Just back

Dreadful performance, pushed back for most of the game. Simply, what a load of rubbish. Team tried but they are hopeless. Lightweight forwards and centre mid abysmal. What is the point of Berrett and even summerfield was poor today. We are going down as I cannot see how this pitifull team will win another game SLADE OUT

Great and extremely lucky start. Don't think we had a shot on target after that.  4 strikers starting?

They were shite and we were still nowhere near.

That was one of the worst games I've seen in a while (and we've seen some rubbish this season). The ball spent very little time on the floor and nobody had any composure. 0% entertainment 100% fruatration.

Sorry peeps but Slade is taking us down. He is using the tried and tested Neil Woods method of drawing our way to relegation.

I have seen some sh1t in my time but that is the worst, most unbalanced squad i have ever seen. Two young inexperienced strikers with barely a handful of games between them playing in midfield. Backed up by the most ineffective duo you could imagine, who are used to relegation. Losing our best defender and having to replace him with a midget right back against a giant front line because we have no-one else. We then have to put in a right back who is making his debut, but to be fair, he looked ok. Only one player on the pitch that is contracted for next season. Loanees everywhere you look. I just cannot see where the goals are going to come from and if you can't score goals, you can't win games.

We were pushed back for almost the entire second half and they won just about every header, loose ball and second ball going. Our answer was the usual sit back and panic, by booting the ball as high and as far as we could, only to see it come straight back again. It just looks all too familiar.

Jackson scored, then didn't do much else. Matt is about as elegant as a new born giraffe, though he tries hard. Malik looked quick and tricky, but we were mainly out battled by their land of the giants players.

One thing i know, is that if you keep changing personnel and formation, grasping for a win, it usually doesn't go well. That side today bore no relation to a professionally put together and drilled football team. It all smacks of hit and hope.

Slade out.

The only tackle berret won all afternoon was the one on the ref!

Quoted from ginnywings

Sorry peeps but Slade is taking us down. He is using the tried and tested Neil Woods method of drawing our way to relegation.

I have seen some sh1t in my time but that is the worst, most unbalanced squad i have ever seen. Two young inexperienced strikers with barely a handful of games between them playing in midfield. Backed up by the most ineffective duo you could imagine, who are used to relegation. Losing our best defender and having to replace him with a midget right back against a giant front line because we have no-one else. We then have to put in a right back who is making his debut, but to be fair, he looked ok. Only one player on the pitch that is contracted for next season. Loanees everywhere you look. I just cannot see where the goals are going to come from and if you can't score goals, you can't win games.

We were pushed back for almost the entire second half and they won just about every header, loose ball and second ball going. Our answer was the usual sit back and panic, by booting the ball as high and as far as we could, only to see it come straight back again. It just looks all too familiar.

Jackson scored, then didn't do much else. Matt is about as elegant as a new born giraffe, though he tries hard. Malik looked quick and tricky, but we were mainly out battled by their land of the giants players.

One thing i know, is that if you keep changing personnel and formation, grasping for a win, it usually doesn't go well. That side today bore no relation to a professionally put together and drilled football team. It all smacks of hit and hope.

Slade out.

Just echo your thoughts and add i thought Mills did well stepping in to centre half given the opposition tactics and also impressed with Hall Johnson whose first touches were to bring down a high ball and then fire a slick pass into the stikers feet....certainly didnt look like a player making his home debut and coming back after an injury lay off.

Berrett typifies the last relegation team for me. This is madness as a huge proportion will throw the towel in if we go down after the struggle to escape. This is the lowest ebb for me and every week with Slade I get closer to stopping going. Like many the season ticket is the only reason lots of us go .100% would not he there if I had to buy a ticket

Told you that after his cameo appearance on Tuesday Clifton would be overlooked again.

What was the crowd, anyone know?

Crowd, 3300 odd but only 2456 in actual attendance!!!

Quoted from cmackenzie4

What was the crowd, anyone know?

Bored and dispondant mainly  

Quoted from cmackenzie4

What was the crowd, anyone know?

3350 ish. 92 of theirs.

Thanks ginny

Good first five minutes and we came out obviously charged up, early goal & then the batteries run flat. Cheltenham were another poor team but clearly have a game plan which will see them alright but will not bring any entertainment to grounds they visit.

Travelling home we were pretty much broken men with the same opinions as expressed in above posts. Defensively we are pretty sound and full of praise for Reece Johnson on his debut and he could, and probably should have, capped it off with a goal when he cut inside.

