Just Back On The Train

Well cannot help but think that we committed the football equivalent of hara kiri today.
First half definitely the better side. Unlucky to go behind. Some excellent football-good use of width and two really well worked goals. The first was all about Vernam's drive and a clever strikers finish from Whitehouse after the Keeper couldn't deal with Vernam's power. The second gave us a glimpse of what Hanson will do if he gets the service from the flanks. Great header then reacted quickest when the Keeper parried.
Second half..nigh on inexplicable. We get the ball three yards from their corner flag. Glennon plays a nothing pass and ten seconds later it's in our net.
Under the cosh then and Clifton's gives the ball away resulting in a great finish by their  number 10.
Furious last ten minutes shots blocked appeals for penalties but like last week nothing stuck.
It's definitely better to watch but need to cut out unforced errors. Not equipped to "score one more than you"

Let’s not forgot we recently went on a long run without winning or scoring. Did alright first half, but we’re largely second best in the second half.

I’m sure we will get better.

I really think it’s a shame we couldn’t secure Gibson and robson for the season. Feel they will really be missed.

The 2nd wasnt down to Glennon, we were excrement scared of Nadesans pace, as we have none at the back

Definitely threw that game away. Lost count of the number of times we turned an attacking position into defence by players not taking responsibility to be positive. Under pressure!? Pass the ball back to put a teammate in the same position, and he does the same. Rather than risk losing the ball in the final quarter we risk losing it near our penalty area. Olly’s got to get that train of thought cut out amongst the players. Good work wasted.

Schizophrenic performance.when we were good we were very good, but when we were bad, which was for far too long, we were rubbish.kept giving the ball away and were looking rocky every time they attacked. They were quick skilful and clever a nd we just couldn't deal with it. Dont think me holloway will be very pleased with what he saw. Glennon had a nightmare and the other lad from burnley wasnt much better. Whitehouse was a revelation, whilst Hanson's return was s massive plus.venam looked really good again.
Ohman and Clifton summed up the performance, made good tackles and interceptions but made some really dangerous mistakes and were blody awful when they tried to pass it. Very frustrating and it makes tuesday a must win again

Quoted from forza ivano

Schizophrenic performance.when we were good we were very good, but when we were bad, which was for far too long, we were rubbish.kept giving the ball away and were looking rocky every time they attacked. They were quick skilful and clever a nd we just couldn't deal with it. Dont think me holloway will be very pleased with what he saw. Glennon had a nightmare and the other lad from burnley wasnt much better. Whitehouse was a revelation, whilst Hanson's return was s massive plus.venam looked really good again.
Ohman and Clifton summed up the performance, made good tackles and interceptions but made some really dangerous mistakes and were blody awful when they tried to pass it. Very frustrating and it makes tuesday a must win again

I’m staggered that Benson is being slagged off for three minutes plus injury time.

Yeah the papers wouldn't even give a rating for that short a cameo to be fair.

Feel a bit frustrated that we keep passing it backwards when we’ve done well to get in a good position to hurt the opposition TBH but happy to accept that this is a team in complete transition but we are trying to play football and the period from their first goal to half time gave us a glimpse of what the future will hold hopefully.

It still feels we lack a bit of belief and confidence but that will come especially with IH in charge.

Some comments about individual players but digging out the likes of Glennon in his 3rd senior game Clifton who thankfully is learning a stable role and Benson who has only had a few minutes is really harsh.

The positives Chas... really dangerous , Whitehouse..... my MOM, Hanson..... for just being Hanson, Billy..... so good on the ball.... Glennon always looking to make a difference and we got back into the game and took the lead. I also thought Macca’s distribution looked ok too.

We’ll learn how to keep the ball better, we’ll learn to clear it rather than play it and we’ll learn to hold a lead and all being well build on it.

Just think back to how poor we where at the end of Jolley’s tenure....... context is everything when a side is in such transition.

Though on a personal note now Hanson is back I’d like to see us play 4-4-2

UTMM!!

