just back

God that was awful. We sat back and defended our own box and waited for something to happen. Big boot down the middle  to Hanson. No idea, no ambition, no pace, no idea and absolutely no ambition to try to score.

Does Jolley realise that fans go in the hope of seeing a good game of football and hopefully some goals?

Oh and the ref was crap too, although he got the penalty right.

Agree with everything the o.p said..I thought the 1st half was bad, I was wrong..in comparison the 1st half was a festival of football compared to the 2nd. The players have to take responsibility for a total lack of composure.

The formation was an insult. We were utterly hopeless and clueless. We make hanson chase absolutely everything, no pace, just awful. Second half the amount of times newport had spare men over and jolley did nothing to counteract it. I want him gone, 29 wins out of 84 games. Today has made my mind up. Knew podge would score, subs added nothing, although we almost won it at the death. Cant comment on the pen was too far away but thought thr ref was shite and newports antics very poor. intercourse the replay because we wont win. Fed up

Worst thing for me was we were under pressure for 10 mins pinned in our own half and his answer was going to be bring on another CD so we have 4 on the pitch rather than freshen up the midfield and start pressing   The Parslow Point anyone?

After seeing that I'd take a 2nd from bottom finish in the league right now.

I can’t think of any part of that performance that was anything more than moderate.

Absolutely awful game no atmosphere and what looked like lack of game plan. The back three were immense the midfield , sometimes good usually panicking. The forward line out muscled, out thought and lacking support from midfield.
So, we need to sell pollock for big money and buy some left footed players and use the left hand side of the pitch.
MJ 's time must be coming to an end the project is not working.
Ps the ref fell for all newports tricks and it wasn't a penalty, a free kick but not a pen.

Quoted from Ruston AT

Absolutely awful game no atmosphere and what looked like lack of game plan. The back three were immense the midfield , sometimes good usually panicking. The forward line out muscled, out thought and lacking support from midfield.
So, we need to sell pollock for big money and buy some left footed players and use the left hand side of the pitch.
MJ 's time must be coming to an end the project is not working.
Ps the ref fell for all newports tricks and it wasn't a penalty, a free kick but not a pen.

Which three of the back four were immense? Plus it was a stick on penalty, contact inside the box.

I did like Jolley but he is killing it. I’m not far from wanting him gone, although I suspect our problems run deeper than managerial appointments.

Thought first half wasnt too bad in all honesty, 4-4-2 , Cook and Robson out wide and Whitehouse Hess in the centre. We used the right side more than the left , worked the channel and had a fair share of corners. Thought we pressed them fairly well and high initially.
Didnt really open them up in open play and then the game got scrappy, the ref started to blow far too often and decided Newport's tendency to fall over screaming must mean its a free kick.
Got the goal with a rare ball in from open play from the left, good header but poor from their keeper to let it creep in.

Second half we never got started, they fell over more, Green in particular for me didnt hold the ball up well enough and the midfield sat deeper, deeper and deeper and narrow.   This isolated the striker(s) , gave Newport the momentum and the space on the park to cross the ball at will. Also when we did get the ball no one looked capable of keeping it meaning the ball was instantly turned over.

The back four doing a sterling job of repelling the ball but with the number of balls coming in something eventually would give.

Can't comment on the penalty as too far away and too crowded to see.

After that we still had chances, two great free kick positions, both hopelessly wasted and at the death Robson cutting in creating a great opportunity before blasting wide.

Happy to see a standard 4-4-2, although it didn't really provide us with any penetration but with Pollock at right back and latterly Whitehouse on the left then i think the personnel hindered that as opposed to the shape itself. Strikers hardly got any real service throughout so cant be too damning of them.

Pollock and Gibson both played well i thought, Waterfall commanding in both boxes and Russell looked comfortable and commanding of his box.

From that viewing, their squad looked overall much more comfortable on the ball, had more pace about it and physically stronger (despite them falling over in the breeze).

We didnt lose to a strong side, got a workout after a couple of weeks off, Pollock showed again his potential, we are in the draw.  

I thought we where poor today and couldn’t work out how we where actually trying to win a game which as far as I’m concerned as the home side you’re obliged to do.

