Just Back

You set up with a negative 5-4-1 with a side that can't create and you'll not win many games. All MJ had to do was swap Hooper for Pringle and keep the 4-4-1-1 with Vernam playing closer to Embleton. Cambridge are a very very poor one dimensional side and we just about matched them in all aspects of play. We need at least two creative players (Embleton and Vernam) on the pitch who can beat players as well as Thomas who holds the ball up well but is isolated in a formation like the one today. If not, we are too static and one dimensional in our own play and don't get enough players in the box to be a threat. Let's lay the Hooper defending prowess myth to bed after their winner today. Seriously, if you were a scout for GTFC, what positive attributes could you say about him? And those two crosses he passed to their keeper when, if he got his head up, he could have picked out an unmarked Thomas both times. He wasn't under any pressure, it was just pisss poor play at 0-0.. Drives me insane that he gets picked every week and gets defended after we scraped a couple of close fought wins. Said before our play is built upon poor foundations of only concentrating on what we do when we haven't got the ball. We can only be solid for so long if we are poor with the ball. It's like a hot potato every game unless it's at Mitch Rose, Vernam or Embleton's feet apart from today when Pringle showed glimpses of class and care with the ball.

Really bored of watching this disjointed crapp with a manager picking sides that are hell bent on only stifling the opposition. You end up losing games like this one, the one at Crewe and the ones at Stevenage and Newport. We need to be more expansive while holding onto to the hardworking attributes we have developed without the ball. MJ has got to find the right blend and the right line up soon or else we could be seriously in trouble. Can't see us getting owt at Mansfield and so the rot will set in again. Everyone's on about lack of goalscorers, I think we need more goal creators on the pitch who'll provide more composure, creativity and inventiveness on the ball before moaning about who can put the chances away.. If a team can't create clear cut or half chances, a forward can't score them..

what a great post Bigdog, well said

The same old story played well in parts but no real threat,

Cambridge were not any better and a draw would have been a fair result,

BUT

If you do not score you will not win any games or even draw them,

We need a target man who could play Thomas in to score a few goals,

I felt sorry for him as he is so isolated with very little support,

I do not expect we will get anything from Mansfield on Tuesday so the league table is starting to look scary again.

We need 2 or 3 players in come January otherwise its going to be a long season.

PS  I was sat with the Cambridge fans who had given me a free ticket and they agreed that they were a bit lucky to win.

Ah Well l!!!!!

Was ruminating on the way home what to say and big dog has summed it up. No doubt mj will moan about the decisions but if you only create 1 decent chance (and that wasn't until the 80th minute) you ain't going to get much. The players don't lack effort, they just aren't good enough. So many mistakes when they weren't even under any pressure.
Cambridge were marginally the better side after they stepped it up in the second half.and there was only one team trying to win it. Have to say the first half was an abysmal attempt at football from both sides.They had a useful, handful of a lump up front who caused probless, held the ball up well and always had a couple of options as to who to lay it off too.
Us? Poor old Thomas had 2 great big lumps who he struggled against, especially against the aimless hoofs we kept sending up. When he did hold the ball up there were no options and he's waiting and almost pleading for a team mate to get within 10-20 yards of him.
They had 2 quick tricky wingers, one of whom made Hendrie look a complete numpty. We on the other hand wouldn't know pace if it slapped us round the face.
The annoying thing is they looked like they might not be very good at the back but we never got the opportunity to find out.
Going on from that but sorry, what is the point of hooper? He just stands there and achieves nothing. He just doesn't seem to have a clue as to what runs to make.several times his team mates were telling him where to go for a pass. I felt Pringle was disappointing , hoped for far more quality especially with the set pieces.
Half the time there seems to be very little understanding or cohesion between any of them. The 2 hooper low crosses to the near post when Thomas and a.n. Other were waiting for a cut back or deeper crosses were good examples.
Another time what more looked up, saw there was an area on the rhs with absolutely no town players in that quarter. What does he do? Lumps the ball right into that quarter where the 2 or 3 Cambridge players said thanks very much and we are back defending.
I thought Stevenage and morecambe performances were bad, but they were okayish teams, but Cambridge looked just as poor as us yet we never ever looked like winning it.
I don't know where we go from here I just hope we aren't in too much trouble by January so he can get some new faces in.
It just isn't good enough Michael I'm sorry to say

If I was a Town player (Macca apart) or part of the coaching staff I think I'd be embarrassed tonight to be honest. We had enough of the ball in the right areas and got in behind them enough times to at least make their keeper work but no we just squandered anything that looked like an opportunity with a mix of poor decision making, poor technique or just plan stupidity.

Lots of things today where poor from the lack of movement at throw in's to the inability to move the ball forward at pace when it counts most in your opponents half. We looked like we where not sure who's job it was to run into which area of space and who was meant to be linking up with who, the lack of venom in attack was embarrassing.

All that said though to be fair Cambridge went much better in reality the only difference is that they did not surrender to what in essence felt like a soft goal and a draw would have been a fair result. Once again I thought Jolley got his subs wrong as after about 70 mins if we had added the pace of Verman running at their number 5 who was a complete donkey we might have just snatched it.

Overall we lacked quality right throughout the team today, indeed that lack of quality is a  reflection of the club from top to bottom, it needs to get better quickly. Special mention to "the 12th man" as our fans really got behind the side in the 2nd half but the players failed to respond.

Bigdog and Forza sum it up well. Sorry, Hagrid but for Vernam not to play any part today was mystifying.
We had no one who could attack down both flanks like their no. 19.

Thanks to Histon Mariner for organising pre match refreshments. The dedication of Town fans continues to amaze.

Well, we'll see where this goes. Vernam clearly scapegoated for his mistake at Crewe, what happens to Hooper after his today.

To be honest, I'm willing Wes Thomas to be good but on several occasions (notably when Embleton was attacking their back line) his off the ball movement was non-existent. The game (at 0-0) was crying out for Vernam but once again Hess & then Cook get preferred.

Just so disappointed that a team that can hold their own against Exeter & Colchester can be so tame against such a poor Cambridge side.

Special mention for the ref who, in a game where both teams were sh1t managed to outshit them.

Bigdog sums it up perfectly.
You have to create chances for the strikers.
How we miss a top two, the likes of Woods creating for Mendonca and Jones creating for Reddy.
However you also have to look at the midfield.
Yes our strikers are struggling (being polite) but how many midfielders have chipped in with goals this season?

Set up not to lose. They were shite and had we set up to have a go at them like we’ve done in recent home games we might have had more joy.
Vernam needs to play as he’s the only one with a bit of pace and he gets us out.

May as well go places and actually try to win.

Quoted from MuddyWaters

Well, we'll see where this goes. Vernam clearly scapegoated for his mistake at Crewe, what happens to Hooper after his today.

To be honest, I'm willing Wes Thomas to be good but on several occasions (notably when Embleton was attacking their back line) his off the ball movement was non-existent. The game (at 0-0) was crying out for Vernam but once again Hess & then Cook get preferred.

Just so disappointed that a team that can hold their own against Exeter & Colchester can be so tame against such a poor Cambridge side.

Special mention for the ref who, in a game where both teams were sh1t managed to outshit them.

I'm liking the new verb 'outshit', and wondered if you minded me using it too? Can see many and frequent uses for it....