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Give Osborne a start at CB, not sure who with as I have not seen enough of him to see who he would compliment,

Davies for Mills, Ben has done little wrong season to date and Mills has regressed since breaking through last season.

Assuming that Vernon and Clem will not be available and Jones is now suspended next week get McAlister involved at CM with Rose, DJ and Dembelle on the flanks with Tombola in the middle (he's done it before)  with Cardwell.

Slade is cautious so I would imagine he'll persevere with Hooper and Summerfield and there will be a start for Berret. which will be a real shame.

Oh yeah, and sign a fukin half decent striker!!!

I know it sounds obvious but try to get the defence to use midfield more not all the time but more often the hoofball is only one option.

The central midfield need to move into space giving the defence the option plus two wide men with pace giving the defence THREE OPTIONS.

Up front TW0 decent strikers playing off each other in tandem.

All this sounds patently obvious but I feel we have the players to do this the energy levels and skills/passing need to be high though.

No doubt Slade would like also this only time will tell but I hope we can get the best out of players the likes of Dembele who won't be here to long either way.

It's very early days yet. The chesterfield game showed we can be competitive and there is a long way to go. Too soon to have our knickers in a twist

all teams have ups and downs,good runs and bad
good refs and bad,run of green or bad luck
thats the beauty of football.
but id like the players to play there natural position,and stay on the field

Kelly, Hooper, Summerfield, Clarke and Mckeown out. McAllister, DJ, Osborne, Kilip and Tombola in.

Give Harry Clifton a chance in midfield alongside McAllister, can`t do no worse

Quoted from Mariner Ronnie

That was as funny as diarrhoea and whooping cough at the same time. ;)

Only you would know scruff.. :P

An open cheque book has been given too many times in an ill fated tenure. But, that cheque isn't ours to wave around.

I think the question needs to lay at why such sh1te has been allowed to trundle its way along the a180/a46 and been allowed to rest, when there have been players (I look at disley/pearson) that have been allowed to leave

None of us want to ever set foot in that awful league we were in. Let's get behind the club....the team and anything else that wanders along imperial ave.

UTFM

I was worried and disappointed when Slade was re-appointed. I felt quite a lot better when Wilko was appointed as his deputy.
I started to get worried again when I witnessed hoofball mark 2 at the Coventry game.
I'm now horrified that it continued at Stevenage despite the obvious ineffectiveness of such tactical ineptitude. :D
WTF!!!

Buy all the players a set of gonads and weld over their manginas because that performance today no one showed that they balderdash for a fight.

Got to say Clarke is crap . Like that guy we had from Brentford name escapes me ....

He's not quite that bad but he was shite today.

Ask the players what system they would like to play and reach a group decision. It's no good forcing everyone to play a way they are not comfortable with.

Quoted from GrimRob

Ask the players what system they would like to play and reach a group decision. It's no good forcing everyone to play a way they are not comfortable with.

I get what your saying but don't agree. Apart from reportedly England in Italia 90 it's very rare. They are professional footballers and should to a degree be able to adapt to what was in reality an "away set up".

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Quoted from livosnose

Got to say Clarke is crap . Like that guy we had from Brentford name escapes me ....

I have to say I'm not impressed, also same with Collins, 2 poor back passes to day and neither seem to be commanding the box at corners.

Was disappointed when Pearson left but he would have been my choice over both of them.

Also felt Disley was well passed his best but even at his current level the midfielders today are not fit to lace his boots.

442.
Jones upfront with Cardwell when he's back from his suspension. I'd like to see Rose defensive with osborne or someone similar attacking cm.

I'd leave Summerfield in there, he was our best player today and pick him and McAllister and drop Rose who I thought was awful today. Play Hooper and Cardwell and play Dembele and the young lad from Norwich on the wings. Play Davies and Osborne in defence.

Oh and Hurst's Shrewsbury have a 100% record, proof that doggid, professional football can work if played correctly

Guessing you didn't go today 09 Hooper and Kelly, no thanks.

