want to have to work for it

You mean like the last two away wins

Marcus talks a good game and likes to have a laugh on his terms that is..

I worry about his tactical side of the game as we can't seem to look settled on a formation and he has had a fair few games to settle on one surely by now, ATM we are 3 5 2 which we have picked up some decent points with but is that really an attacking formation which lets be honest his words were he wants to play attacking football and entertain the fans , I haven't seen one game yet in which shows this.

I like him but he needs to come down off his perch a bit and stop thinking Grimsby is Solihull in which he was the big dog who made all the decisions , this is full time football in front of a Knowledgeable crowd who have seen both sides of it.

He needs time no doubt and in that we will see if he is as good as he thinks he is.

Quoted from jonnyboy82

Marcus talks a good game and likes to have a laugh on his terms that is..

I worry about his tactical side of the game as we can't seem to look settled on a formation and he has had a fair few games to settle on one surely by now, ATM we are 3 5 2 which we have picked up some decent points with but is that really an attacking formation which lets be honest his words were he wants to play attacking football and entertain the fans , I haven't seen one game yet in which shows this.

I like him but he needs to come down off his perch a bit and stop thinking Grimsby is Solihull in which he was the big dog who made all the decisions , this is full time football in front of a Knowledgeable crowd who have seen both sides of it.

He needs time no doubt and in that we will see if he is as good as he thinks he is.

He clearly doesn't have the players to do what he wants. You can talk tactics and formations all day but a team with better players will always come out on top. Judge the man when he has had time to assemble his own squad. He may well turn out to be all talk but all this analysis is just pointless for now. The players were brought in by a different manager for a different style of play. He keeps telling us that we need better players, yet he keeps getting judged on this group, which he didn't sign, most of whom have contracts that are not easy to work around.

Where these players signed to play in a "different style" or just in a style that suited their capability and competency?

it is always easier to smile and laugh your way through life (football management) when you are winning, when the team start losing and there is a bit of pressure then that's when the true personality starts to come out.

We are simply not good enough to play out from the back, we do not have the players to be able to do this. Nothing wrong with trying to play some nice football higher up the park, but when the pressure is on we need to clear our lines brutally. Also nothing wrong with a goal kick instead of a throw. Bignot laughs about these issues and is very disrespectful to JT, who is a massive town, that will rub people up the wrong way straightaway. I too am not a fan of David Burns , but to be fair to him, he would rip Bignot to bits in a post match display as woeful as the Exeter game. You tend to get what you pay for in life, and in Bignot, yet again we have brought our manager out of fooball's Poundland. Time will tell, but we look awful so far, and the more worrying aspect of all of this is that the entertainment and enjoyment has vanished from BP since MB took charge.

UTM

Quoted from TheCodfather1966

We are simply not good enough to play out from the back, we do not have the players to be able to do this. Nothing wrong with trying to play some nice football higher up the park, but when the pressure is on we need to clear our lines brutally. Also nothing wrong with a goal kick instead of a throw. Bignot laughs about these issues and is very disrespectful to JT, who is a massive town, that will rub people up the wrong way straightaway. I too am not a fan of David Burns , but to be fair to him, he would rip Bignot to bits in a post match display as woeful as the Exeter game. You tend to get what you pay for in life, and in Bignot, yet again we have brought our manager out of fooball's Poundland. Time will tell, but we look awful so far, and the more worrying aspect of all of this is that the entertainment and enjoyment has vanished from BP since MB took charge.

UTM

Crikey!!

15 out of 33 suggests we haven't been awful. The entertainment and enjoyment at BP had vanished long before Bignot arrived.

Quoted from TheCodfather1966

We are simply not good enough to play out from the back, we do not have the players to be able to do this. Nothing wrong with trying to play some nice football higher up the park, but when the pressure is on we need to clear our lines brutally. Also nothing wrong with a goal kick instead of a throw. Bignot laughs about these issues and is very disrespectful to JT, who is a massive town, that will rub people up the wrong way straightaway. I too am not a fan of David Burns , but to be fair to him, he would rip Bignot to bits in a post match display as woeful as the Exeter game. You tend to get what you pay for in life, and in Bignot, yet again we have brought our manager out of fooball's Poundland. Time will tell, but we look awful so far, and the more worrying aspect of all of this is that the [/b]entertainment and enjoyment has vanished from BP since MB took charge[b].

