Just Back well on the train  (merged)

Quoted from moosey_club

All their goals came from having a wide man who could cross a ball....the first a big deflection admittedly but the whip and power initially creates the spin and dip.that beat Eastwood..the second goal...Jones had about a yard of space and still got an inch perfect cross which Eastwood initially cleared the header but that was followed up with a cross back in that picked out Bostock....the third goal..they must have had 8 passes completely unchallenged by us before Jones mugged Mularkey and again fired over a beauty....people trying to blame Eastwood or even Efete who actually had three players around him to consider are off their heads.
We only really got behind them a few times and most of those came down our left second half ....and due to our lack of left footed players we didn't get close to putting a cross in anything like the quality they were delivering.

Quoted from ginnywings

So, I think it's time to collate all the excellent information in this and other threads into an informative email which can be sent to PH and co in order to let them know where they are going wrong.

Most agree on Eastwood as goalie, so no problem there Paul, but the full back situation needs some serious attention. Mullarkey is either good going forward, not very good defensively, or good defensively, but not going forward, depending on which fishy-ite you care to favour. Glennon may as well be sent out on loan/put on the transfer list/sold for dog meat, whichever is the most expedient. Efete is too right footed and Amos is out in the cold, so a new left back by the weekend please Paul.

Waterfall is dogged but a bit old school, so Mullarkey could shuffle across to centre back, his true position, to partner the faultless Rodgers, leaving boo boy Efete to reclaim his right back slot.

Now midfield. No problem with Conteh, apart from he may be gone for millions in Jan, so we need to be looking for a replacement now. Hunt is vastly over rated and most fans can't understand why we paid a fee and gave him a 3 year deal. Ditto Vernam. What were you thinking? Clifton is always playing in the wrong position. Doesn't matter where you play him, a group of fans think he should be elsewhere.

Strike force? Forget it mate, useless to a man. No movement, no height, no penetration, no pace, no vision and always receiving the ball too far back down the pitch, with their backs to goal and nowhere to go. Rose is the pick of the bunch, but he has to do so much work, he is blowing out of his ar$e by 60 mins.

So we have a spine of sorts. Eastwood, Rodgers, Conteh and Rose. The rest leave a lot to be desired and can be moved around and replaced ad infinitum until you luckily chance upon a sort of winning formula. You'll get the hang of it if you stick at it long enough.

As for tactics; well this is the biggest sticking point. You somehow manage to be a tinker man, without actually changing the personnel, have no set pattern of play, and no plan B. When you do decide to do something, it's too late and only ever like for like, so how the hell can we be expected to beat every single side we play against?

I really don't know how you managed to get where you did in football, but worry not, the fans have all the answers, if you would just listen to all the free advice form office workers, bus drivers and insurance salesmen etc.

Alternatively, we could just accept that football teams lose games, and sometimes other teams are better than your team.

Quoted from GrimRob

Glennon made a scapegoat for losing 3-2 but we were actually 1-0 up when he left the pitch!

Quoted from grimsby pete

Do not talk facts Rob you know they do not have any room on here.

Quoted from GrimRob

Glennon made a scapegoat for losing 3-2 but we were actually 1-0 up when he left the pitch! Yes he did struggle but they were a threat from wide areas throughout the game.

Quoted from sonofmadeleymariner

Well that was excrement. Can I get refund on my Walsall ticket?

Same old same old, under Hurst isn't it. Play high pressing free flowing attack football in a nice 433 that turned into a 442 when we were defending. We looked really good and Hurst had actually nearly convinced me maybe we were in for a good season.

No back to the usual slow, deep defensive football and no plan B insight except for like for like subs and a slight rejigger of who plays in what spot.

3 poor goals to concede which we should have done better. Communication mix up for the 1st, 2nd the shot never should have come in for the lucky deflection and we left 2 men unmarked at the back post for the 3rd.

Same as last season coming folks a long hard season and I don't see  an FA Cup miricle coming either to warm the cockles either.

Quoted from Mappers

The next six are tough , the fixtures have fallen strangely in that we get (on paper at least ) 7 expected promotion candidates in the first 8 games . After that we have a kinder run of things you would expect - i would take an ugly win or 2 out of the next 6 a draw or 2 and a couple of losses in whatever order , which although not ideal would for me be a reasonable start  , with the chance to build .

It might sound obvious but we don't want to be 8  games in drawing 4 or 5  and losing 3 or 4 but no wins  .

Quoted from GrimRob

Glennon made a scapegoat for losing 3-2 but we were actually 1-0 up when he left the pitch! Yes he did struggle but they were a threat from wide areas throughout the game.