OUR RECORD AGAINST THE TOP 5

Played 8  Won 0 Drawn  1  Lost 7  For 6  Against   15


not very good ! and explains a lot........

(backs up what people says that this is a work in progress both on the pitch, and lets not forget,for the managers too)

I think it shows how "predictable" our form has been over the season. I can't work out if that's a good or a bad thing!

With the exception of one or two really bad results early on, we have got the better of the vast majority of teams outside the top 5. We've won a huge percentage of the games we would expect to win - we don't seem to take lesser teams lightly which is a great base to build from and it could still be enough to get us in the top 5.

However as you say, we have lost against all of the best teams in the league. It's tough to be too critical though as I don't think anyone doubts the effort the lads put in - those teams have simply been better than us. We aren't a million miles away and S&H have definitely got the club moving back in the right direction.

Quoted from MeanwoodMariner

I think it shows how "predictable" our form has been over the season. I can't work out if that's a good or a bad thing!

With the exception of one or two really bad results early on, we have got the better of the vast majority of teams outside the top 5. We've won a huge percentage of the games we would expect to win - we don't seem to take lesser teams lightly which is a great base to build from and it could still be enough to get us in the top 5.

However as you say, we have lost against all of the best teams in the league. It's tough to be too critical though as I don't think anyone doubts the effort the lads put in - those teams have simply been better than us. We aren't a million miles away and S&H have definitely got the club moving back in the right direction.

yup - it's quite a young side still isn't it (7 of last nights team are 23 or under)? and this season's experience should leave them in good stead for next year.we should also remember that this the new2's first season at this level so they are still learning as well. for me we need to re assess what is required from a central midfield unit in this division plus we'll need replacements for townsend,hearn and duffy. if they get that sorted think we'll be in with a fine chance

Just before i looked at this thread,i was on a stat site and it clearly shows why we are on the fringes and not in the mix.

Against teams in the bottom half of the league,we are ranked number three and have taken 42 points at an average of 2.44 per game.

Conversely,against the teams in the top half,we are ranked 13th,having taken only 16 points at an average of 0.94. ,with an almost zero points total against the top 5.

Most of the teams in the top half have a comfortably better points total against against those around them than we do.Gateshead for instance have taken 28 points against top half teams.

We are also joint second highest scorers,but a vast majority of those goals are against bottom half teams and we have conceded way more than those in the top 5. I think this is purely down to our inability to keep the ball for long periods and that is down to inexperience.

Funnily enough,we seemed to do better against the top sides last year but got blitzed by the up and at them sides,so we need to keep up the hard work it takes to overcome the battling sides,but acquire a bit more composure to take more points from the top sides and we will crack the league.

Easy isn't it?

only picking up 4 points from the first 6 games has been the killer - we currently average 1.611 points per game, 1.8 from the last 30 - if we'd done that percentage in the first 6 games we'd be right in there now

Quoted from ginnywings

  I think this is purely down to our inability to keep the ball for long periods and that is down to inexperience.

Funnily enough,we seemed to do better against the top sides last year but got blitzed by the up and at them sides,so we need to keep up the hard work it takes to overcome the battling sides,but acquire a bit more composure to take more points from the top sides and we will crack the league.

Easy isn't it?

The first part of this is key, inability to keep the ball. The attitude of the back four is hoof first, hoof second, pass if we really have to and against the good teams this gives the ball away time after time. How many punts forward last night dropped straight into the area Kerr patrolled. He then just fed the ball to the forwards who ran at us, again and again.

Against the lesser team this doesnt matter as they give the ball away quicky and we get into good positions, Hearns around, jobs a carrot. These tactics have been proven not to work against the better teams as its easy to stop, just keep possession building pressure, wait for the chance or mistake to appear then score. Even a few of the lesser teams have started will against us by doing this until we have "overpowered" them.

The managers seem to tinker with formations but we still play the same way (hoof, or direct if you are being polite) so why bother changing? Wasting Hearn on the left at York (a) was criminal. The central midfield has without doubt been better than previous seasons but is still not good. Disley is an average midfielder (something most supporters have never even seen, imagine what they would think when we got a good CM). Thanoj is really promising but is in his first proper year as a pro. Artus has had a hit and miss first seasons and IMO Church is a limited player with limited use.

Smashy and Nicey must really get a grip and take note of how the better teams operate in midfield and they way they keep possession through the team. If they dont we will be sat here next year flirting with the top 6 again.

Quoted from forza ivano

Played 8  Won 0 Drawn  1  Lost 7  For 6  Against   15


not very good ! and explains a lot........

(backs up what people says that this is a work in progress both on the pitch, and lets not forget,for the managers too)

Whilst true - it doesn't take into account our performances against these teams. In two of losses, that have come recently, we have applied ourselves admirably and gone down only to last minute winners. We've also taken the lead against several of these teams - York, Mansfield, Fleetwood and we haven't been thrashed by any of them. It's not brilliant but the stat doesn't paint the whole picture as we've shown we can compete with these sides. We're still only 6 points of the play-offs with a game in hand - everyone (the players, management, fans) just has to keep believing. With the spirit we showed last night and return to performance a la Cambridge away, we won't be far off!

Think this is mainly due to the fact when Scott and Hurst first came they said they want to bring in the type of player who maybe isn't of the highest quality but will put a shift in and run there balderdash off. the top teams in this league maybe just have that little bit more quality than us, but we are very close to them. we have a great platform for whatever league we are in next season to add just a couple of players, and really compete against the so called better teams.

Quoted from lowerfindus

The first part of this is key, inability to keep the ball. The attitude of the back four is hoof first, hoof second, pass if we really have to and against the good teams this gives the ball away time after time. How many punts forward last night dropped straight into the area Kerr patrolled. He then just fed the ball to the forwards who ran at us, again and again.

Against the lesser team this doesnt matter as they give the ball away quicky and we get into good positions, Hearns around, jobs a carrot. These tactics have been proven not to work against the better teams as its easy to stop, just keep possession building pressure, wait for the chance or mistake to appear then score. Even a few of the lesser teams have started will against us by doing this until we have "overpowered" them.

The managers seem to tinker with formations but we still play the same way (hoof, or direct if you are being polite) so why bother changing? Wasting Hearn on the left at York (a) was criminal. The central midfield has without doubt been better than previous seasons but is still not good. Disley is an average midfielder (something most supporters have never even seen, imagine what they would think when we got a good CM). Thanoj is really promising but is in his first proper year as a pro. Artus has had a hit and miss first seasons and IMO Church is a limited player with limited use.

Smashy and Nicey must really get a grip and take note of how the better teams operate in midfield and they way they keep possession through the team. If they dont we will be sat here next year flirting with the top 6 again.

i just want to echo what you said about a) losing possession due to hoof ball & b) our CM is better than previous years, but still not that good.

well looking at the table we can take positives against york anf fleetwood because if the ref didnt give a penalty to fleetwood we could of drew and if townsend hoofed it and silk hoofed it and elding kept it against york we would of won also people are saying that we played excrement against york but we still managed to score 2 goals against a good defence without hearn and thats face it if we had played fleetwood at the start of the season at their ground we would have been tharashed like 4 of 5 nil and york would of hammered us aswell also we learn more from a loss than we do from a win