Just Back (Merged)

Thought I would wait a while before commenting on today`s fiasco, IMO Clay`s forward passing ability was missed today and he was sacrificed in order for Brown to play a more defensive role which failed.

Try as he may Brown is not suitable for playing an attacking game and spent most of the time running in tight circles and getting nowhere, Clay`s party piece is winning the ball and feeding through balls to the strikers or wingers.

Tactics were not working today and there is only one man in the ground who could change or influence that and he did not have a plan B in his back pocket, all the players apart from Pearson must shoulder a big percentage of the blame and look to stuffing Southport next week to get back on the rails

Quoted from BIGChris

I think Arnold generally has the best first touch than anyone in our squad!

Nice to see you on here Mrs Arnold.

Quoted from chaos33

Ok, fair enough. It's the players fault. They take responsibility. Just as they do for the other 6 home league defeats too yeah?

Well now you come to mention it, they should take some responsibility!

I might not have agreed with the verdict on Hurst's management in those other defeats but could always see some merit in the arguments against him especially as regards substitutions (or lack of them) etc.
Today seemed different. He lost Robertson to injury which reduced his options but the bench was an attacking one. He brought on Hannah with plenty of time left. He went three at the back and introduced a (previously) really good impact sub. in Pittman. I'm assuming not many would have started with the latter two?
After Monday I thought Clay was unlucky to miss out but Brown has been playing well.
If today's match had been a horse race the doping authorities would've been all over it...

I thought that Magnay's great "accidental" trapping the ball dead, in the second half, was the highlight of the match for us.

Quoted from barralad

Well now you come to mention it, they should take some responsibility!

I might not have agreed with the verdict on Hurst's management in those other defeats but could always see some merit in the arguments against him especially as regards substitutions (or lack of them) etc.
Today seemed different. He lost Robertson to injury which reduced his options but the bench was an attacking one. He brought on Hannah with plenty of time left. He went three at the back and introduced a (previously) really good impact sub. in Pittman. I'm assuming not many would have started with the latter two?
After Monday I thought Clay was unlucky to miss out but Brown has been playing well.
If today's match had been a horse race the doping authorities would've been all over it...

Look, I know what you're saying Barra and I agree with you, but we've had a hell of a lot of 'one offs' at home this year that the players need to shoulder the blame for.

In fact, we've only won 11 out of our 22 home games so far. 50%. We've lost 7. That's some weak showing from a proud club like ours with the resources we've got.

Of course, the real point is, had today been an actual 'one off' (or even two or 'three-off'), we could have blamed the players for their lack of application today and let them shoulder the due criticism, but we've lost 7 times at home! We've only won half of our home games! That's a pattern.

Now, let's get real about about this - this is a telling fact when it comes to assessing our prowess overall. and to me, it says that something is fundamentally wrong in the way we're approaching home games. It's not the supporters, and it's not luck, and it's not referees. You're always going to lose a game or two or three at home, even if you're a top team, but to be chasing promotion and lose 7?! To only win half your home games?! Come on. Something is wrong. Blame the players today if you like, but take a look at the big picture. What else is going on there to explain this?

We've just played Gateshead (check out their great result today), and Wrexham at home in front of big, supportive crowds and turned in about half an hour of decent football across both matches. Absolutely crucial games against very average teams. Now, other people might be able to be philosphical about that, and be chuffed that we're in the play offs, but for me, we should have been going all out for a title challenge and should be doing much, much better at home and in these last two crucial games in particular. When it really, really mattered, we picked up one point out of six available. And it's goodbye automatic promotion.

I respect you and I know you have a vast football experience and knowledge, much the same as BigChris, and I agree with many things that you say, but somebody here is hiding from the truth.

Too much tinkering from Hurst again, no reason to drop Clay and that backfired as Brown was very poor.  Felt sorry for the front two as Arnold and MacKreth were fuckingdreadful.

Palmer looked p!ssed off when he went off and I can understand why, Hurst's love child LJL should have gone but this is Hurst all over, he p!ssed Cook off, then Hannah and now it looks like it's Palmer's turn as no matter how crap LJL is he appears untouchable.

Quoted from chaos33

Look, I know what you're saying Barra and I agree with you, but we've had a hell of a  lot of 'one offs' at home this year that the players need to shoulder the blame for.

