Just Back

Quoted from gtfc_chris

Isn't that somewhere in the region of the mid-season form in NL? Remind me what happened during the 18 months after that......

Given your previous post, your memory looks ok. I'm sure we can all drag up bits of GTFC history to fulfil our point. My frustration is borne out of what's happened since the half time whistle at Bradford, at which point we sat second in the live table. We failed to respond to Bradford's change of tactics, failed to replace players who were out on their feet and, in four short weeks, have tumbled down the table. I know it's a short space of time but just think what a difference that the extra two points at Bradford and the three thrown away against Crawley would have made.

Quoted from MuddyWaters

Given your previous post, your memory looks ok. I'm sure we can all drag up bits of GTFC history to fulfil our point. My frustration is borne out of what's happened since the half time whistle at Bradford, at which point we sat second in the live table. We failed to respond to Bradford's change of tactics, failed to replace players who were out on their feet and, in four short weeks, have tumbled down the table. I know it's a short space of time but just think what a difference that the extra two points at Bradford and the three thrown away against Crawley would have made.

100% agree, it is frustrating. Please don't think that I and I'm sure others are in any way pleased about results, I don't think the main difference is in what we see over the 90 minutes, but what we see in the whole picture and where we sit within it and how that 90 minutes places itself within the whole.

I didn't really quote the Crawley game but in truth it does deserve it's focus. I was at a wedding that game trying to watch in the bar on my phone (only the second half worked when the speeches were on), so I can't really give an honest view of the flow of the game but the chances column suggests we could/would/should have finished the game off. But that in itself provides the opposition argument to it being PHs fault that we lost. We had more chances and more shots. In an attacking sense we were the better of the two teams yet the players on the field didn't finish the chances created. A 'fluke' goal and two bouts of poor individual defending have cost us the points. Cite that PH buys the players and picks the team and it's of course true, but if our issue is down to human error when everything else says we've done enough then it isn't the system at fault.

In the space of four weeks we have taken a tumble but quoting second at half time isn't a fair argument, we kicked off early so even if we had won the rest of the results mean our end of day position would have been a bit lower. But - and hopefully so - the same is true in reverse. If we happen to kick into life and win the next 4 games then our position will look very different again. Those behind PH will be happy about it, those who don't like him will be quiet until the next time we lose two on the bounce and so the cycle continues.

Quoted from forza ivano

I don't often agree with you, but on Harry I was nodding my head reading this. Thought the best I saw from HC was when he was left midfield. Incidentally the 2 times I've seen Harry this season I haven't noticed much difference to what I saw last year, bar he hasn't scored. It maybe he's 5 or 10% below last season's standards, but I didn't see him do too much wrong on Saturday

FAO DALE H - Hurst said that their right winger was a handful, and he felt that Michee was the most athletic of his options and the best person to deal with that threat. He did well, I thought

No worries. I don't agree with much on here either.

Didn't realise this, but was nosing at my own links and seeing differences going the other direction from October to end of season. Bristol Rovers were also 20th on 5th October and finished 3rd in the league, which is an even better rise than Mansfields.

Harrogate went from 2nd after 10 games to 19th.

Barrow went from 7th to 22nd.

Point being that nothing is determined after 10 games. Unless you're Oldham and Scunthorpe. If there are parallels between that season and this one then I'd suggest us and Doncaster are best placed to be the Mansfield and Bristol Rovers equivalents.

Quoted from chaos33

I mean, you and It Bites with this derision of Clifton. It’s odd.
I’m not arguing your right to an opinion but really; Clifton hasn’t started the season ‘producing’ as much as he has done so magnificently for us in the last few seasons, but he’s still a great player and has given us so much. He will come good again soon and he absolutely gives 100% for 90 mins every week. That’s good enough for me, even if I think he might or should lose his place on current form. Can’t we keep it calm and rational?  

Thanks for allowing me to have an opinion and as you had a go at me last season when I commented on Harry at least we are both consistent. As for derision that’s not what my comment is as I genuinely am of the opinion that Summerfield was a better footballer than Clifton and had more technical ability. I have never criticised HC’s commitment or workrate and think he’s a very valuable squad member particularly given his ability to cover a number of different positions. However, his first touch is not the best, his passing is poor and a number of our attacks break down due to him struggling to cross or create chances with his left foot.

I acknowledge the majority of our fan base don’t share my views but we all have players we like and others we don’t and I am just in the camp that think he gets far more opportunities than others when out of form. That is I assume down to his guaranteed work rate but I just want a little more from our midfield players and believe, when fit, Khouri should be given a longer run.

That’s it in a little more than a nutshell I just don’t rate him as highly as others but I don’t pick the team so in the great scheme of things my view is pretty irrelevant.

Quoted from gtfc_chris

100% agree, it is frustrating. Please don't think that I and I'm sure others are in any way pleased about results, I don't think the main difference is in what we see over the 90 minutes, but what we see in the whole picture and where we sit within it and how that 90 minutes places itself within the whole.

