Just Back (Merged)

Quoted from Maringer

Their keeper certainly played pretty well (and his kicking was hugely better than McKeown's)

what?

McKeown shanked one out for a throw, towards the end of the first half, and that was the only issue with his kicking yesterday. How the intercourse you've made that summation I'll never know.

McKeown gets unfairly criticised for his kicking, mainly because he's built up a reputation as a result of comments like the above going unchallenged.

There's a hell of a lot more to a keeper's distribution than booting it downfield as far and high as possible. If you've got someone as good in the air as LJL effectively playing alone up there & waiting for support to catch up with him, or make runs in behind him, then it's a good tactic to hang kicks up in the air. It's just a shame that they had two centre-backs about 6'5'' each and we didn't have a great deal going on in the final third.

For what it's worth, their keeper had hooked a few out towards the left-hand touchline during the second half, but these were kept in due to the better workrate in their midfield.

The away holds 1800 is that right?
Apart from the empty corner bit and the odd empty seat. Struggling to see how a further 1000 would have squeezed into the away end.

How much to buy that Sam York guy and can we have Marshall back please?

Quoted from Helgy

The away holds 1800 is that right?
Apart from the empty corner bit and the odd empty seat. Struggling to see how a further 1000 would have squeezed into the away end.

The 'Corner bit' holds about half plus there were plenty of empty seats in the bottom right ( when looking from the pitch)

Quoted from Madeleymariner

How much to buy that Sam York guy and can we have Marshall back please?

Marshall has been a bit of a weak link but last 2 games has come good and banged in two, Sam Yorke in and out the side at the moment.

Quoted from Madeleymariner

How much to buy that Sam York guy and can we have Marshall back please?

Why on earth would you want Marshall back. We've got enough players who give us one good game in every ten!

Quoted from Madeleymariner

How much to buy that Sam York guy and can we have Marshall back please?

Sam-Yorke is a Cambridge player on loan to Lincoln. PH asked about him last summer but he chose Lincoln because he had been on loan there last season and knew the squad.

Would you seriously  want Marshall back?

Quoted from BIGChris

Sam-Yorke is a Cambridge player on loan to Lincoln. PH asked about him last summer but he chose Lincoln because he had been on loan there last season and knew the squad.

Would you seriously  want Marshall back?

Never in a million years

Lincoln fully deserved their 3 points, and played as well I've seen them since we've been down here.

Felt like we were shading the 1st half and looking the most likely to score the 2nd goal. If Pittman squares along the floor instead of lofting in the air Mackreth has a tap in 6 yards out. Lincoln were having one or two breaks but not doing a great deal with them 1st half. York up front appeared dangerous with his pace but i actually thought he was a bit of a donkey with the ball at his feet. One time he skinned one of our defenders for pace but then shanked the ball out for a goal kick when running with the ball.

A few others have said it already but I thought McKeown should've done better with their equaliser. It was technically a great clean strike but it was nowhere near the top corner as some have suggested. And a shot from 25-30 yards hitting the net in the middle of the goal is one the goalie should be saving IMO. That obviously gave them a lift and we looked to be feeling sorry for ourselves for a few minutes. Their 2nd was all too easy for them and you could see it coming as they strolled up our left side and crossed without much of an attempt to delay the attack.

Second half we got caught out at the back several times and a better side would have punished us and put us to the sword. Parslow was having a nightmare and both full backs weren't on their game defensively. Magnay didn't look well in the first half but he was actually doing OK. Feel for Bignot though as he will know his manager has no confidence in him (bringing in defenders and people playing out of position ahead of him).

I like Clay but he was visibly tiring before being caught by a shockingly late tackle. He brings a calmness on the ball and plays some clever balls into channels. Disley got a goal but didn't contribute an awful lot after that, though does give 100%. Still think Clay and Brown is our best pairing in their but its a tough one when Disley almost comes with a guarantee of goals.

What we struggled with was Lincoln's flexible shape against the rigidity of our 2 banks of 4.
Their 4-2-3-1 allowed the 2 in the double pivot to pick up every single clearance our defenders made, as our cm's were usually caught between those 2 and Power. When they had the ball they had options immediately and most were passes that could break through lines in our rigid and flat 442. One pass into Power and our midfield 4 were out of the game. When we had the ball the line of 4 midfielders were often static but also it restricts forward passing options once one of them gets the ball because there's just the one line of them. Disley breaks the line to get into the box at times for a cross but we need someone doing it so we can build attacks.

