The "highlights"

https://youtu.be/dsKFZsWvCWU

Now those who didn't go to the game can see how bad it was in a few highlights. Completely unacceptable and hope we see vast improvements next game. Michael Jolley could end up being the next Mike Newell, the guy who was supposed to be the chosen one to get us promoted but all he does is ruin the club beyond repair.

The only thing I can think about Danny Collins’ back pass is he was passing to the steward behind the goal in an orange hi viz.

#shgts

That was painful watching that again  

Good on the FGR players not really celebrating after our 2 gaffe goals as they realise how easy we made it.

Good God that defending was worse than I remembered for the third goal.

Quoted from Kris2

https://youtu.be/dsKFZsWvCWU

Now those who didn't go to the game can see how bad it was in a few highlights. Completely unacceptable and hope we see vast improvements next game. Michael Jolley could end up being the next Mike Newell, the guy who was supposed to be the chosen one to get us promoted but all he does is ruin the club beyond repair.

If you weren’t such an ardent TOWN fan Kris, some could be forgiven for thinking you’re just a sad troll. 🤔. 😉

Not a good start but 2 school boy errors do not help,

Jolley not so Jolley after the game so I expect a hard week for the team in training,

A new face or two could change things for the good. .

God that’s awful

I refuse to watch it! Yesterday has scared me and my journey back to yorkshire was an extremely unpleasant one. On to next week, it has to get better!

I woke up this morning thinking I had had a bad dream then realised it was a nightmare.

Quoted from moss_side_mariner

The only thing I can think about Danny Collins’ back pass is he was passing to the steward behind the goal in an orange hi viz.

#shgts

There was a manager interviewed after his side lost yesterday who was asked whether his keeper's dark grey outfit made it harder for his teammates to see him. I suppose by the same token it makes it harder for the opposition to spot him.
Many have commented on how good FGR were yesterday but all four goals could have been prevented by a defence on their game.
At least Grimsby have got their worst performance of the season out of the way first match.

















We hope!

As I could not be there - was was truly awful.  Effectively 2 very poor OGs, a tap-in and a free header.

Painful viewing, just on the lowlights.  Sorry for everyone who had to endure that.

After watching the extended highlights, I don't actually think we played that bad, all goals apart from the first were down to errors and individuals not doing their job properly and could have been prevented.

I'm not worried yet in the slightest.

I’m also not worried. It could prove to be a good kick up the bottom that is sometimes needed at the beginning of a season.

Quoted from TheRealJohnLewis

After watching the extended highlights, I don't actually think we played that bad, all goals apart from the first were down to errors and individuals not doing their job properly and could have been prevented.

I'm not worried yet in the slightest.

Mmmmm lots of hoofball, could hardly string a few passes together and only two shots on target one of those the penalty, you must have been a fan of old slap head,

From watching Collins own goal, my comment would be regarding where McKeown was stood. He was nearer the corner flag than the goal! Personally don't think the kit has anything to do with it, you'd never expect your keeper to be stood so wide.

Quoted from Lambretta Mariner

From watching Collins own goal, my comment would be regarding where McKeown was stood. He was nearer the corner flag than the goal! Personally don't think the kit has anything to do with it, you'd never expect your keeper to be stood so wide.

I'm going to defend  Collins here, if you watch the highlights there's a steward sat right in the middle of the goal in a bright orange top, pretty much the same as maccas kit last season, I'm pretty convinced he had a quick glance, the stewards top caught his eye and passed it back.....so not so much not seeing macca in that daft grey kit but a case of mistaken identity....

Quoted from Northbank Mariner

I'm going to defend  Collins here, if you watch the highlights there's a steward sat right in the middle of the goal in a bright orange top, pretty much the same as maccas kit last season, I'm pretty convinced he had a quick glance, the stewards top caught his eye and passed it back.....so not so much not seeing macca in that daft grey kit but a case of mistaken identity....

That’s what it seemed like to me at the time and definitely now I’ve watched it again. As someone else said, kudos to FGR for not celebrating what they knew was a nightmare moment.

I think everyone was waiting for the referee to blow his whistle or something. Nobody could believe what we had just seen.

Collins' responsibility entirely for me as you shouldn't whack a backpass between the posts even if you have checked the keeper is standing there.

I should mention I haven't bothered to watch the highlights - watching it the first time around was enough!

Quoted from Northbank Mariner

I'm going to defend  Collins here, if you watch the highlights there's a steward sat right in the middle of the goal in a bright orange top, pretty much the same as maccas kit last season, I'm pretty convinced he had a quick glance, the stewards top caught his eye and passed it back.....so not so much not seeing macca in that daft grey kit but a case of mistaken identity....