In fact, we've only won 11 out of our 22 home games so far. 50%. We've lost 7. That's some weak showing from a proud club like ours with the resources we've got.

Of course, the real point is, had today been an actual 'one off' (or even two or 'three-off'), we could have blamed the players for their lack of application today and let them shoulder the due criticism, but we've lost 7 times at home! We've only won half of our home games! That's a pattern.

Now, let's get real about about this - this is a telling fact when it comes to asessing our prowess overall. and to me, it says that something is fundamentally wrong in the way we're approaching home games. It's not the supporters, and it's not luck, and it's not referees. You're always going to lose a game or two or three at home, even if you're a top team, but to be chasing promotion and lose 7?! To only win half your home games?! Come on. Something is wrong. Blame the players today if you like, but take a look at the big picture. What else is going on there to explain this?

We've just played Gateshead (check out their great result today), and Wrexham at home in front of big, supportive crowds and turned in about half an hour of decent football across both matches. Absolutely crucial games against very average teams. Now, other people might be able to be philosphical about that, and be chuffed that we're in the play offs, but for me, we should have been going all out for a title challenge and should be doing much, much better at home and in these last two crucial games in particular. When it really, really mattered, we picked up one point out of six available. And it's goodbye automatic promotion.

I respect you and I know you have a vast football experience and knowledge, much the same as BigChris, and I agree with many things that you say, but somebody here is hiding from the truth.

Bang on

Quoted from arryarryarry

Too much tinkering from Hurst again, no reason to drop Clay and that backfired as Brown was very poor.  Felt sorry for the front two as Arnold and MacKreth were fuckingdreadful.

Palmer looked p!ssed off when he went off and I can understand why, Hurst's love child LJL should have gone but this is Hurst all over, he p!ssed Cook off, then Hannah and now it looks like it's Palmer's turn as no matter how crap LJL is he appears untouchable.

Don't get me started on Lewis  

Quoted from chaos33

Look, I know what you're saying Barra and I agree with you, but we've had a hell of a lot of 'one offs' at home this year that the players need to shoulder the blame for.

In fact, we've only won 11 out of our 22 home games so far. 50%. We've lost 7. That's some weak showing from a proud club like ours with the resources we've got.

Of course, the real point is, had today been an actual 'one off' (or even two or 'three-off'), we could have blamed the players for their lack of application today and let them shoulder the due criticism, but we've lost 7 times at home! We've only won half of our home games! That's a pattern.

Now, let's get real about about this - this is a telling fact when it comes to assessing our prowess overall. and to me, it says that something is fundamentally wrong in the way we're approaching home games. It's not the supporters, and it's not luck, and it's not referees. You're always going to lose a game or two or three at home, even if you're a top team, but to be chasing promotion and lose 7?! To only win half your home games?! Come on. Something is wrong. Blame the players today if you like, but take a look at the big picture. What else is going on there to explain this?

We've just played Gateshead (check out their great result today), and Wrexham at home in front of big, supportive crowds and turned in about half an hour of decent football across both matches. Absolutely crucial games against very average teams. Now, other people might be able to be philosphical about that, and be chuffed that we're in the play offs, but for me, we should have been going all out for a title challenge and should be doing much, much better at home and in these last two crucial games in particular. When it really, really mattered, we picked up one point out of six available. And it's goodbye automatic promotion.

I respect you and I know you have a vast football experience and knowledge, much the same as BigChris, and I agree with many things that you say, but somebody here is hiding from the truth.

Good points passionately put.

If I'm honest my memory of the game is so vague because I spent so much of it wishing I was somewhere else, anywhere else.

From what I can recall, Brown did a wonderful impression of a pub player.  A poor pub player at that.

The effort it took to get ourselves back into contention has, in my eyes, proved our undoing in recent weeks.  The players look absolutely copulated - as they should be after that massive turnaround in fortunes.  Some will argue that we left it too late to mount a challenge, others will say the table doesn't really lie at this stage.  I'm inclined to agree with both.


Rest everyone now.  I mean everyone. Drake, Bignot, Winnfarah, Venney, Bemrose, anyone who's not normally considered for the first team should play the next two games.  Get the first teamers fresh for the play-offs.