I’m not blaming the players as I reckon they all put a shift in and there was a couple of good performances in there as well.

We ended up from what I could tell playing a 4-1-3-2 though I thought it was meant to be 4-4-2 we just seemed to always have a man (Hess) in front of the back 4 which meant we had zero width. I’m sure Cooke had been told not to advance too far as Pollock was filling in at RB.

The level of performance and style of play sits with Jolley and Limbrick and it looks like the players don’t understand the identity of our play. I think these lads are reasonable at this level but it just feels like they’re not sure of what they’re meant to be doing which might explain the “just boot the fukin thing” style we now have.

Thought Newport where average TBH but they did pep up when Podge cane on, who could blame them?

The ref? Again poor but no better or worse than the muppets we now get at BP week in week out. I’m afraid that this won’t get any better any time soon as the idiots who abuse the young kids just starting out with a whistle on a Saturday and Sunday are putting people off becoming refs and suppressing any talent pipeline coming through.

Before we play Newport there is always some narrative about Amond but on reflection I’m not sure we’ve actually progressed since Podge was a player for us which completely vindicated his decision to leave what is becoming a lame duck of a football club.

Quoted from HertsGTFC

I thought we where poor today and couldn’t work out how we where actually trying to win a game which as far as I’m concerned as the home side you’re obliged to do.

I’m not blaming the players as I reckon they all put a shift in and there was a couple of good performances in there as well.

We ended up from what I could tell playing a 4-1-3-2 though I thought it was meant to be 4-4-2 we just seemed to always have a man (Hess) in front of the back 4 which meant we had zero width. I’m sure Cooke had been told not to advance too far as Pollock was filling in at RB.

The level of performance and style of play sits with Jolley and Limbrick and it looks like the players don’t understand the identity of our play. I think these lads are reasonable at this level but it just feels like they’re not sure of what they’re meant to be doing which might explain the “just boot the fukin thing” style we now have.

Thought Newport where average TBH but they did pep up when Podge cane on, who could blame them?

The ref? Again poor but no better or worse than the muppets we now get at BP week in week out. I’m afraid that this won’t get any better any time soon as the idiots who abuse the young kids just starting out with a whistle on a Saturday and Sunday are putting people off becoming refs and suppressing any talent pipeline coming through.

Before we play Newport there is always some narrative about Amond but on reflection I’m not sure we’ve actually progressed since Podge was a player for us which completely vindicated his decision to leave what is becoming a lame duck of a football club.

This lame duck football club needs new impetus instead of being a vehicle to repay John Fenty for his fabled failures of the past. We really are a bit shambolic on & off the pitch. Even our S&C coach got a yellow card today!

Quoted from MuddyWaters

This lame duck football club needs new impetus instead of being a vehicle to repay John Fenty for his fabled failures of the past. We really are a bit shambolic on & off the pitch. Even our S&C coach got a yellow card today!

100% agree, as long as we finish 91st or above MJ is safe whilst rye boys club sit around the big table.

Quoted from HertsGTFC

100% agree, as long as we finish 91st or above MJ is safe whilst rye boys club sit around the big table.

91st would take us down!

Got ourselves into a lead first half and defended well throughout then 2nd half got things wrong tactically allowing Newport to keep on attacking in waves, compounded by subbing Green, bringing on Rose and going one up front.
For all our good defending we was always one mistake away from giving away a penalty and we was punished.
Had a victory pulled away from us by our own manager. Chance missed and cant see us winning the replay as our record there is dreadful. Shame.

Pollack and Waterfall towns best players

Quoted from Heisenberg

91st would take us down!

Indeed....90th it is now 🙈

It was awful again, no plan, no idea.
We managed to hold our own in the first half but not when Newport stepped it up in the second.
We played as though we were the away side. Came as no surprise when they scored.
And even Hess doesn’t seem to be able to take a decent corner any more.

Ultra negative. Does Jolley not realise that if you get sacked at Town you don’t get another league job?

We go to football to be entertained, he shows no ambition to entertain us and our tactics are anti football.

Grow a pair and try to win games or pack your bags.

