Just Back on the Bus

3 at the back seems to be the way teams go. I went to Sheffield United v Rotherham today and they played a back 3 but it was notable that both wide defenders overlapped the wingbacks all game.

Hard to analyse fully because Rotherham had their captain sent off midway through the first half but they had a deep lying midfielder and one always lurking outside the box to pick up headed clearances and get another shot, play a through ball back into the box or feed it back wide.

To play it effectively I think we need to see something like:

McKeown
RHJ Öhman Grayson
Hendrie Hessenthaler Ring
Clifton Embleton
Thomas Cook

Cook is a good player for linking the play up there and dropping deep for the ball but Clifton and Embleton need to get beyond him.

RHJ and Grayson would allow you to overlap on both sides of the pitch, making us harder to defend against.

Quoted from lew chaterleys lover

The answer is that despite us all wanting it to be, we are not a side that will trouble the pacemakers (or indeed Crawley) just yet.

We have made some progress, but there is a long, long way to go. I am sure that MJ knows this all too well.

In the absence of more investment, the improvement will be slow, steady and unspectacular. Frustrating I know, but that is the reality.

Let's hope Michael Jolley sticks with it and doesn't get dispirited like so many before him; the way the club is run and the lack of investment means the manager has to be a miracle worker really to get us where we want to be. We wish him well, and with another transfer window of wheeling and dealing, it might be better next season.

Even quality players like Embleton and Vernam have struggled a bit, which shows the level of player needed to be a threat. All of the teams I have seen at BP had quality players I would like in our team - this league is going to be tough to get promoted from.

At this stage I’m not expecting us to be “challengers” and I get what you & Bidgd posted above. Under MJ we have and will progress as he’s a half decent manager with more to come.

Today was difficult to watch as we should have given Crawley a game and once again a keeper had an easy day.

I am not a fan of sitting deep and inviting the opposing team on to us. It works if you have genuine pace up front but we only have that in Akeem Rose who is still a novice. The big downside is it gives opposing teams confidence which only is ok when your leading near the end but all game???

At a miss to why it took us so long to identify this is your not sure about the pace of your back three get men who are fitter oh for the likes of John Mcdermot not many ever skinned him.

Quoted from lew chaterleys lover

The answer is that despite us all wanting it to be, we are not a side that will trouble the pacemakers (or indeed Crawley) just yet.

We have made some progress, but there is a long, long way to go. I am sure that MJ knows this all too well.

In the absence of more investment, the improvement will be slow, steady and unspectacular. Frustrating I know, but that is the reality.

Let's hope Michael Jolley sticks with it and doesn't get dispirited like so many before him; the way the club is run and the lack of investment means the manager has to be a miracle worker really to get us where we want to be. We wish him well, and with another transfer window of wheeling and dealing, it might be better next season.

Even quality players like Embleton and Vernam have struggled a bit, which shows the level of player needed to be a threat. All of the teams I have seen at BP had quality players I would like in our team - this league is going to be tough to get promoted from.

I made contact with the trust about crowdfunding a few weeks ago to improve the Summer transfer pot but they told me that we’re in a healthy position and didn’t feel the need. If this is the case then the budget must be better for the Summer but I reserve my judgment on this. Onwards and upwards, together we are stronger 💪 UTM

Theres a few basic problems in the team, midfield seems to be an area for improvement next season.

Another worrying statistic is that although Wes Thomas has scored a few he has no assists at all which is very very worrying as this shows the midfield is not getting forwards into the box enough.

Quoted from H19P1

I made contact with the trust about crowdfunding a few weeks ago to improve the Summer transfer pot but they told me that we’re in a healthy position and didn’t feel the need. If this is the case then the budget must be better for the Summer but I reserve my judgment on this. Onwards and upwards, together we are stronger 💪 UTM

That is the complacent attitude we have come to expect from everyone associated with the club! Playing budget is absolutely critical.However good our signings might be other clubs will always get better and until GTFC address the problem we will always tread water.

The board should be addressing the lack of investment.

Quoted from MuddyWaters

Particularly the three highlighted. Clifton has had a lot of game time, most of it good, but had a real shocker last week. Akheem is still learning.

Don't know why some keep picking out Clifton for his display against Cambridge, the rest apart from McKewan were crap.

Quoted from HertsGTFC

Lots of things I didn’t get today....

Why Collins was left in after “another” individual mistake last week and the mercurial RHJ or Whitmore left out?

Why Dennis & Thomas up front when it looked like a poor choice last week ?

