More questions than answers

I will start with the recruitment this season by jolley has been so far you have to say bordering poor.

The way we insist on a wide formation with no wide players , the way we dont really have any proper right back or left back who can play as wing back if needed as MJ has already shown he likes that formation.

Then there is the lack of a striker , we play jordan cook who by trade is an attacking midfielder  , we hoof the ball up to him from the back almost all the time.

Then there is the sticking with JJ Hooper on the left of midfield when every man and his dog can see he is at best a sub when you aint got any subs , playing clifton at wing back then a winger its just baffling

Whitmore and davis have not shown to me anything apart from slow one dimensional defenders although famewo looks alot better imo.

I just cant get my head around what he is doing with the team atm constantly changing formations confusing the players and playing players out of position  ,   Its worrying and it cant carry on with only one win this season he needs to sort this and fast.

Have we all been sucked in ?

Quoted from jonnyboy82

I will start with the recruitment this season by jolley has been so far you have to say bordering poor.

The way we insist on a wide formation with no wide players , the way we dont really have any proper right back or left back who can play as wing back if needed as MJ has already shown he likes that formation.

Then there is the lack of a striker , we play jordan cook who by trade is an attacking midfielder  , we hoof the ball up to him from the back almost all the time.

Then there is the sticking with JJ Hooper on the left of midfield when every man and his dog can see he is at best a sub when you aint got any subs , playing clifton at wing back then a winger its just baffling

Whitmore and davis have not shown to me anything apart from slow one dimensional defenders although famewo looks alot better imo.

I just cant get my head around what he is doing with the team atm constantly changing formations confusing the players and playing players out of position  ,   Its worrying and it cant carry on with only one win this season he needs to sort this and fast.

Have we all been sucked in ?

Too much theory not enough practical. This is league 2, division 4 in old money and we have players of that ability. Play your best 11 and stick with it as much as possible, and stop changing formations to counteract the opposition, who also have 4th division players. Get the players drilled into a way of playing and fine tune it over time and let the opposition worry about us would be my advice.  

Don’t know who you expect us to sign when all we’re doing is trying to get free transfers or loans, you have to pay for quality.

in the interview aired before the game today Jolley indicated he had his strongest 11 and formation in mind but hasnt had the opportunity to play it yet.
He did say that, although not just exclusive to us, its maybe a utopia that we will never reach to be able get a full strength team out and bemoaned that since pre season he has been upto 7 players short at any time due to injury, suspensions etc.

Sounds like every manager in that respect but Thomas, Cardwell, RHJ,Collins, Fox, Embleton, Pringle, M Rose, Dixon, Whitehouse all out of the picture at one point or another / still .

Quoted from lew chaterleys lover

Too much theory not enough practical. This is league 2, division 4 in old money and we have players of that ability. Play your best 11 and stick with it as much as possible, and stop changing formations to counteract the opposition, who also have 4th division players. Get the players drilled into a way of playing and fine tune it over time and let the opposition worry about us would be my advice.  

I suspect that many will nod in agreement.
One unknown is that we don't know how intelligent our players are
It strikes me that jolley wants to play different ways against different opposition, but if the players aren't clever enough nor have the ability to be that flexible then it ain't gonna work. He said today ,and he's said parallel things several times before, that they told the players beforehand about the bury lad constantly wanting to cut in but the players had failed to carry out instructions.
I do get the feeling they'd be a lot more consistent and a lot more comfortable if they just played a system that suits their ability.

Should also add that with the lad from Sunderland, Thomas and Pringles due to come in we should be much stronger next wekend

For what its worth i would give Jolley the benefit of the doubt for a good few weeks yet, but you would have to say that performances, Lincoln apart, have been worrying, we are not scoring  enough(5 in 7) and  have had two hidings by the end of the first week in September.
Jolley did a great job in keeping us up last season, but lets not forget we achieved some vital  points by virtue of debatable penalties.
Our fantastic support, particularly away from home (nearly 900 today is amazing) deserve better than this and we can only hope that the inclusion of Thomas, Embleton and Pringle in the near future will turn things  around, otherwise it could be a very long season.

we have released better players and again signed and retained bang average

Quoted from Jimbob

we have released better players and again signed and retained bang average

That's just simply not true.

