We are down with this team.

Quoted from Mrs Doyle

Even if we get a decent striker will jolley have the bottle to play TWO STRIKERS up front???

We spend too much time firefighting instead of being proactive.

We make chances but sorry Vernam. JJ you just have to chip in with goals.

Goalscorers so far including cup games.

Thomas 2.
Cook 2.
Rose 2.
Embleton, Hendrie, Hessenthaler, Vernam, Woolford, Hooper just ONE goal each.

In fact, in the league, we have only scored ten times. For crying out loud our goal difference is -11.

That is simply NOT GOOD ENOUGH.  

Strange comment.

He played Vernam and Thomas as a front two for 5 games before yesterday.

Has he ever started a game with Thomas Cook up front though. If ever a solution was starting at him in the face. The footballing gods have given him a massive clue.

Cook just doesn't look like a striker to me. Not big, strong, quick or particularly skilful. I can see why his previous teams haven't tended to play him up front.

The lack of size and strength among our available strikers is a big problem because teams are finding it much too easy to bully us up front. Playing Thomas as the 'target' seems to be wasting his abilities to some degree.

Quoted from GrimRob

Try in the league below, then the one below that, and so on. You'll eventually find someone who'll come and has scored 20 goals in a season recently and who is within our means

The top goalscorer in Scottish division  1?  
15 up to now.

Name a manager that has managed to sign a "proven goalscorer" since we have been back in the league?

If you have blocked them out your mind already here are your choices:

HURST
BIGNOT
SLADE
JOLLEY

Just to add to that mix prior to relegation name a manager that completed a decent striker signing:

WOODS
NEWELL
BUCKLEY


ANSWERS????

I'd say none. Why? Budget, location, Fenty. Not always in that order.

With that in mind MJ is facing the same issues of any recent manager because the club is constantly in the same position.

At least the guy is trying to improve things, players try, and we just might given more than one transfer window see some genuine long term planning and improvement in the squad.

Its a shame after nigh on 15 years of misery no one has the patience for this to happen but again, you reap what you sow Shelton.

We are a mid to lower end 4th division side trying to build a squad without financial backing.

Maybe people should adjust the direction of their attention towards a man specialising in football failure that runs the club not towards the manager and players doing their best with what they have.

FENTY OUT

UTM.

Quoted from arryarryarry

I don't know if you actually get to many games but the Crewe and Cambridge games went only one way and that was because at the moment we are not scoring enough goals and we cannot prevent the opposition scoring when we make defensive mistakes.

I felt we deserved to not lose today but we did and just think we lack the quality in both players and managerial decisions which has to be improved as soon as possible otherwise I fear we are in for a long struggle which may ultimately lead to our dropping out of the EFL.

I get to about 75% of matches each season so feel i have a reasonable idea of whats happening, but even though its clear to us all that we need a goalscorer, our general play is much better than last season.  I wasn't saying we are worldbeaters but if we'd taken some of our chances at Crewe and Cambridge, this board would be very different.  We didn't and i get that, but all is not lost especially so early in the season.
We all hope that MJ can bring in a winger & goalscorer in Jan and we start scoring more goals, but i'd be more concerned if we hadn't created any chances in the last two games.

What about Lawrence Shankland from Ayr

Quoted from A.l.f.

Massive over reaction Yoda.  I think we've improved since 6 weeks ago and the only thing missing the last 2 games has been goals.  Both Crewe and Cambridge could have gone either way.
I personally think that we will be ok.
We need a period of stability and although Michael Jolley is working with several restrictions, i have faith in him and we all need to get behind the team.
As we left the ground i heard some Cambridge fans saying that we were the better team today and they had got lucky.  So we are not as bad as you think.
UTM and stay positive.

I agree with this

The majority of fans yesterday applauded the team - largely cos they know the only thing missing is goals and our general play, effort, commitment cannot be questioned
Admittedly, not scoring is a bloody big thing... and needs sorting fast (somehow)

Far harder though to suddenly become free scoring than shoring up a leaky defence - decent central defenders are two a penny at this standard and can be brought in on loan no problem; getting a decent striker is much harder - what L1/L2 club lets a goalscorer go in January??

For me Macca is a good L2 keeper
The back four are gelling well and are no worse than most in this league
The midfield has energy, pace, athleticism - lacks creativity and final ball often poor
Forward line - that's the issue (obviously)

I feel we have 4/5 number 10s in the team - all decent footballers but just no natural predatory instinct

No-one takes a risk, has a shot, take responsibility, gambles on a near post run etc etc - I hate singling people out but Hooper's two crosses when in acres in their box second half  were woeful. He seemed to panic and just aimlessly hit the ball at their keeper - how hard can it be to look up and find a GTFC player?

There's not a huge amount wrong IMO.. other than the most important thing in footy...which actually means there's a lot wrong cos you don't get marks for artistic impression and effort.

Whichever combo MJ plays we will have the same set of problems up top with this squad

Ply 3 5 2? RHJ and Hendrie bombing on; same midfield three; Thomas and Vernam up top???

I'd go all out in Jan for a top scoring non league player or Scottish Div 1/2 striker whose banging goals in - once a goalscorer always a goalscorer IMO

Quoted from promotion plaice

Trouble is for all the red crosses Yoda got for this post..... I personally find it hard to disagree with it.

Just remind me how many points from how many games did we get in October with this squad?