You lads on this thread who know what formation we were playing know a lot more than me.
I thought we had at least ten different formations throughout the match but most of the time we didnt have any

Quoted from HertsGTFC

I thought we where poor today and couldn’t work out how we where actually trying to win a game which as far as I’m concerned as the home side you’re obliged to do.

I’m not blaming the players as I reckon they all put a shift in and there was a couple of good performances in there as well.

We ended up from what I could tell playing a 4-1-3-2 though I thought it was meant to be 4-4-2 we just seemed to always have a man (Hess) in front of the back 4 which meant we had zero width. I’m sure Cooke had been told not to advance too far as Pollock was filling in at RB.

The level of performance and style of play sits with Jolley and Limbrick and it looks like the players don’t understand the identity of our play. I think these lads are reasonable at this level but it just feels like they’re not sure of what they’re meant to be doing which might explain the “just boot the fukin thing” style we now have.

Thought Newport where average TBH but they did pep up when Podge cane on, who could blame them?

The ref? Again poor but no better or worse than the muppets we now get at BP week in week out. I’m afraid that this won’t get any better any time soon as the idiots who abuse the young kids just starting out with a whistle on a Saturday and Sunday are putting people off becoming refs and suppressing any talent pipeline coming through.

Before we play Newport there is always some narrative about Amond but on reflection I’m not sure we’ve actually progressed since Podge was a player for us which completely vindicated his decision to leave what is becoming a lame duck of a football club.

If the players know what they are doing and know what they are supposed to be doing, then it is all the manager’s fault.

If the players don’t know what they are doing and don’t know what they are supposed to be doing, then it is all the manager’s fault.

Either way he cannot escape responsibility for what is going on by blaming individual errors, referees or the opposition being nasty big strong boys.

Just seems really odd to me that last season we always looked like we were trying to pass it and be quite technical, the players we were signings this summer I thought aha I can see how his master plan is coming together now. But no every game I've seen we keep hoofing it up to Hanson, so the other team puts about 4 players around him who fall over to get a foul against hanson every time. Do we adjust? generally no. wtf? it's like jolleys had a head injury over the summer. 2 weeks of no league game and a meaningless u21 game you'd think would be great to work on the things we've been lacking but sounds like we just came out exactly the same, what's going on?

My concern at the moment is where another win is going to come from?  

We are that bad we are making shite teams look like world beaters. Mr. Jolly if you would like me to pop down to training one day just ask and I will tell you where you are going wrong. If you are a bit embarrassed you can always PM me and we will keep it between ourselves. You know you want to.

Quoted from Stew0_0

Got ourselves into a lead first half and defended well throughout then 2nd half got things wrong tactically allowing Newport to keep on attacking in waves, compounded by subbing Green, bringing on Rose and going one up front.
For all our good defending we was always one mistake away from giving away a penalty and we was punished.
Had a victory - and a £36000 win bonus from the FA - pulled away from us by our own manager. Chance missed and cant see us winning the replay as our record there is dreadful. Shame.

Pollack and Waterfall towns best players

Just added a little bit extra to your post Stew......

Just been speaking to A fellow in the cricket club, Dave EvansX occasional referee assessor, was there yesterday watching the hame,  spoke to Mike Flynn afterwards, he said we were the worst team they’ve played this season

Quoted from Hagrid

Just been speaking to A fellow in the cricket club, Dave EvansX occasional referee assessor, was there yesterday watching the hame,  spoke to Mike Flynn afterwards, he said we were the worst team they’ve played this season

Yesterday was the worst I’ve seen us this season. Worse than that, we’ve been getting progressively worse.

Quoted from Hagrid

Just been speaking to A fellow in the cricket club, Dave EvansX occasional referee assessor, was there yesterday watching the hame,  spoke to Mike Flynn afterwards, he said we were the worst team they’ve played this season

To be fair to Flynn he is only going on our performance yesterday, we have played better this season.
Clutching at straws I know.

Quoted from Hagrid

Just been speaking to A fellow in the cricket club, Dave EvansX occasional referee assessor, was there yesterday watching the hame,  spoke to Mike Flynn afterwards, he said we were the worst team they’ve played this season

I would suggest Jolley reminds the Town players of this statement when we play the replay.

