Just Back

After the previous two displays I'd convinced myself we were down.  But I still started to get that feeling of optimism as 3pm drew closer and when the team was announced I think I actually felt slightly confident.  Hope that kills you, eh?

Thought we started ok.  It was basic and a bit agricultural at times with lots of long balls forward to the two strong lads up top but we were more than matching FGR.  At the back we look loads better for having two lads in the centre who can move, despite a lot of concerns I saw in how they would handle Matt they did really well.

Penalty was sloppy and summed the display of the ref up.  Easily intimidated by the shithousery of FGR but rather than blame the ref I think we need to look at why we're so weak at this.  In an ideal world we don't want to even acknowledge this side of the game, certainly from a purist perspective.  But it's there, it exists and we're dreadful at it.  I've said it so many times but we've not replaced Mitch Rose as someone who has that ability to wind players up, get in their minds and affect performances.  We're far, far too nice.  

Performance wise I don't think anyone did anything wrong.  The back four were fine, Eastwood too.  Midfield was ok.  Coke and Matete look a decent pairing, albeit I want to see Matete pushing further forward - especially if Coke is in the team as he isn't going to get forward.  Morais was a threat but was quickly identified as a threat and doubled up on.  On the other flank El Mizoni showed his glimpses but then little else.  I'm not really sure what his position is.  He doesn't impact the game enough to be central and doesn't appear to want to be out wide.  If he was in a free role, he still doesn't do enough for my liking.  Until his injury I couldn't help think that he looks a bit lost, as in he can't cope with playing alongside players who aren't on his level.  Was a few times when he looked to make a pass ahead of his team-mate, but they were just too slow to anticipate or even react.  

The substitution was bizarre but to be completely honest I've not been massively impressed with Adams anyway so it's not like we didn't bring a world beater on.

Second half summed everything up.  Lots of huffing and puffing but getting nowhere.  Front two and Coke were dead on their feet. Matete was walking a tightrope and his head had long gone, amazed he didn't get sent off to be honest.  Crying out for changes yet Hurst waited far too long and then his first move was to bring Green on.  If I wasn't ready to mentally check out at this point, I was done when he seemed more bothered about giving Whitehouse a hug than contributing on the pitch.

I don't like highlighting players for silly things but this got to me. We're in a relegation battle, fighting for our lives.  He's contributed intercourse all on his handsome two-year contract.  He comes on and flounders about, no real urgency yet comes alive when he gets the opportunity to give a former team-mate a hug.  The same former team-mate who has acted like a shithouse all game, winding the Town players up, calling for bookings from the referee....Green can give him a hug after the game.  Not during it.  Sums his attitude up in my eyes.  Priorities all wrong.  I wanted a sub to come on at that point and do absolutely everything to a) get us a result b) send a statement as to their worth and c) even try and stake some sort of claim for a future contract, be it here or wherever.  

Incredible to think we're 2 and a half months into Hurst's second reign, he's brought in a whole new team and yet we've somehow gone backwards.  Individually I think there's improvements.  Eastwood, Menayese, Habergham, Matete, Coke, even LJL are all better than what we had...yet we're still on this downward slope.  Fenty/Holloway set the foundations this season with wet cardboard, it's costing us now.  But Hurst has tried to address that and I'm sorry to say is failing.  

Moving forward I hope we stick with two up top.  It looked a lot more like we had some sort of purpose about us.  Things stuck and LJL was a threat just from his ability to hassle and press.  It took pressure off Hanson who in turn was able to win more headers than he has for about 18 months.  But they were isolated.  Someone in midfield has to be brave and push forward and support them, hell even go beyond them.  No idea how long Max Wright is off fitness but I hope to get he's close as he could be someone with that style to work best off two bigger men up top.  It sounds so simple on paper but with a higher press of 5-10 yards from the midfield I think we would do so much better.  Putting that into practice on the pitch is clearly much harder.

It's not over.  There's still a relatively long way to go but the clock is ticking.  I can't see how we're going to get out of it.  Saturday kinda summed a lot up.  We did ok, but it's not enough.  We were dead on our feet after 60 minutes and our back up options aren't much to shout about.  

Quoted from diehardmariner

After the previous two displays I'd convinced myself we were down.  But I still started to get that feeling of optimism as 3pm drew closer and when the team was announced I think I actually felt slightly confident.  Hope that kills you, eh?

Thought we started ok.  It was basic and a bit agricultural at times with lots of long balls forward to the two strong lads up top but we were more than matching FGR.  At the back we look loads better for having two lads in the centre who can move, despite a lot of concerns I saw in how they would handle Matt they did really well.

Penalty was sloppy and summed the display of the ref up.  Easily intimidated by the shithousery of FGR but rather than blame the ref I think we need to look at why we're so weak at this.  In an ideal world we don't want to even acknowledge this side of the game, certainly from a purist perspective.  But it's there, it exists and we're dreadful at it.  I've said it so many times but we've not replaced Mitch Rose as someone who has that ability to wind players up, get in their minds and affect performances.  We're far, far too nice.  

Performance wise I don't think anyone did anything wrong.  The back four were fine, Eastwood too.  Midfield was ok.  Coke and Matete look a decent pairing, albeit I want to see Matete pushing further forward - especially if Coke is in the team as he isn't going to get forward.  Morais was a threat but was quickly identified as a threat and doubled up on.  On the other flank El Mizoni showed his glimpses but then little else.  I'm not really sure what his position is.  He doesn't impact the game enough to be central and doesn't appear to want to be out wide.  If he was in a free role, he still doesn't do enough for my liking.  Until his injury I couldn't help think that he looks a bit lost, as in he can't cope with playing alongside players who aren't on his level.  Was a few times when he looked to make a pass ahead of his team-mate, but they were just too slow to anticipate or even react.  