P.S. ...... when did FIFA take trying to rip the shirt off a players back when he’s trying to get to the ball off the list of what could be considered a foul? Clearly the Crawley defenders are ahead of everyone on that rule change.

If anyone is blaming Clifton for that goal they need their eyes testing. Glennon had plenty of options and chose to play a bad ball to Harry in the middle of the park.

Anyway, strange game. We looked brilliant for most of the 1st half and terrible in the 2nd.

I know Holloway has said he wants to see his players before bringing anyone in but today we literally had no strikers on the bench and to be honest no defenders either. We’re light on numbers and we need more impact players. Most of our supposed front 3 are either not good enough or injured a lot.

We were also better in the first half against Exeter.  

We were also better in the first half against Exeter.

We were also better in the first half against Exeter.

Quoted from Mariner16

The 2nd wasnt down to Glennon, we were excrement scared of Nadesans pace, as we have none at the back

We can't play front foot football with slow defenders. Natural tendency to drop off is understandable and teams can push us back by pacy forwards running at us in space or picking up balls along the channels. All four of our central defenders are of the same mould, great defending in tight areas in front of them, good in the air, solid in the tackle, but none of them can run. Two will have to move on in the summer to make way for a bit of pace if we want to be at the top end of the table next season. And if we want to be battling for promotion our central midfield needs a huge overhaul too. No time to panic or be despondent or down about the odd defeat or two. It's valuable time for IH to gain an honest appraisal of what each member of the squad can do, and more importantly, can't do..

It's agonising to see our younger players getting punished for nearly every mistake over the last three games. I'd rather focus on the misplaced culture of over passing when opportunities come to deliver a cross or forward pass. Ollie has said he will not criticise if he sees positive intent. In theory, young players should play without fear but ours appear shackled sometimes. Both our goals came from decisive movement rather than overplaying. Once we get ahead, we have no leader on the pitch to marshal the midfield, just eager scrappers. Everyone we face seem to have more composure. Dominating centre mid continues to be a priority.

Put Hess back in front of the defence and give Max 90 mins instead of Harry. I hope Ollie resists the temptation to start Green 'to see what he can do on the grass'.

I think a lot of the team yesterday won’t be looking forward to May . We’re not going to go up if we keep the majority - sorry if this sounds harsh but they’re just not good enough and IH has been around long enough to know this . Not going to name names on here as they’re trying their hardest it’s obvious and are definitely playing better football.
One name I’ll mention though is Vernam . What an improvement from him . Our best player by a mile yesterday.

Quoted from louth_in_the_south

I think a lot of the team yesterday won’t be looking forward to May . We’re not going to go up if we keep the majority - sorry if this sounds harsh but they’re just not good enough and IH has been around long enough to know this . Not going to name names on here as they’re trying their hardest it’s obvious and are definitely playing better football.
One name I’ll mention though is Vernam . What an improvement from him . Our best player by a mile yesterday.

Thought Pollock had a great game too, the only defender that seemed really capable of distribution.

Quoted from jaf243

Thought Pollock had a great game too, the only defender that seemed really capable of distribution.

Didn't see the game, but watched the highlights and he's chasing shadows for all 3 of their goals.

Wow, amazing how we all see a game differently. I thought Pollock was massively at fault for the 1st goal and also at fault for third. I thought Vernam and Whitehouse were good for 45 minutes but completely went missing in the 2nd half (a re-occurring theme). Yet somehow it seems Harry is getting most of the blame in this thread.

Pollock is only 18 and i think it all caught up with him a bit yesterday. He was great against Exeter who are a better side than Crawley. I expect he will be rested back to the bench now Waterfall is available again.

Quoted from KingstonMariner

Definitely threw that game away. Lost count of the number of times we turned an attacking position into defence by players not taking responsibility to be positive. Under pressure!? Pass the ball back to put a teammate in the same position, and he does the same. Rather than risk losing the ball in the final quarter we risk losing it near our penalty area. Olly’s got to get that train of thought cut out amongst the players. Good work wasted.

