Just back

Quoted from jimgtfc

I can’t believe what I’ve just witnessed. A carbon copy of last seasons ineptness with a couple of monumental individual errors thrown in. All positive Jolley related thoughts have been thrown out the window, for the moment at least.

Very questionable selections, as much as Dixon was actually ok today, his lack of mobility, speed and ability on the ball limit the team with him as the sole left sided player. Unfortunately he was mirrored by Clifton on the other side. The lad is never a wing back/full back, no pace, doesn’t look like he’ll ever beat a man and his crossing was woeful. Hessenthaler offered something different when he came on and has to start at Macc. Very limited service to the front men, but the thing that stood out too me was how little movement there was off the ball. So many times a player would have the ball and have no options so ended up either giving it away, going long or backwards.

I really hope Forest Green are a really good side that will up there come May because at times they destroyed us with the ball on the ground. Worrying start but plenty of time for improvement.

Opening day results can sometimes be odd, and generally mean nothing as to how the season will pan out, but I thought FGR were brilliant. Credit were credit is due - they must have shelled out serious money to assemble a team of that quality. I know we made them look even better, but after the first 15 minutes they took complete control and didn't really let us have a kick.

Quoted from realist

Hope you didnt get a season ticket

I hate you

Quoted from jonnyboy82

Thing is we got no wingers in the building so im pretty sure we will see this 352 for a while yet..

He has put all his eggs in one basket with this formation.

It reminds me a little of when Hurst and Scott signed McLaughlin, Kerr etc to play 4-3-3 and after 2 or 3 games realised it was a disaster and had a very limited plan B. That's not to say I don't think 352 will work, I just think it may take a little longer for the player to get used to the system and their individual roles.

Despite today I have 100% faith in Jolley and his management team to devise a system that gets the best out of the squad... As we know from the first game last year, it means absolutely nothing in terms of how the season will pan out.

A lot of the players looked undercooked to me. Not so much fitness wise, but decision making football brain sharp. Some of them have got less than two games under their belt pre-season. Surprising team selection. I always thought if we had the four of Welsh, Rose, Hessenthaler and Vernam in central areas we'd be ok, so surprised to see the energy, pace and inventiveness of Vernam and Hessenthaler on the bench.

My reflections based upon one game.. I reserve the right to change my mind in games going forward if there's any improvement..

McKeown - Didn't really have much to do other than pick the ball out of the back of the net

Clifton - Poor today. Looked exactly what he is, a young lad learning his trade. Fresh legs off the bench looks a better role for him at the moment.

Dixon - Not one of our worst performers, yet didn't do too much going forward and got caught out defending once or twice. Not the answer to our left side.

Davis - Needs games, can't head the ball but looks like he can pass. More of a central of three defender covering two that attack the ball, so not sure why he played on the right.

Whitmore - A bit frantic at times, too early to make judgement.

Collins - I know he gets a lot of love on here but I watched him closely and thought he was garbage from the get go. Free headers straight to the opposition, time on the ball yet passes to the opposition. And how deep were we yet again? Nothing's changed since last season, and as Clarke has left we seem to be accommodating Collins's lack of pace.. again. Have a look at FGR's last chance of the first half. DC should have been favourite to win the ball or at the very least shepherd the forward out wide, but within ten yards the forward got his shot off. It's scary and we've got 45 more games to manage that fallibility. I'd much rather see Famewo in there with the other two and MJ drill them to death on the training ground. I know I'll get hammered for saying all that, but DC flatters to deceive and his positioning and marshalling of our defence affects our playing structure far too much.

Woolford - Meh. quietly ineffective and went missing when we didn't have the ball.

Rose - About the only starter to come out with any credit.

Welsh - Looked a bit rusty but didn't lose a single challenge. Looked better when Hessenthaler and Vernam came on.

Hooper - Not a back to the goal kind of player and looked weaker than he should be physically.

Cook - Worked hard, but in the way that a manager sends a forward on at 2-0 up to run his balls off closing defenders down to see a game out.

Out of the subs, Vernam and Hessenthaler showed strong evidence of why they should be starters.