I did go, Hooper was poor but the service to him was utterly dire! Give him some genuine support and a couple of decent passes and he might be better, if he isn't any better, then forget it. I wouldn't have Kelly in there either. He was awful

Kelly looks like that classic could be good but will always sh@t out of a tackle kind of player . Wetter than a kittens fart that boy , Bolarinwa has to get some game time now

Quoted from HertsGTFC

I get what your saying but don't agree. Apart from reportedly England in Italia 90 it's very rare. They are professional footballers and should to a degree be able to adapt to what was in reality an "away set up".

We did rather well in Italia 90 though ;)

Maybe it's rare, it doesn't mean it's worth trying. I don't see what's wrong with having a group discussion.

Quoted from Mariner_09

I did go, Hooper was poor but the service to him was utterly dire! Give him some genuine support and a couple of decent passes and he might be better, if he isn't any better, then forget it. I wouldn't have Kelly in there either. He was awful

I didn't go today but watched in horror last week when Hooper pulled out of a 50/50 challenge. We're not good enough to carry journeyman pros in our squad and there's already too many without playing any more.

Well there are lots of things he could and should do, but for the sake of keeping it simple and not making too many changes, I'd prioritise:

1)  Play with two strikers rather than one up front on his own

2)  Aim to play more with the ball on the ground and into feet:

specifically the feet of Dembele, Jones, DJ and Bolawinra, rather than playing long balls.

3)  Work on discipline and professionalism:

Not only on keeping 11 men on the pitch, but on simple things like managing the referee better, going to ground when fouled to make sure we win those 50:50 free kicks, taking the pace out of the game when we're vulnerable so we can regroup.  Simple stuff that helps us at the margins so even if we're not playing well, the game doesn't run away from us.

Would like Slade to show us his trophy cabinet and trophys he has won playing hoofball

Admittedly he fed off scrapes but he was like a fat duck who didn't fancy any of it and just trotted about. Didn't put one challenge in and I can't remember him once really getting in the defences face.

Quoted from arryarryarry

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I have to say I'm not impressed, also same with Collins, 2 poor back passes to day and neither seem to be commanding the box at corners.

Was disappointed when Pearson left but he would have been my choice over both of them.

Also felt Disley was well passed his best but even at his current level the midfielders today are not fit to lace his boots.

Absolutely thus far have not seen any evidence that Pearson and Dizza have been replaced by BETTER players which was the reason they were replaced.

Get a goalkeeper who can control his box-get 2 fullbacks who can defend,cover the centre backs and attack down the wings and get a good cross in -get centre backs who can stop attacks down the middle,cover the fullbacks and distribute the ball better. A midfield that can help the defense when needed,distribute balls to the wingers and through the channels and get forward to score the odd goal now and then. Wingers who can cross the ball to one of our players, can cover the fullbacks forward runs and have a shot now and then. Strikers who can stay upfield and score goals. You and Wilko buy " Tactics in Football " £19-99 at all good book shops

Agree with Golfer
We have quick wingers use them
Get Amond up front with Cardwell both at least run and run
Sort out Jones
Get summer field to play with his head up and to stop pointing
Pray Mcallaister and Clements are better than what we have
And ask Pearson to come back 👍👍

Put vernon in ice and get him back in the first 11 asap

What would you like Slade to do?

To put it bluntly, intercourse OFF

Think it's offical now,altogether

'the king is in the altogether,the altogether,he's as naked as the day that he was born'.

What would I like Slade to do?

Go to the next board meeting and tell them that their current budget has allowed him to sign a crock of shite, that it's not Champ Manager and that they need to get their hands in their pockets. I don't buy all this bollox about getting players to come - they'll come if you pay them enough. We're in enough debt as it is due to signing wasters in the past - will we ever learn?

The only solace from yesterday debacle was it has woken up people from their zombie like adulation of Slade,funny though his most vociferous supporters and now his critics.

It was only 10 minutes but If he plays 442 I think we'll play so much better even with this squad. We need 2 upfront. We need 2 quick players out wide to hit that byline.

How do we even know it's the budget?

Quoted from MuddyWaters

What would I like Slade to do?

Go to the next board meeting and tell them that their current budget has allowed him to sign a crock of shite, that it's not Champ Manager and that they need to get their hands in their pockets. I don't buy all this bollox about getting players to come - they'll come if you pay them enough. We're in enough debt as it is due to signing wasters in the past - will we FENTY ever learn?