Quoted from forza ivano

I suspect that many will nod in agreement.

One unknown is that we don't know how intelligent our players are
It strikes me that jolley wants to play different ways against different opposition, but if the players aren't clever enough nor have the ability to be that flexible then it ain't gonna work.

He said today ,and he's said parallel things several times before, that they told the players beforehand about the bury lad constantly wanting to cut in but the players had failed to carry out instructions.

I do get the feeling they'd be a lot more consistent and a lot more comfortable if they just played a system that suits their ability.


Should also add that with the lad from Sunderland, Thomas and Pringles due to come in we should be much stronger next wekend

a premier team with premier s who have the ability to do this and even they dont do it all the time as Jolley seems to want to. We are L2 players plus some with L1 experience and need to play each week knowing off by heart what wheir role is and what the team is trying to do. Familiarity means they do things automatically as it becomes part of their routine. Asking them to play differently every week to prevent the oposition playing their way just causes confusion and errors.
I agree with you 100%

we will start scoring when Wes Thomas gets a run as he is a natural striker will get goals and hopefully enough to keep us in L2 this season but othetrs have got to learn to score as well or it could be a close thing

As a fan of Akheem Rose im hoping he gets up to speed on his months loan and gets the chace to be the impact player we need off the bench.

Quoted from Jimbob

we have released better players and again signed and retained bang average

Who did we release that we should have kept?

Quoted from forza ivano

I suspect that many will nod in agreement.
One unknown is that we don't know how intelligent our players are
It strikes me that jolley wants to play different ways against different opposition, but if the players aren't clever enough nor have the ability to be that flexible then it ain't gonna work. He said today ,and he's said parallel things several times before, that they told the players beforehand about the bury lad constantly wanting to cut in but the players had failed to carry out instructions.
I do get the feeling they'd be a lot more consistent and a lot more comfortable if they just played a system that suits their ability.

Should also add that with the lad from Sunderland, Thomas and Pringles due to come in we should be much stronger next wekend

What Forza says and what LCL says ..... a bit too much over coaching going on at the moment?

I actually think we have a better squad than last year. The manager is thinking too far ahead, he's not going to get two years to build his dream team if he doesn't concentrate on the here and now.

Funnily enough, he was handed a disjointed set of players last year and managed to cobble together a way of playing that suited the squad he had. He needs to do the same thing again, forgetting it was him that signed half of them.

I'm a firm believer of look after your own and don't worry about the opposition.
He needs to find a style of playing football that works for the majority of this squad, which imo is definitely stronger with better quality than last season, get them focused, dialed in, understanding that role and not tinkering every game to nullify the opposition.
It appears to me he is still a little wet behind the ears in terms of league 2 management and, as all tradesman, needs time to learn his trade.
You look at good managers and they have a certain way of playing the game and will stand by that.
Fergie- out n out attack at pace
Mourinho - defensive and cautious
Pep- love the ball, controlled possession.
Klopp- we'll score more than.you!!..
At the moment we have no identity, no style of play and unless MJ can stamp his STYLE then we are in forr a long arduous season

i think with these UEFA coaching badges they teach them all to play the same way.
Everyone back for corners
Hit the ball long.
Change formations

I have not seen any difference in Slade and Jolley.

As some poster said Slade in a suit.

Quoted from Yoda

i think with these UEFA coaching badges they teach them all to play the same way.
Everyone back for corners
Hit the ball long.
Change formations

I have not seen any difference in Slade and Jolley.

As some poster said Slade in a suit.

Once Slade got the Bullitt people were clambering for a “modern type manager” with all these badges and scientific approach to the game. And I said at the time what a load of bollox. Granted Slade was a bit of a dinosaur but we could of got anybody somewhere in between who just wants to get the ball down and stick to the basics. We could of even gone for Buckley short term just to steady the ship and we would still of survived promotion because basically the team was good enough.

Quoted from GrimRob

I actually think we have a better squad than last year.

I think the results say different

First thing I'd like to see MJ do is establish a settled back four.

Three at the back demands mobile defenders and quality wing-backs...which I suspect we ain't got.