Vernam clearly out of position and contributed little, Malik has good turn of pace and needs to add composure but some potential there. Matt is Matt, unfairly treated by refs in my opinion but struggles to hold the ball as did Jackson who apart from the goal did little.

Midfield, loose description as non- existent and Clifton and/ or Mc Allister have to play before Berrett and because we are so poor we must play three in there to give us some chance of retaining and retrieving the ball.

Gloomy days ahead.

I guess part of the problem is that whoever comes in is under pressure to instantly make their mark.
The start couldn't have been better. The sense of relief both on and off the pitch when Jackson stuck away his effort was palpable. IF we'd have got the second soon after from that bit of a scramble then I've no doubt we'd have gone on to win.
Cheltenham came into it beginning a domination over midfield they retained for the rest of the game. We got very lucky with the clearance off the line in the build up to Collins' injury because when Mills(?) got to it he and the ball were a good two feet over the line. We got very unlucky with Collins injury. It also limited Slade's ability to make tactical substitutions again.
Rest of the first half was pretty desperate.A lot of the second half was the same. An equaliser was always likely.
After they'd scored I thought we gave it a good go. Jackson was inches away from instant folk hero status from DJs cross cum shot and Matt..oh dear! One ounce of composure and the points were ours.
Positives?  Hall-Johnston and Jackson's debuts. Killip is really growing in confidence although our defenders deserve credit for keeping much stuff away from him under intense aerial pressure. The fans who got behind the team even at 1.1
Negatives? I watched Dembele tear Cheltenham apart for over 40 minutes at their place but thought he didn't deliver today in what most around me thought was a good substitution by Slade.
Amusement Factors? The guys in the Upper Findus who unveiled a banner upside down and inside out which added to the circus atmosphere.
The concerted noise from the Pontoon blaming Pell for the refs "injury" in an ultimately failed bid to get him punished..

Dembele looks like a Player whose confidence s been shot to shitrags poor kid typified by that terrible effort on goal. Matt's effort was woeful why he tried to blast the ball when a simply placed shot was all that was needed only he will know.

Quoted from Balthazar Bullitt

The only tackle berret won all afternoon was the one on the ref!

And for those of you who weren’t there this is actually factual  

First 15 going forward with intent, after that utter excrement again.
If we had been playing a decent side we would have been hammered.
Wilks was good first off but ran out of steam.
Summerfield MOM for his effort.
Slade just has not got a clue.
I will be watching the rest of the games this season but no chance of me buying a ST again if this clown is still in charge.


We are excrement and I can't see us winning another game this season.
Thanks Mr Fenty

General comments above accepted but I quibble at some criticism of Jackson's second half. He worked hard and got into good positions when we broke . Not his fault if the supply was wanting. For his size, he dealt with the high ball much better than Matt who should have been swapped for Clifton or DJ much earlier to improve our passing and ball retention.
Slade again failed to manage the game. It was evident after 10 minutes that Vernam is no right winger. Considering the imbalances in selection and loss of Collins we were lucky not to lose.
Reece Hall was excellent in a pressure situation. Can he play left back ?
Berrett was his anonymous self.
Matt capped a poor half with his shocking miss.

Jackson movement off the ball, and runs he was making was very good IMO, if he had received the balls he wanted, the result would be different.

It all comes down to a lack a creativity in the middle, and we had that with Osborne.

Summerfield is a worker, but won't contribute with assists or goals.

Hall-johnson guy looked a good player, and Malik also had a good game.

The others just average as normal.

But I don't think the problem is the players, as I strongly believe we have a team good enough to sit comfortably in mid table, We just dont have a manager good enough to get them there

Clifton wasn't in the squad so would have been tricky to bring him on!

I thought Matt did OK (but for his late miss) when you consider that they were doubling or even trebling up on him. Needed to get more support alongside him to pick up the pieces, however.

My apologies! Still believe Matt tired and fresh legs arrived late.

Quoted from Croxton

My apologies! Still believe Matt tired and fresh legs arrived late.

Not according to Russ's data..