Had to correct one part, also signing losers and cheap out on budget, especially after making a statement like next level. If we are to be proven wrong Slade and Wilkie have a hell of a job on their hands. Motivating the players after what we have just witnessed feels like the bad old days when players used to steal a living off us and look where that took us.

Quoted from Marinerz93

Had to correct one part, also signing losers and cheap out on budget, especially after making a statement like next level. If we are to be proven wrong Slade and Wilkie have a hell of a job on their hands. Motivating the players after what we have just witnessed feels like the bad old days when players used to steal a living off us and look where that took us.

Well quite. The thought of returning to the non-league fills me with dread and, with the squad we now have, I see us treading water at best this season.

Most interesting will be what he and PW actually do!
Firstly, I was encouraged to see both McAllister and Clifton in the squad yesterday and the former is much needed to cover and bring more coherence to the defensive quartet.
The loss of Jamey Osborne has been a huge blow to us IMO and we've not been able to replace his dynamism or creativity, though it is arguable that Dembele does just that and more besides. Indeed, perhaps Dembele should be brought into CM where he can weave his magic to receive from McAllister and drive forward to release runners to right and left and to 2 upfront (playing an isolated CF is looking pretty hopeless and I felt really sorry for Cardwell yesterday who was hopelessly outnumbered in any chase for the ball). But Dembele needs 'tickover' support in the middle, perhaps with Clements, Berrett or Rose (though I'd like to see Clifton given a chance to show what he can do). DJ has to start as an outright winger for me. He looks quick and elusive and may, like Dembele, be able to provide the ammunition for the front 2.
At present, we are struggling for coherence, can't keep the ball for long enough to put pressure on the opposition and these long balls upfield simply give opponents the opportunity to come straight back at us.
A couple of other points: we look very pedestrian in defence and maybe Kayleigh Osborne should be given his chance to impose some authority in the middle; also Jones looks very out of sorts and I'd agree with others that he should be in the front 2, playing off the shoulder. I also look forward to Asante winning his long battle with fitness-he may be transformative if he lives up to his billing.
Hence, Town still have some options but what is clear is that the present formation, and some of its players, are woefully short of what we need.
One thing is for sure, however, if the team can't entertain and make it worthwhile for me to make the 310 mile round trip to BP, I won't be bothering. Time is too precious at my age!

Quoted from MuddyWaters

Well quite. The thought of returning to the non-league fills me with dread and, with the squad we now have, I see us treading water at best this season.

I know most of us are having a reactionary feelings to what we have just witnessed and hopefully the reaction from fans will be the kick up the rear end some of them dearly needed after that gutless performance. They will need to turn it round and step up their performances otherwise they will feel the wrath of the fans, we should never go back to non league and should never accept anything less than 100% fight and commitment from the players, that should be ingrained into them as they sign.

I've moaned about this already, but Slade talks about doing the basics right. I couldn't agree more, last week at BP and yesterday, I witnessed our full backs receiving the ball, bringing it forward before coming under pressure from the midfielders, options in the middle of the park. But instead of giving the ball and building an attack, they are clearly under instructions to hoof the ball into the box. Why I have no idea as the manager only has one man up front? What Slade expects to gain from this 'tactic', I have no idea. Centre backs tend to be big tall chaps and they are lapping it up, is it the second ball? Strange but no, it can't be as we have nobody near their screening midfielders.

Slade talks about the players not doing the basics right, he should look closer to home.

Quoted from MuddyWaters

What would I like Slade to do?

Go to the next board meeting and tell them that their current budget has allowed him to sign a crock of shite, that it's not Champ Manager and that they need to get their hands in their pockets. I don't buy all this bollox about getting players to come - they'll come if you pay them enough. We're in enough debt as it is due to signing wasters in the past - will we ever learn?

I would not move to Grimsby unless it was my only option, which appeard to be the case with the likes of Hooper, Kelly and possibly Clarke and Dixon.

I think it's possibly a number of things that stops us signing better players, inability to pay any kind of fee, location, length of deal weekly wage etc...or it could be that where a small Div 4 club based in a Town with an iffy (but unfair) reputation.

People talk about budget like it's something we can just pump in when we need it but it has to be a realistic percentage of income and expenditure otherwise we could end up in financial trouble.