The substitution was bizarre but to be completely honest I've not been massively impressed with Adams anyway so it's not like we didn't bring a world beater on.

Second half summed everything up.  Lots of huffing and puffing but getting nowhere.  Front two and Coke were dead on their feet. Matete was walking a tightrope and his head had long gone, amazed he didn't get sent off to be honest.  Crying out for changes yet Hurst waited far too long and then his first move was to bring Green on.  If I wasn't ready to mentally check out at this point, I was done when he seemed more bothered about giving Whitehouse a hug than contributing on the pitch.

I don't like highlighting players for silly things but this got to me. We're in a relegation battle, fighting for our lives.  He's contributed intercourse all on his handsome two-year contract.  He comes on and flounders about, no real urgency yet comes alive when he gets the opportunity to give a former team-mate a hug.  The same former team-mate who has acted like a shithouse all game, winding the Town players up, calling for bookings from the referee....Green can give him a hug after the game.  Not during it.  Sums his attitude up in my eyes.  Priorities all wrong.  I wanted a sub to come on at that point and do absolutely everything to a) get us a result b) send a statement as to their worth and c) even try and stake some sort of claim for a future contract, be it here or wherever.  

Incredible to think we're 2 and a half months into Hurst's second reign, he's brought in a whole new team and yet we've somehow gone backwards.  Individually I think there's improvements.  Eastwood, Menayese, Habergham, Matete, Coke, even LJL are all better than what we had...yet we're still on this downward slope.  Fenty/Holloway set the foundations this season with wet cardboard, it's costing us now.  But Hurst has tried to address that and I'm sorry to say is failing.  

Moving forward I hope we stick with two up top.  It looked a lot more like we had some sort of purpose about us.  Things stuck and LJL was a threat just from his ability to hassle and press.  It took pressure off Hanson who in turn was able to win more headers than he has for about 18 months.  But they were isolated.  Someone in midfield has to be brave and push forward and support them, hell even go beyond them.  No idea how long Max Wright is off fitness but I hope to get he's close as he could be someone with that style to work best off two bigger men up top.  It sounds so simple on paper but with a higher press of 5-10 yards from the midfield I think we would do so much better.  Putting that into practice on the pitch is clearly much harder.

It's not over.  There's still a relatively long way to go but the clock is ticking.  I can't see how we're going to get out of it.  Saturday kinda summed a lot up.  We did ok, but it's not enough.  We were dead on our feet after 60 minutes and our back up options aren't much to shout about.  

I agree with what you have put, it was an ok performance. The trouble is we need something better than ok and they haven't any spark, leadership from anybody. I read the excuse for Morais elsewhere, that should have given us man free on the pitch!

I know their are 2 games a week for a while but this fitness business is beyond me. 40 hour week and they have to run for an hour and a half, ok 3 hours at the moment. We are now at the last 1/3rd of the season, fitness should not be a problem given the sluggishness of the previous 3 games.

Still watching Carlisle against Morecombe gives hope for 3 points on Tuesday night.

Quoted from forza ivano

Lamy was injured apparently.

Not according to Hurst.

https://www.grimsbytelegraph.c.....-lamy-bunney-5086167

Quoted from diehardmariner

No idea how long Max Wright is off fitness but I hope to get he's close as he could be someone with that style to work best off two bigger men up top.  

He's back in training this week according to Hurst's interview today, so hopefully he's a couple of games away.

Quoted from Stew0_0

Some observations from Saturday.  Eastwood, despite conceding 2 goals looks better still than Macca. Defensively i thought a defence partnership of Hewitt and Menayese did well in general, which is tough for me to say as i am a huge Pollock fan. I think as a general rule in modern day football you need a back line with decent pace and unfortunately Waterfall and pollock just dont have that. Nsiala for all his faults and well publicised 2 glaring errors per game often was quick enough to get back and attone for his mistake. With Waterfall and Pollock, a simple dinked ball over the top and they are either too slow to turn or track back to clear. Stevenage's injury time winner against as a prime example.
We look more solid with Hendrie back at RB and he offers something going forward with his crossing. Habergham also on the left is a by far better option to Bunney who to me has been a strange signing.
Midfield. Can someone tell me what Coke offers, especially at the expense of Rose. I watched him carefully on Saturday and he didnt play 1 single pass forwards and he is contributing to the lack of chances being created. Matete aside we are very poor in centre midfield and am actually looking forward to Clifton returning for at least a bit of industry and endeavour. I also dont like this lob-sided midfield with 1 winger and as El Mizouni is to be on the sidelines for a while would like to see Adams or Lamy playing as another winger.
Up front. As much as Hanson and John Lewis worked hard we still miss a poacher/fox in the box striker and will probably have to do till next season.
Again as been mentioned i still want Hurst to be braver. Adams instead of Bunney on Saturday was key as we were well in that game until they got the 2nd goal. At home, crowd or not, we should have gone for the win, not preventing their right back get up the pitch.
3 very narrow defeats suggests we are competing and not far away from a victory soon. Stick to the team we played on Saturday with Adams in for Idris and lets go at Carlisle on Tuesday.

We do have a poacher style striker, its Jackson, he offers f all outside the box except work rate but he does know where the goal is. He is a bit different to our other strikers. What does Hurst do, he picks green on the bench jeeezus christ, who was just as dire and useless as ever when he came on. Seriously Hurst lost all credibility with me doing that. Anybody thinking he should bother with a youth system with Hurst in charge needs to open their eyes. Green epitomises washed up past it journeyman that offers nothing - yet Hurst still turns to him cos he is 'experienced', may as well only have 6 subs on the bench as have green there FFS

Jamille Matt became the 4th Matt to have scored more league goals at BP than Matt Green this season.

Matt(ie) Pollock leads the prestigious list with 2.