Abit more of an attacking threat today, but that's not saying much! The team still looked disjointed, and for me it looked liked Slade had just throw names into a hat, and draw whatever name came out, and put a team together. I spoke to Clifton's mum before the match, and he must be wondering how a player on loan to Chester who hasn't played a game for two weeks, can get in the squad ahead of him! Vernam never looked comfortable out wide, and whilst he scored, Jackson didn't receive the kind of service that he needs. Centre midfield was poor today, and not for the first time Berrett was anonymous. We played to their strengths plumping balls long all afternoon, against a team of giants, who apart from one or two moments, dealt with our attacks fairly comfortably. Whilst our defence was resilient on the whole, an equaliser always looked likely, as we sat deep for most of the second half, and just let them bombard us, with the aerial threat that they had. Killip, Mills and Clarke played well, and Malik did ok, Dembele whilst recovering from injury, has gone off the boil, and the rest were average at best, with Matt summing up the afternoon by missing a golden opportunity at the end. Hard to see where the next win is coming, with a trip away to in form Crawley....UTM

Well I think that was the worst home game yet.

Early goal apart, we were a shambles from start to finish.

I sit in the Pontoon with a lot of other lost souls. Is there any chance whatsoever of scoring a goal in our home end?

We will just have to hope 2 teams are worse than this collection of has beens, never will be's and those that aren't even that good.

I have defended Slade to a degree up to now, but what a shower we are.

I have wanted Fenty out for donkeys years but now I can add Slade to the list, and apologies to anyone who I accused of being trigger happy.

I feel completely and utterly fed up with it all and that is from somebody who has put their heart and soul into it for nearly 60 years.

Matt was definitely getting double and treble upped on and getting roughed up he did well to keep is head wished he had kept it with that late chance that would have been sweet justice indeed.

Just a word on young Killip he is gaining confidence and looking more assured made a couple of great saves the experience is doing him good. One top notch catch under pressure against that big sod was very impressive.

As was one great long throw set us up.

Also, his reaction when they scored was good to see he was seething not sure if it was with the defence or just gutted either way he looks to be staking a place

Me too Lew.......Forty years a supporter. Balanced. Rational. Non abusive. Had enough. Won't take my 5 year old and he won't go anyway. Like Ginny and lots of others, I am a whisker away from turning my back after a lifetime of devotion. Change the management John. It's our only hope. It couldn't be clearer; week after week after week, the same lesson.

Perhaps not the best example complaining that Hall-Johnson was put in the squad ahead of Clifton! You've got to have a defender on the bench as cover for injuries and he was required today.

Clifton maybe unlucky to miss out but we didn't have another central midfielder on the bench, did we? All attacking options. Well, relatively speaking!

Most telling for me today was that the 4 attacking players were all loanees. When you consider that we don't have many injuries, it tells you all you need to know about Slade's efforts at recruitment in the summer.

I see Mark Cooper (FGR) had the confidence to bring on Chris Clements in the 63rd minute today (against Coventry) and lo ! FGR scored in the 64th - leading to a vital 3 points and gaining 2 points on Town.
Can we recall him a.s.a.p.?

Quoted from 43[b

]Perhaps not the best example complaining that Hall-Johnson was put in the squad ahead of Clifton[/b]! You've got to have a defender on the bench as cover for injuries and he was required today.

Clifton maybe unlucky to miss out but we didn't have another central midfielder on the bench, did we? All attacking options. Well, relatively speaking!

Most telling for me today was that the 4 attacking players were all loanees. When you consider that we don't have many injuries, it tells you all you need to know about Slade's efforts at recruitment in the summer.

Clifton has played several times at right-back, albeit mainly in the reserves, but as you mentioned no central midfielder on the bench anyway. If I was in his position I'd be pretty aggrieved, another player Slade seems to have no faith in.

Quoted from Teestogreen

Can we recall him a.s.a.p.?

Nope

Quoted from Abdul19

Nope

Shucks!

That was not a good performance once again a GTFC team gets roughed up Cheltenham. Of the starting 11 only Collins, Mills, Summers, Dixon (oddly enough) and Clarke stuck up for themselves.

This just further illustrates that loan players especially some young and inexperienced ones will not have the necessary backbone to keep you up and there lies the problem ladies and gentleman.

In the final 3rd we where and are poor. I'm really frustrated as we did get in some decent positions but once again either that lack of composure or just plain inability to hit the target let us down, in all honesty I think their keeper only really made one save in open play.

Today Killip once again looked too nervous which indicates he might not be ready, thought Mills had a good game as overall did Dixon and when Collins went off I thought Clarke stood up well. Summers was o.k.in open play but his dead ball delivery was poor, Berret needs to grow a pair and Verman is clearly not a wide player.