Quoted from promotion plaice

I would suggest Jolley reminds the Town players of this statement when we play the replay.

I would suggest the players remind Jolly of this statement when we play the replay

Quoted from Hagrid

Just been speaking to A fellow in the cricket club, Dave EvansX occasional referee assessor, was there yesterday watching the hame,  spoke to Mike Flynn afterwards, he said we were the worst team they’ve played this season

As much as he and the team are clearly struggling I couldn’t see Jolley coming out with that after a game. ........ at the moment looking at yesterday, Cambridge and versus Orient I doubt he’d find a side worse than us.

I’m hoping it’s a bad patch but looking at our attempts on goal per game I suspect there is more struggle ahead.

Quoted from MuddyWaters

Yesterday was the worst I’ve seen us this season. Worse than that, we’ve been getting progressively worse.

At what point do the board act and say "enough is enough"??...my concern is over the hype they put on signing Jolley they won't want to be seen with egg on their face and leave until it's too late...
Normally I'm not one for knee jerk reactions and the sacking of our manager but when it's as plain as the nose on your face that he's just not cutting it and slowly taking the team and playing style backwards then something has to give .
Why don't the club(board) pull every player in for an incognito chat and ask their honest opinion of Jolley, now that would be interesting, and make a decision on whether they renew his contract when the current 6 months come to an end...

Quoted from Northbank Mariner

and make a decision on whether they renew his contract when the current 6 months come to an end...

Sorry to be be pedantic but it's a 6 month rolling contract allegedly which never ends.

Quoted from promotion plaice

Sorry to be be pedantic but it's a 6 month rolling contract allegedly which never ends.

Surely PP it only "rolls" over if both parties agree to it??..
I'm no contractual expert but would've thought that to be the case, thus it protects the club from massive compensation payments should they wish to relieve the manager of his duties part way through a 6 month contract rather than, say, a 3 year deal?

Quoted from Northbank Mariner

Surely PP it only "rolls" over if both parties agree to it??..
I'm no contractual expert but would've thought that to be the case, thus it protects the club from massive compensation payments should they wish to relieve the manager of his duties part way through a 6 month contract rather than, say, a 3 year deal?

A 6 month rolling contract means every morning said manager wakes up he has 6 months left on his contract  

So if he gets sacked he gets 6 months pay if he is required to leave there and then-hope he's not on the same wage as Slade

Quoted from promotion plaice

A 6 month rolling contract means every morning said manager wakes up he has 6 months left on his contract  

That is what the club has said and I think there is an agreed compensation fee written into the contract whether he is taken by another club or we sack him.

Quoted from grimsby pete

That is what the club has said and I think there is an agreed compensation fee written into the contract whether he is taken by another club or we sack him.

There appears to a bit more leeway in the loan account at the moment. 😜😜😜

Quoted from promotion plaice

A 6 month rolling contract means every morning said manager wakes up he has 6 months left on his contract  

I get that, it makes sense but in layman's terms, endless contract with 6 months notice period...which would be paid up if dismissed early by way of compensation...

No point in sacking him is there? give the guy a few seasons. Buckley was not built in a day.

People have to forget our Championship years now, our non Chairman has no ambition to ever get us there again.
If the manager has no pot to urine in because the pot belongs the the non chairman

It was definitely a back 3.  Cook and Gibson as wing-backs.  

Cook isn't a wide player, never mind a wing-back so he was dragged all over the shop.  Hence why Pollock was shifting across to cover.  

Quoted from diehardmariner

It was definitely a back 3.  Cook and Gibson as wing-backs.  

Cook isn't a wide player, never mind a wing-back so he was dragged all over the shop.  Hence why Pollock was shifting across to cover.  

Is this really true? Someone said it was 4 4 2 in this or another thread? Did not see the game myself so no idea.

If it was 3 5 2 why not just stick anyone at WB Jolley. Its not like its probably the most important position in a 3 5 2 formation....

So basically after the unmitigated disaster that was Clifton at WB on the first game of last season he thought Cook of all people would be able to play there?

We have been conned...again.  

Put it this way, if it was 4-4-2....Pollock was far too inside to be playing right-back.  Also if Whitehouse and Cook were the wingers, I don't remember them once even getting near the touchline.  In fact I can't recall Whitehouse going out wide at all.

