Hard to see where the next win is this season.

Quoted from lew chaterleys lover

Those stats don't surprise me. I have said once or twice on here, sort of in jest, that we wait patiently in the Pontoon for us to even get the ball in the box. I have never seen a side so lacking in energy to attack the goal; we seem happy to pass it about in triangles in the middle third, but there is no urgency to get the ball in the areas where it matters. On the rare occasion we do get the ball in the box, there aren't enough bodies in there to make it count.

A big rethink is needed for next season, or perhaps the remainder of this, as we need to address the most basic aspect of football - scoring goals. It looks too much like training exercises and not enough desire to win.

I get the use of triangles and patiently playing the ball with the aim of forcing a mistake from the opposition but there is very little movement. I don't expect every cross to be great but it is a numbers game and if you put enough of them into the box, the likelihood of scoring increases.

The problem with the triangles most of the time is we have 4 players involved all stood 2 yards from each other, rather than 5-10 yards and constantly crossing each others path or spinning away.

A lot of people referencing the "high tempo, high pressing, attacking football we were promised."

Except it wasn't was it.

MJ was asked questions last season about preferred styles of play and formations etc, and he responded by saying that he likes to play with 2 strikers and likes a team to play with a lot of energy to press the opposition.

That wasn't a promise that his Grimsby Town side would do that. And of course it depends what players you've got as well, as to whether you can carry out certain styles of play. Nor was it a statement that we'll always play 2 up front. In fact most of his time here we've played with one main striker.

Just like the people that constantly bring up the "we're aiming to be in the championship in 5 years" line. When that wasn't what was said then either. It was more a throw-away comment and actually said "there's no reason why we couldn't be"

Quoted from RoboCod

And yet we went through a phase where we worked the ball really well and either put awkward early diagonal crosses in or got to the byline and pulled it back. Wes was heading them in/swivelling and shooting and a couple of own goals were scored by opposition defenders unable to cope with the crosses.
Then it stopped.

I know what you mean, but that is a small slice of the season - a very small slice. Our goals for column is absolutely shocking and 9 of those were scored in two games which I guess is when we were doing more attacking. The more I think about it, the worse it gets - how on earth can we win any games if we don't have any sustained pressure, don't make any chances and don't get the ball into the box, bar the snippets you mention?

We really will have to have a big rethink - I think season ticket sales will be very slow unless we see a more attacking intent and get some new players in, who are clearly and demonstrably a cut above what we have now, to carry it out.

Quoted from lew chaterleys lover

I know what you mean, but that is a small slice of the season - a very small slice. Our goals for column is absolutely shocking and 9 of those were scored in two games which I guess is when we were doing more attacking. The more I think about it, the worse it gets - how on earth can we win any games if we don't have any sustained pressure, don't make any chances and don't get the ball into the box, bar the snippets you mention?

We really will have to have a big rethink - I think season ticket sales will be very slow unless we see a more attacking intent and get some new players in, who are clearly and demonstrably a cut above what we have now, to carry it out.

That phase mentioned was also (for the most part) when Pringle was playing. It's dissapointing that we were expecting a faster more overlapping style when Ring joined and Pringle left. It could be that we are missing someone like Pringle who, while not tearing past fullbacks and being really exciting actually put quality crosses in that found people.
Over simplified I know, but we do seem to be at a stage we had earlier in the season when we just ran out of ideas in the oppositions half and no one demanded the ball to make things happen (we're also missing Embleton in this tbf)

The worry is that we don't create enough chances.

Every game at the moment seems to be reflected on with a load of IFS and BUTS. In that we seem to have one or two good chances to score while the scores are still level, before later falling behind.

The problem is, these often end up being our only real chances. And we don't create any more later in the game once we've conceded a goal.

You can stomach the IFS and BUTS around not taking chances that would've changed the course of the game when it's the odd game in isolation. But when it's every week it's a deficiency with what we're doing.

It's a game of fine lines but we need longer periods of sustained attack otherwise the opposition teams/managers realises we are there for the taking which has been the case for the majority of this season.

Against a really good side soaking up pressure and hitting on the break can be productive but against EVERY side it is so easy for teams to work us out.

I have heard it said more than once by our management and even our own players "we have to score goals." Too blooming right not least to take some pressure off the defence and to actually have something to defend but often it's the opposing defenders that have an easy day that is criminal and must change.

Our mind set does not seem right and that is something I hoped Jolley had addressed last season in the great escape.

I really want Jolley and co to do well as we all but our midfield and attack seem toothless we need to be more potent and at least win the ball keep more procession higher up field to press their defence for longer periods.  

The selection of the club captain and his recently known bad publicity probably hasn't gone down well in the dressing room. This was the 'signing of last summer' - upon which to build the team around. This guy has been hanging around the team all season. Pretty incredible 'the issue' was not spotted months earlier. PNE gave him a testimonial and glowing reference for a great career, after his apparent 'act' in Liverpool it seems.

Having signed Danny Collins for this season, he should have been the experienced club captain, in my view - no need for Welsh.

However, next season - no Welsh - no Collins - Town need leaders through the spine of the team.

Not sure that  GTFC  no what they are doing in terms of player recruitment.

Hard to see where the next win is next season, let alone this one.


Hope its at The Globe on Saturday but not holding breath.


UTM  

We've played Morecambe 11 times in the last 10 years. Depressing.
We've won just once in those 11 games.
Put in a non-display on Saturday against them Town and you'd better charge a fiver or less for the remaining games, heck, make that free for everyone on the last day.

http://www.pnefc.net/news/2018/may/john-welsh-reflects-on-pne-career/

Thanks for the negative (not)- please view link - no mention of breaking any woman's leg 2 months before this article. Wouldn.t have followed up but have received a negative, so I have..


This is where Town went wrong this season, unfortunately.


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