Exactly -think this comes with confidence hopefully Olly can bring this back - shame he wasn't here at the start of season

Quoted from Roast Em Bobby

Wow, amazing how we all see a game differently. I thought Pollock was massively at fault for the 1st goal and also at fault for third. I thought Vernam and Whitehouse were good for 45 minutes but completely went missing in the 2nd half (a re-occurring theme). Yet somehow it seems Harry is getting most of the blame in this thread.

Well, I think he was certainly left behind for one of them, but pace isn't really his game, thought he did more to better our performance than any of the other defenders. Although, was it Glennon who go the assist for the first?

Quoted from pen penfras

Didn't see the game, but watched the highlights and he's chasing shadows for all 3 of their goals.

I didn’t see the game also but I’ve seen pollock enough to know he lacks pace, I realise he’s young but looks like he’s carrying to much weight to me whether some toning up would help who knows

I think Pollock has shown that he has a lot of potential and could certainly play at the top level all being well. yeah sure he's not got a great deal of pace but that is not the be all and end all is it. It does help mind. He is only 18 So he will make mistakes and he is still learning the game let's remember but I certainly think he's had more good than poor games for us.

I should have said 1st and 2nd goals, not 1st and 3rd. He dives in and misses on the 1st, and on the second he should have blocked the attacker off by fouling him.

https://www.skysports.com/watch/video/sports/football/11917891/crawley-3-2-grimsby

Quoted from Davec

I think Pollock has shown that he has a lot of potential and could certainly play at the top level all being well. yeah sure he's not got a great deal of pace but that is not the be all and end all is it. It does help mind. He is only 18 So he will make mistakes and he is still learning the game let's remember but I certainly think he's had more good than poor games for us.

Could certainly play at the top level?!?!?! A lot of pressure for a lad who has played 10-15 L2 games. Agree with the comment about his physique. Although he is no McNulty he looks like he will have to work to keep the weight off. I believe he is an excellent prospect but would rather see more consistency over a season to judge.

I am very optimistic for next season and beyond,but we are 19th in the 4th division for a reason. Very few of the players Ollie inherited will be here in August.

He will know this of course and the budget will tie his hands somewhat but I am sure next season will be a whole lot better.

Quoted from smokey111

Could certainly play at the top level?!?!?! A lot of pressure for a lad who has played 10-15 L2 games. Agree with the comment about his physique. Although he is no McNulty he looks like he will have to work to keep the weight off. I believe he is an excellent prospect but would rather see more consistency over a season to judge.

I will rephrase it then and say he has the potential to play at the top level, whether he will achieve it or not remains to be seen

Quoted from lew chaterleys lover

I am very optimistic for next season and beyond,but we are 19th in the 4th division for a reason. Very few of the players Ollie inherited will be here in August.

He will know this of course and the budget will tie his hands somewhat but I am sure next season will be a whole lot better.

Hopefully, the crowds stay at a higher level and encourage the board to splash out a bit more on the playing budget for next season. Of course it's still down to good recruitment whatever the budget you have to play with, but i think Olly will bring in better footballers than we have seen with the previous few managers.

Quoted from Davec

I will rephrase it then and say he has the potential to play at the top level, whether he will achieve it or not remains to be seen

Any such talk is incredibly premature.  He has played a few games in the lower reaches of division 4.

League 1 is a huge step up let alone any talk of the top level.

Ollie will no doubt bring  out his potential but I don't think he has the pace for a stellar career.

Quoted from lew chaterleys lover

Any such talk is incredibly premature.  He has played a few games in the lower reaches of division 4.

League 1 is a huge step up let alone any talk of the top level.

Ollie will no doubt bring  out his potential but I don't think he has the pace for a stellar career.

Absolutely. Times have changed since Ryan Bennett. Even the step up to league 1 now is really significant. Pace is part of that, and the higher you go the faster players get.

Agreed, watching him trying to catch Nadeson(I think it was him), for the second goal was like watching a carthorse trying to catch a flat racing thoroughbred, he definitely lacks pace..  