UTM

Even under PH I can rarely remember our football being entertaining at BP.

I will wait and judge MB when he has assembled his squad.

This is a transition period, bound to be ups and downs on the way.

Hopefully better news on Wednesday which might change the mood on here.

Quoted from The Yard Dog

Even under PH I can rarely remember our football being entertaining at BP.

I will wait and judge MB when he has assembled his squad.

This is a transition period, bound to be ups and downs on the way.

Hopefully better news on Wednesday which might change the mood on here.

What's happening on Wednesday?

Council report on the new ground is on Wednesday isn't it?

Quoted from ginnywings

Council report on the new ground is on Wednesday isn't it?

Aren't they just having a meeting to decide when to have the meeting about the date for the council report?

Quoted from TheCodfather1966

We are simply not good enough to play out from the back, we do not have the players to be able to do this. Nothing wrong with trying to play some nice football higher up the park, but when the pressure is on we need to clear our lines brutally.

UTM

Only quoting this bit as the rest is even more balderdash, but clearing things brutally just invites pressure back on to the team. The playing out from the bag should mean we keep the ball and work our way up the field, not lump it forward for the opposition centre halves to get the ball, give it to their midfield and cause is problems.

Quoted from TheCodfather1966

We are simply not good enough to play out from the back, we do not have the players to be able to do this. Nothing wrong with trying to play some nice football higher up the park, but when the pressure is on we need to clear our lines brutally. Also nothing wrong with a goal kick instead of a throw. Bignot laughs about these issues and is very disrespectful to JT, who is a massive town, that will rub people up the wrong way straightaway. I too am not a fan of David Burns , but to be fair to him, he would rip Bignot to bits in a post match display as woeful as the Exeter game. You tend to get what you pay for in life, and in Bignot, yet again we have brought our manager out of fooball's Poundland. Time will tell, but we look awful so far, and the more worrying aspect of all of this is that the entertainment and enjoyment has vanished from BP since MB took charge.

UTM

Burns always licked Bruce's bottom at Hull after a defeat, never challenged him just fanned his ego

Quoted from Kris2

Aren't they just having a meeting to decide when to have the meeting about the date for the council report?

No idea. I know a meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, which was a guess at answering the question to as what is happening on Wednesday.

Quoted from SteffiMariner

Only quoting this bit as the rest is even more balderdash, but clearing things brutally just invites pressure back on to the team. The playing out from the bag should mean we keep the ball and work our way up the field, not lump it forward for the opposition centre halves to get the ball, give it to their midfield and cause is problems.

Blimey thats going to handicap us if we have to play out of a bag.

Quoted from Kris2

Aren't they just having a meeting to decide when to have the meeting about the date for the council report?

I think its a meeting to decide if they need another meeting to decide if the report needs another meeting..isnt it ? (confused1)

How do you play out of a bag !!!! Will being in a new ground improve our football............. fail to see the relevance of the new ground.

UTM

I believe Wednesday may be the day Osbourne /Asante deals are done..... According to some on SM message board ?
UTM

Quoted from MidnightMariner

I believe Wednesday may be the day Osbourne /Asante deals are done..... According to some on SM message board ?
UTM

The old "reliable source" is clearly alive, well and popular in the West Midlands too.

These lads if signed will bring something I'm sure but it would be amazing if they changes things over night, be patient if they sign manage your expectations as we are getting some potential but not finished FL players.

Quoted from MidnightMariner

I believe Wednesday may be the day Osbourne /Asante deals are done..... According to some on SM message board ?
UTM

That's my understanding as well

Quoted from The Yard Dog

That's my understanding as well

So, two things to look forward to on Wednesday then. :)

Quoted from Garth

We are not good enough yet to be consistent with positive results, we were poor but gifted the best away form team in the league ATM two goals and took an age to get from our half into there`s.
We require a couple or three players of a different ilk to help out, today apart, our position in the league and results over Christmas suggest we are not far away from a decent team.

I'll take that after the last 6 years! UTM 8)