Just Back

Quoted from Maringer

Hooper was OK today. Worked hard, had one or two decent touches (Vernam should have played him through after their one-two instead of shooting). Didn't achieve anything less than our other attacking players, but he's the boo boy at present. I'm not claiming he was brilliant or anything but was OK.

I think Jolley brought on Fox for him because their big 'winger' who was good in the air (No. 16?) had moved across that side and we were theoretically moving to a back three. Fox competed decently in the air against him. The back three didn't amount to anything, of course.

They worked us out Hooper had TWO men on him constantly for high balls and by enlarge they nullified him.

Cook will NEVER be a threat in the air it is not his game s we have to play the balls to feet or in the channels to run on to not big hoofs from Macca and the back four.

Even Mike Jolley was kicking the water bottles down the touchline in frustration the players just are not listening to him.

Pass and move, pass and move we only have a SMALL squad in height and numbers how hard is this to drum into them???

Their defender had ot easy with the constant high hoofs just as Gaving Gunning did when FGR were here a few weeks ago did we learn anything ??????????

Seems not.

Still, early days but we have got to start learning this division is full of big defenders our forward line is small that is the clue ffs.

UTM.

Quoted from sam gy

Sounds like we missed Thomas

you're urine taking right ?

Quoted from Mrs Doyle

They worked us out Hooper had TWO men on him constantly for high balls and by enlarge they nullified him.

Cook will NEVER be a threat in the air it is not his game s we have to play the balls to feet or in the channels to run on to not big hoofs from Macca and the back four.

Even Mike Jolley was kicking the water bottles down the touchline in frustration the players just are not listening to him.

Pass and move, pass and move we only have a SMALL squad in height and numbers how hard is this to drum into them???

Their defender had ot easy with the constant high hoofs just as Gaving Gunning did when FGR were here a few weeks ago did we learn anything ??????????

It takes a while to re-programme
Seems not.

Still, early days but we have got to start learning this division is full of big defenders our forward line is small that is the clue ffs.

UTM.

It takes a while to re-programme footballers. I suspect that is why we chose to spend more time on the training ground than playing friendlies. It took Buckley over a season to get us playing pass and move football effectively, but it was worth the wait, that's for sure. I well remember Town fans complaining long and hard about "this tippy tappy rubbish" in Buckley's first season. "Just fooking hit it" could be heard from the stands many times in a game.

The players are clearly not playing the way Jolley wants them to, but it's up to him to keep plugging away in training, tweaking the formation and personnel until he gets what he wants. He will also need another window or two yet. I like what he is trying to achieve, i just hope that it comes off eventually.

It would be very easy to sign a load of big, fit, fast footballers and play route one, which would probably give us more early success results wise, but ultimately is limited in the long term. I am hoping that Jolley is trying to build something more for the future; a style of football that is more pleasing on the eye and needs less adapting if/when you rise up the leagues.

We are clearly now signing a better standard of footballer, and also lowering the age quite a bit. The question is whether the management team can get them functioning as an effective, winning unit. If they can, it will be worth the wait.

Not excusing anything but do feel we were denied a clear penalty yesterday

I saw enough yesterday to see we are moving slowly forward with a young hungry squad . It's gonna be bumpy till Xmas but should be ok after that .

Quoted from HertsGTFC

Bit in bold, at least he has given himself the choice, get off his back he's been playing out of position and the fact that you played at a reasonable amateur level a number of years ago is admirable but has no relation to this situation.

BTW are you coming to games now or watching them remotely on i-player?

Get off the lads back "we're all Town aren't we"?

  

No one likes to criticize individual players but surely it's obvious that JJ is living off his goals at the back of last season and has fallen away dramatically, he does not currently deserve his place in the team over the likes of others, and that's a sorry fact

Quoted from somersetmariner

you're urine taking right ?

No? I’ve seen a lot of people saying we missed a physical presence up top, and someone clinical in the box...pretty sure Thomas has been brought in to play that role.

Quoted from Garth

No one likes to criticize individual players but surely it's obvious that JJ is living off his goals at the back of last season and has fallen away dramatically, he does not currently deserve his place in the team over the likes of others, and that's a sorry fact

To be honest I don't disagree that we need to change the left hand side which is why I think we've got Pringle in. I also think that Hooper is playing out of position and that should be recognized, he did look better at MKD with a wider pitch but he's just not cut out for the role I've seen 4 games this season and  he's been average but I believe at least has tried to make an impact.

When he played a more central role under Slade he didn't make an impact either but that was under Salde where hoof ball ruled, I' not sure what his best position is but whether it's Hooper or AN Other I really get p1ssed off when we target individuals after we lose. Yesterday JJ was not the only one who brought little value to the side and not the reason we lost.  

Quoted from Bigdog

i-Player Herts now I've got decent internet.

I wasn't trying to big time with my reference Herts. I've played against a few league clubs competitively so I know the physical and mental differences between the two levels.

Tell me when he's beaten a man in any game this season

Tell me how many times he's been caught napping when defending

Tell me how many headers he's shitt out of or been shrugged easily off the ball

Tell me what sort of effort he put in to try and head a quality cross in at the far post today when he was favourite for the ball

Tell me how many times he's tripped or fell over when running with the ball or just ran straight into a defender

He's playing out wide because he can't play with his back to goal and he's also said on record that it's his preferred position

He's a bottler without any bravery with the ball or challenging for it

I'm not getting on his back because if he had any sense he shouldn't be reading the Fishy

And if he does why should he take any notice of a no mark like me?

I'm just a fan airing my opinions on the games I watch and wanting my team to be the best it can be

I want him to do well because he's a Town player, but this season he's let himself down, his team mates down and also us fans

We've got better than JJ Hooper to play on the left who are prepared to put a proper shift in, full stop..

I doubt he reads the Fishy and would be amazed if any players do, but he's not the reason we lost yesterday and prior to Pringle arriving did we have better available and proven to play wide left? I'm not sure but MJ seemed/seems to think he is the option.

From what I have seen of MJ the work ethic he promotes and the data he utilizes whether or not fans think JJ is lazy or a bottler the manager so far thinks he can do a job. I do think if Foxy & RHJ had been available JJ would have not made the starting line up as clearly the intention was to get supply from the flanks via full backs bombing on.

I'm also not sure what defines or measures a "bottler" in the modern game.        

Quoted from HertsGTFC

To be honest I don't disagree that we need to change the left hand side which is why I think we've got Pringle in. I also think that Hooper is playing out of position and that should be recognized, he did look better at MKD with a wider pitch but he's just not cut out for the role I've seen 4 games this season and  he's been average but I believe at least has tried to make an impact.

When he played a more central role under Slade he didn't make an impact either but that was under Salde where hoof ball ruled, I' not sure what his best position is but whether it's Hooper or AN Other I really get p1ssed off when we target individuals after we lose. Yesterday JJ was not the only one who brought little value to the side and not the reason we lost.  

I agree that Hooper was not the only poor player yesterday most were, but apart from a handful of games towards the end of last season he was dreadful in the most part.

You need to look back and see what the Port Vale fans had to say about Hooper if you want to look at criticisms of a player by his own fans.