Like everyone on here I don't know how much cash Russ has had or is still at his disposal but I guess for some it's a good excuse for the sh1t we witnessed yesterday

Quoted from 75

I've moaned about this already, but Slade talks about doing the basics right. I couldn't agree more, last week at BP and yesterday, I witnessed our full backs receiving the ball, bringing it forward before coming under pressure from the midfielders, options in the middle of the park. But instead of giving the ball and building an attack,

they are clearly under instructions to hoof the ball into the box.[b][/b]

Why I have no idea as the manager only has one man up front? What Slade expects to gain from this 'tactic', I have no idea. Centre backs tend to be big tall chaps and they are lapping it up, is it the second ball? Strange but no, it can't be as we have nobody near their screening midfielders.

Slade talks about the players not doing the basics right, he should look closer to home.

100% agree. They would only keep on doing what was clearly failing because the manager told them to do it.

Quoted from HertsGTFC

I would not move to Grimsby unless it was my only option, which appeard to be the case with the likes of Hooper, Kelly and possibly Clarke and Dixon.

I think it's possibly a number of things that stops us signing better players, inability to pay any kind of fee, location, length of deal weekly wage etc...or it could be that where a small Div 4 club based in a Town with an iffy (but unfair) reputation.

People talk about budget like it's something we can just pump in when we need it but it has to be a realistic percentage of income and expenditure otherwise we could end up in financial trouble.

Like everyone on here I don't know how much cash Russ has had or is still at his disposal but I guess for some it's a good excuse for the sh1t we witnessed yesterday

I agree with these views and suspect that Slade didn't want to give 2 year deals to some of these players (Hooper for example) but wouldn't have signed if he hadn't got 2 years,

For better or for worse (certainly looks like for worse right now) we've got the squad we've got and I doubt we are going to see any major changes before the transfer window shuts. If I was RS today I would be putting a huge amount of effort into finding a young striker to bring in on loan, a young left back to at least be back up to Dixon and maybe a centre back as well.

I would sit down with PW and discuss the strengths of the team. Unfortunately, I think we're pretty limited but we do have three wide players (Kelly isn't one, he's a coward who won't engage the full backs) who are reasonably quick and athletic and can take men on. We've also got a couple of players in Jones and Osborne who could, in my opinion, really exploit being played just behind the striker if the team is set up correctly. Without another striker coming in or Asante getting fit we're very limited up there but Vernon did well at Chesterfield and whilst not perfect, we know he'd do a job. Taking all this into account I would either play 4-2-3-1 or a straight 4-4-2 with one of the forward 2 (Jones usually) dropping deeper if the midfield is getting overrun.

I would then work with the team on patterns of play. I don't mind the ball being worked across the back if the forward players are moving, trying to create space and disrupt the defensive lines of the opposition but yesterday it was statues. We desperately need to work on players knowing what runs to make when we have the ball in specific situations and I would try to engineer it so that we're getting the ball to our wide players feet as quickly as possible, ideally getting them so that they're 1 on 1 to the full back. The only time we've done anything of note in the first three games is when we've done this and it needs to be the basis of our attack because it's playing to our strengths. If we do go long, we need to work on movement around the targetman. Someone needs to go beyond him, the midfield needs to be around him to win knock downs and second balls. All that happens at the minute is we lose it and their midfield mops it up. That targetman also needs to not be Hooper. I'm not normally one for judging a player that early but if you can't be arsed to jump for a header once on your full debut for us then you have no business playing for our club. The long and short of it is, we need to work on movement off the ball and it needs to be a lot quicker and sharper.

Oh and I'd have Osborne in the side ahead of Clarke who was rubbish yesterday.

The only crumb of comfort is we have players out in McAllister, Clements, Asante and Osborne who would probably get in most teams in this division. If, big if, we can get them fit then they will improve us. We also looked a bit better second half before Jones got sent off and certainly showed more attacking intent but we're not going to get far this season if it takes going 2-0 down before we decide we might try to attack. Sort it Slade.

We were told hooper was crap and we were told Kelly was crap , and so far they have lived up to there expectations they both came with negative reviews without any positives..