Quoted from 123614

Agreed, watching him trying to catch Nadeson(I think it was him), for the second goal was like watching a carthorse trying to catch a flat racing thoroughbred, he definitely lacks pace..  

Paul Futcher also lacked pace but he made up for that with his reading of the game and his timing. Obviously he gained those credentials with experience but there is no reason why Pollock, with more games under his belt and coaching, can't acquire those traits.

Quoted from rancido

Paul Futcher also lacked pace but he made up for that with his reading of the game and his timing. Obviously he gained those credentials with experience but there is no reason why Pollock, with more games under his belt and coaching, can't acquire those traits.

The games changed and moved on if you don’t posses the athleticism required you won’t go up the levels. Futch was a wonderful player in a different era

I think even Pollock would be embarrassed to be put in the same sentence as Futcher at this stage. I think playing alongside Waterfall would be most beneficial for his development. That or Ramos if Ollie could get him!!!!!

Quoted from Davec

I think Pollock has shown that he has a lot of potential and could certainly play at the top level all being well. yeah sure he's not got a great deal of pace but that is not the be all and end all is it. It does help mind. He is only 18 So he will make mistakes and he is still learning the game let's remember but I certainly think he's had more good than poor games for us.

Pace is everything at the highest level, regardless of position.I'm not sure I could say a player could make it to that level as I don't watch it live on a regular basis the TV only shows you do much.  

Quoted from Roast Em Bobby

Wow, amazing how we all see a game differently. I thought Pollock was massively at fault for the 1st goal and also at fault for third. I thought Vernam and Whitehouse were good for 45 minutes but completely went missing in the 2nd half (a re-occurring theme). Yet somehow it seems Harry is getting most of the blame in this thread.

Had a look at their three goals. Individual errors ,yes, but we were a collective mess for all of them.

If CV goes missing it means the whole team has gone missing with the ball and we couldn't get decent supply to our best flair player.

Quoted from Bigdog

Had a look at their three goals. Individual errors ,yes, but we were a collective mess for all of them.

If CV goes missing it means the whole team has gone missing with the ball and we couldn't get decent supply to our best flair player.

In most games, even when we are playing ok, CV and EW are subbed. Which suggests to me that their fitness is an issue. Understandable given they’ve both suffered with injuries.

Going forward we going to need more pace at the back, I remember we used to do well with an old school strong heading and tackling type who however lacked pace or acceleration but he'd be backed up by a more cultered pacey type who could drop into holes and mop up when any gaps arise.

All our cb's at the present are more towards the former slugger type and our full backs are not as lightning fast as they can be in that position also.

A Reece Hall-Johnson at the very least would have been useful squad player, alas he wanted away I believe so that option was never really there.

Nadeson gave our defence the absolute run around yesterday. Wouldn’t mind seeing him in the black n white next season although I know nothing about him and haven’t been ars.ed to google him yet

Afraid it’s all about pace the higher up you go, those at the top can do all the basics and more but do it with pace/ speed, we can all see how our level the basics can fail at times and seldom is it done with pace.

Quoted from sam gy

If anyone is blaming Clifton for that goal they need their eyes testing. Glennon had plenty of options and chose to play a bad ball to Harry in the middle of the park.

Anyway, strange game. We looked brilliant for most of the 1st half and terrible in the 2nd.

I know Holloway has said he wants to see his players before bringing anyone in but today we literally had no strikers on the bench and to be honest no defenders either. We’re light on numbers and we need more impact players. Most of our supposed front 3 are either not good enough or injured a lot.

Glennon played the sort of ball we spend lots of time doing, playing it across the back four, it was poor control by Clifton as was the case against Exeter.

Regarding athleticism, the past two games I’ve seen (Orient and Crawley) we’ve been outclassed in that respect. Technique wise Crawley gave us a run for our money. They seemed to beat us up n tactical awareness too. How the fcuk do they manage to do that on crowds of 2500.

Better coaching I'd presume.