Wilks looks like he has a bit and the lad from Walsall also looked like he knows what to do, neither of them are fit enough though which is to be expected. I actually felt a bit for Matt as clearly he was struggling in the air against their center halves and we insisted in knocking it up to him, he's better when someone puts the ball in front IMHO. However he should get his wages deducted for not getting a shot on target at the very least with the opportunity at near the end.  

In essence though though the problems not the players they arguably are good enough to keep us up, its the manger and his assistant they are clueless and couldn't set up a subbuteo team never mind a team of professional footballers.

Irony plays a big part in sport, so a last day defeat at VGR will surely send us down, at this rate I can't see us beating anyone.

Slade Out!

I've read various comments about us sitting back too deep and allowing them to come at us. We didn't allow it, they were just better organised than us and pushed us back. They had recognised players in recognised roles, and despite being a bit agricultural and not possessing the killer players to punish us, were very well set up and working to a plan they all understand and stick to. They were forcing us to hit it long or make hurried passes and then coming right back at us.

Quoted from ginnywings

I've read various comments about us sitting back too deep and allowing them to come at us. We didn't allow it, they were just better organised than us and pushed us back. They had recognised players in recognised roles, and despite being a bit agricultural and not possessing the killer players to punish us, were very well set up and working to a plan they all understand and stick to. They were forcing us to hit it long or make hurried passes and then coming right back at us.

That's the difference they knew their jobs our lads didn't and usually don't.

Too much power point I reckon.

    

1st Half we actually had a few spells were we put together a decent passage of football. Got the great start and there was a decent bit of noise in the crowd too supporting the team.

Incidentally the noise/atmosphere seemed to die off after that 14th minute protest chanting - which didn't exactly sound like a majority did it, and was matched by others booing them.

2nd half we didn't have any spells of composed possession as we did in the 1st and so we couldn't manage the game properly. Cheltenham didn't create anything and they were only ever going to score from chucking it into our box from a set play and that's what happened.

Wilks looked promising. Can beat a man 1v1 and good pace.

Mills slotted in at CB well and RHJ looked very good on the ball.

Some saying Vernam was quiet (would be understandable out of position) but I thought he was ok 1st half when we play a bit of football. Switched it from right to left a few times.

Dixon again was OK I thought. As I've thought previously, does alright with a quick winger ahead of him. Just like Woolford would be alright with a Connor Townsend type at full back overlapping him.

Thought it was a mistake leaving Collins on, you could tell he was concussed as soon as he came back on. That'll be him out for 2 weeks now as per protocol won't it.

Matt was poor again IMO. Very little stuck when it went up to him. Poor touch too many times. I'd have brought him off for DJ and put Wilks up through the middle.

Jackson looks like he'll be a proper no.9 and poach goals in the box. Showed strength and was a decent target at times too.

Can't believe Matt didn't bury that chance to win it. Criminal to not hit the target. If you could ask for a volley to be set up to hit at goal, that's pretty much how you'd want it.

Excellent summary.

Thing is, when you're facing a team who are aiming to get their many big lads into the box as often as possible and then lump/chuck the ball into them, you have to be able to stand up to them physically and then either outplay them at the other end or take your chances when they come along.

We generally did OK in defensive areas under a lot of pressure (a couple of scrambles in the area aside), but were really up against it once Collins had to go off.

If you can't out muscle the opposition, you have to outplay them and, unfortunately, we weren't capable of either today. Pell is a decent midfielder and, alongside him, their No. 25 kept the ball moving nicely for them so they actually played decent stuff in midfield as well as sticking the ball into the box as effectively as you'd expect.

Disappointing not to see some better attacking from us but three of our attackers have only been here 5 minutes so no great surprise that they were playing like strangers at times.

Given some time to train and play together for these players, you'd perhaps have seen more from us. That's the problem when you don't make decent signings in the summer.

Quoted from TAGG

First 15 going forward with intent, after that utter excrement again.
If we had been playing a decent side we would have been hammered.
Wilks was good first off but ran out of steam.
Summerfield MOM for his effort.
Slade just has not got a clue.
I will be watching the rest of the games this season but no chance of me buying a ST again if this clown is still in charge.


We are excrement and I can't see us winning another game this season.
Thanks Mr Fenty

Quoted from TAGG

First 15 going forward with intent, after that utter excrement again.
If we had been playing a decent side we would have been hammered.
Wilks was good first off but ran out of steam.
Summerfield MOM for his effort.
Slade just has not got a clue.
I will be watching the rest of the games this season but no chance of me buying a ST again if this clown is still in charge.