We definitely need a forward, a left wing back and possibly strengthening at the back on this performance as well as another ball player in midfield after the evidence of this game. Hopefully it's a one-off and we'll improve after getting a kick up the arsse off an average FGR side and hopefully I'll get the chance to improve my opinions of one or two of our players.. fingers crossed. And hopefully MJ will act accordingly.. if it has to happen, a performance like this is preferable happening before the transfer window slams shut..

Pretty much the whole team showed a lack of composure on the ball. FGR didn't, and that was the difference. I'd rather a player get caught in possession one out of five times than give the ball away four out of five times. Just too scared to put a foot on the ball and shield it until a better pass became available.

One game doesn't make a season, but today was a proper reality check for many..

We looked remarkably one paced considering all these coaches that we have and all the sports science that we’ve supposedly implemented.

Alarming lack of a pattern of play to our game and feel we particularly lack any steel in midfield.

Don’t really see what Jordan Cook offers, and it’s pretty clear why Luton didn’t see him as a striker, as he hasn’t got that striker’s instinct.

I have no idea what Jolley was trying to achieve by putting RHJ on at left wing back. It was just madness.

Jolley insists he wants to play 3-5-2, but he’s brought in two players in Vernam and Cook who aren’t out-and-out strikers and probably are more suited to being either side of a striker in a 4-3-3.

A very familiar disappointing feeling this evening.

One of the worst displays by a Town team for yonks [even counting Slades shite ] The formation was wrong,the tactics were wrong, absolutely diabolical midfield, only Hooper showing any class but he can't be everywhere. Gunning best defender on the pitch. How can 13 players have an off day on the same day.  Bring back Disley,Pearson and Summerfield

To add to that, Clifton had one of the worst individual performances that I think I’ve ever seen at BP. Felt for the lad as he was getting a bit of stick from the Ponny. I like him as a player but shouldn’t have been played at RWB to start with.

Quoted from davmariner

To add to that, Clifton had one of the worst individual performances that I think I’ve ever seen at BP. Felt for the lad as he was getting a bit of stick from the Ponny. I like him as a player but shouldn’t have been played at RWB to start with.

Trust me he’s a bright prospect but not as a wingback he’s a centre mid a box to box midfielder who will create , but you are right fgr targettted him big time and he struggled but Jolley partly to blame imo leaving him isolated with Reid and mills

Went with a mate hoping to be excited by the Mariners, shall we get a season ticket ? Had been the conversation we shared recently.
Certainly not yet was the after match response.
Apart from the own goal we felt the back three did okay, although they will definitely be troubled by pace. Wing backs? Neither seemed suited to the role, not enough pace and both made poor use of any attacking possession they had. Midfield of Rose and Welsh? Both triers and worked hard enough but need someone with creativity to help them and both need to be more willing to receive the ball into feet as Town look to build up play. Their unwillingness to do so produces hoofball.
Woolford? Total lack of Pacheco the ball negates anything he does.
Strikers , Cook worked hard but lack of service made it extremely hard for him and unfortunately Hooper just looked rubbish!
So definitely not going to the box office for a season ticket yet!
Manager? His reaction to this will be key, formation has to fit the players at your disposal , not the way you want them to play.
See you soon but looking for massive improvement.
Noticeable difference in warm up routines regarding sharpness drills prior to kick off.

Jolley has to take the blame for today. We were poor for 90 minutes. The lineup and the system were all wrong. Clifton was stitched up playing wing-back. What’s wrong with RHJ all of a sudden? Likewise Dixon on the other side. Fox had his contract extended and did a great job after he arrived but he seems third choice now behind a right footer and it also seems MJ wants Koikki so hell be behind him too. Seems pointless.

Vernam on the bench behind Cook was a strange one. Maybe he’s lacking fitness but Cook has been out ill as well.

I can see why MJ wants to play with wing-backs - so we can get more players in their box, but I don’t think we have the team for it. With a big bid accepted for Angol I can’t see us changing back to 433 either otherwise that will be Vernam permanently benched because he won’t fit the system unless he plays wide like egghead tried last season. I also can’t see the staff scrapping the system they’ve decided is the best fit and one they’ve been working on all summer.

Anyway, it’s game one. I think if we’d won the game with a second half performance the same as the first it would papered over the cracks.

I’m happy with 352 next week but the personnel need a big shake up. If they struggle with it again we need to go back to 451 sharpish.

A rubbish day but luckily there are 45 left. Let’s hope everyone learns from this.