I didn't really quote the Crawley game but in truth it does deserve it's focus. I was at a wedding that game trying to watch in the bar on my phone (only the second half worked when the speeches were on), so I can't really give an honest view of the flow of the game but the chances column suggests we could/would/should have finished the game off. But that in itself provides the opposition argument to it being PHs fault that we lost. We had more chances and more shots. In an attacking sense we were the better of the two teams yet the players on the field didn't finish the chances created. A 'fluke' goal and two bouts of poor individual defending have cost us the points. Cite that PH buys the players and picks the team and it's of course true, but if our issue is down to human error when everything else says we've done enough then it isn't the system at fault.

In the space of four weeks we have taken a tumble but quoting second at half time isn't a fair argument, we kicked off early so even if we had won the rest of the results mean our end of day position would have been a bit lower. But - and hopefully so - the same is true in reverse. If we happen to kick into life and win the next 4 games then our position will look very different again. Those behind PH will be happy about it, those who don't like him will be quiet until the next time we lose two on the bounce and so the cycle continues.

For the record, I don’t think we’re relegation fodder - far from it. The frustration is that we have a better squad yet still seem to focus on our opponents strengths rather than our own.

For now though, I think context is needed in the grand scheme of the opening 10 games and not just judge purely on each game as an individual result.

Lastly, the first two links; the first shows Mansfields position on 05 October 2022 and the second shows it at the end of the season. If you think we need to hit panic stations give that a look first.[/quote]

A lot of good work was spoilt by the final sentence.

It's like going on a two-week holiday to Gt Yarmouth because your mate had a hot and sunny fortnight last year. What's last year's weather got to do with anything when it's raining this year?
Yes, we are not totally useless, as you show, but yet here we are 10/30. The reason I'm "panicking" is I'm not sure Town will last if it goes down again, and if you have an honest look at 21/22 season Statistics show we shouldn't have gone up, but we did. So that's statistics for you.

Quoted from Lincoln Mariner 56

Thanks for allowing me to have an opinion and as you had a go at me last season when I commented on Harry at least we are both consistent. As for derision that’s not what my comment is as I genuinely am of the opinion that Summerfield was a better footballer than Clifton and had more technical ability. I have never criticised HC’s commitment or workrate and think he’s a very valuable squad member particularly given his ability to cover a number of different positions. However, his first touch is not the best, his passing is poor and a number of our attacks break down due to him struggling to cross or create chances with his left foot.

I acknowledge the majority of our fan base don’t share my views but we all have players we like and others we don’t and I am just in the camp that think he gets far more opportunities than others when out of form. That is I assume down to his guaranteed work rate but I just want a little more from our midfield players and believe, when fit, Khouri should be given a longer run.

That’s it in a little more than a nutshell I just don’t rate him as highly as others but I don’t pick the team so in the great scheme of things my view is pretty irrelevant.

Fair enough mate , although how you can come to the opinion that Luke Summerfield is a better footballer having produced pretty much nothing in his time with us compared to Clifton is way beyond me (and the stats) but hey - some people are still arguing that Brexit is good aren’t they.

Quoted from Northbank Mariner

And I've just said on twitter, at some point the crowds will dwindle due to his boring, anti football approach, and I honestly think that will be the wake up call the board requires, as the product is devalued, only then will they react. Although I have put my neck on the block about Stockwood being ready to pull the plug on Hurst previously, even I'm doubting my source for that information now tbh.

Where is FFS when you need him? Anti football approach? Jesus Christ.

Quoted from GrimPol

For now though, I think context is needed in the grand scheme of the opening 10 games and not just judge purely on each game as an individual result.

Lastly, the first two links; the first shows Mansfields position on 05 October 2022 and the second shows it at the end of the season. If you think we need to hit panic stations give that a look first.

A lot of good work was spoilt by the final sentence.

It's like going on a two-week holiday to Gt Yarmouth because your mate had a hot and sunny fortnight last year. What's last year's weather got to do with anything when it's raining this year?
Yes, we are not totally useless, as you show, but yet here we are 10/30. The reason I'm "panicking" is I'm not sure Town will last if it goes down again, and if you have an honest look at 21/22 season Statistics show we shouldn't have gone up, but we did. So that's statistics for you.
[/quote]

It's a nod to the catastrophic thinkers on the forum who have taken our form thus far and determined that it means we are going to struggle. Mansfield fans may well have been panicking yet patience paid off, same with Brizzle. There's nothing to say we'll replicate that at all, but I'd argue there's enough evidence to suggest that we are a few small tweaks and a good January window away from it being a reasonable possibility. Doncaster are similar for me and I think they'll be top half come the end of the season. In the same way that saying Mansfield/BR antics in 21/22 doesn't mean we'll do the same, saying that because we're 17th and only won 2 doesn't mean that that form will continue all season.