The grey kit is just stupid though. You need to know where your keeper is at all times for a variety of reasons. A drizzly November day and he will be practically invisible.

If you’re able to watch the full game again, you see that there’s a mirror situation a few minutes earlier: Collins receives the ball on the left and plays a back pass to McKeown, who is level with the left side of his area.

So what happened differently soon after? The only person that does is Danny Collins so he’s at fault for me.

The orange clad steward theory might be correct and it might not, but who thought an all grey keeper's kit was a good idea?! How did that get actioned? We need to dispense with it immediately and have Macca in something clearly visible to eliminate any risk of future confusion and difficulty.

I'd also take the view point that, at our level, a bright kit from the keeper is more likely to attract the shots - not many 4th division strikers are great at putting it in the bottom corner and I reckon a lot of shots are hit straight at the keeper as they tend to be so clearly visible!

Quoted from Lambretta Mariner

From watching Collins own goal, my comment would be regarding where McKeown was stood. He was nearer the corner flag than the goal! Personally don't think the kit haAs Is anything to do with it, you'd never expect your keeper to be stood so wide.

Macca deliberately stayed away from the goal for safety reasons he wanted Collins to play the ball away from danger.

As I see it Collins clearly glanced up toward the goal where a steward sat in a bright orange hi-viz top behind the middle of the goal.

Collins then unwittingly thought it was Macca on his line and gave a firm back pass towards the goal.

Macca DID blend in with the fans in that grey top TBH I lost sight of him too.

All their goals were bad defending nobody has mentioned the equaliser they had a player totally unmarked right in the middle of our six-yard box ??? the scorer had a simple tap-in unbelievable defending.

Yeah it was, especially with three centre backs!
If you look at the third goal - Doidge wins the header without too much trouble, and again, questions asked of the centre backs when you look at the striker's build - he's pretty slim and not the tallest.

Davis seen head in hands moments after. He knew he had failed to attack the cross.

Quoted from chaos33

Yeah it was, especially with three centre backs!
If you look at the third goal - Doidge wins the header without too much trouble, and again, questions asked of the centre backs when you look at the striker's build - he's pretty slim and not the tallest.

You don`t have to be, its about quick movement off the ball (Fox in the box) and anticipation, that`s what you pay big bucks for.
The nearest we ever been to that is Podge and Connell

Without having been at the game on Saturday, the highlights I've watched don't exactly make it look like we were battered.

Obviously 2 of the goals were absolute gifts and as many of the highlights clips are us attacking as much as clips where FGR are.

Did FGR not actually have many chances in the game to show for their dominance? Was it just a case of them bossing possession not allowing us to?

I think the steward behind the goal should be instructed to move outside of the goals,


OR

On the goal line then he could clear the ball.

Quoted from Tommy

Without having been at the game on Saturday, the highlights I've watched don't exactly make it look like we were battered.

Obviously 2 of the goals were absolute gifts and as many of the highlights clips are us attacking as much as clips where FGR are.

Did FGR not actually have many chances in the game to show for their dominance? Was it just a case of them bossing possession not allowing us to?

They were completely dominant in midfield - must have had 80% of the possession in the middle and won 90% of second balls from our clearances. However, they had loads of tippy-tappy possession around the edge of our box without taking shots or putting in telling crosses. Trying to play it through us to much.

Don't get me wrong - I thought they looked good and had loads of pace and skill - barely misplaced a pass in midfield. They just didn't threaten a huge amount in possession and it was our catastrophic errors which gifted too many of the goals. I still expect to see them up there around promotion at the end of the season, however. Too much ability and pace in that team for them not to be a handful for most teams in this division.

Not having this grey kit blending in with the fans stuff.. You do realise we have thousands of fans in the stands wearing black and white tops sat in the stands, that's never an issue for the outfield players usually!

As someone else said, at this level you don't pass the ball back directly between the two goal posts in case of a goal keeper calamity. Totally avoidable as were the other goals, just got to move on and forget this horror show and hope we've seen the worst.

Quoted from Tommy

Without having been at the game on Saturday, the highlights I've watched don't exactly make it look like we were battered.

Obviously 2 of the goals were absolute gifts and as many of the highlights clips are us attacking as much as clips where FGR are.

Did FGR not actually have many chances in the game to show for their dominance? Was it just a case of them bossing possession not allowing us to?

Strangely enough, they had a lot more chances in the first half than the second. I guess it shows how bad we were in the second half! But yeah, they dominated the ball for the vast majority of the game.

Quoted from gtfckyle

Not having this grey kit blending in with the fans stuff.. You do realise we have thousands of fans in the stands wearing black and white tops sat in the stands, that's never an issue for the outfield players usually!