Lincoln were well up for it and had a bit of confidence for once, but they also played to a good system and all individually stuck to their roles. We, at times, look like a team that goes out after just having the team written down on the board in the changing room in whatever formation. At least when we are possession anyway. For me we don't show anything during games that suggest we work on attacking phases of play or patterns of attacking play. I'm not saying/suggesting we don't, but there isn't much evidence of it on the pitch. Defensive shape and organisation/discipline is a strong point and that, along with some good individuals, is what will carry us through to the play offs again no doubt.

The funny thing is we had enough chances to at least draw the game in the second half, but it was disappointing that we didn't have one spell of sustained pressure or possession to pin them back in their half to have a go at them. I think had we had a spell like that the crowd could've made a bit of an atmosphere. Has to be said too that Lincoln could and should have scored more on the break.

All in all not a season-changing or pivotal result because we'll still comfortably make the play offs because generall we're good defensively and will nick enough goals. Losing to Lincoln (especially twice) is gutting but it hasn't really set us back from achieving all that we're capable of imo - place in the play offs -which is why I'm not so downbeat as I might be.

Quoted from Tommy

Lincoln fully deserved their 3 points, and played as well I've seen them since we've been down here.

Felt like we were shading the 1st half and looking the most likely to score the 2nd goal. If Pittman squares along the floor instead of lofting in the air Mackreth has a tap in 6 yards out. Lincoln were having one or two breaks but not doing a great deal with them 1st half. York up front appeared dangerous with his pace but i actually thought he was a bit of a donkey with the ball at his feet. One time he skinned one of our defenders for pace but then shanked the ball out for a goal kick when running with the ball.

A few others have said it already but I thought McKeown should've done better with their equaliser. It was technically a great clean strike but it was nowhere near the top corner as some have suggested. And a shot from 25-30 yards hitting the net in the middle of the goal is one the goalie should be saving IMO. That obviously gave them a lift and we looked to be feeling sorry for ourselves for a few minutes. Their 2nd was all too easy for them and you could see it coming as they strolled up our left side and crossed without much of an attempt to delay the attack.

Second half we got caught out at the back several times and a better side would have punished us and put us to the sword. Parslow was having a nightmare and both full backs weren't on their game defensively. Magnay didn't look well in the first half but he was actually doing OK. Feel for Bignot though as he will know his manager has no confidence in him (bringing in defenders and people playing out of position ahead of him).

I like Clay but he was visibly tiring before being caught by a shockingly late tackle. He brings a calmness on the ball and plays some clever balls into channels. Disley got a goal but didn't contribute an awful lot after that, though does give 100%. Still think Clay and Brown is our best pairing in their but its a tough one when Disley almost comes with a guarantee of goals.

What we struggled with was Lincoln's flexible shape against the rigidity of our 2 banks of 4.
Their 4-2-3-1 allowed the 2 in the double pivot to pick up every single clearance our defenders made, as our cm's were usually caught between those 2 and Power. When they had the ball they had options immediately and most were passes that could break through lines in our rigid and flat 442. One pass into Power and our midfield 4 were out of the game. When we had the ball the line of 4 midfielders were often static but also it restricts forward passing options once one of them gets the ball because there's just the one line of them. Disley breaks the line to get into the box at times for a cross but we need someone doing it so we can build attacks.

Lincoln were well up for it and had a bit of confidence for once, but they also played to a good system and all individually stuck to their roles. We, at times, look like a team that goes out after just having the team written down on the board in the changing room in whatever formation. At least when we are possession anyway. For me we don't show anything during games that suggest we work on attacking phases of play or patterns of attacking play. I'm not saying/suggesting we don't, but there isn't much evidence of it on the pitch. Defensive shape and organisation/discipline is a strong point and that, along with some good individuals, is what will carry us through to the play offs again no doubt.

The funny thing is we had enough chances to at least draw the game in the second half, but it was disappointing that we didn't have one spell of sustained pressure or possession to pin them back in their half to have a go at them. I think had we had a spell like that the crowd could've made a bit of an atmosphere. Has to be said too that Lincoln could and should have scored more on the break.

All in all not a season-changing or pivotal result because we'll still comfortably make the play offs because generall we're good defensively and will nick enough goals. Losing to Lincoln (especially twice) is gutting but it hasn't really set us back from achieving all that we're capable of imo - place in the play offs -which is why I'm not so downbeat as I might be.

Probably the best, most balanced contribution to the whole thread....The Fishy at its best..