In the 2nd half why was Davis getting ahead of Hendrie when Hendrie is a better crosser and RHJ is better wide the Davis ?

Why retain 5 across the middle for so long when it just meant we passed it sideways ?

Why did Macca look so flappy and how can a keeper of that quality be nutmegged for their 2nd?

WTF was Ring doing for their first and why did Palmer get a free header? Not impressed with Ring so far TBH.

Why was the supply so bad for 2 of the better strikers/finishers we’ve had at the club for ages?

What despite playing 3-5-2 did we fail to get in behind them?

Why is losing at Crawley now a certainty?

I could go on but this performance looked like a side and possibly a manager that is over thinking it, not every offensive move starts with a triangle of passing.

I think very highly of MJ & AL but we have a squad as good as if not better than Crawley but today at times we made it look like a gulf in class & quality.......why?

We need better next week please!

UTM!!!

This is my opinion also. I think we possibly spend more time looking at what the oppostion will do rather than letting them worry about us.

I also could not understand his after match comments that Crawley just shaded the game, in reality they looked much fitter, more physical and quicker all over the field. We were lucky to come away only losing 2-1 could have been 4 or 5.

It's just another in a long line of nothing seasons isn't it? Yesterday was another loss to a team that hasn't won at home since the stone age, to go along with home defeats to Macclesfield and Cambridge. Win 2 or 3 of those and we are knocking on the door of the play offs, with the season having meaning going into the home straight. What's even more alarming for me is that not only did we lose to three struggling sides, two of those games were at home, and we barely laid a glove on any of them, scoring one goal and conceding six. We should not be losing all three of those games, especially in the manner that we did.

I'm getting a bit bored and frustrated with it all now. We keep getting told we are going to be served up high tempo attacking football on the front foot. Where is it? Where are the players with pace and width that can stretch teams? Why are players like Woolford and Collins getting game time over Clifton and RHJ, when the likelihood is that the former won't be here next season? The same can be said for Embleton. As good as he's been, he's looking jaded and is highly unlikely to be here next year, so give him the hook and put Clifton in his place behind the strikers, if that is where the club see his position in the team long term. Why has Vernam not developed at all and can't get a start? Why did we sign Grayson? Why did we sign Welsh, make him the captain and then leave him on the bench most of the season? What has happened to Whitmore? Still more questions than answers.

We can now put aside all thoughts of play offs or relegation, so let's start putting out a side that will form the basis of next season. The crowds will now drop off again no doubt, as we once again look to some point in the future, when we may have a side capable of competing. We are forever looking in to the distance, while all the time the present remains steadfastly mediocre. Last seasons relegation battle at the least had games with meaning and something to rally around. Think it's going to be an effort to drag my behind along to the remaining fixtures.  

Quoted from ginnywings

It's just another in a long line of nothing seasons isn't it? Yesterday was another loss to a team that hasn't won at home since the stone age, to go along with home defeats to Macclesfield and Cambridge. Win 2 or 3 of those and we are knocking on the door of the play offs, with the season having meaning going into the home straight. What's even more alarming for me is that not only did we lose to three struggling sides, two of those games were at home, and we barely laid a glove on any of them, scoring one goal and conceding six. We should not be losing all three of those games, especially in the manner that we did.

I'm getting a bit bored and frustrated with it all now. We keep getting told we are going to be served up high tempo attacking football on the front foot. Where is it? Where are the players with pace and width that can stretch teams? Why are players like Woolford and Collins getting game time over Clifton and RHJ, when the likelihood is that the former won't be here next season? The same can be said for Embleton. As good as he's been, he's looking jaded and is highly unlikely to be here next year, so give him the hook and put Clifton in his place behind the strikers, if that is where the club see his position in the team long term. Why has Vernam not developed at all and can't get a start? Why did we sign Grayson? Why did we sign Welsh, make him the captain and then leave him on the bench most of the season? What has happened to Whitmore? Still more questions than answers.

We can now put aside all thoughts of play offs or relegation, so let's start putting out a side that will form the basis of next season. The crowds will now drop off again no doubt, as we once again look to some point in the future, when we may have a side capable of competing. We are forever looking in to the distance, while all the time the present remains steadfastly mediocre. Last seasons relegation battle at the least had games with meaning and something to rally around. Think it's going to be an effort to drag my behind along to the remaining fixtures.  

Couldnt agree more. As much as i like Michael Jolley the whole team selection is starting to baffle me and certainly not motivating me to do a 250 mile round trip to watch them.