As someone else said, at this level you don't pass the ball back directly between the two goal posts in case of a goal keeper calamity. Totally avoidable as were the other goals, just got to move on and forget this horror show and hope we've seen the worst.

Ermmm....to counter that arguement, black and white stand out and the grey kit is a problem, certainly in the shaded ares of the park, christ, I had more chance of seeing l i rd lucan than macca on saturday,!!

Man.. you can understand one total howler in a game, but to make two absolute schoolyard level mistakes in the same game is hard to comprehend.

Either way, I'm hopeful we can just draw a line under that awful performance and move on.

Quoted from gtfckyle

Not having this grey kit blending in with the fans stuff.. You do realise we have thousands of fans in the stands wearing black and white tops sat in the stands, that's never an issue for the outfield players usually!

As someone else said, at this level you don't pass the ball back directly between the two goal posts in case of a goal keeper calamity. Totally avoidable as were the other goals, just got to move on and forget this horror show and hope we've seen the worst.

Most sensible comment on here for days.

Collins didn't even look, didn't even raise his head for a glance so there's no way he mistook a steward for McKeown or anything else. It was lazy and slack from someone who should know better.

That simple.

If the grey kit is presenting visibility issues, by all means it then needs changing. But we can't use that as an excuse for sloppy play.

Looking back at the goals, for me Hall-Johnson's was much worse than Collins'!

The amount of long balls to Hooper and Cook from the defence and wing backs was oooooooogely worrying !  Our midfield was completely missed out.
At one stage and after only 10 minutes played I had to look at the bench to make sure a bald bloke with a baseball cap wasn't directing things !!  Forest Green were the better team throughout that match. Better passers, better movement, better ideas and creativity. It was actually a bit embarrassing to watch and the 2nd half was comical  . . . .  Mickey Flanagan would have been proud of that 45 mins worth of material !

I really hope Jolley isn't a secret "hoof-ball" merchant. He did say that the players weren't  following the game plan and that was unforgivable but if that was the case why didn't he go nuclear at them at half time because where I was sat they started playing hoof-ball again as soon as the second half started !!   Surely the players wouldn't ignore him twice which can only mean one thing  . . . . he likes a long ball !  Only problem is that our strikers just couldn't either hold the ball or win headers back to our midfield and consequently we lost possession time and time again.

I was so upset i actually accused my son of being a Jinx and threatened not to take him again !!  Sort it out Jolley  

Quoted from Mighty_Mariner

Looking back at the goals, for me Hall-Johnson's was much worse than Collins'!

Thats because he saw Collins ball beat Macca and nervously under hit his back pass

Quoted from Koggmaster

The amount of long balls to Hooper and Cook from the defence and wing backs was oooooooogely worrying !  Our midfield was completely missed out.
At one stage and after only 10 minutes played I had to look at the bench to make sure a bald bloke with a baseball cap wasn't directing things !!  Forest Green were the better team throughout that match. Better passers, better movement, better ideas and creativity. It was actually a bit embarrassing to watch and the 2nd half was comical  . . . .  Mickey Flanagan would have been proud of that 45 mins worth of material !

I really hope Jolley isn't a secret "hoof-ball" merchant. He did say that the players weren't  following the game plan and that was unforgivable but if that was the case why didn't he go nuclear at them at half time because where I was sat they started playing hoof-ball again as soon as the second half started !!   Surely the players wouldn't ignore him twice which can only mean one thing  . . . . he likes a long ball !  Only problem is that our strikers just couldn't either hold the ball or win headers back to our midfield and consequently we lost possession time and time again.

I was so upset i actually accused my son of being a Jinx and threatened not to take him again !!  Sort it out Jolley  

I think when a team is so much on top, like FGR were, then it is extremely difficult to play a passing game. They were on to us in a flash and jsut put us off our stride completely and we then resorted to hoofing it just to get rid.

A better team than us would have tried to match them, and got them on the back foot but once they got a stranglehold on possession they never gave us it back.

If we had played say  Morecambe first up (no disrespect to them) I am sure we could have imposed ourselves much better.

I know they are not Real Madrid but on the day FGR were just so much better than us and never allowed us to get going.

A shocking comedy of errors.

  The past is the past. Now let's wait and see what happens at Macclesfield on Saturday. A good display and three points there and things will look much rosier. A poor display and a defeat and we might have something to worry about. The first game of the season is always magnified in importance beyond its real significance. I remember watching the first game of last season when we won 3-1 at Chesterfield and assuming that surely Chesterfield would be one of the better teams in the league so we were bound to have a good season! Cliche time: it's a marathon, not a sprint!