To my eyes it was 3-5-2 which eventually became 5-3-2 with a very deep midfield and Hanson dropping in to help out at the back.  Even if it was 4-4-2 you've got players out of position.

Right back/right wing-back is unfortunate.  It's probably the one position we're adequately stocked to cover (although not convinced either Hendrie or Hewitt are wing-backs) and it's rare to have both of those players unavailable at the same time.  But to put a 17-year-old on the right of a back three, covering a striker playing as wing-back is just daft.

Quoted from diehardmariner

Put it this way, if it was 4-4-2....Pollock was far too inside to be playing right-back.

Pretty sure Jolley told BBC interviewer that Pollock was at right back.

Hopefully McKeown and Hewitt back for next game, plus Wright maybe.

To me it just proves how out of favour Ring is, unless he's injured and I've missed it...

Quoted from Hagrid

Just been speaking to A fellow in the cricket club, Dave EvansX occasional referee assessor, was there yesterday watching the hame,  spoke to Mike Flynn afterwards, he said we were the worst team they’ve played this season

We were the worst team they’ve played and yet we were a goal up for much of the game and they only scored through a penalty 🤔

Quoted from Posh Harry

We were the worst team they’ve played and yet we were a goal up for much of the game and they only scored through a penalty 🤔

Well thats MJ'S team-talk sorted for the replay then!

Reading all these posts on the formation and the positions played against Newport it is pretty clear that not many of the 2000 strong crowd knew who was supposed to be playing where. It is evidently obvious that if Jolly has devised a plan they haven't practised it on the training ground. Is there a plan,does Jolly AND his staff understand it themselves,do they instil it into the players. Are the players playing to orders instead of using their own ability for what they were signed for. Are the players scared to use invention and flair in case they upset the boss. Don't the senior players who have more experience than Jolly discuss options with him and his staff or aren't they allowed to. Jolly-matches are won and lost on the training ground so get this sorted as a priority. You have a side kick who supposedly is there to assist but if neither of you have the ability to deviate from the mish-mash that has been created then I am sorry and hope that you both find alternative employment elsewhere.

Quoted from golfer

Reading all these posts on the formation and the positions played against Newport it is pretty clear that not many of the 2000 strong crowd knew who was supposed to be playing where. It is evidently obvious that if Jolly has devised a plan they haven't practised it on the training ground. Is there a plan,does Jolly AND his staff understand it themselves,do they instil it into the players. Are the players playing to orders instead of using their own ability for what they were signed for. Are the players scared to use invention and flair in case they upset the boss. Don't the senior players who have more experience than Jolly discuss options with him and his staff or aren't they allowed to. Jolly-matches are won and lost on the training ground so get this sorted as a priority. You have a side kick who supposedly is there to assist but if neither of you have the ability to deviate from the mish-mash that has been created then I am sorry and hope that you both find alternative employment elsewhere.

The problem is that as a manager it is very hard to backtrack and re-boot or whatever the current jargon is. Once the players have got lost in a maze of different formations and tactics from the boss it is almost impossible for that boss to clear their minds of crap and redeem the situation. We saw this identical issue with Bignott where he lost the plot but at least he was trying to win games, not trying to not lose them!

Ironically the only recent manager to do a successful about turn on tactics and selection was Slade Mk 1. When he come from Scarborough he made that first season’s side play 3-5-2 with a bit of success but then he changed it to 5-3-2 with Reddy up front the next year and we should have gone up.

*3-4-3/3-4-1-2/3-5-2 then 4-4-2

Jolleys Jumble  

Maybe this is the master plan. If we have no idea what formation we were playing how will the oppo be able top prepare to face us?  

Quoted from TheRonRaffertyFanClub

The problem is that as a manager it is very hard to backtrack and re-boot or whatever the current jargon is. Once the players have got lost in a maze of different formations and tactics from the boss it is almost impossible for that boss to clear their minds of crap and redeem the situation. We saw this identical issue with Bignott where he lost the plot but at least he was trying to win games, not trying to not lose them!