We are excrement and I can't see us winning another game this season.
Thanks Mr Fenty

Sorry about that trying to watch MOD and post comments and must leave it to the Mrs to try and do two things at once.

Re Summerfield agree re his effort but thought he had a poor day distribution wise with his two second half free kicks perfect examples his radar was not switched on. He also hesitated two or three times on the edge of our box and lost possession that said Berrett gave him no support at all.

MoM for me Clarke or Mills as against those big buggers they defended pretty heroically I thought.

Quoted from Lincoln Mariner 56

Sorry about that trying to watch MOD and post comments and must leave it to the Mrs to try and do two things at once.

Re Summerfield agree re his effort but thought he had a poor day distribution wise with his two second half free kicks perfect examples his radar was not switched on. He also hesitated two or three times on the edge of our box and lost possession that said Berrett gave him no support at all.

MoM for me Clarke or Mills as against those big buggers they defended pretty heroically I thought.

Of his 11 corner kicks and, at a guess, 4 or 5 free kicks (including the one we scored from), he hit 2 poor ones. I'll forgive a League Two footballer for that ratio.

The problem was that we couldn't create much of a threat from set pieces because they were so much taller than us throughout their team. I see we actually won more corners than them. Unfortunately, their extra inches meant they were more likely to get it clear than we were to score. After the early goal, of course.

I thought we started very well as we have done in quite a few games of late but as per usual we couldn't keep it going.

The game deteriorated into one lacking in any real quality between two poor sides. Even with 4 forwards on the pitch after the goal we hardly troubled their keeper until the last few minutes.

I have to disagree with some on here, I don't think we have the quality to stay up and feel that we will have to rely on other poor teams below us.

The last nine games we have failed to stop the opposition scoring and I just don't see that many games where we will score more than one goal or even manage to get the one.

If you look back we got an excellent 0-0 at Notts Co. , no shame in a 0-2 v. Luton, a fair 1-1 with Mansfield , after that is when we performed poorly and conceded regularly. Why ? Well think back the next game was Accrington and that was where we lost Macca. Defensively we haven’t been the same. No disrespect to either keepers but the defence doesn’t have the same confidence as before . I think that could be half the problem

He got injured when we were 1 up v Mansfield. Which backs your point up even more

Any news on when he is likely to be fit to play?

Quoted from Teestogreen

I see Mark Cooper (FGR) had the confidence to bring on Chris Clements in the 63rd minute today (against Coventry) and lo ! FGR scored in the 64th - leading to a vital 3 points and gaining 2 points on Town.
Can we recall him a.s.a.p.?

We have let Clements go , Osborne went back to Solihull (but I'm convinced that was more to do with Slade than homesickness ) and sold Jones to Shrewsbury. These are all mid-fielders ( Jones previous club used him as an attacking mid-fielder) and yet we keep Berrett who is mostly anonymous most games. Slade's judgement of mid-field players is atrocious and his tactics will see us relegated .

Don't agree with comments that was the worst home game yet there have been far worse but it wasn't great I must admit.
I think the early goal glossed over a few things. Felt sorry for Vernam he's looked a threat centrally in previous games but out wide he didn't contribute much, surely the better option would have been to start with DJ or Dembele and bring on Vernam as an impact sub later in the game. The game was there for the taking but too often the final ball just isnt good enough and without a second goal it was inevitable that Cheltenham would score against our shaky defence. I think our only hope is that when Macca gets back in goal it will instill a bit more confidence in the back four and we can manage the odd clean sheet.
As for Slade I've no idea what he's suppose to be building but with all these loanees what ever it is it will have to be knocked down and rebuilt in the summer. UTM

Quoted from Teestogreen

I see Mark Cooper (FGR) had the confidence to bring on Chris Clements in the 63rd minute today (against Coventry) and lo ! FGR scored in the 64th - leading to a vital 3 points and gaining 2 points on Town.
Can we recall him a.s.a.p.?

Should have been given a chance. Berrett , Rose, Clements ! Worth a vote on it's own. SLADE's recruitment has been the worst I can recall and he deserves the sack on that never mind results utm

When is Rose available again? Is it next week?

Quoted from RonMariner

When is Rose available again? Is it next week?

3 game ban for violent conduct isn't it so he'll miss the next 2 games.