I think Clifton slipped for the goal having been played a bit of a dodgy ball by glennon. My worry about Clifton is that his distribution has not improved in what is now his third season, and I fear that Holloway will know players who could tick more boxes. I know it's an unfair contrast but we could do with someone like that horrible number 4 for Northampton

I always think that smaller clubs in the South East  are likely to have a better selection of players to choose from. Very densely populated area and the many younger players released by the bigger London clubs (most of whom will have massive youth set ups) are likely to remain in that area.

If you can stay nearer family and friends yet still forge a playing career, it's quite understandable that you'd be happy to go to clubs such as Crawley.

I know there were problems on the railways but Maringer if you are still on it get off at the next stop and i'll pay for you a taxi

Quoted from forza ivano

I think Clifton slipped for the goal having been played a bit of a dodgy ball by glennon. My worry about Clifton is that his distribution has not improved in what is now his third season, and I fear that Holloway will know players who could tick more boxes. I know it's an unfair contrast but we could do with someone like that horrible number 4 for Northampton

Harry possess the athleticism required but does appear not to have progressed like I’d hoped, let’s hope ollys influence will bring out a more technical side to him.

Quoted from Davec

I will rephrase it then and say he has the potential to play at the top level, whether he will achieve it or not remains to be seen

You've said exactly the same thing, just in slightly different words.

Quoted from Maringer

I always think that smaller clubs in the South East  are likely to have a better selection of players to choose from. Very densely populated area and the many younger players released by the bigger London clubs (most of whom will have massive youth set ups) are likely to remain in that area.

If you can stay nearer family and friends yet still forge a playing career, it's quite understandable that you'd be happy to go to clubs such as Crawley.

To an extent yes. But they must have only half our income so there’s a point at which a pro player will say no because of the cost of housing.

Quoted from dapperz fun pub

Harry possess the athleticism required but does appear not to have progressed like I’d hoped, let’s hope ollys influence will bring out a more technical side to him.

But compared to a lot of players we come up against he’s on the short side. A quick bigun is quicker than a quick littleun, to coin a phrase.

Quoted from KingstonMariner

But compared to a lot of players we come up against he’s on the short side. A quick bigun is quicker than a quick littleun, to coin a phrase.

Agree to a point but the best midfielders of modern times plenty have been smallish ie David Silva   Not the biggest but technically superb

Quoted from dapperz fun pub

Agree to a point but the best midfielders of modern times plenty have been smallish ie David Silva   Not the biggest but technically superb

They have but those sort of players don’t usually prosper in the English lower leagues. Totally different environment to Iberian/LatAm football.

Quoted from KingstonMariner

Definitely threw that game away. Lost count of the number of times we turned an attacking position into defence by players not taking responsibility to be positive. Under pressure!? Pass the ball back to put a teammate in the same position, and he does the same. Rather than risk losing the ball in the final quarter we risk losing it near our penalty area. Olly’s got to get that train of thought cut out amongst the players. Good work wasted.

Spot on.  It was so frustrating.  Last night I went to see a Thai team play a much better Japanese (team on paper and technically.).  They just ran at them and had so many shots , i lost count.  Of course, some ballooned over the bar but they managed to get 3 in I wanna see town do that.

When was the last time we scored two?  Still bloody lost.

Having had my moan, to look at Saturday’s game more positively, the formation was a lot clearer, there was more width and the players had a clearer idea of what they were supposed to do than the last Jolley game I saw which was at Stevenage. Just need to be braver.

Agree Kingston but a bit of speed wouldn't hurt-can't we get some of those electrical things that they use to make greyhounds run faster. P.S. I dont mean hares - and Olly could have the controls.

Quoted from golfer

Agree Kingston but a bit of speed wouldn't hurt-can't we get some of those electrical things that they use to make greyhounds run faster. P.S. I dont mean hares - and Olly could have the controls.

Hey, what you adrenaline junkies ingest in the clubhouse toilets when the Captain is not around is your business, but you shouldn’t be advising young footballers to take illegal drugs.

Quoted from Mayaman

When was the last time we scored two?  Still bloody lost.

When we lost to Sunderland in that tournament we don't like maybe?