Ironically the only recent manager to do a successful about turn on tactics and selection was Slade Mk 1. When he come from Scarborough he made that first season’s side play 3-5-2 with a bit of success but then he changed it to 5-3-2 with Reddy up front the next year and we should have gone up.

Yes I touched on that in an earlier post - once you start to tinker you simply cannot stop. A bit like opening a pack of pringles.

Obviously you cannot go on forever keeping the same team if it is not winning, but you have to give them several games to try to establish a pattern, whilst making the odd change due to circumstance.

I thought the team he put out against Mansfield was our best current 11, but there was absolutely no desire, no will to win no fire in the belly and to me that is our biggest problem. You won't get anywhere with the budget we spend in division 4 unless you have a fierce win at all costs mentality to make up for the lack of quality that the other teams can buy.

One things for sure, we will not survive on 2000 gates so something needs to happen and fast.
Whatever we are doing or not, isn't good enough over to you Mr Jolly

Quoted from Garth

One things for sure, we will not survive on 2000 gates so something needs to happen and fast.
Whatever we are doing or not, isn't good enough over to you Mr Jolly

Will he listen Garth ? he knows what he is doing its just the players and the fans that have no idea what he is talking about.

Quoted from Abdul19

*3-4-3/3-4-1-2/3-5-2 then 4-4-2

I think the only way for us to be successful is  4-4-4-4 and even then he wouldn't play wingers

Quoted from TheRonRaffertyFanClub

The problem is that as a manager it is very hard to backtrack and re-boot or whatever the current jargon is. Once the players have got lost in a maze of different formations and tactics from the boss it is almost impossible for that boss to clear their minds of crap and redeem the situation. We saw this identical issue with Bignott where he lost the plot but at least he was trying to win games, not trying to not lose them!

Ironically the only recent manager to do a successful about turn on tactics and selection was Slade Mk 1. When he come from Scarborough he made that first season’s side play 3-5-2 with a bit of success but then he changed it to 5-3-2 with Reddy up front the next year and we should have gone up.

We definitely didn't play 5-3-2 the year we should have gone up.

                         Mildenhall
McDermott   R.Jones    Whittle   Newey
Cohen     Bolland            Toner     Parkinson
                 G. Jones     Reddy

Was our most common line up. Sometimes Toner was replaced by Kalala/Woodhouse but it was still 4-4-2.

Quoted from lew chaterleys lover

Yes I touched on that in an earlier post - once you start to tinker you simply cannot stop. A bit like opening a pack of pringles.

Obviously you cannot go on forever keeping the same team if it is not winning, but you have to give them several games to try to establish a pattern, whilst making the odd change due to circumstance.

I thought the team he put out against Mansfield was our best current 11, but there was absolutely no desire, no will to win no fire in the belly and to me that is our biggest problem. You won't get anywhere with the budget we spend in division 4 unless you have a fierce win at all costs mentality to make up for the lack of quality that the other teams can buy.

I’ve no idea why that would get 3 red crosses and think that’s absolutely right.

Quoted from diehardmariner

It was definitely a back 3.  Cook and Gibson as wing-backs.  

Cook isn't a wide player, never mind a wing-back so he was dragged all over the shop.  Hence why Pollock was shifting across to cover.  

Started as a 4-4-2 ;

Gibson, Ohman, Waterfall, Pollock
Robson Whitehouse Hess Cook
             Hanson  Green

Robson and Whitehouse swapped at some point in the first half.

God knows on the second half.. 9-0-1 ???

Quoted from moosey_club

Started as a 4-4-2 ;

Gibson, Ohman, Waterfall, Pollock
Robson Whitehouse Hess Cook
             Hanson  Green

Robson and Whitehouse swapped at some point in the first half.

God knows on the second half.. 9-0-1 ???

It definitely started with pollock in a back 3. Maybe he wasn't supposed to but that's where he was playing. Did develop into more 442 later in the first half but even then he wasn't in an orthodox right back position.

Quite damning of jolley really as he had davis who has played as an ok right back when required before.

It's taken you 3days 4hours and 23minutes from game ending to getting back home

Quoted from golfer

It's taken you 3days 4hours and 23minutes from game ending to getting back home

Have you been on our local bus service