Cardwell is a big lump who scored for fun against Cleethorpes and Grimsby borough but I'm sure I could have popped a couple of them in , have to say I have seen nothing in this guy.

Mitch rose again runs around slot but not seen too much to see why he would have been our number one midfielder.

Paul Dixon I have to say looks very poor , all the games I seen him in I was thinking were has this guy come from for us to make him our number one left back , today's fullbacks have to get up and down but this chap has looked poor.

Clarke well what have this guy done what say Pearson can't apart from probably cost us more money , again a journeyman on his way down..

The one shining light has been dembele , I really think this guy is a player who will play at a higher level so I suppose 1 out of 10 ain't bad in terms of quality in signings..

I struggle to see why Slade plays Jones out wide sees berrett and summerfield capable as a midfield and why we stick with one striker it's so negative and considering this was meant to be our push on the league as fenty said himself and Slade says he has unfinished business here it's looking quite frustrating.

Quoted from mariner91

That targetman also needs to not be Hooper. I'm not normally one for judging a player that early but if you can't be arsed to jump for a header once on your full debut for us then you have no business playing for our club.

This. All day long. When he came on last Saturday (I know I'm repeating myself), he jibbed out of a 50/50. That is not good enough - he's signed a two year deal with a club that can't afford passengers. If he thinks he can get away with that, then he will soon find out otherwise.

Quoted from jonnyboy82

We were told hooper was crap and we were told Kelly was crap , and so far they have lived up to there expectations they both came with negative reviews without any positives..

Cardwell is a big lump who scored for fun against Cleethorpes and Grimsby borough but I'm sure I could have popped a couple of them in , have to say I have seen nothing in this guy.

Mitch rose again runs around slot but not seen too much to see why he would have been our number one midfielder.

Paul Dixon I have to say looks very poor , all the games I seen him in I was thinking were has this guy come from for us to make him our number one left back , today's fullbacks have to get up and down but this chap has looked poor.

Clarke well what have this guy done what say Pearson can't apart from probably cost us more money , again a journeyman on his way down..

The one shining light has been dembele , I really think this guy is a player who will play at a higher level so I suppose 1 out of 10 ain't bad in terms of quality in signings..

I struggle to see why Slade plays Jones out wide sees berrett and summerfield capable as a midfield and why we stick with one striker it's so negative and considering this was meant to be our push on the league as fenty said himself and Slade says he has unfinished business here it's looking quite frustrating.

Jones wasn't played out wide yesterday. And Berrett and Summerfield have been some of the only fit midfielders we've got. Clements and McAllister probably not up to speed right now. If Berrett and Summerfield still get played when we have other options, then it'll be a concern.

The thing that bothers me is this - if we play with one guy up front, he needs to be good enough to fulfill that role.
I don't believe we have anyone capable of doing it...so we're bound to struggle to attack playing that way. We need to have two up top.

We have pacy wingers (Dembele & DJ), so let's use them. Tell the centre-mids to give the ball wide when they can, and try to hurt the
opposition down the flanks (dare I say it: Buckley football).

It may not work too well, but IMO offers us a better chance than hoofing the ball up to a forward who doesn't jump or Dembele whose aerial
strength is hardly the best part of his game.

But as many have commented, it's too early to get downhearted - RS and PW are still discovering what the players can and can't do well.
Some fight on Tuesday would be a good start.

There is no doubt in my mind they have been told to be very direct. 3 of the back 4 have played a combined 50 odd seasons in the league, they are very experienced and will be doing as instructed.

Quoted from Swansea_Mariner

There is no doubt in my mind they have been told to be very direct. 3 of the back 4 have played a combined 50 odd seasons in the league, they are very experienced and will be doing as instructed.

It was obvious last week against Coventry that the instruction from management is to hit the corners early, almost to the exclusion of all other tactics. Seeing Dembele watching the ball sail over his head time and again was a pitiful site, especially as he scared the crap out of them when he got the ball to feet, cut inside and danced past their entire midfield and defence in an instant.

There was one particular instance in the second half when he came toward Davies with a defender behind him, wanting it to feet, only for Davies to hit it long over his and the defenders head into the corner. The defender simply turned and ran back to where the ball was with Dembele stuck between him and Davies in no mans land. The word Sladeball flashed across my mind for the umpteenth time.