Quoted from petethemariner

For what its worth i would give Jolley the benefit of the doubt for a good few weeks yet, but you would have to say that performances, Lincoln apart, have been worrying, we are not scoring  enough(5 in 7) and  have had two hidings by the end of the first week in September.
.

Bit unfair.what about me and Mac?
For a bit of balance.weve played 7 games . 5 of the the teams we played stand 1st 2nd 6th 8th n  9th

Quoted from forza ivano

Bit unfair.what about me and Mac?
For a bit of balance.weve played 7 games . 5 of the the teams we played stand 1st 2nd 6th 8th n  9th

Get what you're trying to implicate but it's no excuse for playing bloody awful the fact we've played teams at the top of the table.
We wouldn't be doubting MJs ability and asking questions if we'd played 7 games, not been battered in 2 of them and at least shown some guts and quality in the majority of them, instead of the inability to do the basics, pass the ball and look like the headless chickens being steered by Stevie bloody Wonder!!

Quoted from forza ivano

I suspect that many will nod in agreement.
One unknown is that we don't know how intelligent our players are
It strikes me that jolley wants to play different ways against different opposition, but if the players aren't clever enough nor have the ability to be that flexible then it ain't gonna work. He said today ,and he's said parallel things several times before, that they told the players beforehand about the bury lad constantly wanting to cut in but the players had failed to carry out instructions.
I do get the feeling they'd be a lot more consistent and a lot more comfortable if they just played a system that suits their ability.

Should also add that with the lad from Sunderland, Thomas and Pringles due to come in we should be much stronger next wekend

Yeah, but if we still stay on a losing streak we'll be saying Pringle and Emberton will need time to gel, then we'll be getting in more players in January, then they'll need time to "gel"  and before we know its the end of the season, and we start over again. I honestly don't know the solution, other teams seem to hit the ground running, with a squad overhaul, why can't we?

Quoted from forza ivano

I suspect that many will nod in agreement.
One unknown is that we don't know how intelligent our players are
It strikes me that jolley wants to play different ways against different opposition, but if the players aren't clever enough nor have the ability to be that flexible then it ain't gonna work. He said today ,and he's said parallel things several times before, that they told the players beforehand about the bury lad constantly wanting to cut in but the players had failed to carry out instructions.
I do get the feeling they'd be a lot more consistent and a lot more comfortable if they just played a system that suits their ability.

Should also add that with the lad from Sunderland, Thomas and Pringles due to come in we should be much stronger next wekend

Yeah, but if we still stay on a losing streak we'll be saying Pringle and Emberton will need time to gel, then we'll be getting in more players in January, then they'll need time to "gel"  and before we know its the end of the season, and we start over again. I honestly don't know the solution, other teams seem to hit the ground running, with a squad overhaul, why can't we?

Quoted from Grim74

We could of even gone for Buckley short term just to steady the ship and we would still of survived promotion because basically the team was good enough.

We manage to do that every season with no effort whatsoever

Quoted from forza ivano

Bit unfair.what about me and Mac?
For a bit of balance.weve played 7 games . 5 of the the teams we played stand 1st 2nd 6th 8th n  9th

Ahh but you see, that is easily flipped by saying the only side we have beaten is 23rd and the others are helped to be in their current positions by virtue of having played us in their first 7 games.

Quoted from forza ivano

Bit unfair.what about me and Mac?
For a bit of balance.weve played 7 games . 5 of the the teams we played stand 1st 2nd 6th 8th n  9th

I was at the Macc game, first half i agree we looked half  decent, second half, even before the sending off we retreated into our shell
against a side i believe will be in the bottom 4 all season.
On my way back to the bus a Macc fan said to me 'its going to be a long season for both of us'
Surely we need to be a bit more  hopeful than justifying defeats against the likes of FGR and Yeovil by looking at their current league positions? after all our best performances were against Lincoln and MK , who most expect to be up there all season.
I am not trying to be unfair, just balanced, just as i believe it is unwise to judge us until the manager settles on a team and a formation
that works, but that needs to happen much sooner than later.

Its not the defeats it’s the manner of the defeats zero chances created leaking goals and heads dropping.